They Know the Favours of Allah,
Then They Deny Them"
" They know the favours of Allah, then they deny them: And most of them are disbelievers" (Qur'an 16:83)
In this verse, Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, rejects all those who recognize in their hearts that all blessings are from Allah , and yet in spite of this, they deny them by their evil deeds, worshipping other than Him and by their words, saying: "We achieved these blessings from Allah , through the intercession of our idols," or they say: "It is our inheritance from our fathers and our grandfathers." And Allah , Most High, informs us also that all those who do so are disbelievers in Allah and deniers of His Blessings.
Benefits Derived From This Verse
1. That even the pagans believed in Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah (i.e. that Allah is the One Rabb, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe).
2. That gratitude to Allah is not complete unless it is expressed in belief, word and deed.
3. That using the blessings of Allah for the purpose of disobedience to Him is to deny them.
Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That the verse proves that whoever attributed Allah's Blessings to other than Him has denied them.
Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed
That the verse charges those who attribute Allah's Blessings to other than Him with disbelief, because in so doing, they set up partners with Allah in the bestowal of blessings.
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Mujahid said: "He (the one referred to in the above verse) is the man who says: "They (Allah's Blessings) are mine, an inheritance from my fathers and my forefathers."
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter
That the narration proves that Mujahid considered that whoever attributes Allah's Blessings to other than Him is a denier of those Blessings.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed
That Mujahid considered any person who attributed Allah's Blessings to other than Him to be a disbeliever, because to do so is an act of Shirk.
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`Aoun Ibn `Abdillaah said: "They say: "If it were not for so-and-so, such-and-such an event would not have occurred.
`Aoun Ibn `Abdillah considered that attributing events to any of Allah's creatures is kufr, because this entails attributing benefit or harm to other than Allah , while in fact they possess no power to harm or benefit except by Allah's Will.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter
That it proves that `Aoun Ibn `Abdillah considered that believing that benefit or harm may occur due to the actions of other than Allah , independent of Allah's Qadr, is kufr.
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Ibn Qutaibah said: "They say: "This is due to the intercession of our gods."
Ibn Qutaibah informs us in this narration that the polytheists attribute the blessings which they receive to be achieved through the power of intercession of their idols; in doing so, they combine the sin of associating partners with Allah by worshipping others, with the sin of kufr, by attributing blessings to other than Him, the true granter of blessings.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter
That the narration proves that Ibn Qutaibah considered that attributing Allah's Blessings to the intercession of idols is kufr.
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After the Hadith of Zaid Ibn Khalid (page 151) in which Allah , Most High, said: "Some of My slaves this morning are true Believers in Me and others are disbelievers..." Abul `Abbas (i.e. Ibn Taymiyah) said: "Such commandments occur frequently in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Allah condemns those who attribute His Blessings to others whom they associate with Him. Some of the Salaf have said that it is like the saying of some: "The wind was favourable," or: "the sailor was skillful," etc. and the statements of many of the people are like this."
The meaning of the above-mentioned narration is that when a ship is driven by a fair wind by Allah's Command, they attribute this to the goodness of the wind or the skill of the sailor in sailing the ship, forgetting their Rabb, Who drove the ship on the sea as a mercy to them; and attributing a speedy or safe voyage to the favour of the wind or the skill of the sailor is a kin to crediting the rain to the movements of the stars and planets. Even if a person does not intend by his words to suggest that the wind is the creator or instigator of these events along with Allah , that it is only the means by which the objective was achieved, it is still not fitting to include it beside Allah , the One, for it does not befit Allah's Favour that anyone should forget that it is He Alone, Who deserves gratitude and thanks, for all good is in His Hands and He is able to do all things and it is He Who grants all blessings in this world and in the Hereafter - He is One and He has no partners.
Benefits Derived From This Narration
1. That attributing blessings to any of Allah's creatures is Shirk. In Rabbship if it is believed that he is the provider and instigator of those blessings. If it is believed that he is the means by which the blessings were attained, then this is at the very least, bad manners towards Allah , the true Provider of all blessings.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That it proves that Ibn Taymiyah considered that whoever attributed blessings to other than Allah has denied them and is guilty of Shirk.
