Refuting the doubt of those who say that the religion has a husk and a kernel.
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The Shaykh : Therefore, this kind of speech is exactly dividing Islam into two categories: one they call the kernel, and the other they call the husk, or one they call essential and the other they call what? Secondary. Who came up with this division? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In another hadith: Voluntary acts are what they call the husk, or what they call the secondary thing, and the obligatory is the only thing they think one must perform. But due to their ignorance, they do not realize or know that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has made voluntary acts a means to complete what may be lacking in a person's obligatory worship. If it is said, "We now leave the husks and take the kernels," two things necessarily follow.
The first is that we attribute to the Shari'ah that it contains a husk that is of no benefit. In reality, this husk that the Shari'ah uses as an example is taken from the husk of some fruits and some fruits. Is there anyone who says that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) gave all fruits a kernel and a husk, that it was from Him (Blessed and Exalted is He) in vain? Far be it from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Rather, this is a self-evident matter; if there were not a husk in this kernel to protect it, we would have nothing called a kernel to eat. Even wheat and barley have that soft husk that is sieved so that a person eats sifted, sieved flour. If they liken Islam—and this is not permissible—to these fruits, having a kernel and a husk, we say: suppose that is the case, but Allah did not create anything in vain. He did not make Islam a kernel and a husk in vain, but because this husk protects the kernel. So whoever does not protect the husk loses both the husk and the kernel.
This is one of the calamities of the present age, and only those who do not care for the Sunnah, but rather neglect it and do not know its value, say this. They want to gather people on something that, in their claim, contradicts the Sunnah. And this thing cannot be correct and sound unless it is in accordance with the Sunnah, by the statement of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) addressing His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):[An-Nahl 16:44] So his (peace and blessings be upon him) explanation is the Sunnah in all its categories. And it is amazing that these people, previously, regarding the Salafis and the people of hadith who say, "We must practice Islam as a whole, indivisible," when they saw them researching the topic of Sunnah and bid'ah and not engaging in what they call politics and the like, they used to say... Then they returned, saying, "We must adopt Islam as a whole." What does "as a whole" mean?
It means not only working on purification, prayer, and zakah, but we must also work on politics, economics, and so on. If so, in the end, they limited the da'wah to some aspects, especially those related to politics. They left researching 'aqidah, they left researching 'ibadat, whether it agreed with the Book and the Sunnah or not, they do not care about that. So they returned with a hidden retreat from what they previously called for, which was to bear Islam as a whole, indivisible. They...
...from the da'wah to politics, to economics, and the like. The proof is that some of these groups have passed more than half a century of time, and then the military system in some countries, "stay in your place," in movement and activity, but there is no progress. Meanwhile, praise be to Allah, the general Salafis, using the Syrian expression, are "mughmatsin," meaning foolish, knowing nothing of Islam. And if they, overnight, know tawhid, and know in an authentic hadith, in a weak hadith, in an obligation, in a recommended practice, and so on, then in a few years the conditions of these people changed because they returned to the Book and the Sunnah, in accordance with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Yes.
The first thing a servant will be held accountable for is prayer. If it is complete, he has succeeded and prospered. If it is deficient, he has failed and lost.
أول ما يحاسب عليه العبد الصلاة فإن تمت فقد أفلح وأنجح وإن نقصت فقد خاب وخسرAnd if it is deficient, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says to His angels: "Look, does My servant have any voluntary acts? Then complete his obligatory act with them."
وإن نقصت قال الله عز وجل لملائكته : انظروا هل لعبدي من تطوع فتتم به فريضتهThe first is that we attribute to the Shari'ah that it contains a husk that is of no benefit. In reality, this husk that the Shari'ah uses as an example is taken from the husk of some fruits and some fruits. Is there anyone who says that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) gave all fruits a kernel and a husk, that it was from Him (Blessed and Exalted is He) in vain? Far be it from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Rather, this is a self-evident matter; if there were not a husk in this kernel to protect it, we would have nothing called a kernel to eat. Even wheat and barley have that soft husk that is sieved so that a person eats sifted, sieved flour. If they liken Islam—and this is not permissible—to these fruits, having a kernel and a husk, we say: suppose that is the case, but Allah did not create anything in vain. He did not make Islam a kernel and a husk in vain, but because this husk protects the kernel. So whoever does not protect the husk loses both the husk and the kernel.
This is one of the calamities of the present age, and only those who do not care for the Sunnah, but rather neglect it and do not know its value, say this. They want to gather people on something that, in their claim, contradicts the Sunnah. And this thing cannot be correct and sound unless it is in accordance with the Sunnah, by the statement of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) addressing His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them
وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهمIt means not only working on purification, prayer, and zakah, but we must also work on politics, economics, and so on. If so, in the end, they limited the da'wah to some aspects, especially those related to politics. They left researching 'aqidah, they left researching 'ibadat, whether it agreed with the Book and the Sunnah or not, they do not care about that. So they returned with a hidden retreat from what they previously called for, which was to bear Islam as a whole, indivisible. They...
...from the da'wah to politics, to economics, and the like. The proof is that some of these groups have passed more than half a century of time, and then the military system in some countries, "stay in your place," in movement and activity, but there is no progress. Meanwhile, praise be to Allah, the general Salafis, using the Syrian expression, are "mughmatsin," meaning foolish, knowing nothing of Islam. And if they, overnight, know tawhid, and know in an authentic hadith, in a weak hadith, in an obligation, in a recommended practice, and so on, then in a few years the conditions of these people changed because they returned to the Book and the Sunnah, in accordance with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):