A Great Point of Benefit Regarding the Pursuits & Interests of the People – By Ibn Taymiyyah

الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، أما بعد

 

Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) said:

 

“From the nature of the body is that when it is hungry and so takes its need from its food, it can do without other supplementary food – such that it will not eat it, if it were to eat from it; it would be doing so due to coercive reluctance and undergoing hardship, and perhaps its consuming it would actually harm it, or it will not benefit from it and it will not be a means of nourishment for it that would otherwise sustain a person’s body.

So if the servant takes some of his needs from other than the legislated actions; then his desire in that which is legislated is diminished as well as his benefit from it – in accordance to that which he sought assistance from in other than it.

In contrast to the one that devoted his craving and his determination in that which is legislated, for indeed; its love is intensified for him as well as his benefit of it, and so his religion is completed and his Islaam is perfected.[1]

It is due to this reason that you will find the one who is plentiful in listening to poems (composed balladry) in the quest of the rectification of his heart – then his desire in listening to the Noble Qur’aan is decreased – such that he may even dislike it.

Whoever is plentiful in travelling for visitations to shrines and the likes of that; then there remains no love and veneration in his heart for the Hajj to the Baitil Haraam as would otherwise be present in the heart which has been amplified due to the Sunnah.

Whoever has an addiction of taking wisdom (wise sayings) and literary refinement from the speech of the wise sages of Persia and Rome; then there remains no such place in his heart for the wisdom of Islaam and its ethics.[2]

Whoever has an infatuation for the stories of kings and their biographies, then there remains no such importance in his heart for the stories of the Prophets and of their biographies, and the parallels of this are many.”

 

 

(Taken from: Muhadhab Iqtidaa as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem p.169-170)

 

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[1] The reason for this is because actions that are legislated form the straight path which mankind have been commanded to follow and concerning which Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said: “and this is because the path that leads to Allaah is one, and it is that which He sent His Messengers with and by way of which He revealed His Books. No one can come to Him except by way of this path, and were the people to come from every path and were they to open every door; then the paths are closed upon them and the doors are locked off from them – except by way of this solitary path. For indeed; it is pertaining to Allaah; and leads to Him.” (See: Tafseer Al-Qayyim p.14-15)

[2] Shaikh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned elsewhere: “The Muslims have by way of divine sciences – which have been handed down by the seal of the Messengers; that which would fill the world with light and guidance.” (See: Majmu’ Fataawa vol 2 p.84)

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