Tag: Q n A

Praise be to Allah.Types of Zulm (wrongdoing) in Islam
Wrong others 
Wrongdoing (zulm) is something that a person may do to other people or other creatures, by impugning their honour or harming them physically, or transgressing against their wealth unlawfully.
Wronging oneself
The word wrongdoing (zulm) refers to what a person may do of heedlessness or falling short with regard to his duties towards Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
In the case of this type of wrongdoing, it cannot be said that the person wronged his Lord; rather in reality he has wronged himself, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is not harmed by the disobedience of His slaves and He does not benefit from their obedience.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said of the Children of Israel (interpretation of the meaning):
{and they wronged Us not – but they were [only] wronging themselves.} [al-Baqarah 2:57]
Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said: 
“What is meant by the words {and they wronged Us not} is that their actions and their disobedience to Us did not cause any harm to Us or undermine Us. Rather their actions caused harm to them and undermined them… For our Lord, may He glorified, is not harmed by the sin of a sinner, His stores are not depleted by the wrongdoing of a wrongdoer, He does not benefit from the obedience of one who is obedient, His dominion is not increased by the justice of one who is just; rather the wrongdoer only wrongs himself, the sinner only undermines himself, the obedient one only benefits himself, and the just one only helps himself.” (Tafsir at-Tabari, 1/711)
Moreover, wrongdoing and oppression (zulm) only affects those who are helpless, weak or easy to pick on, and Allah is far above such things.
Hence Ibn ‘Abbas said concerning the words {and they wronged Us not}: “[What is meant is:] We are too mighty to be wronged.” (Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim, 1/116)
Al-Alusi said: “It is not possible for anyone to wrong Allah, may He be exalted, at all.” (Ruh al-Ma’ani, 1/265)
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “No person can wrong his Lord; rather he wrongs himself. And his Lord does not wrong him; rather he is the one who wrongs himself.” (al-Jawab al-Kafi, p. 71)
Is it OK to say that a person has wronged his Lord?
Hence what is commonly said by some people, that it is possible for a person to wrong his Lord and to wrong himself and to wrong others is not correct. Rather the correct thing is to say that the person did wrong with regard to his relationship with his Lord.
Types of sins
In the hadith it says: 
“Sins are of three types: a sin of which Allah will not forgive any part, a sin that Allah does not care about, and a sin of which He will not overlook any part.
As for the sin of which Allah will not forgive any part, it is associating others with Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills} [an-Nisa 4:48]
As for the sin which Allah does not care about, it is when a person wrongs himself by falling short regarding his relationship with his Lord.
As for the sin of which Allah will not overlook any part, it is the wrongs that people do to one another and scores that will inevitably be settled.” (Narrated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak ‘ala as-Sahihayn, 4/619). There is some weakness in its isnad, but it has corroborating evidence in the hadith of Anas that was narrated by Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi (3/579). It was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albani in as-Silsilah as-Sahihah (1927).
Categories of zulm according to some scholars
Some of the scholars mentioned only two categories of wrongdoing.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said of wrongdoing (zulm): It is of two types:
The first type is wronging oneself, the worst of which is shirk (associating others with Allah), as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice (zulm).} [Luqman 31:13]
The one who associates others with Him has regarded a created being as being of the same status as the Creator, and has worshipped that created being and shown devotion to it, thus putting things in the wrong place. The most frequently mentioned warnings to wrongdoers in the Quran refer to those who associate others with Allah, as He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And the disbelievers – they are the wrongdoers.} [al-Baqarah 2:254]
Then after that come other sins, of various types, major and minor .
The second type of wrongdoing is wronging others. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in his khutbah during the Farewell Pilgrimage: “Indeed your blood, your wealth and your honour are sacred to you, as sacred as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours.” (Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam, 2/36)
In conclusion, what a person does of shirk, disbelief (kufr), sins and major sins is wronging himself, or it may be said that the person has done wrong with regard to his relationship with Allah. What is meant by that is sins that have nothing to do with the rights of other people; rather they are transgressions against the rights of Allah, may He be exalted. It cannot be said that the person wronged his Lord, because this phrase is likely to be misunderstood, and Allah is too great and mighty to be wronged by any of His slaves.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
This is an abhorrent statement that no one would say except one who is twisted and misguided, and denies the blessings of his Lord and His favours to him.
It is a lie and fabrication against Allah, ascribing to Him bad characteristics that are not appropriate for a human being of sound character, so how about the Creator, the Generous, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful, may He be exalted and sanctified?
