Reading from the author's text with commentary and collation of manuscripts: "And likewise, anticipating Ramadan; one may imagine that there is merit in it
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The reader: As for what follows: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim* "And likewise, anticipating Ramadan; one may imagine that there is merit in it, because of the precaution it takes for fasting, but there is no merit in it in the Shari'ah, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade anticipating it for that reason. This meaning is present in our issue, for people may single out these seasons because they believe there is merit in them. Whenever singling out a time for fasting or prayer is accompanied by the belief that there is merit in it, when there is no merit, singling it out is forbidden, for singling out does not arise except from the belief in its exclusivity. And if someone says: 'The prayer or fasting on this night is like any other; this is my belief, and yet I single it out,' then his motive must be either conforming to others, or following custom, or fear of being blamed, or something similar; otherwise, he is lying. So the one who is motivated to this act never fails to have either that corrupt belief, or another non-religious motive, and that belief is misguidance. For we know with certainty that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his Companions, and the other imams did not mention a single word regarding the merit of this day and night, nor the specific merit of fasting it, nor the specific merit of standing in prayer during it. And the narrated hadiths about it are fabricated, and it only appeared"
The Shaykh : What is he speaking about now?
The reader: Singling out
The Shaykh : From the beginning
The student: The night in Rajab
The Shaykh : Yes, the first Friday, the first Friday night in Rajab, yes.
The reader: "And it only appeared in Islam after the fourth century, and it is not permissible, given this state of affairs, for it to have merit, because that"
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This indicates one of the signs of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that most innovations spread after the departure of the three blessed centuries, in the fourth century and the end of the third, and so on, especially practical innovations. As for doctrinal ones, they are from the time of the Companions; denying the divine decree is from the time of the Companions, and likewise the statement regarding faith, naming faith and disbelief, and the like. Yes.
The reader: "And it is not permissible, given this state of affairs"
The Shaykh : This should be specified by the person: when did this innovation occur? I mean, the innovation of the night called Laylat al-Raghayib, the first Friday of Rajab. You may hardly find it, for example, written in any book. Yes.
The reader: "And it is not permissible, given this state of affairs, for it to have merit, because if that merit was not known by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor his Companions, nor the Successors, nor the other imams, it is impossible for us to know from the religion that brings one closer to Allah what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Companions, the Successors, and the other imams did not know. And if they did know it, it is impossible, given their abundant motives for righteous action, teaching people, and advising them, that they did not inform anyone of this merit and that none of them hastened to it. So if this claimed merit"
The Shaykh : This is a division from which one cannot escape; a third division would necessarily involve a defect in the Messenger and his Companions. We say: Are they ignorant or not? If they are ignorant, this is a defect. If they are knowledgeable, did they act upon it or not? If they did not act upon it, this is a defect. And it is known that the defect is negated from both sides regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. So what remains is that it has no merit and no worship. Yes.
The reader: "So if this claimed merit necessitates either the ignorance of the Messenger and the best of generations of some of Allah's religion, or their concealing and leaving what their Shari'ah and their customs require them not to conceal"
The Shaykh : Their custom, and their custom in the singular.
The reader: Correction, O Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes, to match the first part.
The reader: "Or their concealing and leaving what their Shari'ah and their customs require them not to conceal or leave, and each of these necessities is negated, either by the Shari'ah or by custom along with the Shari'ah, then the negation of the necessitated thing is known, which is the claimed merit. Then this innovated act necessitates either a belief that is misguidance in the religion, or a religious act for other than Allah"
The Shaykh : Or an act
The reader: "Or performing a religion for other than Allah, the Exalted, or adhering to corrupt beliefs, or adhering to a religion other than that of Allah is not permissible. These are innovations, and their like necessarily entails, either certainly or apparently, the doing of what is not permissible."
The Shaykh : Certainly or apparently
The reader: "These are innovations, and their like necessarily entails, either certainly or apparently, the doing of what is not permissible. So the minimum state of what is entailed, if it is not forbidden, is that it is"
The Shaykh : What is entailed
The reader: "So the minimum state of what is entailed, if it is not forbidden, is that it is disliked. This meaning applies to all other newly invented innovations. Then this belief is followed by states in the heart of exalting and glorifying, and those states are also invalid; they are not from the religion of Allah. Even if the man were to say, 'I do not believe in the virtue,' he cannot remove the state in his heart of exalting and glorifying while he is worshipping. Exalting and glorifying does not arise except through a feeling of the same kind as the belief, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion."
