Actions that are foundations of sins

 بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

There are a few actions which are the foundation of one sin or the other:

1️⃣ Kibr (الكبر - pride, conceit, arrogance, narcissism). It was excessive pride that prevented Iblees from obeying the Command of Allaah to prostrate to Aadam.

2️⃣ Hirs (الحرص - wish, crave, desire). It was the desire to live long that made Aadam to disobey Allaah and eat from the tree.

3️⃣ Hasad (الحسد - jealousy, envy, animosity). One son of Aadam (Qaabil) killed the other son (Haabeel) out of jealousy that the sacrifice of the latter was accepted and not of the former.

4️⃣ Ghuloo (الغلو - exaggeration, excessiveness). Shirk first appeared on earth when the people exaggerated in praising the righteous people and took their graves as places of worship, while others made statues of these people and worshiped them.

5️⃣ Hubb al-Dunya (حب الدنيا - love, attachment to this worldly life). The love of the Dunyaa and the amassing of wealth is the head of all the wrongdoings, and it makes the person do all of the above in addition to niggardliness, oppression, malignity, cutting of ties with relatives, lust, etc.

And Allaah knows best.

The opportunities that lie ahead of us

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Allaah تعالى said:

﴿وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾

{And hasten to the forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous} [Surah aal-`Imraan (3): 133]

And also:

﴿سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ﴾

Between Extremism and Negligence in religion

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Imaam al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said:

❝ There is no matter which Allaah تعالى has commanded, except that Shaitaan opposes it (and misleads many people towards) two characteristics regarding it - and it doesn't matter to which one of them he leads - either Ghuloo (extremism, exaggeration, excessiveness) or Taqseer (failure to comply, falling short, negligence, abandonment).❞

 [Kashf al-Khafaa' (1/470), and Majoo` al-Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah (3/381 & 14/483)]

What is extremism and negligence in religion?

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

-Following the Sunnah does not in anyways mean extremism.

-When a person implements the Do’s and Don’ts mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah, he is following the Sharee`ah.

**Example: when a person keeps a beard, keeps his lower garments above his ankles, prays 5 times a day, doesn’t listen to Music or drinks or gambles etc.

-Extremism is when a person does more than what has been mentioned in the Book and the Sunnah or he does something which is more than his capacity.

**Example: washing the body parts more than 3 times while making Wudhoo, wiping the neck, or forcing oneself to pray standing while he is not able to.

Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه: Once the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered the Masjid and saw a rope hanging in between its two pillars. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “What is this rope?” The people said: “This rope is for Zainab who, when she feels tired, holds it (to keep standing for the prayer.)” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Don't use it. Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel active, and when you get tired, sit down.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]

On the authority of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم say: “What I have forbidden to you, avoid; what I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. It was only their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their prophets that destroyed those who were before you.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (7288) and Saheeh Muslim (2388, 4355)]

-Negligence is when a person knows the Sharee`ah but does not want to follow it.

When those - who are negligent or lenient in regards to their religious duties - don’t want to follow the Sunnah, they label those who DO follow the Sunnah as extremist. So do NOT let the blaming of the negligent and their labeling you as extremist prevent you from following the Sunnah.

Allaah تعالى describes one of the characteristics of the Believers as:

{…striving in the Way of Allaah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers.} [Surah al-Maaidah (5):54]

Al-Istiqaamah (Firmness Upon Islaam)

(Revised on Jan. 17, 2013)

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Allaah تعالى says:

{Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allaah (Alone),” and then they stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!”} [Surah Fussilat (41): 30]

On the authority of Abu `Amr, though others call him Abu `Amrah Sufyaan bin `Abdullaah رضي الله عنه said: I said: “O Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم, tell me something about Islaam which I could not ask anyone about save you.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم answered: “Say: 'I believe in Allaah', and then stand firm and steadfast.” [Saheeh Muslim]

Islaam between abandonment and extremism

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Apart from misunderstanding or misinterpreting the Texts (the Qur’aan and the Ahaadeeth), the causes for deviation in the Deen can be summed up to two Major reasons:

1. Extremism

2. Abandonment (negligence/leniency)

And both of these habits lead one to go against the teachings of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Both of these habits only cause harm to Islaam and Muslims.

1. The Extremists:

Being an extremist or overzealous makes a person to exceed the limits and then eventually it leads to disobedience and not properly follow the Sunnah. The biggest example is that of the Khawaarij. In order to have a “perfect society” they went into extremes and overburdened themselves and others with undue hardship to the point where one of them didn’t even believe in the justice of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (as mentioned in the Hadeeth reported in the Saheehain), nor in the justice of the Companions and they killed `Uthmaan, `Alee and the other Companions رضي الله عنهم; and in the present era they are still upon their evil methodology of revolting against the rulers and causing destruction amongst the Muslims and to the Muslims. And as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “and they would pass clean through their religion just as the arrow passes through the prey, and they would never come back to it.”

2. The Negligent:

Then there are those who are at the other end of the spectrum. People who are so lenient that the obligations of Islaam carry no weight with them and the prohibitions in Islaam are manipulated to suit their desires. An example is of those who make the unlawful such as music, adultery, intoxicants etc. as lawful, and those who abandon the prayers and give little importance to learning the religion. An example of such a group is the Soofees, who are lenient about the rules set by the Muhadditheen, and accept any narration, even if it is weak or fabricated, as long as it supports their beliefs. And they’ll reject a narration, even if it is authentic, if it goes against their beliefs. They give little importance to the matters of `Aqeedah. They care less if their actions are according to the Sunnah or if they are Bid`ah.

Allaah protect us all from falling into these two extremes; and that He guide us towards the Wasatiyyah (the middle path) and make us among the righteous.

What follows is a series of Ahaadeeth which warn against extremism and abandonment in Religion.