Part 6

The proof for the testification that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, is the Saying of Allaah: “There has indeed come to you Allaah’s Messenger, from amongst yourselves and known to you. It grieves him that you should suffer. He is eager and anxious for the guidance of those of you who are astray, and that they should repent and return to the truth, and he is full of compassion and mercy for the Believers” [Soorat at Tawbah: 128]. The meaning of the testification that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah is: to obey him in whatever he commands; to believe and testify to the truth of everything he informs of; to avoid whatever he forbade and prohibit; and that you worship Allaah only with that which he prescribed. The evidence for the Prayer (as salaam) and the zakaat, and the explanation of tawhid is the Saying of Allaah: “And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allaah alone, making their worship and obedience purely for Him, upon the true Deen and free from shirk; and that they should establish the prayer and pay the zakaat, and that is the straight and true Deen” [Soorat al Bayyinah: 5] The evidence for Fasting (siyaam) is the Saying of Allaah: “O you who believe Fasting is prescribed as an obligation for you as it was prescribed as an obligation for those who came before you, so that you may attain taqwa, obedience to Allaah and avoidance of whatever He has forbidden.” [Soorat al Baqarah: 183]. The evidence for hajj is the Saying of Allaah: “And hajj to Allaah’s sacred House is an obligation upon those able to perform it; and whoever refuses and rejects the obligation of hajj to Allaah’s House, then Allaah has no need of him or of any of the creation” [Soorat Aal ‘Imraan: 97]. [The second level] Eemaan, and it has seventy and odd branches, the highest of them is the saying that ‘none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah’ (laa ilaaha Ilallaah), the lowest of them is ‘removal of that which is harmful from the path, and a sense of shame (al hayaa) is a branch of Eemaan.’ Its pillars are six: to truly believe in Allaah; His angels; His Books; His Messengers; The Last Day; and that you truly believe in pre-decree (al qadr) its good and its evil. The proof for these six pillars is the Saying of Allaah: “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the east or the west, but rather righteousness is the righteousness of those who truly believe in Allaah, and the Last Day, and the Angels and the Books and the Prophets.” [Soorat al Baqarah: 177] The proof for pre-decree is the Saying of Allaah: “We have created all things in accordance with a pre-decreed measure.” [Soorat al Qamar: 49] The third level is ihsaan of which the first pillar is "to worship Allaah as if you see Him and if you do not see him, then He sees you" And the proof is His saying: "Truly, Allaah is with those who fear Him and those who are Muhsinoon (good-doers)." (16:128) And His saying: "And put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful, who sees you when you stand up and your movements among those who fall prostrate. Verily!