Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 23 Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Ar-Raghbah (fervent desire) and Ar-Rahbah (dread) and al-Khushoo‘ (reverence and humility), and the Proof for Each
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
And the proof for Ar-Raghbah (fervent desire) and Ar-Rahbah (dread) and al-Khushoo‘ (reverence and humility), is His saying, He the Most High:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
They used to hasten to perform acts of devotion to Allaah, and they used to worship Us raghaban (upon love and desire), and rahaban (upon fear), and they were were reverent and humble before Allaah [21:90] 18
[18]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:
Ar-Raghbah (fervent desire): it means seeking something which is praiseworthy.
Ar-Rahbah (dread): is fear of something which is dreaded.
He the Most High said:
وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ
And have dread of Me [2:40]
And it is a type of Khawf (fear);
ar-Rahbah (dread) and al-Khawf (fear) have one and the same meaning.
al-Khushoo‘ (reverence and humility): it is a type of humbling oneself to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. And humbly submitting and humbling onself before Him, He the Perfect and Most High – it is from the greatest of levels of worship.
His saying, He the Most High, “Innahum”, (they): this pronoun refers back to the Prophets, since in Soorat-ul-Anbiyaa Allaah has mentioned the stories of the Prophets, and then He said:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
They used to hasten to perform acts of devotion to Allaah, and they used to worship Us raghaban (upon love and desire), and rahaban (upon fear), and they were were reverent and humble before Allaah [21:90]
So His saying, He the Most High:
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ
They used to hasten upon doing acts of good [21:90]
Meaning: they would race to them, and they would hasten to them. This is the characteristic of the Prophets ‘alaihimussaalatu wassalaam, they would not be lazy and they would not behave as if they were powerless, rather they hastened to doing good deeds, and they raced towards them.
His saying, He the Most High:
وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا
And they invoked and worshipped us with Raghbah [21:90]
Meaning: desiring what lies with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, desiring attainment of what they wished for.
وَرَهَبًا
And His saying, He the Most High, “wa rahaban”, (with dread): meaning with fear of Us, so they called upon Allaah to have mercy upon them, and they called upon Him not to punish them, and not to bring them to account and not to seize them with punishment. So they had hope for the mercy of Allaah, and they feared His punishment, just as He the Most High said:
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا
Those whom they call upon, themselves seek a means of nearness to draw themselves closer to their Lord, to see which of them can draw closest to Him. They hope for His mercy and they fear His punishment [17:57]
So they call upon Allaah having fear of Him, and they worship and call upon Him desiring what lies with Him (from reward), they call upon Allaah so that He should ordain good for them and repel evil from them.
وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
And they were reverent and humble towards Us [21:90]
Meaning: they were reverential, humbly submitting, humble before Allaah, the Mighty ad Majestic. So they gathered between three characteristics: Ar-Raghbah (fervent desire) and Ar-Rahbah (dread) and al-Khushoo‘ (reverence and humility). These are the characteristics of the Prophets sallallaahu ‘alaihim was allam and these three types are from the types of worship of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.
And it contains a refutation of Soofees, those who say, “We do not worship Allaah out of desire for His reward, nor out of fear of His punishment, we only worship Him out of love of Him alone”. This is false and futile speech, because the Prophets called upon and worshipped Allaah, raghaban wa rahaban (with fear and with hope) and they were the most complete of the creation.
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Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank
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