The Shaykh’s warning against being lax regarding verbal shirk (associating partners with Allah), with a note on the importance of the outward appearance and its connection to the inner state.

The Shaykh : Beware of anyone saying, "Since it is only verbal shirk (associating partners with Allah), it is no problem for me; I will do this thing, because the criterion is what is in the hearts." This is a mistake that many people fall into. We must know that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to reform the hearts and purify them from the filth of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief), He did not send him only for this reform. Rather, his reform (peace and blessings be upon him) was broader and more comprehensive than that. His reform extended from the hearts to the deeds and the words. Therefore, the hadith that some people narrate in a truncated and deficient form is perhaps one of the causes of people’s deviation from this truth, which is that the Lawgiver also concerns Himself with reforming the words and deeds just as He reforms the hearts. That hadith is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): In the hadith, there is a completion that many do not mention, which is: We must not forget this truth. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not look only at the heart, but also at the deed. And your word is a deed; if it is good, it is good, and if it is evil, it is evil. It does not benefit you to say, "My heart is pure, my heart is clean," as many do who are afflicted with imitating the disbelievers. Imitation is of various types, and few are free from this imitation. But the most heinous form of imitation is placing the beret on the head, because it is like a cover over the identity of this Muslim, indicating that he is a disbeliever, and this is his emblem, which speaks to that. So when you disapprove of that for him, he rushes to say, "His heart is good, his faith is good." He may even argue with the previous hadith, narrating it in a truncated form: He considers the image that he has depicted, meaning the person who wore this beret. But no, the intended image in the hadith is the one in which Allah depicted them. It may be that he is dark-skinned... and the like. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not look at these images with which He created people, but He looks at their hearts, which they were commanded to reform and build up with faith, and at their deeds as well. If they are righteous, He rewards them with good; otherwise, the opposite of the opposite. So our Lord also looks at the deeds, not only at the hearts. We must not forget this in such matters. Of course, we pray, fast, give charity, and perform Hajj (the major pilgrimage) if one is able; these are all deeds, so we do not forget them. But in the context of discussing the issue... with the person, and it does not mean that you can say, "My intention is pure, and Allah only looks at what is in the hearts." We say this answer is wrong. The Wise Lawgiver also looks at the deeds, and among the deeds are the words.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Say clearly, what do you want from the hadith?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : ... Complete the hadith. Say clearly, what do you want from the hadith?

The questioner : My intention is that there is a lack of concern regarding the speech now.

The Shaykh : I mean, you understood from the discussion of all this that this is verbal kufr (disbelief), and it is no problem.

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : So?

The questioner : So it is a support for this...

The Shaykh : ... from before this.