Explanation of the author's statement: "And this is the basis adopted by many of the later scholars from the Kalbites and others, but it is not known that any of the Salaf used this basis as a reason; rather,
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The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: "And this is the basis adopted by many of the later scholars from the Kalbites and others, but it is not known that any of the Salaf used this basis as a reason; rather, they used the second basis as a reason, which is: That absolute faith entails performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden".
Pay attention to the precise basis. He says: If you say, "I am a believer," you have made an absolute statement. Absolute faith entails performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden.[Al-Anfal 8:2-4] Do you possess these attributes? Hmm? If Allah wills, but I am not certain that I possess them. I am certain that I have the foundation of faith; there is no doubt about that in my mind. But I am not certain that I will perform, or that I am performing, all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden. This is a matter, hmm? It is impossible. So I make an exception, observing this meaning. What is the meaning? Hmm? That absolute faith entails performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden, and this is something I am not certain of. I am not certain of performing it. So I make an exception for this reason. Pay attention. So the exception is made while observing this, hmm?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The first point: we said that none of the Salaf used this as a reason.
It is observed in it that absolute faith necessitates, hmm? performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, and this is a matter a person cannot be certain of regarding himself, so he makes an exception for this reason. Is that clear?
I say: If Allah wills, because I am not certain that I have performed every obligatory act and left every forbidden act. I am not certain of that, so I say, "If Allah wills." Good.
He says: "And a person cannot be certain of this regarding himself, and if he were to be certain of it regarding himself, he would have certified his own righteousness".
If he said: "I am certain that I am performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden," this would be certifying one's own righteousness. And Allah the Exalted said:[An-Najm 53:32].
And also, "and he would have testified that it is among the pious and the righteous, and in that case, he should have testified that he is among the people of Paradise, and these are impossible consequences" religiously. If you said, "I am a believer," without saying "if Allah wills," and you intended absolute faith that necessitates performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, you would have testified that you are among the people of Paradise, because whoever has this description must be among the people of Paradise. And this is forbidden; it is not permissible for a person to say that he is among the people of Paradise.
If someone said: "Are you among the people of Paradise?" and I said: "Yes," and I was certain, is that permissible or not? It is not permissible. You say: "If Allah wills, I hope so."
Likewise, the faith that is intended to mean performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden is something no one is certain of. This is the basis of the Salaf regarding the exception in faith. Pay attention. So if you are asked: "Are you a believer?" and you say: "Yes," and you do not say "if Allah wills," is that correct? Yes, based on the foundation of faith, because the foundation of faith in you is known or not known? It is known, and you are certain of it.
So if you say: "If Allah wills," that is also correct. How so? Because you intend that faith, when made absolute, hmm? entails performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, and this is something I am not certain of, so I say "if Allah wills" for this purpose.
As for the statement of some of the Kalbites who say: "You say 'if Allah wills' because you do not know on what you will die," this is not correct, because a person is only reporting about himself now, as for the future, Allah is All-Knowing of it.
Pay attention to the precise basis. He says: If you say, "I am a believer," you have made an absolute statement. Absolute faith entails performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden.
(2) The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely - (3) The ones who establish prayer, and from what We have provided them, they spend. (4) Those are the believers, truly.
إنما المؤمنون الذين إذا ذكر الله وجلت قلوبهم وإذا تليت عليهم آياته زادتهم إيمانا وعلى ربهم يتوكلون * الذين يقيمون الصلاة ومما رزقناهم ينفقون أولئك هم المؤمنون حقاThe student: ...
The Shaykh : The first point: we said that none of the Salaf used this as a reason.
It is observed in it that absolute faith necessitates, hmm? performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, and this is a matter a person cannot be certain of regarding himself, so he makes an exception for this reason. Is that clear?
I say: If Allah wills, because I am not certain that I have performed every obligatory act and left every forbidden act. I am not certain of that, so I say, "If Allah wills." Good.
He says: "And a person cannot be certain of this regarding himself, and if he were to be certain of it regarding himself, he would have certified his own righteousness".
If he said: "I am certain that I am performing all that is commanded and leaving all that is forbidden," this would be certifying one's own righteousness. And Allah the Exalted said:
So do not claim yourselves to be pure
فلا تزكوا أنفسكمAnd also, "and he would have testified that it is among the pious and the righteous, and in that case, he should have testified that he is among the people of Paradise, and these are impossible consequences" religiously. If you said, "I am a believer," without saying "if Allah wills," and you intended absolute faith that necessitates performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, you would have testified that you are among the people of Paradise, because whoever has this description must be among the people of Paradise. And this is forbidden; it is not permissible for a person to say that he is among the people of Paradise.
If someone said: "Are you among the people of Paradise?" and I said: "Yes," and I was certain, is that permissible or not? It is not permissible. You say: "If Allah wills, I hope so."
Likewise, the faith that is intended to mean performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden is something no one is certain of. This is the basis of the Salaf regarding the exception in faith. Pay attention. So if you are asked: "Are you a believer?" and you say: "Yes," and you do not say "if Allah wills," is that correct? Yes, based on the foundation of faith, because the foundation of faith in you is known or not known? It is known, and you are certain of it.
So if you say: "If Allah wills," that is also correct. How so? Because you intend that faith, when made absolute, hmm? entails performing the commanded and leaving the forbidden, and this is something I am not certain of, so I say "if Allah wills" for this purpose.
As for the statement of some of the Kalbites who say: "You say 'if Allah wills' because you do not know on what you will die," this is not correct, because a person is only reporting about himself now, as for the future, Allah is All-Knowing of it.