Points Of Reflection On The Statement Of Allah: “And thus do We explain the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail, that the way of the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists, sinners) may become manifest.” [Q6:55] | Shaykh Fu’ād Az-Zintānī حفظه الله

Indeed, all praise is due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His aid, and we seek His forgiveness. And we seek Allāh’s refuge from the evil of our own souls and our evil deeds. Whomsoever Allāh guides, no one can misguide. And whomsoever He misguides, no one can guide. And I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh alone, without any partners. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger.

May Allāh extol him, his household, Companions, and whoever follows his guidance and Sunnah till the Day of Recompense.

To proceed:

It pleases me on this night, the night of Friday, the 26th of Jumādá al-Ākhirah of the year, 1444AH, that we meet with our Salafī brothers from Nigeria in this blessed conference, the conference of Al-Imām Al-ʿAllāmah ʿUbayd Al-Jābirī, may Allāh bestow His vast mercy upon him.

And in reality, [He] was a sincere scholar to the Salafīs, he loved them, and was keen upon [benefitting] them. May Allāh have mercy upon him.

He spent his life on clarifying the path of the believers and clarifying what opposes the path of the believers from the path of the criminals. He spent his life on all this.

And indeed, from honouring and respecting him, and from acting upon his injunction after his death, is that the Salafī call is aided and that the people are guided to goodness, for the Salafīs to proceed upon what the Shaykh was upon and for them to be firm upon it until they meet Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, as the Shaykh did—according to our thought of him, and Allāh is his Reckoner.

And this conference enters into this affair. And participating in it is a honour for us and it is something we are proud of and are joyous about. How would it not [be so], while it is a conference bearing the name of one of the Imāms of the Sunnah in this era. This is the first point.

Secondly, indeed, [participating in it] contains spreading knowledge and aiding the Sunnah, which the Shaykh, may Allāh have mercy upon him, passed away upon spreading.

And thirdly, that also contains daʿwah to our brothers in this country [i.e., Nigeria], and support for our brothers in this country—that he aids and supports his Salafī brother. And this is from supporting and aiding ourselves.

This is the path of the believers. And Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, explained this path in one Sūrah.

He, the Most High, said:

By (the phenomenon of) time (which Allah manifests through His creation of night and day and in which the servants perform their deeds).

Indeed, (all of) mankind is in loss.

Except those who believe (in Allāh, His Angels, Books, Prophets, the Last Day and the Divine Decree) and work righteous deeds (which are sincere and correct) and mutually advise each other (in calling to and abiding by) the truth and mutually advise each other with patience (in facing the inevitable harms brought by calling to the truth). Translation from here.

This is from mutual admonition with the truth and patience, in [a time] in which tribulations, afflictions, and adversities are many, and pitch-dark tribulations that drag themselves.

Nothing can save you from them except holding fast to the legislative knowledge, beneficial knowledge, righteous actions, following the path of the believers—the path of the righteous predecessors—and sticking to the major scholars, so as to be saved from these tribulations that have become widespread in our time, and tribulations have approached, dragging trials along. And Allāh’s aid is sought and upon Him we rely.

Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, clarified and explained the truth for us. And He clarified and explained the truth for us. So, Hidāyah ad-Dalālah wa al-Irshād (the guidance of direction) which came from Allāh, upon the tongues of His prophets and messengers explained the path of the believers and clarified the path of the criminals, so that those who will live might live after clear proof, and those who will perish may perish after clear proof.

And this lecture is regarding the statement of Allāh, the Most High:

“And thus do We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail, that the way of the Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners), may become manifest.”

And it is in [Sūrah] Al-Anʿām, verse 55.

And it is clarified by the statement of Allāh, the Most High:

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination.” [An-Nisāʾ: 115]

Therefore, they are two paths without a third: they path of the believers and the path of the criminals.

And Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, clarified the path of the believers and He, the Exalted and Most, clarified the path of the criminals.

“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.” [Al-Insān: 3]

And Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, directed and guided, He clarified and explained, and He elaborated and did not generalize regarding these two paths.

