Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
Al-Istighaathah (Seeking Rescue and Deliverence) and its Proof
: zE D C B A{ :
And the Proof for al-Istighaathah (seeking rescue and deliverence):
Remember when you sought the aid and deliverence of your Lord, and He
responded to you [8:9]24
[24]:
Al-Istighaathah is a type of the types of worship, and it is seeking al-Ghauth (deliverence or
rescue), and it does not occur except at times of adversity or great difficulty, when a
person comes to be in a situation of adversity, then he seeks deliverence and rescue from
Allaah and he seeks salvation from this adversity.
And al-Istighaathah (seeking rescue and deliverence) is of two types:
The first type is: al-Istighaathah (seeking rescue) from a created being, with regard to
something that no-one is able to do except Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and this is
shirk. So whoever seeks rescue and deliverence from other than Allaah, whether it be
from a jinn or a human or those people who are absent or from the dead, then this is
shirk along with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. So seeking rescue and deliverence
through the dead and those who are absent from the devils and the jinn, this is shirk along
with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.
The second type is: seeking aid and rescue from a created being who is present and
who is alive with regard to something he is able to do – this is permissible. He the Most
High said, in the story of Moosaa:
: zf e d c b a ` _{
So the man who was upon his religion (i.e. the religion of Moosaa) he called to
him for assistance and rescue against the one who was an enemy [28:15]
146
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
Adh-Dhabh (Sacrificing or Slaughtering), its Types and its Proof
:'" z ¬ « ª © ¨ § ¦ ¥ ¤ £{ : !"# $ %&
()
.«4
7 6 + + +52 , *+ 4
3 ,+ "+ 2» 0/.
- ,+ *
And the proof for sacrificing is His saying He the Most High:
Say: My prayer and my sacrificing and my living and my dying are all for Allaah
alone, the Lord of the whole of creation [6:162]
And from the sunnah:
“Allaah has cursed the one who sacrifices for other than Allaah.”34 25
[25]:
adh-Dhabh (sacrificing or slaughtering) is of four types:
Firstly: sacrificing which is done to seek closeness and to honour and venerate someone,
and this is not permissible except for Allaah the Perfect and Most High, because it is an
act of worship involving wealth. So therefore it is not permissible to sacrifice for the jinn
nor for the devils nor for the kings nor for the leaders in order to show honour and
veneration of them, because this is worship – it is not permissible except for Allaah the
Mighty and Majestic.
So those people who sacrifice for the jinn in order to gain safety from their evil, or in
order for a sick person to be cured, as is done by the soothsayers and by the astrologers,
those who claim to be able to heal or cure, and who say to the people, “if you sacrifice
such and such in order to cure your sick person and do not mention the Name of Allaah
upon it” – this is major shirk which takes a person outside of the religion and this is what
Allaah the Most High has said in warning against doing it for other than Allaah:
() :'" z ¬ « ª © ¨ § ¦ ¥ ¤ £{
Say: My prayer and my sacrificing and my living and my dying are all for Allaah
alone, the Lord of the whole of creation [6:162]
And He said:
) :6%: z } | { z{
34 Reported by Muslim (1978) from a hadeeth of Alee ibn Abee Taalib radiyallaahu‘anhu
147
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
So pray for your Lord and sacrifice to Him [108:2]
Meaning: make sacrifice for your Lord.
The second type of sacrifice is: slaughtering an animal in order to obtain meat to eat.
This, there is no harm in it, because it is not something slaughtered to draw closer to
anyone or to venerate anyone, it is just being sacrificed for a need, and eating is from
that; so this, there is no harm in it, because it is not a type of worship, and it can be
slaughtered in order to sell the meat.
The third type of sacrifice is: sacrificing which is done at times of joy and happiness,
on the occasion of a marriage or on the occasion of settling in a new home or someone
returning after an absence, or the like of that, by gathering one’s relatives and then
performing a sacrifice in order to show one’s happiness and joy at what has occurred.
This, there is no harm in it, because it does not contain veneration of anyone, and it is
not seeking to draw closer to anyone, rather it is just a case of joy and happiness at
something that has occurred.
