The Methodology of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab

in writing the Three Principles

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The Methodology of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad ibn

‘Abdil-Wahhaab in writing the Three Principles

Taken from a Lecture given by

ash-Shaykh, al-‘Alaamah, the Muhaddith of Madeenah,
‘Abdul-Muhsin al-‘Abaad (hafithahullah)
entitled,
Manhaju Shaykhi-Islaami Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab
fee at-Ta’leef
(The Methodology of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab in
authoring) pages 20-26

Translated by

Aboo ‘Imraan al-Mekseekee

The Three Principles that are the topic of this book consists of knowledge of the
servants Lord, his religion and his prophet, Muhammad (may the peace &
blessings of Allah be upon him). These three principles are of major importance
and it is what the dead person will be questioned about in his grave. It was
narrated in a long narration (#18534) by Imaam Ahmad with a chain of
transmission that is Hasan (Good) from al-Baraa bin ‘Aazab (may Allah be
pleased with him): {…So there will approach him-meaning the believer-two
angels that will sit by him and ask, “Who is your Lord?” so he will respond, “My

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The Methodology of Shaykh-ul-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab
in writing the Three Principles
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Lord is Allah.” Then they will both ask, “What is your religion?” and he will
respond, “My religion is Islam.” Then they will both ask him, “Who is this man
that was sent to all of you (mankind)?” He will then respond, “He is the
messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him).}

And also in the text: {…So there will approach him-meaning the disbeliever in
Islam-two angels that will sit by him and ask, “Who is your Lord?” in which he
will say, “Uh, Uh, I don’t know!?” They will both then ask him, “What is your
religion?” to which he will reply, “Uh, Uh, I don’t know!?” then they will both ask
him, “Who is this man that was sent to all of you (mankind)?” and he will say,
“Uh, Uh, I don’t know!?}

Also it has been narrated mentioning three collectives found in some of the
prophetic narrations that indicate them (the three principles) as being
completeness in one’s faith and they are the narratives of al-‘Abbaas bin ‘Abdil-
Muttalib in the Saheeh of Muslim (#56) that he heard the Messenger of Allah
(may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) say: {The one who has tasted
the food of Imaan (Belief) is the one who is pleased with Allah as his Lord, Islam
as his religion and with Muhammad as his messenger.} and in the Saheeh of
Muslim (#1884) the narrative of Aboo Saeed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: {O Abaa Saeed! Whoever is pleased with Allah as his Lord, with
Islam as his religion and with Muhammad as his prophet then the Paradise will
be made obligatory for him.} and in the text of the supplication upon hearing the
Adhaan (the call to Prayer) in Saheeh Muslim (#386) from Sa’d bin Abee Waqaas
(may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (may the peace &
blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: {Whoever says after hearing the
Adhaan; I bear witness that nothing is worthy of worship except for Allah, He is
alone having no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, I
am pleased with Allah has my Lord, with Muhammad as my messenger and with

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Islam as my religion, he will be forgiven of his sins.}

It is a cherished book that is essential for the specific (the students of knowledge)
and the general (the common people) due to what it contains in explaining these
three principles and their evidences.

And he says in the text,” So when it is said to you: What are the three principles
that are obligatory for a person to know? Then respond: It is that the servant
knows Allah as his Lord, Islam is his religion and Muhammad is his prophet (may
the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him). So when it is said to you: Who is
your Lord? Then respond: Allah is my Lord, He is the one who nurtured me and
all of creation by His blessings, He is my focal point of worship there is no other
and the evidence for that is the statement of the Most High:

{All Praise is for Allah Lord of all the Worlds (of mankind, the angels and the
jinn}

And everything Allah has fashioned is a sign and I am one of those signs.

So if you are asked: How do you know your Lord? Then say: By His signs and
creation, so from His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.
And from His creation are the seven heavens and the seven lands and whosoever
is in it or between it (from the created beings).”

And (all of) that is accordance with the Quran, then he says, “And the Lord (ar-
Rabb) is the focal point of worship and the evidence is the statement of the Most
High:

{O Mankind worship your Lord the One who created you all and those before you
so that you may become God fearing people. He is the One who has made the

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earth a place of rest and the sky as a raised edifice and He sends from the sky
water causing fruits to be extracted from the soil as a provision for you, so do not
place partners with Allah while you are knowledgeable (of this).}

Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) said: “The Creator of these created things is the Most
Deserving to be worshipped.”

