Translators Note ................................................................................................................. 8
About the Author ................................................................................................................ 9
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter One: Definition of al It’ibaa’a ........................................................................ 41
Part One: Creation of Mankind and the Reason for their
Creation........................................................................................................................................43
Part Two: The Sending of the
Messengers..................................................................................................................................44
Part Three: What is obligatory upon the nations with regards to the
Messengers..................................................................................................................................51
Part Four: The time period between the Prophet Muhammad and the Prophet who
preceded him..............................................................................................................................55
Part Five: The condition of the world when the Prophet Muhammad was sent to
mankind........................................................................................................................................57
Part Six: How The Companions learned and acquired the religion from the Prophet
Muhammad.................................................................................................................................72
Part Seven: Allah and His Messenger ordered with the imitation and following of the
Prophet.........................................................................................................................................76
Part Eight: Methodology of the Companions when differing, after the time of the
Prophet ........................................................................................................................................98
Part Nine: The changing of affairs after the best of generations......................................114
Chapter Two: Learning the Religion and the ‘fiqh’ of the Salaf..................................137
Part One: Obligation of learning the religion.......................................................................138
Part Two: ‘Fiqh’ in the religion...............................................................................................148
Part Three: Subsidiary Divisions of ‘fiqh’.............................................................................152
Part Four: Fundamentals and principles of ‘fiqh’ of the Companions..............................159
Part Five: The Fundamentals which the scholars of ‘fiqh’ used to base their rulings
upon...........................................................................................................................................165

Part Six: Seeking and giving religious verdicts and opinions............................................193
Part Seven: That which is obligatory upon the one seeking a religious verdict.............196
Part Eight: Mufti’s obligation to give verdicts with the strongest and most preponderant
view...........................................................................................................................................207
Part Nine: The Mufti’s knowledge of the different opinions............................................212
Part Ten: The actions of the Mufti regarding the affairs which the religious opinions
differ..........................................................................................................................................215
Part Eleven: The Manners of the Mufti................................................................................221
Closing Statements..................................................................................................................222
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................223
Glossary of Terms....................................................................................................................229

All praises are due to Allah the Lord of all creation and may the Prophet Muhammad ,his
family, and all of the righteous and noble companions be mentioned amongst the heavens. As
to what proceeds:
Indeed the American brother Faruq Post mentioned to me that he translated the book
‘Al’Iti’baa’a and the Principles of Fiqh of the Righteous Predecessors’ into the English
Language.
I have known the brother Faruq for many years. I have known him to have sound aqeedah
and upright conduct. He has graduated from the College of Da’wah, department of (Quran
and Sunnah) and he is currently studying his Masters Degree in the department of the

Sunnah (Hadeeth) in the University of Umm al- Qura. By the grace of Allah he is well-
acquainted with understanding of the Arabic Language as well as understanding his native

language which is English, according to what the American brothers have mentioned to me.
Verily, I have given him permission to translate this book while expressing my thanks and
gratitude to him and making supplication for him to be successful and be guided.

 This book is an English translation of the book ‘Al‘I’tibaa’a and the Principles of ‘Fiqh’ of the Righteous Predecessors’ by the great noble scholar, professor sheikh Wasiullah ibn Muhammad Abaas, may Allah preserve him and raise his status in this world and the next.