Imitating the Disbelievers: A Sin of Loving Them in the Heart
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Can it be said with certainty that one who imitates others loves those he imitates?
Answer:
Yes, imitating the disbelievers in outward appearance leads to loving them in the inward sense, because one does not imitate them unless he has inclinations toward them. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* (The Straight Path Demanding the Opposition of the People of the Hellfire) that imitating them in outward appearance indicates or leads to loving them in the inward sense. He says, "The least state of the hadith reported on this matter is his saying:Mishkat al-Masabih 4347 He says, 'The least state of it is that it indicates the prohibition of imitation; otherwise, its apparent meaning necessitates disbelief, as he said: "They are of them."'
Allahu Akbar. And similarly, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:51]. Yes.
Can it be said with certainty that one who imitates others loves those he imitates?
Answer:
Yes, imitating the disbelievers in outward appearance leads to loving them in the inward sense, because one does not imitate them unless he has inclinations toward them. For this reason, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* (The Straight Path Demanding the Opposition of the People of the Hellfire) that imitating them in outward appearance indicates or leads to loving them in the inward sense. He says, "The least state of the hadith reported on this matter is his saying:
God’s messenger as saying, “He who copies any people is one of them.”
صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهمAllahu Akbar. And similarly, Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم قص المرأة شعرها من الأمام والخلف إذا كانت نيتها التجمل لزوجها؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (1:00)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.