Fourthly: sacrificing in order to give meat away in charity for the poor people and the
needy and the destitute, this is counted as being a sunnah, and it enters into worship.
148
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
An-Nadhr (Vows) and their Evidence
@ :>.? z P O N M L K J I{ := < 0/ ;
And the proof for vows:
They fulfil their vows and they fear a Day whose evil will be widespread [76:7]26
[26]:
An-Nadhr (making a vow): it is that a person makes something binding upon himself
which was not originally binding upon him in the legislation, such as his making a vow
that he will perform a fast, or his making a vow that he will give such and such in charity
– then it becomes binding upon him to carry out his vow, because of the saying of the
Prophet sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam:
$"D FE 4 C DB >A = ,*
“Whoever makes a vow that he will obey Allaah, then let him obey Him”35
And making a vow is a type from the types of worship, it is not permissible to do it
except for Allaah. So whoever makes a vow for a grave or for an idol or for other than
that, then he has committed shirk with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and it will be a
vow of sin and shirk. And the Prophet sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam said:
$"B HE 4 G"B >A = ,*
“And whoever makes a vow that he will commit an act of disobedience to Allaah,
then let him not disobey Him”.
35 Reported by al-Bukhaaree (6696 & 6700) from a hadeeth of Aa’ishah radiyallaahu‘anhaa.
149
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
The Second Fundamental Principle: Knowledge of the Religion of Islaam
The Definition of the Religion
' H? , B ; E6"* :KJ ; I
The second fundamental principle: knowledge of the religion of Islaam with its proofs.27
[27]:
The Shaikh, having finished explaining knowledge of the first fundamental principle,
which was knowledge of Allaah the Perfect and Most High, with the evidences, he now
moves on to explaining the second fundamental principle, and it is knowledge of the
religion of Islaam with the proofs.
So therefore he said, “The second fundamental principle: knowledge and awareness of
the religion of Islaam with the proofs.” Then he mentioned its definition and he
explained its meaning and then he mentioned its levels.
And his saying rahimahullaah, “knowledge of the Deen of Islaam”. Ad-Deen – it means
obedience, for it is said about a person, daana lahu, when he obeys him with regard to
what he commanded, and he abandons what he forbade.
And the word Ad-Deen is used to mean al-Hisaab (bringing to account or reckoning), just
as occurs in His saying:
M :L z Q P O N{
The Sovereign Owner of the Day of Reckoning [1:4]
And it is said, “daanahu”, meaning he brought him to account, just as He the Most High
said:
O N @ :=D z y x w v u t s r q p o n m{
And what will cause you to understand what is the Day of the Reckoning? Then
what will cause you to understand what is the Day of the Reckoning? [82:17-18]
Meaning: the Day of the Reckoning.
:=D z ¥ ¤ £ ¢ ¡ ~ } | { z{
On the Day when no soul will possess any benefit for any other soul, and the
whole affair on that Day will be for Allaah. [82:19]
150
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
His saying, “with the proofs”, meaning: knowledge of the religion of Islaam cannot be by
way of blind following, or by way of conjecture from the person. The religion must be
based upon proofs from the Book and the Sunnah. As for the person who does not
know his religion, rather he just blindly follows the rest of the people and he is just a
follower of whatever the rest of the people do, then this person does not know his
religion as he should, and it is quite appropriate that when he is asked in the grave, that
he should say:
$FE X GW >% %B V0 T"U R S=A R PQ R PQ
“Haa, Haa, I do not know. I heard the people saying something, so I said it.”36
So it is obligatory on a person that he should gain knowledge and awareness of his
religion with the proofs from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger
sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam, and he will not know this except through learning.
36Reported by al-Bukhaaree (1338) and by Muslim (2870) in abridged form from a hadeeth of Anas
radiyallaah‘anhu. The full version of the hadeeth is reported by Aboo Daawood (4753) from a hadeeth of al-
Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib radiyallaah‘anhu.
151
Translated by Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank - rahimahullaah ittibaa.com
