An Extract from Shaikh Fawzaan's - The Obligations Binding Upon the Muslim

[Umm Mohammad]

An Extract from Shaikh Fawzaan's;

Al-Huqooqul Waajibatu Alal Muslim



The Obligations Binding Upon the Muslim




The First Obligation upon Mankind



Introduction



All praise is due to Allaah Lord of worlds, and may peace and blessings of (Allaah) be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and all his companions.



To proceed:



Indeed, Allaah has preferred the children of Aadam over all His creation. Allaah said:



'And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibaat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference.' [Sura Al-Israa; Ayah: 70]



He (subhaanahu-Wata-Aalaa) said:



'Verily, We created man of the best stature (mould), then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, save those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds, then they shall have a reward without end (Paradise).' [Surah At-Teen; Ayah: 4-6]



He (subhaanahu-Wata-Aalaa) said:



'O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.' [Surah Al-Hujuraat; Ayah: 13]



The human being has been honoured with intellect and nobility more than other than him. He has been endowed with blessings and equipped with everything to assist him in reaching that which is of benefit for him in his religious and worldly affairs. Everything in the world has been subjected to the son of Aadam, as He (Subhaanah) said:



'And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth' [Surah Al-Jaathiyah; Ayah: 13]



He (subhaanah) said in another ayah:



'And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibaat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference.' [Sura Al-Israa; Ayah: 70]



He (Ta-aalaa) said:



'He it is Who created for you all that is on earth. Then He Istawa (rose over) towards the heaven and made them seven heavens and He is the All-Knower of everything.' [Surah Baqarah; Ayah: 29]



The human being has been honoured more than every other thing that walks on the face of this earth. He has been honoured with what Allaah has bestowed upon him of sensual perception, comprehension, intellect and reflection; together with the blessings conferred upon him.



Indeed, Allaah has not given him these honourable things and honoured him with this nobility without a purpose, rather there has to be wisdom and a great outcome behind that. He (Ta-aalaa) said:



"Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?" [Surah Muminoon; Ayah: 115]



Does man think that he has been bestowed these blessings and established upon this authority and honoured with this honour, without an outcome and wisdom behind that? This is not the case due to the saying of Allaah:



'Does man think that he will be left Suda [neglected without being punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his Lord (Allah) on him]? Was he not a Nutfah (mixed male and female discharge of semen) poured forth? Then he became an 'Alaqa (a clot); then (Allah) shaped and fashioned (him) in due proportion. And made him in two sexes, male and female. Is not He (Allah Who does that), Able to give life to the dead? (Yes! He is Able to do all things).' [Surah Al-Qiyaamah; Ayah: 36-40]



So, there is a great wisdom behind this nobility and blessings bestowed upon the human being. It is not that he only eats, drinks, roams freely and be jovial forever; and it is not that he does whatever he pleases of that which conforms to his desires and lusts; rather there has to be a great affair behind this (bestowal of nobility and blessings).



And what is this affair? The affair is that Allaah has honoured the son of Aadam, and just as He has granted him blessings and great gifts, He has also charged him with great responsibilities and obligations. There is great reward for him from Allaah if he carries out these (responsibilities and obligations), and his abode will be better than his initial affair in the life of this world.



Indeed, Allaah has blessed and honoured the human being in the life of this world, but if he fulfils the responsibilities required of him, he will receive honour in the hereafter not known to none except Allaah. Allaah has promised him (things) which neither any eye has ever seen nor any ear has ever heard, and which no human heart has ever perceived. Allaah will grant him permanent honour and blessings in this life and the next.



If he fulfils this obligation and trust, he will proceed with goodness more than what he leaves behind in the life of this world. Allaah said:



'And that (Hereafter) which is with Allah is better and will remain forever. Have you then no sense?' [Surah Qasas; Ayah: 60]



Therefore, the human being has not been created in the life of this world to eat, drink, enjoy, follow desires and does what he pleases, this is not the case.



Allaah (subhaanah) stated:



'Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results).' [Surah Ahzaab; Ayah: 72]



And what is it that the human being has been commissioned with?

