of the salaf and with the works that follow the methodology of those who diverge from them, so that he may have insight into his own affair and be able to counter the doubts directed at the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah.
O Muslim, when you contemplate the Noble Qur’an you will find many verses and sūrahs devoted to matters of creed. Indeed, the Meccan sūrahs are almost exclusively concerned with setting forth the Islamic creed and refuting the suspicions raised against it.
Take, for example, Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Imām Ibn al-Qayyim—may Allah have mercy on him—said:
“Know that this sūrah contains, in the most perfect manner, the principal and lofty objectives. It introduces the One Who is worshipped by means of three names to which all the Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes ultimately return and upon which they revolve: Allah, the Lord (Rabb), and the All-Merciful (al-Raḥmān). The sūrah is thus constructed upon divinity (ulūhiyyah), lordship (rubūbiyyah), and mercy. ‘You alone we worship’ is built upon divinity; ‘and You alone we ask for help’ is built upon lordship; and the request for guidance to the Straight Path pertains to the attribute of mercy. The phrase ‘All praise is due to Allah’ encompasses all three, for He is praised for His divinity, His lordship, and His mercy; both praise and gratitude are perfections owed to Him. The sūrah further affirms the Hereafter, the recompense of the servants for their deeds—good and evil—the exclusive sovereignty of the Lord in judging between His creation, and the fact that His judgment is just, all of which is contained in His words, ‘Master of the Day of Recompense.’ It also establishes prophethood from several angles…” Ibn al-Qayyim then elaborated on these points at length in a most beneficial discussion.
He went on to say: “The entire Qur’an is about tawḥīd, its rights, and its recompense, and about polytheism, its adherents, and their recompense. ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds’ is tawḥīd; ‘the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful’ is tawḥīd; ‘Guide us to the Straight Path—the path of those You have favoured’ is tawḥīd.”