The Meaning of “The Bonds of Islam Will Be Unraveled, One by One”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 62:599 What is the meaning of this hadith? And what is intended by “unraveling the ruling”?
A: The hadith mentioned was narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih with a good chain of narration from Abu Ammah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Ibn Hibban 62:599 End. And its meaning is clear: as Islam becomes more foreign, those who oppose it and unravel its bonds increase. By this, he means its obligations and commands, as in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2629Sahih (Darussalam) which Muslim narrated in his Sahih.
And the meaning of his saying in the hadith: is clear, and it is not ruling by the law of Allah. This is the reality today in most countries that claim affiliation with Islam.
It is well known that the obligation upon everyone is to judge by the law of Allah in all matters, and to beware of judging by laws and customs that contradict the pure Shari'ah, as He the Exalted said: [An-Nisa: 65]. And He the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah: 49 - 50]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [Al-Ma'idah: 44] [Al-Ma'idah: 45] [Al-Ma'idah: 47].
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have clarified that it is obligatory for the rulers of the Muslims to rule by the Shari'ah of Allah in all the affairs of the Muslims, and in everything in which they dispute, acting in accordance with these noble verses. They explained that the one who rules by other than what Allah has revealed, if he considers that permissible, commits disbelief that is major shirk, which takes him out of the Islamic religion. As for if he does not consider it permissible, but rules by other than what Allah has revealed due to a bribe or another purpose, while believing that it is not permissible and that it is obligatory to rule by the Shari'ah of Allah, then by that he becomes a disbeliever with minor shirk, a wrongdoer with minor injustice, and an open sinner with minor open sinfulness.
So we ask Allah, the Exalted, to guide all the rulers of the Muslims to rule by His Shari'ah, to refer to it for judgment, to oblige their people to adhere to it, and to beware of what contradicts it. Indeed, He is Generous and Bountiful.
And there is no doubt that in ruling by the Shari'ah, referring to it for judgment, and acting in accordance with it, lies the rectification of the affairs of this world and the Hereafter, the honor of this world and the Hereafter, safety from the plots of the enemies, and assistance in victory over them.
As Allah the Exalted said: [Muhammad: 7]. And He the Exalted said: [Ar-Rum: 47]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [Al-Hajj: 40 - 41]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [Ghafir: 51 - 52]. And the verses in this meaning are numerous.
As for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mentioned hadith:, its meaning is the multitude of those who abandon it and lag behind in it, and this is the reality today in many Islamic countries. So we ask Allah to rectify the conditions of the Muslims, and to grant them success in standing firm upon His religion and being upright upon it, and to help them to establish the prayer and preserve it in its times, in congregation, in the houses of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , which are the mosques in which Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [An-Nur: 36 - 38]. And the prayer is the pillar of Islam, and it is the second of its great pillars, as in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2616Hasan (Darussalam) and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2609Sahih (Darussalam).
And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has commanded its establishment and preservation in His Noble Book, saying: : [al-Baqarah: 43] And He the Exalted said: [al-Nur: 56] And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Baqarah: 238] And the middle prayer is the 'Asr prayer, as is established by the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So He the Exalted made it obligatory to preserve the five prayers and establish them as Allah has prescribed, and He singled out the middle prayer with further emphasis. Perhaps the wisdom in that is that it falls at the end of the day after people have engaged in their work, and they may become lazy about it or sleep through it due to the fatigue of work. So Allah the Exalted urged them to preserve it and warned them against neglecting it, and He the Exalted said: [al-'Ankabut: 45] And the verses regarding the prayer are numerous.
It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1079Sahih (Darussalam) which Imam Ahmad and the people of the four Sunan narrated with an authentic chain. And he said, may the prayer and peace be upon him: Sahih Muslim 82b which Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both).
And 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the noble Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) said:Sahih Muslim 654b which Muslim narrated in his Sahih.
And the hadiths regarding the prayer, urging it, and warning against abandoning it and being negligent with it are very numerous. And Allah the Exalted informed in His great Book that laziness regarding it is among the characteristics of the hypocrites who are promised the lowest level of the Fire. As Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in Surat An-Nisa: [An-Nisa: 142]. And He the Exalted said regarding the hypocrites in Surat At-Tawbah: [At-Tawbah: 54 - 55].
We ask Allah for us and for all the Muslims to be saved from the characteristics of the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and we ask Him, the Exalted, to guide us and all the Muslims to steadfastness upon His religion, uprightness upon it, and safety from the causes of His anger. Indeed, He is the One who has the power to do that and is capable of it.
The bonds of Islam will be unraveled, one by one, and whenever a bond is unraveled, the people will cling to the one that follows it. The first to be unraveled is the ruling, and the last is the prayer.
لتنقضن عرى الإسلام عروة عروة، فكلما انتقضت عروة تشبث الناس بالتي تليها، فأولهن نقضا الحكم، وآخرهن الصلاةA: The hadith mentioned was narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih with a good chain of narration from Abu Ammah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
The bonds of Islam will be unraveled, one by one, and whenever a bond is unraveled, the people will cling to the one that follows it. The first to be unraveled is the ruling, and the last is the prayer.