Allah's Words: "
And Do Not Ascribe Partners to Allah When You Know [the Truth]"
" Oh, you people! Worship your Lord, Who created you all and those before you that you may become righteous, Who has made the earth a couch for you and the heavens a canopy and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith fruits for your subsistence; so do not set up Andaad with Allah" (Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:21-22)
Allah , Most High, commands the people to worship Him Alone, in sincerity, because He is the One Who created them and those before them from nothing and then bestowed upon them innumerable blessings, such as the earth which He flattened and fixed, that they may dwell upon it and the rain which He sends down in abundance, and from which they derive countless blessings, such as food to eat, water to drink and trees for shade. Then Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, says that in spite of this, they set up partners and equals with Him, though in reality, they know that He is their Creator and Provider; and this is mere willfulness on their part to commit kufr, Shirk and acts of disobedience.
Benefits Derived From This Verse
1. Evidence of a number of Allah's Blessings bestowed upon His creatures.
2. Evidence of Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah (Tawheed of Worship) through Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiyyah.
3. The obligation to worship Allah, Alone, without partners.
Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That it proves the obligation to abstain from obvious Shirk and from hidden Shirk, the latter including the saying of a person, for example: "Had it not been for the guard, the burglars would have come to us.
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Ibn `Abbas (ra) said, concerning this verse: "Al-Andaad means Shirk which is less conspicuous than a black ant crawling on a black stone in the darkness of the night, such as the saying: "By Allah and by your life, oh so-and-so!" or: "By your life," or: "If it had not been for this little dog, the burglars would have come to us," or "Had it not been for the duck in the house, the burglars would have come," or like a man's saying to his companion: "By Allah's and your will..." or: "As Allah and you will," or the saying of a man: "Had it not been for Allah and so-and-so..." - Do not mention anyone with Allah , because all of this is Shirk." (Narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim)
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That the narration proves that Ibn `Abbas (ra), one of the best and wisest of the Companions in understanding the Religion, held the view that hidden Shirk includes swearing by other than Allah , such as the saying of a person: "By your life!"; and that like wise, it includes attributing benefit to the deeds of one of Allah's creatures, such as the saying: "Had it not been for the guard, the burglars would have stolen from us;" and it also includes the attribution of benefit to the deeds of another alongside Allah , such as the saying of a man: "Had it not been for Allah and so-and-so, the house would have burnt down.
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On the authority of `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (ra) said:
"Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed an act of kufr or Shirk." (Narrated by At-Tirmizi, who graded it as Hasan and by Al-Hakim, who graded it as Saheeh)
The Messenger of Allah
informs us in this Hadith that swearing by other than Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, is tantamount to a denial of Allah , the One True God and equivalent to associating partners with Him. This is because the essence of swearing is glorification and it is not fitting that we should glorify any save Allah , the One True God and Rabb, for to do so is Shirk.Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. That swearing by other than Allah is an act of major Shirk - according to some scholars, it takes one out of the fold of Islam, while according to others, it is a sinful act of Shirk which however does not necessitate one's becoming a disbeliever. It has also been said that it is an act of minor Shirk - and Allah knows best.
2. That there is no recompense for swearing by other than Allah , since it is an act of Shirk; the culprit must instead turn in repentance to Allah and seek His Forgiveness.
Important Note
(a) There is no contradiction between this Hadith and the words of the Prophet
(b) There is no recompense for swearing by other than Allah nor is it binding upon anyone to fulfill a promise made by swearing by other than Him. What is incumbent upon him is to declare: "Laa ilaaha illallaahu Wahdahu Laa Shareeka Lahu," (None is worthy of worship except Allah , Alone, without partners) then he should spit over his left shoulder three times and seek refuge with Allah and he should never repeat this act of Shirk.
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Ibn Mas'ood (ra) said: "That I should swear by Allah upon a lie is more preferable to me than that I should swear by another upon the truth."
