Tag: Q n A

Praise be to Allah.The hadeeth referred to was narrated by Abu’l-Jawza’ Aws ibn ‘Abd-Allaah who said: The people of Madeenah were faced with a severe drought. They complained to ‘Aa’ishah who said: “Look at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and make an opening facing the sky so that there will be no barrier between him and the sky.” They did that, then it rained until the plants grew and the camels grew exceedingly fat, and it was called the year of the exceedingly fat animals.  
Narrated by al-Daarimi (1/56), no. 92, in the chapter: How Allaah honoured His Prophet after his death. 
Al-Daarimi said: Abu’l-Nu’maan told us, Sa’eed ibn Zayd told us, ‘Amr ibn Maalik al-Nakri told us, Abu’l-Jawza’ Aws ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: … then he quoted the hadeeth. 
This report is da’eef (weak) and is not saheeh. The scholar al-Albaani stated that it is weak and said in his book al-Tawassul (p. 128): 
This is a weak isnaad which cannot be used as evidence for three reasons: 
1 – Sa’eed ibn Zayd, who was the brother of Hammaad ibn Yazeed, has some weakness. Al-Haafiz said concerning him in al-Taqreeb: he is sadooq (truthful) but confused. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizaan: Yahya ibn Sa’eed said: (he is) weak. Al-Sa’di said: It is not evidence; they regard his hadeeth as weak. Al-Nasaa’i and others said: He is not strong. Ahmad said: There is nothing wrong with him; Yahya ibn Sa’eed did not like him. 
2 – The report is mawqoof and stops at ‘Aa’ishah, and it is not attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Even if it were saheeh it would not count as evidence, because it may be that it comes under the heading of ijtihaad of some of the Sahaabah who may make a mistake or get it right, so we are not obliged to follow it. 
3 – Abu’l-Nu’maan is Muhammad ibn al-Fadl who is known as ‘Aarim. Although he is thiqah (trustworthy), he became confused towards the end of his life. Al-Haafiz Burhaan al-Deen al-Halabi narrated it in al-Ightibaat bi man rumiya bi’l-Ikhtilaat following Ibn al-Salaah who mentioned him among the confused in his book al-Muqaddimah and said: The ruling concerning them is that the hadeeth of those who learned from them before they became confused may be accepted, but it may not be accepted from those who learned from them after they became confused or those concerning whom it is not known whether they learned from him before he became confused or after. 
I (al-Albaani) say: it is not known whether al-Daarimi heard this report before he became confused or after, so it is not acceptable and cannot be quoted as evidence. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, refuting al-Bakri: The report narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) about the opening of a hole towards the sky so that rain could fall (onto the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) is not saheeh, and its isnaad is not proven. Among the things which prove that it is false is the fact that during the lifetime of ‘Aa’ishah the house did not have any opening,  rather it remained as it was during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): some of it was roofed over and some of it was open, and the sun used to shine into it, as it is proven in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr with the sun shining into her room when the shadow had not yet appeared. The apartment remained like that until al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik expanded the mosque when he was governor, at which time the apartments were added to the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). At that time the room in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is buried was incorporated into the mosque and a high wall was built around the apartment of ‘Aa’ishah which contains the Prophet’s grave. After that the opening was made so that people could enter it when necessary in order to clean it. As for the opening being made during ‘Aa’ishah’s lifetime, this is an obvious lie. End quote. 
Secondly: 
This hadeeth is not proof for what the extreme Sufis believe about it being permissible to seek rain by the help of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). You cannot find in the hadeeth anything which indicates that, by any stretch of the imagination. The most that can be said is that it shows how Allaah honoured his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after he died, as al-Daarimi described in his Musnad in the chapter heading under which he included this hadeeth. This is the blessing of his pure body and his honour before Allaah. But that does not mean that it is permissible for the Muslims to go to him and seek his help whilst he is in his grave. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not do that, rather they opened a hole in the roof of his room so that it might be directly open to the sky, but none of them asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for rain, and they did not speak to him concerning that. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (p. 338) 
Going to graves to offer supplication beside them, and seeking a response to du’aa’ offered there more than du’aa’s offered elsewhere, is something that was not prescribed by Allaah or His Messenger, and was not done by any of the Sahaabah, Taabi’een or imams of the Muslims. It was not mentioned by any of the earlier scholars or righteous men. Rather most of what has been narrated concerning that comes from some of the later figures, after the second century (AH). 
The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) were faced with drought several times, and other calamities befell them, but did they come and seek rain and seek help at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? 
Rather ‘Umar went out with al-‘Abbaas and sought rain through him, i.e. through his du’aa’; he did not pray for rain by the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 
Indeed it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that she uncovered he grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so that rain might fall on it, because it (rain) is a mercy, but she did not pray for rain there, or seek divine help there. End quote. 
Thus it is clear that there is no evidence in this report for the Sufis that it is permissible to seek help from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or to seek to draw closer to Allaah by means of him or his status.  
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Undoubtedly these schools pose a great danger to the Muslim
who is ignorant of Islam and its teachings, because they give lessons and
teach information in which there is approval and praise of the kaafirs and
their religions and beliefs, and usually attack Islam and condemn the
Muslims. But if the student in these schools has a sound understanding of
the beliefs of Islam, and knows the pillars of Islam and what is halaal and
what is haraam in Islam, and he needs to go to such a school in order to
learn a skill or profession or a gain specific knowledge, and he is
confident that he will not be influenced by their lessons and teachers, and
he will not be forced to learn any of the subjects that have to do with
Catholicism, then in that case we think that it is o.k. for him to study
there. Rather we worry about one who is ignorant and does not understand the
plots of the kaafirs and their tricks against the Muslims. But whoever is
confident and adheres to the beliefs and practices of Islam, then usually
such a person would not be affected by their teachings and practice.

