What are the Fundamentals that everv
Muslim must learn?
1: t] Knowledge, rhar is, knowing Allah,
His Propher, and the retigion of Islam with
its textual proofs.
2) Application of this knowledge.l
I t, tr. very importanr ro understand rhe meaning of "applicarion" in this conrexr, particularly riittr
regards to knowing Allah. It means, first, thai Allah
alone is worthy.of being_loved and worshipped.
Second, He is the only Creator upon Whom all
creatures depend for their means of subsistence.
Third, the Divine Atrributes and beautiful names of
Allah can never be applied to His crearures.
Application also means that Allah, the Exalted, is far
removed from every imperfection, and there is none

3) Preaching knowledge
4) Enduring with patience whatever such
application and preaching may entail.2
Q-What is the textual proof of the above
fundamentals?
A- The words of Allah:

(I swear) By the time.l Surely, man is in (a
state of) loss, Except those who believe and
do good deeds, and exhort one another to
accept the truth, and who exhort one another
to endure (the consequences thereof with)
patience.2
a- What were Imam ash-Shafi'ee's
comments on this surah?

I This is an oath made by Allah stressing that only
those who believe and do good deeds will prosper. It
also constitutes proof of the four fundamentals
stated above: l) His words "those who believe"
refer to knowledge; "do good deeds" refers to
application, and "...exhort one another to accepthe
truth" refers to preaching. And "endure with
patience" refers to consequences ofpreaching and
qroclaiming the truth. tM.M.J
z Surah # 103.

A- He said: "Were this
Allah had sent down to

to be the only surah
His slaves, it would

have been enough for them."3
Q-should application precede knowledge,
or vice versa?4
A- Knowledge must Precede both
application and deeds, as signified by the
words of Allah:

And know there is no God but Allah, and
seek forgiveness for your sins, and for the
believers.l
lmam al-Bukhari commented on the above
verse, saying:
Thus Allah opened the verse with the
command of acquiring knowledge and
followed it with the command of
application.2
I Surah # 47.19
2 To give an example, on cannot pray before
learning how to pray. There are many Muslim
countries in which Allah's laws are not applied.
Some Islamic parties, however, believe that if the
existing government is toppled by a coup d'dtat, or
the head of state is assassinated, the laws of Allah
can be applied overnight. This is proven to be sheer
wishful thinking. In order to establish a rrue Islamic
state, the subjects of the respective government must
first be prepared to accepr the Islamic state,
internally as well as externally. The best example we
have is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

Q-What are the three facts that must be
learned and observed?
A- Allah has created us and supplied us with
our means of subsistence, and He has not
neglected us. He sent us a Messenger.
Whoever obeys the Messenger, peace be
upon him, shall be admitted to Jannah, and
whoever disobeys him shall enter Hell-Fire.
Q- What is the proof of the above?
A- The words of Allah:
He did not establish the lslamic polity before he
himself immigrated to Madinah. He first made sure
the grass-roots were saturated with the correct
aqeedah. Only then he moved on to Madinah. The
arrival of the Messenger of Allagh to Madinah
marks the birth of the Islamic polity. This fact may
be realized by observing that the verses revealed in
Makkah deal with the creeds, and tenets of tawheed,
or monotheism, whereas the Madinan verses deal
with acts of worship and transaction, i.e.,
application. lM.M.l

We surely have sent you a Messenger who is
a witness over you as We had sent Fir'awn
(Pharaoh) a Messenger.l But, Fir'awn
disobeyed the Messenger, so We punished
him severely.2
Allah does not permit anYone to be
worshipped besides Him, neither an angel
near to Him, nor a commissioned Prophet.
Q-What is the textual proof of the above?
A- The words of Allah:

And the places of worship3 belong to Allah.
Therefore worship none beside Allah.4

Whoever obeys the Messenger, peace be
upon Him, and believes in the Oneness of
Allah is not allowed to befriend those who
oppose Allah and His Messenger, peace be
upon him, even if they are the closest of his
kin.
Q- What is the textual proof of the above?
A-The words of Allah

"Placcs of worship" in this context, such as
mosques, churches, or synagogues applies to those
assigned for the people who received Divine
Scriptures. Allah knows best. [M.M.]
4 Surah # 72.18

You shall not find any people who believe in
Allah and the Final Day loving those who
oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if
they are their fathers of their sons or their
brothers or their tribe. Those are the ones in
whose hearts Allah has installed iman (faith)
and whom He supports with His strength.l
Q- What is the Hanifiyyah z of the religion
of Ibrahim?
A- HaniJiyyah is to devote sincerely all acts
of worship to Allah alone. This is what Allah
has enjoined on all people, and for this
reason He has created them.

I Surah # 58.22
2 Hanifiyyaft, linguistically speaking, is
from any false religion to the true religion,
and remaining firmly therein. IM.M.]

incl in ing
al-lslam,

Q- What is the proof of the above?
A- The words of Allah:

 A simplified Introduction to Islam in English language in categories of question and answer in different aspect, and it increases the question from non Muslims.