Commentary on the author's statement: "And it is obligatory upon the creation to follow the Book and the Sunnah"
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
He said, "following the Book and the Sunnah, even if they do not perceive the benefit therein", meaning in the commands, and the harm, meaning in the prohibitions. This is because it is obligatory for the servant to say, "We hear and we obey." And for this reason, when this is the true servant, who, when commanded to do something, complies and does not ask why, and when prohibited from something, complies and leaves it off without asking why.
And among the branches of this is that some people, when they hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "Is this command for obligation?" or, when they hear a prohibition, they say, "Is this prohibition for forbiddance?" This is not befitting. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when commanded, complied, and when prohibited, they stopped, and they did not say, "O Messenger of Allah, is your command for obligation or is your prohibition for forbiddance?" It is not befitting to ask, "Is the command for obligation or is the prohibition for forbiddance?" It is not befitting. You are a servant; when commanded, say, "We hear and we obey," and when prohibited, say, "We hear and we obey," and leave it. Yes, if a person becomes entangled in disobeying a command or entangled in committing a prohibition, then at that time he inquires: "Is the command for obligation so that he makes it up? Is the prohibition for forbiddance so that he repents from it?" But merely hearing and sitting to debate whether the command is for obligation or the like—what is a person's argument with Allah on the Day of Resurrection if he says, "I commanded you and you complied, or my Messenger commanded you and you complied; I prohibited you and you complied, or my Messenger prohibited you and you complied"? And as I told you, and I repeat it, and I will repeat it: when you hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "We hear and we obey," and do it if it is a command. When you hear a prohibition, say, "We hear and we obey," and avoid it if it is a prohibition, so that you may be a true servant. The true servant of a person is a slave who complies, even with a gesture, even with a gesture. And for this reason, may Allah have the highest example, if a person had a slave and said to him, "O my slave, go and fetch such and such," and the slave said, "Is your command for obligation?" What is this? It is bad manners, a lack of manners. Or if he said, "Do not do such and such," and the slave said, "Is your prohibition for forbiddance?" A true slave, when his master commands him, says, "I hear and I obey." In fact, some slaves are satisfied with a gesture, contrary to the one who said, "The slave is struck with a stick, and the free man is satisfied with a gesture". We say that among the slaves there are some who are satisfied with a gesture, and among the free men there are some for whom nothing is effective except the stick. Yes, in any case, this is advice to you: when you hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "We hear and we obey," and do it; you are on the right path. And if you neglect it, you are in danger. And the same is said regarding prohibitions. Yes, it is true that if a person becomes entangled in disobedience, then at that time he may investigate whether this is for obligation so that he makes it up, or for forbiddance so that he repents from it. Yes, and for this reason, this phrase from Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is among the best phrases: "It is obligatory upon the creation to follow the Book and the Sunnah, even if they do not perceive the benefit or harm therein". Yes.
He said, "following the Book and the Sunnah, even if they do not perceive the benefit therein", meaning in the commands, and the harm, meaning in the prohibitions. This is because it is obligatory for the servant to say, "We hear and we obey." And for this reason, when
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked, "What is the reason that the menstruating woman makes up the fast but does not make up the prayer?" She said, "This used to happen to us, and we were commanded to make up the fast, but we were not commanded to make up the prayer."
سئلت عائشة رضي الله عنها ما بال الحائض تقضي الصوم ولا تقضي الصلاة قالت كان يصيبنا هذا فنؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا نؤمر بقضاء الصلاةAnd among the branches of this is that some people, when they hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "Is this command for obligation?" or, when they hear a prohibition, they say, "Is this prohibition for forbiddance?" This is not befitting. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when commanded, complied, and when prohibited, they stopped, and they did not say, "O Messenger of Allah, is your command for obligation or is your prohibition for forbiddance?" It is not befitting to ask, "Is the command for obligation or is the prohibition for forbiddance?" It is not befitting. You are a servant; when commanded, say, "We hear and we obey," and when prohibited, say, "We hear and we obey," and leave it. Yes, if a person becomes entangled in disobeying a command or entangled in committing a prohibition, then at that time he inquires: "Is the command for obligation so that he makes it up? Is the prohibition for forbiddance so that he repents from it?" But merely hearing and sitting to debate whether the command is for obligation or the like—what is a person's argument with Allah on the Day of Resurrection if he says, "I commanded you and you complied, or my Messenger commanded you and you complied; I prohibited you and you complied, or my Messenger prohibited you and you complied"? And as I told you, and I repeat it, and I will repeat it: when you hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "We hear and we obey," and do it if it is a command. When you hear a prohibition, say, "We hear and we obey," and avoid it if it is a prohibition, so that you may be a true servant. The true servant of a person is a slave who complies, even with a gesture, even with a gesture. And for this reason, may Allah have the highest example, if a person had a slave and said to him, "O my slave, go and fetch such and such," and the slave said, "Is your command for obligation?" What is this? It is bad manners, a lack of manners. Or if he said, "Do not do such and such," and the slave said, "Is your prohibition for forbiddance?" A true slave, when his master commands him, says, "I hear and I obey." In fact, some slaves are satisfied with a gesture, contrary to the one who said, "The slave is struck with a stick, and the free man is satisfied with a gesture". We say that among the slaves there are some who are satisfied with a gesture, and among the free men there are some for whom nothing is effective except the stick. Yes, in any case, this is advice to you: when you hear the command of Allah and His Messenger, say, "We hear and we obey," and do it; you are on the right path. And if you neglect it, you are in danger. And the same is said regarding prohibitions. Yes, it is true that if a person becomes entangled in disobedience, then at that time he may investigate whether this is for obligation so that he makes it up, or for forbiddance so that he repents from it. Yes, and for this reason, this phrase from Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is among the best phrases: "It is obligatory upon the creation to follow the Book and the Sunnah, even if they do not perceive the benefit or harm therein". Yes.