Part 27

To direct this to anyone else besides Allaah is major shirk which takes a person out of the Religion, and he falls under the threat in the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "Your Lord says: O people, invoke Me and supplicate to Me making your worship sincerely for Me alone, and I will answer you, and pardon you and have mercy upon you. Indeed those who disdain to worship Me alone will enter Hell-Fire in disgrace." [surah Ghaafir (40):60] The evidence for reverential fear (khawf) is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High: "So do not fear them, but fear Me and beware of disobeying Me, if you are truly Believers” [70] [surah Aal-'Imraan (3): 175] ________________________________________________________ Fear is to be frightened and is a result of expecting something which will bring about destruction, harm or injury, and Allaah, the one free of all imperfections and the Most High, forbade having fear of the allies of the Satan, and He commanded fear of Himself alone. Fear is of three types: (i) Natural fear, such as a person’s fear of predatory animals, fire, or drowning. This is something for which a person is not to be blamed. Allaah, the Most High, said about Moosaa, "So he entered in the morning in Pharaoh's city in a state of fear, awaiting events." [surah al-Qasas (28): 18] However if this fear is, as mentioned by the author, a cause of his leaving an obligation or doing something forbidden, then it is forbidden. Since whatever causes an obligation to be abandoned, or causes something forbidden to be done is itself forbidden (haraam). The evidence here is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "So do not fear them, but fear Me and beware of disobeying Me, if you are truly Believers." [surah Aal-'Imraan (3):175] Furthermore fear of Allaah, the Most High, is sometimes something praiseworthy, and is sometimes something that is not praiseworthy. It is praiseworthy when it prevents you from being disobedient to Allaah, and causes you to fulfil the obligatory duties and to avoid what is forbidden. So if this goal is reached, then the heart settles and is at peace, and is dominated by joy at the blessings of Allaah and hope for His reward. It is something that is not praiseworthy when it causes a person to despair of Allaah's Mercy and to give up hope altogether. In such a case the person will give up and may continue in sin due to the fact that he totally gives up hope. (ii) Reverential fear, that he fears something and takes that as his religion. This is to be for Allaah, the Most High, alone. Directing such reverential fear to anyone other than Allaah, the Most High, is major shirk. (iii) Secret supernatural fear, such as fearing someone buried in a grave, or a person thought to be pious, who is far away and cannot affect him, yet still he has secret fear for him. This is also mentioned by the scholars as being a case of shirk. The evidence for hope and longing (ar-rajaa) is the Saying of Allaah the Most High: "So whoever hopes to see His Lord and be rewarded by Him, then let him make his worship correct and make it purely and sincerely for Him; and let him not make any share of it for anyone other than Him" [71] [surah al-Kahf (18):110]. ________________________________________________________ Hope and longing (ar-rajaa') is that a person wishes for something that may be attained and is close, and it may be something that is far off but treated as being something close. This earnest hope which comprises humility and submission may not be directed except to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and directing it to anyone other than Allaah, the Most High, is shirk. This shirk will either be lesser shirk or major shirk depending upon the state of the heart of the person in this case. The author uses as evidence the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "So whoever hopes to see His Lord and be rewarded by Him, then let him make his worship correct and make it purely and sincerely for Him; and let him not make any share of it for anyone other than Him." [surah al-Kahf (18):11O] 'Hope' which is praiseworthy is only that which is found in a person who acts in obedience to Allaah and hopes for reward from Him, or a person who repents from sin and hopes that his repentance is accepted. As for a person who hopes despite the fact that he does not act, then this is delusion and false hopes, and is something blameworthy. The evidence for trust and reliance (at-tawakkul) is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High, "And place your reliance and trust in Allaah if you are true Believers" [surah al-Maa'idah (5):23] and He said: "And whoever places his reliance and trust in Allaah then He will suffice him” [72] [surah at-Talaaq (65):3]. ________________________________________________________ Placing reliance upon something is to depend upon it; and placing reliance upon Allaah, the Most High, is to depend upon Allaah, the Most High, and to accept Him as being the One who suffices you in bringing whatever is beneficial to you and protecting you from whatever is harmful.