Twenty-eight close readings of original Arabic passages with forty-six comprehension questions Read the bilingual lesson for Reading the Creed Text: Terms, Qualifications and Meaning and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Oneness and no partner
إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَاحِدٌ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ.
Indeed, Allah Most High is One; He has no partner.
Reading the terms: Wāḥid affirms oneness; lā sharīka lahu explicitly negates every partner. The two phrases reinforce each other.
Boundary of meaning: Calling Allah the Creator while assigning worship to another does not fulfill tawḥīd. Oneness concerns lordship, worship, and divine attributes.
Takeaway: Allah is One, without any partner.
2. The denial of every equal
وَلَا شَيْءَ مِثْلُهُ.
Nothing is like Him.
Reading the terms: Mithl denotes a likeness or equal. The negation is not merely of physical shape; it denies any created counterpart to Allah in essence or attributes.
Boundary of meaning: Affirming divine attributes is compatible with denying resemblance to creatures. An affirmed attribute does not imply a human mode of possessing it.
Takeaway: Nothing is truly comparable to Allah.
3. No power can frustrate Him
وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْجِزُهُ.
Nothing can render Him incapable.
Reading the terms: Yuʿjizuhu means to render someone powerless. The universal negation lā shayʾa excludes every possible created obstacle to divine power.
Boundary of meaning: Perfect power does not require a creature’s assistance. No external obstacle can defeat what Allah wills to bring about.
Takeaway: Nothing can defeat Allah’s power.
4. Beginning and end
قَدِيمٌ بِلَا ابْتِدَاءٍ، دَائِمٌ بِلَا انْتِهَاءٍ.
He is without any beginning and remains forever without any end.
Reading the terms: Bilā ibtidāʾ addresses beginninglessness; bilā intihāʾ addresses endlessness. Qadīm and dāʾim are not mere repetitions of one aspect.
Boundary of meaning: A creature’s prolonged or continued existence is not equivalent to the Creator’s beginninglessness. Created survival does not make a being eternal without beginning.
Takeaway: Allah has neither beginning nor end.
5. Occurrence and divine will
وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مَا يُرِيدُ.
Nothing takes place except what Allah wills.
Reading the terms: Lā yakūnu illā mā yurīd is a negation followed by an exception: nothing that occurs lies outside the divine will.
Boundary of meaning: The statement relates occurrence to will. It does not by itself show that every occurrence is morally approved or commanded.
Takeaway: Every occurrence is under Allah’s will.
6. Imaginations and understandings
لَا تَبْلُغُهُ الْأَوْهَامُ وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَفْهَامُ.
Imaginations do not reach His reality, nor do understandings encompass Him.
Reading the terms: Al-awhām is the plural of wahm (imaginings) and al-afhām of fahm (understanding). Neither can encompass the divine reality.
Boundary of meaning: Knowing truths about Allah and comprehensively grasping His essence are distinct. Human conceptual limits must not be treated as limits on God.
Takeaway: Human imagination and understanding cannot encompass Allah.
7. Creation without need
خَالِقٌ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ، رَازِقٌ بِلَا مُؤْنَةٍ.
He creates without need and provides sustenance without toil.
Reading the terms: Bilā ḥājah excludes need from creating; bilā muʾnah excludes toil or burden from providing sustenance.
Boundary of meaning: Creation depends on Allah; Allah does not depend on creation. The toil involved in human provision cannot be projected onto divine provision.
Takeaway: Allah creates and provides without need or toil.
8. Attributes without beginning
مَا زَالَ بِصِفَاتِهِ قَدِيمًا قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ
Before creating anything, Allah was eternally possessed of His attributes.
Reading the terms: Mā zāla ... qadīman qabla khalqih states that Allah was eternally possessed of His attributes before creating the world.
Boundary of meaning: The appearance of creatures does not bring a previously missing perfection into Allah. Created things originate; divine attributes are not created.
Takeaway: The divine attributes existed before any creature.
9. Lordship and its subject
لَهُ مَعْنَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَلَا مَرْبُوبَ
Allah possessed the meaning of Lordship even when there was no subject under His nurturing and governance.
Reading the terms: Rubūbiyyah means lordship; marbūb is a being subject to nurture and governance. The text differentiates the eternal attribute from the temporal subject.
Boundary of meaning: The former absence of a created subject does not imply an absence of divine lordship. The attribute does not originate with the creature.
