_Imām Ibn Qudāmah -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*THE SELF DECEPTION.*
Know verily – may Allah shower His blessings upon you – that, self delusion normally befalls the ‘Ulama, the devout worshippers, those that claim to stick to Sufism, and the rich ones. This is because of what Allāh Has bestowed upon them be it knowledge, wealth, and the likes.
*1).* The U’lama.
As for the U’lama, those that are deceived amongst them due to their knowledge are of different branches:
Amongst them, are those that posed deep rooted knowledge of the sharīa’ but they shun away from safeguarding their organs from sins and don’t adhere the organs on the acts of obedience.
This is because they consider themselves as people of knowledge and they think they have high status in the sight yof Allāh. Thus, they were deluded due to their knowledge.
However, if these type of people really think deeply, they will come to understand that, the knowledge which deals with the affairs of people is not laid down if not for action, and if not for action, the knowledge will be worthless.
In this regard, Allāh says:
_قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا_
He will indeed be successful who purifies it,( I.e the soul)
*Suratu Ash-shams, verse 9.*
And Allāh never said:
قد أفلح من تعلم كيف يزكيها،
He will surely be successful whosoever knows how to purify it.
Thus, if shaitān whispers to one the status of the people of knowledge, then one should remember what has been narrated regarding a wicked and immoral Ā’lim, where Allāh says:
_….فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث…._
_…. So his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue…._
*Suratu Al-Aa’rāf, verse 176.,*
And Allah also says:
_مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا…._
_The likeness of those who were charged with the book of At-tawrah, then they did not observe it, is as the likeness of the ass bearing books,…_
*Suratu Al-Jumua’h, verse 5.*
And amongst them, are those that posed the knowledge of sharīa’ and they practise that which are apparent, they don’t censure their soul in order to safeguard it from blameworthy behaviors, be it arrogance, envy, showoff, love of reputation, pride and the likes.
These type of people only beautify their outward actions and neglect that which will purify their heart. And they have forgotten the statement of the Rasūl Salallāhu ālayhi wasallam where He said:
_”ﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻻَ ﻳَﻨْﻈُﺮُ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺃَﺟْﺴَﺎﺩِﻛُﻢْ ﻭَﻻَ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺻُﻮَﺭِﻛُﻢْ ﻭَﻟَﻜِﻦْ ﻳَﻨْﻈُﺮُ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﻗُﻠُﻮﺑِﻜُﻢْ.”_
_”Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts.”_
Transmitted by Imām Muslim in his ‘Sahih’#2564.
Therefore, the similitude of these people is as though a person who sow a seed, the seed germinated and grow yup. However, there are grasses around the seed which are causing havoc for the seed. In order to find solution to this problem according to his shallow way of thinking, he chose to uproot the grasses by only cutting the head and branches of the grasses while leaving the root yuntouched. Thus, the root of the grasses still remains firm from the ground.
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
*23rd Jumadal Ūla,1439H.*
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