Then he mentions a paragraph containing the various categories of worship and

the evidence for each category. Then he says:

“The Second Principle is knowledge of the religion of Islam along with its
evidences and it is to submit to Allah wholeheartedly with Tawheed and to
restrict this worship by being obedient to Him and to free ones self from Shirk
and its people. It has three levels: Islam (to submit to Allah), Imaan (Belief) and
Ihsaan (to do every act of worship completely and sincerely for Allah) and each
level has its pillars.”

Then he mentions the five pillars of Islam, the six pillars of Imaan, and the one
pillar of Ihsaan along with the evidence for each pillar.

Then he says, “The Third Principle is knowledge of your Prophet Muhammad

(may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him), and he is Muhammad bin
‘Abdillah bin ‘Abdil-Muttalib bin Haashim and Haashim was from Quraysh and
Qurasyh was from the Arabs and the Arabs were the descendants of Isma’eel bin
Ibraaheem al-Khaleel may the peace and best of blessings be upon our Prophet.
He lived to be sixty three, from that time span he lived forty years before being
chosen as a prophet and then spent twenty three years after that as a prophet and
messenger. He was made a prophet with ‘Alaq (Soorah 96) and made a
messenger with Muddathir (Soorah 74), he was born in Makkah and emigrated to
Madeenah. Allah sent him to warn from Shirk and to invite the people to

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Tawheed.”

Then he mentions other paragraphs connecting the Messenger with his message
and then points out the evidences. And he (rahimahullah) mentions his noble
lineage in summary while indicating the proof of the nobility of his lineage from
what is related by Muslim in his Saheeh (#2276) from Waathilah bin al-Asqa’
(may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may
the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) saying:

{Allah chose Kinaanah from the sons of Isma’eel and He chose Quraysh from
Kinaanah, and He chose Quraysh from Banee Haashim, and He chose me from
Banee Haashim.}

The Quraysh are the sons of Fahr bin Maalik who is the eleventh descendant of
the Messenger (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) so his
forefathers (from the Prophet) to ‘Adnaan number twenty one descendants. In
regards to this lineage then it is agreed upon (by the people of knowledge) and
beyond that (from ‘Adnaan to Aadam) there is some disagreement.

He is Muhammad the son of ‘Abdillah son of ‘Abdil-Muttalib son of Haashim the

son of ‘Abdil-Manaaf the son of Qusay the son of Kilaab the son of Murrah the
son of Ka’b the son of Lu’ee the son of Ghaalib the son of Fahr the son of Maalik
the son of an-Nadhr the son of Kinaanah the son of Khuzaymah the son of
Mudrikah the son of Ilyaas the son of Mudhar the son of Nizaar the son of
Ma’add the son of ‘Adnaan, this lineage is related by Imaam al-Bukhaaree in his
Saheeh in the beginning section to the sending of the Prophet (may the peace &
blessings of Allah be upon him) in the Book of the Virtues of the Ansaar and he
(Imaam Bukhaaree) relates after the title narration #3851 from Ibn Abbaas (may
Allah be pleased with them both) who said:

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“Allah revealed the Quran to the Messenger of Allah (may the peace & blessings
of Allah be upon him) when he was a man of forty years, he stayed in Makkah for
thirteen years then emigrated to Madeenah where he resided for ten years then
he passed away.”

You can view this lineage in the Tabaqaat al-Kubraa of Ibn Sa’d (1/55) which
contains the relation of the Quraysh to Fahr ibn Maalik the eleventh descendant
of the Messenger (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him), you can also
view what is said regarding his (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him)
lineage from ‘Adnaan to Isma’eel in Fath-ul-Baaree (6/538-539).

In brief, the book al-Usool ath-Thalaathah (The Three Principles) was composed
by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullah) with summarized
and clear explanations, taken with evidences that are mentioned in the Book and
the Sunnah. It is the first thing that is befitting for the child to be instructed in, to
be taught to the general public and to be benefited from by the specific (the
students of knowledge) and general (common people).

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