Takeaway: Lordship is not dependent on the prior existence of a subject.
10. Prior knowledge of actions
وَلَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلَقَهُمْ
Before creating them, none of their actions was hidden from Allah.
Reading the terms: Qabla an yakhluqahum specifies that Allah already knew their actions before their creation.
Boundary of meaning: Knowing an action beforehand differs from compelling a person. Prior knowledge alone does not cancel human responsibility.
Takeaway: Allah knew the creatures’ actions before creating them.
11. Command and prohibition
وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ
He commanded them to obey Him and forbade them from disobeying Him.
Reading the terms: Amarahum bi-ṭāʿatih directs obedience; nahāhum ʿan maʿṣiyatih forbids disobedience.
Boundary of meaning: Commands and prohibitions ground moral responsibility. Belief in predestination does not render these commands meaningless.
Takeaway: Allah commands obedience and forbids disobedience.
12. Human and divine willing
لَا مَشِيئَةَ لِلْعِبَادِ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ لَهُمْ
Servants have no will except what Allah has willed for them.
Reading the terms: The phrase places human willing under divine willing; it excludes autonomous and unlimited human choice.
Boundary of meaning: Dependent willing is not identical to absolute compulsion. The human obligation to obey must be read alongside the teaching on divine will.
Takeaway: Human choice is not independent of divine will.
13. Servant, prophet and messenger
وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدُهُ الْمُصْطَفَى وَنَبِيُّهُ الْمُجْتَبَى وَرَسُولُهُ الْمُرْتَضَى
Muhammad ﷺ is Allah’s chosen servant, selected Prophet, and approved Messenger.
Reading the terms: ʿAbduhu, nabiyyuhu and rasūluhu distinguish servanthood, prophethood and messengerhood.
Boundary of meaning: Respecting the Prophet ﷺ does not erase his servanthood, nor does affirming servanthood diminish the rank of messengerhood.
Takeaway: The Prophet ﷺ is Allah’s servant, prophet and messenger.
14. Finality and rank
وَإِنَّهُ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِمَامُ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ وَسَيِّدُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَحَبِيبُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
The Prophet ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets, leader of the God-fearing, master of the Messengers, and beloved of the Lord of the worlds.
Reading the terms: Khātam al-anbiyāʾ denotes finality of prophethood; sayyid al-mursalīn denotes the Prophet’s elevated rank among messengers.
Boundary of meaning: Finality must not be reduced to rank alone; the ending of the prophetic succession is an independent part of the doctrine.
Takeaway: The Prophet ﷺ is the final prophet and foremost of the messengers.
15. The Qur’an as divine speech
وَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ
The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
Reading the terms: Kalām Allāh attributes the Qur’an as speech to Allah, defining its foundational theological status.
Boundary of meaning: A human reciter’s produced voice and the divine speech affirmed in creed are not the same category. Conflating them creates confusion.
Takeaway: The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
16. Vision, encompassing and modality
وَالرُّؤْيَةُ حَقٌّ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِغَيْرِ إِحَاطَةٍ وَلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ
The people of Paradise will truly see Allah, without encompassing Him or determining a modality.
Reading the terms: Bi-ghayri iḥāṭatin wa-lā kayfiyyah qualifies the affirmed vision: no encompassing and no determined modality.
Boundary of meaning: Affirming the vision does not entail confining Allah to a physical body or direction. Seeing and encompassing are distinct notions.
Takeaway: The vision granted to Paradise’s people is true without encompassing or specifying how.
17. Acceptance and submission
وَلَا تَثْبُتُ قَدَمُ الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا عَلَى ظَهْرِ التَّسْلِيمِ وَالِاسْتِسْلَامِ
One’s footing in Islam is established through acceptance and surrender.
Reading the terms: Taslīm expresses accepting revealed truth; istislām emphasizes yielding and submitting to it.
Boundary of meaning: Submission does not abolish reason; it guards against inventing unseen modalities or denying established revelation without warrant.
Takeaway: Belief is stabilized through acceptance and submission.
18. The reality of the Miʿrāj
وَالْمِعْرَاجُ حَقٌّ
The Ascension is true.
Reading the terms: Wa-l-miʿrāju ḥaqq is a concise affirmative statement; ḥaqq marks the event as true and real.
Boundary of meaning: A miraculous event is not dismissed simply because it lies beyond ordinary experience. The fact of the event and its details are distinct questions.
