All praise is due to Allah, and Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon His Final Messenger, his pure family, his noble Companions, and all those who follow them with righteousness until the Day of Judgment. In view of the fact that the true 'Aqidah, or creed, is the foundation of Islam, I have decided on ' The Authentic Creed and the Invalidators of Islam as a title for the present treatise. It is evident from texts of the Noble Qur’aan and the Sunnah that a person's words and deeds will not be accepted unless they emanate from a true creed.
Fasting is one of the aspects of worship that is done entirely for Allaah, in which a Muslim responds to the rulings of his Lord – the One, the Only – by abstaining from food, drink and sexual intercourse with his wife during the day of his fast, believing that this abstaining is obedience to Allaah. So he renews his covenant with Allaah through this fast, confirming that the only reason for his existence in this life is to actualize complete servitude to the One who created him and all that exists.
This treatise is comprised of a collection of ahaadeeth (sayings of the Prophet) and athaar (sayings of the Salaf) on the subject of Islaamic Knowledge. By reading the various narrations, it is hoped that the reader will benefit and reflect on the merits and virtues of seeking, acquiring and teaching knowledge. The treatise also provides a first-hand look on how the Salaf’s attitude was with respect to knowledge – how they sought it, how they learned it and how they taught it to others. There are several narrations, also, that give us a description of the characteristics of some of the Salaf, their knowledge and their virtues.
Since this great declaration (kalmia) of llama Zillah llama stands out amongst the various types of remembrance and because it is not merely something that is uttered by the tongue - rather it has certain rulings, conditions, meanings and requirements attached to it - I decided to choose this kalmia as the subject of my discussion. I hope that Allah the Exalted makes us all from amongst those people who cling firmly to it; recognize its true meaning; and act in accordance with its requirements, both inwardly and outwardly
Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion, Islam, was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man.