He has been commanded to fulfill the rights of Allaah and that of His creation. He (the human) has responsibility over his own conduct and his doings and actions. He has responsibility over all that transpires from him and will be questioned and held accountable. Allaah will reward and recompense him with good if he worked goodness, and he will be punished if he was disobedient. And due to this, Allaah stated after the above Ayah:



'But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). So that Allah will punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the men and women who are Al-Mushrikun (the polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and in His Messenger Muhammad)'; for they are of those who fail to fulfil this responsibility.



'And Allah will pardon (accept the repentance of) the true believers of the Islamic Monotheism, men and women. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful'; for they are those who fulfil this responsibility in the presence of Allaah and His creation; because they contemplate upon their actions and they take account of themselves, and they take up responsibility of their affairs. They carry on with whatever is right and thank Allaah; they abandon whatever is evil and replace it with what is good and praiseworthy in the sight of Allaah.



These obligations and responsibilities are those that Allaah has particularly obligated upon the human being. They are those obligations that Allaah has made known in His saying:



'Worship Allaah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masaakeen (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allaah does not like such as are proud and boastful' [Surah An-Nisaa; Ayah: 36]



The ten obligations mentioned in this noble ayah are that which Allaah has obligated upon the human being. It is what He has commanded the person with and must be fulfilled. Every sane person is unexcused with regards to fulfilling these obligations, and only the one deprived of sanity is excused, as the Messenger said:



'The pen is lifted from three; the child until he reaches the age of puberty; the insane person until he regains sanity and the one who is asleep until he awakes'



The one who is not like these three people is obligated with these obligations. He will be rewarded if he fulfils them, and he will receive a praiseworthy end result in this life and the next. (On the other hand), he will be held accountable by Allaah if he fails to fulfil these obligation or some of them.



The First Obligation



The first of these obligations is the saying of Allaah: 'Worship Allaah and join none with Him in worship'



This is the first obligation and it is right of Allaah over His slaves. It is the purpose for which He created them and provided them with sustenance. It is the purpose for which He brought them in to existence after they were non existent and nurtured them with blessings. Allaahýs Rights preceeds all other rights.



And to fulfill Allaah's Right does not mean that the people give precedence to Him by being useful to Him, certainly not; because Allaah is not in need of that, rather the people send forth for themselves that which will draw them close to Allaah and earn them the pleasure and mercy of Allaah.



Allaah is not in need of the worship of the slaves; rather it is the slaves who are in need of it. They are the needy ones in the presence of Allaah in every instance. They are not able to avail themselves of Allaah with anything in the twinkling of an eye in every situation, and they can neither draw close to Allaah nor can their (hearts) be attached to Him except through worshipping Him (Alone).



Therefore, worship is a means to earning Allaahýs Forgiveness, His Kindness and blessings in this life and the next. The slaves are in need of worshipping Allaah (The Most High) and Allaah is not in need of such worship, as He (The Most High) said:



'If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily! Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants' [Soorah Ibraaheem; Ayah: 8]



And He (The Most High) said:



'If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in (men's) breasts.' [Soorah Zumar; Ayah: 7]



It has been reported in a Hadeeth Al-Qudsi that Allaah (The Most High) said:



'O My slaves! If the first and last of you, all the jinn and all the men among you, possessed the heart of the most righteous man among you, that would not increase My kingdom in the least. O My slaves! If the first and last of you, all the jinn and all the men among you, possessed the heart of the most evil man among you, that would not decrease My kingdom in any way. O My slaves! It is your actions for which I call you to account and then repay you in full. So anyone who finds good should praise Allah and anyone who finds something else should blame none but himself.' [Reported by Muslim; 4/1994]



This is the aim behind worshipping Allaah, its (benefits) returns back to the creation. It is a mercy from Allaah that He has commanded the human being to worship Him, in order that the slave can draw close to his Lord, and in order that a door is opened for him between him and Allaah, and in order that his supplications are answered and is shown mercy for his weaknesses, as the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said:



'Beware of Allaah in times of ease and He will acknowledge you in your times of hardship. And if you ask, ask of Allaah; if you seek help, seek help of Allaah, and know that the help of Allaah comes after patience, relief comes after distress and along with hardship is ease. And know that if the creation were to gather to benefit you with anything, they would not be able to do so except with something Allaah has written for you. And if they gathered to harm you with something, they would not be able to do so except with what Allaah has written for you.' [Reported by Tirmidhee; 7/302-303]



The meaning of this is that you have to attach your heart to Allaah and you do not incline towards other than Allaah. If you attach your heart to Allaah, He will fill it with richness, light and Imaan; but if you turn your heart away from Allaah, it will become dark, hardened and cut off from Allaah (Azza-Wa-Jal). So neither will your supplication be answered nor will your deeds be raised, and you will be of the losers.