Takeaway: The reality of the Night Journey and Ascension is affirmed.
19. Prophetic intercession
وَالشَّفَاعَةُ الَّتِي ادَّخَرَهَا لَهُمْ حَقٌّ كَمَا رُوِيَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ
The intercession reserved for the Prophet ﷺ is true, as transmitted in the reports.
Reading the terms: Iddakharahā lahum describes intercession preserved for the community; ḥaqq affirms its reality.
Boundary of meaning: Affirming intercession is not permission to sin. Intercession takes place under divine permission and expresses divine mercy.
Takeaway: The Prophet’s established intercession is real.
20. The mystery of decree
وَأَصْلُ الْقَدَرِ سِرُّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي خَلْقِهِ
The foundation of predestination is Allah Most High’s secret concerning His creation.
Reading the terms: Aṣl al-qadar sirr Allāh points to a depth of the divine decree not fully disclosed to created beings.
Boundary of meaning: Not encompassing the secret of decree does not nullify revealed obligations or accountability. Known commands and undisclosed wisdom are different matters.
Takeaway: Some depths of the divine decree remain beyond created knowledge.
21. Major sins and tawḥīd
وَأَهْلُ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي النَّارِ لَا يُخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا مَاتُوا وَهُمْ مُوَحِّدُونَ
Major sinners from Muhammad’s ﷺ community do not remain eternally in the Fire if they die as affirmers of Allah’s oneness, even if they enter it.
Reading the terms: Idhā mātū wa-hum muwaḥḥidūn is a crucial qualifier: dying upon tawḥīd despite major sins. It cannot be omitted when interpreting the statement.
Boundary of meaning: This is not a guarantee that every major sin goes unpunished. Forgiveness and punishment remain under divine grace and justice.
Takeaway: Eternal punishment is denied of major sinners who die upon tawḥīd.
22. The noble recording angels
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِالْكِرَامِ الْكَاتِبِينَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ جَعَلَهُمْ عَلَيْنَا حَافِظِينَ
We believe in the noble recording angels, for Allah has appointed them as guardians over us.
Reading the terms: Kirām means noble and kātibīn recording; ḥāfiẓīn identifies the entrusted oversight.
Boundary of meaning: The recording of actions is related to accountability. The angels’ assigned task does not imply any deficiency in divine knowledge.
Takeaway: Allah appointed angels to record human deeds.
23. The continued existence of Heaven and Hell
وَالْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ مَخْلُوقَتَانِ لَا تَفْنَيَانِ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَبِيدَانِ
Paradise and Hell have both been created. They will never perish or cease to exist.
Reading the terms: Makhlūqatān affirms both are created; lā tafnayān abadan affirms that they will not perish.
Boundary of meaning: Being created does not require that Allah must end a being’s existence. Continued existence of creation is unlike divine beginninglessness.
Takeaway: Paradise and Hell are created and will endure by Allah’s will.
24. Karāmah and reliable transmission
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِمَا جَاءَ مِنْ كَرَامَاتِهِمْ وَصَحَّ عَنِ الثِّقَاتِ مِنْ رِوَايَاتِهِمْ
We believe in reports of the saints' extraordinary graces that are soundly transmitted by reliable narrators.
Reading the terms: Ṣaḥḥa ʿan al-thiqāt requires sound transmission from trustworthy authorities. Karāmāt refers to extraordinary graces associated with saints.
Boundary of meaning: Not every surprising story is a karāmah. Reliable transmission and its proper religious assessment remain necessary.
Takeaway: Authentic transmission matters when accepting reports of karāmāt.
25. The rejection of divination
وَلَا نُصَدِّقُ كَاهِنًا وَلَا عَرَّافًا وَلَا مَنْ يَدَّعِي شَيْئًا يُخَالِفُ الْكِتَابَ وَالسُّنَّةَ وَإِجْمَاعَ الْأُمَّةِ.
We do not affirm a kāhin (soothsayer), an ʿarrāf (diviner), or anyone who makes a claim contrary to the Book, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Muslim community.
Reading the terms: Wa-lā nuṣaddiqu means we do not affirm as credible; it applies to soothsayers, diviners, and claims opposed to established revelation.
Boundary of meaning: A claimed secret or an occasionally accurate prediction is not itself a religious authority. The standards are the Book, Sunnah and consensus.