Allah, may He be exalted, does not love to punish and torment His creation; rather He loves to show them mercy and guide them, and He is more merciful to them than their own selves and their mothers.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Why would Allah punish you if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing”
[an-Nisa’ 4:147].
Shaykh as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Then Allah, may He be exalted, tells us of the perfect nature of His self-sufficiency and the vastness of His forbearing, mercy and kindness: “Why would Allah punish you …?” Because Allah is Appreciative and Knowing, He will give those who carry the heavy burden of commitment for His sake and persist in doing righteous deeds an immense reward and abundant kindness. Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will give him something better than it.
Furthermore, He knows how you appear outwardly and what is in your hearts, and He knows what you do and what it is based on, be it sincerity or the opposite. He wants you to repent and turn back to Him, then if you turn to Him, why should He punish you? He does not find any joy in punishing you and He does not benefit from punishing you; rather the sinner only harms himself, just as the deed of one who is obedient is to his own benefit.
End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (211).
The great scholar at-Taahir ibn ‘Ashoor (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This may be addressed to and intended for the entire ummah, or it may be addressed to the hypocrites, beginning by speaking of an absent party, then addressing them directly, by way of showing kindness to them.
The question in the phrase “Why would Allah punish you” is formed in such a way as to indicate that the expected response is negative, so it is denying such a thing. In other words: Allah would not punish you at all.
What is meant is that the warning that is addressed to the hypocrites is a warning against disbelief and hypocrisy, and no more. Therefore if they repent and mend their ways, and hold fast to Allah, He will forgive them and spare them punishment. So they should not think that Allah will punish them because He hates them personally, or because He finds joy in punishing them. Rather it is a requital for bad conduct, because the Most Wise does what is appropriate, so He rewards good with good and requites bad with bad. If the evildoer gives up his bad deeds, Allah will spare him from the punishment for those deeds, because He does not benefit either from punishment or from reward; rather this is the divinely ordained process of cause and effect. If the believers persist in adhering to their faith and showing gratitude, and they avoid taking the hypocrites and disbelievers as allies and friends, then Allah will not punish them, because there is no reason to punish them.
End quote from at-Tahreer wa’t-Tanweer (5/245).
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that he 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) and Muslim (2754).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When Allah created the universe, he wrote in His Book, which is with Him above the Throne: “My mercy precedes My wrath.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7453) and Muslim (2751).
It was narrated that Salmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “On the day that Allah created the heavens and the earth, He created one hundred parts of mercy, each of which is as great as the distance between the heavens and the earth, and He put one part of that mercy on earth, because of which a mother shows compassion to her child and animals and birds show compassion to one another. When the Day of Resurrection comes, that mercy will complete the number (again).”
Narrated by Muslim (2753).
In addition to His perfect mercy, kindness, beneficence and compassion to His slaves, Allah, may He be glorified, is Most Wise, All-Knowing, the Creator, Almighty; He is not pleased if He is disobeyed or disbelieved in, and He does not accept for His Prophets to be rejected or for His slaves to be wronged. Hence He warned those who disbelieve in Him, rebel against Him, reject His Messengers and wrong His slaves of a severe and painful punishment.
This is part of His perfect justice and might, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful
And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment”
[al-Hijr 15:49, 50].
Rather if (hypothetically speaking) He loved to punish and torment people he would do the following:
1. He would love to punish and torture people, even if they were obedient and adhered to His commands. But Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward”
[an-Nisa’ 4:40].
2. He would not give His slave any respite, excuse or chance to repent. But Allah, may He be glorified, is forbearing and generous, and He gives respite to His slaves, and leaves them with no excuse. He sends Messengers to them to remind them, and tests them in this world so as to instill in them fear of Him and bring them closer to Him.
3. He would mostly resort to torment and punishment, and rarely show mercy. But Allah, may He be exalted, is the most merciful of those who show mercy, and His mercy precedes His wrath.
Think and reflect. There are billions of people today who revile Allah and attribute a son to Him, or deny Him, or worship others instead of Him, yet despite that, he grants them provision and good physical health, and he bestows innumerable blessings upon them. He does not hasten the punishment for them, and He accepts the repentance of those among them who repent, even if the one who repents has led a life of disbelief and rebellion; He rejoices over that repentance, honours the one who repents, and turns his previous bad deeds into good deeds!
