What is the relationship between conduct and creed? And is it possible for the creed to be sound while there is a defect in the methodology?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve the Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. What is the relationship between conduct and creed?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : What is the relationship between conduct and creed?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : And can it be said: a man is upon a sound creed, upon the creed and methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community, but he has a defect in some of his morals? We ask for a detailed answer, and I ask for the advice of the honorable Shaykh to the callers in this matter. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound. And whenever the creed is defective, the methodology and conduct are defective. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: sins diminish faith, even though sins are actions of the limbs, whether speech, action, or omission. However, a person’s creed may be sound and his intention sound, and he may desire good, but he errs in conduct and follows an incorrect path. An example of this is the Khawarij, who fast, recite the Qur'an, and pray, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: But they erred in their methodology; they declared the Muslims disbelievers and made lawful their blood and wealth, so they strayed in a great deviation. For this reason, it is narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked about them: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39:92 But in reality, according to the description given by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they are the best of people in speech, and they emerge from Islam as an arrow emerges from a quiver, and they recite the Qur'an, but it does not pass beyond their throats, may Allah protect us from that. The important point is that conduct is one thing and creed is another. Whenever the creed is sound, the methodology and conduct are sound. The creed may be sound in the sense that the man believes in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil, but he errs in methodology and conduct. Yes. For this reason, I urge our brothers, both young and old, to look at the biography of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the people of their time, and the imams after them. The imams after them, the imams after them, they were in a time when people were openly called to religious innovation, and those who did not accept the innovation were punished. And yet, they did not rebel against these imams, nor did they describe them as disbelievers. Rather, they made supplication for them and described them as the rulers of the believers. This was the case with the Imam of the people of the Sunnah, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), and al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyadh, and likewise Imam Ahmad used to say: If I knew that I had a supplication that would be answered, I would direct it to the ruler.
But you find some of these deviants in their conduct, when they are told: Make supplication for the ruler, make supplication for your authority, they say: Never, we do not make supplication for him, as if the matter is impossible for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). We ask Allah for well-being. And they did not know that Allah guided peoples who prostrated to idols, so they became those who prostrate to the Lord of the worlds (Mighty and Majestic). And Allah is capable of all things. And for this reason, we see that this is a great danger. Those who are told: Make supplication for the rulers, make supplication for the authorities for guidance and the rectification of their inner circle, they say: No, we do not make supplication for them, we make supplication against them. Glory be to Allah. A man whom Allah has given you as a measure, he is your owner now and has authority over you, how do you not make supplication for him for guidance? But the problem of foolishness and misguidance is what leads a person to such matters. Yes.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : What is the relationship between conduct and creed?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : And can it be said: a man is upon a sound creed, upon the creed and methodology of the people of the Sunnah and the community, but he has a defect in some of his morals? We ask for a detailed answer, and I ask for the advice of the honorable Shaykh to the callers in this matter. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Whenever the creed is sound, the methodology is sound and the conduct is sound. And whenever the creed is defective, the methodology and conduct are defective. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: sins diminish faith, even though sins are actions of the limbs, whether speech, action, or omission. However, a person’s creed may be sound and his intention sound, and he may desire good, but he errs in conduct and follows an incorrect path. An example of this is the Khawarij, who fast, recite the Qur'an, and pray, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions:
One of you considers his prayer insignificant compared to their prayer, and his recitation insignificant compared to their recitation.
إن أحدكم يحقر صلاته عند صلاتهم وقراءته عند قراءتهمAre they disbelievers? He said: They have fled from disbelief.
أكفار هم ؟ قال : من الكفر فرواBut you find some of these deviants in their conduct, when they are told: Make supplication for the ruler, make supplication for your authority, they say: Never, we do not make supplication for him, as if the matter is impossible for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). We ask Allah for well-being. And they did not know that Allah guided peoples who prostrated to idols, so they became those who prostrate to the Lord of the worlds (Mighty and Majestic). And Allah is capable of all things. And for this reason, we see that this is a great danger. Those who are told: Make supplication for the rulers, make supplication for the authorities for guidance and the rectification of their inner circle, they say: No, we do not make supplication for them, we make supplication against them. Glory be to Allah. A man whom Allah has given you as a measure, he is your owner now and has authority over you, how do you not make supplication for him for guidance? But the problem of foolishness and misguidance is what leads a person to such matters. Yes.