Part 1 Concise and Abridged Explanation of the Four Principles by Shaykh al Islam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab may Allah the Most High have mercy upon him.

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Introduction  excerpts  taken from  Shaykh Abdur Rahman bin Naasir al Baraak, and some excerpts by Shaykh Salih bin Fawzan bin Abdillah al Fawzan, may Allah preserve both of them Ameen.

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Translated and Complied by Abul Baraa Muhammad Abdullah bin Earl bin Earl A’l Allister al-Amreeki.

 

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

أسأل الله الكريم رب العرش العظيم أن يتولاك في الدنيا والآخرة وأن يجعلك مباركاً أينما كنت وأن يجعلك ممن إذا أعطى

شكر وإذا ابتُلِيَ صبر وإذا أَذَنب استغفر فإن هؤلاء الثلاث عنوان السعادة

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أسأل اللهَ الكريم رب العرش العظيم-

I ask Allah the Noble the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

The direction for the Believer towards Allah and Tawasil means to get near to Him with His Names and Attributes, and this is the meaning of Tawasil: to get near to Allah with His Nobleness and His Lordship of the Throne which it is from the greatest of His creations and the Most Highest. Indeed Allah the Most High described His Throne with being great and majestic and noble as He the Most High said:

وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
And He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

He said Allah the Most High: ربُّ العرْشِ الكريم the Lord of the Noble Throne, and He the Most High said: ذو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدُ the owner of the Majestic Throne.

أن يتولاك في الدنيا والآخرة
That He (Allah) is your Guardian/Protector in this world and the Next world.

Meaning that Allah is your guardian and that Allah is your guardian in this world and the next world that protects him from all type of evil in this world and the next. Allah the Most High said:

نِعمَ المَولَى و نِعمَ النَّصِيرُ
How excellent the Protector/Supporter (for you), and how excellent the Helper

He the Most High said:

وَلِّىُ المؤمنين

“The Wali (Guardian/Protector) of the believers”

Whoever Allah is His guardian and protector for he is from the believers, and Prophet Yusuf alyhi wa salam said:

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

“My Lord indeed you gave me from your sovereignty, and you taught me the how to interpret stories (dreams and events), the creator of the heavens and the earth. You are my Wali (Guardian and Protector) in this world and the next world. Allow me to die as a Muslim (submitting to Allah {complete obedience to Allah}), and join me with those who are pious.”

Whoever Allah the Most High is his guardian, and protector He rectified his affairs, and He conceals it for him and inverts him to what is important for him. He the Most High said:

نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ
” We are your Guardian (and Protector) in this World and in the Hereafter

So when Allah is his guardian, and protector in this world, and hereafter, so for him, there is no way to loathsome (hateful) to connect to him, nor in his Deen, or in his worldly affairs, Allah the Most High said:

اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are Taghut [false deities and false leaders], they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever. “

 

If Allah is your guardian and protector He will remove you from Darkness and Darkness here is Shirk, and Kufr (disbelief) and Shakuuk (doubts) and Elhaaad ( unbelief/ apostasy) to the light of Eman (belief) and beneficial knowledge and righteous action;

ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَأَنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ
” With that Allah is The Guardian (and Protector) for those who believe, and that the disbelieves there no guardian (and protector) for them”.

So if Allah is your guardian with His protection, and His prosperity and guidance in this world and hereafter, so indeed you will have complete happiness, no discord after it ever in this world and He is your guardian with guidance and prosperity and upon the sound methodology, and in the hereafter. He is your guardian with that He allows you to enter the Jannah an inhabitant in it forever, no fear, no sickness, no hardship, no pride, no calamities, this is the guardianship of Allah for His believing slaves in this world and hereafter.

أن يجعلك مباركاً أينما كنت

That He (Allah) makes you blessed wherever you be

This means that Allah makes in you blessings, where ever you may be and this is from what Esaa alyhi wa salam praised with upon his Lord where he said: وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكًا أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ “That you make me blessed wherever I was”. This is including righteousness for the believer, and the believer is the righteous person. God fearing and be blessed wherever he is, blessed with his people, blessed upon his companions, and it’s not heard from him anything except القول السديد speech that is correct and upright and straight to the point. It does not happen from him any wrong except الإحسان perfection so you find him not attacking the character of people and slandering, or cursing others nor wrongdoing (according to Islamic Monotheism) nor obscene, and vulgar indecent. Rather he has noble manners because some of the people are evil at their sittings (whoever meets with him) and evil upon his people just as his actions (evil), and ugly and disliked of his statements.

وأن يجعلك ممن إذا أعطى شكر وإذا ابتلى صبر وإذا أَذَنبَ استغفر

And that He (Allah) makes you from who if he is given (from Allah’s bounties) he has gratitude.

Because people fall into in this world between these affairs: نعمة blessings/grace, and معصيبة all types of disobedience of Allah, and His Messenger sallahu wa alayhi wa salam salam, all that which Islam prohibits, and ذنب sin.

Nimah works with obedience also, rather nimah of Iman (grace, the bounty of faith in Allah and His Deen all that is required in it), and obedience is for Allah the greatest of nimah in this worldly life and it is upon a Muslim to have gratitude face to face to this Nimah. And sabir patience with masiyah disobedience, and Tawbah repentance , and seeking forgiveness with the act of a sin. Allah the Most High said:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“And those if he does and wicked deed, or oppress them selfs, and they remember Allah indeed they seek forgiveness for their sins. And who is the one who forgive sins (no one) except Allah”

The Prophet sallahu wa alayhi wa salam said:

عَجَبًا لأمرِ المؤمنِ إِنَّ أمْرَه كُلَّهُ لهُ خَيرٌ وليسَ ذلكَ لأحَدٍ إلا للمُؤْمنِ إِنْ أصَابتهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فكانتْ خَيرًا لهُ وإنْ أصَابتهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبرَ فكانتْ خَيرًا لهُ ”

” How marvelous is the affair of the believer, indeed his affair all of it is good, and that’s not for an individual except for the believers. If he is faced with good, he is grateful for that, it be for him good. If he is afflicted  with harm, so he has patience for (this trial)  for him  (there is) good in it.”

