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If two obligations overlap such that both cannot be done together, then the stronger one takes precedence, and the other is no longer considered obligatory in this case because leaving it for the sake of fulfilling the higher duty is an obligation.
Likewise, if two prohibitions converge in a way that it is impossible to avoid both, then avoiding the more serious of the two sins takes precedence. And, in this case, committing the lesser sin is not an offense.
The determination of which is the stronger duty or the weaker sin is according to Shari'a, not personal whims.
Ibn Taymiyyah, the Jurisprudence of Unity (or The Fiqh of Harmony)
Dr. Salman bin Fahd al-Ouda
Page 248
Allah pushes away from a person a sustenance that he has worked so hard to earn because it will be a cause for him to enter Hellfire.
Abdullah ibn Masoud said, “A man may aspire to gain from business or sovereignty. Once he achieves that, Allah commands an angel, “Go and turn this away from My servant. If I facilitate this for him, I will send him to Hellfire. The angel will then impede that person, and this provision will be taken away. He then remains skeptical about his neighbors, “so and so deceived me”, “so and so is ahead of me” although no one pushed this away from him except Allah”
— Shaykh ʿAbdul-ʿAzīz Al-Tarifi
Overlooking Scholars' Lapses When Their Righteousness Is Prevalent
When the Prophet’s camel knelt down on the way to al-Hudaybiyyah, people said, “Al-Qaswa has become stubborn.” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Al-Qaswa has not become stubborn, and that is not her nature, but she was restrained by the One Who restrained the elephant.”
Ibn Ḥajar saw in this hadith an educational meaning: to judge something according to its usual nature; and if something unusual occurs from it, attribute it to an external factor, not to its essence. Likewise, if someone makes a slip or mistake that is not normally expected from him, he should not be defined by it, nor should it be held against him as if it were his constant trait.
Al-Sanʿani stated that a lapse should be outweighed by one’s prior merits and overall righteousness, and that no scholar is free from mistakes, which should pale in comparison to his many virtues.
The Jurisprudence of Unity (or The Fiqh of Harmony)
Dr. Salman bin Fahd Al-Ouda
Page 122
The steadfastness of the resistance fighters in Gaza is the main obstacle to the Zionists’ scheming and plotting throughout the entire region; they defend Gaza, Jerusalem, the Levant, and the whole area.
If their frontlines were to be breached, you would see how quickly the Zionists would carry out the rest of their plans in the region.
Indeed, their steadfastness up till this today is a sign among Allah's signs of how He strengthens His servants, and they are a testimony against the Ummah; may Allah record for them the reward of reviving the entire Ummah through their endurance and firmness.
— Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sayyid
The Muslim loves martyrdom as much as the Jew prefers safety. That’s because the Muslim’s real life is postponed unlike the Jew’s life which is immediate. Hence, they are defeated by captivity and the Muslims are not defeated by death.
— Abdul-Aziz Al-Tarifi
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The Prophet ﷺ fervently supplicated: "Allah, grant me the victory You promised me! Allah, if this band of believers perishes, You will no longer be worshipped on earth!"
He pleaded with intense devotion, raising his arms to the sky until his cloak slipped from his shoulders. Abu Bakr, standing behind him, said: "Messenger of Allah, ease your pleading—Allah will fulfill what He promised you."
The Prophet did not cease his supplication until Allah revealed to him the fate of the enemy.
Scholars ponder: Why was Abu Bakr anxious in the cave during the Hijra—so much so that the Prophet had to reassure him—while in the Battle of Badr, he was the one comforting and steadying the Prophet?
The answer lies in the fact that the Prophet's servitude to Allah was clearer and firmer than that of the entire Ummah. During the Hijra, he had no tangible means of victory, yet he remained certain of Allah's protection. At Badr, though he had an army—however weak—there was a risk of relying on it. Thus, the noble Prophet disavowed all dependence on strength and turned wholly to supplication, seeking aid from Allah alone, awaiting victory from none but Him.
—Muhammad Al-Ghazali
(Nahw Tafseer Mawdu'i, p. 129)
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The relationship between hardship and success—has it been referenced in the Qur'an and the Prophetic Sunnah?
Yes, there are many references to this relationship. Among the most striking is the Prophet's ﷺ captivating imagery in his concise, eloquent words: "Jannah is surrounded by hardships." Thus, Jannah cannot be reached except by enduring what the soul dislikes—resisting desires and temptations.
—Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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Among the often-overlooked aspects of prayer by many worshippers are the postures of reverence and tranquility during raising the hands in takbeer and lowering them. You see them rushing, neither pausing deliberately when raising their hands in takbeer nor lowering them with care—instead, they toss them haphazardly, wings flapping hastily, without ensuring they reach their ears or shoulders, nor gently returning them to their chests.
Yet, for the One who has magnified prayer—the solemnity of the takbeer is a grandeur that captures breaths.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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The downfall of oppressive regimes comes suddenly and unexpectedly. If you see people dismissing the possibility of the oppressor’s fall at present, know that this is the fitting time for his downfall.
"Suddenly, while they perceive not." (Qur’an Translated Meaning 6:44)
—Gems of Al-Tarifi
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She (the Queen of Sheba) said: "Indeed, I will send them a gift and see what the messengers return with."
That is, "I will send him a gift befitting his status and observe his response. Perhaps he will accept it and refrain from attacking us, or impose a tribute that we can pay annually, committing to it so that he leaves us in peace."
Ibn Abbas and others said: She told her people, "If he accepts the gift, he is a king—so fight him. But if he does not accept it, he is a prophet—so follow him."
—Ibn Kathir
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I was reflecting on how Allah mentions abrogation in the Qur’an—a topic shared between the principles of jurisprudence and Qur’anic sciences—and then concludes by explaining the significance of this legislative phenomenon: the nurturing of souls through the glorification of divine power.
"Whatever Ayah We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?" (Qur’an Translated Meaning 2:106).
Grace be to Allah! A purely jurisprudential matter, yet it ties hearts to the glorification of Allah and His omnipotence!
—Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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People don’t dispute with each other except due to their sins. Based on the magnitude of sins, the hearts repel each other. The Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said “No two people who love each other for the sake of Allah are separated except by a sin that one of them commits.”
Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al-Tarifi
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The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever sees a believer oppressed and humiliated, but doesn't champion him, even though he is able to, Allah will humiliate him in front of all creatures on the Day of Judgment." [Musnad Ahmad 3/48]
Forsaking the believers is a trait of hypocrites and their allies, Allah describes them as: “If they are driven out of their homes, they do not leave with them; and if they are fought, they do not champion them...” [Qur'an Translated Meaning, Surah Al-Hashr, 59:12]
Mahmood Al-Khazindar
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A reminder in these times of tribulation:
“There will come to the people a time when the one who is patient upon his religion will be like one holding onto a burning coal.”
The one who remains steadfast during such times is given glad tidings by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
He said: ‘Indeed, the one who holds fast during that time will have the reward of fifty of you.’
They said: "Messenger of Allah, fifty of them?”
He said: “No, fifty of you”, meaning of the companions.
Mahmood Al-Khazindar
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Umar ibnul-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) dated the Islamic calendar from the Hijrah (the pilgrimage to Madeena), not from the birth of the Prophet ﷺ as the People of the Scripture did — because this Muslim Ummah is a nation of action, not a nation of dates and events.
Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Al-Tarifi
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The Prophet ﷺ said: “Safeguard Allah, and you will find Him before you.”
When a servant safeguards his Lord—that is, he guards the limits and commands of Allah, not being found where Allah has forbidden, nor absent where Allah has commanded—then he attains that noble rank wherein Allah safeguards him, and he finds his Lord as a Helper, Supporter, and Grantor of success.
— Sheikh Al-Hawali
Many have gone astray by conflating Divine decree with legal rulings.
They say: ‘If Allah has decreed that the enemies be given power over us, then we must accept that.’
But contentment with divine decree does not entail abandoning the struggle in the cause of Allah or failing to resist.
Similarly they believe that we should accept corruption and sinful acts of tyrannical rulers and others.
This is clear misguidance and a false argument used by the polytheists to absolve themselves of responsibility.
“Those who associate others with Allah said, ‘If Allah had willed, we would not have committed shirk, nor our forefathers.” [Qur'an Translated Meaning, Surah Al-Nahl: 35]
— Ahmad Al-Sayed, paraphrased
“There is no good in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity, or that which is right, or reconciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking the pleasure of Allah, We will grant him a great reward.” (Qur’an Translated Meaning 4:114)
So clearly it states, “no good”—a negation of goodness in much of people’s discussions and speech, with exceptions made only for matters that belong to the provisions of the Hereafter, by which one prepares to meet Allah.
