Important Lessons for the Muslim Ummah

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   As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu 

Insha Allah I will post this article in four parts

Auzo Billahe minash Shaitanir-Rajim. Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim 

Part One

The Important Lessons for the Muslim Ummah
    by Shaykh 'Abdul-'Az�z Ibn B�z 

Translated by Khalid A. Al-Awadh

Prologue

In the Name of Allaah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
All Praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him, and seek His 
help and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah, the Most 
High, from the evils of our own selves and from our wicked 
deeds. Whomsoever has been guided by Allaah, none can 
misguide him, and whomsoever has been misguided by Allaah, 
none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no true 
god worthy of being worshipped except Allaah, alone, 
without partner or associate. I further bear witness that 
Muhammad is His true slave and Messenger. May Allaah, the 
Exalted, bestow His peace and blessings on the final 
Prophet Muhammad, upon his good and pure family, and upon 
all of his noble companions. 

  "O ye who believe! Fear Allaah (by doing all that He 
ordered and abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as 
He should be feared, and die not except in the state of 
Islaam (as Muslims with complete submission to Allaah)" 
(3:102) 
" O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from 
a single person (Adam) and from him He created his wife, 
and from them both He created many men and women; and fear 
Allaah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and 
(do no cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, 
Allaah is ever an All Watcher over you" ( Qur`aan 4:1). 

" O ye who believe ! Keep your duty to Allaah and fear 
Him, and speak (always) the truth, He will direct you to 
do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. 
And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has 
indeed achieved a great success" (Qur`aan 33:70-71). 

Know that the most truthful speech is that of Allaah's 
Book (the Qur`aan), and that the best of guidance is that 
of Muhammad, sall Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. The worst of 
evils are innovations (foreign to the true teachings of 
Islaam), and every innovated matter (in religion) is a 
Bid'ah, and every Bid'ah is a misguidance, and every mean 
of misguidance is in the Fire of Hell. 

This is an introductory book for every Muslim. It is a 
summary of basic Islaamic beliefs and acts of worship. We 
ask Allaah by His Names and Attributes to accept this work 
and make it a benefit for those who read it and/or 
distribute it. 

Khalid Al-Awadh and Dr. Saleh As-Saleh
24/2/1413
8/12/1993

Lessons One to Five

The First Lesson: 
Memorizing the opening Surah (Chapter) of the Qur`aan: Al-
Fatiha (the Opening) and some short passages and Surahs 
from No. 99 (Az-Zalzalah) to 114 (An-Naas) Every Muslim 
must make an effort to memorize, recite and understand 
passages and/or Surahs from the Noble Qur`aan. 

The Second Lesson: 
Knowing the meaning and the conditions of the declaration 
of Ash-Shahadataan that: "there is no true God except 
Allaah, and that Muhammad, sall Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, 
is the Messenger of Allaah". The phrase that "there is no 
true God" negates anything or anyone that is being 
worshipped other than Allaah, and the phrase: "except 
Allaah" confirms that all forms of worship, submission and 
adoration must be for Allaah alone, without setting up 
rivals with Him. The conditions needed to fulfill the 
meaning of Ash-Shahadataan are: 
Knowledge about what it means. 
Certainty about its meaning which dispels doubts and 
suspicions. 
Sincerity that purifies its declarer from any form of 
shirk (association). 
Honesty which negates hypocrisy. 
Love and attachment to the declaration of Ash-Shahadataan, 
which leads to the dispel of uneasiness, dislike, or hate 
to what it implies. 
Adherance: conducting what Allaah has decreed regarding 
His worship. 
Accepting to obey Allaah by this declaration. 
Dissociating from anything or anyone being worshipped 
other than Allaah. 