Praise be to Allah.al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah is a book dealing with ‘aqeedah (basic tenets of faith) which was written by Imam al-Tahhaawi and named after him. Discussing this ‘aqeedah means that we must look at it from a number of angles. 
Firstly: 
The author is the imam, muhaddith and faqeeh Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salaamah al-Tahhaawi – who is named after a village in Upper Egypt – he studied with many Shaykhs and learned from them and benefited from them, and he listed their number as three hundred Shaykhs. 
He was praised by more than one of the scholars: 
Ibn Yoonus said: al-Tahhaawi was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of wisdom, and after him there was no one else like him.  
Al-Dhahabi said: the faqeeh, muhaddith, haafiz, one of the prominent scholars, and he was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of wisdom. 
Ibn Katheer said: He was one of the trustworthy, sincere and a haafiz. 
He wrote books which were well-written, comprehensive and of great value, among which was his great book Ma’aani al-Athaar, which contains research on fiqh accompanied by evidence and discussion of controversial matters, and pointing to  which view is more correct. His books also include Mushkil al-Athaar and others. 
He died (may Allah have mercy on him) in 321 AH and was buried in Egypt, in al-Quraafah. 
See his biography in Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (15/33-37) and al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (11/174). 
Secondly: 
This ‘Aqeedah which was written by al-Tahhaawi mentions a number of the beliefs of the righteous salaf and those who followed them of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, which was approved by the imams of the Hanafis – as al-Tahhaawi followed the madhhab of Abu Haneefah. He explained in his introduction his aims in doing that, and said: 
“This is an explanation of the ‘aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah according to the view of the fuqaha’ of this madhhab: Abu Haneefah al-Nu’maan ibn Thaabit al-Kufi, Abu Yoosuf Ya’qoob ibn Ibraaheem al-Ansaari, and Abu ‘Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybaani, may Allah be pleased with them all, and the beliefs concerning the fundamentals of Islam, on the basis of which they submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” End quote.  
Then he mentioned these basic beliefs, and the total number of things he mentioned was 105 things believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in general. 
He started by explaining the Oneness of Allah, may He be exalted, and said a little about the attributes of His Lordship (sifaat ruboobiyyatihi), such as His being alive and self-sufficient, and His being the Creator and Provider, and he affirmed the attributes of perfection without discussing how or likening Him to any of His creation, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer” [al-Shoora 42:11]. Then he followed that with a discussion of the obligation to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and that he was sent to all people. Then he spoke of the Holy Quran, stating that it is the word of Allah and not created, and he affirmed that the believers will see Allah in the Hereafter. Then he mentioned some matters of the unseen in which Ahl al-Sunnah believe, such as the Cistern (al-hawd), intercession, the Throne and the Footstool (al-Kursiy). Then he mentioned the pillars of belief in al-qada’ wa’l-qadar (the Divine will and decree) and what Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah believe about this topic. Then he went on to define faith and its pillars, and explained that faith may increase and decrease, and he explained the view of Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast to the views of the Khawaarij and Murji’ah. He also described what Ahl-al-Sunnah believe with regard to the noble Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and that loving them is part of Islam, faith and ihsaan, and that hating them is kufr, hypocrisy and sin. Then he mentioned some of the portents of the Hour and what will happen on the Day of Resurrection, then he ended his essay with an discussion of how this religion is the middle path, between exaggeration and falling short. 
Thirdly: 
It is a book of ‘aqeedah that is easy to read and clear in meaning. It is comprehensive and brief. It sums up the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah and, for the most part, includes matters on which there is scholarly consensus and agreement. 
Many scholars have written commentaries on this ‘Aqeedah and explained its words and meanings. One of the most famous of them is Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi, who wrote a lengthy commentary on it; among later scholars, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on them) wrote commentaries on it, as did Shaykh Safar ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Hawaali (may Allah preserve him). The one who wants to understand more of the meanings of al-Tahhaawiyyah can refer to these commentaries. 
Fourthly: 
‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawi discusses matters in brief and general terms, but what made it very famous and popular among the Salafis in particular is the commentary which was written by Shaykh Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him), which is the most important and most detailed of its commentaries. He based his commentary on the books of Ahl al-Sunnah, especially the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him). 
Fifthly: 
Despite what we have referred to of the good features of this ‘Aqeedah and its commentary by Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz, it also contains a number of issues which were criticized, because they go against what the salaf believed, such as his saying, when defining faith: “Faith is affirming with the tongue and believing in the heart,” because limiting it to that is the view of the Murji’i fuqaha’ who excluded physical actions from the definition of faith. The same applies to what he said after that, “Faith is one and the same, and believers are equal with regard to the foundation of faith.” 
