Part 20

* Ibn Kaysan, Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Abu al-Hassan (-299 A.H.) was a philologist and a scholar of hadith. He wrote al-Muhadhdhab Fil-Nahw and Ma‘anial-Qur?én. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 85 and al-Fihirst, vol. 1, pp. 177-178.)

arrogant ones will say to those who were deemed weak: ‘Was it we who kept you back from guidance after it reached you? No, rather, it was you who transgressed.’ Those who had been deemed weak will say to the arrogant ones: ‘No! It was a plot {of yours] by day and by night: Behold! You [constantly] ordered us to be ungrateful to Allah and to attribute equals to Him! They are filled with remorse when they see the penalty: We shall put yokes on the necks of the unbelievers: It would only be a requital for their ill deeds”” (34:31—33).

The verse “For they, when they were told that there is no god except Allah, would puff themselves up with pride” (37:35) refers to both unbelievers, the major and minor sinners, as well as to those who puff themselves up with pride about what Allah commands. For not puffing oneself with pride is part of affirming that there is no god but Allah, Who alone deserves to be worshiped. And whoever puffs himself up with pride about worshiping Allah, obeying and listening to other than Allah, does not confirm [in this context] that there is no god but Allah.

Those who take their priests and their anchorites as their lords, whereas they make lawful what Allah prohibits and prohibit what Allah makes lawful, such people are of two groups: one group knows that they [priests and their anchorites] changed the religion of Allah and [intentionally] followed them. Thus, they believe in making lawful what Allah prohibits and prohibiting what Allah makes lawful as part of following their leaders, though they know they have contradicted the path of the Messenger. This is indeed unbelief, and Allah and His Messenger considered it polytheism even though they did not pray or prostrate to them. He who follows other than Him, contrary to religion, knowing for a fact that it is contrary to religion, and believes in what he has said in derogation of what Allah and His Messenger have said, is certainly considered a polytheist. The other group has a strong belief in prohibiting the lawful and making lawful the prohibited. But they obey their priests and their anchorites in rebelling against Allah exactly like a Muslim who disobeys Allah although he knows that he is disobeying Him. Accordingly, this group will be treated as sinners, as indicated in the following saying of the Prophet: “Indeed, obedience should be to the good.” The Prophet also said: “A Muslim can listen to and obey what he likes or hates unless he is ordered to disobey Allah; no creature should be obeyed if he is ordered to disobey Allah”; and: “Whoever orders you to disobey Allah, do not obey him.” These hadiths are recorded in Sahih (al-Bukhari).

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Anyone who makes the lawful forbidden and the forbidden lawful and does it with the intention of following the Messenger, and if the truth for some reason is not known to him and he is righteous to Allah as much as he is able, Allah will not punish him for his sin but will reward him for striving to obey his Lord. But anyone who knows something is wrong and contrary to the Messenger’s teachings and still commits that wrong, he will be considered among those who associate with the people that Allah condemns. This is particularly the case when he follows his desire and supports that desire with his tongue and hand, knowing for a fact that he is contradicting the Messenger’s way. This is a situation where the one committing it deserves punishment. Muslim scholars agree that anyone who knows the truth is not permitted to imitate anything that contradicts that truth. They disagree, however, on the permission of the one who is able to submit proof even though he is unable to demonstrate the truth which one knows. This is exactly like the one who knows that the religion of Islam is the truth while he is still among the Christians. Thus, if he performs of the truth what he is able, he will not be blamed for the things that he cannot do. This case will be similar that of the King of Ethiopia, al-Najashi, and others. Allah has revealed, concerning their case, verses in His Book. Allah the Exalted says: “And there are among the People of the Book those who believe in Allah, in the revelation to you and in the revelation to them . . .” (3:199). Allah also says: “And among the people of Moses there is a group who guide and do justice in the light of the truth” (7:159); and: “When they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger you will see their eyes overflowing with tears for they recognize the truth . . .” (5:83).

