Monday, August 15, 2016

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #105

Fulfilling an obligation is better than doing many optional deeds:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Many times we see people preoccupied with optional deeds while ignoring the obligatory ones, example:
1) Eager to feed the poor while ignoring the obligatory Salaah (prayers).
2) Being cheerful with their friends but not with their wives and children.
3) Being generous with old people while ignoring their own parents.
4) Eager to help the strangers but not their own brothers.
5) Standing up for the (optional) night prayers but missing on the Fajr with the congregation.

***

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

Fulfilling an obligation is far more superior to doing optional deeds, because of the saying Allaah تعالى in the Hadeeth al-Qudsee:

{And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have made obligatory upon him…} [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]

But the Shaitaan (diverts) the man and increases his interest in the optional deeds (by making them more attractive and pleasing to him) while reducing his interest in the obligatory deeds (by making them less attractive to him).

Example: you will find a person keen in giving Sadaqah (optional charity) while missing on the obligatory one (i.e. Zakaah); or that he spends on the poor (and the homeless) while ignoring the obligations towards his family; or he spends on the poor and ignores the obligations that are upon him like paying off the debts. His creditor would be requesting him to pay off his debts; but instead of discharging his debts, he goes and gives charity to the poor or goes to perform optional `Umrah or Hajj while not fulfilling that which is obligatory upon him. This is against the Sharee`ah and this is not Hikmah (wisdom). He is foolish in his understanding and has gone astray regarding the Sharee`ah.

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/158-159)]

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