It also includes some general phrases that may be understood incorrectly, and are most often used by innovators to mean things that are contrary to the beliefs of the righteous salaf, such as his saying, “exalted be He above limits and boundaries” and “exalted be He above having faculties and parts” and “He is not subject to directions and dimensions which are attributes of created beings.” Such phrases are used by those who misinterpret the attributes of Allah (al-mu’attilah)  to deny what is affirmed in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger of the sublime attributes of Allah that befit His perfection, may He be glorified and exalted, such as His Countenance, hands and eyes. They call them faculties and parts, and deny that Allah possesses them. 
Another example is His being above His creation, and His rising above His Throne in His heaven. They call this “directions and location” and deny that it applies to Allah, may He be exalted.  
Because of that, it is important for the seeker of knowledge to pay attention to learning this ‘Aqeedah from a scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah who can explain it, such as Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz among classical scholars and from contemporary scholars who have written brief commentaries on it, as we have referred to above. 
There are many audio commentaries on this book, such as the commentary by Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh, and the commentary by Shaykh Yoosuf al-Ghufays, and others. 
Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may Allah preserve him) has commented at length on the commentary of Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz; you may refer to it on his website. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Belief in Allah is based on respect and veneration of Him and submission to Him. Hence Allah criticized the kaafirs and stated that they associated others with Him because they did not make a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all that they associate as partners with Him!” [Al-Zumar 39:67]
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the Almighty, by Whose might the heavens might almost be rent asunder, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Nearly the heavens might be rent asunder from above them (by His Majesty), and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth. Verily, Allah is the Oft‑Forgiving, the Most Merciful” [Al-Shoora 42:5]
Anyone who studies the creation of Allah will see some of the signs of His greatness. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Kursiy (Footstool) and Throne: “The seven heavens, in comparison to the Footstool, are like a ring lying in the wilderness, and the superiority of the Throne to the Footstool is like the superiority of that wilderness to that ring.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1/223). 
Veneration of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, cannot co-exist in one heart with mockery of Him. Hence mocking Allah, may He be exalted, or His verses or Messengers is kufr, no matter what form it takes, whether it is in earnest or in jest. Allah says in Soorat al-Tawbah (interpretation of the meaning): 
“The hypocrites fear lest a Soorah (chapter of the Quran) should be revealed about them, showing them what is in their hearts. Say: ‘(Go ahead and) mock! But certainly Allah will bring to light all that you fear.’
65. If you ask them (about this), they declare: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say: ‘Was it at Allah , and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger  that you were mocking?’
66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you because they were Mujrimoon (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals)” [Al-Tawbah 9:64-66]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: This shows that mocking Allah and His verses and signs is kufr and this verse indicates that the one who belittles the Messenger of Allah in earnest or in jest is a kaafir. 
Al-Saarim al-Maslool (2/70). 
Al-Qaadi Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said in Ahkaam al-Quran commenting on this verse: What they – the hypocrites – said must have been either in earnest or in jest, but no matter what it was, it is kufr, because joking about kufr is also kufr, and there is no difference of opinion concerning this among the ummah. End quote. 
The great scholar al-Sa’di said: Mocking Allah and His Messenger is kufr which puts one beyond the pale of Islam, because the religion is based on veneration of Allah and of His religion and His Messengers, and mocking any of that is contrary to this principle and is diametrically opposed to it. 
What this man said, in which he showed disrespect towards Allah – exalted be He far above what the wrongdoers say – and spoke as if he regarded Allah as equal in status to a human being and thought that he could address Him as such, is kufr, as anyone who has the slightest knowledge of the religion of Allah would realize, and no one would do that but one who is extremely ignorant or a man whose heart has no knowledge of Allah and no respect for Him. 
Then he added to his mockery and said “I must tell Allah.” Does Allah, may He be exalted, need to be told anything by an ignorant wrongdoer?! 
“Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:5]
This wretch has to renew his faith and enter Islam again, and repent to Allah from this blatant kufr. For the rest of his life he must do a lot of good and righteous deeds, as much as he can, in the hope that Allah may pardon him and forgive him for his ignorance and transgression. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The scholars are
unanimously agreed that it is permissible to seek barakah from the relics of
the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as his
hair, sweat and other things, because there is evidence to that effect. It
was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: When the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stoned the Jamrah and offered
his sacrifice and shaved his head, he showed his right side to the barber
and he shaved it, then he called Abu Talhah al-Ansaari and gave it to him.
Then he showed him the left side and said: “Shave it.” So he shaved it, and
he gave it to Abu Talhah and said: “Share it out among the people.” 
Narrated by Muslim (1305).  
And it was narrated from
Anas that Umm Sulaym used to put out a mat of leather for the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he would take a nap in her
house. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
fell asleep, she took some of his sweat and hair and kept it in a bottle,
then she put it in some sukk (perfume made of musk). He [Thumaamah
ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Anas] said: When Anas ibn Maalik was dying, he left
instructions that some of the sukk should be put in his hunoot
