The Difference between Aqeedah & Manhaj by Shaykh Ubayd Al-Jabari

The Difference between Aqeedah and Manhaj
By the noble Shaykh Ubayd al Jabari

Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya

Shaykh Ubayd al Jabari was asked is there a difference between Aqeedah and Manhaj?

The Answer:
'The Aqeedah is that which is obligatory upon a person to believe in about Allaah Azza wa Jal, and also that which came from Allaah, and what His Messengers came with.
The pillar of Aqeedah and its summary is:
The Principles of Eemaan are six, which are:
Having Eemaan (certain belief) in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the day of Judgement and Eemaan in Qadr (pre-destiny) the good of it and the bad of it.

Then after that,  also what follows on from  these principles of what is obligatory upon a Muslim to believe in, that it is the truth and sincerity.

Also, to believe in the matters of  the unseen, like the occurrence of Fitn (trials and tribulations) which the Prophet ﷺ informed us about or the matters of the Prophets and Messengers of the past, whether that is from the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah.
Believing in the states of Barzakh, from blessings of the grave and its punishment, and what will happen on the Day of Judgement from the presence of the lake, the scales, the bridge as well as other matters.

As for Manhaj then it is establishing the principles of the Deen and its branches.  Manhaj is the path which a person establishes the principles of the Deen and its branches. If this path is in agreement with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah and the way of the Salaf as-Salih then it is the Manhaj ul Haqq (the true methodology), but if it is in opposition to that then it is an evil methodology.
Islaam is harmonised between the correct belief and a correct and secure Manhaj, therefore one cannot be separated from the other.

So whosoever’s Manhaj is corrupted then know, that this springs from his evil beliefs and if the Aqeedah is established correctly, then the Manhaj will also be upright.
The Manhaj of the Khawarij was corrupt due to the corruption of their Aqeedah, because they believed that it was permissible to take the blood of the people who committed major sins, they permitted killing and fighting the people. They also allowed rebelling against the sinful evil rulers, and they made it permissible to take their wealth and their blood and this is why some people of knowledge said that the Khawarij were disbelievers.'

[Taken from the tape: 'al-Edaah wal Bayaan fee kashf Ba'ad Taraiq Firqat Ikhwaan']