Question: Could you provide us with information about Qasidat al-Amali, which is highly praised?
ANSWER
In this qasida [a poetic form from pre-Islamic Arabia] by Hadrat ‘Ali Ushi, who was one of the great Islamic scholars and the author of the fatwa book Siraciyya, the creed of Ahl as-Sunnat is explained perfectly in a poetic style. Its original is a superb work of art written in lines. We can sum up the main points in it as follows:

1. Allahu ta’ala is eternal in the past and eternal in the future. Good and evil are created by Him, but He does not like evil.

2. The Attributes of Allahu ta’ala are neither the same as nor other than His Dhat (His Self). All His Attributes are eternal and everlasting. He is unlike anything.

3. Allahu ta’ala, who created everything out of nothing, has created the ‘Arsh, too. It is wrong to say that Allahu ta’ala has dwelt in the ‘Arsh, for He eternally existed before He created it. He is not with time or with place.

4. The faith of a muqallid is valid.

[A correct faith which is acquired by only imitating parents or teachers is judged as valid. Yet those who acquire their faith in this fashion are considered sinners on account of their desertion of the necessary studies, i.e., their not studying and learning the scientific knowledge briefly and not developing their mind to contemplate and understand the existence of Allahu ta'ala. There are other scholars, however, who say that one’s lack of scientific knowledge does not constitute one’s desertion of istidlal (reasoning, convincing oneself with evidence) if one is able to obtain faith from one’s parents or by reading books or by contemplating.]

5. The Qur’an al-karim is the Word of Allahu ta'ala. It is not something created.

6. There are blessings in Paradise and torment in Hell. Paradise and Hell will exist endlessly.

7. When Believers see Allahu ta'ala in Paradise without any likeness to anything, they will forget about other blessings.

8. It is not obligatory for Allahu ta'ala to create the most useful thing.

9. It is fard to have belief in prophets and angels (and the other pillars of belief in the Amantu).

10. Hadrat Muhammad ‘alaihis-salam is the Last Prophet. His religion will exist until the end of the world. His Mi’raj (his ascent to the heavens) is a fact. Prophets do not commit any sins before or after they are informed of their prophethood. No woman was sent as a prophet.

11. Hadrat 'Isa will come and kill the Dajjal.

12. The karamats of the Awliya’ are true.

13. Aba Bakr-i Siddiq is the highest of all the Blessed Companions.

14. It is not excusable for a person who is sane and has reached the age of puberty not to know Allah.

15. If a disbeliever believes at their last breath, it is not valid.

16. Acts of worship and deeds are not a part of faith. [That is, a person who does not perform a fard is not called a disbeliever.] Those Muslims who have committed such grave sins as murder, extortion, or fornication cannot be declared to be disbelievers.

17. One who has intended abjuring Islam at a later time becomes an apostate (murtad) the moment one makes this intention.

18. One who says something which has been reported to cause disbelief becomes an apostate, even if one does not accept its meaning. [That is, it would be an act of apostasy even if one said it as a joke or to make others laugh. For example, if one says, “I am a prophet,” it causes apostasy.] If one says something which is a sign of disbelief when one is drunk, it should not be said that this person has become an apostate.

19. Whether halal or haram, it is still one’s rizq.

20. It is a fact that there are questioning and torment in the grave.

21. All sinners, except those who are forgiven or who become beneficiary of intercession, will be inflicted punishment for their sins. 

22. Believers will enter Paradise out of Allah’s benevolence because no one can deserve Paradise due to their deeds alone.

23. When people are resurrected, they will be called to account.

24. On the Day of Resurrection, it is a fact that all deeds will be weighed (on a pair of scales peculiar to Hereafter) and that people will cross the Sirat Bridge.

25. The world was created later on; it is not eternal in the past.

26. Du’a (invocation, supplication) has effects.

27. Even those who have as heavy sins as mountains will get benefit from intercession to varying degrees.

28. Both Paradise and Hell exist now.

29. Those who have faith will not remain in Hell everlastingly as the punishment for their sins. (Only kafirs [disbelievers] will remain in Hell everlastingly.)