(perfumes used in preparation of dead for burial). Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(6281). 
This and other reports
indicate that Allaah created barakah in the person of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and whatever separated from it
of hair, sweat and so on, from which barakah may be sought and one may hope
for benefit therefrom in this world and the in the Hereafter. The One Who
bestows this goodness is Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted. 
But the claim nowadays that
this is one of the hairs or relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is a claim for which there is no proof. Most of the
claims that are made to that effect are lies and myths, such as their saying
that this is a hair of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) because if it is placed in the sun it has no shadow. No attention
should be paid to such words. 
Shaykh al-Albaani (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: We know that his relics – such as his
garments, hair and so on – have been lost, and it is not possible for anyone
to prove that any of them exist for certain. Al-Tawassul, p. 147. 
Based on this, it is not
permissible to seek barakah from the water you asked about, unless it is
known for certain that what was placed in it is a hair of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but there is no way to prove
that. We should beware of charlatans and liars and propagators of bid’ah,
and we should acquire knowledge from people who are known to have knowledge
of the Sunnah and who are defenders of the Sunnah and who strive hard to
spread the Sunnah. It is amazing how a gathering to support the religion
could turn into encouraging people to believe in unproven matters. It would
have been better for the lecturer to call people to learn and adhere to the
Sunnah, because that is one of the means of success. 
May Allaah enable us and
you to follow the Sunnah properly. 
And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Lexical meaning of Islam
If you refer to Arabic language dictionaries, you will find that the meaning of the word Islam is: submission , humbling oneself, and obeying commands and heeding prohibitions without objection, sincerely worshipping Allah alone, believing what He tells us and having faith in Him. 
The word Islam has become the name of the religion which was brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). 
Why this religion is called Islam 
All the religions on earth are called by various names, either the name of a specific man or a specific nation. So Christianity takes its name from Christ; Buddhism takes its name from its founder, the Buddha; the Zoroastrians became well known by this name because their founder and standard-bearer was Zoroaster. 
Similarly, Judaism took its name from a tribe known as Yehudah (Judah), so it became known as Judaism. And so on. 
Except for Islam ; for it is not attributed to any specific man or to any specific nation, rather its name refers to the meaning of the word Islam . What this name indicates is that the establishment and founding of this religion was not the work of one particular man and that it is not only for one particular nation to the exclusion of all others. Rather its aim is to give the attribute implied by the word Islam to all the peoples of the earth. So everyone who acquires this attribute, whether he is from the past or the present, is a Muslim, and everyone who acquires this attribute in the future will also be a Muslim. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
There is no difference between using the Quran or Sunnah as evidence, because both are Revelation (wahy) from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Sunnah explains the Quran. Allah, may He be exalted, has commanded us to accept that which His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) brought and to abstain from that which he forbade. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” [al-Hashr 59:7]
The Sunnah is the wisdom (al-hikmah) that is mentioned in the Book of Allah in many verses, such as the following (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Quran) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Quran) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh — jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know” [al-Baqarah 2:151] 
“And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allah as a jest, but remember Allah’s Favours on you (i.e. Islam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Quran) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunnah — legal ways — Islamic jurisprudence) whereby He instructs you. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is All-Aware of everything” [al-Baqarah 2:231]
What prompted us to point this out is what is said in the question about looking for Quranic texts which prove the divine origin of Islam. If the question had been about texts of Revelation or evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, that would have been better and more appropriate. 
Secondly: 
Islam is a divinely-revealed religion, and it is revelation (wahy) from Allah, may He be exalted. The Qur’aan and Sunnah both come from Allah. Allah has made this religion the final religion, and has made its Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the final Prophet and Messenger. 
Every attempt on the part of the kuffaar and atheists to destroy Islam or distort it has ended in failure and loss, because Allah has guaranteed to protect the foundations of this religion, namely the Quran and Sunnah. 
This is sufficient evidence for the divine origin of Islam. Whoever studies the attempts to destroy Islam or distort the Quran and Sunnah, and studies how Allah has protected His religion, will know that if this religion was of human origin, the product of human thought, it would now be unknown, but Allah promised to protect His religion, and moreover He gave us the glad tidings that it would prevail over all other religions and spread throughout the world. 
There follow some of the Quranic texts which show that Islam is divine in origin: 
1 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
2 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)” [al-Hijr 15:9]
3 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: ‘Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the Laws of Allah), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger (Muhammad) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him.’ Allah said: ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?’ They said: ‘We agree.’ He said: ‘Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this)’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:81]
