As salamu alikum and hello!
During and after Ramadan, I started posting parts of a book called Guarding the Tongue that I was reading. Since I have come towards the end of the book, I decided that I will post a little bit of the rest of the book every Friday inshallah. Today, I have started with the beginning of Appendix A, and will continue with it until I have reached the end of the book. I hope that these posts will benefit whoever reads them, as they benefited me.
During and after Ramadan, I started posting parts of a book called Guarding the Tongue that I was reading. Since I have come towards the end of the book, I decided that I will post a little bit of the rest of the book every Friday inshallah. Today, I have started with the beginning of Appendix A, and will continue with it until I have reached the end of the book. I hope that these posts will benefit whoever reads them, as they benefited me.
Speaking about Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), without knowledge, is the foremost aspect of Shirk, which incurs the most severe punishment from Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). For this reason, this is not allowed under any circumstances. This is clearly communicated by Allah (subhanu wa ta’ala) in Surah A’afaaf, which highlights the severity of this sin, by comparing it with other major sins.
He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:
“Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are, Al-Fawaahish (every kind of illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly…”
He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) then moved on to describe a more severe sin:
“…sin, unjust oppression…”
Then to that sin which is even more severe:
“…joining partners (in worship) with Allah (Shirk), for which He gave no authority…”
And then He, the All-Knowing punctuates it with that sin which is most severe:
“…and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.” [Al-A’afaaf (7):33]
In the Tafseer of this Ayah, the scholars of Islam gave said that:
“If speaking about Islam (Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala]) is not the greatest crime, then Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) certainly intended to emphasize it that way. Zinaa (fornication and adultery), the first mentioned (sin in the Ayah) is an act of one committing a sin on his/her own soul.
Secondly: (Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala] mentions) oppression, a sin committed against others. This is definitely a greater evil. Then He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentions Shirk (i.e. joining partners in worship with Allah), obviously a greater evil than the first two, and finally, speaking without knowledge in Islam.
Every sin that followed was always greater than the previous one. Thus, if it (speaking about Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala] without knowledge) is not the greatest of sins, as it was mentioned last, it was certainly intended (by Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala]) to be understood that way”
It should be seriously noted that this very grave sin is only because of Satan’s encouragement of the ignorant and sometimes arrogant seekers of name and fame.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:
“Verily, it is indeed (Shaytaan) that makes you do evil and say things about Allah (or His Deen) of which you have no proper knowledge.” [Al-Baqarah (2):169]
Therefore, based upon the above Ayah, we find that this is the most serious prohibition with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’la) Himself. The following categories of sins are incorporated in “Speaking of Allah without Knowledge”:
a) Lying upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)
b) Attributing to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) what is not sutible for Him
c) Bid’ah (innovation) or modifying and alternating Allah’s Deen
d) Negating what He affirmed
e) Affirming what He negated
f) Hostility to those who champion His cause
g) Supporting His enemies
h) Loving those whom He hates and hating those He loves
i) Describing Him with what does not befit Him in His Essence, His Attributes, His Statements or His Actions.
Inshallah as I keep posting parts from the book, I will add the links to this post so that if anyone wants to read about a certain category of sin, it will be easy to get to.
Next week inshallah: Lying upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)
He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:
“Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are, Al-Fawaahish (every kind of illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly…”
He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) then moved on to describe a more severe sin:
“…sin, unjust oppression…”
Then to that sin which is even more severe:
“…joining partners (in worship) with Allah (Shirk), for which He gave no authority…”
And then He, the All-Knowing punctuates it with that sin which is most severe:
“…and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.” [Al-A’afaaf (7):33]
In the Tafseer of this Ayah, the scholars of Islam gave said that:
“If speaking about Islam (Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala]) is not the greatest crime, then Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) certainly intended to emphasize it that way. Zinaa (fornication and adultery), the first mentioned (sin in the Ayah) is an act of one committing a sin on his/her own soul.
Secondly: (Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala] mentions) oppression, a sin committed against others. This is definitely a greater evil. Then He (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentions Shirk (i.e. joining partners in worship with Allah), obviously a greater evil than the first two, and finally, speaking without knowledge in Islam.
Every sin that followed was always greater than the previous one. Thus, if it (speaking about Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala] without knowledge) is not the greatest of sins, as it was mentioned last, it was certainly intended (by Allah [subhanahu wa ta’ala]) to be understood that way”
It should be seriously noted that this very grave sin is only because of Satan’s encouragement of the ignorant and sometimes arrogant seekers of name and fame.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says:
“Verily, it is indeed (Shaytaan) that makes you do evil and say things about Allah (or His Deen) of which you have no proper knowledge.” [Al-Baqarah (2):169]
Therefore, based upon the above Ayah, we find that this is the most serious prohibition with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’la) Himself. The following categories of sins are incorporated in “Speaking of Allah without Knowledge”:
a) Lying upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)
b) Attributing to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) what is not sutible for Him
c) Bid’ah (innovation) or modifying and alternating Allah’s Deen
d) Negating what He affirmed
e) Affirming what He negated
f) Hostility to those who champion His cause
g) Supporting His enemies
h) Loving those whom He hates and hating those He loves
i) Describing Him with what does not befit Him in His Essence, His Attributes, His Statements or His Actions.
Inshallah as I keep posting parts from the book, I will add the links to this post so that if anyone wants to read about a certain category of sin, it will be easy to get to.
Next week inshallah: Lying upon Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)