Takeaway: Soothsaying, divination and claims contrary to established sources are not affirmed.
26. Four contrasting pairs
وَهُوَ بَيْنَ الْغُلُوِّ وَالتَّقْصِيرِ وَبَيْنَ التَّشْبِيهِ وَالتَّعْطِيلِ وَبَيْنَ الْجَبْرِ وَالْقَدَرِ وَبَيْنَ الْأَمْنِ وَالْإِيَاسِ.
The religion of Islam follows a middle path between excess and deficiency, likening God to creation and denying His attributes, compulsion and the doctrine of autonomous human creation, and feeling secure from punishment and despairing of mercy.
Reading the terms: Excess/deficiency, resemblance/negation, compulsion/autonomous creation, and complacency/despair refer to four distinct kinds of imbalance.
Boundary of meaning: The balanced position differs with each pair. Terminology from divine attributes should not be confused with categories of human action or fear and hope.
Takeaway: Sound creed avoids four contrasting forms of extremism.
27. Steadfastness and final state
وَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُثَبِّتَنَا عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَيَخْتِمَ لَنَا بِهِ.
We ask Allah Most High to keep us firm upon faith and to grant that our lives end in that faith.
Reading the terms: Yuthabbitanā asks for ongoing steadfastness; yakhtima lanā bih asks that one’s life end upon faith.
Boundary of meaning: Faith at one point in time does not dispense with perseverance. Learning, living, praying and seeking divine help belong together.
Takeaway: The prayer seeks firmness in faith and a faithful end.
28. Following and refraining
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا
Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it. (Al-Ḥashr 59:7)
Reading the terms: Fa-khudhūhu commands acceptance; fa-ntahū commands abstention from what is forbidden. The verse places both sides together.
Boundary of meaning: Following the Messenger ﷺ is not selective acceptance of preferred directions. Refraining from established prohibitions is part of obedience.
Takeaway: Obedience to the Messenger ﷺ includes following directions and avoiding prohibitions.
Practice questions
Question 1
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Oneness and no partner” in the selected passage?
- Allah is One, without any partner.
- The divine attributes existed before any creature.
- The Prophet ﷺ is the final prophet and foremost of the messengers.
- Some depths of the divine decree remain beyond created knowledge.
Question 2
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The denial of every equal” in the selected passage?
- Nothing is truly comparable to Allah.
- The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
- Lordship is not dependent on the prior existence of a subject.
- Eternal punishment is denied of major sinners who die upon tawḥīd.
Question 3
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “No power can frustrate Him” in the selected passage?
- Nothing can defeat Allah’s power.
- Allah knew the creatures’ actions before creating them.
- Allah appointed angels to record human deeds.
- The vision granted to Paradise’s people is true without encompassing or specifying how.
Question 4
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Beginning and end” in the selected passage?
- Allah has neither beginning nor end.
- Allah commands obedience and forbids disobedience.
- Belief is stabilized through acceptance and submission.
- Paradise and Hell are created and will endure by Allah’s will.
Question 5
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Occurrence and divine will” in the selected passage?
- The reality of the Night Journey and Ascension is affirmed.
- Human choice is not independent of divine will.
- Authentic transmission matters when accepting reports of karāmāt.
- Every occurrence is under Allah’s will.
Question 6
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Imaginations and understandings” in the selected passage?
- The Prophet ﷺ is Allah’s servant, prophet and messenger.
- The Prophet’s established intercession is real.
- Soothsaying, divination and claims contrary to established sources are not affirmed.
- Human imagination and understanding cannot encompass Allah.
Question 7
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Creation without need” in the selected passage?
- Some depths of the divine decree remain beyond created knowledge.
- Allah creates and provides without need or toil.
- Sound creed avoids four contrasting forms of extremism.
- The Prophet ﷺ is the final prophet and foremost of the messengers.
Question 8
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Attributes without beginning” in the selected passage?
- The prayer seeks firmness in faith and a faithful end.
- The divine attributes existed before any creature.
- Eternal punishment is denied of major sinners who die upon tawḥīd.
- The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
Question 9
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Lordship and its subject” in the selected passage?
- The vision granted to Paradise’s people is true without encompassing or specifying how.
- Lordship is not dependent on the prior existence of a subject.
- Obedience to the Messenger ﷺ includes following directions and avoiding prohibitions.
- Allah appointed angels to record human deeds.