What mercy, forbearance and generosity can surpass this?
Al-Bukhaari (6099) and Muslim (2804) narrated that Abu Moosa said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one is more patient in bearing offensive things that he hears than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; others are associated with Him, a son is attributed to Him, but He still grants them health and provision.”
To sum up, the one who expresses this view does not know Allah at all! And he does not know that He is the one who grants provision and bestows generously, and that everything that a person has of wealth, health, happiness, intellect, the ability to think, compassion towards others and being enabled to do good all comes from Allah. If he believed in that, he would realize that Allah is the most merciful of those who show mercy and is the most generous of those who show generosity.
The remedy for these people – if they truly seek good – is to learn about Allah and see for themselves the impact of His mercy. That is better for them than repeating the words of deniers of whom Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They recognize the favor of Allah; then they deny it. And most of them are disbelievers”
[an-Nahl 16:83].
Secondly:
The one who sincerely cares about himself and about his faith, and is very cautious lest anything have a bad impact on it, should not listen to the specious arguments of the deniers and doubters, for that may undermine his faith and cause doubts to enter his heart.
No one should examine specious arguments except those who are well grounded in knowledge. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few”
[an-Nisa’ 4:83].
We ask Allah to help us and you to avoid fitnahs (temptations, confusion), both apparent and hidden.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.We do not think there is any difference between you saying “In sha Allah ” or “Bi idhnillah.” That is for several reasons, the most important of which are:
Firstly:
What is meant by both phrases is very similar, so making something conditional upon Allah’s will is similar to making it conditional upon His leave or permission. This is because both the general will of Allah and His universal leave and decree are both characteristics of divine Lordship that belong to the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted. Whatever Allah wills, He has permitted it to happen, and whatever He has permitted to happen, He has willed that it be created and brought into existence. Thus the two meanings are synonymous.
Secondly:
The Quranic usage of these two phrases is also very close in meaning, and we do not see any difference between their meanings, as they are always used in the same context. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{It has never been for us to bring you evidence except by permission of Allah.} [Ibrahim 14:11]
{And it was not for a messenger to come with a sign except by permission of Allah.} [ar-Ra‘d 13:38]
With regard to His will, Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Blessed is He who, if He willed, could have made for you [something] better than that – gardens beneath which rivers flow – and could make for you palaces.} [al-Furqan 25:10]
In fact, in the Quran there are some verses which mention both phrases together, which is indicative of how close they are in meaning. We see this in the verses in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.} [ash-Shura 42:51]
{And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.} [an-Najm 53:26]
Thirdly:
We have not come across anyone among the mufassirin, scholars of ‘aqidah and commentators on hadith who differentiates between the two phrases; rather we have found those who interpret the divine will as referring to Allah’s leave or permission.
Al-‘Allamah at-Tahir ibn ‘Ashur (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“What is meant by the divine will is Allah’s permission.” (At-Tahrir wa’t-Tanwir (15/296)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Allah’s permission is of two types: universal (kawni) and religious (shar‘i). They have been explained previously in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {it is [none but] he who has brought the Quran down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allah} [al-Baqarah 2:97].” (Tafsir al-Fatihah wa’l-Baqarah, 3/36)
The fuqaha have a topic called al-istithna (condition; it refers to saying “In sha Allah (if Allah wills)”) in which they discuss oaths, vows, divorce (talaq) and so on. They say: That is when you connect something to the will of Allah and the like, which renders the ruling invalid, as it says in al-Mawsu‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (7/278). And they say: When you say “bi idhnillah,” it leads to the same outcomes as saying “in sha Allah .”
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question: Is it permissible to make a condition in an oath by saying words other than “in sha Allah,” such as saying “Bi idhnillah (by Allah’s leave)”?
He replied:
“Yes, that is permissible, because saying “bi idhnillah” is like saying “in sha Allah.” (Liqa al-Bab al-Maftuh (no. 119, question no. 18)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The abhorrent nature of shirk, wrongdoing and shameful deeds is something that is well-established even if one has not heard of the teachings of the Prophets, but the (divine) punishment of one who does such deeds does not become due until after the teachings reach him

What Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) meant by these words was to highlight that shirk is wrong and blameworthy, and that the one who commits shirk is to be described as a mushrik; his action is abhorrent and blameworthy, regardless of whether or not proof with evidence has been established against the mushrik, because shirk is abhorrent in all cases, before the sending of the message and afterwards.