You will ruin yourself if you abandon worshipping Allaah, whereas Allaah is free from being in need of your worship of Him and it does not diminish anything in His Kingdom the least. He (The Most High) has other slaves besides you; they worship Him and are not slack in doing that. Allaah is free from having any need of you; rather it is you who will ruin yourself. So be cautious with yourself.



He (The Most High) said:



'And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures). Verily, Allaah is the All-Provider' [Soorah Dzariyaat; ayah: 56-58]



This clarifies for us that the slaves are the ones in need of worshipping Allaah, whereas Allaah (The Most High) is not in need of our worship of Him; but He commanded the salves to worship Him for their own benefit. Allaah commanded us with (affairs) for our own well being and He forbade us from (affairs) for our own well being. He (The Most High) said:



'I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures). Verily, Allaah is the All-Provider'



There is none besides Allaah who can provide. He (Subhaanahu-Wata-Aalaa) said:



'Who is he that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision' [Soorah Mulk; Ayah: 21]



If Allaah were to deny you provision, then who would be able to provide for you?



The Definition of Ibaadah (i.e. Worship)



The linguistic meaning of the tern worship: It means ýhumility and submissivenessý. That is to be humble in the presence of Allaah and to be submissive to Him with love, and to exalt Him; because worship is (carried out) with utmost humility and love of Allaah (The Most High)

A more comprehensive and a broader definition of worship is; ýworship is a comprehensive term for everything that Allaah loves and is pleased with, of actions and statements, hidden and apparent, whether be it belief, statement or actions.



Everything that Allaah loves and is pleased with of the apparent actions of the limbs and the hidden actions of the heart is regarded as worship. And whatever Allaah is displeased with cannot be regarded as worship, even if a person wishes to draw close to Allaah with it.



Therefore, that which Allaah is not pleased with cannot be regarded as worship, even if the person who (performs such actions) intends good by way of it. Innovations in Religion, superstition and the affairs of shirk are not acts of righteousness in the sight of Allaah; because Allaah is neither pleased with it nor did He permit it.



So worship is a comprehensive term for everything that Allaah loves, and Allaah neither loves disbelief, shirk, innovation and newly invented matters in religion, nor is He pleased with all of that. Allaah loves that what He has legislated is acted upon, and this is what worship is.

Allaah (The Most High) said:



'And do not associate anything as a partner to Allaah (in worship)'



And when it is the case that worship cannot be correct except with sincerity to Allaah, then Allaah has informed us of that, and He has informed us that shirk corrupts worship.



And if a person were to worship Allaah night and day with every act of worship known to him, this exertion in worship will be of no benefit to him if he were to commit shirk with Allaah. Allaah (Subhaanahu-Wata-Aalaa) said:



'And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad), as it was to those (Alaah's Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.'[Soorah Zumar; Ayah:65]



Worship cannot be correct alongside shirk. The one who worships Allaah and others alongside Him is neither benefited by his worship nor is his worship correct, as Allaah said in the Hadeeth Al-Qudsi:



'I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.' [Reported by Muslim; 4/2289]



Allaah does not accept an action that contains shirk.



And concerning the statement of Allaah, 'Do not associate none with Allaah in worship'; this includes both major and minor shirk.

Major shirk exits a person from the fold of Islaam and minor shirk does not. (Shirk) also includes everything that is worshipped besides Allaah; because some of the people think that shirk is only the worship of idols, however, shirk is more comprehensive that this. It includes worship of the Awliyaa (the close friends of Allaah), the righteous people, the angels and the Messengers, and it includes worship of stones and trees.

