For Beginners — Islām

Allah سبحانه وتعالى made the answer explicit:

This is the purpose — to worship Allah alone in the way He prescribed. Not to accumulate wealth, not to seek status, not merely to live comfortably. Whoever fulfils this purpose has accomplished the reason for his existence. Whoever neglects it — his life becomes aimless even if he appears successful.

Worship is not restricted to prayer and fasting. The comprehensive definition from the scholars of Islam:

It includes: prayer, fasting, du'ā, love, fear, hope, reliance (tawakkul), repentance, sacrifice, vowing — every act of the heart, tongue, and limbs done to draw near to Allah.

A foundational principle: everything Allah creates and legislates contains perfect wisdom — whether we perceive it or not. Some wisdoms are known to us, some are hidden. Whether we see the wisdom or not — we submit. That is the meaning of Islām.

The scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah categorised Tawheed into three based on the evidences of the Qur'an and Sunnah:

• Tawheed ar-Rubūbiyyah — Oneness of Allah's Lordship. He alone creates, sustains, gives life, causes death, and controls the entire universe. None shares in this.
• Tawheed al-Ulūhiyyah — Oneness of Worship. All acts of worship — du'ā, sacrifice, fear, love, reliance — belong to Allah alone. This is the category every Messenger was sent to call to.
• Tawheed al-Asmā' was-Sifāt — Oneness of His Names and Attributes. Affirming everything Allah affirmed for Himself in the Qur'an and Sunnah, without distortion, denial, likening to creation, or asking how.

To believe that Allah alone is the Creator of all things, the Sustainer of all living beings, and the Controller of all affairs. He is Al-Khāliq (the Creator), Ar-Razzāq (the Provider), Al-Muhyī (the Giver of Life), Al-Mumīt (the Causer of Death).

Importantly, even the polytheists of Makkah affirmed this category — yet it was not enough to make them Muslim. They still worshipped others alongside Allah. This proves that Tawheed ar-Rubūbiyyah alone is insufficient — Tawheed al-Ulūhiyyah must accompany it.

This is the core of what every Messenger called to — direct all worship to Allah alone. Al-Ulūhiyyah means worship. Every Messenger from Nūh to Muhammad ﷺ opened their call with this.

The word Tāghūt refers to everything that is worshipped or followed besides Allah — idols, graves, false rulers who replace Allah's law, soothsayers, and more. Disbelieving in the Tāghūt is a condition of the Shahadah.

The methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā'ah is to affirm for Allah every Name and Attribute He affirmed for Himself — without four deviations:

• Tahrīf — distorting the meaning (e.g. saying "Hand" means "power")
• Ta'tīl — denying the Names or Attributes altogether
• Takyīf — describing the nature or modality of the Attribute
• Tamthīl — likening His Attributes to those of creation

This verse is the key principle: we affirm (He hears, He sees) while negating likeness to creation (not like our hearing and seeing).

The phrase has two components:
Lā ilāha — negation: there is no true deity, no one worthy of worship.
illallāh — affirmation: except Allah alone.

So it negates worship from everything besides Allah and affirms worship for Allah alone. It is not enough to believe Allah exists — even Iblīs knew that. The testimony requires directing all worship exclusively to Him.

The scholars established seven conditions without which the Shahadah is not valid:

• Al-'Ilm (Knowledge) — Knowing what the Shahadah negates and affirms. Ignorance of its meaning invalidates it.
  

  فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ

  "Know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah."

  Qur'an 47:19
• Al-Yaqīn (Certainty) — The heart must be free from all doubt. One who doubts is a hypocrite.
  

  "No slave meets Allah testifying that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, with no doubt in that, except that he enters Paradise."

  — Sahih Muslim
• Al-Qabūl (Acceptance) — Accepting what this testimony requires, both inwardly and outwardly. Rejecting it out of arrogance, as Iblīs and the mushrikeen did, nullifies it.
• Al-Inqiyād (Submission) — Acting upon what it demands: performing the obligations and avoiding the prohibitions.
• As-Sidq (Truthfulness) — It must come from a truthful heart. The hypocrites said it with their tongues while their hearts rejected it.
• Al-Ikhlās (Sincerity) — Saying it purely for Allah's sake, free from riyā' (showing off) and shirk.
• Al-Mahabbah (Love) — Loving Allah, His Messenger ﷺ, and what this testimony stands for. Loving its people and hating what contradicts it.

