‫َب‬

‫ْر ُع‬‫َأ‬‫ال‬ ‫ُد‬ ‫ِع‬‫ا‬ ‫َق‬

‫ال َو‬
The Four Principles
By Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab
 ‫الَق َو اِع ُد الَأْر َب ُع‬
The Four Principles
By Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab

We Live in a world where the majority are ignorant as to what

shirk (polytheism) really is. How many claim to be muwahidin
(monotheists) but end up directing their worship to other
than Allah alone? They claim to be on the path of the
Messenger ‫صىل هللا عليه وسلم‬, but they worship the graves of
their saints. During his time - Shaykh Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd
al-Wahhab (rahimahullah) wrote this text, which outlines the
four principles of shirk, for the people to understand shirk
and avoid it.

We ask Allah, the Almighty, to make this of benefit. To make

us all sincere, and to forgive us for our short comings.

Channel: @AbuDhar1
Channel: @TAWHED24
 ‫بسم الّله الرحمن الرحيم‬
‫َأْس َأُل الّلَه اْلَك ِريَم َر َّب اْلَعْر ِش اْلَع ِظ يِم َأْن َيَتَو لاَك ِفي الُّد ْنَي ا َو الآِخ َر ِة َو َأْن‬
‫ِل‬ ‫ِط‬ ‫ِم‬
‫ َو ِإَذا اْبُت َي‬، ‫ َو َأْن َيْج َع َلَك َّم ْن ِإَذا ُأْع َي َش َك َر‬، ‫َيْج َع َلَك ُم َب اَر ًكا َأْيَنَم ا ُكْنَت‬
‫ َفِإَّن َهُؤ لاِء الَّثلاُث ُعْنَو اُن الَّس َع اَد ِة‬. ‫ َو ِإَذا أَذنَب اْس َتْغَف َر‬، ‫َص َبَر‬
I ask Allāh—the Most Generous, the Lord of the Supreme Throne
to protect you in this world and the next, and to bless you
wherever you go; to make you of those who are thankful when
given, who are patient when tested, and seek forgiveness when
sinful. For indeed, these are the three signs of happines.

‫ َو ْح َد ُه‬، ‫الّلَه‬ ‫ َأْن َتْع ُبَد‬: ‫ َأَّن اْلَح ِنيِف َّيَة ِم َّلُة ِإْبَر اِه يَم‬: ‫اْع َلْم َأْر َش َدَك الّلُه ِلَطاَع ِتِه‬
‫َو الِإ نَس ِإلَّا‬ ‫ ﴿ َوَم ا َخ َلْق ُت اْلِج َّن‬:‫ َك َم ا َقاَل َتَع اَلى‬، ‫ُم ْخ ِلًص ا َلُه الِّديَن‬
.]56 :‫ِلَي ْع ُبُدوِن ﴾ [الذاريات‬
Know - may Allāh guide you to His obedience - that hanīfīyyah
the religion of Ibrāhīm is to worship Allāh alone making the
(entire) religion purely for Him. As He (ta’ālā) said: “And I did not
create the Jinn or Mankind except to worship me alone.” [adh-
Dhariyat 56]

‫َفِإَذا َع َر ْفَت َأَّن الّلَه َخ َلَقَك ِلِع َب اَد ِتِه ؛ َفاْع َلْم َأَّن اْلِع َب اَد َة لا ُتَس َّم ى ِع َب اَد ًة ِإلا‬
‫ َفِإَذا َد َخ َل‬،‫ َك َم ا َأَّن الَّص لاَة لا ُتَس َّم ى َص لاًة ِإلا َمَع الَّطَه اَر ِة‬، ‫َمَع الَّتْو ِح يِد‬
‫ َك اْلَح َد ِث ِإَذا َد َخ َل ِفي الَّطَه َاِرة‬، ‫الِّش ْر ُك ِفي اْلِع َب اَد ِة َفَس َد ْت‬