The Third Lesson: 
The six fundamental articles of faith are: 
Believing in Allaah (His Oneness), His Angels, all of His 
Messengers, all of His Scriptures (in their original and 
unaltered forms), in the Last Day (of Judgment), and Fate 
and Divine Decree (whether good or bad), which Allaah Has 
measured and ordained according to His previous Knowledge 
and as deemed suitable by His Wisdom. 

The Fourth Lesson: 
Tawheed (Faith in the Unity of Allaah) is divided into 
three articles: 
First, believing in the Oneness of Allaah in the sense of 
His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher,...etc. 
This belief is called Tawheed Ar-Ruboobeeyah. 

Second, acknowledging that Allaah alone is the One and 
Only true God who deserves to be worshipped and thus 
abstaining from worshipping any other being or thing. This 
belief is called Tawheed Al-Ulooheeyah. 

Third, having faith and belief in the Oneness of Allaah's 
Names and Attributes. This belief is called Tawheed Al-
Asmaa was-Sifat. 

As for Shirk (associating anything or anyone in worship 
with Allaah), it is divided into three types: 

First: Major Shirk (Ash Shirk Al Akbar) which Allaah does 
not forgive. Allaah says regarding Shirk: 

  "But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, 
all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to 
them" (Qur`aan 6: 88). 
"It is not for the Mushrikeen (polytheists) to maintain 
the Mosques of Allaah (i.e. to pray and worship Allaah 
therein, to looking after their cleanness and their 
building,...etc.), while they witness against their own-
selves of disbelief. The works of such bear no fruit, and 
in fire shall they dwell." (Qur`aan 9:17). 

The one who associate others with Allaah and dies on this 
shirk will not be forgiven and Jannah (Paradise) is 
forbidden to him, as Allaah, Most Mighty and Honored says: 

  "Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set 
up with Him in worship, but He forgives anything else, to 
whom He pleases; and whoever sets up partners with Allaah 
in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin." 
(Qur`aan 4:48). 
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with 
Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden the Jannah for him." 
(Qur`aan 5:72). 

Asking the dead or idols for help, slaughtering for them 
and making vows for them are examples of this Shirk. 

Second: Minor Shirk (Ash-Shirk Al-Asgar) which is stated 
in the Qur`aan or in the Prophet's tradition but is not 
the same as Major Shirk. 

Riya (showing off) and swearing by other than Allaah are 
examples of this kind of Shirk. Prophet Muhammad, salla 
Allaah u alihi wa sallam, said: 

  "Of which I fear for you the most is Minor Shirk ".When 
he was asked what was it, he said, "Riya". He, sall 
Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, also said: "He who swears by 
anything other than Allaah commits Minor shirk ".  

The Prophet, sall Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, also warned: 

  "Do not say: 'had Allaah and such and such (person) 
willed', but say: 'had Allaah then such and such (person) 
willed' ". This kind of Shirk does not necessarily lead to 
disbelief from Islaam or an eternal stay in Hell. It 
negates, however, the completeness of faith.  

The Third kind of shirk is the hidden Shirk. 

Prophet Muhammad, sall Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, 
explained: 

  "Shall I not tell you of which I fear for you more than 
I fear of the Anti-Christ?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger 
of Allaah", and he said, "The hidden Shirk, where one 
beautifies his way of praying only because another one is 
looking at him".  

Alternatively, Shirk could be divided into two kinds: 

Major and Minor. In this case, the Hidden Shirk 
encompasses both the Major and Minor kinds depending upon 
the act committed. It is Major if it is the same as the 

Shirk of the hypocrites who hide their false beliefs while 
showing off Islaam out of fear. It is Minor if it is the 
same as Riya. 

(Note: if any of the above is missing, the Muslim need to 
make sujud al sahw). 

The Fifth Lesson : 
The five pillars of Islaam are: 
Ash-Shahadataan: bearing witness that there is none worthy 
of being worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad, sall 
Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger; establishing 
prayers; paying the alms (Zakaah); fasting the month of 
Ramadhan; and performing pilgrimage (Hajj) if one can 
afford it. 