THE SUNNI PATH

PREFACE

Let us begin the book in the name of Allah!
The best protection is the name of Allah!
His blessings are beyond all means of measure;
All Mercy He is, forgiving His pleasure!

Allahu ta'ala, having mercy upon all people on the earth, creates useful things and sends them to us. In the Hereafter, He will forgive those guilty believers who are to go to Hell, and will bring them to Paradise. He alone creates every living creature, keeps every being in existence every moment, and protects all against fear and horror. Trusting ourselves to the honorable name of Allahu ta'ala we begin to write this book.

Glory be to Allahu ta'ala. Peace and blessings be on Rasulullah, the Prophet Muhammad (sall-allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). Benedictions be over his pure Ahl al-Bait and over all his just and devoted companions (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain).

Islamic scholars, who are called Ahl as-Sunnat, wrote thousands of valuable books that state the beliefs, commands and prohibitions of Islam correctly. Many of them have been translated into foreign languages and circulated throughout the world. On the other hand, malevolent, short-sighted people have attacked Islam's beneficial, bountiful and luminous way; tried to blemish the scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnat (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain), and attempted to change Islam and thereby deceive Muslims. This struggle between Muslims and the irreligious has taken place in every century, and it will continue till the end of the world. Allahu ta'ala willed in eternity that this be so.

Muslims consist of scholars (hawas) and laymen (awam). The Turkish book Durr-i Yakta writes, "Laymen are those who do not know the rules of Arabic grammar and literature. They are unable to grasp the books of fatwa. It is fard for them to look for and learn the knowledge relating to Islamic belief and 'ibadat. On the other hand, it is fard for scholars to teach, by preaching and writing, first the belief and then the five tenets of ibadat, which make up the foundation of Islam. It is stated in the books Zahira and Tatarhaniyya that teaching the fundamentals of iman and the belief of Ahl as-sunnat is of primary importance". That is why the great scholar 'Abd-ul-hakim-i-Arwasi 'rahmatullahi 'alaih', an expert in the religious and experimental sciences, said towards the termination of his blessed life, "For thirty years, I have endeavored to explain the Islamic belief, the itiqad (credo, tenets) of Ahl as-sunnat, and Islam's beautiful ethical teachings in Istanbul's mosques." Therefore, in all our books, we too, have tried to explain the itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat and the good morals of Islam, stressing the importance of being kind to everybody and obeying and helping the State. We do not approve of the writings of some la-madhhabi people, who are unaware of the religion and who provoke people against the State and set brothers at loggerheads. Stating, "The religion is under the shadow of swords," Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) explained that Muslims could live in comfort under the protection of the State and its laws. As the State becomes stronger, the people enjoy more happiness and peace. Muslims living happily and carrying out their religious duties with freedom in non-Muslim countries, such as those in Europe and America, should not revolt against the State and the laws which give them freedom; they should not be tools for instigation (fitna) and anarchy. This has been a commandment of scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat.

It has been observed with gratitude that, men of religious authority in almost all Muslim countries strive to promulgate and defend this right way of Ahl as-Sunnat. However, some ignorant people, who either have not read or have not understood the books written by scholars of Ahl as-sunnat, make some ignorant oral and written statements, though without having any effect except betraying their own ignorance and wretchedness against Muslims' firm iman and the brotherly love they have for one another.

Harmful separatist movements among Muslims attack books of 'ilm-i-hal and try to vilify the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat and great men of tasawwuf (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain). 'Ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat wrote necessary answers against them and protected the true meanings which Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) derived from Qur'an al-karim from their attempts to change it. We entreat Allahu ta'ala that, by studying this book carefully with their common sense and pure conscience, our valuable readers will judge it fairly and stick together in the right and true way of the Ahl as-Sunnat and avoid lying, slanderous and heretical people. By doing this, they will escape eternal damnation.

Explanations added afterwards to some parts of our book are written in brackets [...]. All these explanations have been borrowed from authentic books.

WAQF IKHLAS

Miladi (1993) Hijri Shamsi (1372) Hijri Kamari (1414)