Ibn Mas'ood (ra) informs us in this narration that every lie upon which Allah's Name is invoked and every truthful statement upon which the name of another is invoked is a sin, but that the sin of swearing by Allah upon a lie is lighter than the sin of swearing by another upon the truth, because to swear by Allah upon a lie is a major sin, while to swear by another is an act of Shirk.
Benefits Derived From This Narration
1. The forbiddance of swearing by Allah upon a lie.
2. The permissibility of swearing by Allah upon the truth.
3. The forbiddance of swearing by other than Allah, whether to the truth or to a lie.
4. That if one is forced by circumstances to choose one of two courses of action, against one's will, he should do that which is less harmful.
5. The precise understanding of Ibn Mas'ood.
6. That swearing by other than Allah is a greater sin than swearing by Allah upon a lie.
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That it proves that Ibn Mas'ood (ra) considered that swearing by other than Allah is forbidden, because swearing by one of Allah's creation entails glorification of that person or thing and glorification is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is Shirk.
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On the authority of Huzaifah (ra), it is reported that the Prophet
said:
"Do not say: "As Allah wills and so-and-so wills," but (instead) say: "As Allah wills and then as so-and-so wills." (Narrated by Abu Dawood with an authentic sanad)
Huzaifah (ra) informs us in this Hadith that the Prophet
ordered his Companions not to equate the will of man with the Will of Allah , but to mention Allah's Will first, then the will of others, as this makes it clear that the will of man is subservient to the Will of Allah ; and it is clear that if man wills something but Allah wills it not, it can never happen, while if Allah wills something, even if the whole of mankind united to oppose it, it will, without any shadow of doubt, take place.Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. The forbiddance of equating the will of Allah's creatures with the Will of Allah .
2. The permissibility of mentioning the will of man after the Will of Allah by saying then as opposed to end.
3. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Will.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That the Hadith proves the prohibition of equating the will of man with the Will of Allah by saying: "As Allah wills and so-and-so wills," because using the word and suggests parity between the Will of Allah and the will of man, which amounts to Shirk in matters of Rabbship.
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It is reported on the authority of Ibraheem An-Nakha'i that he hated for anyone to say: "I seek refuge in Allah and in you," but he considered it permissible to say: "I seek refuge in Allah and then in you." Then he added: "A person should say: "If not for Allah , then so-and-so..." and he should not say: "If not for Allah and so-and-so."
Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed
That the narration proves that Ibraheem An-Nakha'i held that it is forbidden to link seeking refuge in Allah with seeking refuge in one of His creatures. Likewise he considered it forbidden to link the Actions of Allah with those of His creation, for do so is to set up a partner with Allah .
What Has Been Said Concerning One Who is Not Satisfied With an Oath Sworn in Allah's Name
It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Umar (ra) that the Messenger of Allah
said:
"Do not swear by your fathers: Whoever swears by Allah , let him speak the truth and the one for whom the oath is taken in the Name of Allah should be satisfied with it; and whoever is not satisfied with it, is not (one of the slaves) of Allah ." (Narrated by Ibn Majah, with a good Sanad)
In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah
forbids the swearing of oaths in other than Allah's Name, because this entails glorifying Allah's creatures and humility towards them and Islam does not permit humility towards other than Allah . Then He commands those who swear in Allah's Name to speak the truth, because truth is a virtue at all times, even in ordinary speech, so what may be said of speech reinforced by an oath in Allah's Name?. Then He orders the one to whom an oath in Allah's Name is made, to believe his Muslim brother, unless it is proved that he has not spoken the truth, for it is incumbent upon the Muslim to think well of his brother and whoever does not do so, Allah has nothing to do with him.Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. The forbiddance of swearing by other than Allah.
2. The permissibility of swearing by Allah, so long as one is truthful.
3. The prohibition of swaering by Allah upon a lie.
4. The obligation to accept the word of one who swears by Allah , unless it is proved that he has lied.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter
That the Hadith proves the obligation to accept the word of one who swears by Allah .
Relevance of This Hadeeth to the Subject of Tawheed
That it proves the obligation to accept the word of one who swears by Allah , because by doing so, one is glorifying Allah and that is part of the completeness of Tawheed.
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