Edison Arantes do Nascimento atau lebih dikenal sebagai Pelé (lahir 23 Oktober 1940; umur 69 tahun) adalah legenda sepak bola dunia yang berasal dari Brasil. Selama kariernya sebagai pemain, Pele berhasil membawa Brasil menjadi Juara Dunia Sepak bola sebanyak 3 kali, yaitu pada tahun 1958 di Swedia, tahun 1962 di Chili, dan tahun 1970 di Meksiko. Berkat keberhasilannya tersebut, Brasil berhak atas Piala Jules Rimet.
Dia lahir di Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Bicara soal siapa yang lebih baik, kita sering diberikan dua pilihan: The Rolling Stones vs. The Beatles, Magic Johnson vs. Michael Jordan, dan tentunya Pele vs. Diego Armando Maradona.
Saya akan memilih The Beatles dan Michael Jordan. Anda mungkin punya pendapat lain. Tapi untuk yang terakhir, sulit sekali menentukan pemenangnya.
Untuk memilih siapa di antara dua legenda tersebut yang lebih unggul, diperlukan sejumlah kriteria...
Catatan Prestasi
Pele memenangkan dua gelar Piala Dunia, dua Copa Libertadores, dua Piala Intercontinental dan beberapa titel lainnya di Brasil. Sementara FIFA menobatkannya sebagai Pemain Terbaik Abad Ke-20 sembilan tahun lalu.
Sedangkan Maradona hanya memenangkan satu titel Piala Dunia, beberapa gelar domestik di Argentina, Spanyol dan Italia, ditambah penghargaan-penghargaan seperti pemain terbaik Piala Dunia 1986, Gol Terbaik Abad Ke-20 Versi FIFA, dan Pemain Terbaik Abad Ke-20 berdasarkan pendapat pembaca.
Gelar yang disebut terakhir sangat menarik. FIFA memilih Pele, tapi rakyat mengunggulkan Maradona.
Apakah karena Pele memenangkan tiga Piala Dunia membuatnya lebih unggul dari Maradona yang hanya meraih satu gelar? Hmmm...
Sepertinya tidak adil jika kita mengatakan seorang pemain lebih unggul hanya dari koleksi trofinya. Pele masih berusia 17 tahun ketika meraih Piala Dunia 1958, tapi ia cedera dalam dua edisi berikutnya, sehingga kurang memberikan dampak terhadap tim. Di Italia 1970, Pele menjadi salah satu anggota dari tim terbaik dunia, bersama Tostao, Rivelino, Carlos Alberto, Gerson dan Jairzinho. Tanpa seorang Pele pun, Brasil sudah bisa memenangkan Piala Dunia 1970.
Di sisi lain, Maradona mengangkat tim Tango ke tangga juara di Meksiko 1986. Siapa yang dapat melupakan golnya ke gawang Inggris di perempat-final, ditambah gol indah melawan Belgia di empat besar? Saya sendiri yang menyaksikannya secara langsung di Mexico City terpaku melihat gol tersebut, seolah-olah tidak percaya seorang pemain sependek 165 cm bisa mencetak gol seperti itu.
Padahal, materi kekuatan Argentina kala itu tergolong biasa-biasa saja, tidak ada yang istimewa secara tim. Justru Jerman Barat, tim yang dikalahkan Argentina di partai puncak, memiliki materi pemain yang jauh lebih dahsyat. Sebut saja Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Rudi Völler, Andreas Brehme, dan Lothar Matthäus. Mantap sekali bukan?
Pada 1986, sepakbola Amerika Latin justru dikuasai Uruguay, yang meraih Copa America tiga tahun sebelumnya. Tanpa Maradona, tim Tango tidak mungkin mengatasi perlawanan sengit Enzo Francescoli dan Uruguay di babak 16 besar.
Jumlah Gol
Tentunya Pele memiliki koleksi gol yang lebih banyak dibanding Maradona. Dari 1.363 pertandingan, Pele mencetak 1.281 gol. Wow, luar biasa! Kemampuan Pele dalam merobek gawang lawan tidak perlu diragukan lagi - 77 gol dalam 92 penampilan di timnas.
Sebaliknya, Maradona mencetak 34 gol dari 91 caps internasional, delapan di kancah Piala Dunia, dan secara total 311 gol dari 590 laga.
Dengan demikian, apakah Pele lebih unggul? Seorang penyerang atau striker akan mencetak gol ketika gol itu sangat dibutuhkan. Sebagai penentu kemenangan, Maradona sudah berapa kali melakukannya?
Sebelum pindah ke Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo merupakan seorang topskor di Liga Primer Inggris. Tapi di final Liga Champions, penyerang asal Portugal itu gagal membangkitkan Manchester United. Di sebuah pertandingan besar melawan tim yang besar, seorang pemain top diharapkan mampu mencetak gol di saat yang tepat. Seorang Ronaldo gagal melakukannya di Roma Finale tahun lalu. Ia kalah telak dari Lionel Messi. Barcelona pun juara.
Baik Pele maupun Maradona berhasil melakukannya, di tingkat klub sekaligus timnas. Hanya saja, Maradona mengangkat prestasi Napoli, dari sebuah klub yang kecil menjadi klub papan atas di era 1980-an. Akhirnya Napoli meraih Scudetto untuk pertama kalinya pada 1987. Kesuksesan itu terulang tiga tahun kemudian. Bahkan mereka meraih Piala UEFA 1988/89. Sejak ditinggalkan Maradona, prestasi Napoli paling tinggi hanya sebuah gelar Coppa Italia pada musim 1986/87.
Pele sendiri tak pernah bermain di Eropa. Tapi pada dasawarsa 1960-an bersama Santos, klub terbaik dunia saat itu, Pele selalu tampil cemerlang melawan klub-klub Eropa. Bahkan di Piala Intercontinental 1962 dan 1963, Pele memimpin Santos mengalahkan Benfica dan Milan. Tercatat dari lima pertandingan melawan dua klub tersebut, Pele memborong tujuh gol.
Fair Play
Kecanduan narkoba ditambah 'kecurangan' dengan mencetak gol 'Tangan Tuhan' ke gawang Inggris pada 1986 membuat Maradona tersingkir sebagai pemain yang fair di dalam maupun luar lapangan.
Pele memang tak pernah berurusan dengan narkoba dan tak pernah terbukti melakukan kecurangan. Tapi, apakah Maradona tidak pantas dijuluki pemain terhebat hanya karena dua unsur tersebut?
Tentu saja Maradona bersalah dalam penggunaan kokain. Tapi seharusnya hal tersebut tidak selalu dikaitkan dengan dirinya sebagai seorang pemain sepakbola.
Dalam budaya Amerika Latin dan Eropa Selatan, jika Anda mampu mencetak gol dengan menipu wasit dan pemain lawan, Anda justru dipandang sebagai pemain yang lebih baik secara taktis.
Jangan lupa, Maradona tidak pernah menggunakan obat terlarang yang dapat meningkatkan performa di lapangan. Kokain justru menurunkan kemampuan bermain. Bayangkan jika Maradona bersih dari kokain. Tentunya ia menjadi pemain yang dua atau tiga kali lebih hebat.
Klip Video
Kita akan sulit menentukan siapa yang lebih hebat melalui rekaman video. Pada era 1950 hingga 1960-an, video pertandingan masih langka, terutama di Amerika Latin. Jadi, cuplikan gol-gol terbaik Pele tak mungkin terkumpul semuanya.
Maradona berada di zaman ketika sepakbola sudah menjadi bisnis jutaan dolar. Jadi, video-video Maradona akan lebih banyak ditemukan. Sementara klip video tentang Pele lebih banyak diperoleh lewat Piala Dunia.
Hal tersebut sangat disayangkan. Tapi yang jelas, konsistensi pemain dalam jangka waktu yang lama patut dipertimbangkan. Baik Pele maupun Maradona menjadi legenda karena mendominasi dunia sepakbola selama sepuluh tahun lebih, sama halnya dengan pemain-pemain di zaman modern seperti Paolo Maldini dan Zinedine Zidane.
Satu lagi yang perlu dipikirkan adalah kenyataan bahwa Pele datang sebelum Maradona. Artinya, sosok Pele menjadi idola bagi banyak pemain yang lahir sesudahnya. Ada yang mengatakan, tanpa kehadiran Pele, tidak mungkin ada Johan Cruijff, Roberto Baggio, Zidane atau Maradona sekalipun. Di zamannya, Pele memang lebih unggul di antara pemain seperti Alfredo Di Stefano dan Ferenc Puskas.
Dan Pemenangnya Adalah...
Untuk menentukan siapa yang lebih baik antara Pele dan Maradona akan selalu sulit dijawab.
Tapi untuk memudahkan Anda dalam menjawab, coba tanyakan pada diri Anda:
Jika Maradona memperkuat Brasil 1970, apakah Brasil masih bisa juara? Tapi jika Pele memperkuat Argentina 1986, apakah tim Tango bisa juara?
Menurut saya, Pele selalu berada di zona yang nyaman, baik di level klub maupun timnas. Seorang Maradona secara individu lebih berdampak terhadap timnya dan lebih teruji. Dengan alasan seperti ini, saya berkesimpulan Maradona lebih hebat ketimbang Pele.
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VIVAnews - Legenda sepakbola Brasil, Pele memperingatkan negaranya saat bersua Italia. Pele menyebut Italia bisa menerkam Brasil.
Kedua tim akan tampil di laga terakhir Grup B Piala Konfederasi, Senin dini hari WIB, 22 Juni 2009. Kekalahan 1-0 dari Mesir di laga sebelumnya, membuat Italia harus menang jika ingin lolos ke semifinal.