Then he explained: The (divine) punishment of this mushrik is conditional and cannot be carried out unless matters are explained and proof is established. Therefore he does not deserve to be punished except after the Messenger has come and after the matter has been explained and made clear. If he associates others with Allah after the matter has been explained, then he deserves punishment, but if he did that before becoming aware of the teachings that were brought by the Messenger, he does not deserve punishment until proof is established against him.
So the discussion of Ibn Taymiyah is highlighting two issues:
-1-
He points out that shirk is abhorrent and is entirely evil; that is its inherent nature and cannot be separated from it, whether that is before proof was established with the sending of the Messengers and Books, or after that. The mushrik is the one who fell into shirk and it became his practice; the fact that proof has not been established does not alter the nature or name of shirk as described in the religious texts.
-2-
The mushrik does not deserve to be punished for his shirk except after proof is established against him. Punishment and reward cannot become due on the basis of what may be arrived at on the basis of rational thinking. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And never would We punish until We sent a messenger”
[al-Isra’ 17:15]
“And Allah would not let a people stray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things”
[at-Tawbah 9:115].
By highlighting the above, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) intended to refute the arguments of two (theological) groups:
-1-
The Mu‘tazilah and those who followed them in their view that the mushrikeen [those who associate others with Allah] are deserving of (divine) punishment on the basis of what they could have understood through rational thinking, even if proof was not established against them through the sending of the Messenger.
-2-
The Ash‘aris and those who agreed with their view that shirk and wrongdoing are not abhorrent in and of themselves; rather their abhorrent nature is only confirmed on the basis of the religious texts that highlight their abhorrent nature, after proof is established on the basis of the religious text.
Then he explained that the view of Ahl as-Sunnah is a middle path between these two. Shirk, wrongdoing and shameful deeds are all abhorrent and blameworthy matters, both before proof is established and after that. This is something that is understood by means of rational thinking and sound human nature, but Allah, may He be exalted, does not punish people except after establishing proof against them, as He made clear in His Book.
This is clearly stated by Shaykh al-Islam in several places in his books.
He said:
In some cases Allah differentiates between what came before the message was sent and what came afterwards, in terms of descriptions and rulings. In other cases, He gives the same descriptions and rulings both before and after the message was sent. This is proof against the two groups: against those who say that there is no such thing as deeds that are good or bad, and those who say that they deserve punishment regardless of whether the message reaches them or not.
With regard to the first group, Allah calls them wrongdoers, transgressors and spreaders of corruption and mischief, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Go to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed”
[Taa-Haa 20:24]
“And [mention] when your Lord called Moses, [saying], ‘Go to the wrongdoing people –
The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear Allah?’”
[ash-Shu‘araa’ 26:10-11]
“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters”
[al-Qasas 28:4].
Thus Allah tells us that Pharaoh was a wrongdoer, a transgressor and a spreader of corruption and mischief; these descriptions are applied to him and his people, and are a criticism of their deeds, because criticism is only applicable to deeds that are evil and abhorrent. This indicates that deeds may be described as abhorrent and blameworthy before the Messenger came to them, but they did not deserve punishment except after the Messenger came to them, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And never would We punish until We sent a messenger”
[al-Isra’ 17:15].
Similarly, Allah tells us that Hood said to his people (interpretation of the meaning):
“O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. You are not but inventors [of falsehood]”
[Hood 11:50].
Thus He describes them as inventors of falsehood before any ruling stated by the text that they might have gone against, because they associated another god with Allah.
The description of the mushrik is confirmed before the message is sent, because he is associating others with his Lord and is regarding false gods as being equal to Him, and he is ascribing other gods alongside Him and declaring them to be equals and rivals before the Messenger is sent.
Something similar may be said with regard to ascribing ignorance to the ignorant, and describing someone as being ignorant or behaving in an ignorant manner before the messenger comes.
As for (divine) punishment, however, there is no punishment [except after the message has been sent].
With regard to turning away and refusing to obey Allah, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning) “And the disbeliever had not believed, nor had he prayed. But [instead], he denied and turned away” [al-Qiyaamah 75:31-32]; this can only be after the coming of the Messenger. Similar to that is what Allah says of Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning): “But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed” [an-Naazi‘aat 79:21] – that was after the Messenger came to him, as Allah, may He be exalted, says: “And he showed him the greatest sign, But Pharaoh denied and disobeyed” [an-Naazi‘aat 79:20-21] and “But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger” [al-Muzzammil 73:16].