4 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Do they seek other than the religion of Allah (the true Islamic Monotheism worshipping none but Allah Alone), while to Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:82]
5 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.’ Say: ‘Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take thought?’” [al-An’aam 6:50]
6 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And when Our clear Verses are recited unto them, those who hope not for their Meeting with Us, say: ‘Bring us a Quran other than this, or change it.’ Say (O Muhammad): ‘It is not for me to change it on my own accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear the torment of the Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) if I were to disobey my Lord.’
16. Say (O Muhammad): ‘If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a life time before this. Have you then no sense?’” [Yoonus 10:15, 16]
7 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Quran)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought” [al-Nahl 16:44]
This indicates that the Sunnah is one of the sources of the divine sharee’ah. 
8 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may keep up justice. And We brought forth iron wherein is mighty power (in matters of war), as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help Him (His religion) and His Messengers in the unseen. Verily, Allah is All‑Strong, All‑Mighty” [al-Hadeed 57:25]
9 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad) from your Lord; and We sent down to you a manifest light (this Quran)” [al-Nisa’ 4:174]
10 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Quran, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your breasts, — a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers” [Yoonus 10:57]
11 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh (a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Quran) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism).
53. The path of Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah (for decision)” [al-Shoora 42:52-53]
12 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“By the star when it goes down (or vanishes).
2. Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.
3. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.
4. It is only a Revelation revealed” [al-Najm 53:1-4]
13 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind. Verily, Allah guides not the people who disbelieve” [al-Maa’idah 5:67]
And there are many verses which speak of this principle. We advise you to ponder the Book of Allah for yourself as you read it, and thus you will find what you are looking for and more, in sha Allah. You can also seek the help of some trustworthy tafseers (commentaries) such as the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer or Ibn Sa’di, and so on. 
In the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) there is evidence that points to the divine origin of Islam and proves that its source is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is no more than the conveyor of the Message that his Lord revealed to him. For example: 
1 – It was narrated that al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karib al-Kindi said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been given the Book and something similar along with it.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4604) and classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 
2 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I do not give to you and I do not withhold from you, rather I am a distributor and I allocate things where I am commanded to.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (2949). 
3 – It was narrated from Jubayr ibn Mut’im that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, which part of the land is worst? He said: “I do not know.” When Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to him he said: “O Jibreel, which part of the land is worst?” He said: “I do not know, until I ask my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted.” Jibreel (peace be upon him) went away, and stayed away for as long as Allah willed that he should stay away. Then he came and said: “O Muhammad, you asked me which part of the land is worst and I said I did not know. I asked my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, and He said: Its markets.” 
Narrated by Ahmad (16302); classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (325). 
4 – It was narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah. If they say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, their blood and their wealth are protected from me, except in cases dictated by Islamic law, and their reckoning will be with Allah.” Then he recited: “you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them” [al-Ghaashiyah 88:21,22]. 
Narrated by al-Bukhari (2786) and Muslim (21) 
5 – In the lengthy hadeeth which speaks of Abu Sufyaan’s meeting with Heraclius, which is a hadeeth full of lessons, it says that Heraclius sent for him to come with a group from Quraysh, who were merchants trading in Syria at the time when the Messenger of Allah (S) had made a peace treaty with Abu Sufyaan and the kuffaar of Quraysh. He summoned them to his council where he was surrounded by the great men of Byzantium, then he called them and his translator and said: Which of you is closest in kinship to this man who claims that he is a Prophet? 
Abu Sufyaan said: I am closest to him in kinship. 
He said: Bring him close to me, and bring his companions close and put them behind him. Then he said to his translator: Tell them that I am going to ask this one about this man, and if he lies to me they should tell me that he is lying. 
Among the wise questions that Heraclius posed to Abu Sufyaan was: Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said? 
And at the end of the questioning, Heraclius explained to Abu Sufyaan his purpose in asking these questions. He said concerning these questions: I asked you whether you accused him of lying before he said what he said, and you said no. I knew that if he did not tell lies about people, he would not tell lies about Allah… 
Narrated by al-Bukhari (7) and Muslim (1773). 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
One of the things that are established by the scholars is
that shirk will take place in the ummah as is indicated by the sound
texts, and reality confirms this. 