Question 10
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Prior knowledge of actions” in the selected passage?
- Belief is stabilized through acceptance and submission.
- Allah knew the creatures’ actions before creating them.
- Allah is One, without any partner.
- Paradise and Hell are created and will endure by Allah’s will.
Question 11
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Command and prohibition” in the selected passage?
- Nothing is truly comparable to Allah.
- Authentic transmission matters when accepting reports of karāmāt.
- Allah commands obedience and forbids disobedience.
- The reality of the Night Journey and Ascension is affirmed.
Question 12
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Human and divine willing” in the selected passage?
- Human choice is not independent of divine will.
- Nothing can defeat Allah’s power.
- Soothsaying, divination and claims contrary to established sources are not affirmed.
- The Prophet’s established intercession is real.
Question 13
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Servant, prophet and messenger” in the selected passage?
- Sound creed avoids four contrasting forms of extremism.
- Allah has neither beginning nor end.
- The Prophet ﷺ is Allah’s servant, prophet and messenger.
- Some depths of the divine decree remain beyond created knowledge.
Question 14
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Finality and rank” in the selected passage?
- The prayer seeks firmness in faith and a faithful end.
- Every occurrence is under Allah’s will.
- The Prophet ﷺ is the final prophet and foremost of the messengers.
- Eternal punishment is denied of major sinners who die upon tawḥīd.
Question 15
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The Qur’an as divine speech” in the selected passage?
- Allah appointed angels to record human deeds.
- Human imagination and understanding cannot encompass Allah.
- The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
- Obedience to the Messenger ﷺ includes following directions and avoiding prohibitions.
Question 16
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Vision, encompassing and modality” in the selected passage?
- Allah is One, without any partner.
- Allah creates and provides without need or toil.
- Paradise and Hell are created and will endure by Allah’s will.
- The vision granted to Paradise’s people is true without encompassing or specifying how.
Question 17
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Acceptance and submission” in the selected passage?
- Belief is stabilized through acceptance and submission.
- The divine attributes existed before any creature.
- Authentic transmission matters when accepting reports of karāmāt.
- Nothing is truly comparable to Allah.
Question 18
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The reality of the Miʿrāj” in the selected passage?
- Lordship is not dependent on the prior existence of a subject.
- The reality of the Night Journey and Ascension is affirmed.
- Nothing can defeat Allah’s power.
- Soothsaying, divination and claims contrary to established sources are not affirmed.
Question 19
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Prophetic intercession” in the selected passage?
- Allah has neither beginning nor end.
- Allah knew the creatures’ actions before creating them.
- Sound creed avoids four contrasting forms of extremism.
- The Prophet’s established intercession is real.
Question 20
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The mystery of decree” in the selected passage?
- Allah commands obedience and forbids disobedience.
- Some depths of the divine decree remain beyond created knowledge.
- The prayer seeks firmness in faith and a faithful end.
- Every occurrence is under Allah’s will.
Question 21
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Major sins and tawḥīd” in the selected passage?
- Human choice is not independent of divine will.
- Obedience to the Messenger ﷺ includes following directions and avoiding prohibitions.
- Eternal punishment is denied of major sinners who die upon tawḥīd.
- Human imagination and understanding cannot encompass Allah.
Question 22
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The noble recording angels” in the selected passage?
- Allah is One, without any partner.
- The Prophet ﷺ is Allah’s servant, prophet and messenger.
- Allah creates and provides without need or toil.
- Allah appointed angels to record human deeds.
Question 23
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The continued existence of Heaven and Hell” in the selected passage?
- The divine attributes existed before any creature.
- The Prophet ﷺ is the final prophet and foremost of the messengers.
- Nothing is truly comparable to Allah.
- Paradise and Hell are created and will endure by Allah’s will.
Question 24
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Karāmah and reliable transmission” in the selected passage?
- Authentic transmission matters when accepting reports of karāmāt.
- Nothing can defeat Allah’s power.
- Lordship is not dependent on the prior existence of a subject.
- The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.
Question 25
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “The rejection of divination” in the selected passage?
- Soothsaying, divination and claims contrary to established sources are not affirmed.
- The vision granted to Paradise’s people is true without encompassing or specifying how.
- Allah has neither beginning nor end.
- Allah knew the creatures’ actions before creating them.
Question 26
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Four contrasting pairs” in the selected passage?
- Every occurrence is under Allah’s will.
- Allah commands obedience and forbids disobedience.
