The four things which break a person's back

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

There are four actions which breaks the person’s back (i.e. distances him from Allaah تعالى), so seek Allaah’s refuge from it:

First: Kufr and it has two categories:

a. Kufr al-Shak (rejection due to doubt) and it is kufr al-Dhan (rejection due to lacking conviction).

Example of this is the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِ أَبَدًا  *وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا﴾

{And he (the man) went into his garden while in a state unjust to himself. He said: “I THINK not that this will ever perish. * And I think not the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord, (on the Day of Resurrection), I surely shall find better than this when I return to Him.”} [Surah al-Kahf (18): 35-36]

b. Kufr al-Sakht (rejection due to Anger), and al-Ibaa’ (refusal to submit) and al-Istikbaar (arrogance).

Even though Iblees knew and acknowledged that Allaah تعالى is the Khaaliq (Creator) of everything, but he still refused to obey His تعالى command:

﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾

{And (remember) when We said to the angels: “Prostrate yourselves before Aadam.”. And they (all) prostrated except Iblees (Satan), he refused (abaa) and was proud (was-takbara) and was one of the disbelievers} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 34]

From the two categories, the second one is more severe because the one who has doubts would believe if the facts and evidences are presented to him. But as for the arrogant one, then he has done kufr after realizing the truth.

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Second: Bid`ah and it has two categories: when it is outright Kufr ^[1] and when it is shaded ^[2]. Whosoever is protected from these, then for him his religion is protected. But whoever is afflicted with either one of these; then he will deviate from the path of Islaam and will be furthered from the path of salvation.

[1] Example: Calling the dead (i.e. grave worshiping) or believing that someone or something other than Allaah who can help in the times of distress.

[2] Example: Supplicating to Allaah تعالى through the Waseelah of the dead; like saying: “O Allaah by the rights of so-and-so on You” or “O Allaah by the Waseelah of Your Prophet” etc.

When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned against the Bid`ah, he صلى الله عليه وسلم did not distinguish between Bid`ah Hasanah (good innovation) and Bid`ah Sayyi’ah (bad innovation). Rather he صلى الله عليه وسلم said “EVERY” Bid`ah is misguidance.

He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

وَشَرَّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلاَلَةٍ فِي النَّارِ

“The worst of things are those that are newly invented; every newly-invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire” [Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (1578) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

He صلى الله عليه وسلم also said:

من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد‏ . وفي رواية ‏:‏ ‏من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد‏.‏ 

“If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it will be rejected.” [Agreed upon]

 And in another narration it is:

“Whoever does a thing which we did not command, will be rejected.” [Saheeh Muslim]

`Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه said: “Beware of what the people introduce of the Bid`ah. The Deen (religion) is not taken away from the heart in one go (at once). Rather, Shaitaan introduces the person to a Bid`ah (and keeps him engaged in it) till Imaan (Faith) is removed from his heart. Soon (a time is coming where) people will let go of all the obligations which Allaah تعالى had enjoined on them from the Salaah (prayers), the Siyaam (fasting), the Halaal and the Haraam, and they will speak about their Lord عز وجل (without knowledge). So whosoever reaches that time should flee.” It was said: “O Abu `Abdul Rahmaan! Flee to where?” He said: “Where there is no one.” He further said: “He should flee with his heart and his religion, and he should not sit with Ahl al-Bid`ah (innovators and people of desires).”

[Sharh Usool `Itiqaad Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah (196, 1/136)]

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Third: Negligence in the remembrance of Allaah. A negligent person will fall more quickly into sins than rocks falling off the cliff.

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا﴾

{and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.} [Surah al-Kahf (18): 28]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَذْكُرُ مَثَلُ الْحَىِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ

“The example of the one who remembers the Praises of his Lord (Allaah) in comparison to the one who does not remember the Praises of his Lord, is that of a living compared to the dead.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6407)]

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Fourth: When the Love of this Dunyaa enters the heart, even if a person is a devout, it would keep him occupied. He would be engaged in worship but his heart would be preoccupied with the matters of the Dunyaa. One would, throughout his life, try to get closer to Allaah تعالى with his actions, but his heart would still be distant from Him تعالى.

Allaah تعالى mentioned how a person’s love for the Dunyaa made him go astray after knowing the truth:

﴿وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ * وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾

{And recite (O Muhammad SAW) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away, so Shaitan (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. * And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.} [Surah al-A`raaf (7): 175-176]

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