As for the one who followed the one who is unable to know the truth in detail and tried his best by striving to imitate him, such a person will not be blamed for his sin. Anyone who imitates a person, choosing him over his opposite just for the sake of his desire, as in the case of facing Makkah while praying, and he still supports him both by his tongue and hand without knowing that he has the knowledge of the truth, such a person will be considered to be among the people of ignorance. This is the case even when the person he is following is in the right. His knowledge will not be right, even when the one he follows is in the wrong; then he would be committing a sin. This is simply like the one who renders his own opinion about the Quran. Even if he is correct, he is still committing a wrong and when he is wrong he will certainly have his abode in Hellfire. Such a person will be like the one who does not give zakah and will be liable for punishment. He

will also be like those people who worship a dinar, a dirham, velvet, and silk. Such a person who loved wealth to the point that it prevented him from worshiping and obeying Allah and who becomes a slave of wealth, he will be among those who commit minor shirk, association. He will receive the threat of punishment, in accordance with the following hadith: “Even a slight hypocrisy is considered polytheism.” This is explained, with supporting evidence, when unbelief and polytheism are used in an absolute sense, with reference to many sins.

The absolute wrong implies [but is not limited to] unbelief. For it may refer to unbelief as well as what is less serious than unbelief, such as committing minor sins like wickedness and rebellion, as recorded in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of ‘Abd Allah Ibn Mas‘iid, who said: “I said to the Messenger of Allah, which sin is the gravest?” The Messenger replied: “You who make a partner with Allah, though it is He who has created you.” He [the inquirer] said: “Then what?” The Messenger replied: “That you kill your child out of fear that he will share your food.” He [the inquirer] said: “Then what?” He replied: “That you commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.” Then Allah reveals the following verses. Allah says: “Those who invoke no other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication, for any that does this [not only] meets punishment [but] the penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is forgiving, most merciful. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an [acceptable] conversion” (25:68—71).

Thus, the complete warning refers to the three sins of polytheism, killing, and fornication. Every sin contributes to its own portion. Hence, if one is a polytheist but does not kill or fornicate, his penalty will be less than that if he commits all three sins. Similarly, if he fornicates and kills but is not a polytheist, he will share in the burden of penalty as indicated in the following verse. Allah says: “If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein: and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him” (4:93). In this verse, Allah does not mention that a killer will abide in Hell forever. Indeed, it is said that the term al-ta’bid, forever, is not mentioned in the Qur’4n, except in the case of unbelief. Allah says: “The day that the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, he will say, ‘Oh! Would that I had taken a [straight] path with the Messenger! Ah! Woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for

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a friend! He did lead me astray from the Message [of Allah] after it had come to me! Ah! The Devil is but a traitor to man!’” (25:27—29). No doubt these verses refer to the unbeliever who does not believe in the Messenger. This is the reason these verses were revealed. For the absolute wrong includes unbelieving plus other lesser kinds of wrong. It follows that whoever takes one for a friend against what Allah and His Messenger command will have to receive his share of the warning, as illustrated in the following verses. Allah says: “Friends on that Day will be foes, one to another, except the righteous ones” (43:67); and: “Then would those who are followed clear themselves of those who follow [them]: they would see the penalty, and all relations between them would be cut off” (2:166). Al-Fudayl Ibn “Ayyad? said that al-Layth narrated on the authority of Mujahid that the word “friendship” means affection between friends that is not for the sake of Allah. Indeed, friendship is expressed by way of loving and endearment. For the Prophet (pbuh) said: “A man follows the path of his friend.” That is, each of the lovers loves what the other loves. Thus, if one follows his friend who loves to do what Allah and His Messenger hate, then the religion of both will diminish until it ends up with grave polytheism. Allah says: “Yet there are men who take [for worship] others besides Allah, as equal [with Allah]: they love them as they should love Allah, but those of belief are overflowing in their love for Allah . . .” (2:165).