BENEFIT: Greed for wealth, fame and status can destroy one's Deen

Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allāh have mercy on him) said: "Whoever among the people of knowledge prefers this worldly life and favours it will inevitably speak falsely about Allāh in his verdicts, rulings, and reports. This is because the rulings of the Lord, Glorified be He, often go against the desires of people—especially those in positions of leadership and those who follow doubtful matters. Their desires cannot be fulfilled except by opposing and rejecting the truth in many cases. Thus, if a scholar or a judge is attached to leadership and follows desires, they will only be able to maintain their position by rejecting what contradicts their interests, particularly when they find a doubtful argument to justify their stance. In such a case, doubt and desire combine, leading to the emergence of whims that obscure the correct path and veil the truth, even if it is clear and indisputable. If the truth is apparent and undeniable, they will still oppose it, deceiving themselves with the false hope of repentance later! About such people, Allāh the Exalted says: 'But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they will meet destruction.' [Sūrah Maryam 19:59] And He also says: 'Then there came after them successors who inherited the Scripture, taking the commodities of this lower life and saying, "We will be forgiven." And if an offer like it comes to them, they will again take it. Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would not say about Allāh except the truth? And they studied what was in it. And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allāh. So will you not reason?' [Sūrah Al-A’rāf 7:169] Allāh informs us that they took the pleasures of this world despite knowing its prohibition upon them. They justified their actions by claiming that they would be forgiven, and if another opportunity for worldly gain presented itself, they would seize it again. This insistence on their wrongdoing is what drives them to speak falsely about Allāh. They declare that their rulings, judgments, and religious verdicts are in accordance with Allāh’s law, even though they either know they contradict it or speak without knowledge. Thus, sometimes they say about Allāh what they do not know, and at other times, they knowingly speak falsehood. But those who fear Allāh know that the Hereafter is better than this world, and therefore, they are not driven by the love of leadership and desires to prefer this world over the Hereafter. The path to salvation is to adhere to the Book and the Sunnah, seek help through patience and prayer, and reflect upon the fleeting nature of this world and its insignificance compared to the everlasting nature of the Hereafter. However, those who prioritise worldly gains and leadership will inevitably fall into both innovation and immoral actions, combining both evils. Following whims blinds the heart and prevents it from distinguishing between Sunnah and innovation, or even reverses its perception so that it views innovation as Sunnah and Sunnah as innovation. This is the affliction of scholars when they prioritise the world and follow leadership and desires. These Āyāt apply to them until Allāh says: 'And recite to them the story of the one to whom We gave Our Āyāt, but he detached himself from them; so Shayṭān pursued him, and he became of the deviators. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered to the earth and followed his desires. So his example is like that of a dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he still pants.' [Sūrah Al-A'rāf 7:175-176] This is the example of an evil scholar who acts contrary to his knowledge." [Al-Fawā'id p. 100] #فوائد_تربوية #Tarbiyah@masjidsahabah