(52) A pagan takes as equals and rivals others besides Allaah,
loving them as only Allaah should be loved. However, the muwahhid
(the one who believes in Tawheed) only loves whomever Allaah
loves, and he hates whomever Allaah hates. He does whatever he
does for the sake of Allaah and he leaves whatever he leaves for the
sake of Allaah.
(53) The central core of the religion is based upon these four
principles, which are: Love and hate, and resulting from these two
are doing and leaving, giving and withholding.
(54) So whoever perfects all of this, so that it is all for Allaah -then
such a one has perfected eemaan and whatever is deficient in that
which should be for Allaah, then that comes back as a deficiency in
the eemaan of the servant.
(55) The intent here is that, that by which the eye finds pleasure is
loftier than that which he (merely) loves. The prayer is the pleasure
of the eye of those who love, in the life of this world, due to what it
contains of secret and intimate conversations with the One besides
Whom the eyes do not find pleasure and (besides Whom) the souls
do not find tranquillity and serenity, (and what it contains of)
comfort and enjoyment by His remembrance, great pleasure on
account of submission, nearness to Him – especially in the state of
sujood (prostration) – and it is in this state that the servant is the
closest to His Lord.
(56) And from this is the saying of the Prophet ρ, “O Bilaal! Let us
find rest and comfort by the prayer.” So know from this, that his
ρ comfort and pleasure lies in the prayer, since he has informed that
the pleasure of his eye is in the prayer. Where is this compared to
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the saying of the one who says, “Let us pray and so be at ease from
the prayer.” 10
(57) The comfort and rest of the lover and the pleasure of his eye
lies in the prayer but the unmindful one who turns away has no
share of this. Rather the prayer is too great and burdensome for
him. When he stands (for prayer) it is as if he is standing on hot
coals, until he finishes from the obligatory section of the prayer. He
hastens it and speeds (his performance of it). Thus, there is no
pleasure of the eye for him in it and there is no rest and comfort for
his heart in it.
(58) Yet the servant, when his eye finds pleasure in something and
his heart finds comfort in it, then the hardest thing for him is to
separate from it. But the pretender, whose heart is empty of
Allaah’s remembrance and the home of the hereafter and who is put
to trial by the world, the hardest thing for him is the prayer and the
most hated thing to him is it’s lengthiness, even though he is sound
in health, idle and unoccupied.
THE PRAYER OF THE LOVERS11
(59) Amongst those things that it is necessary to know is that the
prayer by which the eye finds pleasure and by which the heart finds
comfort and rest, is the one that combines six matters:
The First-Sincerity of Purpose
(60) And this is that the reason behind the prayer and the thing
which calls to it, is the servant’s aspiration for Allaah, his love of
Him, his seeking His pleasure, nearness to Him, frequently calling
upon Him and fulfilling His orders. Such that nothing from the
shares of this world constitute a motive for the prayer, ever. Rather,
a person comes to the prayer whilst seeking the Face of the Lord,
the Most High, out of love for Him, fear of His punishment and
hoping for His forgiveness and reward.
10
i.e. let us get the Prayer out of the way so that we can relax.
11
Refer also to Chapters Four to Ten, related to khushoo (humility and
submissiveness) within the prayer.
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The Second-Truthfulness and Sincerity of Action
(61) This is when a person vacates his heart for Allaah and strives
his utmost in turning himself towards Allaah during the prayer. That
within the prayer he gathers his heart together for the prayer and
performs it in the best of ways and the most perfect amongst them,
both outwardly and inwardly. For the prayer has an outward
appearance and an inner one.
(62) Its outward appearance are the observable (physical) actions
and motions and the audible sounds. Its inner appearance is
humility and submissiveness of the heart (khushoo’), carefully
observing oneself, knowing that Allaah is in fact observing the
servant (muraaqabah), emptying the heart for Allaah, turning the
heart wholly and fully towards Allaah during the prayer and not
turning it away from Him to something else. All of these (inner
appearances) are like a soul (for the prayer) and the outward
actions are like a body (for the prayer). Therefore, when the prayer
is lacking a soul, it is like a body without a soul.
(63) Does the servant not feel ashamed then, that he faces his
Master with the likes of this? Because of this the prayer is coiled and
twisted like the shabby, worn-out garment, and the face of its owner
(i.e., performer) is struck with it and it says, “May Allaah waste you
as you have wasted me.”
