Part of Concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah (series completed)
· Lesson 699 of 1251
Summary of Sunni concepts | Concept (697) | The relationship between worship, righteousness, and good character
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
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The relationship between worship, righteousness (birr), and good character.
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For if worship is understood in its comprehensive sense, as defined by Ibn Taymiyyah,
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it is a term encompassing everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, whether in terms of outward or inward words and deeds.
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Righteousness (birr) has been defined as a term applied to all goodness, benevolence, and virtue,
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or as a comprehensive word for all qualities of goodness.
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Allah the Almighty has said: "Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west."
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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)
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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)
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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)
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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)
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“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.” (2:177)
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He mentioned the pillars of faith, both obligatory and recommended spending, prayer, fulfilling covenants, and patience.
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Thus, righteousness combines creed, worship, and ethics.
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In this way, righteousness overlaps or becomes synonymous with worship in its comprehensive sense.
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When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was asked about righteousness and sin,
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he said: "Righteousness is good character," as recorded by Muslim.
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This is a specific meaning that restricts righteousness to the realm of ethics, which is a rhetorical, relative restriction.
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Its implication is that good character is a major pillar of righteousness, not that it constitutes the entirety of righteousness.
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This is similar to the Prophet's saying, "The Hajj is Arafah."
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He meant that it is its greatest pillar, not that the Hajj is limited to it alone.
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It becomes clear, then, that good character is a major pillar of righteousness and of worship in its comprehensive sense.
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Just as righteousness overlaps with worship in its comprehensive concept,
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it also overlaps with piety (taqwa), as there is a relationship of general and specific inclusion between them.
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When they are mentioned together, righteousness refers to the performance of acts of obedience,
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while piety refers to refraining from forbidden things.
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When they are mentioned separately, each one encompasses the other.