[3] Allaah’s Various Types of Punishments and Their Causes—Shaikh Abdullaah Ibn Salfeeq Adh-Dhufayree (may Allaah preserve him)
Following desires (as a source of punishment upon a person)
O slaves of Allaah! Observe this (affair) regarding the one who abandons the Sunnah and the way of the Salaf; you will find him preoccupied in deviation and innovation (in religious affairs) until he reaches -by way of this affair- a state of breaking point in the religion, or excommunicating Muslims (unlawfully) and shedding the blood of the Muslims; (1) and similar to this (also) are the people of disobedience and major sins, until their hearts become like an upturned vessel. (Hearts, which) neither recognize good nor reject evil. (2) And acts of disobedience stimulate one another until it becomes that–as you witness today– committing acts of disobedience is what many people are accustomed with and obedience to Allaah becomes something strange. (3) And from the most dangerous of that is what you witness with regards to the Salaah and its strict observance; for how many people and households have become negligent regarding it!
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(1) Footnotes as it appeared in the Booklet: Imaam Barbahaari (rahimahullaah said: ”Beware of small innovations because they grow until they become large. This is the case with every innovation introduced in this Ummah. It began as something small, bearing resemblance to the truth which is why those who entered it were misled and then were unable to leave it. So it grew and became the religion which they followed and thus deviated from the Straight Path and left Islaam.”
Translator’s notes: [Note: Bidah is of two types: Bidah that exits a person from the fold of Islaam and Bidah that does not exit a person from the fold of Islaam. (See the comments of Shaikh Ahmad Najmi (rahimahullaah) in his explanation of this above statement of Imaam Barbahaaree in (إرشاد الساري في شرح السنة للبربهاري ) page: 54. Publisher: Daarul Minhaaj. 1st Ed 2009)]
(2) Footnotes as it appeared in the Booklet: The Hadeeth of Hudhaifah: He (radiyallaahu-anhu) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) saying: The Fitan (trials and temptations) will be presented to hearts (of the people) as reed mat is woven stick by stick. So any heart which is absorbed by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upturned—(Hearts that will) neither recognize what is good nor reject what is evil, but being absorbed with desires. [Saheeh Muslim. Kitaab Al-Imaan. Chapter 65: Islaam began as something strange and it will return as something strange. Hadeeth Number: 144]
(3)Footnotes as it appeared in the Booklet: This is an evidence of the testification regarding Islaam’s strangeness in this era, the decrease of knowledge and ignorance regarding that which Allaah sent His Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) with, until good has become evil in the eyes of many of the people and evil has become good; and the Sunnah has become bidah (in their eyes of the people) and bidah has become Sunnah. This (state of affairs) is a testification to the hadeeth reported by Bukhaari Number 80 and Muslim 2671 from Anas (radiyallaahu-anhu), who said: The Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: From among the portents of the Hour are (the following): Religious knowledge will be taken away (by the death of Religious learned men); Ignorance (of Religion) will prevail; Drinking of Alcoholic drinks (will be very common) and there will be prevalence of open illegal sexual intercourse.
[Source: عقوبات الله المتنوعة وأسبابُهاpages 14-16]
To be continued…In-Shaa-Allaah