What is the difference between custom and worship? And what is the ruling if the motive for worship is showing off?
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The Shaykh : We have kept you waiting a little, so perhaps we can cancel the talk and take questions like this. I say: let us cancel the talk and take questions, or speak briefly. Yes, have we finished the country? Hmm?
The questioner : Questions .
The Shaykh : Questions .
The questioner : We will continue with the verses.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is wonderful.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon His servant and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the final meeting of the Open Door for the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, 1415. This meeting used to take place every week on Thursday. We ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to make the work sincere for His face and in accordance with His pleasure, and to benefit us all with what He has taught us. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
The brothers say that we have two verses remaining from Surat al-Balad, and I think we have completed Surat al-Balad[Al-Balad 90:19-20] This is the last thing we discussed in the previous session, which was the seventy-second. Given the tightness of time today, I see that we should start with the questions, and you should excuse us for not starting with Surat al-Shams wa Dhaha, which will be, if Allah wills, for the next meeting. So we begin with the question about the oath.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Shaykh : O Allah, send blessings and peace upon His Messenger.
The questioner : Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Uthaymeen, what is the difference between custom and worship? And if the motive for worship is showing off, what is the ruling? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The difference between custom and worship is that worship is what Allah and His Messenger have commanded as a means of drawing near to Allah and seeking His reward. As for custom, it is what people have become accustomed to among themselves, such as food and drink, dwellings, clothing, vehicles, transactions, and the like.
There is another difference: the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition and being forbidden, until evidence establishes that they are acts of worship, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ash-Shuraa 42:21] As for customs, the original ruling is permissibility, except for what evidence has established as prohibited.
Accordingly, if people become accustomed to something and some people say to them: this is forbidden, then they are required to provide evidence. It is said: where is the evidence that it is forbidden?
As for acts of worship, if it is said to a person: this act of worship is a religious innovation, and he says: it is not a religious innovation, we say to him: where is the evidence that it is not a religious innovation? Because the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition until evidence establishes that they are prescribed. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The second part of the question: if the motive for worship is showing off, then it is not accepted, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Kahf 18:110] And based on His saying in the Holy Hadith: Sahih Muslim 2985 Yes.
The questions will be from those outside Unayzah. Unayzah, praise be to Allah, they ask at any time. Yes.
The questioner : Questions .
The Shaykh : Questions .
The questioner : We will continue with the verses.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is wonderful.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon His servant and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the final meeting of the Open Door for the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, 1415. This meeting used to take place every week on Thursday. We ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to make the work sincere for His face and in accordance with His pleasure, and to benefit us all with what He has taught us. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
The brothers say that we have two verses remaining from Surat al-Balad, and I think we have completed Surat al-Balad
(19) But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left. (20) Over them will be fire closed in.
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ * عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُؤْصَدَةٌThe questioner : In the name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Shaykh : O Allah, send blessings and peace upon His Messenger.
The questioner : Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Uthaymeen, what is the difference between custom and worship? And if the motive for worship is showing off, what is the ruling? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The difference between custom and worship is that worship is what Allah and His Messenger have commanded as a means of drawing near to Allah and seeking His reward. As for custom, it is what people have become accustomed to among themselves, such as food and drink, dwellings, clothing, vehicles, transactions, and the like.
There is another difference: the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition and being forbidden, until evidence establishes that they are acts of worship, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِAccordingly, if people become accustomed to something and some people say to them: this is forbidden, then they are required to provide evidence. It is said: where is the evidence that it is forbidden?
As for acts of worship, if it is said to a person: this act of worship is a religious innovation, and he says: it is not a religious innovation, we say to him: where is the evidence that it is not a religious innovation? Because the original ruling for acts of worship is prohibition until evidence establishes that they are prescribed. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : The second part of the question: if the motive for worship is showing off, then it is not accepted, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلاً صَالِحاً وَلا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَداًI am the One, One Who does not stand in need of a partner. If anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah.
أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك من عمل عملا أشرك فيه معي غيري تركته وشركهThe questions will be from those outside Unayzah. Unayzah, praise be to Allah, they ask at any time. Yes.