The author (may Allāh ﷻ have mercy upon him) said,
“And from the Sunnah is not to obey anyone in the disobedience of Allāh, neither the parents nor the creation. There is no obedience to a human being in the disobedience of Allāh and nobody is loved over him (Allāh) rather all of it is hated for the sake of Allāh glorified is He, the Most High.”
The Explanation:
Al ʿAllāmah, Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān said:
His statement “And from the Sunnah is not to obey anyone in the disobedience of Allāh..” This is a fundamental principle from the fundamentals (uṣūl) of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah which has been taken from The Prophet’s (May the peace and salutations be upon him) statement: “There is no obedience to the creation wherein there is disobedience of the creator.”[1] Likewise his (May the peace and salutations be upon him) statement, “Indeed, there is only obedience in the good.”[2]
So whoever commands with the disobedience of Allah ﷻ, then he is not to be obeyed in this disobedience even if it be your father, mother, you nearest relatives, the leader or the chief in authority. He is not obeyed in disobedience.
Allah ﷻ mentioned regarding the Jews and Christians,
۞ اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ۞
“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allāh..” [3]
This is when they obeyed them in disobedience.
The author then mentioned,
“..neither the parents nor the creation.”
Allāh ﷻ mentioned about the parents,
۞ وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ۞
۞ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۞
“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination. But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.”[4]
And He ﷻ said;
۞ وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا ۖ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۚ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۞
“And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents, but if they strive to make you join with Me (in worship) anything (as a partner) of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not. Unto Me is your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.”[5]
Therefore, there is no obedience to the creation in that which there is disobedience to the Creator. No matter who this creation be, even if it is the most nearest of relatives for example the parents, so how about other than them?
The author then mentioned:
“..and nobody is loved over him (Allāh) rather all of that is hated for the sake of Allāh glory be to him, the Most High.”
Meaning: There is no love for disobedience or for the one who commands disobedience. Rather it is hated, the disobedience is hated and its people are hated. Sins are hated; the sinners and whoever commands (disobedience) are hated.
Upon this, The Prophet ﷺ mentioned “Whoever amongst you sees a evil, let him change it with his hand, if he is not able, then with his tongue, and if he is not even able to do so, then with his heart, and the latter is the weakest form of faith.” [6]
So sins and its people are hated, and this is from Īmān.
[1] Imām Aḥmad: al Musnad (4/432) and al-Tabarī: al Muʿjam al-Kabīr (18/185)
[2] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (No 4085)
[3] Al-Tawbah 9:31
[4] Luqman 31:15
[5] Al-ʿAnkabut 29:8
[6] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (No.49 1/69)
