The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: << وجحدوا بها واسيقنتها أنفسهم ظلما وعلوا فانظر كيف كان عاقبة المفسدين >
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The student: وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا وَقَالَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 15 وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ 16 وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ 17 حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 18 فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ 19 And We gave Dawud and Sulayman knowledge, and they said: "All praise is for Allah, who has preferred us over many of His believing servants." 15 And Sulayman inherited from Dawud, and he said: "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given of everything. This is indeed the clear favor." 16 And Sulayman's troops were gathered for him from the jinn and men and birds, and they were being directed. 17 Until when they came to the valley of the ants, an ant said: "O ants, enter your dwellings that Sulayman and his troops may not crush you while you do not perceive." 18 So he smiled, amused by her speech, and said: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and to do righteousness of which You approve, and admit me with Your mercy among Your righteous servants." 19
The Shaykh : Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Naml: 17] Before we speak
The student: ...
The Shaykh : ...affirming we take the benefits...:
It is derived from this verse [Surat al-Naml: 14] benefits are derived from it:
First: that despite the strength of the signs brought by Musa, these people did not benefit from them. It is taken from His saying: When the signs become strong, no room remains for ignorance, but, may Allah protect us, Allah blinded their insights, so they denied them.
And it is derived from that: that the denial of these deniers was due to stubbornness, not due to a doubt, because of His saying:.
Did this happen to the disbelievers of Quraysh with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The student: It happened from them ....
The Shaykh : Yes, it happened, because of His saying, the Exalted: [Surat al-An'am: 33] And there is no doubt that this is a reality among the leaders and chiefs, but the general people may not have this matter; rather, they are followers who imitate. As for the chiefs and the great ones, there is no doubt about this.
And in this is evidence of the bad state of the family of Pharaoh, because of His saying: injustice to themselves and to Musa, and arrogance: elevating themselves above the truth.
And in this is evidence that being described with these two descriptions makes a person from the Pharaonic nation, and they are: injustice and arrogance.
And there is no attribute by which a servant deviates from the straight path but he has a leader in it from among the people of disbelief. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that people will follow the ways of those who came before them.
So denial of the truth, if there is a leader like Pharaoh and his people; envy, if there is a leader like the Jews; showing off, for a person there is a leader like the hypocrites.. and so on. Indeed, some of the hypocrites are among them. So there is no trait by which a servant deviates from the straight path but he has a leader in it from among the people of disbelief.
And in this is evidence of the condemnation of elevating oneself above the truth, because of His saying: And there is no difference between whether that is due to good intention or not, for this method is condemned even if it is due to good intention. And we say: even if it is due to good intention, to include some of the imitators who, when the evidence from the Book and the Sunnah is presented to them, say: We follow so-and-so because he is more knowledgeable than you. This is due to good intention, as it appears.
The aspect of good intention is that they see that this imam whom they followed is more knowledgeable than you, and they say: We are ignorant and do not know, and we have no choice but to imitate, and this man is more knowledgeable than you.
The student: ...not due to fanaticism ...so when the messenger's command is presented to him, he accepts it
The Shaykh : It is derived from this verse: that if this description is condemned and Pharaonic, then its opposite is praiseworthy. What is the opposite?
The student: Humility.
The Shaykh : Humility toward the truth and accepting it. This is undoubtedly praiseworthy, because when Allah the Exalted praises a description with badness, its opposite is praised with goodness.
And in the verse is also evidence that it is necessary for a person, or obligatory, to reflect and contemplate on the outcomes of those who came before, because of His saying: [Surat al-Naml: 14] Does a person look at the outcomes of the corrupters, or at the outcomes of the corrupters and the reformers?
The student: Both.
The Shaykh : Good. So what is the wisdom of the specification here [Surat al-Naml: 14]?
Because the context is one of warning. And if the context is one of encouragement, we say to the person: Look at how was the outcome of the reformers [Surat Hud: 116].
So the matter differs. In the context of deterrence, we refer the person to the outcomes of the corrupters, and in the context of encouragement, we refer him to the outcomes of the reformers, so that he may be warned from those and encouraged toward these.
And in it is evidence of the virtue of contemplation and reflection on the news of those who passed away, and that the study of the science of history is among the things brought by the Shari'ah. For we cannot look at how their outcome was except by studying their ideas and their vision. So the science of history is therefore among the intended matters, but is it intended in itself or incidentally?
The student: Incidentally.