“Jika dua tim pengoleksi Piala Dunia terbanyak bertemu, keseimbangan akan sangat dominan. Itu lebih penting dari penampilan terakhir kedua tim,” kata Pele kepada La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Di London Februari lalu, Brasil lebih superior dan menang. Tapi, kemenangan 2-0 itu sudah berlalu. Kini ceritanya berbeda," lanjut Pele. “Brasil kurang dinamis bermain di laga pertama melawan Mesir. Mereka juga tak semakin baik lawan AS.”
“Saya berharap Brasil makin berkembang lawan Italia. Anda tak bisa meremehkan mereka hanya karena kalah dari Mesir. Penyelamatan kiper Mesir menggagalkan Italia menyamakan kedudukan," kata Pele lagi.
Menurut Pele, Italia tahu cara keluar dari lubang jarum. Pengaruh Pelatih Marcello Lippi dianggap sangat kuat untuk mengangkat penampilan Italia.
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VIVAnews — Pelatih Persipura Jayapura, Jacksen Ferreira Tiago mengakui Papua sebagai lumbung pemain sepakbola berbakat. Bahkan dari pengalamannya selama puluhan tahun di Indonesia, mutiara Papua tidak ada duanya.
Kendati demikian, minimnya fasilitas dan pembinaan membuat talenta-talenta Papua itu tidak bisa terangkat ke permukaan. “Papua itu ibarat Brasilnya Indonesia. Orang-orangnya punya bakat olahraga, khususnya sepakbola yang sangat luar biasa.
Sayangnya, mereka memiliki keterbatasan baik fasilitas maupun pembinaan, sehingga sulit untuk mengembangkan talenta tersebut," ujar Jacksen.
Selain memiliki bakat yang luar biasa, orang Papua juga dikaruniai postur tubuh yang tergolong ideal bagi seorang pesepakbola. Pemain Papua pun memiliki fisik yang tangguh.
“Orang Papua itu sangat komplet. Mereka berbakat, punya postur ideal dan fisik yang kuat. Mereka tinggal dipoles dengan pembinaan yang baik," lanjut Jacksen.
Jacksen mengatakan, jika didukung pembinaan yang baik, kualitas para pemain Papua bukan hanya di level nasional tapi internasional. “Seandainya ada pembinaan yang berjenjang dan berkesinambungan, orang Papua bukan hanya bisa berbicara di tingkat nasional. Prestasi mereka bisa mendunia."
Namun ironisnya, sambung pelatih asal Brasil itu, selama setahun lebih dirinya melatih di Papua, belum pernah melihat atau mendengar ada SSB (sekolah sepakbola). “SSB itu merupakan salah satu wadah untuk mencetak pemain yang berkualitas sejak usia dini. Tapi di Papua, saya belum pernah melihat ada SSB," ungkapnya.
Jacksen membandingkan kondisi Papua dengan Surabaya yang sangat banyak SSB. Jadi, meski para pemain di Surabaya kurang berbakat, tapi bisa dicetak menjadi pemain profesional.
“Coba di sini (Papua) ada SSB, pasti sejak dini sudah bisa dilakukan pembinaan," lanjut Jacksen.
Menurut Jacksen, hal utama yang perlu dipoles dari pemain-pemain Papua adalah mental serta pola makan yang sehat. “Kalau ingin mencetak pemain hebat, pola makan juga menjadi faktor yang krusial karena menyangkut gizi," tutupnya.
sumber
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁoˈnawdu luˈiz naˈzaɾju dʒɪ ˈlimɐ]; born 22 September 1976), more commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian professional footballer currently playing for Campeonato Brasileiro club Corinthians.
He is considered by many football fans, players and managers to be the greatest striker in the history of football, especially noted for the now legendary 96/97 season with FC Barcelona, considered by many to be the greatest display ever by a footballer in a season. His clinical finishing, ability to beat defenders with ease, skills on the ball and many comebacks from injury have seen him lauded by football fans worldwide. He is an idol to many modern footballers such as Karim Benzema[2], Kaká[3] and Zlatan Ibrahimović[4]. Ronaldo was also one of the first major football superstars to popularize Futsal and Street Football skills on the pitch, becoming associated with the stepover. He is also credited with igniting a stronger marketing interest in football worldwide, particularly due to his rapport with Nike who had previously focused mainly on Basketball.
Along with French legend Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo is one of only two people to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award thrice, in 1996, 1997 and 2002.
Club career
Accomplishments
In 1993, Ronaldo began his professional football career playing for Cruzeiro which was already going on to become a successful club. In his first and only year with Cruzeiro, he amassed 12 goals in 14 appearances and lead them to their first Copa do Brasil championship. After Cruzeiro, he signed with Dutch football team PSV in 1994. In 1996, his final year with PSV, Ronaldo helped them win the Dutch Cup. Ronaldo has also played for FC Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid and Milan. He is one of only four players to have played for 5 of the so called G-14 Clubs.[5]
Ronaldo is also an established national footballer for Brazil. He has appeared in 97 international matches, amassing 62 goals and standing 15 goals away from the Brazilian national scoring record. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994, and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record of 14.
Nicknamed O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon" in English), Ronaldo was also one of the most prolific scorers in the nineties and in the early twenty-first century. During his football career in Europe, Ronaldo became one of the most renowned strikers in the world by winning his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 and again in 2002. He is also one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinédine Zidane. In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé.
After he was scouted by famous Dutch scout Piet de Visser, he was soon transferred for US$6 million to PSV, where he scored 42 goals in 46 league games and reached a total of 54 goals in 57 official appearances. With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch Cup in 1996 and was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995.
Barcelona
Later, he attracted the attention of FC Barcelona. He played for Barça in the 1996-97 season, scoring 47 goals in 49 games (in all competitions) on the way to leading the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph (where he capped the season with the winning goal in the cup final itself) and to Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España wins. He also won La Liga top scorer award in 1997 with 34 goals in 37 games. Until the 08/09 season, Ronaldo remained the last player to score more than 30 goals in La Liga. At Barcelona he scored his most memorable goal and what many consider one of the greatest goals of all time against Compostela, where Ronaldo picked up the ball and ran more than half the field, beating six players, with one player trying to stop him by pulling him down by his shirt. It was this goal that saw Ronaldo described as "unstoppable".
Internazionale
Inter signed him the following year for a then world record fee, and Ronaldo duly helped them repeat his former side's cup-winning run, this time in the UEFA Cup, in which he scored their third goal in the final itself.
On November 21, 1999, during a Serie A match against Lecce, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle and was forced to limp off the pitch. Medical exams after the match confirmed that the striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and would require surgery.[6] During his first comeback on April 12, 2000, he played only seven minutes during the first leg of the Coppa Italia final against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.[7] After two operations and months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo came back for the 2002 World Cup, helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title. Later in 2002 he won the World Player of the Year award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to Real Madrid. Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname O Fenômeno by the Italian press while playing there. He was named the 20th top footballer of all time for Inter according to Times Online and only his injuries prevented a higher ranking. He played 99 games and scored 59 goals for nerazzurri.
Real Madrid
His jersey sales broke all records on the first day, such was the obsession and hype surrounding him. He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 but the fans kept on chanting his name. Ronaldo scored twice in his debut for Real Madrid. He received a standing ovation in the Santiago Bernabeu. That same reception was observed on the night of the final game of the season against Athletic Bilbao, where Ronaldo scored again to seal his first season with 23 league goals and the La Liga Championship title for 2003, which Ronaldo had previously failed to win while with Barcelona. With Real he also won a Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and Spanish Super Cup in 2003. Real was on track to win the treble until Ronaldo was injured towards the end of the 03/04 season, and they lost the Copa del Rey final, knocked out of the Champions league quarterfinals, and suffered a league form breakdown. This season he finished as the league's top scorer and was awarded the Pichichi despite Real losing the league title to Valencia. Real Madrid were knocked out of the first round of the last 16 in the Champions League by Arsenal, and went a third straight season without a trophy. With the acquisition of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2006, Ronaldo grew more and more out of favor with the manager Fabio Capello due to injuries and weight issues.
Milan
On 18 January 2007, it was reported that Ronaldo agreed terms with Milan for a transfer of about €7.5 million.[8] Ronaldo was forced to pay for the remaining period on his contract which tied him to Real Madrid, only because the latter did not agree to release him, while Milan were not ready to pay such a sum. On Thursday, January 25 Ronaldo flew from Madrid to Milan to watch Milan in a cup tie against Roma. Statements on the club's website said that Ronaldo was in Milan for a medical, and that a meeting had been arranged for Monday with Real Madrid officials to discuss and finalize his transfer to Milan. On 26 January, Ronaldo successfully completed his medical tests at the Milanello training complex under the supervision of club doctors, and the transfer completed on January 30[9] and got the jersey number 99. He made his debut as a substitute for Milan on 11 February 2007, during the 2-1 victory over Livorno. The next game at Siena on 17 February 2007, Ronaldo scored twice and assisted on a third goal in his first start for Milan as they won an exciting game 4-3. In his first season at Milan, Ronaldo scored 7 goals in 14 appearances.[6]
After his move to Milan, Ronaldo joined the list of the few players to have played for both Internazionale and Milan in the Milan Derby and is the only player to have scored for both sides in the derby game (for Inter in the 98/99 season and for Milan in the 06/07 season). Ronaldo is also one of the few players to have started for Real Madrid and Barcelona, which also boasts a heated rivalry. However, Ronaldo has never transferred directly between the teams in the derby. Ronaldo only played 300-plus minutes for Milan in his single season at Milan due to recurring injury problems and weight issues. Ronaldo's only goals in the 2007/2008 season, besides his goal against Lecce in pre-season, came in a 5-2 victory against Napoli at the San Siro, where he scored an emotional brace. It was also the first time Milan's much hyped attacking trio of Kaká, Alexandre Pato and Ronaldo, known as Ka-Pa-Ro played together. In total he scored 9 goals in 20 appearances for Milan.
