What is your wealth? He said: I have two (sources) of wealth by way of which I cannot fear poverty: Reliance upon Allaah and not being desperate for what people possess. It was said to him: ”Do you not fear poverty?” He said: ”Should I fear poverty when my Protector (Allaah) owns what is in the heavens and on the earth, and all that is under the earth!”
Concerning the statement of Allaah (The Most High): [وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَان] – ”And has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you.” [Al-Hujuraat. Ayah 7] Al-Fusooq and Al-Faasiqoon have been mentioned several times in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, so what is Fusooq and how can a Muslim be careful of becoming from a people who are Faasiqeen?
Answer:
Concerning Allaah’s (The Most High) statement: [وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَان]- ”And has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you”; He (Glorified Be He) mentioned the three types of acts of disobedience in this noble Ayah:
(A) The type of disobedience that removes a person from the fold of Islaam, such as Kufr (Akbar) and Shirk (Akbar).
(B) The major type of disobedience which is lesser than Kufr (Akbar) and Shirk (Akbar) and it does not remove a person from the Religion but it decreases one’s Imaan—a manifest decrease–; such as fornication, theft, drinking alcohol and other than that of the major sins. They are referred to as Fusooq (wicked deeds) and the person who commits them is referred to as a Faasiq (wicked sinner) because Fisq means removing oneself from obedience to Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic].
(C) Then He (The Most High) mentioned the type of disobedience that is lesser than the major sins and are not tantamount to Fisq, and they are the minor sins.
So Allaah (Glorified Be He) informed (us) that He has made all these three types of disobedience hateful to the people of Imaan and make them have a love for the various types of acts of obedience and righteous actions that draws them close to their Lord.
[Source: Al-Muntaqaa Min Fataawaa Fadeelatish Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan Vol 1 page 244. Fatwa Number 142]
Indeed, the Salaf did not apply the term Faqeeh, except to the one whose knowledge was accompanied by action; as when Sad bin Ibraaheem was asked, ”who amongst the people of Madeenah was most superior in understanding”, he said, ”the one with more Taqwah”[Al-Haqeeqatus Shar-iyyah Fee Tafseeril Qurýaanil Adheem Was-sunnatin Nabawiyyah’ of Shaaikh Muhammad Baazmool. Page: 138-139]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) stated:
He [i.e. the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi-wasallam)] legislated for his Ummah the obligation of disapproving evil, in order that by disapproving it, the good beloved to Allaah and His Messenger is reached. And if disapproving evil will necessitate what is eviler and more hateful to Allaah and His Messenger, then it is not permitted to disapprove of it, even if Allaah hates it and loathes those who carry out (such evil). And this is similar to the disapproval towards the kings and those in charge of the affairs—by rebelling against them; for indeed it is the foundation of every evil and trial till the end of time.
And indeed the Sahaabah sought the permission of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) to kill those rulers who delay the prayer from its prescribed time, and they said: ‘’Should we not kill them?’’So he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: ’’No; as long as they establish the prayer.’’He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-sallam) said: Whoever sees something from his ruler which he hates, then let him exercise patience and not remove the hand of obedience to the ruler.’’
And whoever ponders upon the greatest and smallest trials that have taken its toll on Islaam, he/she will observe that (such trials occur) as a result of neglecting this principle and (due to) the absence of exercising patience in [the face of] evil. So he (i.e. the person) seeks to stop it and what is of greater evil emanates from it.
And indeed, Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu-alayhi- wasallam) saw the gravest evils in Makkah and he was unable to stop them; rather when Allaah (enabled the Muslims to) conquer Makkah and it became an Islamic Land, he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) was determined to alter the Ka’bah and rebuild it based on the foundations it was built upon by Ibraaheem (alayhis-salaam). However, he refrained from (it) even though he had the ability to do so, fearing that that which is greater (disadvantage) will ensue due to the Quraish not been able to bear it; because they were new converts to Islaam and had abandoned disbelief not so long. And because of this (reason), he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) did not permit disapproval towards the rulers by way of using one’s hand (i.e. through fighting) due to what may result from it—affairs of greater (evil) that may come about thereafter.
