Adherence to the Words of Allah and His Messenger

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Adherence to the Words of Allah and His Messenger (5/5)

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah



Indeed, interpreters have differed about the two guardians' record. For example, Mujahid and others said that these guardians make a complete record of every word, thought, and act, even a moan when one is sick. ‘Ikrimah[1] said that these guardians record what one is rewarded or punished for. However, the Qur'an indicates that the guardian makes a complete record of words, thoughts, and actions. Allah says: "Not a word does he utter . . . ," which means that every single word spoken is recorded by the guardian. Moreover, since he is rewarded or punished for a given statement, then this implies that he should know what he is rewarded or punished for, and in order to affirm the knowledge [of the guardian], he should record it. Furthermore, he is commanded either to utter good words or to keep silent. Thus, if he prefers to speak what he is commanded or to keep silent about his statement, this will be recorded against him. For the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "For the goodness of one's Islam is not to intrude in others' affairs." Thus, if he speaks about what does not concern him, the goodness of his Islam decreases. For his saying is recorded against him. However, this does not necessarily mean that he will go to Hell. It only means that his rank is reduced. For Allah says: ". . . It [the soul] gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns . . ." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:286).

Hence, whatever one does is recorded for him; otherwise it will be recorded against him and his rank will be reduced if the act does not deserve punishment. By nature, the soul is always in a state of flux; it is not static.

However, Allah forgives the believers if their intention to speak evil is not carried out or acted upon. When they do act upon it, it enters into the realm of command and denial since Allah made all unlawful acts undesirable to the believers. Also, he endeared to them Iman, which entails adhering to all obedient acts unless they are being opposed by the consensus of all the people. The Murji’ites do not question that Iman, which is in the heart, leads to and necessitates an act of obedience, and that obedience is one of its fruits and results. However, they do question whether Iman necessitates acts of obedience. For indeed, if it [Iman] calls for acts of obedience, there will be a mu'arid, adversary, from the soul and from Satan. Then if this adversary made it [Iman] undesirable to the believers, the need for the actual obedience will consequently be safe from this adversary.

When believers hate all kinds of evil, nothing is left over except what is good or lawful. The latter is only made legitimate for believers in order to help them worship Allah; for He does not make lawful what enables one to disbelieve, to commit sins, or to reject belief. An illustration is the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) putting a curse on the one who presses wine, on the one for whom it is pressed, as well as on the one who drinks it. Although the presser squeezes grapes into juice that is lawful to drink and may be of benefit to one's health, it is only when he intends to make the juice into wine that he helps the drinker disobey Allah. The Prophet put a curse on him because Allah neither makes it lawful to aid someone who rejects belief in his disobedience nor does He make lawful anything that helps one to reject belief. Indeed, nothing is made lawful unless it helps in doing good. And it can be inferred that not doing evil means that only good deeds are done.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "People who strive in this life are of two types. The first one includes those who sacrifice their souls to attain salvation, whereas the second type includes those who sacrifice to destroy themselves. Hence, he who is a believer loves good and hates evil; therefore, he is pleased by doing good and displeased by doing evil. However, if he does not do so, he lacks true belief."

A believer may commit an evil act but later repent or perform good deeds to erase it; or if a misfortune befalls him, that may erase it also. However, he must feel hatred for it [evil], in order for Allah to redeem him. For Allah endears belief to believers and He makes unbelief, sin, and rebellion hateful to them. Hence, whoever does not have hatred for these three things is not among the believers.

However, Muhammad Ibn Nasr [al-Marwazi] said: "Al-fasiq, the sinner, hates them as an act of belief." In response to this it is stated that what is intended is that he believed that his religion prohibited them and he loved his religion and these are simply from among its totality; however, if he still disliked them, even when he liked his religion in its totality and there was no hate in his heart for them, he would be deprived from Iman in the same amount, as indicated in the Prophet's saying: "He who among you sees an evil act should change it by his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do that, then he should abhor it from his heart; and that is the weakest sort of belief."

In another hadith (recorded in Sahih Muslim) the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "He who struggles against them with his hand is a believer, and he who struggles against them with his tongue is a believer, and he who struggles against them with his heart is a believer, and beyond that there is no belief even to the extent of the weight of a mustard seed."

Consequently, when one's heart does not hate what Allah hates, then he does not have the true belief for which he can be rewarded. His saying "and beyond that there is no belief," in the hadith above means absolute belief. That is, beyond these three kinds of struggle there is no absolute belief, even to the extent of the weight of a mustard seed. It also means that this is the end point of belief and no belief is beyond it. However, it is worthy of note that this hadith does not mean that whoever does not struggle against unbelievers with his hand, tongue, or heart, no longer has belief. Thus the words of the above hadith refer to the first meaning.


[1] 'Ikrimah (25-105 A.H.) was famous for his commentary on the Qur'an and was a transmitter of hadith. [M. M. Azami, p. 66.]