Section 3: Deviations from the Correct 'Aqidah and Ways to Be Safe Therefrom

Deviation from the right 'Aqidah is peril and destruction. This is so because the right 'Aqidah is the strong impulse to perform beneficial deeds. One without the right 'Aqidah is prey to confusion and doubt, which could accumulate upon him, and he becomes veiled from correctly perceiving the path to a successful life. This makes his life constrained and he attempts to exit this constraint by ending his life even through suicide, as is the reality with several people who are devoid of the guidance of the right 'Aqidah and communities, which are not governed by the right 'Aqidah. These communities are animalistic havens that have lost all factors of a successful life. Although, they may possess factors of materialistic life, these frequently lead them to destruction as is well observed in disbelieving communities. This is because these material factors require proper channeling and direction in order to profit from their characteristics and benefits, and there can be no proper means of channeling them except with the right ’ Aqidah. Allah - the Most High - said: “O (you) Messenger.' Eat of the Tayibat [all kinds of Halal (legal) foods which Allah has made legal (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.J, and do righteous deeds. ”(Qur’an 23: 51) He - the Most High - also said: “/4«</ indeed We bestowed grace on David from Us (saying): ‘O you mountains. Glorify (Allah) with him! And you birds (also)! And We made the iron soft for him. ” Saying: “Make you perfect coats of mail, balancing well the rings of chain Armour, and work you (men) righteousness. Truly, I am All-Seer of what you do.” And to Solomon (We subjected) the wind, its morning (stride from sunrise till midnoon), and its afternoon (stride from the midday decline of the sun to sunset) was a month’s (journey i.e. in one day he could travel two months journey). And We caused a fount of (molten) brass to flow for him, and there were jinns that worked in front of him, by the Leave of his Lord, and whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause him to taste of the torment of the blazing fire. They worked for him what he desired, (making) high rooms, images, basins as large reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places). “Work you, O family of Dawud (David), with thanks!” But few of My slaves are grateful.’’(Qur’an The strength of 'Aqidah must not be bereft of material strength, if however, it is severed from it due to deviations towards false 'Aqidah; material strength becomes a means to peril and destruction, as is witnessed today in disbelieving nations, which possess material wealth but are devoid of the correct 'Aqidah. Deviation from the correct Aqidah has causes, which should be known. Some of the most important are:

1. Ignorance of the correct 'Aqidah resulting from turning away from learning and teaching it, or having little concern and paying little attention to it, till a generation grows not knowing that 'Aqidah, nor what contradicts and conflicts with it. So, it will consider truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth as'Umar bin Khattab said: ‘The bond o f Islam shall be broken one at a time when a generation grows up not knowing about Jahiliyyah (pre-lslamic ignorance or pre- Islamic
2. Fanatically clinging to what ones fathers and ancestors were upon and adherence to it even though it be false, and abandoning whatever conflicts with it, even though it be the truth as Allah - the Most High - has said: “When it is said to them: ‘Follow what Allah has sent down. ’ They ‘Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following. ’ (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided?” (Qur’an 2:170)
3. Blindly accepting the statements of people regarding 'Aqidah without knowing the evidence for it, nor knowing its authenticity, as it is with the deviant sects such as the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, the Ash'irah, the Sufis and others besides them. They followed blindly those who preceded them amongst the leaders of error; so, they went astray and deviated from the correct 'Aqidah.
4. Extremism with regards to Awliya ’ (the friends of Allah [saints]) and the pious ones. They exalted them beyond their stations by believing they have capabilities over what none except Allah has ability over, such as bringing benefit and 3 These are the followers of Jahm bin Safwan. These people deny all the Names and Attributes (of Allah). 4 They are the followers of Wasil bin 'Ata' who dissociated himself from the sitting of Hasan al- Basri. These people affirm the Names (of Allah), with the implication that they are wordings alone, devoid of meanings, and they deny all (His) Attributes. 5 They are the followers of the school of opinion of Abul-Hasan al-Ash‘ari before he returned to the opinion of the Ahlus-Sunnah. Unfortunately, they (his followers) did not abandon what he had abandoned. So, their claiming a connection to him is incorrect. They affirm Allah’s Names and some of His Attributes and reject some others. preventing harm. They also take them as intermediaries between Allah and His creatures with regards to the fulfillment of their (creatures) needs and response to their supplications. Such that it leads them to worship these people besides Allah and sacrificing at their tombs by slaughtering animals, making vows, supplicating, and seeking assistance and help from them. This was what occurred to the people of Nuh regarding the pious ones when they said:.. You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa‘, nor Yaghuth, nor Ya’uq nor Nasr (names of idols). ” (Qur’an 71:23) This is also the case regarding the grave worshippers of today in several cities.
5. Heedlessness of the signs of Allah in the universe and the verses of His Book (Qur’an), and amazement at the products of the present materialistic civilization, such that it is viewed as the product of man alone. So, they revere man and attach all these advancement to his effort and inventiveness alone, just as Qarun said: “He said: ‘This has been given to me only because of knowledge. People say the same:.. This is for me (due to my merit)...” (Qur ’an 41:50) e- “He says: ‘Only because of knowledge (that I possess) I obtained it. ’’(Qur’an 39: 49) They did not contemplate nor perceive the Majesty of the One Who brought all these things into existence, or granted them their dazzling peculiarities, and brought man into existence and granted him the ability to extract these peculiarities and benefit from them: “While Allah has created you and what you make!” (Qur’an 37: 96) “Z)o they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allah has created?...” (Qur’an 7:185) “Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has made the ships to be of service to you, that they my sail through the sea by His Command; and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and day, to be of service to you. And He gave you all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, - a disbeliever /an extreme ingrate, denies Allah’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet
6. Most homes have become devoid of the correct orientation and guidance. The Prophet had said: ‘Every child is bom upon the Fitrah (pure monotheism), it is his parents who make him a Jew, Christian or Magian.'6 Both parents have a big role to play in the ensuring the orientation of the child.
7. The failure of the channels of education and information in most of the Islamic world to fulfill their duties. The educational curriculum in most cases, pay little or no attention at all to religion. The channels of mass information, visual, audio, and print, in most cases have become instruments of destruction and deviation, or are concerned with issues of materialism and luxury. They are unconcerned about that which strengthens character, implants the right 'Aqidah, and subdues deviant tendencies. Thus a generation grows up defenseless before the forces of apostasy. The ways to be safe from these deviations can be summarized as follows:

1. Returning to the Book of Allah - Honored and Glorious - and the Sunnah of His Messenger jfc, in order to derive the right belief therefrom as the pious predecessors used to take their beliefs therefrom. Nothing will reform the later generations of this Ummah except that which reformed the earliest generation. This should be coupled with exposure to the doctrines of the deviant sects and knowledge of their confusions in order to be able to refute them and warn against them. He, who does not know evil, will likely fall thereinto.
2. Paying attention to the teaching of the correct 'Aqidah - the 'Aqidah of the pious predecessors - at all levels of learning, granting it enough periods within the educational scheme and being very concerned with the details of examinations in 6 Reported by al-Bukharf and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah
3. To establish the study of pure Salafiyyah1 literature and to avoid the books of deviant sects, such as the Sufis, the innovators, the Jahmiyyah, the Mu 'tazilah, the Asha'irah, the Maturidiyyah, and others, except for the purpose of knowing what they contain, rebutting its falsehood and warning people about it.
4. The rising of pious callers seeking to revive the 'Aqidah of the pious predecessors and refute the errors of those who have deviated from it. 7 Books written in conformity with the understanding of the pious predecessors from amongst the companions of the Prophet and the early generations who came after them. (TN) They are the followers of Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi. They also affirm Allah’s Names and some of His Attributes and reject some Attributes. Tawhid: This is to single out Allah as the only Creator and Controller (of all that exists), to purify worship for Him alone, to abandon the worship of others besides Him, to affirm that He possesses the Most Beautiful Names and Loftiest Attributes, and to absolve Him of any deficiency or defect. This definition encompasses the three categories of Tawhid and their explanations are as follow: 2.1. Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah (Oneness in Lordship) This contains the following sections: Section 1: Explanation of the meaning of Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah, its instinctive nature and its recognition by the polytheists. Section 2: Explanation of the meaning of the word ar-Rabb (Lord) in the Qur’an and Sunnah, the conceptions of misguided nations regarding ar-Rububiyyah and their refutation. Section 3: Explanation of the submission of the entire universe in compliance and obedience to Allah. Section 4: Explanation of the methodology of the Qur’an in establishing the Oneness of Allah in creation, sustenance and so on. Section 5: Explanation that Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah necessitates Tawhid-ul-