So the statement وأن يجعلك ممن إذا أعطى which means if Allah bestowed upon him Nimah (bounty and grace) from the bounties he (the believer) is grateful for it and use it in the obedience of Allah the Most High.

Many of the people if they receive the bounties of Allah they disbelieve in these bounties and deny these bounties. And they alter these bounties of Allah with doing other than obeying Allah the Most High. It is the leading cause of their mishaps and hardship, concerning those who are grateful for indeed Allah increase him:

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ
“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily My punishment is indeed severe’.”

Allah the Majestic and the Most High increase those who are thankful for His bounties and His perfection. So if you intend to increase this Nimah so be thankful to Allah the Most High, and if you want to stop this Nimah then disbelieve in this Nimah (those who disobey Allah, being ungrateful to Allah by doing that which in unlawful, or taking the bounties Allah bestow upon him and using it for Haraam. Or being complaining when Allah test you).

وإذا ابتُلِيَ صبر

And if you are tested (with affliction) have patience

If he is tested with afflictions, he has patience and hold back his tongue, and his actions on doing that which is not permissible. Allah trial the slaves and He trial them with afflictions and He trial them with calamity. He trials the believer with adversaries from the disbelievers and Munafiqeen (those disbelievers who fight Islam from the inside). So the believers need to have patience without despair , and without hopelessness from not obtaining the mercy of Allah, and they stay upon their Deen (Islam the way of life). The Muslims does not come out of Fitnah of all type, or sound and safe from it at times, rather they stay upon their Deen, and they have patience upon what they suffer and experience from the trouble and difficulties in its path. With differing – he who is tested, he worries and become angry, and despaired from the mercy of Allah the Most High, rather this increase the trial to another trial and afflictions to another affliction.

The prophet sallahu wa alayhi wa salam said:

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ، إِذَا أَحَبَّ قَوْماً ابْتَلاَهُمْ. فَمَنْ رَضِيَ، فَلَهُ الرِّضَا. وَمَنْ سَخِطَ، فَلَهُ السُّخْطُ».

” And indeed Allah if He loves a people He trials them. So he who is pleased with this trial for him is satisfaction (contempt and see it as something good). And he who is discontent with this trial, for him indignation (discomfort of all type).”

and he sallahu wa alayhi wa salam said:

و أعظم الناس بلاءً: الأنبياء ، ثم الأمثل فالأمثل 

“Majority of the people who was trial and tested was the prophets, then the likeness of such then the likeness of such (like them).”

So Allah trial the Messengers, and He trial the truthful people, and He trial Shuadaaa ( those who died in the way of Allah; Jihad in His way), and He trial the believers, the slaves of Allah but they are the ones with patience. Concerning the المنافق al-munafiq for indeed He the Most High said:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ——

” … And from the people who worship Allah on the edge (in doubt)”

Which mean at the tipping point:

فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

“…if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.”

This life in this world is not always the luxury, and games, and play, and amusement or helpful times, and not always like this, for Allah gives in turns these things in the worldly affairs between His slaves.

The Sahabah are the best of this nation that is that which came to them from trials and test from Allah? He the Most High said:

وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ

“And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns”

For this is the reason that if he is tested and trial, and when he is tested and trial that he looks for a way out. (Shaykh Salih al Fawzan).

وإذا أَذَنب استغفر

And if he sins, he seeks forgiveness (for his sins)

Concerning he who sins, and do not seek forgiveness, and he increases in sins for this is a discord. But the believing slave all what occurred from his sins, haste to tawbah repentance:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

“And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah.”

Ignorance does not mean without knowledge), because the ignorantness does not take [from knowledge] but ignorance here is the opposite of patience. And all who disobey Allah for he is ignorant which means weak in patience and weak in understanding and inhumane. Indeed he be an Alim [learned person] but he is ignorant from another point, from the point of him being without patience and that is not being established in an affair. (Shaykh Salih al Fawzan).

ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ
“then repent soon afterwards”

Meaning all of the sins they commit, they seek forgiveness of their sins, and there is no one Masoon infallible from sins, and all praise due to Allah that Allah open the door to Tawabah, and it upon a slave that if he sins, that he initiate and haste to Tawbah but if he does not seek tawbah repentance and does not seek forgiveness for his sin for this is a sign of ill-being and wretchedness.

Do not be despair from the Mercy of Allah, and Shaytan comes and says to you that there is no tawbah for you, for there is tawbah for you.

فإن هؤلاء الثلاث عنوان السعادة

So that these are the three types of happiness

He who establish the obligation that is upon him in these conditions, and that is from the types of happiness he will achieve (in this life and next life), and Allah will give him success.

So if Allah gives him, he becomes thankful, and if he is trial, he haves patience, and if he sins he seeks forgiveness. So these of the three types of happiness and he who is in harmony with this, he will obtain happiness, and he who it is not permitted from obtaining this happiness, due to his ill-being or not being thankful (with his obedience ),and  not having patience.  Being tested with that which is Haraam, and when he sin he do not seek forgiveness.

 

So the Muslim is grateful, uphold patience , remorseful seeks repentance. So what is from the best of these good calls from the Shaykh for his students.