We know that the nations have pounced upon the Muslims, and the legal maxim states: "What is necessary for the completion of an obligatory duty is itself obligatory." What is the meaning of this maxim?

The questioner : We know that the nations have pounced upon the Muslims, and the legal maxim states: "What is necessary for the completion of an obligatory duty is itself obligatory" "What is necessary for the completion of an obligatory duty is itself obligatory". So, is the inquiry into ... the matter required by this maxim, or is there another path required of the Muslims? And what is it?

The Shaykh : Unfortunately, the questioner has not understood the danger of religious innovation. We have stated that innovating in the religion is for the innovator to share with the Lord of the Worlds in the most specific of His attributes of lordship, which is commanding. This is what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) denied in the previous polytheists when He said . This is from one aspect. From another aspect, we say to this questioner and those like him that confronting those who have pounced upon the Muslims is not achieved by keeping the old as it is, whether it is wrong or right, whether it is tawhid (the oneness of Allah) or shirk (associating partners with Allah). It is necessary—and perhaps the questioner was not present for our previous talk on how the Muslims can establish the state of Islam in their land, and that they cannot do so before they establish it in their hearts. From this establishment, which every individual must achieve in himself, comes the danger of this inquiry that he heard. At that time, he will realize that the pouncing of the disbelievers and the great states in their misguidance and material strength is not because the Muslims are truly Muslims, but because they have turned away from their Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) due to two factors mentioned earlier: their misunderstanding of their religion and their poor application of what they understood of this religion. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed to this reality when he said . So the cure is the religion, but which religion? This is the one in which Muslims differ. They are still in the word of tawhid, still in the Lord of the Worlds, ignorant of where He is. Indeed, as that intelligent, wise prince said when he brought together Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his opponents who disagreed with him regarding tawhid and the attributes of the Lord of the Worlds—which is part of the perfection of tawhid—the discussion took place in the presence of that prince. When the topic of Allah's rising above His creation and His settling upon His Throne came up, the scholars present said: "Allah has no place. Allah is not above, nor below, nor to the right, nor to the left, nor in front, nor behind. He is not inside the world nor outside it." This wise prince was not a scholar, but he was intelligent. He said to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, laughing at them: "These are a people who have lost their Lord."
This is a reality widespread among Muslims today. These Muslims to whom the Lord of the Worlds addresses them through the tongue of His Prophet . How can they return to the religion if their creed is still received from the science of kalam (theology) that contradicts the Qur'an and the Sunnah? Therefore, I hope the questioner will understand this reality and know with certainty that this pouncing upon the Muslims is caused only by their distance from the religion. And their distance from the religion has two causes: one is their misunderstanding of it, and the other is their poor application of it. Therefore, we said in our previous talk that purification and education are necessary.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.