Despite tremendous success over the past decade, Ronaldo has never won the UEFA Champions League in his club career. During the 2006-07 season, though Milan won the 2006-07 title, Ronaldo was cup-tied with Madrid and ineligible to take part. The closest that he has been was in 2003 when he helped Real Madrid to the semi-finals, in which they lost to Juventus.
On 13 February 2008, Ronaldo suffered a severe season-ending knee injury while jumping for a cross in Milan's 1-1 draw with Livorno, and was stretchered off and taken to a hospital. Milan confirmed after the match that Ronaldo had ruptured the kneecap ligament in his left knee. It marked the third such occurrence of this injury, which he suffered twice to his right knee in 1998 and 2000.[10] He was released by Milan at the end of the season, as his contract expired and was not renewed.
Corinthians
Ronaldo trained with Flamengo during his recovery from knee surgery, and the club's board of directors said that the doors were open for him to join. However, on 9 December, Ronaldo signed a one-year deal with Flamengo's league rival Corinthians.[11] The announcement received high publicity in the Brazilian press about his favouring Corinthians over Flamengo, since Ronaldo publicly declared himself a Flamengo lover and had promised to defend the club.[12]
Ronaldo played his first match for Corinthians on 4 March 2009, a Copa do Brasil match against Itumbiara at Estádio Juscelino Kubitschek, in which he came as a substitute for Jorge Henrique.[13] Ronaldo scored his first goal for Corinthians on March 8, 2009, in a Campeonato Paulista match against Palmeiras.[14] He helped Corinthians win the Campeonato Paulista with 10 goals in 14 games.[15]
Ronaldo capped off his outstanding return to football by helping Corinthians defeat Internacional, with an aggregate score of 4-2, to conquer Corinthians' third Brazil Cup (the second of his career), thus earning a spot in the Copa Libertadores 2010. Ronaldo is set to extend his one-year contract in order to play in the Copa Libertadores for the first time in his illustrious career. After sugery on his fractured hand, Ronaldo returned on September 20 in a match against Goias. On 27 September 2009, he scored for Corinthians in the 1-1 draw against São Paulo.
International career
Ronaldo made his international debut for Brazil in 1994, in a friendly match in Recife against Argentina. He went to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA as a 17-year-old but did not play. He came to be known as Ronaldinho ("little Ronaldo" in Portuguese), because Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus, his older team-mate on the tournament, was also called Ronaldo and also nicknamed Ronaldão ("big Ronaldo") to further distinguish them. Another Brazilian player, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, who is widely known as Ronaldinho, would come to be called Ronaldinho Gaúcho when he joined the Brazilian main national team in 1999.
In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ronaldo played with the name Ronaldinho on his shirt, since centre back Ronaldo Guiaro, two years his senior, was one of his teammates. Brazil went on to win the bronze medal in Atlanta.
Voted the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997, he scored four goals and made three assists[16] during the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The night before the final, he suffered a convulsive fit. At first Ronaldo was removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, but he requested to play and was later reinstated by coach Mario Zagallo. Ronaldo did not perform well and he was injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Brazil lost the final to hosts France 3-0.[17] Adrian Williams, professor of clinical neurology at Birmingham University, said that Ronaldo should not have played, saying that he would have been feeling the after effects of the seizure and that "there is no way that he would have been able to perform to the best of his ability within 24 hours of his first fit — if it was his first fit."[18]
During the 2002 FIFA World Cup Ronaldo again led the national team to their record fifth championship and won the Golden Shoe as top scorer with eight goals and was runner-up to the Golden Ball as most valuable player in the tournament. He also scored against every opponent in the tournament except in the quarter-finals against England. In the final match against Germany, Ronaldo scored his 11th and 12th goals to a round of applause and tied Pelé's Brazilian record of 12 career World Cup goals.[19]
On 2 June 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick of penalties for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, although Brazil won their first two group games against Croatia and Australia, respectively, Ronaldo was repeatedly jeered for being overweight and slow. (Brazil President Lula questioned the national coach asking if, "Ronaldo is fat or isn't he?"). Nonetheless, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept him in the starting lineup in face of calls to have Ronaldo replaced. With his two goals against Japan in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he became the 20th player ever to score in three different FIFA World Cups. (Ronaldo scored at France 98, Korea/Japan 2002 and at Germany 2006). On June 27 2006, he broke the all-time World Cup Finals scoring record of 14, held by Gerd Müller after scoring his 15th World Cup goal against Ghana in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. He also equaled a much less talked about mark: with his third goal of the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo became only the second player ever (Jürgen Klinsmann being the other) to score at least three goals in each of three World Cups. However, Brazil were knocked out by France 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
The fallout after Brazil's performance in the World Cup saw them appoint former captain Dunga as manager. His attempt to end the star culture of the Brazilian national team saw him drop Ronaldo not only from the starting line-up but from the squad altogether. He hasn't been selected since. He is fifteen goals away from becoming Brazil's all-time top-scorer.
Ronaldo has played down speculation of a national team return since his move to Corinthians, insisting that recovering from his injury was the most important thing. However, he has not hidden his desire to play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Personal life
During 1997, Ronaldo met the Brazilian model and actress Susana Werner on the set of Brazilian telenovela Malhação when they acted together in three chapters.[20][21] Although never getting married, they began a long-term relationship and lived together in Milan until the beginning of 1999.[22] In April 1999, Ronaldo married female Brazilian footballer Milene Domingues after he saw her playing on television and proposed to her. The marriage lasted four years. The couple had a son, Ronald (born in Milan, on 6 April 2000). In 2005, Ronaldo got engaged to Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniela Cicarelli, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage; the relationship lasted for three months after their luxurious "wedding" in Château de Chantilly which reportedly cost €700,000 (£896,000).[23] Ronaldo had also a relationship with Brazilian supermodel Raica Oliveira, ended in December 2006.
In April 2008, Ronaldo was caught in a scandal involving three transvestite prostitutes he met in a nightclub located on the city of Presidente Prudente.[24] Upon finding out that they were men, Ronaldo offered them $600 to leave.[25] However, one of the three, André Luís Ribeiro Albertino (better known as Andréia Albertini), demanded $30,000 and exposed the case to the media.[26] According to the local police chief, "[Ronaldo] was very excited and wanted to go out and have fun, without the press knowing. Ronaldo said he is not good in the head and that he is going through psychological problems because of his recent surgery. But he committed no crime at all, it was immoral at best."[27] Ronaldo's engagement to Maria Beatriz Antony was cancelled immediately after the prostitution scandal[28] but resumed a little later. Antony gave birth to their first daughter, named Maria Sophia, in Rio de Janeiro, on 24 December 2008. In April 2009, the whole family moved to a new penthouse in São Paulo.[29]
Since 2005, Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil, alongside Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi.[30]
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (lahir di Brasília, 22 April 1982; umur 27 tahun), lebih dikenal dengan nama Kaká, adalah seorang pemain sepak bola asal Brasil yang kini membela klub Real Madrid (bergabung tahun 2009; sebelumnya pada 2003-2009 di A.C. Milan). Kaká umumnya bermain di posisi gelandang serang ataupun penyerang. Ia dikenal mempunyai dribble yang sangat baik serta umpan-umpan yang akurat. Tinggi badannya ialah 186 cm.
Kaká menikah dengan Caroline Celico pada 23 Desember 2005 di sebuah gereja di São Paulo, Brasil.
Masa kecil
Kaká dilahirkan di Brasília, Brazil pada tanggal 22 April 1982, ia merupakan anak dari pasangan Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite dan Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. Kaká mempunyai adik laki-laki, Rodrigo, yang dikenal sebagai Digão, yang mengikuti langkahnya bermain bola di Italia.
Nama panggilannya Kaká, diambil dari bahasa aslinya, Bahasa Portugis, yang diucapkan seperti ejaannya, dengan penekanan pada suku kata kedua yang ditandai dengan aksen. Itu biasa dipakai untuk menyingkat nama "Ricardo" di Brasil, bagaimanapun juga, Kaká mendapatkan nama panggilannya dari adiknya, Rodrigo, yang tidak bisa mengucapkan kata "Ricardo" ketika mereka masih kecil. Rodrigo memanggil kakaknya "Caca" yang kemudian berganti menjadi Kaká. Di Eropa ia dikenal dengan pamnggilan RickyKaka.
Pada bulan September 2000, di usia 18 tahun, Kaká mengalami ancaman pada karirnya dan kemungkinan patah tulang belakang yang menyebabkan lumpuh sebagai akibat dari sebuah kecelakaan kolam renang. Hal yang terburuk tidak terjadi dan Kaká pulih sepenuhnya dari insiden itu. Dia bersyukur kepada Tuhan atas kesembuhannya dan sejak saat itu ia menyumbangkan penghasilannya untuk gerejanya. untuk itulah setiap kali ia mencetak gol tangannya selalu di arakan keatas ,bertanda rasa terimah kasih kepada Tuhan.
