Foreword......................................................................................................................01
Text of the Book..........................................................................................................03
Explanation of the Book...........................................................................................09
Dua (supplication) of the Author for the reader..............................................11
Allah has created you for His worship................................................................18
......................................................22
The necessity of understanding Shirk................................................................26
First Foundation of Shirk........................................................................................28
The disbelievers, whom the Messenger fought, affirmed (Tawheed of
Allah's Lordship) that Allah is the Creator and Disposer of all affairs,
yet their affirmation did not enter them into Islam (why?)
Second ..................................................................................................32
The mushrikeen, who were called mushrikeen (i.e., disbelievers) by
Allah and were declared to be eternally abiding in Hell, did not
commit Shirk in Allah's Lordship. They did not claim that their lords
create and provide with Allah or they benefit or harm, or run the
affairs alongside Allah but they did take their deities as intercessors
Shafaa'ah (intercession) and its Types.............................................................34
The necessity of understanding Tawheed

Foundation

CONTENTS

Third ......................................................................................................38
Allah's Messenger came to a people who differed in their object of
worship; some worshiped the Angels while others worshiped the
Prophets and pious, also there were those who worshiped stones and
trees and some worshiped the sun and the moon, but the Prophet did
not differentiate between them - rather he considered all of them to
be mushrikeen
Fourth ....................................................................................................56
The mushrikeen (those who commit shirk) of our time are worse in
Shirk than the previous generations because the former generations
committed Shirk during times of ease but they would become sincere
during difficult times unlike the mushrikeen of today, whose Shirk is
continuous; at times of ease and hardship.

All praise is due to Allah, and may the peace and
blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family
and his companions.
This is an explanation of, 'al-Qawaaid al-'Arba'a' written
by Shaikhul-Islam, al-Mujaddid (the reviver), Muhammad ibn
Abdul Wahhab (rahimahullah).
As I couldn't find any explanation for this treatise, I
decided to write one myself, in accordance with my capability
and ability. May Allah forgive my shortcomings.

I ask Allah, the Most Merciful, Lord of the Great Throne to take care of
(protect) you in this world and the Hereafter, and to make you blessed
wherever you be, and to make you amongst those who are grateful
when provided, those who are patient when tested and those who
repent when they fall into sin - for, these are the three signs of
happiness.
Know, may Allah guide you to His obedience, that Haneefiyah
is the religion of Ibraheem; that you worship Allah making the
religion purely for Him. Allah says, “I (Allah) created not the Jinn and

humans except that they should worship Me (Alone).” [Soorah adh-
Dhariyaat (51): 56]

So, if you have acknowledged that Allah has created you for
His worship then know that the worship is not called worship unless
it is accompanied by Tawheed, just like Salaat cannot be called Salaat
except with purification.
If you recognize that when Shirk enters worship, it corrupts
the worship, destroys all actions, and the doer is doomed to eternal
fire, then you will (also) realize what is the most important matter for
you (to learn).
It is to learn this issue (i.e., Tawheed and Shirk) so that Allah
purifies you from this snare of Shirk. "Verily, Allah forgives not Shirk
(i.e., associating partners with Him in worship), but He forgives
except that (anything else) to whom He pleases." [Soorah an-Nisa (4):
48]
Knowing Shirk comprises of knowing four principles that
Allah has mentioned in His Book;

- 05 -

The First Foundation

The Second Foundation
The disbelievers, whom the Messenger fought, affirmed that Allah is
the Creator and Disposer of all affairs, yet their affirmation did not
enter them into Islam and the proof of that is the Saying of Allah, “Say,
'Who provides for you from the sky and from the earth? Or who owns
your hearing and sight? And Who brings out the living from the dead
and brings out the dead from the living? And who disposes the
affairs?’ They will say, 'Allah.'” [Soorah Yunus (10): 31]

They (the Arab pagans) said, “We do not call upon them and turn
towards them except to seek nearness and intercession (with
Allah).”
The proof of (the fact that they sought) nearness with Allah
is, “Those who take awliya besides Him (say), 'We worship them
only that they may bring us near to Allah.' Verily, Allah will judge
between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allah
guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever.” [Soorah az-Zumar
(39): 3]
Shafa'ah (intercession) is of two kinds,
(i) The Forbidden Shafa'ah and
(ii) The Affirmed Shafa'ah.
The forbidden Shafa'ah is the one that is sought from other than
Allah concerning a matter which only Allah is able to do and the
proof is the Saying of Allah, “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 it is the

disbelievers who are the Dhalimoon (wrongdoers, etc.)” [Soorah al-
Baqarah (2): 254]

- 06 -

The affirmed Shafa'ah is that which is sought from Allah, and the
intercessor is honored with the intercession and the one on behalf
of whom the intercession is sought is someone whose deeds and
speech are pleasing to Allah, (all of these conditions should be
fulfilled) after Allah has given the Permission for intercession as
Allah says, “Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His
Permission?...” [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 255]

Allah's Messenger came to a people who differed in their object of
worship; some worshiped the Angels while others worshiped the
Prophets and pious, also there were those who worshiped stones
and trees and some worshiped the sun and the moon, but the
Prophet did not differentiate between them. The proof is the Saying
of Allah, "Fight them until there is no more Fitnah (i.e., Shirk) until
the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone." [Soorah al-Anfal
(8): 39]
The proof of the sun and the moon is, “From among His
signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not
prostrate to the sun or the moon...” [Soorah Fussilat (41): 37]
The proof of the Angels is the Saying of Allah, “Nor would
he order you to take Angels and Prophets for lords (god). Would he
order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah's Will?”
[Soorah aali-Imran (3): 80]
The proof of the Prophets is the Saying of Allah, "When
Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection), 'O Eesa (Jesus), son of
Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men, 'Worship me and my
mother as two gods besides Allah?' He will say, 'Glory be to You! It
was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a
thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my
inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only
You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.'" [Soorah
al-Maidah (5): 116]
The Third Foundation

The proof of the Saliheen (righteous) is the saying of Allah,
“Those whom they call upon desire (for themselves) means of
access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the
nearest and they hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment.”
[Soorah al-Isra (17): 57]
The proof of stones and trees is the Saying of Allah, “Have
you considered al-Laat and al-Uzza. And Manaat, and the other
third?” [Soorah an-Najm (53): 19-20]
The hadeeth of Abu Waaqid al-Laythee who said, 'We
departed with the Prophet to Hunain and we had recently left
Kufr. The mushrikeen used to have a tree which they used to devote
themselves to and hang their weapons upon, they used to call it,
'Dhaat Anwaat.' We passed by a tree and said, 'O Messenger of
Allah, appoint for us a Dhaat Anwat like they have a Dhaat Anwat.'
He said, 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar! By the One is whose Hand is
my soul, these are the ways. The like of what you have said is like
what Bani Israeel said to Moosa, 'Make for us a god as they have
gods.' He said, 'Verily, you are an ignorant people.' [Soorah al-A'raaf
(7): 138] [at-Tirmidhee]

The mushrikeen (those who commit shirk) of our time are worse in
Shirk than the previous generations because the former
generations committed Shirk during times of ease but they
would become sincere during difficult times unlike the
mushrikeen of today, whose Shirk is continuous at
times of ease and hardship. Proof is the Saying of
Allah, “When they embark on a ship they invoke
Allah making their faith pure for Him only, but
when He brings them safely to land, behold,
they give a share of their worship to others.”
[Soorah al-Ankaboot (29): 65]

This book centers around four foundation rules that help explain the meaning of shirk and clarify the many misconceptions that surround the subject.