Did it reach us from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah that he rejected dividing the religion into principles and branches?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, I do not know; it seems to me that I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) say that dividing the religion into principles and branches is an innovation, and if this refers to the first part, is this correct regarding what is attributed to Shaykh al-Islam?
The second part: What is the outcome of the disagreement, or how do we distinguish between one who is careless in a matter of belief and one who is careless in a specific jurisprudential issue? Are these two equal? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This is the outcome; this is the result of not making a distinction. What I attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah is a correct attribution to him, and it is correct in terms of truth and conformity with accuracy. The outcome is what I mentioned earlier, and this is a very clear matter. Dividing the religion into principles and branches means the opposite of the outcome you mentioned earlier. Some of the rulings of the Shari'ah that have no connection to the principles, meaning to belief, if a person considers them permissible, there is no difference between him and one who is careless about something in belief. Listen to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
So now, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) means the private parts, meaning zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), means animal silk, is well known, and are musical instruments.
: They consider permissible: Now, the term "considering permissible" can be interpreted in two ways:
The first meaning is considering it permissible in one's heart, and the other meaning is considering it permissible by one's action.
However, it is not necessary that everyone who considers something permissible by his action considers it permissible in his heart. For example, a man who commits zina; some incidents that occurred during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) are a valid example of what we are saying, because that man who committed zina and came to ask the Messenger to apply the prescribed punishment cannot be imagined to have considered zina permissible in his heart, is that clear?
The questioner : Clear.
The Shaykh : So he considered it permissible by his action. If we assume there are two men who commit zina, one or both of them committed zina, but one of them, when he committed it, considered it permissible in his heart, and the other, like the one mentioned earlier, did not consider it permissible in his heart, then the first one is a disbeliever and an apostate, and the other is an open sinner, may Allah accept his repentance, as the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:48] So, does the man who commits zina and considers it permissible in his heart commit a violation or mock a belief? This is a legal ruling, but despite that, he is a disbeliever. Why?
Because he committed a sin while considering it permissible. Therefore, the distinction is first: not correct, and second: the outcome is not that there is a distinction between belief, where one who denies something of it is a disbeliever, and rulings, where if some people deny something of them, they remain Muslim. No, the result is the same, is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear.
The Shaykh : This is it.
The second part: What is the outcome of the disagreement, or how do we distinguish between one who is careless in a matter of belief and one who is careless in a specific jurisprudential issue? Are these two equal? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This is the outcome; this is the result of not making a distinction. What I attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah is a correct attribution to him, and it is correct in terms of truth and conformity with accuracy. The outcome is what I mentioned earlier, and this is a very clear matter. Dividing the religion into principles and branches means the opposite of the outcome you mentioned earlier. Some of the rulings of the Shari'ah that have no connection to the principles, meaning to belief, if a person considers them permissible, there is no difference between him and one who is careless about something in belief. Listen to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
There will certainly be among my Ummah people who consider lawful fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments. They will spend their evenings in amusement and play, and they will wake up having been transformed into apes and pigs.
ليكونَنَّ في أُمتي أقوام يستحلون الحِرَ والحرير والخمر والمعازف يمسون في لهو ولعب ويصبحون قد مُسخوا قردة وخنازيرSo now, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)
They consider lawful fornication
يستحلون الحِرَand silk
والحريرand the khamr
والخمرAnd musical instruments.
والمعازفthey spend the night in amusement and play and become in the morning transformed into apes and pigs
يمسون في لهو ولعب ويصبحون وقد مسخوا قردة وخنازيرThe first meaning is considering it permissible in one's heart, and the other meaning is considering it permissible by one's action.
However, it is not necessary that everyone who considers something permissible by his action considers it permissible in his heart. For example, a man who commits zina; some incidents that occurred during the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) are a valid example of what we are saying, because that man who committed zina and came to ask the Messenger to apply the prescribed punishment cannot be imagined to have considered zina permissible in his heart, is that clear?
The questioner : Clear.
The Shaykh : So he considered it permissible by his action. If we assume there are two men who commit zina, one or both of them committed zina, but one of them, when he committed it, considered it permissible in his heart, and the other, like the one mentioned earlier, did not consider it permissible in his heart, then the first one is a disbeliever and an apostate, and the other is an open sinner, may Allah accept his repentance, as the Exalted said:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءBecause he committed a sin while considering it permissible. Therefore, the distinction is first: not correct, and second: the outcome is not that there is a distinction between belief, where one who denies something of it is a disbeliever, and rulings, where if some people deny something of them, they remain Muslim. No, the result is the same, is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear.
The Shaykh : This is it.