Many of the Arabs apostatized after the death of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and many of them went back
to worshipping idols. 

The mujaddid (renewer of the Faith) Muhammad ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhaab said: “Chapter: Reports that some of this ummah will worship
idols”, then he mentioned some ahaadeeth which indicate that.  

With regard to the hadeeth: “The Shaytaan has despaired of
ever being worshipped…” the scholars have interpreted it in several ways: 

1 – That the Shaytaan has despaired of ever getting all
worshippers to unite on kufr. 

This view was favoured by the great scholar Ibn Rajab
al-Hanbali. Al-Darar al-Sunnah, 12/117. 
2 – That this is a report
of the despair that befell the Shaytaan when he saw the conquests and how
the people entered the religion of Allaah in crowds. So the hadeeth is
telling us what the Shaytaan thought and he expected to happen. Then what
really happened was something other than that, for a reason decreed by
Allaah. 

This view was favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him). Al-Qawl al-Mufeed, 1/211. 
3 – That the Shaytaan
despaired of the believers whose faith is complete, because the Shaytaan has
no hope that they will worship him. 

This view was favoured by al-Aloosi. See Da’aawa
al-Munaawi’een, 224. 

4 – That the “al-” in the word “al-musalloon” (worshippers)
refers to a specific group of worshippers, and that what is meant is the
Sahaabah. 

All of these interpretations are close in meaning, and the
most likely is the second. And Allaah knows best. 

See Ahaadeeth al-‘Aqeedah allati yuwahham Zaahiruha
al-Ta’aarud fi’l-Saheehayn, 2/232-238 .

