Explaining the Connection Between Creed, Methodology, and Conduct
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Your Eminence! What is the relationship between conduct and creed?And can it be said: A man is on a sound creed; on the creed and methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community, but he has a defect in some of his morals? We ask for a detailed answer, and I ask for advice—Your Eminence—for the callers in this matter. May Allah reward you with good?
May Allah bless you. Whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound, and whenever the creed is defective, the methodology and conduct are defective.Therefore, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: Indeed, sins diminish faith, even though sins are actions of the limbs, whether speech, action, or omission. But a person may have a sound creed and a sound intention and desire good, yet he errs in conduct and follows an incorrect path.For example, from that: The Khawarij; they fast and recite the Qur'an and pray, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: (One of you may belittle his prayer compared to their prayer, and his recitation compared to their recitation) but they erred in methodology; they declared the Muslims disbelievers, and they considered their blood and wealth lawful, so they strayed in a great straying. For this reason, it is narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about them: [Are they disbelievers?He said: They fled from disbelief], but in reality, according to the description the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) gave, they say the best of what the people say, and they emerge from Islam as an arrow emerges from its quiver, and they recite the Qur'an but it does not pass their throats—may Allah protect us from that.
So the important thing is that conduct is one thing and creed is another, and whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound.And the creed may be correct in the sense that: That the man believes in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil, but he errs in methodology and conduct.
For this reason, I urge our young brothers and those not young to look at the biography of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the people of their time and the imams after them. The imams after them were in a time when people were openly called to religious innovation and punished if they did not affirm the innovation, and yet they did not rebel against these imams nor describe them as disbelievers. Rather, they prayed for them and described them as believing rulers. And so was the Imam of the people of the Sunnah, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). And al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, as well as Imam Ahmad, used to say: If I knew that I had an accepted supplication, I would direct it to the ruler.
But you find some of these deviants in their conduct, when it is said to them: Pray for the ruler, pray for your authority,He said: Never, we do not pray for him, as if it is difficult for Allah (Mighty and Majestic)—we ask Allah for well-being—and they did not know that Allah guided peoples who prostrated to idols so that they became prostrating to the Lord of the Worlds (Mighty and Majestic), and Allah is capable of all things.
And therefore, we see that this is a great danger.Those who are said to be: Pray for the rulers, and pray for the authorities for guidance and the rectification of their inner circle.He says: We do not pray for him, but we pray against him. Glory be to Allah!! A man whom Allah has given you authority over, he is your master now and has power over you, how do you not pray for his guidance?!! But the problem of foolishness and misguidance is what drives a person to such matters.
May Allah bless you. Whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound, and whenever the creed is defective, the methodology and conduct are defective.Therefore, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: Indeed, sins diminish faith, even though sins are actions of the limbs, whether speech, action, or omission. But a person may have a sound creed and a sound intention and desire good, yet he errs in conduct and follows an incorrect path.For example, from that: The Khawarij; they fast and recite the Qur'an and pray, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: (One of you may belittle his prayer compared to their prayer, and his recitation compared to their recitation) but they erred in methodology; they declared the Muslims disbelievers, and they considered their blood and wealth lawful, so they strayed in a great straying. For this reason, it is narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about them: [Are they disbelievers?He said: They fled from disbelief], but in reality, according to the description the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) gave, they say the best of what the people say, and they emerge from Islam as an arrow emerges from its quiver, and they recite the Qur'an but it does not pass their throats—may Allah protect us from that.
So the important thing is that conduct is one thing and creed is another, and whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound.And the creed may be correct in the sense that: That the man believes in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil, but he errs in methodology and conduct.
For this reason, I urge our young brothers and those not young to look at the biography of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the people of their time and the imams after them. The imams after them were in a time when people were openly called to religious innovation and punished if they did not affirm the innovation, and yet they did not rebel against these imams nor describe them as disbelievers. Rather, they prayed for them and described them as believing rulers. And so was the Imam of the people of the Sunnah, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). And al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, as well as Imam Ahmad, used to say: If I knew that I had an accepted supplication, I would direct it to the ruler.
But you find some of these deviants in their conduct, when it is said to them: Pray for the ruler, pray for your authority,He said: Never, we do not pray for him, as if it is difficult for Allah (Mighty and Majestic)—we ask Allah for well-being—and they did not know that Allah guided peoples who prostrated to idols so that they became prostrating to the Lord of the Worlds (Mighty and Majestic), and Allah is capable of all things.
And therefore, we see that this is a great danger.Those who are said to be: Pray for the rulers, and pray for the authorities for guidance and the rectification of their inner circle.He says: We do not pray for him, but we pray against him. Glory be to Allah!! A man whom Allah has given you authority over, he is your master now and has power over you, how do you not pray for his guidance?!! But the problem of foolishness and misguidance is what drives a person to such matters.