Karir klub
Kaká menandatangani kontrak dengan São Paulo pada usia 15 tahun dan memimpin tim juniornya pada kemenangan ‘Copa de Juvenil’. Ia memulai debutnya di São Paulo FC tahun 2001 ketika di berusia 18 tahun. Pada musim pertama, ia mengoleksi 12 gol dalam 27 pertandingan dan 10 gol dalam 22 pertandingan di musim berikut. Pada usia 17 tahun, ketika ia masih dalam tim junior, Sao Paulo berniat menjual Kaká ke tim dari Liga divisi 1 Turki, Gaziantepspor. Transaksi tidak terjadi, karena manajer Gaziantepspor, Nurullah Sağlam, dan dewan pengurus tim itu menolak untuk membayar $1.5m untuk pemuda 17 tahun itu. Setelah bergabung dengan tim senior São Paulo FC, penampilan Kaká menarik perhatian klub-klub Eropa.
Dia bergabung dengan AC Milan dengan bayaran US $8.5 m, jumlah yang dianggap sedikit oleh pemilik klub Silvio Berlusconi. Dalam sebulan, ia telah masuk ke dalam tim utama dan sejak saat itu pula ia menjadi starter. Debutnya di Serie A adalah ketika Milan bertandang melawan A.C. Ancona, menang 2-0. Dia menghasilkan 10 gol dalam 30 pertandingan pada musim itu, memenangkan Serie A dan Piala Super Italia.
Kaká adalah bagian inti dari lima orang pemain tengah pada musim 2004-2005, biasa bermain dalam posisi penyerang bayangan di belakang striker Andriy Shevchenko. Dia mengoleksi 7 gol dalam 36 pertandingan liga dan juga memenangkan Piala Super Italia bersama dengan klubnya. Milan meraih posisi kedua setelah Juventus di Serie A dan dalam partai final dengan Liverpool pada adu penalti di Piala/Liga Champions.
Salah satu gol Kaká yang sangat menakjubkan adalah ketika melawan Fenerbahçe SK di pertandingan pertama AC Milan dalam Piala/Liga Champions 2005-06, Rossoneri menang 3-1. Gol itu membuatnya disamakan dengan Diego Maradona, karena Kaká memulai larinya dari tengah lapangan dan melewati tiga ganjalan sebelum memasuki daerah penalti dan menyelesaikannya dengan shot rendah di bawah kiper Fenerbahçe, Volkan Demirel.
Pada 9 April 2006, ia membuat tiga gol pertamanya dalam pertandingan melawan Chievo Verona. Ketiga golnya dihasilkan pada babak pertama. Pada 2006, Real Madrid menunjukkan ketertarikannya menggaet bintang 25 tahun ini, tetapi Milan dan Kaká menolak untuk menjual. Kaká telah menandatangani perpanjangan kontrak dengan Milan hingga 2011.
Pada 1 November 2006, AC Milan lolos babak penyisihan Piala/Liga Champions setelah Kaká membuat tiga gol yang membantu timnya menang 4-1 melawan R.S.C. Anderlecht. Ini adalah tiga gol keduanya di Milan dan tiga gol pertamanya di kompetisi Eropa.
Kemudian pada tanggal 8 Juni 2009, Kaká bergabung dengan Real Madrid dengan kontrak 6 tahun, dengan nilai transfer yang diperkirakan sekitar 65 Juta Poundsterling.
sumber
Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by
Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
• Translator's Foreword
• Preface of Shaykh Abd al Aziz Ibn Baz
• Author's Introduction
Chapter I: Our Creed
Belief in Allah's Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes • Allah's Will
Universal and Legal • More of Allah's Attributes • Describing Allah
by His Revelation.
Chapter II: The Qur'an and Sunnah
Sources of His Attributes • Free From Contradictions.
Chapter III: Angels
Belief • Angel's Functions.
Chapter IV: Allah's Books
Belief • Books Known • The Qur'an Is Protected from Change •
Previous Scriptures Changed.
Chapter V: Messengers
Belief • The First and Last Messengers • The Best Messengers •
Messengers are Human Beings • Islam The Universal and Final
Message • Rightly Guided Caliphs ~ The Prophet's Companions
Chapter VI: The Day of Judgment
Belief • The Resurrection • The Records and Scales • The Prophet's
Intercession • The Prophet's Pool • The Straight Path • Paradise and
Hell • What Happens in the Grave
Chapter VII: Fate and the Divine Decree
Belief • Levels of Belief • Man's Free Will • No Excuse for Sinners •
Evil Not Attributable to Allah
Chapter VIII: Benefits
Virtues of Belief in Allah • Virtues of Belief in Angels • Virtues of
Belief in Books • Virtues of Belief in Messengers • Virtues of Belief
in Day of Judgment Virtues of Belief in Fate
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Preface of Shaykh Abd al Aziz Ibn Baz
Praise belongs to Allah alone; peace and blessing on the last Prophet, his
family and his Companions.
I was introduced to the valuable and concise treatise on the Muslim's belief
prepared by our brother, the great scholar Shaikh Muhammad As-Saleh al-
Uthaimin. I listened to it all and found that it covers the creed of the
Sunnites and the mainstream majority of the Muslims in the area of the
oneness of Allah, His attributes, the belief in the angels, the books and the
messengers, the Day of Judgment, and in the belief in fate and the divine
decree. He succeeded in collecting what the seeker of knowledge and every
Muslim needs for his belief in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His
messengers, the Day of Judgment, and fate. He included in his treatise
useful information related to the Muslim's beliefs that are not readily
available in many of the books written on these topics. May Allah reward
the author, increase him in knowledge and guidance, and make this book
and his other books most useful. May Allah, the Hearer and the Close, bless
us and him and all our brothers and make us among those who are guiding
and rightly guided to call people to Allah with sure knowledge.
Dictated by 'Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah forgive him and shower peace
and blessing on our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Translator's Foreword
I found this treatise of the Muslim's creed a concise and useful presentation of a very
important topic. The need for this treatise, especially among non-Arabic speaking readers,
cannot be overestimated. Therefore, I decided to translate it and make it accessible to
English readers.
I would like to draw the attention of the readers to the following points:
• I gave the book the title THE MUSLIM'S BELIEF instead of the author's Aqidatu Ahl As
Sunnah wa al Jama'ah, which may be translated as The Creed of the People of the Sunnah
and Majority. I think my preference is justified by: a) The title I preferred is shorter; b) The
two titles have almost the same meaning; c) The original title contains some technical terms
that are not only difficult to translate, but also difficult to understand by many readers; and
d) The original title may antagonize some readers who are misinformed about the true
designations of the words in the original title.
• I provided, in parentheses after every Qur'anic verse, the numbers of chapters and verses
quoted by the author without giving their proper reference. This I deemed useful for
readers who do not know the Qur'an by heart and who would like to check these verses.
• Because the author, in most cases, quotes or paraphrases some of the prophetic traditions
without indicating them to the readers, I tried, whenever I could recognize these traditions,
to put them in quotations and to cite in parentheses the prophetic collections in which they
are reported. In most cases, I limited myself to the collections of Bukhari and Muslim
whenever the saying is quoted from them. If it is not in these two collections, I mention
one or two of the other collections that contain the quoted saying.
• I provided the arrangement of the text into chapters and headlines for ease of reading and
understanding. I also provided a table of contents for ease of reference.
• In translating the Qur'anic verses quoted in this treatise, I did not follow any specific
translation of the Qur'an. I benefited from more than one, but followed my own
preference.
It is my sincere desire and hope that this book would be of great help to those who consult
it. Please include in your prayer all those who contributed to its present shape.
Dr. Maneh Hammad al-Johani
Author's Introduction
Praise be to the Lord of the universe who gives the best reward to the Godfearing
and the great loss to the transgressor. I bear witness that there is no
God but Allah; He has no partner and possesses real sovereignty. I bear
witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger; the seal of the
prophets and the leader of the God-fearing. May Allah bless him, his
family, his Companions, and those who follow them till the Day of
Judgment.
Allah has sent His messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, with the real
guidance and the true religion as a mercy to mankind, as a model for those
who do good, and as His argument against mankind. Through Muhammad
and what was revealed to him (the Qur'an and the Prophetic sayings), Allah
showed mankind all means of reforming itself and straightening its
religious and mundane affairs in sound beliefs, right conduct, fine morals,
and laudable manners. The Prophet, peace be upon him, "left his followers
on a clear straight path, only the doomed will deviate from it"(Ibn Majah
and Ahmad). His followers, the Companions, their followers, and those
who followed them faithfully are the best of mankind. They established his
law, upheld his way, and held fast to it as a belief and practice, a moral and
manner. Thus "they are considered the party who are victorious, on the
straight path, unharmed by those who are against them till the end of the
world" (Bukhari and Muslim).
Thanks to Allah, we are following their footsteps and are being guided by
their examples, which are supported by the Qur'an and the prophetic
traditions. We are saying this only as an announcement of Allah's blessings
and as a clarification of what every Muslim should believe. We pray to
Allah that He may keep us and our brothers on the straight path in this life
and in the hereafter. May He give us mercy, for He is the Giver.
Due to the importance of this topic and the difference of opinions about it,
I want to explain briefly our creed-the belief of the Sunnites and the
mainstream Muslims (Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah). This creed is the
belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of
Judgment, and fate, whether good or bad. I pray to Allah to make this
effort sincere for His sake, in agreement with His wish, and useful for His
people.
Chapter I
OUR CREED
Our creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers,
the Day of Judgment, and Fate whether good or bad.
Belief in Allah's Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes:
• We believe in Allah's divinity; that is he is the Lord, the Creator, the
Sovereign, and the Manager of all affairs.
• We believe in Allah's god ship; that is, He is the true God and every other
so-called deity is false.