So when you understand that Allāh created you to worship Him,

then you’ll also know that worship isn’t considered worship
except with tawhīd. Just as the Salāh (prayer) isn’t considered
Salāh except with Tahārah (cleanliness). Therefore, when shirk
(polytheism) enters into worship - it corrupts it; just like when
filth enters into cleanliness (i.e. it is nullified).
‫ َو َص َار‬، ‫ َو َأْح َب َط اْلَعَم َل‬،‫َفِإَذا َع َر ْفَت َأَّن الِّش ْر َك ِإَذا َخ اَلَط اْلِع َب اَد ِة َأْفَس َد َه ا‬
‫ َع َر ْفَت َأَّن َأَه َّم َم ا َع َلْي َك َم ْع ِرَفُة َذ ِلَك‬.‫ ِم َن اْلَخ اِلِد يَن ِفي الَّناِر‬، ‫َص اِح ُبُه‬
‫ َو ِه َي الِّش ْر ُك ِبالّلِه اَّلِذ ي َقاَل‬،‫َلَع َّل الّلَه َأْن ُيَخ ِّلَص َك ِم ْن َه ِذِه الَّش َب َك ِة‬
‫ ﴿ ِإَّن الّلَه لَا َيْغ ِف ُر َأن ُيْش َر َك ِبِه َو َيْغ ِف ُر َم ا ُد وَن َذ ِلَك ِلَم ن‬: ‫الّله َتَع اَلى ِفيِه‬
‫ َو َذ ِلَك ِبَم ْع ِرَفِة َأْر َب ِع َقَو اِع َد َذ َك َر َه ا الّلُه َتَع اَلى ِفي ِكَتاِبِه‬.﴾ ‫َيَش اُء‬

So when you’ve learned that if shirk enters into one’s worship,

the worship becomes corrupt, the deeds are void, and the one
who engages in it will forever remain in the fire of hell - you will
then understand the most important thing for you is to
understand it (shirk) so that Allāh may absolve you from this trap.
And it is associating partners with Allāh, that which Allāh said
about it: “Indeed, Allāh does not forgive associating partners
with Him, but He forgives what is less than that to whom He
wills.” [4:116].

And this can be (fully) understood by knowing four principles

which Allāh (ta’ālā) mentions in His book.

[End of introductory segment]

 ‫اْلَقاِع َدُة الُأوَلى‬
‫َأْن َتْع َلَم َأَّن اْلُكَّفاَر اَّلِذ يَن َقاَتَلُه ْم َر ُس وُل الّلِه ـ َص َّلى الّلُه َع َلْي ِه َو َس َّلَم ـ‬
‫ َو َأَّن َذ ِلَك َلْم ُيْد ِخ َلُه ْم ِفي‬، ‫ اْلُم َد ِّبُر‬، ‫ُم ِق ُّر وَن ِبَأَّن الّلَه ـ َتَع اَلى ـ ُه ُو اْلَخ اِلُق‬
‫ ﴿ ُقْل َم ن َيْر ُز ُقُكم ِّمَن الَّس َم اِء َو الَأْر ِض َأَّم ن‬:‫الِإ ْس لاِم؛ َو الَّد ِليُل َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫َيْم ِلُك الَّس ْم َع والَأْبَص اَر َوَم ن ُيْخ ِرُج اْلَح َّي ِم َن اْلَم ِّيِت َوُيْخ ِرُج اْلَمَّيَت ِم َن‬
﴾ ‫اْلَح ِّي َوَم ن ُيَد ِّبُر الَأْم َر َفَس َي ُق وُلوَن الّلُه َفُق ْل َأَفلَا َتَّتُقوَن‬
The First Principle: That you know the kuffār whom the
Messegner of Allāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) fought - they
agreed that Allāh (ta’ālā) is the Creator & Governor of Affairs.
However, even this belief did not enter them into Islam (this did
not make them Muslim).

And the proof for this is His (ta’ālā) saying: “Ask [them, O
Prophet], “Who provides for you from heaven and earth? Who
owns [your] hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from
the dead and the dead from the living? And who conducts every
affair?” They will [surely] say, “Allāh.” Say, “Will you not then
fear [Him]?”[10:31]
 ‫اْلَقاِع َدُة الَّثاِنَي ُة‬
،‫ َم ا َدَع ْو َناُه ْم َو َتَو َّج ْه َنا ِإَلْي ِه ْم ِإلا ِلَطَلِب اْلُق ْر َبِة َو الَّش َفاَع ِة‬: ‫ُأَّنُه ْم َيُق وُلوَن‬
The Second Principle: They (the Mushrikīn) say: We don’t invoke
them or turn our faces toward them except to draw nearer to
Allāh and to seek His intercession.

