Tag: Q n A

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: 

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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. 

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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 

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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.

Praise be to Allah.The important principle that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, confirms in His revelation and states that it is the foundation of reckoning and the criterion of reward and punishment, is that repentance wipes out whatever came before it, and that Islam erases all that came before it; the gate of repentance is open to every individual, even if he falls into sin and kufr time after time. The grace and mercy of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, towards His slaves decrees that He should accept the repentance of the one who repents and forgive him his sins. 
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven” [al-Anfaal 8:38]. 
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do you not know that Islam destroys whatever came before it, and that hijrah destroys whatever came before it, and that Hajj destroys whatever came before it?” Narrated by Muslim, 121. 
There are also verses which indicate that the repentance of the apostate, if he comes back to Islam and repents sincerely, is accepted. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“How shall Allaah guide a people who disbelieved after their Belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) is true and after clear proofs had come unto them? And Allaah guides not the people who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers).
They are those whose recompense is that on them (rests) the Curse of Allaah, of the angels, and of all mankind
They will abide therein (Hell). Neither will their torment be lightened, nor will it be delayed or postponed (for a while).”
And yet after all that, Allah, may He be glorified, says:
“Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds. Verily, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:86-88, 89]. 
But if a person apostatises and then goes further in disbelief and wrongdoing, and he does not repent or come back to Islam, this is the one to whom the verse in Soorat al-Nisa’ –which the questioner mentioned – refers, and the verses from Aal ‘Imraan also indicate that his repentance will not be accepted. 
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, those who disbelieved after their Belief and then went on increasing in their disbelief (i.e. disbelief in the Qur’aan and in Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) — never will their repentance be accepted (because they repent only by their tongues and not from their hearts). And they are those who are astray.
91. Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom. For them is a painful torment and they will have no helpers”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:90-91]. 
And He says:
“Verily, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe (again), and (again) disbelieve, and go on increasing in disbelief; Allaah will not forgive them, nor guide them on the (right) way”
[al-Nisa’ 4:137]. 
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem (1/753): 
Here Allah tells us about the one who enters Islam and then recants, then comes back to it, then recants and persists in his misguidance, and increases in it until he dies: there is no repentance after his death and Allah will not forgive him or grant him any way out from what he is in, and there is no way he could be guided. Hence He says: “Allaah will not forgive them, nor guide them on the (right) way.” Ibn Abi Haatim said: … It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said concerning the verse, “and go on increasing in disbelief”: They persist in their disbelief until they die. This was also the view of Mujaahid. End quote. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (16/28-29): 
Concerning these whose repentance will not be accepted, there were several opinions: 
It was said that it is because of their hypocrisy, or because they repented from sins less grave than shirk but did not repent from shirk, or it was said that their repentance would never be accepted after death. But the majority, such as al-Hasan, Qataadah, ‘Ata’, al-Khorasaani and al-Suddi said: Their repentance will never be accepted when death comes to them. So this is like the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent;’ nor of those who die while they are disbelievers” [al-Nisa’ 4:18]. 
And the same applies to the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe (again), and (again) disbelieve, and go on increasing in disbelief; Allaah will not forgive them, nor guide them on the (right) way”
[al-Nisa’ 4:137]. 
Mujaahid and other mufassireen said: “and go on increasing in disbelief” means, they remain steadfast in that until they die. 
I [Ibn Taymiyah] say: That is because the one who repents is giving up kufr, whereas the one who does not repent is persisting in it and adding kufr to kufr. The words “and go on increasing in disbelief” are like saying, they persisted in kufr and continued in kufr and remained in kufr. So they became disbelievers after becoming Muslim, then their kufr increased and did not grow less. The repentance of these people will not be accepted, referring to their repentance when they are dying, because the one who repents before death comes has repented soon enough and recanted his kufr, so it did not increase; rather it decreased, unlike the one who persisted in kufr until the time of death. End quote. 
There is no difference of opinion among the scholars that if the apostate repents sincerely and comes back to Islam, Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will accept him and forgive him for what is past, even if he has apostatized repeatedly. 
This is with regard to Allah in the Hereafter. 
As for the rulings in this world, some of the scholars said that if a person apostatises repeatedly he should be executed and his repentance not accepted. The difference of opinion among the scholars about accepting repentance has to do with rulings in this world only and does not have to do with a person’s standing before Allah in the Hereafter, may He be glorified and exalted. 
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (12/271): 
To sum up, the difference of opinion among the imams concerning the acceptance of their repentance has to do with rulings in this world, not executing them, and affirming that they should be treated as Muslims. 
As to whether Allah accepts their repentance and forgives the one who repents and gives up (apostasy) both inwardly and outwardly, there is no difference of opinion concerning that. End quote. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 30/16: 
When the fuqaha’ differed concerning the acceptance of the repentance of one who apostatises repeatedly and the acceptance of the repentance of the heretic, that only has to do with the ruling on outward appearances, because the repentance of such people cannot be trusted. But if he is sincere in his heart towards Allah in his repentance then he is included in the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]. 
According to the correct scholarly opinion, the repentance of one who has apostatised repeatedly is to be accepted with regard to rulings in this world too, and he comes under the same rulings as any other Muslim. This is the view of the majority of Hanafi and Shaafa‘i scholars and is the well-known view among the Maalikis, and is the second of the two views of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. 
See Haashiyat Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq, 3/284; Fath al-Qadeer, 6/68; al-Insaaf, 10/332-335; Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, 9/69; Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 6/177-178; al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 14/127-128. In al-Mabsoot (10/99-100) it is attributed to ‘Ali and Ibn ‘Umar that they did not accept the repentance of one who had apostatised repeatedly. 
Based on that, the repentance of one who had given up prayer is acceptable if he is sincere, even if he repeatedly gave up prayer, but he should beware, because death may come before he is able to repent and Allah may cause his punishment to come in this world before the Hereafter. 
We ask Allah to bestow upon us and you His great mercy. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Reviling religion is apostasy from Islam. The same applies
to reviling the Qur’aan or the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): it is apostasy from Islam, and kufr (disbelief) after faith –
we seek refuge with Allah. But it does not mean that the wife is divorced
(talaaq); rather they should be separated without divorce. It cannot be
divorce; rather she becomes haraam for him because she is a Muslim woman
whereas he is a kaafir, and she remains haraam for him until he repents.
If he repents and her ‘iddah has not yet ended, she goes back to him
without any need for anything, i.e., if he repents and turns back to
Allah, she goes back to him. But if her ‘iddah has ended and he has not
repented, then she may marry whomever she wants. That is like a divorce
but it is not a divorce (talaaq); rather it is like divorce because Allah
has forbidden Muslim women for kaafir men. 

