Question(19):
We would like to expound on the meaning of Eemaan and also know of its pillars?
Answer:
We already spoke about the legal definition of Eemaan and the detail definition that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned in the Hadeeth of Jibreel. The legal definition, which we pointed out, is a general one that comprises the whole of Deen, i.e. the attestation which necessitates acceptance and submission. This definition is the one which the learned scholars refer to in Usool (Fundamentals), in the books of ‘Aqaa’id [singl. ‘Aqeedah (creed)]. As for the definition in the Hadeeth of Jibreel (عليه السلام), it constitutes a particular meaning of Eemaan. This is so because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) explained the meaning of Islaam when Jibreel first asked him about it, then he (Jibreel) asked him about Eemaan which is the inwardly established ‘Aqeedah; and Islaam, constitutes the outward actions [i.e. The Shahadatan, Salaat, Zakaat, Sawm (fasting) and Hajj, and which are the Arkaan (pillars) of Islaam]. No one really doubts that a person’s belief, that there is no true God worthy of worship except Allaah (La Ilaaha Illallaah) is from the Eemaan. There can be no doubt about this. However, since it is a declared statement, then it is considered from the acts of the outward which include [in addition to La IlaahaIllallaah], Salaah, Zakat, fasting, and Hajj.
On the other hand, the Arkaan of Eemaan explained by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) are six and they are known. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said in his reply to Jibreel:
الإيمان أن تؤمن بالله ، وملائكته ، وكتبه ، ورسله ، واليوم الآخر ، وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره"(7)
“Eemaan is that you truly believe in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that you truly believe in the Pre-decree (al-Qadar), the good and the evil of it.”34
We are going to discuss these six pillars because of their importance: The belief in Allaah: The belief in Allaah comprises four matters:
(1) The belief in His Existence
(2) The belief in His Ruboobiyyah
(3) The belief in His Uloohiyyah
(4) The belief in His Names and Attributes.
(1) The belief in the Existence of Allaah. It is the full attestation that Allaah, The One free of all imperfection, The Most High, exists. No one openly denied the existence of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic, except by way of haughtiness. Otherwise it is impossible for any reasonable person to claim that this creation was appeared by chance or it came into existence without a cause, due to the fact that this is something impossible to occur as agreed upon by the people of sound intellect. Indeed the existence of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic, is something proven by all kinds of evidences:
(i) Rational
(ii) Fitriyyah [from Fitrah: Natural disposition],
(iii) Legal, and
(iv) Hissiyyah [from Hiss: What is experienced and perceived]. All of these four evidences prove the existence of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic. As for the intellectual proof, then it is that we witness the
existence of this universe and what occurs in it from things which is rather impossible for any creature to do. The existence of creation: the heavens, the earth and what is in them from the stars, mountains, rivers, trees, the speaking, the speechless, and so forth. How did this existence come into being? Did it appear by chance? Or did it occur without a cause? Or did it bring itself into existence? These are three possibilities whereby the intellect does not accept a fourth possibility. All of these possibilities are futile and false. As for it appearing by chance, then this is something that the intellect as well as reality itself denies, because you cannot bring such magnificent creation into existence just by chance; there must be a cause for each effect. Furthermore its astounding arrangement and harmonious order that has no conflict or collision within it, makes it impossible that it all came about randomly. This is because that which would come into existence by chance, its development would not be ordered because all of it is random and by chance.
As for the possibility that creation brought itself into existence, then it is also clearly impossible. This is because before its existence, creation did not exist, it was nothing; and that which is nothing cannot bring into existence that which does not exist. As for the third possibility that this existence came to exist without a cause, then the meaning is the same as our saying that it appeared by chance; and this, as preceded, is
impossible. It remains to be said that existence has someone who brought it into being, and He is Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic. He, The Most High, Says:
Hence, this creation rationally proves the existence of Allaah,The Mighty and Majestic. As for the proof of the natural disposition for the existence of Allaah, then it is so evident that it does not require a proof. This is because man is created upon the natural disposition (Fitrah) of belief in his Rabb. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said:
That is why in case something suddenly befalls upon a person in this life such that it may destroy him, he would say with his tongue and without feeling: “O Allaah!” or “O Rabb!” or the like. This proves that the innate nature of man has been created upon the belief in the existence of Allaah, The Mighty
and Majestic. As for the proof of the Hiss for the existence of Allaah, then it is very often that we hear of supplications being answered by Allaah. Also the person himself who calls upon Allaah, his supplications are indeed responded to. Many are those who invoked Allaah and said: “O [Yaa] Rabb,” and behold! They saw response was right before his eyes! Indeed in the Qur’aan there are many examples for this, like the Saying of Allaah, The Most High:
In addition, there are many other examples from the Sunnah, one of which is the Hadeeth reported by Anas ibn Maalik in which he said: “A man [a bedouin Arab] entered the mosque on the day of Jum’ah whilst the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) was delivering the Khutbah, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, property is being destroyed, and the passages have become blocked, so
supplicate Allaah to send rain down upon us.’ The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) raised his hands and then said: ‘O Allaah send down rain upon us; O Allaah send down rain upon us.’ The sky was clear without any cloud in it. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) did not come down from his pulpit except that rain was flowing from his beard, may Allaah’s Salaat and Salaam be upon him. There was a downpour of rain for one week. Then on the succeeding Friday a man (the same man or someone else) entered the mosque and said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, the houses are collapsing and wealth is being flooded, so supplicate Allaah to stop the rain for us.’ The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم raised his hands and began to say: ‘around us and not upon us,’ pointing with his hands, and he did not point to any direction except that it cleared.”36 People then stepped out walking in the sunshine.
Many are the supplications which a person calls upon his Rabb (Allaah) to be answered are indeed responded to. This is a proof contained in what is experienced and perceived for the existence of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic. As for the Shar’ee proof for the existence of Allaah, then it is beyond being enumerated. Indeed the Qur’aan in its entirety as well as all of the affirmed Ahaadeeth in their legal and informative nature, proves the existence of Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic, as Allaah Says concerning the Sublime Qur’aan:
The belief in the existence of Allaah, is one of the matters that comprise(s) the belief in Allaah. As for the belief in Allaah’s Ruboobiyyah, Uloohiyyah, Names and Attributes, then a detailed discussion of these branches of Tawheed has
34 Reported by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh, vol.1, no.47, and by Muslim, Saheeh Muslim, vol.1, no.1. The cited narration is that of Muslim.
35 Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Saheeh al-Bukhaaree,
vol.2, no.467.
36
Collected by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh, vol.2, no.55, and Muslim,
vol.2, no.1955.
preceded.