‫ ﴿ َو اَّلِذ يَن اَّتَخ ُذ وا ِم ن ُد وِنِه َأْو ِلَي آء َم ا َنْع ُبُد ُه ْم ِإلَّا‬:‫َفَد ِليُل اْلُق ْر َبِة؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫ِلُيَق ِّرُبوَنا ِإَلى الَّلِه ُز ْلَفى ِإَّن الَّلَه َيْح ُكُم َبْي َنُه ْم ِفي َم ا ُه ْم ِفيِه َيْخ َتِلُفوَن ِإَّن الَّلَه‬
﴾ ‫لَا َيْه ِد ي َمْن ُه َو َكاِذ ٌب َكَّفاٌر‬
And the evidence against their seeking nearness, is His (ta’ālā)
statement: “As for those who take other lords besides Him,
[saying], “We worship them only so they may bring us closer to
Allāh,” surely Allāh will judge between all regarding what they
differed about. Allāh certainly does not guide whoever persists
in lying and disbelief.” [39:3]

‫ ﴿ َو َيْع ُبُدوَن ِم ن ُد وِن الّلِه َم ا لَا َيُض ُّر ُه ْم َو لَا‬:‫ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬،‫َو َد ِليُل الَّش َفاَع ِة‬
﴾ ‫َينَف ُع ُه ْم َوَيُق وُلوَن َه ـُؤ لاء ُش َف َع اُؤَنا ِع نَد الّلِه‬
And the evidence against their seeking intercession (through
saints and similar), is His (ta’ālā) saying: “They worship besides
Allāh others who can neither harm nor benefit them, and say,
‘These are our intercessors with Allāh.’” [10:18]

‫ َو َش َفاَع ٌة ُم ْثَب َتٌة‬،‫ َش َفاَع ٌة َم ْنِف َّيٌة‬: ‫َو الَّش َفاَع ُة َش َفاَعَتاِن‬
And shafā’ah (intercession) is of two types:

(1) - An intercession that is negated (manfīyyah)

(2) - And an intercession which is affirmed (muthbatah)

‫ َم ا َك اَنْت ُتْط َلُب ِم ْن َغ ْي ِر الّلِه ِفيَم ا لا َيْق ِد ُر َع َلْي ِه ِإلا الّلُه ؛‬: ‫َفالَّش َفاَع ُة اْلَم ْنِف َّيُة‬
‫ ﴿ َيا َأُّيَه ا اَّلِذ يَن آَم ُنوْا َأنِف ُق وْا ِم َّم ا َر َز ْقَناُكم ِّمن َقْب ِل َأن‬:‫َو الَّد ِليُل َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
﴾ ‫َيْأِتَي َيْو ٌم لَّا َبْي ٌع ِفيِه َو لَا ُخ َّلٌة َو لَا َش َفاَع ٌة َو اْلَك اِفُر وَن ُه ُم الَّظاِلُم وَن‬
The negated/prohibited intercession is anything which is sought
from other than Allāh regarding matters which only Allāh is
capable of performing. And the evidence for this is the statement
of Allāh (ta’ālā): “O you who believe! Spend of that with which
We have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will
be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. And the
disbelievers - they are the wrongdoers.” [2:254]

،‫ َو الَّش اِفُع ُم َك َّر ٌم ِبالَّش َفاَع ِة‬، ‫ ِه َي اَّلِتي ُتْط َلُب ِم َن الّلِه‬: ‫َو الَّش َفاَع ُة اْلُم ْثَب َتُة‬
‫ ﴿َم ن َذا‬:‫َو اْلَم ْش ُفوُع َلُه َمْن َر ِض َي الّلُه َقْو َلُه َو َع َم َلُه َبْع َد الِإ ْذ ِن ؛ َك َم ا َقاَل َتَع اَلى‬
﴾ ‫اَّلِذ ي َيْش َف ُع ِع ْنَد ُه ِإلَّا ِبِإْذ ِنِه‬

The affirmed/allowed intercession: It is what is sought from Allāh

and which occurs with His permission. So the one who intercedes,
Allāh has granted him the honor of interceding. As for the one
who is interceded for, he is the one whom Allāh is pleased with
his statements and actions, after He (Allāh) has given His
permission for him to be interceded for. The evidence for this is
His (ta’ālā) saying: “Who is he that can intercede with Him except
with His permission?” [2:255]
 ‫اْلَقاِع َدُة الَّثاِلَثُة‬
، ‫َأَّن الَّنِبَّي ـ َص َّلى الّلُه َع َلْي ِه َو َس َّلَم ـ َظَه َر َع َلى ُأَناٍس ُم َتَف ِّرِقيَن ِفي ِع َب اَد اِتِه ْم‬
‫ َو ِم ْنُه ْم َمْن‬، ‫ َو ِم ْنُه ْم َمْن َيْع ُبُد الَأْنِبَي اَء َو الَّص اِلِح يَن‬، ‫ِم ْنُه ْم َمْن َيْع ُبُد اْلَم لاِئَكَة‬
‫ َو َقاَتَلُه ْم َر ُس وُل‬، ‫ َو ِم ْنُه ْم َمْن َيْع ُبُد الَّش ْم َس َو اْلَق َم َر‬، ‫َيْع ُبُد الَأْش َج اَر َو الَأْح َج اَر‬
‫الّلِه ـ َص َّلى الّلُه َع َلْي ِه َو َس َّلَم ـ َو َلْم ُيَف ِّرْق َبْي َنُه ْم ؛‬
The Third Principle: That the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) lived amidst a people who differed in worship. Among
them being those who worshiped the angels, those who worshiped
the Prophets and the righteous people, those who worshiped the
trees and the stones, and those who worshiped the sun and the
moon. The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
fought all of them - and did not differentiate between them.

