15. SELF-CONFIDENCE WITH ONE’S KNOWLEDGE IS A GRAVE CURSE
Self-satisfaction and conviction of one’s knowledge is a grave curse and a prevalent calamity. You see the Jew and the Christian believing they are right, without even considering the evidence of Prophethood of our Prophet.
If he hears what softens his heart, such as the miraculous Qur’an, he runs away so as not to hear. This is the same case for anyone with a persistent whim, either because it is the way of his ancestors or because he was convinced upon first impressions, without considering the opposing views nor discussing it with scholars to discover his mistakes.
An example of this are the Khawarij against the Leader of the Believers, ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (radi Allahu ‘anhuma), because they liked their own opinions and did not consult those with knowledge.
When ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Alldbu ‘anhu) met them, he clarified their faulty logic and beliefs, so two thousands of them renounced their stance and came back to the fold.
Among those who did not renounce their whims was Ibn Muljam. He believed his ideas were the truth, so he considered the killing of ‘All (radi Allahu ‘anhu) to be lawful and believed that to be his religion, so much so that when his limbs were cut off he did not mind.
When they wanted to cut out his tongue, he was distressed and said, ‘How can I remain an hour in this life without mentioning the name of Allah?’ There is no remedy for the likes of this!
Al-Hajjaj also used to say, ‘I do not hope for good except after death.’ This is what he said when he had killed countless people unjustly, including Sa’id ibn Jubayr.
‘Abdu’l-Wahhab and Ibn Nasir Al-Hafiz convey from Al-Mubarak ibn ‘Abdu’l-Jabbar, from Al-Husayn Ibn Muhammad Al-Nusavbl, from Isma’il Ibn Sa’id, from Abu Bakr Ibn Al-Anbarl, from Abu ‘Isa Al-Khatll, from Abu Ya’la, from Al-Asma’l, from Abu’l-‘Asim, from ‘Abbad ibn Kathir, that Qahdam said, ‘Thirty three thousand people were found in Al-Hajjaj’s prisons; none of them deserved having their arm severed, being killed or being crucified.’
I say: Most rulers kill with extreme (and warped) thinking they are allowed to do so. Had they asked the scholars, they would have clarified things for them.
Most commoners are daring in committing sins and subsequently depend on divine forgiveness while forgetting punishment.
Some of them depend on being from A hlu’l-Sunnah, or having performed good deeds. All this is out of strong ignorance.
One must strive to know the proof, not settle for doubts and not be confident in his own knowledge.
We ask Allah for safety from all curses.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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