The Shaykh : What did you say? Say it again
The reader: "Exalting and glorifying does not arise except through a feeling of the same kind as the belief, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion. Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion."
The Shaykh : A delusion or a suspicion, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion. Then he said, this is a necessary matter
The reader: I have
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it does not contradict what we have. Better
The reader: I have, O Shaykh, that this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : Ah?
The reader: That this
The Shaykh : Ah?
The reader: That this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion
The reader: That this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : No, what I have. Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion, this is a necessary matter. Put it as a copy if he did not point to it
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is a delusion as with the brother. Yes
The reader: "Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion that this is a necessary matter, if the soul were to be free from the feeling of the virtue of the thing, it would be impossible for it to exalt it. But contrary thoughts may arise in it. So from the standpoint of his belief that it is an innovation, it requires him not to exalt it. But from the standpoint of his feeling about what is narrated in it" what is narrated in it
The Shaykh : Narrated
The reader: "What is narrated in it, or by the people's doing of it, or because so-and-so and so-and-so did it, or by the benefit that appears to him in it, its greatness arises in his heart. So you know"
The Shaykh : So we know
The reader: Listen
The Shaykh : So you know that the doing of
The reader: "So you know that the doing of these innovations contradicts the obligatory beliefs and contests what the messengers brought from Allah, and that it begets hypocrisy in the heart, even if it is a light hypocrisy. And its like"
The Shaykh : And its like
The reader: "And its like is like the people who used to exalt Abu Jahl or Abdullah ibn Abi because of his leadership, his wealth, his lineage, his kindness to them, and his authority over them. So if the Messenger censured him, or clarified his deficiency, or ordered his humiliation or his killing, whoever did not purify"
The Shaykh : Purify
The reader: "Whoever did not purify his faith, or otherwise, whoever did not"
The Shaykh : Purify
The reader: Purify
The Shaykh : Yes, purify their faith
The reader: Okay, and otherwise it remains
The Shaykh : Read: whoever did not purify his faith
The reader: "Whoever did not purify his faith, or otherwise it remains in his heart"
The Shaykh : Yes, a contest
The reader: "Or otherwise it remains in his heart a contest between obedience to the Messenger, which follows his correct belief, and following what is in his soul of a state, which follows those false suspicions."
The student: That it remains
The Shaykh : Yes, or otherwise it remains
The student: ... and the second remains ...
The Shaykh : What we have is also correct, and it agrees with the printed version. Put it as a copy with you
The Shaykh : What is he speaking about now?
The reader: Singling out
The Shaykh : From the beginning
The student: The night in Rajab
The Shaykh : Yes, the first Friday, the first Friday night in Rajab, yes.
The reader: "And it only appeared in Islam after the fourth century, and it is not permissible, given this state of affairs, for it to have merit, because that"
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This indicates one of the signs of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that most innovations spread after the departure of the three blessed centuries, in the fourth century and the end of the third, and so on, especially practical innovations. As for doctrinal ones, they are from the time of the Companions; denying the divine decree is from the time of the Companions, and likewise the statement regarding faith, naming faith and disbelief, and the like. Yes.
The reader: "And it is not permissible, given this state of affairs"
The Shaykh : This should be specified by the person: when did this innovation occur? I mean, the innovation of the night called Laylat al-Raghayib, the first Friday of Rajab. You may hardly find it, for example, written in any book. Yes.
The reader: "And it is not permissible, given this state of affairs, for it to have merit, because if that merit was not known by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor his Companions, nor the Successors, nor the other imams, it is impossible for us to know from the religion that brings one closer to Allah what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Companions, the Successors, and the other imams did not know. And if they did know it, it is impossible, given their abundant motives for righteous action, teaching people, and advising them, that they did not inform anyone of this merit and that none of them hastened to it. So if this claimed merit"
The Shaykh : This is a division from which one cannot escape; a third division would necessarily involve a defect in the Messenger and his Companions. We say: Are they ignorant or not? If they are ignorant, this is a defect. If they are knowledgeable, did they act upon it or not? If they did not act upon it, this is a defect. And it is known that the defect is negated from both sides regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions. So what remains is that it has no merit and no worship. Yes.