• We believe in His names and attributes, that is He has the most
magnificent names and the sublime perfect attributes.
• We believe in His oneness in all of this, that is, He has no associate in His
divinity, His God ship, His names, or His attributes. Allah says in the
Qur'an: "He is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and all that is in
between them, so worship Him and be patient in His worship; do you know
any equal to Him?" (19:65).
• We believe that He is "Allah there is no God but He, the Living, the
Everlasting. Slumber does not seize Him, neither sleep; to Him belongs all
that is in the heavens and the Earth. Who is there that shall intercede with
Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is
behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except
what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the Earth, the
preservation of them does not burden Him; He is the High, the Great"
(2:255).
• We believe that "He is Allah, there is no god but He, the Knower of the
Unseen and the Visible. He is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful. He is
Allah, there is no God but He, the King, the Holy One, the Source of Peace,
the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Almighty, the Subduer, the Sublime.
Glory be to Allah above what they associate with Him. He is Allah, the
Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. His are the most beautiful Names. All that
is in the heavens and the Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the Wise"
(59:22-4).
• We believe that to Him belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the
Earth: "He creates what He pleases. He gives, to whom He wills, females,
and He gives, to whom He wills, males, or He couples them, males and
females; and He makes whom He wills barren. Surely, He is the Knowing,
the Powerful" (42:49-50).
• We believe that "there is nothing whatever like unto Him, He is the Allhearing,
the All-seeing. To Him belongs the keys of the Heavens and the
Earth. He enlarges and restricts provisions to whom He wills. Surely He
has knowledge of everything" (42:11-12).
• We believe that "there is no creature that moves on the Earth but its
provision depends on Allah. He knows its dwelling and its resting place. All
is recorded in a clear book" (11:6).
• We believe that "with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them
but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it.
Not a grain in the deep darkness of the Earth, not a thing green or dry but
it is in a clear Book" (6 :5 9 ).
• We believe that "Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour, sends down
rain, and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it shall earn
tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die. Surely, Allah is Allknowing,
All-aware" (31:34).
• We believe that Allah speaks whatever He pleases whenever He pleases:
"And Allah spoke to Moses directly" (4:164); "And when Moses came at
Our appointed place, and his Lord spoke to him" (7:143 ); "We called to
him from the right side of the Mount (Sinai), and We brought him near in
communion" (19:52).
• We believe that "if the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, the
ocean would be finished before the words of my Lord came to an end"
(18:109); "And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean
(were ink), with seven oceans swelling it therefore, the words of Allah
would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise" (31 :27).
• We believe that Allah's words are the most truthful in conveying
information, the most just in ruling, and the fairest in conversation. He
said: "The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice"
(6:115); "And who is more truthful in his word than Allah?" (4:87).
• We believe that the Qur'an is Allah's word. He literally spoke it to
Gabriel, who conveyed it to the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Say (O
Muhammad) 'the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in
truth"' (16:102); "Truly it is the revelation of the Lord of the world
brought down upon your heart by the Faithful Spirit so that you may be
one of the warners, in a clear Arabic tongue" (26:192-95).
• We believe that Allah is well above His creatures in His Person and His
Attributes, because He says: "He is the High, the Great" (2:22); "He is
Supreme over His servants, and He is the Wise, the All-aware" (6:18 ).
• We believe that He "created the Heavens and the Earth in six days, then
He settled Himself on the throne; He manages everything" (10:3). His
"settling on the throne" means that He is sitting in person on His throne in a
way that is becoming to His majesty and greatness. Nobody except He
knows exactly how He is sitting.
• We believe that He is with His creatures while He is still on His throne. He
knows their conditions, hears their sayings, sees their deeds, and manages
their affairs. He provides for the poor and the broken.
He gives sovereignty to whom He pleases and takes away sovereignty from
whom He pleases; He exalts whom He wills and He abases whom He wills.
In His hand is all good and He is powerful over everything. Whoever
possesses these qualities is literally with His creatures even if He is literally
above them on His throne. "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him; He
is the All-hearing, the All-seeing" (42: 11).
• We do not say, as do the Incarnationists among the Jahomites1 and others,
that Allah is living with His creatures on Earth. We consider whoever says
this a non-believer or one who has strayed, for he attributed to Allah that
which does not become Him of defects.
• We believe in what His Messenger told us, that He descends to the near
sky before the last third of every night and says: "Who prays to Me and I
1 The Jahomites, known in Arabic as al-Jahmiyyah, were members of a sect
named after Jahm bin Safwan (executed 128 AH). He was one of the first
Muslims to deny the attrributes of Allah and to say that Allah is
everywhere.
will answer his prayers? Who asks Me and I will give him? Who asks My
forgiveness and I will forgive him?" (Bukhari and Muslim).2
• We believe that He will come on the Day of Judgment to judge among His
people because He said: "No indeed! When the Earth is crushed to powder,
and your Lord comes down with the angels in rows after rows, and Hell is
brought out that day. On that day man will remember, but what will
remembrance avail him?" (89:21-23).
• We believe that he is the Doer of what He wills.
Allah's Will: Universal and Legal:
• We believe that His will is of two kinds: a) Universal will, through which
His intention is carried out. It is not necessary that what is carried out is
liked by Him. This type of will means permission, as Allah said: "Had
Allah willed, they would not have fought one against the other, but Allah
does whatever He desires," (2:253) and "If Allah desires to lead you astray,
He is your Lord" (11:34), and b) Legal will, which does not necessarily
entail the execution of His desire. His will, in this case, cannot be but what
He likes, as He said: "Allah wants to forgive you" (4:27).
• We believe that His universal and legal wills are part of His wisdom.
Every thing He performs in the universe or requires legally from His
creatures is for a good reason and according to His wisdom, whether we
grasp it or not: "Is not Allah the best of Judges?" (95:8); "And who is
better than Allah in judgment for a people who have firm faith" (5:50).
• We believe that Allah loves His select servants and that they love Him:
"Say if you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you" (3:31); "Allah
will bring a people whom He will love and who will love Him" (5:54);
"Allah loves the steadfast" (3:146); "And act justly, surely, Allah loves the
just" (49:9); and "Do good; Allah loves those who do good" (5:93).
• We believe that Allah likes what He prescribed of good deeds and sayings
and He dislikes what He prohibited of bad deeds and sayings: "If you
disbelieve, surely Allah does not need you, yet He does not like disbelief
for His servants; if you are thankful, this pleases Him"(39:7); and "But
2 Some versions of this hadith mention the last third of the night, while
others mention the last half or after the first third. It is reported by the six
major books of hadith, with the exception of that of al Nasati.
Allah disliked their marching forth. So He kept them back, and it was said
to them: 'Stay with the weaklings"(9: 46).
• We believe that Allah is pleased with those who believe in Him and do
good deeds: "Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with
Him. That is for him who fears his Lord" (98:8).
• We believe that Allah is angry with those who deserve His anger among
the non-believers and others: "And those who think evil thoughts of Allah,
against them shall be the evil turn of fortune. Allah is angry with them"
(48:6); " But whoever opens his heart to disbelief, on them is Allah's
wrath and they shall have a severe punishment" (16:106).
More of Allah's Attributes:
• We believe that Allah has a glorious and dignified face: "There will
remain the face of your Lord, majestic and splendid" (55:27).
• We believe that Allah has two generous hands: "No, both His hands are
wide open; He spends how He pleases" (5:64); "They do not esteem Allah
with the esteem that is due to Him. The whole Earth will be His handful on
the Day of Resurrection, and the Heavens will be rolled up in His right
hand. Glory be to Him and exalted is He above that which they associate
with Him" (39:67).
• We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes, because He said: "And
build the ark under Our eyes as We reveal" (11:37). The Prophet, peace be
upon him, said: "His veil is light. Had He removed it, the sublimity of His
countenance would have burnt all that His sight reached" (Muslim and Ibn
Majah). The Sunnites unanimously have agreed that He has two eyes. This
is supported by the Prophet's saying about the Dajjal (the anti-Christ) that
"he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed" (Bukhari and Muslim).
• We believe that "vision cannot perceive Him, but He perceives all vision.
He is the Incomprehensible, the All-aware" (6:103).
• We believe that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of
Resurrection: "Upon that day some faces shall be radiant, gazing upon their
Lord" (75:22-3).
• We believe that Allah has no equal because His Attributes are perfect:
"There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is the All-hearing, the Allseeing"
(42:11).
• We believe that "no slumber or sleep seizes Him" (2:255), because His life
is perfect and eternal.
• We believe that He does not do injustice to anybody, because His fairness
is perfect.
• We believe that He is not unaware of his servants' deeds, because He has
perfect supervision and comprehensive knowledge.
• We believe that He is capable of doing anything in the Heavens or in the
Earth, because of His perfect knowledge and power: "Indeed His command,
when He desires a thing, is only to say to it 'Be' and it is" (36: 82).
• We believe that He is free from weariness and weakness, because of His
infinite power: "Surely, We created the Heavens and the Earth and all that
is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us" (50: 38).
Describing Allah by His Revelation:
• We believe in all that He assigned to Himself or what His Messenger
described Him with, of names and attributes. However, we reject two
concepts: 1) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are similar to those of
his creatures; and 2) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are like such
and such.
• We negate all what He negated about Himself or what His Messenger
negated about Him. We believe that negation implies the affirmation of its
perfect opposite. We do not discuss what He or His Messenger did not
mention about Him.
• We believe that following this approach is a must, because what Allah
affirmed or negated concerning Himself is a statement He made about
Himself. He knows Himself best. His words are most just and trustful, and
people cannot know everything about Him. What Allah's Messenger
affirmed or negated about Him is a statement that he made about Allah.