So, it is either a person follows the path of the truth or he follows the path of falsehood.

And Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allāh the Most High have mercy upon him, had spoken regarding the two paths. He said:

“Allāh, the Most High, had clarified in His Book, the path of the believers in details, and the path of the criminals in details, and the outcome of these and the outcome of those, and the deeds of these and the deeds of those, and the allies of these and the allies of those, and His forsaking of these and His guidance of those, and the means through which He granted these success and the means through which He forsook those.

And He, the Exalted, elucidated the two affairs in His book, and He exposed, clarified, and explained them with the highest degree of explanation.”

He said: “So, those who know Allāh, His Book, and His Religion, are acquainted with the path of the believers and that of the criminals in detail, so the two paths are clearly visible to them, just as the path leading to the destination and the path leading to destruction are clearly visible to the traveller.

So, they are the most knowledgeable among the creation, the ones who benefit the people the most, and the ones who give them most sincere advice. And they are the guides.”

Therefore, this speech from this Imām explains to you that Allāh detailed and clarified the path of the believers. He explained its lawful and unlawful. He explained its methodology and creed. He clarified its fundamental principles in details.

And these are the books of knowledge, available and widespread, they clarify and explain the path of the believers in details. And they clarify the fundamental principles of this path and how to tread it, and what are the means of salvation which when held unto by a person, he would tread this path with tranquility.

Just as He, the Exalted and Most High, explained the path of the criminals in details. And He explained the danger and consequence of treading it, and where it leads and its abode and end. He explained and clarified that.

Likewise, He explained the outcome of the believers and that of the criminals. And He explained the actions of the path of the believers and those of the path of the criminals.

And He explained those whom these ones take as allies and those whom those ones take as allies.

He forsook these criminals, out of His justice and wisdom, and He granted these believers success, out of His favour and bounty.

And this is why Aṭ-Ṭaḥāwī, may Allāh, the Most High, have mercy upon him, in his Creed: “If He guides you, it is by His favour. And if He forsakes you, it is by His justice.”

So, the one who this path is clear to in all its details, is the one who learns the legislative knowledge upon its fundamental principles, and took it from its people who are acquainted with the path of the believers in details and that of the criminals in details, and the two paths have become clearly visible to them.

And from here, the importance of taking knowledge from its people is known—the importance of taking knowledge from the firm and clear scholars of the Sunnah. Because they are the ones whom the path of the believers is clearly visible to, and the path of the criminals is clearly visible to them, and they are acquainted with it in details.

Among the people are those who know the path of the believers—as will be mentioned in the speech of Ibn Al-Qayyim—but does not know that of the criminals.

The likes of these might fall into the path of the criminals from where they did not perceive.

And due to this, those who guided to the path of the believers most, and the most knowledgeable of the path of the believers, and that of the criminals in details, are the Companions. May Allāh, the Most High, be pleased with them.

Due to this, Ibn Al-Qayyim said:

“And as a result of that, the Companions have surpassed all those to come after them until the Day of Judgment. For indeed, they grew up upon the path of misguidance, disbelief, and Shirk, and the paths leading to destruction, and they knew them in detail. Then the Messenger came to them and took them out of darkness into the path of guidance and Allāh’s straight path.

So, they exited pitch darkness [and entered] into complete light, from Shirk into Tawḥīd, from ignorance into knowledge, from misguidance into guidance, from injustice into justice, from confusion and blindness into guidance and insight.

So, they knew the worth of what they attained and obtained, and the worth of what they used to be upon. For indeed, the opposite [of a thing] reveals its excellence  and [the reality of] things only become clear through their opposites.”

As someone said: “And with their opposites, [the reality of] things become clear.”

Likewise, as someone said: “I know evil, not [to perpetrate] evil, but to beware of it # Whoever does not know evil from good will fall into it [i.e., evil].”

So, these Companions, Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “So, they increased in desire and love for what they moved to, while [they increased in] aversion and hatred for what they moved from.

