The Ruling on Excessive Rigor and Strictness in Religion
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Question:
May Allah reward you. Among the questions we received, the questioner says: Shaykh, what is the ruling on excessive rigor and strictness in religion?
Answer:
Excessive rigor. Excessive rigor and strictness in religion are forbidden. (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: The extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed. And the extremists are the strict ones. So religion does not accept strictness.
And leniency is not acceptable; it is necessary to take a middle course in this matter, and not to sleep over our religion or be negligent in its affairs, nor to cast the responsibility onto others. Rather, we must cooperate and advise one another to uphold the truth and to be patient. We must recognize the status and value of this religion, and we must know the plots and schemes that the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah), the disbelievers, and the enemies of the Muslims are weaving, so that we may prepare to repel them. We do not repel them except with beneficial knowledge and jihad in the path of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is the duty of everyone, and it is a great duty. Victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress, and after hardship comes ease. These are the promises of Allah to those who support His religion: that He will relieve their distress, that He will grant them victory over their enemies, and that He will make things easy for them after hardship and severity. Relief is near, and victory is coming, by the permission of Allah. However, victory will not be achieved except by striving against the disbelievers and the hypocrites. O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe with them. Their abode is Hellfire, and what an evil destination it is. It is necessary to strive with the argument, the tongue, the sword, and the spear, and it is necessary to bear the full responsibility, just as the righteous Salaf (the earliest generations) before us bore it. Allah granted them victory over their enemies and made His religion manifest through their hands. Yes.
May Allah reward you. Among the questions we received, the questioner says: Shaykh, what is the ruling on excessive rigor and strictness in religion?
Answer:
Excessive rigor. Excessive rigor and strictness in religion are forbidden. (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: The extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed, the extremists are destroyed. And the extremists are the strict ones. So religion does not accept strictness.
And leniency is not acceptable; it is necessary to take a middle course in this matter, and not to sleep over our religion or be negligent in its affairs, nor to cast the responsibility onto others. Rather, we must cooperate and advise one another to uphold the truth and to be patient. We must recognize the status and value of this religion, and we must know the plots and schemes that the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah), the disbelievers, and the enemies of the Muslims are weaving, so that we may prepare to repel them. We do not repel them except with beneficial knowledge and jihad in the path of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). This is the duty of everyone, and it is a great duty. Victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress, and after hardship comes ease. These are the promises of Allah to those who support His religion: that He will relieve their distress, that He will grant them victory over their enemies, and that He will make things easy for them after hardship and severity. Relief is near, and victory is coming, by the permission of Allah. However, victory will not be achieved except by striving against the disbelievers and the hypocrites. O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe with them. Their abode is Hellfire, and what an evil destination it is. It is necessary to strive with the argument, the tongue, the sword, and the spear, and it is necessary to bear the full responsibility, just as the righteous Salaf (the earliest generations) before us bore it. Allah granted them victory over their enemies and made His religion manifest through their hands. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [3758] حكم التنطع والتشدد في الدين - صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.