The Shaykh : Incidentally, except for the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for that is from the religion, because it is all rulings. Unlike looking at history for the sake of taking a lesson only, for every context has its own speech. Because looking at history for the sake of taking a lesson only, a person may take a lesson from something else and be content with that. But looking at the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is jurisprudence rulings, this is intended in itself, and a person cannot do without it from it [Surat al-Naml: 14]
The student: وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا وَقَالَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 15 وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ 16 وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ 17 حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 18 فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ 19 And We gave Dawud and Sulayman knowledge, and they said: "All praise is for Allah, who has preferred us over many of His believing servants." 15 And Sulayman inherited from Dawud, and he said: "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given of everything. This is indeed the clear favor." 16 And Sulayman's troops were gathered for him from the jinn and men and birds, and they were being directed. 17 Until when they came to the valley of the ants, an ant said: "O ants, enter your dwellings that Sulayman and his troops may not crush you while you do not perceive." 18 So he smiled, amused by her speech, and said: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and to do righteousness of which You approve, and admit me with Your mercy among Your righteous servants." 19
The Shaykh : Allah the Exalted said:
And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and they were [marching] in rows.
وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَThe student: ...
The Shaykh : ...affirming
This is indeed the clear favor.
إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُIt is derived from this verse
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness. So see how was the end of the corrupters.
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَFirst: that despite the strength of the signs brought by Musa, these people did not benefit from them. It is taken from His saying:
And they denied it
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَاAnd it is derived from that: that the denial of these deniers was due to stubbornness, not due to a doubt, because of His saying:
And their own souls were certain of them.
وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْDid this happen to the disbelievers of Quraysh with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The student: It happened from them ....
The Shaykh : Yes, it happened, because of His saying, the Exalted:
We know that you, [O Muhammad], are saddened by what they say. And indeed, they do not call you untruthful, but it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers reject.
قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَAnd in this is evidence of the bad state of the family of Pharaoh, because of His saying:
Out of injustice and arrogance
ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّاAnd in this is evidence that being described with these two descriptions makes a person from the Pharaonic nation, and they are: injustice and arrogance.
And there is no attribute by which a servant deviates from the straight path but he has a leader in it from among the people of disbelief. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that people will follow the ways of those who came before them.
So denial of the truth, if there is a leader like Pharaoh and his people; envy, if there is a leader like the Jews; showing off, for a person there is a leader like the hypocrites.. and so on. Indeed, some of the hypocrites are among them. So there is no trait by which a servant deviates from the straight path but he has a leader in it from among the people of disbelief.
And in this is evidence of the condemnation of elevating oneself above the truth, because of His saying:
And arrogance.
وَعُلُوًّاThe aspect of good intention is that they see that this imam whom they followed is more knowledgeable than you, and they say: We are ignorant and do not know, and we have no choice but to imitate, and this man is more knowledgeable than you.
The student: ...not due to fanaticism ...so when the messenger's command is presented to him, he accepts it
The Shaykh : It is derived from this verse: that if this description is condemned and Pharaonic, then its opposite is praiseworthy. What is the opposite?
The student: Humility.
The Shaykh : Humility toward the truth and accepting it. This is undoubtedly praiseworthy, because when Allah the Exalted praises a description with badness, its opposite is praised with goodness.
And in the verse is also evidence that it is necessary for a person, or obligatory, to reflect and contemplate on the outcomes of those who came before, because of His saying:
So see how was the end of the corrupters.
فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَThe student: Both.
The Shaykh : Good. So what is the wisdom of the specification here
So see how was the end of the corrupters.
فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَBecause the context is one of warning. And if the context is one of encouragement, we say to the person: Look at how was the outcome of the reformers
So why were there not among the generations before you those of enduring discrimination forbidding corruption on earth - except a few of those We saved from among them
فَلَوْلا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ أُوْلُوا بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّنْ أَنْجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْSo the matter differs. In the context of deterrence, we refer the person to the outcomes of the corrupters, and in the context of encouragement, we refer him to the outcomes of the reformers, so that he may be warned from those and encouraged toward these.
And in it is evidence of the virtue of contemplation and reflection on the news of those who passed away, and that the study of the science of history is among the things brought by the Shari'ah. For we cannot look at how their outcome was except by studying their ideas and their vision. So the science of history is therefore among the intended matters, but is it intended in itself or incidentally?
The student: Incidentally.
The Shaykh : Incidentally, except for the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for that is from the religion, because it is all rulings. Unlike looking at history for the sake of taking a lesson only, for every context has its own speech. Because looking at history for the sake of taking a lesson only, a person may take a lesson from something else and be content with that. But looking at the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is jurisprudence rulings, this is intended in itself, and a person cannot do without it from it