If he repents after the ‘iddah has ended and he wants to
(re)marry her, there is nothing wrong with that, but it should be done with
a new marriage contract, so as to be on the safe side and avoid an area
concerning which the scholars differed. Some scholars think that she is
permissible for him without a new marriage contract: if she chose him and
did not marry anyone else after the ‘iddah ended, she remains as she was
(i.e., still married). However, the majority say that when the ‘iddah ends,
she becomes irrevocably divorced from him and becomes a non-mahram to him,
and she cannot become permissible for him except with a new marriage
contract. So it is better and more on the safe side to do a new marriage
contract. This applies if the ‘iddah ended before he repented. But if he
repents before the ‘iddah ends, then she is still his wife, because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted the marriage
contracts of men who became Muslim after their wives did, before the wives’
‘iddahs ended. End quote. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him)

Praise be to Allah.
The scholars are unanimously agreed that the bed is the
basic principle in establishing lineage. What is meant by the bed is
marriage between the man and the woman. 

However the scholars differed with regard to the zaani if he
wants to acknowledge his illegitimate child and call him after himself: does
that prove the child’s lineage in shar‘i terms, or not? There are two
well-known views: 

1.
That the illegitimate child is not to be attributed to
the zaani even if he acknowledges him and names him after himself.

This is the view of most of the scholars of the four madhhabs,
and of the Zaahiris (literalists) and others. 

Based on this view, the illegitimate child – whether male or
female – is not to be attributed to the zaani and is not to be described as
his child; rather he is to be attributed to his mother, and he is a mahram
to her and inherits from her like her other children. 

Fatwas were issued on the basis of this view by Shaykh Ibn
Ibraaheem, as in his Fataawa (11/146); Shaykh Ibn Baaz, as in
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (18/124); and by the Standing Committee (al-Lajnah
ad-Daa’imah, 20/387). 

That is because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: “The child is to be attributed to the bed (i.e., to the
husband) and the adulterer deserves nothing.” Agreed upon. The relevant
point here is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
did not describe the child as belonging to anyone other than the bed (i.e.,
the husband), and he said that the adulterer did not deserve anything at
all. Attributing the child to the adulterer is attributing the child to
someone other than the husband. 

The words: “The child is to be attributed to the husband”
imply that attribution of the child is to be to the marriage only. 

2.
That if the zaani acknowledges his illegitimate child,
then he is to be attributed to him.

This is the view of ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, Sulaymaan ibn
Yasaar, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Sireen, Ibraaheem an-Nakha‘i, and Ishaaq ibn
Raahawayh, as was narrated from them by Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughni
(9/123) 

This view was favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may
Allah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. 

Among contemporary scholars it was also favoured by Shaykh
Muhammad Rasheed Rida in Tafseer al-Manaar (4/382), and by Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him), as in ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘
(12/127). 

That is because this child was born from his sperm, so he is
his son in reality, and there is no clear, sound, shar‘i evidence to
indicate that he should not be attributed to him. 

With regard to the hadith “The child is to be attributed to
the bed (i.e., to the husband) and the adulterer deserves nothing”, it
refers to the case where there is a marriage, and the issue under discussion
here has to do with a case where there is no marriage. 

This is supported by what is mentioned in the story of the
devoted worshipper Jurayj, when he spoke to the child whose mother had
committed zina with the shepherd: “He said: ‘Who is your father, O child?’
The child said: ‘The shepherd.’” Agreed upon. 

The speech of this infant was by way of a miracle and
extraordinary event bestowed by Allah, and he stated that the shepherd was
his father, even though the relationship was one of zina. This proves that
paternity may be attributed to the zaani. 

Moreover, the Lawgiver seeks to protect lineages and take
care of children, and to give them the best upbringing and protect them from
being lost. 

We have previously discussed the matter in detail and
explained the different scholarly opinions concerning it, and the evidence
for each view, in the answer to question no. 192131. 

Conclusion: 

The view that it is forbidden or permissible (to attribute an
illegitimate child to his father) are two scholarly views that carry weight.
This issue is one of the matters that are open to ijtihaad, so every case
should be examined on its own merits. If the child will miss out on some
religious or worldly interests (by not being attributed to his father), then
we should adopt the view that it is permissible to attribute him to his
father, in the interest of protecting him and ensuring that he will be taken
care of, which is a legitimate shar‘i interest. 

And Allah knows best.