Besides knowing Allah better than anyone, he is the most truthful, sincere,
and eloquent among people. Thus, in what Allah said and what His Prophet
said concerning His names and attributes is the truth, knowledge, and
clarification. Therefore, we have no excuse to reject or even hesitate in
accepting it.
Chapter II
THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH
Sources of His Attributes:
• All that we have mentioned about Allah's attributes, whether briefly or in
detail and affirmatively or negatively, is based on the book of our Lord
(the Qur'an) and the traditions of our Prophet. It also agrees with the
practice of the previous generations of Muslims and the rightly guided
scholars who came after them.
• We believe it is obligatory to take the texts of the Qur'an and the
prophetic traditions conceding Allah's attributes at their face value and to
interpret them in a way that is suitable to Almighty Allah. We reject the
practice of those who twist the meanings of these texts and understand them
in a way that was not intended by Allah and His messenger.
• We also reject the practice of those who make them devoid of their
meanings as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger. Finally, we reject the
approach of those who exaggerate, who gave them a physical interpretation
that makes Allah similar to some of His creatures.
Free from Contradictions:
• We know for sure that what is revealed in Allah's book and in the
traditions of His Messenger is the truth. It does not contain any
contradiction: "Do they not ponder over the Qur'an? If it had been from
other than Allah, surely they would have found in it a lot of differences"
(4: 82).
• Contradictions in statements falsify them. It is impossible for there to be a
contradiction in any statement revealed by Allah and said by His
Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims that there are
contradictions in the Qur'an, the prophetic traditions, or between the two
must have wicked intentions and a misguided heart. He should repent and
quit his sin. If someone imagines that there are some contradictions in the
Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet, or between these two, this must be a
result of his little knowledge, inadequate understanding, or lack of deep
thinking. Therefore, he should seek knowledge and do his best to reflect
upon matters until the truth is clear to him. If, after all of these efforts, the
truth is not clear to him, he should leave the whole matter to the One who
knows it and should quit his imagination. He should say, as do those who
are firmly rooted in knowledge: "We believe in it, all is from our Lord"
(3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions nor differences in
the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.
Chapter III
ANGELS
Belief in Angels:
• We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah and that they are
"honored servants. They do not speak before He does, and they act only by
His command" (21:26). Allah created them, and they worship and obey
Him. Those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship Him, nor do
they weary" (21:19).
• Angels are concealed from us, so we cannot see them. Allah may show
them to some of His servants. The Prophet Muhammad saw Gabriel in his
real shape with six hundred wings that covered the horizons (Bukhari and
Muslim). Gabriel took the form of a handsome human being who met
Mary and engaged in conversation with her. He came to the Prophet while
he was among his Companions in the appearance of an unknown man who
did not show any trace of long travel, with very white clothes, and very
black hair. He sat facing the Prophet, his knees to the Prophet's knees,
peace be upon him, and his palms on the Prophet's thighs and talked with
the Prophet. The Prophet later told his Companions that the man they saw
was Gabriel (Bukhari and Muslim).
Angels' Functions:
• We believe that the angels are assigned certain functions. Among the
angels is Gabriel, who is entrusted with revelation. He brings it down from
Allah to whomever He wishes among His prophets and messengers.
• Among them is Michael, who is in charge of rain and the growth of
plants; Israfil, who is in charge of blowing the horn at the time of thunderbolting
and the resurrection; the Angel of Death, who takes away people's
souls at the time of death. Among the angels is the one who is in charge of
mountains; and Malik, the keeper of Hell.
• Some angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, others are responsible
for protecting human beings, and others are busy recording men's deeds:
there are two angels for every person, "when the two angels receive (his
deeds), one sitting on the right and one on the left, not a word he utters but
by him is an observer ready" (50:18). Some other angels are in charge of
questioning the dead after he is placed in his last abode. Two angels come
to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his prophet. There
"Allah confirms those who believe with the firm saying, in the present life
and the hereafter, and Allah leads astray the evildoers and Allah does what
He wills" (14:27).
• Some angels are in charge of the dwellers of Paradise: "The angels enter
to them from every gate, saying: 'Peace be upon you for that you were
patient. How excellent is your final home"' (13:24).
• The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us that "seventy thousand angels
enter or pray in the populous house in heaven every day. They never come
back to it as long as they live" (because their turn will never come)
(Bukhari and Muslim).
Chapter IV
ALLAH'S BOOKS
Belief in Allah's Books:
• We believe that Allah revealed books to His messengers as proof against
mankind and a guidance for the righteous workers. They purified and
taught them wisdom by these books.
• We believe that Allah sent down a book with every messenger, because
He says: "Indeed We sent down Our messengers with the clear signs, and
We sent down with them the book and the balance, so that people may
uphold justice" (57:25).
Books Known:
• Among the books that were revealed, we know:
I ) The Torah, which was revealed to Moses, peace be upon him. It is
the greatest among the Israelites' books: "Surely, We sent down the
Torah, wherein is guidance and light; by its laws the Jews have been
judged by the prophets who surrendered themselves to Allah, the
rabbis and the doctors of law, because they were entrusted the
protection of Allah's book and were witnesses thereto" (5:44).
2) The Gospel, which Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him. It
is a confirmation of the Torah and a complement to it: "And we gave
him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light and confirming the
Torah before it, as a guidance and an admonition to the God-fearing"
(5:46); "And to make lawful to you certain things that, before, were
forbidden to you" (3:50).
3) The Psalms, which Allah gave to David, peace be upon him.
4) The Tablets of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon them.
5) The Glorious Qur'an, which was revealed to His Prophet
Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. It is "a guidance to the people
and clear signs of guidance and the criterion between right and
wrong" (2:185).
The Qur'an Is Protected from Change:
• The Qur'an is "confirming the scripture that was before it and stands as a
guardian over it." Thus, by means of the Qur'an, Allah abrogated all the
previous revealed books. Allah has also guaranteed its protection from any
play or mischievous distortion: "Indeed, We sent down the message and We
will guard it" (15:9), for the Qur'an is a proof against mankind till the Day
of Judgment.
Previous Scriptures Changed:
• The previous scriptures were meant for a limited period. Their use ended
with the revelation of the Qur'an, which abrogated them and exposed their
distortions and changes. That is why they were not protected from
corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and omission: "Some of
the Jews pervert words from their meanings" (4:46); "So woe to those who
write the Book with their hands, and then say: 'This is from Allah,' that
they may sell it for a little price. So woe to them for what their hands have
written, and woe to them for their earnings" (2:79); "Say, who sent down
the Book that Moses brought as a light and a guidance to people? You put it
into sheets of paper showing some of them and concealing much" (6:91);
"And there is a group among them who twist their tongues with the Book,
that you may think it is a part of the Book but it is not part of the Book.
And they say 'It is from Allah,' yet it is not from Allah, and they tell a lie
against Allah and they know it. It is not for any human being to whom
Allah has given the Book, the Wisdom and the Prophet hood to say to men
'Worship me instead of Allah"' (3:79); "People of the Book! Our
Messenger has come to you, making clear to you many things you have
been concealing of the Book and forgiving you of much. A light has come
to you from Allah and a glorious Book, with which He will guide whoever
follows His pleasure in the way of peace, and brings them forth from
darkness into the light by His will" (5:15-16).
Chapter V
MESSENGERS
Belief in Messengers:
• We believe that Allah has sent to His people messengers who were
"bringing good tidings and warning, so that mankind might have no
argument against Allah after the Messengers. Allah is All-mighty, Allwise"
(4: 165).
The First and Last Messengers:
• We believe that the first among the messengers is Noah and the last is
Muhammad, peace be upon them all: "We revealed to you as We revealed
to Noah and the prophets after him" (4: 163); and "Muhammad is not the
father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the
Prophets" (33:40).
The Best Messengers:
• We believe that the best among the messengers is Muhammad, then
Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus, son of Mary. It is they who are meant
by the following Qur'anic verse: "And when We took a compact from the
prophets, and from you, and from Noah, and Abraham, then Moses, and
Jesus, son of Mary. We took from them a solemn compact" (33:7).
• We believe that Muhammad's message, peace be upon him, includes all
the merits of the messages of those dignified messengers, because Allah
says: "He ordained for you what He enjoined on Noah and what He
revealed to you and what He enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus;
namely, establish this faith and be united in it" (42:13).
Messengers Are Human Beings:
• We believe that all messengers are created human beings who have none
of the divine qualities of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said about Noah, who
was the first among them: "I do not say to you, 'I possess the treasures of
Allah.' I do not know the unseen, and I do not say 'I am an angel"' (11:31)
Allah directed Muhammad, who is the last among them, to say: "I do not
say to you I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, and I
do not say to you I am an angel" (6:50); and to say that "I have no power to
bring profit or hurt for myself, but only as Allah wills" (7:188); and: "I
have no power to hurt or benefit you. Say none can protect me from Allah,
nor can I find any refuge besides Him" (72:91-2).
• We believe that the messengers are among Allah's servants. He blessed
them with the message and described them as servants, in the context of
praising and honoring them. He says about Noah, the first among them:
"You are the descendants of those whom We carried with Noah, he was a
truly thankful servant" (17:3).
• Allah said about the last among them, Muhammad, peace be upon him:
"Blessed be He who sent down the Qur'an to His servant, that he may warn
mankind" (25:1). As for some other messengers, he said: "And mention
Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men of might and vision" (38:45);
"And remember Our servant David, who was a mighty and penitent man"
(38: 17); "And to David, We gave Solomon, he was an excellent and
penitent servant" (38:30).