- Sound creed avoids four contrasting forms of extremism.
- Belief is stabilized through acceptance and submission.
Question 27
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Steadfastness and final state” in the selected passage?
- Human imagination and understanding cannot encompass Allah.
- The reality of the Night Journey and Ascension is affirmed.
- The prayer seeks firmness in faith and a faithful end.
- Human choice is not independent of divine will.
Question 28
Which statement most directly expresses the meaning of “Following and refraining” in the selected passage?
- Allah creates and provides without need or toil.
- The Prophet’s established intercession is real.
- The Prophet ﷺ is Allah’s servant, prophet and messenger.
- Obedience to the Messenger ﷺ includes following directions and avoiding prohibitions.
Question 29
How do qadīm bilā ibtidāʾ and dāʾim bilā intihāʾ differ?
- Both merely refer to a very long duration
- The first is an attribute of creation, the second of the Creator
- The first states beginninglessness, the second endlessness
- The first concerns provision, the second prophethood
Question 30
Which inference agrees with mā zāla bi-ṣifātihi qadīman?
- Divine attributes should be denied
- Creating the world did not add a new divine attribute
- Lordship was impossible before a subject existed
- Every divine attribute begins with a creature
Question 31
What follows when nothing occurs except by His will is read alongside His command to obey?
- Humans act entirely independently of the Creator
- Commands and accountability remain meaningful under divine will
- Every occurrence is religiously approved
- Obedience is not a human obligation
Question 32
Why does the affirmation of vision include bi-ghayri iḥāṭah?
- Vision necessarily makes Allah bounded
- Only the mechanics of ordinary earthly eyesight are intended
- Vision and complete encompassing are not identical
- There will be no vision at all
Question 33
What mistake results from omitting idhā mātū wa-hum muwaḥḥidūn in the major-sins statement?
- Immediate pardon of all sins would be directly established
- A qualified statement would be misread as unconditional
- The text would become a statement about prayer time
- The word tawḥīd would become merely ornamental
Question 34
What does ṣaḥḥa ʿan al-thiqāt require for reports of karāmāt?
- Every karāmah must be treated as a proof of prophethood
- Every popular story must be accepted immediately
- Examining transmission is prohibited
- The report must be reliably authenticated
Question 35
How should no likeness to Him be held with the affirmation of divine attributes?
- Treat divine and created essences as identical
- Understand every attribute in a bodily human way
- Omit every mention of attributes
- Affirm the attributes without assigning created likeness
Question 36
What attitude is implied by asking Allah to keep us firm upon faith?
- Continual prayer and steadfastness to preserve faith
- Abandoning care because of past learning
- Seeking only public admiration
- Becoming indifferent to deeds after faith
Question 37
Which two aspects of following the Messenger are united by fa-khudhūhu and fa-ntahū?
- Accepting directions and refraining from prohibitions
- Hearing glad tidings and remaining silent
- Trading and travelling
- Mentioning reward and denying accountability
Question 38
What is the primary implication of not affirming a soothsayer or diviner?
- Not treating unverified claims to hidden knowledge as religious proof
- Rejecting every Qur’anic report of the unseen
- Forbidding all searches for missing property
- Treating all empirical inquiry as divination
Question 39
Which pair of assertions appears in makhlūqatān lā tafnayān?
- Paradise and Hell are merely metaphors
- Nothing has been revealed concerning Paradise or Hell
- Paradise and Hell are uncreated and beginningless
- Paradise and Hell are created and will not perish
Question 40
In the four contrasting pairs, what is addressed by amn/iyās?
- Compulsion and autonomous creation of acts
- Affirming attributes and resemblance
- Lexical definitions of prophecy and messengerhood
- Complacency about punishment and despair of mercy
Question 41
Without beginning and without end refer to precisely the same aspect.
Question 42
Lā tablughuhu al-awhām concerns the impossibility of fully encompassing the divine essence.
Question 43
Allah’s prior knowledge of actions establishes that humans have no duties to obey commands or avoid prohibitions.
Question 44
Bi-ghayri iḥāṭah is a qualification attached to the affirmed vision of Allah.
Question 45
The statement about major sinners is understood more accurately by omitting idhā mātū wa-hum muwaḥḥidūn.
Question 46
Ṣaḥḥa ʿan al-thiqāt points to the importance of reliable transmission concerning karāmāt.
Open the interactive quiz