﴾ ‫ ﴿ َو َقاِتُلوُه ْم َح َّتى لَا َتُكوَن ِفْتَنٌة َوَيُكوَن الِّديُن ُكُّلُه ِلّله‬:‫َو الَّد ِليُل َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
The evidence for this is the statement of Allāh (ta’ālā): “And fight
them until there is no more Fitnah (polytheism & disbelief ) and
the religion - all of it - will be for Allāh alone!” [8:39]

‫ ﴿ َو ِم ْن آَياِتِه الَّلْي ُل َو الَّنَه اُر َو الَّش ْم ُس‬:‫َو َد ِليُل الَّش ْم ِس َو اْلَق َم ِر؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫َو اْلَق َم ُر لَا َتْس ُج ُدوا ِللَّش ْم ِس َو لَا ِلْلَق َم ِر َو اْس ُج ُدوا ِلَّلِه اَّلِذ ي َخ َلَق ُه َّن ِإن ُكنُتْم‬
﴾ ‫ِإَّياُه َتْع ُبُدوَن‬
And the evidence against their worshiping of the Sun and moon, is
His (ta’ālā) saying: “Among His signs are the day and the night, the
sun and the moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or the moon, but
prostrate to Allāh, Who created them [all], if you [truly] worship
Him [alone]” [41:37]
 ‫﴿ َو لَا َيْأُم َر ُكْم َأن َتَّتِخ ُذ وْا اْلَم لَاِئَكَة َو الِّنِبِّيْي َن‬:‫َو َد ِليُل اْلَم لاِئَك ِة؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫ ﴾ الآية‬...‫َأْرَبابًا‬
And the evidence against their worship of the Angels is the
statement of Allāh (ta’ālā): “And nor did he order you to take the
angels and prophets as lords [besides Allāh]” [3:80]

‫ ﴿ َو ِإْذ َقاَل الّلُه َيا ِع يَس ى اْبَن َمْر َيَم َءَأنَت ُقلَت‬:‫َو َد ِليُل الَأْنِبَي اِء ؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫ِللَّناِس اَّتِخ ُذ وِني َو ُأِّمَي ِإَلـَه ْي ِن ِم ن ُد وِن الّلِه َقاَل ُس ْب َح اَنَك َم ا َيُكوُن ِلي َأْن‬
‫َأُقوَل َم ا َلْي َس ِلي ِبَح ٍّق ِإْن ُكْنُت ُقْلُتُه َفَقْد َع ِلْم َتُه َتْع َلُم َم ا ِفي َنْف ِس ي َو َلا َأْع َلُم‬
‫َم ا ِفي َنْف ِس َك ِإَّنَك َأْنَت َع َّل اُم اْلُغ ُيوِب ﴾ الآية‬
And the evidence against their worship of the Prophets is the
saying of Allāh (ta’ālā): “And when Allāh will say: ‘O ‘Īsa, son of
Maryam! Did you tell the people: Take me and my mother as gods
besides Allāh?’ He [i.e. ‘Īsa] will say: ‘Glory be to You, it is not for
me to say what I have no right to say. Had I said such a thing, You
would have surely known it. You know what is in my inner self yet
I do not know what is in Your self. Verily, You re the All-Knower of
the Unseen.” [5:116]

‫ ﴿ ُأوَلـِئَك اَّلِذ يَن َيْد ُع وَن َيْب َتُغ وَن ِإَلى َرِّبِه ُم‬:‫َو َد ِليُل الَّص اِلِح يَن ؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
‫ ﴾ الآية‬... ‫اْلَو ِس يَلَة َأُّيُه ْم َأْقَرُب َوَيْر ُج وَن َر ْح َم َتُه َوَيَخ اُفوَن َع َذ اَبُه‬
And the evidence against their worship of the Righteous people is
His (ta’ālā) statement: “Those whom they invoke [besides Allāh],
they themselves seek the means of access to their Lord as to
which of them will be the nearest [to Him]. And they hope for His
Mercy and fear His Torment.” [17:57]
 ‫ ﴿ َأَفَر َأْيُتُم اللَّاَت َو اْلُعَّز ى * َوَم َناَة‬:‫َو َد ِليُل الَأْش َج اِر َو الَأْح َج اِر؛ َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
﴾ ‫الَّثاِلَثَة الُأْخ َر ى‬
And the evidence against their worship of trees and stones, is the
saying of Allāh (ta’ālā): “Have you then considered Al-Lāt and
Al-‘Uzzā, and Manāt, the third other?” [53:19-20]