And they had the most love for Tawḥīd, Īmān, and Islām, among the people, and they had the most hatred for what opposes it—while knowing the path in detail.

These are the Companions of Muḥammad, may Allāh, the Most High, be pleased with them.

The best of this Ummah. The most knowledgeable, most understanding, most righteous, most merciful, and most just of it. All the attributes of good are in them. May Allāh, the Most High, be pleased with them.

“As for those who came after the Companions, among them is the one who was brought up in Islām without knowing the details of its opposite. Therefore, he confused some of the details of the path of the believers with that of the criminals.” This is the speech of Ibn Al-Qayyim.

“For indeed, confusion…” pay attention to this. “For indeed, confusion only occurs when [a person’s] knowledge regarding both paths or one of them is weak, as ʿUmar bn Al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allāh be pleased with him, said: ‘The handholds of Islām are undone one by one when there emerges in Islām those who do not know the Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islāmic ignorance).’”

He [i.e., Ibn Al-Qayyim] said: “This [statement] is from ʿUmar’s perfect knowledge [of Islām]. For indeed, if he does not know the Jāhiliyyah and its ruling—and it is everything that opposes what the Messenger ﷺ came with; then, it is from Jāhiliyyah. And it [i.e., Jāhiliyyah] is ascribed to Jahl (ignorance). And everything that opposes the Messenger ﷺ is from ignorance.

So, the one who neither knows the path of the criminals nor is it clearly visible to him, he might think that some of their ways are from the ways of the believers. Just as has occurred in this Ummah, in many affairs of the creed, knowledge, and deeds that are from the path of the criminals, the disbelievers and the enemies of the Messengers, [which] were introduced into the path of the believers by the one who does not know it is from their [i.e., the criminals, disbelievers, and enemies of the messengers’] path.”

From where did innovations enter [Islām]? From where did deviations enter? From certain people who […] things they considered and thought were good and acted upon them. Because the basis of innovations is considering deeds [that were not legislated] to be good and adorning them.

So, this is the entry point of innovations. The one who does not know the path of the criminals in details, and does not know the danger of this path, then he might consider certain things from the path of the criminals to be from good, and then introduce them [into Islām]—this is how innovations come about, as Ibn Al-Qayyim said.

“So he called to [this path], [excommunicated the one who opposes them, and declares lawful] what Allāh and His Messenger made unlawful, just as what has occurred with most of the people of innovations, such as [the Jahmiyyah, the Qadariyyah, the Khawaarij, the Rawaafid and their ilk] from those who introduced an innovation, called to it, and excommunicated those who opposed it.”

Likewise, the groups in existence today, such as the Ikhwān, Tablīgh, Surūriyyah, Quṭbiyyah, Ḥaddādiyyah, and Akhaṣ Min Al-Ḥaddādiyyah—all these groups deviated due to [their] failure to know the path of the criminals in details. So, they adorned and considered certain [unlawful] things to be good, and introduced them into the religion of Islām, such as democracy, election, and so forth from the foundations of deviation in this era. These groups considered them to be good, so they introduced them into the religion of Islām, and it became an actual affair with the people.

Due to this, Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The people are of four categories in this subject matter.

The First Category: Those who the path of the believers and that of the criminals are clearly visible to in detail—in both knowledge and action. And these are the most knowledgeable among the creation.”

Those who the path of the believers and that of the criminals are clearly visible to…

[…]

Take knowledge! Take knowledge!! Learn! Learn!! Just like that. And he does not know the [deviant] groups, or the [deviant] sects, or the refutations of the people of knowledge.

And he comes saying: “The books of refutations harden the hearts! Books of refutations are not from knowledge! They are dry!”

The books of refutations clarify the deviation and misguidance of people.

Therefore, a person must know this and that.

And due to this, Imām Muḥammad bn ʿAbdil-Wahhāb, in Kitāb At-Tawḥīd, he authored it in the best way.

He mentioned the virtue of Tawḥīd, he mentioned those that will enter Jannah without reckoning, and he mentioned affairs regarding Tawḥīd.