• Allah said about Jesus, son of Mary: "He is only a servant whom We
blessed and We made him an example to the children of Israel" (43: 59).
• We believe that Allah concluded all messages with the message of
Muhammad, peace be upon him, to all people, because He said: "Say, 'O
mankind, I am Allah's Messenger to you all. To him belongs the Kingdom
of the Heavens and the Earth; there is no god but He. He ordains life and
death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who
believes in Allah and His words. Follow him so that you may be rightly
guided"' (7:158).
Islam: The Universal and Final Message:
• We believe that the Shari'ah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon
him, is the religion of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His servants. He
does not accept any other religion from anyone, for He, the Exalted, said:
"Surely, the true religion in Allah's sight is Islam" (3:19), "Today I have
perfected your religion for you and I have completed My favor upon you,
and I have chosen Islam to be your religion" (5:3), and "Whoever desires a
religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from Him, and in the
Hereafter he will be among the losers" (3:85).
• It is our opinion that whoever claims that any religion other than Islam is
acceptable, such as Judaism, Christianity and so forth, is a non believer. He
should be asked to repent.
• It is also our opinion that whoever rejects the universal message of
Muhammad, peace be upon him, rejects the message of all messengers,
even if he claims that he believes and follows His Messenger. Allah, the
Exalted, said: "Noah's people rejected the Messengers" (26:105). Thus,
Allah considered them as rejecting all of the messengers despite the fact
that there was no messenger before Noah. This is also clear from the
following verses: "Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and
wish to make division between Allah and His Messengers, and say: 'We
believe in some and disbelieve in others,' wishing to take a midway course.
Those indeed are the unbelievers, and We have prepared for the
unbelievers a humiliating punishment"(4:150-51).
• We believe that there is no prophet after Muhammad, Allah's Messenger,
peace be upon him. Whoever claims prophet hood after him, or believes in
anyone claiming it, is a disbeliever and one who rejects Allah, His
Messenger, and the Muslims' consensus.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs:
• We believe that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has rightly guided
successors who carried out his Sunnah in spreading knowledge calling to
Islam, and managing the Muslims' affairs. We believe that the best among
them and the most entitled to the caliphate was Abu Bakr as Siddiq, then
'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, then 'Uthman Ibn Affan and then 'All Ibn Abi
Talib, may Allah be pleased with them all. Thus their succession to the
caliphate was according to their virtues. Allah, the Exalted, who possesses
infinite wisdom, would not appoint a ruler over the best of generations
unless he was the most superior among them and had the best claim to
caliphate.
• We believe that the inferior among those rightly guided companions can
be superior in a specific virtue to those who were better than him but that
he does not deserve absolute superiority, for the elements constituting
superiority are varied and numerous.
• We believe that the Muslim Ummah is the best among nations, and Allah,
the Dignified and Exalted, has blessed it, because He said: "You are the best
nation ever brought forth for mankind, enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah"
The Prophet's Companions:
• We believe that the best among the Muslim Ummah are the Prophet's
Companions, then their followers, and then those who followed them.
• We also believe that a group of this Ummah will always remain
victorious on the right path, unharmed by those who let them down or
those who oppose them, until the Day of Judgment.
• We believe that the disputes that took place among the Prophet's
Companions were the result of sincere interpretations that they worked
hard to reach. Whoever was right among them will be rewarded twice, and
whoever was wrong among them will be rewarded once and his mistake
will be forgiven.
• It is our opinion that we should stop talking about their mistakes and
mention what they deserve of beautiful praise. We should purify our hearts
from hatred and malice against any of them, because Allah said about them:
"They are not equal: those among you who spent and who fought before
the conquest of Makkah. Those are higher in rank than those who spent and
fought afterwards. But to all Allah has promised a great reward" (57:10).
And Allah said about us: "And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord,
forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our
hearts any malice against those who have believed. Our Lord, You are the
most Kind, Most Merciful"' (59:10).
Chapter VI
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Belief in the Day of Judgment:
• We believe in the Final Day, which is the Day of Judgment, when people
will be resurrected and then told to remain in the abode of enjoyment or in
the abode of severe punishment.
The Resurrection:
• We believe in the resurrection, which is Allah's bringing to life all those
who have died, and when Israfil shall blow the horn for the second time:
"And the trumpet shall be blown, and all who are in the heavens and who
are in the Earth shall fall down fainting, except those that Allah shall spare.
Then, it shall be blown again and they shall rise gazing around them"
(39:68). People will arise from their graves, answering the call of the Lord
of the universe. They will be barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised: "As
We started the first creation, so We shall bring it back again. This is a
promise from Us, so We shall assuredly fulfill it" (21: 104).
The Records and Scales:
• We believe in the records of deeds that will be given to people in their
right hands or behind their backs, in the left hands: "As for him who is
given his book in his right hand, he shall surely receive an easy reckoning
and he will return to his family rejoicing. But as for him who is given his
book behind his back, he shall call for destruction on himself and will burn
in a blazing fire" (84:7-12); "Every man's work We have fastened on his
own neck, and on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a book
which he will see spread open, saying: 'Read your own book! Enough for
you this day that your own soul should call you to account"' (17:13-14).
• We believe that scales of deeds will be set up on the Day of Judgment, and
that no soul shall be wronged: "Whoever has done an atom's weight of
good shall see it" (99:7-8); "Those whose scales are heavy, they are the
successful; but those whose scales are light, they are the ones who have lost
their souls in Hell dwelling forever. The fire will burn their faces, and
there they will be gloomy with lips displaced" (23: 102-4); and "He that
does a good deed shall be rewarded ten times the like of it, and he that does
evil shall only be rewarded the like of it, and they shall not be wronged"
(6:160).
The Prophet's Intercession:
• We believe in the special great intercession of the Prophet Muhammad,
peace be upon him. He will plead with Allah, after His permission and on
behalf of mankind, to judge among His servants when they suffer from
worries and troubles that they cannot bear. They will go to Adam, then to
Noah, then to Abraham, then to Moses, then to Jesus, and finally to Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him.
• We believe in the intercession that concerns some believers who were to
be taken out from the fire. This mediation is granted to the Prophet
Muhammad, peace be upon him, and to others among the prophets, the
believers, and the angels.
• We believe also that Allah will save from hell some of the believers
without the intercession of any one, but by His grace and mercy.
The Prophet's Pool:
• We believe in the pool of the Prophet, peace be upon him, the water of
which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and better in fragrance
than musk. Each of its length and width is the distance of a month's travel.
Its glasses are as stars in beauty and number. The believers among the
Prophet's followers come to take from this great cistern a drink after
which they will never be thirsty.
The Straight Path:
• We believe in the straight path (sirat) set up over hell. People pass over it
according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as lighting, then as fast as
wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a running man. The Prophet
will be standing on the path, saying: "Lord, Save! Save!," as some people's
deeds will fall short. Some of them will come crawling. At both sides of
the path there are hooks designed to take whom Allah wills: some are saved
but bruised; others are thrown into hell. (Bukhari and Muslim).
• We believe in all that is mentioned in the Qur'an or the prophetic sayings
concerning that day and its horrors, may Allah save us from them.
• We believe in the intercession (Shafa'ah) of Prophet Muhammad, peace
be upon him, for the people of paradise to enter therein. This intercession
is exclusively limited to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Paradise and Hell:
We believe in paradise and hell. Paradise is the abode of enjoyment which
Allah, the Exalted, prepared for the righteous. No eye has ever seen, no
ear has ever heard of, and no human being has ever thought of the
blessings that they will enjoy there: "No soul knows what comfort is kept
hidden for them, as a reward for their deeds" (32:17). Hell is the abode of
punishment that Allah has prepared for the unbelievers and the evildoers.
The torture and horror in it cannot be imagined: "Surely, We have
prepared for the evildoers a fire, whose pavilion encompasses them. If they
call for help, they will be helped with water like molten copper which will
scald their faces. How dreadful a drink and how evil a resting place!"
(18:29).
• Both paradise and hell exist now and will never perish: "Whoever
believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him to gardens
beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever. Allah had indeed
made for him an excellent provision" (65-11); "Certainly, Allah has cursed
the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire to dwell therein
forever, they shall find neither protector nor helper. On the day when their
faces are turned about in the fire they shall say: 'Would that we had obeyed
Allah and obeyed the Messenger!"' (33: 64-6).
• We confirm paradise to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an or the
prophetic traditions either by name or description. Among those who are
granted paradise and mentioned by name are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman,
'All and others who were specified by the Prophet, peace be upon him
(Bukhari and Muslim). Among those whom we confirm to enter paradise
because they fit the description are the faithful and the pious.
• We likewise confirm hell to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an and the
sayings of the Prophet, whether in name or description. Among those who
are mentioned by name to be in hell are Abu Lahab, 'Amr Ibn Luhai al-
Khuza'i, and others (Bukhari and Muslim). Confirmation of hell that is
based on description includes every unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite.
What Happens in the Grave:
• We believe in the Trial of the Grave, which involves questioning the
deceased person in his grave about his Lord, his religion, and his prophet.
There "Allah confirms those who believe with a firm saying, in the present
life and the hereafter" (14:27). The believer will say: "Allah is my Lord,
Islam is my religion, and Muhammad is my prophet." The unbeliever or
the hypocrite will say: "I do not know. I heard the people saying something
and I said it."
• We believe in the comfort of the grave for the believers: "Those whose
lives the angels take in state of purity, saying 'peace be on you; enter
paradise for what you were doing' (16:32).