(64) The prayer whose outward and inner appearance has been
perfected rises (to the heavens) while it has light and manifest
proof, just like the light of the sun, until it is brought to Allaah and
He is pleased with it and accepts it, and it says, “May Allaah guard
you as you have guarded me.”12
12 Ibn al-Qayyim said in Al-Fawaa’id (p.258), “The servant has two standings in front of
Allaah. A standing in front of Him during the prayer and a standing in front of Him on
the Day of meeting with Him. Whoever stood for the first standing, giving its due right,
the other meeting will become easier for him. And whoever took this standing lightly
and did not perform it with its due right, the other standing will become hard and severe
for him. The Most High said:
“And during the night, prostrate yourself to Him (i.e., the offering of Maghrib and
Ishaa prayers), and glorify Him a long night through (i.e., Tahajjud prayer). Verily! 22
The Third-Following and Imitating the Messenger and
Guiding One’s Actions by Him
(65) This is that the servant has great zeal in guiding himself by the
Prophet ρ with respect to his prayer, and that he prays as he ρ used
to pray whilst turning away and leaving what the people have
innovated both with respect to adding and taking away things from
the prayer as well as the various fabrications, none of which have
been narrated from the Messenger ρ nor from any of the
Companions.
(66) Do not give consideration to the sayings of those who make
allowances, those who stop and pause (only) at the least of that
which they believe to be obligatory even though someone else will
have contested with them regarding it, and would have made
obligatory that which they have abandoned and dropped. Perhaps
the hadeeth are established and the Prophetic Sunnah is right next
to them, but they will not turn towards that and will (instead) say,
“We are the blind-followers of the madhhab of so and so.” 13
These (disbelievers) love the present life of this world, and put behind them a
heavy Day (that will be hard). [Soorah al-Insaan (76):26~27].
13 Ibn al-Qayyim may Allaah have mercy on him, said in I’Laamul-Muwaqqi’een, (4/177)
“Let the muftee beware, the one who fears standing in front of Allaah, free is He from
all imperfections, that he answers the questioner with a verdict from his madhhab of
which he is a blind follower, while he knows that in this particular matter, a madhhab
other than his own is stronger and is more sound in its evidence. But leadership
teaches him to embark boldly in giving a fatwaa with something about which he knows,
overwhelmingly, that the truth is in opposition to it. As a result he is a deceitful and
dishonest to Allaah, His Messenger and to the questioner. Allaah does not guide the
plan of the deceitful and He has forbidden Paradise to the one who meets Him while he
has been dishonest to Islaam and its people. And the religion is but giving sincere
advice. Dishonesty is an opposite to the religion, just like the opposition of lying to
truthfulness and falsehood to truth. And when a matter arises in which we hold an
opinion which opposes (our own) madhhab, then we cannot give a verdict in opposition
to what we believe (to be correct), therefore we quote the strongest madhhab (in that
matter) and give it preference, and we say, ‘This is what is correct and it is more
deserving of being accepted,’ and Allaah grants success.” Refer to Chapter Twelve: Ibn
al-Qayyim on Following a Madhhab.
Imaam at-Tahaawee may Allaah have mercy on him ,said, “None blindly follows except
an ignorant person or a bigoted partisan,” reported from him by Ibn ‘Aabideen in Rasm
al-Muftee (1/32). It is also reported from him by Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee in his biography
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(67) This is not pure and correct in the sight of Allaah, the Exalted,
and it is not an excuse for the one who opposes what he knows from
the Sunnah, for Allaah, the Exalted, ordered obedience to His
Messenger and following and imitating him alone. He did not
command the following of others besides him. Others besides the
Messenger ρ are only obeyed when they command only that which
the Messenger commanded, and everyone besides the Messenger ρ
– his speech can be taken (and accepted) or refused (and rejected).
(68) And Allaah, free is He from all imperfections, the Exalted, has
sworn upon His own Noble Self that we do not truly believe until we
make the Messenger ρ the sole judge in all disputes that occur
between us and until we comply with his judgement and submit to it
perfectly and completely. 14
(69) Referring judgement to someone besides the Messenger ρ will
not benefit us and will not deliver us from the punishment of Allaah.
The answer (i.e., ‘We are the blind followers of the madhhab of so
and so …’) will not be accepted from us when we hear His Call, free
is He of all imperfection, on the Day of Judgement:
How did you respond to the Messengers? [Soorah Qasas
(28):65].
(70) It is definite that He will ask us about that and will request
from us an answer. He, the Exalted, said:
in Al-Lisaan (1/305), that Aboo ‘Ubayd ibn Jurthoomah was revising some questions
with him, so he responded to one matter and Aboo ‘Ubayd said, “This is not the saying
of Aboo Haneefah.” So he replied, “O Qaadee! Do I hold everything that Aboo
Haneefah said?!” So he said, “I did not think that you were anything but a blindfollower.” So he said, “Does anyone blindly follow except a bigoted partisan?” So he
said, “Or an ignorant person.”
14
And this due to the saying of Allaah, the Exalted:
But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad
ρ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance
against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission. [Soorah an-Nisaa
(4):65].