It includes everything that the heart is attached to besides Allaah, such as grave worship, worship of the Awliyaa (the close friends of Allaah) and the righteous people. This is the greatest act of shirk and it is what nullifies all the goods deeds of a person. Allaah (The Most High) said:



'But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.' [Soorah An-aam; Ayah:88]



So whoever attaches his heart to other than Allaah in the affair of seeking benefit and repelling harm, then indeed he has associated a partner to Allaah, and his acts of worship will become scattered floating particles of dust. Allaah (Jalla-Wa-Alaa) said:



'And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.' [Soorah Furqaan; Ayah:23]



Allaah named it ýdeedsý, but they shall be made as scattered floating particles of dust; because they were not performed sincerely for Allaah.

Allaah (The Most High) said:



'As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing'



They performed deeds and exerted themselves, but when it is the case that their deeds were based upon other than a correct foundation, it will become like a mirage. A mirage is a reflection of the sun's rays in the desert at the time of its appearance, and when seen from a far distance it is thought to be water coming forth because its appearance has a resemblance to water.



However, in what state will this thirsty person be when he reaches what he thought to be water and finds nothing?

(Likewise), the deeds of a disbeliever are similar to real deeds; but what will be the state of the affairs of the disbeliever and the polytheist in the hereafter? Allaah said:



'The parable of those who disbelieve in their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day, they shall not be able to get aught of what they have earned. That is the straying, far away (from the Right Path).' [Soorah Ibraaheem; Ayah:18]



Therefore, this is the first obligation (i.e. Tawheed-that is to single out Allaah in worship and not associate anything as a partner to Him in worship). It is the purpose for which Allaah created the slaves. The Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) clarified this in the hadith reported by Mu-aad Bin Jabal who said:



'I was riding behind the Prophet on a donkey when he said to me: 'Oh, Mu'aadh! Do you know what is the right of Allah upon His slaves and what is the right of the slaves upon Allah ?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: "The right of Allah upon His slaves is that they worship Him and do not associate anything with Him; and the right of the slaves upon Allah is that those who do not associate anything with Him will not be punished.' (Reported by Bukhaari; 7/137)



The benefit of worshipping Allaah: Worship of Allaah safeguards a person from punishment, and when a person is saved from the punishment of Allaah, he will earn the reward and pleasure Allaah.



This (i.e. Tawheed) is the first obligation. It is the greatest and most imperative of obligations. It is the foundation that if neglected, then all the other deeds and obligations will be ruined. And if it is present and sound, then all the affairs will be established and all the other actions will be upright.



So it is what is begun with, because it is the original affair and the foundation. And without it, there will neither be well being in life nor in the life of this world. And if the life of this world is ruined, then the life of the hereafter will also be ruined, as Allaah (The Most High) said:



'He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.' [Soorah Hajj; Ayah:22]



It is therefore incumbent upon the Muslims to learn Tawheed and that which is in opposition to it (i.e. shirk) and to avoid it. It is incumbent to learn (Tawheed) with utmost precision. They (Muslims) must give it concern in their schools, in their masaajid and their gatherings. They should study this great affair (of Tawheed) and call to it. Dawah has to be firmly embedded upon Tawheed and Aqeedah, because it is the original affair. And after that, we call to the rest of the affairs of rectification.




But if we give importance to the rest of the affairs of rectification whilst abandoning the Aqeedah, we will be like one who gives importance to a body that has no head. Likewise is the religion, if Tawheed is neglected, the remaining affairs will be ruined.



It is incumbent upon the callers to give importance to this affair and to be firmly established upon it. They should establish study groups, gatherings and lessons until it becomes established and firmly grounded, and until it is made absolutely clear for the people; and until all the affairs are established and the state of affairs are rectified.



This (i.e. Tawheed) is what is sought after and it is the original affair.

And if this (Tawheed) is lacking, the worldly affairs and the affairs of the afterlife will be ruined. As for if there is a lacking in the remaining affairs (of the Religion), then there is forgiveness (from Allaah) and repentance (to Him). Allaah (The Most High) said:



''Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases'' [Soorah Nisaa; Ayah:48]



Allaah forgives all sins, and there is hope that He will forgive all sins regardless how great they may be; but as for shirk, then Allaah has stated; 'Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship'



And Allaah (the Most High) has stated:



'Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.' [Soorah Maa-idah; Ayah:72]



So is there to be any clarification after this clarification