The second part of the Shahadah requires:

• Believing Muhammad ﷺ is the final Prophet — no prophet comes after him
• Obeying him in everything he commanded
• Avoiding everything he prohibited
• Not worshipping Allah except through the way he taught
• Believing everything he informed us of from the unseen
• Loving him more than one's own self, family, and all of mankind

The first and most important pillar. Without it nothing else is valid. See Topic 02 for the full explanation.

The prayer is the most important pillar after the Shahadah. It was made obligatory directly by Allah upon the Prophet ﷺ on the Night of Al-Isrā' wal-Mi'rāj — unlike all other commandments which came through Jibrīl عليه السلام.

• 5 daily prayers are obligatory on every sane, adult Muslim
• Times: Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Ishā'
• It is the first deed you will be asked about on the Day of Judgement
• Abandoning it entirely is a matter of serious scholarly disagreement — many scholars of the Salaf considered it kufr

Zakāh is obligatory on every Muslim who possesses wealth above the nisāb (minimum threshold) for a complete lunar year. It is not optional — it is a right the poor have upon the wealthy. It purifies wealth and the soul from miserliness.

Zakāh ≠ Sadaqah. Sadaqah is voluntary charity, always encouraged. Zakāh is obligatory with specific rates, recipients (8 categories in the Qur'an), and conditions.

Fasting the month of Ramadān is obligatory on every sane, adult Muslim who is able. It means abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations from Fajr until Maghrib — and more importantly, from sins of the tongue and heart.

Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime upon every Muslim who is physically and financially able. It is performed in Dhul-Hijjah at Makkah. It is one of the greatest acts of worship — a complete submission of the body, wealth, and time for Allah.

To believe in Allah's existence, His Lordship, His exclusive right to worship, and His Names and Attributes — as covered in Topic 01.

Angels are honoured servants of Allah — they do not eat, drink, sleep, or disobey. They were created from light. Among them: Jibrīl (revelation), Mīkāīl (rain), Isrāfīl (the Trumpet), and Mālik (guardian of Hellfire). We believe in those Allah named and those He did not.

Allah revealed books to guide humanity. We believe in: the Suhuf of Ibrāhīm, the Tawrāh (Torah) to Mūsā, the Zabūr (Psalms) to Dāwūd, the Injīl (Gospel) to 'Īsā, and the Qur'an to Muhammad ﷺ.

The Qur'an is the final, preserved, uncorrupted Word of Allah. All previous books were corrupted by their people over time. The Qur'an abrogates them all and will remain preserved until the Day of Judgement.

Allah sent messengers to every nation — all called to Tawheed. We must believe in all of them. The first was Nūh عليه السلام (according to the most correct view) and the last was Muhammad ﷺ. Among those named in the Qur'an: Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, 'Īsā, Dāwūd, Sulaymān, Yūsuf عليهم السلام.

We love and honour all Messengers — but we do not worship any of them. They were human beings chosen by Allah.

The Last Day includes: death, the grave, the resurrection, the gathering, the Reckoning, the Bridge (Sirāt), the Scales (Mīzān), the intercession, Paradise, and the Hellfire. See Topic 11 for the full detail.

See Topic 08 for the full detailed explanation.

The Prophet ﷺ warned that this ummah would split into 73 sects — all in the Hellfire except one. When asked which one:

This is the Jamā'ah — Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā'ah. They follow the Qur'an and Sunnah upon the understanding of the Salaf. This is what "Salafi" describes — not a party or a new group, but a description of following the correct Islam.

• It is not a new sect or innovation — it is the original Islam
• It is not limited to one country or ethnicity
• It is not blind following of any single scholar
• It does not mean rejecting the great scholars who came after the Salaf — rather it means following those scholars who adhered to the Salafi methodology
• It is not harshness, rudeness, or extremism — the Salaf were the most balanced of people

• Taking the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah as the primary source in all matters of belief and worship
• Understanding both according to the understanding of the Sahābah — not personal opinion or philosophical interpretation
• Referring to reliable senior scholars known for this methodology
• Rejecting all innovation (bid'ah) in worship and belief
• Warning against deviants and innovators to protect the ummah — this is from Nasīhah (sincere advice)
• Giving priority to unity upon the truth over unity upon falsehood

In classical Arabic, a single speaker of authority and majesty uses the plural "We" (nahnu — نَحْنُ) to express greatness, sovereignty, and honour — not plurality of persons. This is known in Arabic as ta'dheem (the plural of majesty). Arab kings and leaders used it throughout history. Allah uses it in the Qur'an to express His supreme Majesty — not to imply partners, a Trinity, or any form of plurality.

