Allaah said: “This day, I have completed your religion for you”

Allaah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) said: “This day, I have completed your religion for you” – Explained by Shaykh Salih Fawzan

Allaah completed the religion through him (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

«This day, I have completed your religion for you, perfected My blessings upon you, and am pleased with Islam as your Religion.» [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:3]

He (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) did not pass away until after Allaah had completed the religion and the favour through him and had sent down to him His saying, He the Most High:

«This day, I have completed your religion for you, perfected My blessings upon you, and am pleased with Islam as your Religion.» [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:3]

This aayah came down to the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) whilst he was performing the standing in ‘Arafah during the Farewell Hajj on the Day of Jumu’ah. And he (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) lived after it for a short time and then moved on to the highest company (of angels).

And he left his nation upon al-mahajjah al-baydaa (the clear white path) whose night is the same as its day; no one deviates from it except that he is destroyed.

This aayah contains a testimony from Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, that this religion is complete and that it covers everything of benefit to the servants and that it contains a solution for all of their issues and problems until the Establishment of the Hour. And that is suitable for every time and place; they do not need any other legislation after it or any other book to come down or any other messenger to be sent after the Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam).

So, there is no matter to be found and there is no event that will occur until the Day of Resurrection except that in the Legislation revealed to Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) there is a solution for it and the ruling concerning it. However, the matter relates back to who is competent to extract evidence and to derive proof, rulings and issues. If there are to be found ahlul-‘ilm (people of knowledge) and people qualified to make ijtihaad (personal deductions in rulings) who fulfill the conditions of ijtihaad, then indeed, this legislation is complete and contains a solution for all problems. Deficiency only comes about from us from the aspect of deficiency in (our) knowledge and inability to fully understand what Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, has sent down – or from the aspect of desires, that there occurs a case of following of desires which diverts a person away from the Truth. Otherwise this religion is fully suitable and comprehensive and complete. Allaah has sufficed the Islamic nation with it until the establishment of the hour if it acts upon it (the religion) correctly and refers back to it in its affairs.

He, the Most High, said:

«So if you disagree about anything then refer it back to Allaah and the Messenger.» [Surah an-Nisa, 4:59]

Referring back to Allaah is to refer back to the Book of Allaah, and referring back to the Messenger after his passing away is to refer back to his Sunnah.

He, the Most High, said:

«And whatever you disagree about then its judgment is to be referred to Allaah.» [Surah ash-Shuraa, 42:10]

This aayah (from Surah al-Ma’idah) contains a refutation of those who make accusations against the Islamic Legislation of its having shortcomings or of its being deficient, (these accusations coming) from the atheists and the evil heretics, or from the “semi students” whose understanding falls short in being able to understand the hidden wisdoms of the Islamic Legislation. Therefore, these (foolish people) ascribe deficiency to the Islamic Legislation and they do not know that the deficiency is with themselves alone.

So it (this aayah) contains a refutation against those who accuse the Islamic Legislation of deficiency and that it does not cover all needs of the servants and all matters of welfare of the servants until the Establishment of the Hour.

Or those who say: “It was specific to a certain olden times,” – because there are many ignorant people who, when it is said to them, “This is the Islamic ruling,” they say, “That was in the time of the Messenger and the initial time. As for now, conditions have changed and the matters have altered; and the legislated rulings were for people who have now passed away and for problems that have come to an end.”

They say this, and this is disbelief in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and it is a denial of His Saying, He the Most High:

«This day, I have completed your religion for you.» [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:3]

Allaah completed the religion for this nation until the Hour is established for every time and place and for every generation of mankind.

It also contains a refutation of the innovators, those who introduce worship from themselves and ascribe it to the religion, when it has no proof from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam). Rather they just introduce it in accordance with what they deem to be good or based upon blindly following others whom they have good thoughts about from the people of false ideas and people with their own goals and desires. So therefore, they introduce worship into the religion, which Allaah has sent down no proof for. He (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) said:

«Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it, then it is rejected.» [Reported by al-Bukhari no. 2697 and Muslim no. 1718 from a hadeeth of Ai’shah (radhiAllaahu anha).]

And he (alayhis salaatu wasallaam) said:

«And beware of newly introduced matters, for every newly introduced matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.» [Reported by Abu Daawood, Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Maajah from the famous hadeeth of ‘Irbaad ibn Saariyyah (radhiAllaahu anhu). [al-Albaanee declared it saheeh].]

Whoever introduces acts of worship which have no proof from the Book of Allaah nor from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah, then he is accusing this religion of not being complete and he wishes to complete the religion himself. He is not actually acknowledging the fact that Allaah has completed it.

Whatever was not religion in the time of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) will never be religion after him. So this contains a refutation of these groups: The group who say that Islam is not suitable for every time, or those who innovate newly invented innovations which have no proof from the Book of Allaah nor the Sunnah of His Messenger, and who ascribe them to the religion.

This aayah (from Surah al-Ma’idah) contains a refutation of them because the religion was completed by Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. So there is no scope for addition in it nor for reduction from it. And there is no scope for raising doubts nor seeking to obscure the issue by saying that it is not suitable for the people in these later times.

«This day, I have completed your religion for you.» [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:3]

This is the Speech of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. He is the Most Truthful One of those who speak.

And He, the Most High, said:

«And I perfected My blessings upon you, and am pleased with Islam as your Religion.» [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:3]

This was the last of that which came down to the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and it is a testimony from the Lord of the whole of the Creation for this religion that it is complete, comprehensive, and fully suitable for every time and place.

So His saying (in this aayah) is an address to this nation, from the first of it to the last of it, and it is not just an address to the first generation alone. Rather it is an address to the whole of the nation until the Hour is established.

As for ijmaa’ (consensus), the whole nation are agreed in consensus that he (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) passed away. No one disagrees about this except the people of false beliefs, those say that the Messenger did not die. They negate death from the Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam). This is baseless speech and speech which is clearly rejected. It is refuted by what has been experienced and what is clearly the case, for the Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) indeed passed away amongst his Companions. He was bathed, shrouded, had the funeral prayer prayed over him and he was buried. Can these actions be carried out on a person who is still alive? He (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was treated as one who had died. He was washed and shrouded and prayed over and then he (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) was buried in his grave.

This is the way of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, with regards to His Creation. And then where are the Messengers who came before him? What occurred to him occurred to the Messengers before him. They died. And he is one of them, so he died. This is by consensus of the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. No one disagrees about this except the people of false beliefs, those who seek to attach themselves to the Messenger (Sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and seek deliverance through him besides Allaah, and say: “He is still alive.”

Excerpts From: Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah by Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan
Translated and Transcribed from Audio by Dawud Burbank