Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (So do not purify yourselves)
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Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (So do not purify yourselves)]
Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Najm: 32] Do not say: I did such and such, I prayed, I gave zakah, I fasted, I struggled in the path of Allah, I performed Hajj. Do not say this. You are indicating to your Lord through your deeds. This is not permissible.If someone were to say: Does not Allah say: [Surat al-Shams: 9] ? So
Yes,But the meaning of: (Whoever purifies it) means: whoever performs a deed by which his soul is purified,And the meaning is not: (Whoever purifies it) whoever praises it and commends it because it did this and that. Rather, the meaning is that he performed a deed by which his soul is purified. So there is no contradiction between the two verses.And for this reason we say: If one purifies himself by mentioning the good deeds he has done, then he has not truly purified himself? If one purifies himself, then he has not purified himself. He distinguishes between the two.
The purification for which a person is praised: That a person performs a good deed by which his soul is purified.
And the purification for which a person is blamed: That he indicates to his Lord through his deeds and praises Him, as if he is bestowing a favor upon Allah.He says: I prayed, I gave charity, I fasted, I performed Hajj, I struggled in the path of Allah, I was dutiful to my parents, and the like of that. It is not permissible for a person to purify himself in this way.And he says: Who am I? And in this is a refutation of those Sufis who claim to be imams and purify themselves.And he says: We have reached a stage where obedience is not obligatory upon us;Because some people say: He has reached the realm of sovereignty, and prayer is not obligatory upon him, nor charity, nor fasting, and nothing is forbidden to him. These people are completely detached from the religion.Therefore we say: These people who purify themselves are the farthest people from purification; because they became proud of their deeds and indicated them to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and they assigned for themselves a status that Allah the Exalted did not assign for them.
Allah the Exalted said:[An-Najm 53:32] As if he is saying: Why do you purify yourselves?! Do you want to inform Allah of what you are upon?Answer: No,And for this he said:[An-Najm 53:32] Meaning: If you are one who fears Allah, then Allah knows you best,There is no need to say to Allah: I did this and I did that.
And in this is an indication that uttering the intention when performing an act of worship may involve a type of self-purification.Meaning: If you want to perform ablution, do you say: O Allah, I intend to perform ablution? No. Do you say it secretly? No.Some scholars say: Say it secretly between you and yourself.And they gave the reason for this, saying: In order for the tongue to match the heart.The heart has intended, but say with the tongue: O Allah, I intend to perform ablution, or I intend to pray as well.If you want to pray, say: O Allah, I intend to pray. When? Zuhr or 'Asr? Zuhr. And do you need to specify the number of rak'ahs or not? No, you do not need to. As long as you have specified it, that is sufficient. Some scholars say this—my brothers—and they are distinguished scholars among the jurists.
Why utter it with the tongue? To match the verbal and the internal intention.
It is said: This is an error. This is an analogy in opposition to the text. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribe for his Ummah to utter the intention? Absolutely not.Not in an authentic or weak hadith: That a person, when he wants to do a deed, utters the intention. Absolutely not, it does not exist.
And from the interesting side: That a common man in the Sacred Mosque heard a person who wanted to pray.So he said after the iqamah was called: O Allah, I intend to pray Zuhr, four rak'ahs, in the Sacred Mosque.And when he wanted to say the takbir, he said to him: What is missing?He said: What is the missing part?He said: The date is missing. Say on such and such day. So now you have mentioned the place and the deed, and the date is missing. Say: on such and such day of such and such month of such and such year.
Interjection: As a follower?The Shaykh: I do not know if he was a follower or not. The important thing is that he said the words like this.So the man paid attention and said to him: My brother! You are informing your Lord of your intention.Allah knows your intention: [Surat Ghafir: 19] .
Likewise in fasting, for example: If a person eats the pre-dawn meal and wants to fast, does he say: O Allah, I intend to fast until night? He does not say this. And when we were young, they used to teach us this.He says: If you eat the pre-dawn meal, say: O Allah, I intend to fast until night. And we used to say it; because we did not know. But in reality, this is an innovation.
It remains to be said regarding Hajj, do you say: O Allah, I intend to perform 'Umrah, or I intend to perform Hajj, or I intend to combine them, or to do Tamattu'? No, you do not say that. Even in Hajj, when you take a bath and wear the ihram garments, do not say: O Allah, I intend to perform 'Umrah or I intend to perform Hajj. Rather, the talbiyah is sufficient; because you will say Labbaik 'Umrah if you are in 'Umrah, or Labbaik Hajj if you are in Hajj, or Labbaik 'Umrah and Hajj if you are combining them. So there is no need. Thus, in all acts of worship, the intention is not uttered.And for this reason, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[An-Najm 53:32] .