Afterwards, he then mentioned Shirk in detail. The chapter of such-and-such is from Shirk. The chapter of such-and-such is from Shirk. The chapter of such-and-such is from Shirk. He mentioned it in detail. So that the path of the criminals can be manifest. That is how it will be manifest.

Had he spoken about Tawḥīd and its virtue in detail, then he said, “Beware of Shirk! Fear Shirk! Beware of Shirk!” And then he leaves that and completes his book, will the people know what Shirk is? Never!

When the Khaṭīb comes and delivers a sermon on Friday, “Tawḥīd! Tawḥīd!! Worship Allāh alone without any partners! And do not ascribe any partners with Allāh!” And then, he descends from the mimbar.

The people have not known what Shirk is [from this sermon]. The people think Shirk is merely worshipping idols.

They do not know that calling upon other than Allāh is from Shirk.

They do not know that seeking rescue from other than Allāh is from Shirk.

They do not know that circumambulating graves, and calling upon the allies [of Allāh] and the righteous is from Shirk.

They do not know this.

So, you will find that the people do not cease to be upon their Shirk, while the Khaṭīb warns against Shirk every Friday!

But there is no one that knows what Shirk is. [This is] because he did not mention the details.

Rather, the person beneath his mimbar might have worn a ring [which he believes benefits him or repels harm from him], or he wears an amulet, and this is from Shirk. And he swears with other than Allāh; and this is from Shirk. But he [i.e., the Khaṭīb] does not explain this to the people.

Will the path of the criminals be visibly manifest through this method? Never!

Therefore, there must be details. It must be known in detail. This is [for] the one that wants salvation. [This is] the first group.

“The Second Group: They are those who are blind to both paths—from those resembling animals. And these people will in most cases follow and tread the path of the criminals.”

A blind individual. He does not know the path of the believers, nor that of the criminals. At the end of the day, he will inevitably tread the path of the criminals.

“The Third Group: The one who diverts his attention to knowing the path of the believers without [knowing] its opposite. He only knows its opposite in a general way and from its opposition [to the path of the believer which he knows in detail], and [he knows] that everything that opposes the path of the believers is falsehood, even if he is unable to conceive it in detail. Rather, when he hears some of that which opposes the path of the believers, he turns his hearing away from it.”

This is the one we were speaking about earlier, “The books of refutations! The books of refutations!! It is not appropriate to be read. Stay away from these books. Abandon this. Abandon this differing.”

This is a lie. And Allāh’s aid is sought.

He said: “And he does not preoccupy himself with understanding it and knowing its falsity. He is in the state a person whose soul is safe from wanting desires, so he never thinks of them, nor does his soul call him to them, as opposed to the first group, for indeed, they know them and their souls are inclined towards them, but they strive against it, so as to leave them for the sake of Allāh.”

There is a great difference between the one who never thought of sinning and his soul never called him to it due to his ignorance of it, as opposed to the one who knew them and inclined towards them, and strived against his soul upon this inclination of his.

He said: “And they had written to ʿUmar bn Al-Khaṭṭāb, asking him about this affair, as to which of the two is better: a man who never thought of desires, or a man whose soul draws him towards it, but abandoned it for the sake of Allāh?

So, ʿUmar wrote [in response] that: ‘The one whose soul desires sins but abandons them for the sake of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, is from those whose hearts Allāh has tested for piety; for them there is forgiveness and a great reward.’”

The isnād of this narration is broken, as Mujāhid did not hear from ʿUmar.

“Likewise, the one who knew innovations, Shirk, falsehood, and their ways, and hated them for the sake of Allāh, and was cautious of them and cautioned [others] against them, and repelled them from himself, and did not allow them to scratch the face of his faith, nor do they cause doubt or uncertainty for him, rather, by knowing them, he increases in insight and love for the truth, and dislike and hatred for [desires].”

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “This individual is better than the one who never thought of it. For indeed, the more he thinks of it and he conceives it, he increases in love for the truth, acknowledging its status, and delight with it, hence his faith is strengthened by it.”

When you see the people of innovations stumbling in misguidance […] and seek rescue from other than Allāh, while you call upon Allāh alone without any partners, and you seek rescue from your Lord, and you summon and confide in Him, are you not joyous and happy for your condition and faith?

[…] that you know the truth. Say:

“All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us!” [Al-Aʿrāf: 43]

So, these are from the benefits of knowing the path of the criminals in its details.

So that you can praise Allāh, the Exalted and Most High, and that you increase in love for your way, and methodology…

[…]

If a person thinks of desires, this is not a fault in him. Allāh created you this way.

However, He did not create you so that you may go with your desires, no. [And not] to place yourself under it.

However, He clarified to you that you must strive against your soul in what it is inclined towards such as inactivity, comfort, […], and not obeying and turning towards disobedience.

So, whenever your soul increases in craving for these desires, and its want and yearning for it increase, you should strive against it and wage war against it — this soul — and you should oppose it for the love and craving for Allāh, the Exalted and Most High.

[…]

And you will feel secure, tranquil, and comfortable.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “As opposed to the cold soul that is devoid of that. Even though it is seeking for what is loftier, there is a great difference between the two quests. Do you not see that the one who walks to his beloved upon embers and thorns is loftier than the one who goes to him riding on highbred horses.

So, the one who gives preference to his beloved despite contending with his soul is unlike the one who gives preference to him without contending with it for something else. So He, the Most High, afflicts His slave with desires, either as a thing that veils him from Him, or as a shield that leads him to His pleasure, honour, and closeness.”

Then, he mentioned a fourth category of people. He said: “A group that knows the path of evil, innovations, and disbelief in detail, and the path of the believers in general. And this is the situation of many of those who concern themselves with the sayings of the [previous] nations and that of the people of innovations. So, he knows them [i.e., these sayings] in detail, but does not know what the Messenger came with in a similar manner, rather, he knows it in general, even though they may know some things in it in detail. And whoever reflects on their books will see that clearly.

Likewise, the one who used to know the paths of evil, oppression, and corruption in detail and was a follower of it; if he repents and abandons these [paths] for the path of the pious, then his knowledge of it will only be general, without knowing it in the detailed manner as the one who spent his lifetime in its activities and following it.

The intent is that Allāh, the Exalted, loves that one knows the path of His enemies, for it to be avoided and hated, just as He loves that the path of the His allies is known, for it to be loved and followed.

And in this knowledge, there are benefits and secrets which are known only to Allāh, such as knowing the generality of His lordship, His wisdom, the perfection of His names and attributes, and its attachment to what they are attached to, and their traces and impacts. And that is from the greatest indicators of His lordship, dominion, divinity, love, hatred, reward, and punishment. And Allāh knows best.”

So, examine and reflect on the speech of this Imām regarding this verse, in which he explained and clarified the importance of knowing the path of the criminals.

Due to this, that came in detail in the ḥadīth of Ḥudhayfah, when he said: “The people used to ask the Messenger ﷺ about good, but I used to asked him about evil, for the fear of falling into it.”

Therefore, knowing evil, innovations, deviations, and deviant sects…

So, beware, O brothers, from the one who confuses you and claims that this is from the tribulations or that knowing the path of the criminals is not from the religion of Allāh. No. This is a false speech.

And we have previously cited the speech of Ibn Al-Qayyim and the importance of knowing the path of the believers and that of the criminals. So, you know the two paths and you follow the correct one—the path of the people of the truth—and you avoid the path of the people of falsehood.

I ask Allāh with His favour and bounty, to guide me and you to every form of good.

And perhaps, I have benefitted you with something.

I ask Allāh to grant me and you success and correctness.

If there was any correct thing [from what was said], then it is from Allāh alone, and if there was any error, then it is from me and Shayṭān, and Allāh and His Messenger are free from it.

And may Allāh extol our prophet, Muḥammad, and his Companions, and grant them peace.

Even though the call was breaking sometimes, however, I hope it was clear and you recorded it…