5.3. EXPLANATION OF THE PROPHETIC COUNSEL
The Prophet gave this advice to Mu’adh (radiyAllahu ‘anhu), knowing that it was comprehensive. This becomes clear to whoever contemplates this advice which is actually a clarification of the meaning of the counsel given in the Qur’an.
The Prophet’s words are comprehensive because a person has two duties: his duty towards Allah and his duty towards the servants of Allah. One will inevitably fall short in fulfilling these duties at times, either by not doing what he is commanded to do or by committing an act of disobedience. Thus, the Prophet said: “Fear Allah wherever you may be,”which is a comprehensive statement. His words:“where ever maybe”affirm man’s need for god-consciousness (taqwa) in both public and in private.
Then he said: “Follow a bad deed with a good one and it erases it,” for if a patient has taken something harmful, the doctor prescribes for him that which will fix him. It is as if sinning is an inevitable part of a servant’s life, so the truly smart one is he who never seizes to do good deeds that erase his sins. The hadith mentions bad deeds before the good ones because the main emphasis here is on erasing sins, not on doing good. This is similar to the hadith where the Bedouin urinated in the Masjid and the Prophet said: “Pour a bucket of water on it.”
By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
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