The same Qur'an that uses "We" also explicitly declares Allah's absolute oneness countless times in first-person singular. Both refer to Allah alone — the plural is linguistic majesty, not theological plurality.

The Salafi methodology in this matter is clear: affirm every Name and Attribute Allah affirmed for Himself in the Qur'an or through the Prophet ﷺ, without:

• Tahrīf — twisting the meaning away from its apparent sense
• Ta'tīl — denying the Name or Attribute
• Takyīf — asking or speculating about the modality (how)
• Tamthīl — likening it to the attributes of creation

This single verse contains the entire methodology: negate likeness (nothing like Him) while affirming the Attribute (He hears, He sees).

• Ar-Rahmān — The Most Gracious (vast, all-encompassing mercy)
• Ar-Rahīm — The Most Merciful (specific mercy to the believers)
• Al-'Alīm — The All-Knowing (nothing is hidden from Him)
• Al-Qadīr — The All-Powerful (nothing is beyond His ability)
• Al-Hayy — The Ever-Living (His life has no beginning or end)
• Al-Qayyūm — The Sustainer of all (all things depend on Him)
• Al-'Azīz — The All-Mighty (none can overpower Him)
• Al-Hakīm — The All-Wise (everything He does has perfect wisdom)
• Al-Ghafūr — The All-Forgiving (He forgives abundantly)
• At-Tawwāb — The Ever-Accepting of Repentance

The scholars explain "encompasses" means: memorising them, understanding their meanings, and worshipping Allah through them — calling upon Allah by these Names in du'ā and in your heart.

The Salaf affirmed this — Istiwā' (rising above the Throne) is affirmed as Allah stated. We do not ask how. We do not interpret it away. And Allah's knowledge encompasses all things, so in that sense He is with us wherever we are.

• Al-'Ilm (Knowledge) — Allah knew everything before it came into existence. He knew what every created being would do, where they would go, and what would happen to them.
• Al-Kitābah (Writing) — Allah wrote everything in Al-Lawh al-Mahfūdh (the Preserved Tablet) 50,000 years before the creation of the heavens and earth.

  "Allah wrote the decrees of all creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth."

  — Sahih Muslim
• Al-Mashī'ah (Will) — Everything that happens, happens by Allah's will. Nothing occurs outside of it.
• Al-Khalq (Creation) — Allah created all things including the actions of His servants. He created the human capacity to act and the human choice.

Belief in Qadr does not mean humans are forced or have no choice. People genuinely choose their actions — and Allah knows and decreed what they would choose. This is not a contradiction — it is beyond complete human comprehension, and the Salaf accepted it without trying to rationalise it away.

• Contentment and peace — knowing everything is from Allah's wisdom
• Relief from anxiety — what has been decreed will occur
• Humility — your success is from Allah, not your own effort alone
• Not despairing over what you missed — it was not decreed for you
• Not being arrogant over what you achieved — Allah gave it to you

The speech of Allah is one of His Attributes. Since His Attributes are not created, the Qur'an — as Allah's speech — is not created. This was a major point of 'aqeedah that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله was tortured for refusing to recant. He stood firm — and the Salafi position has been the uncreated nature of the Qur'an ever since.

The Qur'an has been memorised in the hearts of millions across every generation since the time of the Prophet ﷺ. No other book in history has been preserved like this. Not a single letter has changed.

• Recite it regularly — even a few verses daily
• Learn Tajweed (proper recitation) — it is obligatory to recite correctly
• Reflect on its meanings — read a reliable tafsīr
• Memorise what you can — start with the short surahs
• Act upon it — it was not revealed merely to be recited

A Nabī (Prophet) receives revelation but was not necessarily sent with a new law to a new people. A Rasūl (Messenger) was sent with a new law or scripture to a specific people. Every Messenger is a Prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger.

• They were all truthful — they never lied
• They were all trustworthy — they conveyed the message completely
• They were all intelligent — they were not foolish or incompetent
• They were all protected from major sin in conveying the message
• They were all human beings — not divine

Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah ﷺ is the seal of all Prophets and Messengers. He was sent to all of humanity and the jinn — not to one nation. His Sunnah is binding upon every Muslim until the Day of Judgement.