Allah the Exalted said:
So do not claim yourselves to be pure
فَلا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْHe has truly succeeded who purifies it
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَاYes,But the meaning of: (Whoever purifies it) means: whoever performs a deed by which his soul is purified,And the meaning is not: (Whoever purifies it) whoever praises it and commends it because it did this and that. Rather, the meaning is that he performed a deed by which his soul is purified. So there is no contradiction between the two verses.And for this reason we say: If one purifies himself by mentioning the good deeds he has done, then he has not truly purified himself? If one purifies himself, then he has not purified himself. He distinguishes between the two.
The purification for which a person is praised: That a person performs a good deed by which his soul is purified.
And the purification for which a person is blamed: That he indicates to his Lord through his deeds and praises Him, as if he is bestowing a favor upon Allah.He says: I prayed, I gave charity, I fasted, I performed Hajj, I struggled in the path of Allah, I was dutiful to my parents, and the like of that. It is not permissible for a person to purify himself in this way.And he says: Who am I? And in this is a refutation of those Sufis who claim to be imams and purify themselves.And he says: We have reached a stage where obedience is not obligatory upon us;Because some people say: He has reached the realm of sovereignty, and prayer is not obligatory upon him, nor charity, nor fasting, and nothing is forbidden to him. These people are completely detached from the religion.Therefore we say: These people who purify themselves are the farthest people from purification; because they became proud of their deeds and indicated them to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and they assigned for themselves a status that Allah the Exalted did not assign for them.
Allah the Exalted said:
So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
فَلا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىHe is most knowing of who fears Him.
هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىAnd in this is an indication that uttering the intention when performing an act of worship may involve a type of self-purification.Meaning: If you want to perform ablution, do you say: O Allah, I intend to perform ablution? No. Do you say it secretly? No.Some scholars say: Say it secretly between you and yourself.And they gave the reason for this, saying: In order for the tongue to match the heart.The heart has intended, but say with the tongue: O Allah, I intend to perform ablution, or I intend to pray as well.If you want to pray, say: O Allah, I intend to pray. When? Zuhr or 'Asr? Zuhr. And do you need to specify the number of rak'ahs or not? No, you do not need to. As long as you have specified it, that is sufficient. Some scholars say this—my brothers—and they are distinguished scholars among the jurists.
Why utter it with the tongue? To match the verbal and the internal intention.
It is said: This is an error. This is an analogy in opposition to the text. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribe for his Ummah to utter the intention? Absolutely not.Not in an authentic or weak hadith: That a person, when he wants to do a deed, utters the intention. Absolutely not, it does not exist.
And from the interesting side: That a common man in the Sacred Mosque heard a person who wanted to pray.So he said after the iqamah was called: O Allah, I intend to pray Zuhr, four rak'ahs, in the Sacred Mosque.And when he wanted to say the takbir, he said to him: What is missing?He said: What is the missing part?He said: The date is missing. Say on such and such day. So now you have mentioned the place and the deed, and the date is missing. Say: on such and such day of such and such month of such and such year.
Interjection: As a follower?The Shaykh: I do not know if he was a follower or not. The important thing is that he said the words like this.So the man paid attention and said to him: My brother! You are informing your Lord of your intention.Allah knows your intention:
He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breasts conceal.
يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُLikewise in fasting, for example: If a person eats the pre-dawn meal and wants to fast, does he say: O Allah, I intend to fast until night? He does not say this. And when we were young, they used to teach us this.He says: If you eat the pre-dawn meal, say: O Allah, I intend to fast until night. And we used to say it; because we did not know. But in reality, this is an innovation.
It remains to be said regarding Hajj, do you say: O Allah, I intend to perform 'Umrah, or I intend to perform Hajj, or I intend to combine them, or to do Tamattu'? No, you do not say that. Even in Hajj, when you take a bath and wear the ihram garments, do not say: O Allah, I intend to perform 'Umrah or I intend to perform Hajj. Rather, the talbiyah is sufficient; because you will say Labbaik 'Umrah if you are in 'Umrah, or Labbaik Hajj if you are in Hajj, or Labbaik 'Umrah and Hajj if you are combining them. So there is no need. Thus, in all acts of worship, the intention is not uttered.And for this reason, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: