What is the meaning of acceptance of the Shari'ah, and is love required with it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The questioner says: Regarding the Shari'ah acceptance that is obligatory, is it required that this acceptance be accompanied by anyone?
The Shaykh : What is the state of the one who has this acceptance?
The questioner : Love. If a person prays and maintains the prayer and performs it while able, but wishes it had not been made obligatory, meaning he is angry with it but does not love it, is it obligatory for him to have acceptance?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for a person to accept the Shari'ah and to embrace it. And the completion of his faith in it, without doubt, is that it be beloved to him and that he praise Allah the Exalted for the prescription of this act, because if it were not prescribed, it would be a bid'ah (religious innovation).
Have you seen, if Allah the Exalted had not prescribed for us two rak'ahs upon entering the mosque, and then we started praying two rak'ahs every time we entered the mosque, what would those two rak'ahs be? They would be a bid'ah (religious innovation) for which we would not be rewarded, but rather we would sin. So a person should, indeed it is obligatory for him, to accept the Shari'ah. And the completion of accepting the Shari'ah is to praise Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for its prescription. We may now suffer from fasting, but we are content with this Shari'ah. Indeed, we thank Allah the Exalted for His Shari'ah, because we know that every thirst and fatigue that befalls us is a reward for us, as Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:120].
The one who wishes that this had not been prescribed, but when it was prescribed he accepted it, his rank is very low compared to the one who praises Allah the Exalted for the prescription of this thing and sees that it is a blessing from Allah the Exalted.
The Shaykh : What is the state of the one who has this acceptance?
The questioner : Love. If a person prays and maintains the prayer and performs it while able, but wishes it had not been made obligatory, meaning he is angry with it but does not love it, is it obligatory for him to have acceptance?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for a person to accept the Shari'ah and to embrace it. And the completion of his faith in it, without doubt, is that it be beloved to him and that he praise Allah the Exalted for the prescription of this act, because if it were not prescribed, it would be a bid'ah (religious innovation).
Have you seen, if Allah the Exalted had not prescribed for us two rak'ahs upon entering the mosque, and then we started praying two rak'ahs every time we entered the mosque, what would those two rak'ahs be? They would be a bid'ah (religious innovation) for which we would not be rewarded, but rather we would sin. So a person should, indeed it is obligatory for him, to accept the Shari'ah. And the completion of accepting the Shari'ah is to praise Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for its prescription. We may now suffer from fasting, but we are content with this Shari'ah. Indeed, we thank Allah the Exalted for His Shari'ah, because we know that every thirst and fatigue that befalls us is a reward for us, as Allah the Exalted said:
That is because they are not afflicted by thirst or fatigue or hunger in the cause of Allah, nor do they tread on any ground that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict upon an enemy any infliction but that is registered for them as a righteous deed. Indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَطَئُونَ مَوْطِئًا يَغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَّيْلًا إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُم بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَThe one who wishes that this had not been prescribed, but when it was prescribed he accepted it, his rank is very low compared to the one who praises Allah the Exalted for the prescription of this thing and sees that it is a blessing from Allah the Exalted.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 21 - 22 - دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1408 هـ الدرس الحادي والعشرين الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (32:51)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.