• We believe in the punishment of the grave for the transgressing
unbelievers: "If you could only see when the evildoers are in the agonies of
death and the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, 'Give up your
souls! Today you shall be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation for
what you used to say untrue about Allah, and for scornfully rejecting His
signs"' (6:93). The sayings of the Prophet are numerous and well-known in
this area. A Muslim must believe in all that is reported in the Qur'an and
the prophetic traditions concerning the unseen matters. He should not
contradict it by his worldly experience, because the affairs of the hereafter
cannot be measured by the affairs of this life. The difference between them
is very great. Allah is the source of help.
Chapter VII
FATE AND THE DIVINE DECREE
Belief:
• We believe in Fate, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured and
ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge and as
deemed suitable by His wisdom.
Levels of Belief:
• Belief in Fate has four levels:
1) Knowledge: We believe that Allah, may He be exalted, knows
everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen and
how it will happen. His knowledge is eternal. He does not acquire a
new knowledge nor does he forget what He knows.
2) Recording: We believe that Allah has recorded in the secured
tablet (al Lowh al Mahfuz) whatever is going to happen until the Day
of Judgment: "Did you not know that Allah knows all that is in
heaven and Earth? Surely that is in a book. Surely that for Allah is
an easy matter" (22:70).
3) Will: We believe that Allah has willed everything in heaven and
Earth. Nothing happens except by His will. Whatever He wills will
take place, and whatever He does not will not take place.
4) Creation: We believe that "Allah is the Creator of all things; He is
the Guardian over all things, and to Him belong the keys of the
heavens and the Earth" (39:62-3). This level includes whatever Allah
Himself does and whatever His creatures do. Thus each saying, deed,
or omission of the people is known to Allah, Who has recorded,
willed, and created them: "To those among you who will to be
upright. But you shall not will except as Allah wills, the Lord of the
Worlds" (81:2829); "And had Allah willed they would not have
fought one against the other; but Allah does whatever He desires"
(2:253); "Had Allah willed, they would not have done so, but leave
them alone and their false inventions" (6:137); and "And Allah
created you and what you do" (37:96).
Man's Free Will:
• We believe, however, that Allah has granted man a power and a free will
by which he performs his actions. That man's deeds are done by his power
and free will can be proven by the following points:
1) Allah says: "So approach your fields (wives) when and how you will"
(2:223); and "Had they desired to go forth, they would have made some
preparation for it" (9:46). In these verses, Allah affirmed for man "a going
forth" by his will and "a preparation" by his desire.
2) Directing man to do or not to do. If man has no free will and power,
these directions mean that Allah is asking man to do that which he cannot
do. This proposition is rejected by Allah's wisdom, mercy and truthful
statement: "Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity" (2:286).
3) Praising the virtuous for his deeds and blaming the evildoer for his
actions and rewarding each of them with what he deserves. If the action is
not done by the individual's free will, then praising the virtuous is a joke
and punishing the evildoer is an injustice, and Allah is, of course, far from
joking and being unjust.
4) Allah has sent messengers who are "bearing good tidings, and warning,
so that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the
messengers" (4:165). If the individual's action is not performed by his free
will, his argument is not invalidated by the sending of messengers.
5) Every doer of actions feels that he does or does not do a thing without
any coercion. He stands up and sits, comes in and goes out, travels and stays
by his own free will without feeling anybody forcing him to be any of
these actions. In fact, he clearly distinguishes between doing something of
his own free will and someone else forcing him to do that action. The
Islamic law also wisely distinguishes between these states of affairs. It does
not punish a wrongdoer for an action done under compulsion.
No Excuse for Sinners:
• We believe that the sinner has no excuse in Allah's divine decree, because
he commits his sin by his free will, without knowing that Allah has decreed
for him, for no one knows Allah's decree before it takes place: "No soul
knows what it will earn tomorrow" (31:34). How can it be possible, then,
to present an excuse that is not known to the person who is advancing it
when he commits his offense? Allah invalidated this type of argument by
saying: "The idolaters will say 'Had Allah willed, we would not have been
idolaters, neither our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.' So
did the people before them cry lies until they tasted our might. Say: 'Have
you any proofs that you can show us? You follow nothing but assumption,
and you are Lying"' (6:148). We say to the sinner who is using divine
decree as an excuse: 'Why did you not perform deeds of obedience,
assuming that Allah has decreed them upon you, since you did not know the
difference between good deeds and sins? That is why, when Prophet
Muhammad told his Companions that everyone's position in paradise or
hell has been assigned, they said: 'Should not we rely on this and stop
working?' He said: 'No, work and everyone will be directed to what he is
created for"' (Bukhari and Muslim).
• We say to the sinner who is trying to find an excuse in the divine decree:
"Suppose you want to travel to Makkah. There are two roads that may take
you there. You are told by a truthful person that one of these roads is
dangerous and difficult, the other is easy and safe. You will take the second
one. You will not take the first road and say it is decreed upon me. If you
did, people would consider you crazy."
• We may also say to him: "If you are offered two jobs, one of which has a
higher salary, you will certainly take the one with the higher salary. Why
do you choose what is lower in the hereafter and use the divine decree as
an excuse?"
• We may further say to him: "We see you when you are afflicted with a
disease, you knock at every physician's door looking for treatment and
bearing whatever pain that may result from surgical operations and the
bitterness of medicine. Why do not you do the same when your heart is
spiritually sick with sins?"
Evil Not Attributed to Allah:
• We believe that evil should not be attributed to Allah, due to His perfect
mercy and wisdom. The Prophet said: "And evil is not attributable to You"
(Muslim). Thus Allah's decree by itself has no evil whatsoever, because it
is coming from mercy and wisdom. Evil may, however, result from some
of His decrees, because the Prophet said in the supplication for gunut which
he taught to al-Hasan: "And protect us from the evil of what You decreed"
(Tirmidhi and others). Here, the Prophet attributed evil to what He
decreed. Despite this, evil in His decree is not pure evil. It is rather evil in
one respect and good in another, or it is evil in one case and good in
another. Thus corruption in the land resulting from drought, disease,
poverty, and fear is evil, but it is good in another respect. Allah, the
Exalted said: "Corruption has appeared on the land and sea for what men's
hands have earned. Allah has ordained this for men, so that they may taste
24
some of what they have done, in order that they may turn back (from
evil)" (30:41). Cutting off the thief's hand or stoning the adulterer is an
evil thing for the thief and the adulterer, but it is good for them in one
respect, because it is a purification for them so that the punishment of this
life and the hereafter are not combined for them. These punishments are
good in another respect: their application protects property, honor, and
relationships.
Chapter VIII
BENEFITS
This sublime belief, which includes those great principles, bears numerous
and useful types of fruits for whoever believes in it.
Virtues of Belief in Allah:
• Belief in Allah, His names, and His attributes instills in the individual the
love and glorification of Allah that result in his performing Allah's
instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. These are the means of
achieving ultimate happiness in this life and the hereafter for both the
individual and the society: "Whoever, male or female, does righteous deed,
while believing, We shall assuredly grant him a goodly life, and We shall
reward them according to the best of their deeds" (16:97).
Virtues of Belief in the Angels:
• Appreciating the dignity of Allah, His might, and His sovereignty.
• Gratitude toward Allah because He puts some of the angels in charge of
His servants, recording their deeds and other things that benefit them.
• Love and admiration for the angels because of what they are doing,
namely, worshipping Allah in the best possible manner and praying for the
believers.
Virtues of Belief in the Books:
• Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people in that He sent down
a book to every nation for its guidance.
• Appreciating Allah's wisdom, for He revealed in these books to every
nation that which suits them. The glorious Qur'an is the final book and it is
suitable to all people at all times until the Day of Judgment.
• Showing gratitude for Allah's mercy in revealing these books.
Virtues of Belief in the Messengers:
• Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people for sending them
those great messengers to guide them to the straight path. Thanking Allah
for this great favor.
• Loving and respecting the prophets and praising them in what they
deserve, because they are Allah's messengers and His choice among His
people. They worshipped Allah according to the best of their ability,
conveyed His message to mankind, gave sincere advice to the people, and
bore patiently whatever hurt they received.
Virtues of Belief in the Day of Judgment:
• Endeavor to obey Allah to get the reward of that day and to avoid any
disobedience to him for fear of His punishment.
• A consolation for the believer for whatever he misses of worldly
enjoyment by what he hopes to gain of blessings and reward of the
hereafter.
Virtues of Belief in Fate and the Divine Decree:
• Dependence on Allah when doing any action, because both the cause and
effect are the result of Allah's decree.
• Ease of mind and comfort, because when the individual knows that
everything is by Allah's decree and that mishaps are going to take place
anyway, his soul will be at ease and his heart will be satisfied with Allah's
decree. No one has a more comfortable life, worry-free soul, and stronger
confidence than a believer in fate.
• Freedom from arrogance when a goal is achieved, because this is a
blessing from Allah through what He decreed of the causes of good and
success. The individual should thank Allah for that and free himself from
arrogance.
• Freedom from worry and boredom in case of failure or mishap, because
that is by Allah's decree, the One who possesses the heavens and the Earth.
Since that is going to happen anyway, the individual should be patient and
hope for the reward from Allah. Allah points to the last two virtues in the
following verse: "No misfortune can happen on earth or in yourselves but
is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence, that is really easy
for Allah; that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor rejoice in
what has come to you. Allah does not love any vainglorious boaster"
(57:22-3).
We pray to Allah, the Exalted, to reward us for this belief, to realize for us
its fruits, to increase our blessings, to keep us on the right path to which He
has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him. He is indeed the
Giver. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace
and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and
those who rightly follow them.
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