Being Pleased With Allaah, His Messenger & His Deen
By
Shaykhul –Islaam
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah as-Salafi
-Rahimullaah-
Translated & Compiled
by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Ibn Qayyim aj-Jawzeeyah (d.751 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said:
‘The Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wasallam –said:
ذَاقَ طَعْمَ الإيمانِ : مَنْ رَضِيَ بالله ربًّا، وبالإسلام دينًا، وبمحمَّدٍ رَسُولاً
‘The sweetness of Eemaan has been tasted by he, whomever is pleased with Allaah as a Lord, Islaam as a religion and Muhammad as a Messenger.’
[Collected by Muslim]
The Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –said:
مَنْ قَالَ حِيْنَ يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً، وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا. غُفِرَ لَهُ ذَنْبُهُ
‘Whoever says, when he hears the call to prayer, I am pleased with Allaah as a Lord, Muhammad as a Messenger and Islaam as a religion, then his sin will be forgiven.’
[Collected by Muslim]
The levels of the religion revolve around these two Ahadeeth and they end with these.
Indeed these two Ahadeeth include being pleased with the Ruboobeeyah (Lordship) of Allaah Subhanahu, and His Ulooheeyah (worshipping Him), being pleased with His Messenger and having obedience to him, and being pleased with Allaah’s religion and having submission to it.
Whoever has these four aspects combined, then he truly is a Siddeeq (truthful) person. It is an easy claim and statement to say, but it is from the most difficult matters in reality and in being tested, especially if what occurs opposes the desires of the soul and the intent of that becomes clear that being pleased was stated with just the tongue, so it was upon the tongue and not with ones actions.
Therefore, being pleased with Allaah’s Ieelaheeya (meaning the One who is worshipped): includes being pleased with loving Him alone, being fearful of Him, having hope in Him, and turning repentantly to Him, and having devotion for Him, andstrength of intention and having all love for Him, the person being pleased does everything to please his beloved, and this includes His worship and having sincerity for Allaah.
Being pleased with His Ruboobeeyah (Lordship):
This includes being pleased with what Allaah has planned and disposed for His slave. Being pleased with Allaah’s Ruboobeeyah also includes singling Allaah out alone for having trust and reliance upon Him, and seeking assistance with Him, trusting Him, having reliance upon Him, and that a person is pleased with everything that Allaah does to him.
The first: includes being pleased with what He commands.
The second: includes being pleased with what He destined for him.
There are many people who are pleased with Allaah as a Lord and they do not desire any other Lord except Him, however, they are not pleased with Him with being the only Wali (Guardian) and being the only Helper. But they have loyalty to Awaliyah other than Allaah, thinking that they are bringing you closer to Allaah, and that being loyal to them is like being loyal to those who are close to the king, and this is specific Shirk.
Indeed Tawheed is that a person does not take any one other than Allaah as an Awaliyah, and the Qur’aan is full of the description of the Mushrikeen that they took Awaliyah other than Allaah.
This is not the loyalty that one has for Allaah’s Prophets, His Messengers and His believing slaves, since this is from the completion of Eemaan to have loyalty to His Prophets, and this is in fact complete loyalty for Allaah.
Therefore, having loyalty for His Awaliyah is one colour and taking a Wali other than Allaah is a different colour. Whoever has not understood the distinction and criterion between them, then he must study Tawheed from its foundation, since this issue is a foundation of Tawheed and its base principle.
There are many people who desire to take someone other than Allaah as a judge to whom they can take their judgements to.
With whom they could debate, and be pleased with his judgement.
These three levels are the pillars of Tawheed; that none other than Allah is taken as a Lord, or as a deity and none other than Him has a command.
Being pleased with His Prophet:
As for being pleased with His Prophet as a Messenger: then this includes having prefect obedience to him, and complete submission to him, whereby the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– is foremost to a person than his own self. So he does not take guidance except from the places of the Messenger’s speech, he does not turn for a judgement except to him, and no one gives a judgement above his, and he totally is not pleased with someone else’s judgement, not in anything from the Asmaa (Names) of Allaah and His characteristics and His actions, nor in anything from the perception and sense of the reality of al Eemaan and its different levels, nor in anything from the Ahkam (rulings) apparent and hidden, and a person is not pleased with a ruling regarding these things from someone other than the Messenger, and he is not pleased except with his ruling.
If however a person is incapable of following the Messenger’s judgement, then him having someone else’s judgement then this is from the view of forceful nourishment for a person who cannot find that which would sustain himself with except from dead flesh and blood. The best that can be said about this situation is that it is like using dust, which is used for Tayummum (dry ablution) when a person is incapable of using water for purification.
Being pleased with His Deen (Religion):
As for being pleased with the Deen, so if the Deen says something or gives a ruling or commands or prohibits then a person should be completely pleased with it. There does not remain any opposition and resistance in his heart from its ruling, and he submits to it with total submission. Even if it opposes what his own self intends, or his desires, or the statement of the one whom he blindly follows, or his Shaykh or his sect, this is where all the people desert you except the Ghuraba (those who adhere to the Sunnah) in this world.
