200 FAQ On Muslims Belief by Hafiz Ibn Ahmed Al Hakami

A--- Al-Hafiz summarized in Al-Fath what was mentioned by Ibn Hibban, saying: These branches are divided into three categories:

(a) Deeds of the heart (b) Deeds of the tongue (c) Deeds of the organs They are explained as follows:

Deeds of the heart: cover beliefs and intentions. These encompass the following twenty-four branches:

Affirming faith in Allah which includes affirming faith in His Entity, Attributes, that nothing resembles Him Who is the All Hearer, the All Seer, and that all other than Him is created. Deeds of the heart also include an affirming faith in His Angels, His Books, His Messenger, the Divine Decree about good and evil, the Last Day: including the questioning in the grave, resurrection, revival, reckoning, the Balance, the Straight Path, Paradise and Hell-fire. They also cover affirming faith in Allah's Love; loving and hating for His Sake; love of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him); affirming faith in honoring .him: sending prayers upon him, his household and following his Prophetic Sunnah (way of life).

They also cover affirming faith in sincerity: including avoiding showing off and hypocrisy. They also cover repentance, fear, hope, thank-giving, gratefulness, patience, satisfaction with the Pre-ordainment, reliance on Allah, mercy; modesty: including respecting the old and showing mercy to the young, and avoiding arrogance, conceitedness, envy, spite and anger.

Deeds of the tongue: cover seven branches. These are as follows:

Pronouncing Tawhid, reciting the Qur'an, learning, teaching (conveying)

knowledge, supplication, Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), and forgiveness and avoiding Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk).

Deeds of the organs: cover thirty-eight branches, fifteen of which pertain to bodies. These are as follows:

Purification in all aspects, i.e. avoiding impurities, covering the private parts.. .etc., performing obligatory and supererogatory prayers, paying Zakah, freeing of slaves, generosity (i.e. feeding people, hospitality), obligatory and supererogatory fasting, Hajj (Major Pilgrimage), 'Umrah (Minor Pilgrimage), Tawaf (Circumambulating around the Ka' bah), I'tikaf (Seclusion in the mosque for the purpose of worship), observing Lailat AIQadr (the Night of Might), escaping with one's religion (i.e. migrating from the land of polytheism), fulfilling vows, protecting their oaths, and paying expiations.

In addition, six branches are pertaining to one's close people: these are as follows: Preserving chastity through marriage, maintaining the children, being good to parents: avoiding impiety to them, bringing up the children, strengthening the ties of kinship, obeying masters, and showing mercy to slaves.

Still, seventeen branches are due on the part of the public: assuming leadership with justice, sticking to the Jama'ah (Community), obeying the authorities, compromising between adversaries: (fighting against rebels and oppressors), cooperating in righteousness: enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil, and executing the Legal Penalties; Jihad:

guarding the frontiers; keeping of trust: paying the Khumus (one-fifth of the booty fallen to one's lot); lending and paying the loan back; being generous to neighbors; good treatment: earning money by lawful means and spending it by its right, avoiding wasting and excessiveness; returning the greeting and replying to the sneezer: saying, "May Allah be Merciful on you," provided the sneezer says: "All the Praises are for Allah", avoiding harming the people, avoiding idle talk, and removal of harm from the people's path.

These are sixty-nine branches; they can be counted as seventy-nine by way of counting the sub-branches as well. And, Allah is the Best Knower!