No Interest Precedes the Interest of Tawheed
Our discussion today is about an important principle of this great religion, which is the principle of "bringing benefits and warding off harms." I have previously mentioned that the scholars of concessions misapply this principle. Before I speak about the correct practical applications of this principle, I would like to present two very important introductions on this topic.
Introduction One: Tawheed is the Greatest Benefit of All
The first introduction is that the greatest benefit of all in this existence is the Tawheed of Allah, the Exalted. This includes ascribing sovereignty and legislation to Him alone, glorified and exalted be He. No other benefit should be given precedence over this benefit when they conflict. For the sake of Tawheed, Allah created the heavens and the earth. For its sake, He sent the messengers. For its sake, He took the souls of righteous people among the messengers, the companions, and those who followed them with goodness. For its sake, Allah created Paradise and Hellfire. For its sake, Allah set up the scales on the Day of Judgment. For its sake, there are good deeds and bad deeds. For its sake, people are divided into eternal destruction or eternal bliss; all for the sake of the phrase "There is no god but Allah."
Thus, Tawheed is the greatest benefit of all. This Tawheed should not be sacrificed for any other benefit, no matter how great that benefit may be. On the other hand, the greatest of all harms is anything that tarnishes this Tawheed. Allah, the Exalted, says: "And We did not send before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that there is no god except Me, so worship Me." In contrast, Allah, the Exalted, says: "And fitnah is greater than killing." The fitnah of people from Tawheed is greater than killing them and more corrupt than killing them. And He says: "Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills." And when he, peace be upon him, was asked in the hadith narrated by Bukhari: "O Messenger of Allah, which sin is the greatest?" He said: "That you set up a rival to Allah while He is the One who created you."
And among the things that nullify the pillars of Tawheed is the enslavement of the servants with legislations, methodologies, and laws that are not from the Book of Allah nor from the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace be upon him. Therefore, the Chosen One, peace be upon him, described the People of the Book and their relationship with their religious leaders, saying: "They have made lawful for them the unlawful and unlawful for them the lawful, so they followed them. That is their worship of them."
Steadfastness on Tawheed in Historical Trials
O noble brothers, for the sake of this great word and its rights, necessities, and consequences, righteous souls have been taken. I will give you a simple example from a difficult stage in history: the stage of the "Fitnah of the Creation of the Quran." Of course, I will not delve into the meaning of the creation of the Quran and what follows from the statement of the creation of the Quran - this false, corrupt statement that Allah has nullified by His favor, glorified and exalted be He - but I will give you a simple example.
This fitnah was raised during the time of caliphs who ruled by what Allah had revealed in general. Indeed, they had Islamic conquests in the east and the west, and they honored Allah and honored His Messenger, peace be upon him. They did not burden the people nor force them to say that the Quran is created except as a means of drawing near to Allah, the Exalted, and worshiping Him, thinking that there was truth in this clear right, and they were in that wrong, misguided, and astray.
And with that, and even though these caliphs ruled by the Shariah in general, look at the stance of the scholars who spent their souls not only for the sake of the Tawheed of Allah but also for the sake of not tampering with one of the attributes of Allah, which is the speech of Allah, the Exalted, and that the speech of Allah is not created. For the sake of this issue, they sacrificed the precious and the expensive, and they sacrificed their souls.
Abu Nu'aym al-Fadl ibn Dukayn - the sheikh of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him and do good to him, and he was also among the sheikhs of Imam Bukhari - was tested in the Quran. The caliph wanted him to say that the Quran is created, so Abu Nu'aym said: "I reached Kufa, and in it were more than seven hundred sheikhs, Al-A'mash and those below him, saying that the Quran is the speech of Allah, and my neck is lighter to me than this seed" - pointing to a seed in the garment he was wearing - as in Tahdhib al-Kamal, Tarikh Baghdad, and Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' by al-Dhahabi. They threw him in prison in Samarra, and he remained imprisoned until he died in prison in the year 228 AH. Then he was dragged with his chains and thrown into a pit, and he was not shrouded, nor was he washed, nor was the funeral prayer performed on him, but he is noble with Allah; for the sake of not tampering with one of the attributes of Allah, the Exalted, which is the speech of Allah.