Loving the Prophet ﷺ is obligatory — and loving him means following his Sunnah, not inventing ways to express that love which he himself did not teach.

• Death — The soul is taken by the Angel of Death. Every soul will taste it.

  كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِ

  "Every soul will taste death."

  Qur'an 3:185
• The Grave (Al-Barzakh) — The intermediate realm between death and resurrection. The grave is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hellfire. The deceased is questioned by two angels — Munkar and Nakīr — about their Lord, their religion, and their Prophet.
• The Resurrection (Al-Ba'th) — Allah will resurrect all of creation on the Day of Judgement for reckoning.
• The Gathering (Al-Hashr) — All of humanity gathered on a plain, the sun brought near, and people in their own sweat according to their deeds.
• The Reckoning (Al-Hisāb) — Every person's deeds presented before Allah. The believers shown their book in their right hand, the disbelievers in their left or behind their back.
• The Scales (Al-Mīzān) — Actual scales upon which deeds are weighed.

  "Two phrases are light on the tongue, heavy on the scales, and beloved to ar-Rahmān: SubhānAllāhi wa bihamdih, SubhānAllāhil-'Adhīm."

  — Sahih al-Bukhāri & Muslim
• The Bridge (As-Sirāt) — A bridge over the Hellfire that all must cross. The believers will pass according to their deeds; the disbelievers will fall.
• Paradise (Al-Jannah) or Hellfire (An-Nār) — The final abode. Both are real, existing now, and eternal for their permanent inhabitants.

The Prophet ﷺ informed us of many signs before the Last Day — minor signs (many of which have passed or are occurring) and major signs (none of which have occurred yet). Among the major signs: the Dajjāl, the descent of 'Īsā ibn Maryam عليه السلام, Ya'jūj and Ma'jūj, the rising of the sun from the west.

• Jibrīl — Trusted with revelation; delivered the Qur'an to Muhammad ﷺ
• Mīkāīl — Entrusted with rain and provision
• Isrāfīl — Will blow the Trumpet on the Day of Judgement
• Mālik — Guardian of the Hellfire
• 'Izrā'īl — The Angel of Death, takes the souls
• Munkar and Nakīr — Question the deceased in the grave
• The Kirāman Kātibīn — Two angels recording every deed of every person
• The Hamalat al-'Arsh — Those who carry the Throne of Allah

Some pre-Islamic Arabs worshipped angels, claiming they were daughters of Allah — this is major shirk and kufr. Angels are creation, however noble. Worship belongs to Allah alone.

• Shirk with Allah in worship — Directing any act of worship to other than Allah: praying to graves, asking the dead for help, believing any creation can independently benefit or harm.

  إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ

  "Indeed Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him."

  Qur'an 4:48
• Setting up intermediaries between oneself and Allah — Believing one must go through saints or deceased pious people to reach Allah. This is major shirk.
• Not considering the mushrikeen to be disbelievers — Doubting that polytheists who die on shirk are disbelievers, or considering their ways valid paths to Allah.
• Believing any guidance is more complete than the Prophet's ﷺ — Or that any ruling is better than the Sharī'ah. This includes placing man-made law above or equal to Allah's law.
• Hating anything the Messenger ﷺ came with — Even if one acts upon it outwardly. Hatred of the deen nullifies faith.
• Mocking anything from the religion — Ridiculing Allah, the Qur'an, the Prophet ﷺ, the angels, or any established ruling of Islām.

  قُلۡ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

  "Say: Was it Allah and His signs and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse — you have disbelieved after your belief."

  Qur'an 9:65-66
• Sorcery (As-Sihr) — Practicing magic or going to magicians and fortune-tellers, and believing in what they say.
• Supporting the disbelievers against the Muslims — Aiding the enemies of Islām against the believers.
• Believing some people are exempt from the Sharī'ah — Claiming that certain "awliyā'" do not need to pray or follow Islamic law due to their spiritual level.
• Turning completely away from the religion — Refusing to learn it or act upon it at all.

