Do causes not benefit anything, and is there anything that happens without a cause?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Some people say that causes do not benefit anything.
The Shaykh:
Shaykh, causes do not benefit anything in themselves, but they benefit if Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) wills it. With this phrase, they benefit. May Allah bless you. Is there anything that happens without Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) having established causes for things? The causes may be apparent, and they may be hidden. Nothing happens without a cause, but this cause may be apparent to us, or it may be hidden, and we do not know about it.
The questioner:
Those who rely on causes, what is the Shaykh's opinion of them?
The Shaykh:
Those who strive in the means will attain their goals. For this reason, the scholars say that relying on the means and leaving the means so that they do not function as means is more in accordance with the Shari'ah, and negating the means is more in accordance with the Shari'ah.[Al-Baqarah 2:195], and He, the Exalted and Majestic, says: [Al-Baqarah 2:197], and He says: [Al-Jumu'ah 62:10] you are afraid, and they sought provision [Al-Baqarah 2:198] or through buying and selling in itself, by adhering to the means. Allah has commanded us to adopt the means, and negating the means is a matter that is not permissible. The one who calls to this is mistaken and does not practice this himself; even if he says this, he does not practice it himself. Does he leave off food and drink? Does he leave off marriage? And he says: It is decreed for me to live, meaning I live without eating or drinking? And it is decreed for me to have children, or they are obtained without marriage? No one says this.
The presenter:
In the protection of Shaykh Salih, and especially in this time, we are in urgent need of more clarification regarding this matter, because some speakers take the story of Maryam (peace be upon her) and speak about this topic to conclude, as they claim, that she was provided for without a cause. She was provided for by the greatest of causes, which is supplication. Supplication, righteousness, and the worship of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) are the greatest of causes. The greatest of causes is supplication, worship, and humility before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Then, when Allah commanded her to work the cause, He said to her[Maryam 19:25], so Allah commanded her to shake the trunk, and it fell. And shaking is one of the causes. The fresh fruit does not fall; it is by shaking it that it falls. May Allah bless you. May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Some people say that causes do not benefit anything.
The Shaykh:
Shaykh, causes do not benefit anything in themselves, but they benefit if Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) wills it. With this phrase, they benefit. May Allah bless you. Is there anything that happens without Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) having established causes for things? The causes may be apparent, and they may be hidden. Nothing happens without a cause, but this cause may be apparent to us, or it may be hidden, and we do not know about it.
The questioner:
Those who rely on causes, what is the Shaykh's opinion of them?
The Shaykh:
Those who strive in the means will attain their goals. For this reason, the scholars say that relying on the means and leaving the means so that they do not function as means is more in accordance with the Shari'ah, and negating the means is more in accordance with the Shari'ah.
with your [own] hands into destruction
بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِthe best provision is fear of Allah
فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰAnd when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْThere is no blame upon you for seeking bounty from your Lord
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْThe presenter:
In the protection of Shaykh Salih, and especially in this time, we are in urgent need of more clarification regarding this matter, because some speakers take the story of Maryam (peace be upon her) and speak about this topic to conclude, as they claim, that she was provided for without a cause. She was provided for by the greatest of causes, which is supplication. Supplication, righteousness, and the worship of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) are the greatest of causes. The greatest of causes is supplication, worship, and humility before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Then, when Allah commanded her to work the cause, He said to her
And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.
وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل الأسباب لا تغني شيئاً وهل هناك شيء يقع بدون سبب؟ الشيخ صالح بن فوزان الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.