The reader: "So if this claimed merit necessitates either the ignorance of the Messenger and the best of generations of some of Allah's religion, or their concealing and leaving what their Shari'ah and their customs require them not to conceal"
The Shaykh : Their custom, and their custom in the singular.
The reader: Correction, O Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes, to match the first part.
The reader: "Or their concealing and leaving what their Shari'ah and their customs require them not to conceal or leave, and each of these necessities is negated, either by the Shari'ah or by custom along with the Shari'ah, then the negation of the necessitated thing is known, which is the claimed merit. Then this innovated act necessitates either a belief that is misguidance in the religion, or a religious act for other than Allah"
The Shaykh : Or an act
The reader: "Or performing a religion for other than Allah, the Exalted, or adhering to corrupt beliefs, or adhering to a religion other than that of Allah is not permissible. These are innovations, and their like necessarily entails, either certainly or apparently, the doing of what is not permissible."
The Shaykh : Certainly or apparently
The reader: "These are innovations, and their like necessarily entails, either certainly or apparently, the doing of what is not permissible. So the minimum state of what is entailed, if it is not forbidden, is that it is"
The Shaykh : What is entailed
The reader: "So the minimum state of what is entailed, if it is not forbidden, is that it is disliked. This meaning applies to all other newly invented innovations. Then this belief is followed by states in the heart of exalting and glorifying, and those states are also invalid; they are not from the religion of Allah. Even if the man were to say, 'I do not believe in the virtue,' he cannot remove the state in his heart of exalting and glorifying while he is worshipping. Exalting and glorifying does not arise except through a feeling of the same kind as the belief, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion."
The Shaykh : What did you say? Say it again
The reader: "Exalting and glorifying does not arise except through a feeling of the same kind as the belief, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion. Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion."
The Shaykh : A delusion or a suspicion, even if it is a delusion or a suspicion. Then he said, this is a necessary matter
The reader: I have
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it does not contradict what we have. Better
The reader: I have, O Shaykh, that this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : Ah?
The reader: That this
The Shaykh : Ah?
The reader: That this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion
The reader: That this is a necessary matter
The Shaykh : No, what I have. Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion, this is a necessary matter. Put it as a copy if he did not point to it
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is a delusion as with the brother. Yes
The reader: "Even if it is a delusion or a suspicion that this is a necessary matter, if the soul were to be free from the feeling of the virtue of the thing, it would be impossible for it to exalt it. But contrary thoughts may arise in it. So from the standpoint of his belief that it is an innovation, it requires him not to exalt it. But from the standpoint of his feeling about what is narrated in it" what is narrated in it
The Shaykh : Narrated
The reader: "What is narrated in it, or by the people's doing of it, or because so-and-so and so-and-so did it, or by the benefit that appears to him in it, its greatness arises in his heart. So you know"
The Shaykh : So we know
The reader: Listen
The Shaykh : So you know that the doing of
The reader: "So you know that the doing of these innovations contradicts the obligatory beliefs and contests what the messengers brought from Allah, and that it begets hypocrisy in the heart, even if it is a light hypocrisy. And its like"
The Shaykh : And its like
The reader: "And its like is like the people who used to exalt Abu Jahl or Abdullah ibn Abi because of his leadership, his wealth, his lineage, his kindness to them, and his authority over them. So if the Messenger censured him, or clarified his deficiency, or ordered his humiliation or his killing, whoever did not purify"
The Shaykh : Purify
The reader: "Whoever did not purify his faith, or otherwise, whoever did not"
The Shaykh : Purify
The reader: Purify
The Shaykh : Yes, purify their faith
The reader: Okay, and otherwise it remains
The Shaykh : Read: whoever did not purify his faith
The reader: "Whoever did not purify his faith, or otherwise it remains in his heart"
The Shaykh : Yes, a contest
The reader: "Or otherwise it remains in his heart a contest between obedience to the Messenger, which follows his correct belief, and following what is in his soul of a state, which follows those false suspicions."
The student: That it remains
The Shaykh : Yes, or otherwise it remains
The student: ... and the second remains ...
The Shaykh : What we have is also correct, and it agrees with the printed version. Put it as a copy with you