Explanation Of The Creed (Sharh-us-Sunnah) Points. 21-25

Point---21 To have Faith in the Bridge over Hell. The Bridge seizes whomever Allah pleases, allows passage to whomever Allah pleases and causes whomever Allah pleases to fall into Hell. The people are preceded by light according to their level of faith.1

1 Allah, the Most High, says:
There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is, with your Lord, a decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who used to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled) to their knees. (Maryam 19:71-72)

There occurs in a long hadeeth reported, by Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree in Saheeh Muslim (eng.trans.vol.1, no.352) that the Prophet ('allayhees salat wassalam) said, "...Then the bridge wiill be laid over Hell-Fire and intercession allowed and they will say 'O Allah! Grant us safety, grant us safety.'" It was said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is the bridge?" He replied, "That which is extremely slippery. Upon it are hooks, claws and barbs like the thorns of Najd called as-Sa'daan. So the believers will pass like the blink of an eye, like the lightening, like the wind, like the birds and like fast horses and camels. Some will be saved, some will be lacerated then set free and some will be thrown into the Fire..."


Point---22 To have Faith in the Prophets and Angels.1

1 Allah, the Most High, says:
The Messenger ('allayhees salat wassalam) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His messengers. (they say), "We make no distinction between one another of His messengers" (al-Baqarah 2:285).


Point---23 To have Faith Paradise is true and real and that the Fire is true and real and that both are already created1. Paradise is in the seventh Heaven. Its ceiling is the Throne. The fire is beneath the seventh and lowest earth. They are both created. Allah, the Most High, knew the number of inhabitants of Paradise and those who would enter it and the number of those who are the inhabitants of the Fire and those who would enter it. Neither of them will ever end; they will both last along with Allah forever and ever.

1 The hadeeth of the Israa and Mi'raaj shows the present existence of Paradise and the Fire. It occurs in Saheeh al-Bukhari (eng. trans. vol.5, no.227) and Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans. vol.1, no.s 309-322). Raf'ul-Astaar by Al-Ameer as-San'aanee is an excellent book being a reply to those who claim that the Fire will eventually come to an end.


Point---24 Adam, ('alayhees salam), was present in the everlasting and created Paradise but was removed from it after disobeying Allah, the Might and Majestic.


Point---25 To have Faith in al-Maseehud-Dajjal.1

1 From the many ahadeeth about the Dajjal is waht al-Bukhari reports in his Saheeh (eng. trans. vol.9, no.245) from Anas, (radhiAllahu 'anhu), that the Prophet ('allayhees salat wassalam) said, "No Prophet was sent except that he warned his nation about the one-eyed liar (i.e. Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, whereas your Lord is not so. There will be writen between his (Dajjal's) eyes: kaafir."