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THE FAITH OF THE AHL AS-SUNNA

Imâm Muhammad al-Ghazâlî ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’ writes in his book Kimyâ-i Sa’âdat: “When a person becomes a Muslim, it will primarily be fard for him to know and believe the meaning of the phrase Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah, Muhammadun Rasûlullah.This phrase is called the Kalimat at-tawhîd. It is sufficient for every Muslim to believe without any doubt what this phrase means. It is not fard for him to prove it with evidence or to satisfy his mind. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ did not command the Arabs to know or to mention the relevant proofs or to search and clarify any possible doubts. He commanded them to believe only and not to doubt. It is enough for everybody also to believe superficially. Yet it is fard kifâya that there should exist a few scholars in every town. It is wâjib for these scholars to know the proofs, to remove the doubts and to answer the questions. They are like shepherds for Muslims. On the one hand, they teach them the knowledge of îmân, which is the knowledge of belief, and, on the other hand, they answer the slanders of the enemies of Islam.