The ’Aqeedah of Imaam Muhammad Ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H)

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Shehzad Sattar
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The ’Aqeedah of Imaam Muhammad Ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H)

Postby Shehzad Sattar » Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:56 pm

The ’Aqeedah of Imaam Muhammad Ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (d.204H)[1]
Translation by Maaz Qureshi

Stated Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee – rahimahullaah, “Eemaan (faith) is statement and action. It increases and decreases.” So a man asked him, “Which of the actions are best according to Allaah?” So he replied, “It is that without which no other action can be accepted.” He said, “And what is that?” He said, “Faith (eemaan) in Allaah besides whom there is no other deity worthy of worship is the highest of actions in level and the noblest of them in status and the most plentiful of them in allotment.”

The man said, “Will you not inform me about eemaan: is it statement and action, or statement without action?” So he replied, “Eemaan is an action done for the sake of Allaah, and the statement is part of that action. Indeed, eemaan has conditions, levels and ranks. So from amongst these is that which is absolutely complete, having reached the utmost limits of completeness. And there is the eemaan that is deficient, with clear deficiency. And there is the eemaan is that is acceptable in its preponderance.”

So the man said, “And does eemaan become complete and decrease and increase?” Replied ash-Shaafi’ee, “Yes.” He said, “And what is the proof for that?” He said, “Indeed, Allaah – how sublime is His mention – has obligated eemaan upon the limbs of the children of Aadam (’alayhis-salaam). So He divided it up amongst them and differentiated them upon them. So there is no limbs from amongst the limbs, except that it has been entrusted with something from eemaan that its sisters have not been obligated with from Allaah the Exalted. So whomsoever meets Allaah whilst having guarded his Prayers and his limbs and having carried out with every limb whatever Allaah had obligated it with and made compulsory upon it, then he meets Allaah having completed eemaan and he will be from amongst the people of Paradise. And whoever leaves off something deliberately from that which Allaah commanded, then he meets Allaah deficient in eemaan.”

The man said, “Indeed, I know about its deficiency and its completeness, but where does its increase come from?” So ash-Shaafi’ee said, “Allaah – how sublime is His mention – said,

    “So as for those who believe, then it increase them in eemaan.” [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:124]

And if all of this eemaan was one single entity, there would be no decrease in it, nor any increase. And no one would have any higher status within it, the people would all be upon the same level and variant levels would be nullified.

However, it is with the completeness of eemaan that the Believers enter Paradise. And it is with increase in eemaan that the Believers attain various ranks according to Allaah in Paradise. And it is with deficiency in eemaan that the negligent ones enter the Fire.”[2]

Concerning the statement of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic,

    “No! Indeed, they will be veiled from their Lord on that day.” [Sooratul-Mutaffifeen 83:15]

Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee stated, “This is a proof that the close allies (awliyaa‘) will see Him on the Day of Judgement. So when they are veiled as part of the displeasure, then this is a proof that others will see Him as part of the pleasure.”[3]

And he said, “Allaah has Names and Attributes which have come in His Book and His Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) has informed his Ummah about them. No one upon whom the evidence has been established is free to reject them, because the Qur‘aan was revealed with them. And it has been authentically reported that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) spoke with them. So if he opposes that after the proof has been established upon them, then he is a disbeliever. So as for before the evidence is established upon him, then he is excused due to ignorance, since knowledge of that cannot be obtained through the intellect, nor through deliberation and reflection. And we do not declare someone a disbeliever due to ignorance, until after the information has reached him. And we affirm these Attributes and we negate from them the tashbeeh (comparison to the creation), just as He negated it from Himself. So He said,

    “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Sooratush-Shooraa 42:11].”[4]

He further stated,
    “And the Qur‘aan is the Speech of Allaah the Exalted, it is not created.”[5]

And he said, “And the will of the servants depends upon upon Allaah the Exalted. And they do not will, except that Allaah, Lord of the Worlds has willed it. So the people do not create their own actions, but it is a creation from amongst the creation of Allaah the Exalted. Indeed, the Qadr (pre-decree), the good of it and the evil of it is from Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. Indeed, the punishment of the grave is truth, and the questioning of the people in the graves is truth, and the resurrection is truth and the Reckoning is truth, and Paradise and Hell and other than that from whatever has come in the Sunan, such that it has become apparent upon the tongues of the Scholars and their followers from the various countries of the Muslims is truth.”[6]

And he said, “And the best of the people after the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) is Aboo Bakr, then ’Umar, then ’Uthmaan, then ’Alee (ridwaanullaahi ’alayhim).”[7]

He further stated, “Indeed, Allaah praised the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) in the Qur‘aan. And there has proceeded for them upon the tongue of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) from excellence that which has not been stated for anyone after them. And they conveyed to us the Sunan of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and witnessed him whilst the Revelation was descending upon him. So they knew what the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) intended, in general, specifically, certainty and guidance. And they knew from his Sunnah that which we do not know and are ignorant about. They were above us in every knowledge and ijithaad (independent reasoning). And they opinions are more praiseworthy for us and have more right that our own opinions that we ourselves hold.”[8]

And he stated, “And no statement is binding in every situation, except by the Book of Allaah, or the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), and everything else besides these two must be in conformity to them. And everyone who speaks upon the Book and the Sunnah, then he has stayed within the boundary that is obligatory. And everyone who speaks upon other than a foundation of the Book, nor the Sunnah, then he is a madman. And Allaah knows best.”[9]

Source: www.SunnahPublishing.net

Footnotes:

[1] He is Muhammad Ibn Idrees Ibnul-’Abbaas Ibn ’Uthmaan, Aboo ’Abdullaah, al-Haashimee al-Qurashee. He was one of the four Imaams. He died in Cairo in the year 204H. For his biography, refer to Siyar A’laamun-Nubalaa‘ (10/5-99) of adh-Dhahabee.

[2] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/387-393) of al-Bayhaqee.

[3] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/420) of al-Bayhaqee.

[4] Refer to Siyar A’laamun-Nubalaa‘ (10/79-80) of adh-Dhahabee.

[5] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/408) of al-Bayhaqee.

[6] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/415).

[7] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/433).

[8] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/442).

[9] Refer to Manaaqibush-Shaafi’ee (1/470-475).
The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Give glad tidings and do not repel people..”

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