The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Say: ‘Fleeing will not benefit you if you flee from death or killing, and then you will not be granted enjoyment except for a little.’”
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Then Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ahzab 33:16] In this verse, there is evidence that there is no escape from the divine decree of Allah, as He said: [Al-Ahzab 33:16] Now, is His saying: [Al-Ahzab 33:16] connected to or to ? This is actually an interjected sentence among the benefits. “Say: ‘Fleeing will not benefit you from death or killing’” — is it connected to or to ? “Say: ‘Fleeing will not benefit you from death or killing if you flee’” — and the conditional sentence is an interjected sentence. This is clearer in meaning, and it is derived from it that there is no escape from the divine decree of Allah.
Is it derived from the noble verse that causes are negated? If a person sees a fire consuming trees coming toward him, does he flee or not? He flees. So he flees, and perhaps he will be saved. It is not like this, but what is the solution? If someone says this verse negates acting upon causes, the answer to that is: if acting upon a cause negates the ruling of the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible, like this verse or like this situation. Negating the causes of the divine decree by violating the rulings of the Shari'ah is not permissible. That is, is it permissible for a person to leave the obligatory ruling of the Shari'ah out of fear of its consequences? It is not permissible. But a real cause that is permitted by the Shari'ah, does he do it or not? Let him do it. We do not say to a man, “If you see a fire coming toward you, stand still and do not flee; fleeing will not benefit you.” That is not correct. Rather, we say in this situation, flee, because this is a permissible cause, permitted by the Shari'ah and a real cause. But we want to make the causes negate the rulings of the Shari'ah; that is not permissible.
And it is derived from the noble verse the clarification of the effectiveness of the ruling of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), both the divine decree and the Shari'ah. As for the divine decree, you have no will in it, and as for the Shari'ah, you have a will in it. For this reason, we say regarding the Shari'ah, the obligation to implement the ruling of Allah the Shari'ah, because Allah the Exalted criticized these fleeing ones because their fleeing entails dropping a Shari'ah ruling. Yes, that is right.
And among the benefits of the noble verse is that staying in this world, even if it is long, is short, as He said:[Al-Ahzab 33:16] Yes, and Allah the Exalted said in another verse: [Al-Nisa: 77].
And among the benefits of the noble verse is the rebuke of these who fled to preserve their lives. It is taken from the command of Allah to His Prophet to say to them:[Al-Ahzab 33:16] And this is undoubtedly a way of rebuking them. For this reason, He said: meaning, if you flee and are saved from this incident, you will not be saved from death [Al-Ahzab 33:16] Yes, this is from the cowardice of the hypocrites; they are people of cowardice, humiliation, fear, and terror. And this also leads to a problem, which is that fear of death is a natural matter. Allah the Exalted said about Musa (peace be upon him): [Al-Qasas: 33], and there is a problem with this.
The student: ...?
The Shaykh : The word ... the difference is that they say this is not that; it is not sufficient.
The student: What is the point of opposition?
The Shaykh : The point of opposition is that he feared being killed, and these people feared being killed. As we mentioned a little while ago, the fear of being killed that entails negating a Shari'ah ruling is not permissible. But this one feared being killed because he caused it, and he could be killed or not? Musa could be killed because he did what entails killing in the eyes of these people.
Say, [O Muhammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing; and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."
قُلْ لَنْ يَنْفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ إِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِ وَإِذًا لا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاSay, [O Muhammad], "Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing
قُلْ لَنْ يَنْفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ إِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِfrom death or killing
مِنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِyou flee
فررتمfleeing
الفرارyou flee
فررتمfleeing
الفرارif you flee
إن فررتمIs it derived from the noble verse that causes are negated? If a person sees a fire consuming trees coming toward him, does he flee or not? He flees. So he flees, and perhaps he will be saved. It is not like this, but what is the solution? If someone says this verse negates acting upon causes, the answer to that is: if acting upon a cause negates the ruling of the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible, like this verse or like this situation. Negating the causes of the divine decree by violating the rulings of the Shari'ah is not permissible. That is, is it permissible for a person to leave the obligatory ruling of the Shari'ah out of fear of its consequences? It is not permissible. But a real cause that is permitted by the Shari'ah, does he do it or not? Let him do it. We do not say to a man, “If you see a fire coming toward you, stand still and do not flee; fleeing will not benefit you.” That is not correct. Rather, we say in this situation, flee, because this is a permissible cause, permitted by the Shari'ah and a real cause. But we want to make the causes negate the rulings of the Shari'ah; that is not permissible.
And it is derived from the noble verse the clarification of the effectiveness of the ruling of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), both the divine decree and the Shari'ah. As for the divine decree, you have no will in it, and as for the Shari'ah, you have a will in it. For this reason, we say regarding the Shari'ah, the obligation to implement the ruling of Allah the Shari'ah, because Allah the Exalted criticized these fleeing ones because their fleeing entails dropping a Shari'ah ruling. Yes, that is right.
And among the benefits of the noble verse is that staying in this world, even if it is long, is short, as He said:
and then [if you did], you would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."
وَإِذًا لا تُمَتَّعُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاSay, The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."
قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًاAnd among the benefits of the noble verse is the rebuke of these who fled to preserve their lives. It is taken from the command of Allah to His Prophet to say to them:
Never will fleeing benefit you if you should flee from death or killing
لَنْ يَنْفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ إِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ أَوِ الْقَتْلِand
وإذاyou would not be given enjoyment [of life] except for a little."
لا تمتعون إلا قليلاًHe said, "My Lord, indeed, I killed from among them someone, and I fear they will kill me.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونِThe student: ...?
The Shaykh : The word ... the difference is that they say this is not that; it is not sufficient.
The student: What is the point of opposition?
The Shaykh : The point of opposition is that he feared being killed, and these people feared being killed. As we mentioned a little while ago, the fear of being killed that entails negating a Shari'ah ruling is not permissible. But this one feared being killed because he caused it, and he could be killed or not? Musa could be killed because he did what entails killing in the eyes of these people.