Beware of feeling distressed and lonely of being isolated and alone [i.e. Since the people abandon you for holding on to the Sunnah, being from the Ghuraba.] since indeed it is -and I swear by Allaah- the distinction of honour and companionship with Allaah and His Messenger and it is the soul of being close to Allaah. And being pleased with Allaah as a Lord, Muhammad as a Messenger and Islaam as a religion.
[From: ‘Madarij as-Salikeen’ 2/170-172]
The Different Wordings of the Hadeeth
1 – From Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri saying that the Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahualayhiwasallam– said:
(مَنْ قَالَ: رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيًّا وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ)
‘Whoever says: ‘I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord, Islaam as the Religion and with Muhammad as the Prophet, then Paradise becomes obligatory for him.’
[Collected in SilsilahSaheehah 334 &Saheeh Abu Dawood 1368]
2 – From Aamir bin Sa’ad bin Abee Waqas from his father from the Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahualayhiwasallam –that he said:
(مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ: وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ)
‘Whoever says when he hears the Mu’adhin (the caller to the prayer): Wa Ana Ashhaduanala ilaha ‘illa Allaah wahdahu la shareekalahu wa Ashhaduanna Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasooluhu Radeetu Billaahi Rabban wa BilIslaami Deenan wa Bi Muhammad sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam Rasoolan.’
(I testify that there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah Alone and He has no partners and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord, with Islaam as the Religion and with Muhammad as the Messenger’) Then his previous sins are forgiven.’
[Collected in Saheeh Abu Dawood 537]
3 – From al-Munaydhir a Companion of the Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and he used to be in Africa who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – say:
من قال إذا أصبح :” رضيت بالله ربا و بالإسلام دينا و بمحمد نبيا “،فأناالزعيم لآخذن بيده حتى أدخله الجنة
‘Whoever says in the morning: ‘I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord, Islaam as the Religion and with Muhammad as the Prophet,’ then I am a guarantor that I will indeed definitely take him by his hand until I can enter him in to Paradise.’
[Collected in At-Targheeb by al-Mundhari, Tabarani & Albaani in Silsilah Saheehah 2686 and he said the Hadeeth is Thaabit (Established)]
Al-Ayni said in his explanation of Abu Dawood:
Regarding the Messenger’s saying: ‘I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord’ means: I am convinced by Him, He is sufficient for me, and I do not require anyone along with Him.
Regarding the Messenger’s saying: ‘and with Muhammad as the Prophet,’ means: that I am content with Muhammad as a Messenger to me and to all the other Muslims.
Regarding the Messenger’s saying: ‘Islaam as the Religion’ means: I am content with Islaam as a religion, meaning I do not desire another way other than Islaam, and I do not follow except that which is in agreement with the Sharia’ of Muhammad – alayhi as-Salaam- or that I do not desire other than Islaam as a Deen.’
[SharhAbeeDawood by al-Ayani 2/484]
Al-Ayni continues in his explanation:
If it is said what is the intent of the saying: ‘as a Deen’, I say: the meaning of Deen here is Tawheed; … . . as in the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
ومَنيَبتَغ غَيرَ الإِسلاَم دينا
<< And whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam>>[Ala-Imran: 85]
Means: Tawheed.
As for the authentic hadeeth from Umar who said: ‘While we were with the Messenger of Allaah that day, all of a sudden a man came to visit whose clothing was exceedingly white…..’ to the end of the hadeeth. So here the Messenger of Allaah generalized the ‘Deen’ upon ‘Islaam, Eemaan (faith) and Ihsaan (perfection of worship)’ due to his saying: Indeed that was Jibraeel who came to you to teach you your Deen.’ He taught them these three things.
Therefore, sometimes the Deen is stated for the three things which Jibraeel – Alayhi as-Salaam – inquired about, and sometimes it is stated for Islaam as is in the saying of Allaah Tala’a:
اليَومَ أكمَلتُ لَكُم دينَكُم وَأتمَمتُ عَلَيكم نعمَتيوَرَضيتُ لَكُمُ الإسلاَمَ دينا
<< This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion.>>[al-Maidah: 3]
[From: ‘SharhAbeeDawood’ by al-Ayani 2/486-7]
Saying it three times is not Authentic
Da’eef – From Abee Salaam the servant of the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- from the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- that he said:
‘There is no Muslim or human or slave who says when the morning comes and when the evening approaches, three times: ‘I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord, Islaam as the Religion and with Muhammad as the Prophet, except that it is a right upon Allaah that he will please him on the Day of Judgement.’
[Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah in ‘al-Musannaf’ and in ‘al-Musnad’ & Albaani declared it Da’eef in Silsilah Ahadeeth ad-Da’eefah no. 5020]
And in another wording:
Da’eef – ‘who says when the morning comes and when the evening approaches, three times: ‘I am pleased with Allaah as the Lord, Islaam as the Religion and with Muhammad as the Prophet.’ except that it is a right upon Allaah that he will please him.’
[Albaani declared it Da’eef in ‘Da’eef al-Jamia’ as-Sagheer’ No. 5734]
All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace
and blessings be upon our final
Prophet Muhammad, his
family, his companions
and all those who
follow his way