7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

Dear brother student, in order to understand the meaning of annulments we may say:

Annulments (النَّواقض) is the plural of annulment. Annulment is: the corruption of a contract or building. It is said: I annulled a rope if its twine is unravelled. Similarly a building is annulled if it is deconstructed and taken down bit by bit.


This is the contrary to that, i.e.: its opposite, two poets are contradicting each other if one abolishes what the other presented. A state or purity (الطهارة) is annulled i.e. invalid. A wound is revoked after healing is means it is corrupted once again. Annulment is the opposite of fulfilment.

As for the technical meaning of annulment: if we were to say: our ablution is annulled by means of one of its known annulments means it is invalid and requires redoing. We may say that the meaning of annulments here is the acts performed by a person that causes their belief in Tawheed to be invalid. At times a servant can find himself performing deeds that contradict absolute Tawheed, we say that this person has undermined his state of absolute Tawheed.

7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

The earlier Salaf scholars-Allah’s mercy be upon them-termed annulments in their words: exited Islam, withdrawn from their religion, disbelieved…etc In Allah we seek refuge. Among them is Imam al-Tahawi-may Allah have mercy upon him-who said: “A servant does not leave the scope of belief except through rejection of that which brought him entered him in this state to begin with.” Here ends his remarks. Sheikh Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab-may Allah have mercy upon him-this term ‘annulments’(النَّواقض) in his treatise “Annulments of Islam” "نواقض الإسلام" has subscription among the general and specific populace. Picture the ablution that must be repeated when invalid as prayer is not permissible in such a state of impurity similar to this is the case of Tawheed when invalid worship is invalid and remains invalid until it is renewed in the heart.

If we contemplate the general use of this technical term ‘Annulments of Tawheed’ alongside the comprehensive definition of Tawheed with its three types:

• Oneness of Divine Godship
• Oneness of Divine Lordship
• Oneness of Divine Names and Attribues

7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

It is necessary that the dictates of this term ‘annulments’ (النَّواقض) covers the three types of Tawheed. However what is popular among the knowledgeable is that the term Tawheed when used freely-as earlier mentioned-often means Oneness of Divine Godship. This is because this form of Tawheed was what the Prophets and Messengers were specifically sent to preach and it is over this type that wars were severely waged between followers of the divine and those who denied revelation.

Sheikh Hakim al-Hakami -may Allah have mercy upon him-said:
“Tawheed has been divided into two parts: Tawheed of knowledge and affirmation which is Tawheed of Divine Lordship and Divine Names and Attributes. And secondly Tawheed of Request and Intention: which is Tawheed of Divinity and Worship. However to these types of Tawheed are their opposites in meaning. If Tawheed of Divine Lordship is defined as being acknowledgment that Allah the All Exalted is the Creator and Sustainer the Giver and Taker of Life and Manager of all affairs that take place in all His creations and He that He has no partners in His kingdom, the opposite of this is the servant believing that there exists a being that orchestrates and manages alongside Allah in matters that Allah alone is capable of. And if you were to define Tawheed of Divine Names and Attributes as calling Allah by those names and attributes in which He has called and described Himself and what His Messenger PBUH has described and called His Lord. Similarly Allah is denied any form of anthromorphism and similitude. The opposite of this definition consists of two things which are rather similar to atheism:

7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

Firstly: to Deny Allah, His names and Attributes which robs Him of the attribute of perfection and denial of Allah’s Magnificence which is established by both Quran and Sunnah.

Secondly: to render Allah’s divine attributes similar with His creation.

[الشّوریٰ:١١]

((

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

))

Nothing is there like Him and He is The All Hearing The All Seeing [42:11]

If you define Tawheed of Divine Godship as Allah being the One and only deserving of all forms of worship, the opposite of this is to designate forms of worship to other than Allah the Glorious. This is the general state of polytheists and is the point of contention between Messengers and their respective communities.” Here ends his remarks.

7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

Based on this, the usage of the term ‘annulments’ (النَّواقض) of Tawheed intended in this curriculum is the annulments of this kind of Tawheed. These annulments are ten:

a. To ascribe partners in the worship of Allah.

b. He who subscribes intermediaries to whom they seek a remedy and upon whom they rely this is
    certain disbelief.

c. He who does not believe the disbelief of polytheists or doubts in their disbelief or believes their
    polytheistic views to be correct.

d. He who believes that the guidance of a person other than the Messenger PBUH is more complete or the
    judgement of the other more just that, such a person is like he who prefers tyrants over his judgement PBUH,
    this is indeed disbelief manifest.

e. He who despises something brought by the Messenger PBUH even if he practices some of it (Sunnah)
    has disbelieved.

7.1 Linguistic and Technical Definition of Annulment

f. He who ridicules and belittles part of the religion brought by the Messenger PBUH or Allah’s rewards
    and punishment has disbelieved.

g. Performing magic including the practices of sarf and ‘ataf, he who practices it or agrees with
    it has disbelieved.

h. Paying patronage to polytheists and supporting their cause against Muslims.

i. He who believes that selected people are free from the shariah of Muhammad PBUH just as Khidr was not

    bound to the law of Moses PBUH is a disbeliever.

j. To deny the religion of Allah the Exalted not learning it nor practicing it.

We will treat these annulments with more detail in the following lectures-by the will of Allah.