Al-Diyanat (an Ibadhi Wahbi Creed)

by Amir b. Ali al-Shammakhi

Translation by: Amr Ennami

The divergence between Muslims arose from nine basic elements; unity, divine decree, walayah and baraah, command and prohibition , praise and threat, the intermediate position, the denial of an intermediate position, names and statutes.

1. UNITY:

We hold that there is nothing like Allah in attribute, essence or act. We hold that Allah is not seen either in this World or in the World to come; "The eyes attain Him not, but He attains the eyes; He is the All-subtle, the All-aware."

We hold that Allah established Himself upon the Throne and over everything in a fashion not explicable by reason; His establishing Himself is an attribute of His which continues attributed to Him.

We hold that He is in every place, preserving and omnipotent; that He is within things, and along with things, comprehending them, causing them to was and wane, and not through emanation or fixation, and being contained therein.

We hold that His Names and attributes are His. There is nothing but Him. Numbering, change and variation are not applicable to Him.

2. JUSTICE:

We hold that Allah is Just. Injustice is not ascribed to Him in judging or act.

We hold that the people of al-Nahr were right when they disapproved of Ali in his entrusting the arbitration to two arbitrators, after the decision of Allah Almighty, "Fight against the party which doth the wrong, until they come back to the precepts of God."

We hold that Allah "Wrongs not men anything, but themselves men wrong." The meaning is: He does not call them to account for that which they have not committed, nor punish them for crimes they have not committed.

We hold that (His) servants commit and perform their actions, and that they were not forced or obliged to do them.

3. DIVINE DECREE:

We hold that Allah is the Creator of everything, knowing everything, and willing everything.

We hold that decree, whether good or bad, is from Allah.

We hold that Allah is the creator of (His) servants' actions; He is who originated them and willed them.

We hold that Allah is the creator of His Word and revelation, its originator, its maker, and the revealer of it.

4. THE STATES OF WALAYAH AND ENMITY:

We hold that Allah sustains His 'awliya' and is the Enemy of those 'dissociated' from Him.

We hold that Allah's sustaining love and His enmity do not change with tie, or alter with circumstances.

We hold belief in 'Walayah' with all Muslims, and baraah from all infidels.

We hold belief in 'Walayah' with those whom Allah has mentioned in His Book as being of the people of Paradise; and in 'baraah' from those whom He mentioned in His Book as being of the people of Hell.

We hold belief in 'Walayah' with each individual who fully discharges (his religious obligations), and baraah from each individual who commits major sins.

We hold belief in 'baraah' from those who oppose us, and go contrary to what we possess of the religion or our Lord.

We hold that 'Walayah' cannot be removed except by baraah; and that baraah cannot be removed except by Walayah.

We hold that (an attitude of) 'reservation' is an obligation prescribed (in the case of) acquaintance with a person of whom it is unknown whether he has faith or disbelief.

5. COMMAND AND PROHIBITION:

We hold that Allah orders obedience and prohibits disobedience to Himself.

We hold that every part of obedience to Allah is faith, but not all disobedience to Allah is disbelief.

We hold that enjoining good and prohibiting evil to the best of one's ability is obligatory at all times.

We hold that the Imamate is obligatory on the people when they are able to (maintain) it.

6. PROMISE AND THREAT:

We hold that Allah is true to His promise and threat.

We hold belief in eternal existence o the people of Paradise in paradise, and in eternal existence of the people of Hell in Hell.

We hold that both Paradise and Hell are everlasting and will never pass away.

We hold that God's reward to His friends in the World to come, and His punishment for His enemies in the World to Come do not resemble His reward and punishment in this World.

7. THE INTERMEDIATE POSITION:

We hold that the state of hypocrisy is the intermediate position between faith and polytheism.

We hold that Hypocrites are neither Believers nor Polytheists.

We hold that Polytheists are neither believers nor Hypocrites.

We believe that the believers are neither Hypocrites nor Polytheists; and whosoever calls any one of these by the name of another is an 'infidel-ingrate.'

8. NO INTERMEDIATE POSITION:

We hold that there is no intermediate position between faith and disbelief.

We hold that he is an 'Infidel-ingrate' him who maintains that the whole of faith is monotheism, and all disbelief is polytheism.

We hold that Allah forgives the minor sins of those who avoid major sins, but He does not forgive major sins except through repentance.

We hold belief in designating as 'infidel-ingrate' the profligate woman who has sexual intercourse not per vulvam.

We hold belief in designating as 'infidels-ingrate' those who practice interpretation erring in their interpretation.

9. THE NAMES AND STATUTES:

We hold that the names are subject to the statutes, and we hold that the statutes affecting Monotheists are not like the statutes affecting Polytheists, and that the statutes affecting Polytheists are not like those affecting Monotheists.

We hold that the statutes affecting the Monotheists in their relation with each other are one and the same, except for (walayah) and designation as Believers, for only Muslims who fully discharge their religious obligations are entitled to these.

We hold that the People of the Book; the Jews, the Christians and the Sabaeans are not hypocrites, but they are Polytheists.

We hold that he who alters the statutes of Allah or His Apostle is a Polytheist.

We hold that he who denies "individual reasoning' ra'y and the Sunnah is an 'infidel-ingrate.'

We hold that Allah's proof to His servants is the Books and Apostles.

We hold that there is no hijrah after the opening up (fat`h) of Mecca.

We hold that gnosis of God cannot be attained through reflecting or compulsion, and that it can only properly be arrived at through an instructor and admonisher.