Seeking nearness to Allah through the deeds of others? Or through the love of others?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : For example, if I were to say: "O Allah, I seek nearness to You" — for example — through my love for Shaykh Nasser, or "O Allah, I seek nearness to You, for example, through the righteous deeds ofThe Shaykh : Nasser," is this permissible?
The Shaykh : No, this is not permissible, it is not permissible; becauseThe Shaykh : Nasser is an individual among the individuals of the Ummah.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me, but if I said: I seek nearness to You through my love for Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is this permissible? Because that is certain. Yes.
The questioner : ... "O Allah, I seek nearness to You through the righteous deeds ofThe Shaykh : Ibn Taymiyyah," this is how it was phrased... so, is this seeking nearness permissible?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: now, it is as if I said: I seek nearness to You, O my Lord, through the deeds of the Messenger of Allah, like this?
The questioner : Is that possible?
The Shaykh : Is that what your question is?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No, it is not possible.
The questioner : Then through love?
The Shaykh : Love pertains to you, so it is permissible; because this is a righteous deed.
The questioner : The thing I know that I seek nearness with, as forThe Shaykh : Ibn Taymiyyah, I do not know his deeds, I mean, their outward appearance is good, but I do not know their inward state?
The Shaykh : No, no, I want to say: there is a difference between seeking nearness with something that pertains to you, by which you draw near to Allah, which is seeking nearness with a righteous deed, whereas seeking nearness with the righteous deed of so-and-so contradicts the saying of the Exalted:, this righteous deed is for the benefit of that person who did it for himself, and you do not benefit from the good. If you sought nearness with the deeds of the prophets, messengers, and all the righteous, this would not benefit you in any way.
The questioner : Only through love?
The Shaykh : But with your righteous deed, with your love for Allah, with your love for His Messenger, by following him, this is seeking nearness with a righteous deed, whereas the deed of another, that is not possible.
The questioner : Is it permissible for us to seek nearness with my love for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And is it permissible for me to seek nearness with my love for the righteous people, whether they are alive or dead?
The Shaykh : If they are righteous, it is permissible, but do not specify a person; because the matter has precision in it. If you generalize, as you did just now, there is no harm.
The audience: May Allah reward you with good, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Welcome, we do not hold you accountable, we have nothing to host you with.
The audience: ... Your presence is enough.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
A speaker: You are a guest, thank you.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you... May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : ... Why are you always in conflict, that it is no, it must be that something good happens, whether we like it or you do.
The Shaykh : ... And a third and final thing: that this is a natural matter: the Companions used to differ, so did they always meet and debate and discuss whenever they differed? It is not a natural matter, it is not usually possible, but now, meaning the students and followers, followers of so-and-so or so-and-so... scientific rules from their shaykhs, by which they can rule for Zayd over 'Amr or for 'Amr over Zayd, and so on, meaning the truth is not known by men, "know the truth and you will know the men."
The Shaykh : No, this is not permissible, it is not permissible; becauseThe Shaykh : Nasser is an individual among the individuals of the Ummah.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Allow me, allow me, but if I said: I seek nearness to You through my love for Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is this permissible? Because that is certain. Yes.
The questioner : ... "O Allah, I seek nearness to You through the righteous deeds ofThe Shaykh : Ibn Taymiyyah," this is how it was phrased... so, is this seeking nearness permissible?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: now, it is as if I said: I seek nearness to You, O my Lord, through the deeds of the Messenger of Allah, like this?
The questioner : Is that possible?
The Shaykh : Is that what your question is?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No, it is not possible.
The questioner : Then through love?
The Shaykh : Love pertains to you, so it is permissible; because this is a righteous deed.
The questioner : The thing I know that I seek nearness with, as forThe Shaykh : Ibn Taymiyyah, I do not know his deeds, I mean, their outward appearance is good, but I do not know their inward state?
The Shaykh : No, no, I want to say: there is a difference between seeking nearness with something that pertains to you, by which you draw near to Allah, which is seeking nearness with a righteous deed, whereas seeking nearness with the righteous deed of so-and-so contradicts the saying of the Exalted:
And whoever purifies himself, then he only purifies himself for his own soul.
ومن تزكى فإنما يتزكى فإنما يتزكى لنفسهThe questioner : Only through love?
The Shaykh : But with your righteous deed, with your love for Allah, with your love for His Messenger, by following him, this is seeking nearness with a righteous deed, whereas the deed of another, that is not possible.
The questioner : Is it permissible for us to seek nearness with my love for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And is it permissible for me to seek nearness with my love for the righteous people, whether they are alive or dead?
The Shaykh : If they are righteous, it is permissible, but do not specify a person; because the matter has precision in it. If you generalize, as you did just now, there is no harm.
The audience: May Allah reward you with good, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Welcome, we do not hold you accountable, we have nothing to host you with.
The audience: ... Your presence is enough.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
A speaker: You are a guest, thank you.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you... May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : ... Why are you always in conflict, that it is no, it must be that something good happens, whether we like it or you do.
The Shaykh : ... And a third and final thing: that this is a natural matter: the Companions used to differ, so did they always meet and debate and discuss whenever they differed? It is not a natural matter, it is not usually possible, but now, meaning the students and followers, followers of so-and-so or so-and-so... scientific rules from their shaykhs, by which they can rule for Zayd over 'Amr or for 'Amr over Zayd, and so on, meaning the truth is not known by men, "know the truth and you will know the men."
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.