The Story of Imam Ahmad with al-Harith al-Muhasibi, and the Reason for the Shaykh’s Verification of (Ihya 'Ulum al-Din)

The questioner : ... understand what it is ... ?

The Shaykh : There is no objection, there is no objection, this is well known, but have you read the story

The questioner : ... of self-monitoring and the spiritual stations they speak of

The Shaykh : Yes, yes, but my brother, whoever wants to read the books of al-Harith al-Muhasibi, or rather the books of al-Ghazali, must be a jurist so that his foot does not slip. Have you read the story of Imam Ahmad with al-Harith al-Muhasibi?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Okay, who do you think is more knowledgeable of the Book and the Sunnah, al-Harith or the Imam, the Imam of the Sunnah? The Imam of the Sunnah attended a lecture and sermon by al-Harith al-Muhasibi while he was hidden—in Syrian expression, in a "yawk," meaning a place where clothes are kept, with a curtain. He had a student, Imam Ahmad, who was informed that he was attending the gatherings of al-Harith al-Muhasibi and his sermons. So he said to him: "Inform me of the day al-Harith is coming, I want to listen." So he informed him. He placed him in a place where no one would notice him. Al-Harith began his sermon and guidance. Due to the intensity of his sermon and its impact on hearts, Imam Ahmad was moved. After the people left, he came out and said to him: "I have not heard words that affect the hearts like these words. Nevertheless, I advise you not to sit with him. What is the reason?"

The questioner : Because he spoke about 'ilm al-kalam...

The Shaykh : I do not think so; al-Harith al-Muhasibi was a Sufi and not one of the scholars of 'ilm al-kalam. The point is, whether it was this or that, are you in doubt that al-Harith al-Muhasibi was a preacher and had an impact? That is the case. So whether he spoke about 'ilm al-kalam or Sufism, the important thing is that this contains a slippery slope, indeed slippery slopes. Whoever wants to read al-Harith al-Muhasibi must be well-grounded in the correct knowledge derived from the Book and the Sunnah. I am telling you about myself; my story is long, but let us present the summary: I first started learning with al-Ghazali’s book, Ihya 'Ulum al-Din, but not for his book, rather for the hadiths he included in his book. Then al-Hafiz Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi came after him and traced them, distinguishing the authentic from the weak. So when I learned—and I may have been sixty-seven or sixty-eight years old at the time—when I learned that there was a book tracing the hadiths of the Ihya, I went down to the market like a madman, like the one... the state was such that I asked: "Where is this book?" until I found it. I was young, and my father was a provider and poor; we did not have the means to buy this book, so I rented it for a fee. The point is, I started copying the book—meaning the book of tracing, not the Ihya—in a way we do not have now. But what happens to me? It brings a hadith, for example: "What is the relation of this hadith? What is the research in it?" Look up, the hadith is below and al-Ghazali’s words are above. You see I went with al-Ghazali and read a page, two pages, for example, "The Wonders of the Heart" is a chapter, a book from his books, "The Book of Showing Off," "The Book of Arrogance," and so on. The truth is, I benefited from it, from this aspect. But others were harmed by it. What is the reason? Because he started saying, for example, what he says in the first book of his book, in the Ihya, called "The Book of Creeds." He says in it: "It is possible for Allah to obligate His servants with what they cannot bear." How is this, when our Lord says: .

The questioner : It is possible for Him, but He did not do it

The Shaykh : Ha! That one is enough for me from you, that is enough for me from you. It means you are influenced. How did He oblige when He says: He does not oblige? How do we say? Perhaps I did not understand you?

The questioner : Yes: "La" is a negation of the genus, meaning: He does not oblige at all.

The Shaykh : There are things more than this. They say: "It is possible for Allah to punish the obedient and reward the disobedient"—and I think you read this—how is this? And our Lord says: Punishing the obedient. If we explain this speech, it means: It is permissible for Allah to take Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Resurrection and put him in the lowest depths, and take Iblis the accursed and place him in the Praiseworthy Station. It is permissible for Allah. This is their speech. This is from the speech of 'ilm al-kalam.

The questioner : Rather, perhaps the Asha'irah

The Shaykh : Yes, the Asha'irah, but let it remain hidden, is that not better?