Praise be to Allah.Meaning of redemption
The doctrine of redemption, and the basis of this doctrine which is their belief that the Messiah (peace be upon him) was crucified, is one of the basic doctrines of Christianity , so much so that they would gamble the entire religion on this doctrine. 
The English cardinal Manning says in his book “Eternal Priesthood”: “The importance of this confusing topic is obvious, for if the death of Christ on the cross is not real, then the basis of the church’s doctrine will crumble from its foundations, because if Christ did not die on the cross, then there is no sacrifice, no salvation , and no trinity … Paul, the Apostles and all the churches say that, i.e., if Christ did not die then there was no resurrection either.” 
This is what Paul said: 
“And if Christ has not been raised, then preaching is useless and so is your faith.” I Corinthians 15:14 – New International Version (NIV)
Just as they struggle with their belief in trinity and what it means, and how they can reconcile it with the belief in monotheism which is affirmed in the Old Testament (See the question: 12628 ), and just as they also struggle with everything that has to do with the crucifixion and its details, which is the basis of their belief in redemption which they believe is the reason for the crucifixion , we say: as confusion is inevitable for everyone who turns away from the light of revelation that came down from Allah, similarly they are confused about the doctrine of redemption. 
Does redemption mean saving all of mankind?
Does redemption mean saving all of mankind, as John says: 
“…Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” I John 2:1-2 (NIV) 
Or is it only for those who believe and are baptized: 
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16:16 (NIV)
The one who studies the life and sayings of the Messiah will see clearly that the call of the Messiah was addressed to the Children of Israel, and that throughout his mission he forbade his disciples to call anyone else. So salvation must have been only for them. This is what we see in the story of the Canaanite woman who said to him: 
“… ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’
He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’
The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said.
He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’”
Matthew 15:22-26 – NIV
The Messiah did not heal the daughter of the Canaanite woman, although he was able to do so, so how could he redeem all of mankind? 
Was this salvation from the “original sin” of Adam only?
Was this salvation from the “original sin” of Adam only, or does it include all of our sins? 
But no one can bear the sin of anyone else, or redeem him with his own self, as Allah tells us in His Noble Book (interpretation of the meaning): 
“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden; and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. You (O Muhammad) can warn only those who fear their Lord unseen and perform As-Salah (Iqamat-as-Salah). And he who purifies himself (from all kinds of sins), then he purifies only for the benefit of his own self. And to Allah is the (final) Return (of all).” [Fatir 35:18]
This is what the texts of their Bible also say: 
“The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.” Ezekiel 18:20-21– NIV
Is there an original sin?
There is no inherited sin (“original sin”): 
“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
He who hates me hates my Father as well.
If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father” John 15:22-24 – NIV
When there is sin – whether a person has committed it himself or inherited it from Adam or from another of his forefathers – can this sin not be erased through repentance? 
The people of heaven rejoice over the one who repents like the shepherd rejoices when he finds his lost sheep, and the woman rejoices over her lost penny when she finds it, and a father rejoices over his prodigal son when he returns: 
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:7)
Will God accept our repentance?
God promises those who repent that their repentance will be accepted : 
“But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.” Ezekiel 18:21-23 – NIV. See also Isaiah 55:7
Putting one’s trust in one’s lineage without repenting or doing righteous deeds is a kind of madness; if a person’s deeds slow him down, his lineage will not help him to speed up, as our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. (Sahih Muslim, 2699) 
John the Baptist (Yahya – peace be upon him) taught you the same things: 
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” Matthew 3:7-10 – NIV
Forgiveness of sins through the sinner’s repentance is what befits the kind and merciful God – not sacrifice and crucifixion and the shedding of blood. This is what the Bible says: 
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (to repentance)” Matthew 9:13 – NIV
(the words “to repentance” do not appear in the NIV but are present in the “King James” or “Authorized” translation of the Bible).
Hence Paul says: 
“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” Romans 4:7-8 – NIV
We believe that if Allah had commanded some of His slaves to kill themselves in repentance from their sins, that would not be too much for them to do, and that would not contradict His being kind and merciful. He commanded the Children of Israel to do that when they asked to see God directly, but even then no one was to be killed for anyone else, rather a person was to be killed for his own sins, not for the sins of another. That was the heavy burden and fetters that were upon them (cf. al-A’raf 7:157), from which Allah has spared this ummah (nation/community).
Another matter that disproves the belief in original sin is the texts which mean that each person is responsible for his own actions, as Allah says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Whosoever does a righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) his own self; and whosoever does evil, it is against his own self. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves” [Fussilat 41:46]
“Every person is a pledge for what he has earned” [al-Muddaththir 74:38]
Similarly it says in your Bible: 
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” Matthew 7:1-2 – NIV
“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done” Matthew 16:27 – NIV
Jesus affirmed the importance of righteous deeds
The Messiah affirmed the importance of righteous deeds, and said to his disciples: 
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-22 – NIV
Similarly, he said: 
“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:41-42 – NIV
He did not tell them of redemption by which they would be saved from the reckoning. 
Those who do righteous deeds are the only ones who will be saved on the Day of Resurrection from the reckoning, whilst those who did evil deeds will be carried off to Hell, with no salvation by the Messiah or by anyone else: 
“… for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice
and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. John 5:28-29 – NIV  
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory…
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” Matthew 25:31-42 – NIV
The Messiah said to them: 
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:33 – NIV
Adolf Hernck noted that the epistles of the Apostles did not include the idea of salvation by redemption, rather they suggested that salvation is attained by good deeds, as it says in the Epistle of James: 
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
… faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
… faith without deeds is useless (or dead).” James 2:14 – NIV
And Peter says: 
“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” Acts 10:34-35
There are many similar examples in the words of the Messiah and the disciples. 
Allah the Almighty has spoken the truth (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqun (the pious)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware” [Al-Hujurat 49:13]
What is strange is that Paul himself, who abolished this teaching and said that deeds were to no avail, and that salvation is only by faith, affirmed the importance of righteous deeds on other occasions, such as when he said: 
“A man reaps what he sows
… Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” Galatians 6:7 – NIV  
“and each will be rewarded according to his own labour” I Corinthians 3:8 – NIV
(For more information on this matter see: Dr Mundhir al-Saqqar: Hal iftadana al-Masih ‘ala al-Salib) 
So you have no way of resolving this contradiction unless you ignore your common sense and reasoning, and delude yourself with false wishes, as you do in the case of the doctrine of trinity and unity, which is what John R Stott advises you to do in his book Basic Christianity: I do not dare to deal with this subject, before I admit frankly that a great deal of it must remain a hidden mystery… I wonder how our weak minds cannot comprehend it fully, but there will inevitably come a day when the veil will be lifted and all mysteries will be resolved, and we will see the Messiah as he really is! 
… How is it possible that God was incarnated in Christ, whilst making Christ a sacrifice for our sin? I cannot answer this, but the Apostle himself places these two truths side by side and I accept the idea completely, just as I accept that Jesus the Nazarene is human and divine in one person… If we cannot resolve this contradiction or solve this mystery, we should accept the truth as proclaimed by Christ and his disciples, that he bore our sins.” (Basic Christianity, p. 110, 121, quoting from Dr Sa’ud al-Khalaf, al-Yahudiyyah wal-Nasraniyyah, p. 238) 
Yes, you and we will see the Messiah as he really is, one of the slaves of Allah who are close to Him, and one of His prophets who were sent, on that Day when the veil will be lifted and he will disavow himself of all those who took him as a god besides Allah, or who attributed to him words that he did not say. At that time there were no mysteries or puzzles: 
“And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen).
‘Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world).
‘If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.’
Allah will say: ‘This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) — they shall abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great success (Paradise).
To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all things.” [Al-Maidah 5:116-120]
Will you think about it before it is too late? 
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims’” [Aal ‘Imran 3:64].
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Undoubtedly this is a problem from which the ummah suffers
from time to time, especially when it is faced with trials and
tribulations and these hypocrites feel secure and feel that they will not
be punished if they attack the foundations of this religion and try to
spread division and tribulation. 