لتنقضن عرى الإسلام عروة عروة، فكلما انتقضت عروة تشبث الناس بالتي تليها، وأولهن نقضا الحكم، وآخرهن الصلاةIndeed Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange as it began. So Tuba is for the strangers.
بدأ الإسلام غريبا، وسيعود غريبا كما بدأ؛ فطوبى للغرباءAnd the meaning of his saying in the hadith:
The first to be unraveled is the ruling.
وأولها نقضا الحكمIt is well known that the obligation upon everyone is to judge by the law of Allah in all matters, and to beware of judging by laws and customs that contradict the pure Shari'ah, as He the Exalted said:
But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.
فَلا وَرَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا(49) And judge, [O Muhammad], between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you. And if they turn away - then know that Allah only intends to afflict them with some of their [own] sins. And indeed, many among the people are defiantly disobedient. (50) Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].
وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُصِيبَهُمْ بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ لَفَاسِقُونَ * أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَAnd whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَAnd whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَAnd whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَThe scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) have clarified that it is obligatory for the rulers of the Muslims to rule by the Shari'ah of Allah in all the affairs of the Muslims, and in everything in which they dispute, acting in accordance with these noble verses. They explained that the one who rules by other than what Allah has revealed, if he considers that permissible, commits disbelief that is major shirk, which takes him out of the Islamic religion. As for if he does not consider it permissible, but rules by other than what Allah has revealed due to a bribe or another purpose, while believing that it is not permissible and that it is obligatory to rule by the Shari'ah of Allah, then by that he becomes a disbeliever with minor shirk, a wrongdoer with minor injustice, and an open sinner with minor open sinfulness.
So we ask Allah, the Exalted, to guide all the rulers of the Muslims to rule by His Shari'ah, to refer to it for judgment, to oblige their people to adhere to it, and to beware of what contradicts it. Indeed, He is Generous and Bountiful.
And there is no doubt that in ruling by the Shari'ah, referring to it for judgment, and acting in accordance with it, lies the rectification of the affairs of this world and the Hereafter, the honor of this world and the Hereafter, safety from the plots of the enemies, and assistance in victory over them.
As Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْand incumbent upon Us was support of the believers.
وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَAnd Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (41) [And they are] those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of [all] matters.
وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ * الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ(51) Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand - (52) The Day their excuse will not benefit the wrongdoers, and they will have the curse, and they will have the worst home.
إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ * يَوْمَ لا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِAs for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mentioned hadith:
And the last of them is prayer.
وآخرهن الصلاة(36) [Such niches are] in mosques which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings (37) [Are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about - (38) That Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account.
فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ * رِجَالٌ لا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ * لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا وَيَزِيدَهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍThe head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat
رأس الأمر الإسلام، وعموده الصلاةIslam is based upon five: the testimony of La Ilaha Illallah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of the Salat, giving the Zakat, fasting (the month of) Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House.
بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله، وإقام الصلاة، وإيتاء الزكاة، وصوم رمضان، وحج البيتAnd Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has commanded its establishment and preservation in His Noble Book, saying: :
And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَAnd establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَMaintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَRecite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِIt is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is prayer; so whoever leaves it, he has committed Kufr.
العهد الذي بيننا وبينهم الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفرBetween man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of salat.
بين الرجل وبين الشرك والكفر ترك الصلاةAnd 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, the noble Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these prayers, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, and these (prayers) are among the paths of right guidance. If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the mosque) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet, you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.
من سره أن يلقى الله غدًا مسلمًا فليحافظ على هؤلاء الصلوات حيث ينادى بهن، فإن الله شرع لنبيكم ﷺ سنن الهدى وإنهن من سنن الهدى، ولو أنكم صليتم في بيوتكم كما يصلي هذا المتخلف في بيته لتركتم سنة نبيكم ﷺ، ولو تركتم سنة نبيكم لضللتم، وما من رجل يتطهر فيحسن الطهور ثم يعمد إلى مسجد من هذه المساجد إلا كتب الله له بكل خطوة يخطوها حسنة ويرفعه بها درجة ويحط عنه بها سيئة، ولقد رأيتنا وما يتخلف عنها إلا منافق معلوم النفاق، ولقد كان الرجل يؤتى به يهادى بين الرجلين حتى يقام في الصفAnd the hadiths regarding the prayer, urging it, and warning against abandoning it and being negligent with it are very numerous. And Allah the Exalted informed in His great Book that laziness regarding it is among the characteristics of the hypocrites who are promised the lowest level of the Fire. As Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said in Surat An-Nisa:
Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little,
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلا قَلِيلًا(54) And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend except while they are unwilling. (55) So let not their wealth or their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.
وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ وَلا يَأْتُونَ الصَّلاةَ إِلا وَهُمْ كُسَالَى وَلا يُنْفِقُونَ إِلا وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ * فَلا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلا أَوْلادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَWe ask Allah for us and for all the Muslims to be saved from the characteristics of the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and we ask Him, the Exalted, to guide us and all the Muslims to steadfastness upon His religion, uprightness upon it, and safety from the causes of His anger. Indeed, He is the One who has the power to do that and is capable of it.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.