— Gems of Sheikh Al-Sakran
Allah has forbidden division in our stance toward the hypocrites and has commanded us to be united in confronting them. Often, division arises because some individuals hope for the guidance of the hypocrites and thus fall short in striving against them.
Allah says what can be translated as: "So what is [the matter] with you [that you are] two groups concerning the hypocrites, while Allah has cast them back [into disbelief] because of what they earned? Do you wish to guide those whom Allah has sent astray?" (Qur'an Translated Meaning, 4:88)
If hypocrites could not be identified, then the Qur’an’s prohibition against division regarding them would be meaningless—and far be it from the Qur’an to contain anything meaningless!
— Gems of Sheikh Al-Sakran
Among the intellectual temptations faced by beginners in Islamic scholarship is the tendency to excessively emphasize rules and methodologies.
A beginner in the science of ʿIlal al-Ḥadīth (hidden defects of hadith) tends to excessively weaken prophetic narrations.
A beginner in Arabic linguistics tends to excessively criticize commonly accepted expressions.
But once they sail further into scholarship, they achieve balance.
— Gems of Sheikh Al-Sakran
The hypocrites grow stronger with the strength of the external enemy. Thus, Allah commanded the weakening of the external enemy so that the hypocrites, in turn, would weaken:
"That you may strike terror into the enemies of Allah and your enemies..." (Qur'an Translated Meaning 8:60)
—Gems of Al-Tarifi
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These are the secrets of the Qur'an at night. When the clouds of evening descend, its Ayahs flow with a special spirituality—the voice of the reciter emerges amid the waves of the still night, a narrative before which souls bow in reverence!
—Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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By Allah, I implore you—reconsider these Ayahs:
"They used to sleep but little of the night" (Qur'an Translated Meaning 51:17)
"Stand the night except for a little" (Qur’an Translated Meaning 73:2), and the like. Then compare them to our pillows, curved from sleeping night and day.
Indeed, lofty aspirations demand struggle!
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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Among the forms of Allah’s punishment for the oppressor is that He empowers another oppressor to afflict him, thus sparing people the evil of two oppressors by punishing one with the other.
"Or He may divide you into factions and make some of you taste the violence of others..." (Qur’an Translated Meaning 6:65)
—Gems of Al-Tarifi
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Excellence in supplication (du'a) is to call upon Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, know that He sees you.
Call upon Allah while witnessing His signs and creations, while beholding His mercy and generosity, while feeling His gentleness and wisdom.
Call upon Allah while firmly acknowledging your poverty, weakness, need, and desperation.
There is no refuge, no escape, no safety, no settlement, no tranquility, and no serenity except by standing at His door. Indeed,b there is no life except through Him, glorified and exalted.
—Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Moneim
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A distinctive feature of hypocrites: the accordance between their goals and that of Jews and Christians:
"Have you noticed those who act hypocritically? They say to their brothers, the faithless among the people of the Book, 'If you are driven out, we will surely leave with you, and we will not obey anyone who wants to harm you; and should anyone fight you, we will certainly support you.' But Allah bears witness that they are truly liars." (Qur'an Translated Meaning 59:11)
Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al-Tarifi
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AlJunaid, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked:
"How can we know whether a hardship has befallen us as a sign of divine wrath, an expiation of sins, or a means of raising our ranks?"
AlJunaid said:
"It is reflected in your state when you receive the hardship:
- if you receive it with wrath then it is divine wrath
- if you receive it with repentance and seeking forgiveness then it is an expiation of sins
- if you receive it with acceptance of Allah's decree then it is a means of raising your rank
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Isa son of Maryam (Jesus, peace be upon them) said:
"Speak seldom—unless it is in the remembrance of Allah, lest your hearts harden; and a hard heart is far from Allah. But you do not know.
And do not look down at the sins of others as if you are lords, but rather look at your own sins as slaves. For people are two types: the afflicted and those whom Allah has spared.
So, have mercy on the afflicted and thank Allah for sparing you.”
Muwatta’ Malik
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Many people think that what they read will only affect them if it is convincing — but that’s not accurate. The style and type of any material, when consumed in large amounts, influence the reader subconsciously, even if they are not convinced by it. This is because beneficial nourishment for the mind is crowded out by corrupt nourishment.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Sakran
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People look up to the Sheikh (or Da'ee) as a role model whose behavior should reflect the truth of what he preaches. If he slips, they slip alongside him. But, if he returns to the right path, they may not return with him.
Mahmood Al-Khazandar
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