Undoubtedly the damage that these people do is greater than
that caused by the kuffaar whose kufr is obvious, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allaah curse
them! How are they denying (or deviating from) the Right Path?”

[al-Munaafiqoon 63:4]
Because of that, it is
prescribed to wage jihad against them and to treat them harshly. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said concerning the Nusayris, among whom were some who expressed their kufr
and heresy openly and others who made a hypocritical show of loving Ahl
al-Bayt (the members of the Prophet’s household): 

Undoubtedly waging jihad against these people and carrying
out the hadd punishments against them is one of the greatest acts of
obedience and most important obligatory actions. It is better than waging
jihad against those mushrikeen and people of the Book who do not fight the
Muslims, for waging jihad against these comes under the same heading as
waging jihad against the apostates. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq and all the Sahaabah
started with jihad against the apostates before they engaged in jihad
against the kuffaar of the people of the Book, for jihad against these (the
apostates) is a means to protect the lands that are already under Muslim
rule, and to deter anyone who wants to apostatize. Jihad against the
mushrikeen and people of the Book who are not fighting us is an additional
manifestation of the power of this religion. Protecting the capital takes
precedence over making profit. 

Moreover the harm that these people (hypocrites) cause to the
Muslims is greater than that caused by others (kaafirs), indeed their harm
is like that caused by the mushrikeen and people of the Book who fight the
Muslims. The damage that they do to the religious commitment of many people
is worse than the damage done by those mushrikeen and people of the Book who
wage war on us. Every Muslim must do as much as he can of his duty. It is
not permissible for anyone to keep quiet about anything that he knows about
them, rather he must broadcast it so that the Muslims will know what they
really are. It is not permissible for anyone to help them to remain among
the troops and government employees, or for anyone to keep quiet and refrain
from carrying out against them that which Allaah and His Messenger have
enjoined. It is not permissible for anyone to speak against carrying out
what Allaah and His Messenger have enjoined. This is one of the greatest
types of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and of striving
in jihad for the sake of Allaah. Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 
“O Prophet (Muhammad)!
Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh
against them”

[al-Tawbah 9:73]

These people are included in this phrase “the disbelievers
and the hypocrites”. 
The one who helps to put
a stop to their evil and to guide them as much as he can will have of reward
that which is known only to Allaah, for the primary purpose is to guide them
as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“You (true believers in
Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah)
are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:110] 

Abu Hurayrah said: You are the best of people for people, you
bring them in chains and fetters until they enter Islam. (al-Bukhaari,
4557). 
The purpose of jihad and
of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, is to guide people to
what is best for them in this world and in the Hereafter, as much as
possible; then whomsoever Allaah guides will find happiness in this world
and in the Hereafter, and whomsoever He does not guide, his evil will be
contained. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 35/159-160 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: 

The Muslim ummah must respond in kind when it is attacked. So
with regard to those who fight Islam with ideas and words, we must explain
the falseness of what they say using rational evidence as well as shar’i
evidence, so that the falseness of what they say will become apparent. 

With regard to those who fight Islam by economic means, we
must ward them off and attack them if possible, by using the same means with
which they attack Islam. We must explain that the best way to strengthen the
economy in a just manner is the Islamic way. 

With regard to those who attack Islam with weapons, we must
resist them in a similar fashion. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Strive hard against the
disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is
Hell, — and worst indeed is that destination”

[al-Tawbah 9:73]
It is well known that
jihad against the hypocrites is not like jihad against the kuffaar, because
jihad against the hypocrites is fought with knowledge and argument, whilst
jihad against the kuffaar is fought with swords and arrows. 

Fataawa ‘Ulama’ al-Balad al-Haraam,
p. 1733.