Question: Could you provide us with information about Qasîdat al-Amâlî, which is highly praised by many people? ANSWER In this qasîda [a poetic form from pre-Islamic Arabia], written by Hadrat ‘Alî Ûshî, who was one of the great Islamic scholars and the writer of the fatwâ book Siraciyya, the creed of Ahl as-Sunnat is explained perfectly in a poetic style. Its original is a superb work of art written in lines. We can sum up the main points in it as in the following: 1. Allahu ta’âlâ is eternal in the past and eternal in the future. Khair [good] and sharr [evil] are created by Him, but He does not like sharr. 2. The Attributes of Allahu ta’âlâ are neither the same as nor other than His Dhât [His Person]. All His Attributes are eternal and everlasting. He is unlike anything. 3. Allahu ta’âlâ, who created everything out of nothing, has created the ‘Arsh, too. It is wrong to say that Allahu ta’âlâ has dwelt in the ‘Arsh because He eternally existed before He created it. He is not with time or with place. 4. The îmân of a muqallid [a person who has acquired îmân by only imitating his/her parents] is valid. [A correct belief which is acquired by only imitating parents or teachers is judged as valid. Yet those who acquire their belief in this fashion are considered sinners on account of their desertion of the necessary studies, i.e., their not studying and learning the scientific knowledge briefly and not developing their mind to contemplate and understand the existence of Allahu ta’âlâ. There are other scholars, however, who say that one’s lack of scientific knowledge does not constitute one’s desertion of istidlâl if one is able to obtain belief from one’s parents or by reading books or by contemplating.] 5. The Qur’ân al-karîm is the Word of Allahu ta’âlâ. It is not a creature. 6. There are blessings in Jannat [Paradise] and torment in Jahannam [Hell]. Paradise and Hell will exist endlessly. 7. When Mu’mins see Allahu ta’âlâ in Paradise incomprehensibly and without any likeness to anything, they will forget about other blessings. 8. It is not obligatory for Allahu ta’âlâ to create the most useful thing. 9. It is fard to have belief in prophets and angels (and other tenets of belief in the Âmantu). 10. Hadrat Muhammad (‘alaihis-salâm) is the Last Prophet. His religion will exist until the end of the world. His Mi’râj [his ascent to heavens] is a fact. Prophets do not commit any sins before or after they are informed of their prophethood. No woman was sent as a prophet. 11. Hadrat ‘Îsâ will descend from heaven. He will kill Dajjâl. 12. The karâmats of the Awliyâ’ are true. 13. Abû Bakr-i Siddîq is the highest of all the Ashâb-i kirâm. 14. It is not excusable for a person who is sane and has reached the age of puberty not to know Allah. 15. If a disbeliever has îmân at his or her last breath, it is not valid. 16. Acts of worship and deeds are not a part of îmân. [That is, a person who does not perform a fard is not called a disbeliever.] Those Muslims who have committed such grave sins as murder, extortion or fornication are not declared to be disbelievers. 17. One who has intended abjuring Islam at a later time becomes an apostate the moment one makes this intention. 18. One who says something which has been reported to cause disbelief becomes an apostate, even if one does not accept its meaning. [That is, it would be an act of apostasy even if one said it as a joke or to make others laugh. For example, if one says, “I am a prophet,” it causes apostasy.] If one says something which is a sign of disbelief when one is drunk, you must not say that this person has become an apostate. 19. No matter through which means (halâl or harâm) one obtains one’s rizq [sustenance], it is still one’s rizq. 20. It is a fact that there are questioning and torment in the grave. 21. All the sinful, except those who are forgiven or become beneficiary of shafâ’at [intercession], will be imposed punishment for their sins. 22. Mu’mins will enter Paradise out of Allah’s benevolence because no one can deserve Paradise with their deeds alone. 23. When people are resurrected, they will be called to account. 24. On the Day of Resurrection, it is a fact that all deeds will be weighed (on a pair of scales peculiar to Hereafter) and that people will cross the Sirât Bridge. 25. The world was created later on; it is not eternal in the past. 26. Du’â [invocation, prayer] has effects. 27. Even those who have as many grave sins as mountains will get benefit from shafâ’at to varying degrees. 28. Both Paradise and Hell exist now. 29. Those who have îmân will not remain in Hell everlastingly as the punishment for their sins. (Only kâfirs [disbelievers] will remain in Hell everlastingly.)