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (20/37-38).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:
The majority of the earlier and later generations are of the view that what they (Pharaoh and his people, etc.) did before the coming of the Messenger constituted shirk and ignorance, and was something abhorrent and evil, but they did not deserve (divine) punishment until after the coming of the Messenger.
Therefore:
With regard to shirk, wrongdoing, lying, shameful deeds and the like, there are three scholarly views:
-1-
It was said that their abhorrent nature is known through rational thinking, and that they deserve punishment for that in the hereafter, even if no Messenger came to them, as is the view of the Mu‘tazilah and many of the companions of Abu Haneefah, who narrated it from Abu Haneefah himself, and it is also the view of Abu’l-Khattaab and others.
-2-
It was said that there is nothing that can be regarded as abhorrent or good or evil before the sending of the message; rather what is abhorrent is that which Revelation came and said not to do it; what is good is that which revelation came and said to do it, or that for which permission was given to do it, as is the view of the Ash‘aris and those who agree with them.
-3-
And it was said that these deeds were were bad or evil or abhorrent before the Messenger came, but the (divine) punishment only becomes due when the Messenger is sent. This is the view of most of the early generations and most of the Muslims, and it is proven by the Qur’an and Sunnah, which clearly state that what the disbelievers believed in was evil, abhorrent and bad before the Messengers came, even though the punishment did not become due except after the Messenger was sent.
In as-Saheeh it is narrated that Hudhayfah said: O Messenger of Allah, we were in a state of ignorance and evil, then Allah brought this goodness to us. After this goodness, will there be any evil? He said: “Yes, there will be callers at the gates of Hell, and whoever responds to them, they will throw him into it.”
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/676-677).
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Lateef ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The fact that proof was not yet established does not affect the shar‘i descriptions of people and actions; rather things are to be called what the Lawgiver called them, such as disbelief, shirk or evildoing, as named in the religious texts. The fact that proof is not yet established does not alter these descriptions, even if the person is not to be punished if no shar‘i proof was established against him and the message did not reach him. There is a difference between regarding a certain sin as constituting disbelief and regarding the one who did it as a disbeliever.
End quote from Minhaaj at-Ta’sees (p. 316).
For more information and further explanation, please see the answer to question no. 111362.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Undoubtedly you are right to tell them off, because they are coming close to disbelief (kufr ) with these words. Changing one letter does not alleviate the grievousness of their error, because these words are very close to words of disbelief.
Religion has limits that must be protected, and no one should transgress these limits.
These words that sound like words of disbelief are a transgression of those limits, and the only thing standing between the speaker and disbelief is this letter that he changed. Allah, may He be exalted, says, warning such people (interpretation of the meaning):
{They were nearer to disbelief that day than to faith.} [Al ‘Imran 3:167]
Coming near to disbelief is of various levels, and it is not permissible for the Muslim to come near to it on any level. Rather what is required is to keep away from it altogether.
Moreover, coming near to disbelief with such words desensitises the listener to words of disbelief. Perhaps the changed letter may sound unchanged to the listener, and he will not notice the change.
By the same token, changing one letter will not reduce the impact on the listener, for this altered phrase is still indicative of disbelief, so it is as if the listener is saying: I understand what you mean and are referring to.
What the Muslim must do is guard his tongue, for perhaps a word that a person utters, not thinking anything of it, will be the cause of his doom and punishment – Allah forbid.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “A person may say a word, not realizing its repercussions, for which he will be thrown down into Hell further than the distance between the east and the west.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari (6477) and Muslim (2988)
According to a report narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2314): “A man may utter a word, not seeing anything wrong with it, for which he will fall down into Hell the distance of seventy years.” (Classed as sahهh by al-Albani in Sahهh at-Tirmidhi)
Bilal al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “One of you may speak a word that angers Allah, not realizing how far it may go, and because of it Allah will decree that He is angry with it until the Day he meets Him.” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2319); classed as sahهh by al-Albani in Sahهh at-Tirmidhi)
Moreover, cursing in and of itself is a major sin, so how about if there is added to it that which gives the impression of disbelief and comes near to it?
This way of sounding tough and macho, as some people claim – because they cannot prove themselves to be tough and macho except by cursing and swearing – is baseless and false, and it is not the way to prove anything. If they were real men, they could confirm their manliness in other ways, by speaking true and sound words and committing themselves to them.
And Allah knows best.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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