‫ َخ َر ْج َنا َمَع الَّنِبِّي ـ َص َّلى‬: ‫َوَح ِد يث َأِبي َو اٍِقد الَّلْي ِثِّي ـ َر ِض َي الّلُه َعْنُه ـ َقاَل‬
،‫ َو ِلِلُم ْش ِرِكيَن ِس ْد َر ٌة‬،‫الّلُه َع َلْي ِه َو َس َّلَم ـ ِإَلى ُح َنْي ٍن َو َنْح ُن ُح َد َثاُء َعْه ٍد ِبُكْف ٍر‬
‫ َفَم َر ْر َنا ِبِس ْد َر ٍة‬، ‫ ُيَقاَل َلَه ا َذاُت َأْنَو اٍط‬، ‫َيْع ُكُفوَن ِع ْنَد َه ا َو ُيَنِّو ُطوَن ِبَه ا َأْس ِلَح َتُه ْم‬
. ‫ َيا َر ُس وَل الّلِه اْج َع ْل َلَنا َذاَت َأْنَو اٍط َك َم ا َلُه ْم َذاُت َأْنَو اٍط‬:‫َفُق ْلَنا‬
And also the hadīth of Abu Wāqid al-Laythī (radiAllāhu ‘anhu) who
said: “We went out with the Prophet (sallAllāhu alayhi wa sallam)
to (the battle of) Hunayn, and we had just recently come out of
kufr (disbelief). The mushrikūn used to have a lote-tree, which they
would organize by and hang their swords on (seeking blessings
from it); it was called Dhātu Anwāt. So we passed by a lote-tree
and said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh! Make for us a Dhātu Anwāt, just as
they have a Dhātu Anwāt?’" until the end of the hadīth. [1]

[1] - The rest of hadith (so you may understand the point
properly): .... ‘O Messenger of Allāh! Make for us a Dhātu Anwāt,
just as they have a Dhātu Anwāt?’" The Messenger of Allāh said:
‘By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have said the same as
the people of Mūsa said: make for us a god as they have gods.
Verily you are a people who know not. These are ways that you
will certainly follow as did those who came before you, step by
step.’
 ‫اْلَقاِع َدُة الَّر اِبَع ُة‬
‫ لَأَّن الَأَّو ِليَن ُيْش ِرُكوَن ِفي‬، ‫أَّن ُم ْش ِرِكي َز َم اَنَنا َأْغَلُظ ِش ْر ًكا ِم َن الَأَّو ِليَن‬
‫ َوُم ْش ِرُكو َز َم اَنَنا ِش ْر ُكُه ْم َد اِئٌم ِفي الَّر َخ اِء‬،‫ َوُيْخ ِلُص وَن ِفي الِّش َّد ِة‬، ‫الَّر َخ اِء‬
‫ ﴿ َفِإَذا َر ِكُبوا ِفي اْلُف ْلِك َدَع ُو ا الَّلَه ُم ْخ ِلِص يَن َلُه‬:‫َو الِّش َِّد ة؛ َو الَّد ِليُل َقْو ُلُه َتَع اَلى‬
﴾ ‫الِّديَن َفَلَّم ا َنَّج اُه ْم ِإَلى اْلَبِّر ِإَذا ُه ْم ُيْش ِرُكوَن‬
The Fourth Principle: That the mushrikīn in our era are more
severe in their (committing of) shirk than the first mushrikīn
(during the Prophet’s time). This was since the first used to
associate partners with Allāh at times of ease and worship Him
sincerely during times of hardship. However, the mushrikīn in our
era constantly commit shirk in times of ease as well as in times of
hardship. The proof for this is His (ta’ālā) saying: “And when they
embark on a ship they invoke Allāh making their faith pure for
Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, the
give a share of their worship to others.” [29:65]

‫َتَّم ْت َو َص َّلى اللُه َع َلى ُمَح َّم ٍد وعلىَ آِلِه َو َص ْح ِبِه َو َس َّلَم‬
[It is] complete, may Allāh send peace and blessings on
Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Channel: @AbuDhar1
Channel: @TAWHED24