So what about ruling by the Shariah of Allah, for whose sake the servants were created? Indeed, Allah created the creation with "Be," so if it is created, then it is as if a created thing was created by a created thing. Then he said: "By Allah, if I enter upon him - meaning the caliph al-Wathiq who was making the people say this corrupt statement - I will make him drink it. I will say my creed and not soften it, and I will die in my stance until people come who know that people have died in this stance in their stances"; in the matter of preserving the sanctity of the attributes of Allah, the Exalted.
And whoever delves into the discussion of benefits and harms without considering this great principle - that Tawheed is the greatest benefit and shirk is the greatest harm - may approve and sanction matters that he places above the great benefit (the benefit of preserving Tawheed and its necessities). He may nullify the pillars of Tawheed one by one, claiming to ward off harms that are much less than the harm of tampering with Tawheed and its necessities, such as honoring the Shariah of Allah, the Exalted, and making the judgment in the hearts, wealth, and honor of people subject to it alone and not to anything else.
Introduction Two: Benefit is what the Shariah has determined, not what the mind perceives
As for the second introduction, it is: "And Allah knows, and you do not know." Benefit is what the Shariah has determined to be a benefit, and harm is what the Shariah has determined to be harm, even if our limited minds perceive the opposite. Allah, the Most High, said: "Fighting has been enjoined upon you, and you dislike it." -you see it as harm- "But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, and you do not know." Thus, absolutely: "and you do not know."
And He, the Most High, said: "And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would certainly fall into affliction." Ibn Kathir said beautiful words in his explanation of this verse, he said: "That is, know that among you is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him -and now among us is his Sunnah- so honor him, respect him, be courteous with him, and submit to his command; for he is more knowledgeable about your affairs and more merciful to you than you are, and his views regarding you are more complete than your views regarding yourselves," as He, the Blessed and Exalted, said: "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves." Ibn Kathir said: "Then He, the Most High, clarified that their opinion is foolish in regard to considering their benefits and harms"; our human opinions in assessing benefit and harm are foolish if they are severed from the light of revelation. So He, the Most High, said: "If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would certainly fall into affliction," meaning if the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, were to obey you in all that you choose, that would lead to your affliction and distress, as He, the Most High, said: "And if the truth had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them would have been ruined."
Therefore, we do not know where the benefit lies; the benefit is what Allah, the Most High, has determined in His Book to be a benefit, and what His Messenger, peace be upon him, has determined. And Ali bin Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, said: "If I narrate to you a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, then assume the most humble, easiest, and most pious meaning of it, peace be upon him." (Narrated by Ibn Majah and authenticated by Al-Albani). Nothing comes from the lamp of prophecy except what is most complete, most beautiful, and most sweet, otherwise it would not be the complete benefit.
And An-Nasa'i also reported in the authentic hadith that Raafi' bin Khadij, may God be pleased with him, said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has forbidden you from something that would benefit you" -worldly transactions in which it appears that there is benefit for you- "and obeying the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is better for you than what benefits you." Yes, there may be benefits for you in certain worldly transactions, but the ultimate benefit is to leave this apparent benefit for the obedience of Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his family and companions.
Finally, Umar, may God be pleased with him, said: "O people, doubt your opinion" -meaning doubt your minds, do not trust your minds in assessing benefits and harms- "doubt your opinion, for I have seen myself on the day of Abi Jandal, and if I could have responded to the command of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, I would have responded"; meaning then it became clear to me later that the wisdom and complete benefit is in adhering to the command of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for it was revelation from Allah, the Most High.
If we know these two introductions, brothers, and they are firmly established in our hearts, it will be easy for us to understand that the Shariah came to bring benefits and ward off harms.