Major shirk takes a person outside of Islām. Examples:

• Praying to or calling upon other than Allah (the dead, saints, jinn)
• Believing the deceased can benefit or harm of their own power
• Making sacrifice for other than Allah
• Wearing amulets (ta'wīdh) believing they provide protection by themselves
• Prostrating to other than Allah as an act of worship
• Following sorcerers and fortune-tellers and believing their claims

Minor shirk does not take a person out of Islām but is a major sin and can lead to major shirk:

• Ar-Riyā' — Performing deeds to be seen by people (showing off in worship)
• Swearing by other than Allah — "I swear by the Prophet" or "I swear by my father"
• Saying "What Allah wills and what you will" — equating human will with Allah's in expression

This is the subtle form — acting for the sake of people mixed with the intention for Allah. This compromises sincerity and reduces reward. Constantly check your intention.

• It implies the Sharī'ah is incomplete — that the Prophet ﷺ left something out
• It leads people away from the authentic Sunnah
• Innovators often believe they are doing something good — making it harder to reject
• It spreads and becomes tradition, making correction feel like an attack on culture

The deen is complete. There is no need for additions — and any addition is a rejection of this completeness.

• Celebrating the Mawlid (Prophet's ﷺ birthday) as a religious occasion
• Innovated dhikr gatherings with chanting and swaying
• Specific du'ā recited collectively after every prayer in an organised manner not from the Sunnah
• Building shrines or domes over graves
• Celebrating specific Islamic dates that the Prophet ﷺ never celebrated

• Islām — The prayer of a non-Muslim is not accepted.
• Sound mind ('aql) — The prayer of someone unconscious or insane is not obligatory.
• Purity (tahārah) — From major impurity (requires ghusl) and minor impurity (requires wudū). Also purity of clothing, body, and place of prayer.
• Entering the prayer time — Each of the 5 prayers has a specified time. Prayer cannot be prayed before its time.
• Facing the Qiblah — Facing the direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah.
• Covering the 'awrah — Men must cover from navel to knee minimum. Women must cover all except face and hands in prayer.
• Intention (Niyyah) — In the heart — you do not need to say it aloud. That is an innovation.

• Fajr — From true dawn until sunrise
• Dhuhr — After the sun passes its zenith until 'Asr
• Asr — From when shadow equals object until sunset
• Maghrib — After sunset until twilight disappears
• Ishā' — After twilight until the middle of the night (or dawn in necessity)

• Kibr (Arrogance) — The Prophet ﷺ said: "No one with even a mustard seed of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise." (Sahih Muslim)
• Hasad (Envy) — Wishing for another to lose their blessing. It eats good deeds as fire eats wood.
• Riyā' (Showing off) — The minor shirk — doing deeds for people rather than Allah.
• Al-Ujb (Self-admiration) — Being impressed with oneself and one's deeds.
• Hubb ad-Dunyā (Love of the world) — The Prophet ﷺ said it is the root of all evil.
• Ghibah (Backbiting) — Mentioning your brother in his absence what he would dislike. Allah compared it to eating a corpse.

• Constant tawbah (repentance) — return to Allah repeatedly after every sin
• Abundant dhikr — the heart finds tranquillity only in the remembrance of Allah
• Reflecting on death and the ākhirah frequently
• Reading about the lives of the Salaf and being inspired by their worship
• Keeping good company — bad company corrupts the heart
• Avoiding sins — each sin leaves a black dot on the heart

• Morning & Evening Adhkār — Recite after Fajr and after 'Asr. Includes Ayat al-Kursi, the three Quls, and specific du'ās from the Sunnah
• Adhkār after every Fard prayer — SubhānAllāh ×33, Alhamdulillāh ×33, Allāhu Akbar ×33, then Lā ilāha illallāh wahdahu lā sharīka lah
• Before sleeping — Ayat al-Kursi, the three Quls, and reciting SubhānAllāh ×33, Alhamdulillāh ×33, Allāhu Akbar ×34
• Entering/leaving the home, eating, entering the bathroom — Each has specific du'ās from the Sunnah

Du'ā is worship. In fact the Prophet ﷺ said: "Du'ā is worship." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, sahih) — directing du'ā to other than Allah is shirk.

• Ask Allah directly — He is Al-Qadīr, able to give you everything
• Be certain He will answer — do not make du'ā as if in doubt
• The answer may come as you asked, or something better, or a calamity averted
• Do not hasten — do not say "I made du'ā and He did not answer"
• The best times: last third of the night, between adhān and iqāmah, while prostrating