Excuses
What will your excuse be tomorrow before Allah?
by Sheikh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (an excerpt from a longer article)
Praise be to Allah Who has created us to worship Him and has prescribed His religion and sharee’ah for us to adhere to, and Who accepts our excuses for our mistakes and for what we forget or are forced to do.
Allah has commanded us to adhere firmly to His religion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Hold fast to that which We have given you” [al-Baqarah 2:63]. Religion is a serious matter that distinguishes truth from falsehood, it is not a thing for amusement [cf. Al-Taariq 86:13].
Many people do not take the matters of their religion seriously, and they offer feeble excuses. This is one of the signs of the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites), who take their religion for mockery and fun [cf. Al-Maa’idah 5:57], and when they are rebuked or advice is offered to them, they come up with excuses which in fact are worse than the sin for which they are offering these excuses.
Often we hear strange responses from people when we seek to offer advice or confront them about their evil actions and sins. For example:
Why do you not give up this sin?
- These are difficult times, and everyone is like this.
- I have not been guided yet.
The joke you told is a serious matter, and it is making a mockery of Islam.
- My intention is sound, and I only meant to have some fun.
How can you work in this haraam job?
- I can’t find any other job. Do you want me to die of starvation?
How could you shake hands with a woman who is a stranger to you (non-mahram)?
- My heart is pure.
Why do you not wake your child up to pray Fajr?
- Poor kid, he didn’t get enough sleep and he has to go to school.
Your daughter has passed the age of ten and she is still wearing short clothes; why don’t you tell her to wear hijab?
- She is still young. When she reaches the age of puberty we will tell her to wear hijaab.
Wear the correct Islamic hijab.
- It doesn’t look good on me. What will people say about me? The cover restricts my breathing.
Fear Allah and do not wear abayahs (outer garments) that are colourful or have patterns.
- This is what is available in the stores.
How can you bring the means of forbidden entertainment (TVs etc.) into your home?
- Our wives and children put too much pressure on us. Why don't you pray in the mosque?
- The Imam’s voice is off-putting, and there are too many offensive smells.
Why do you shave off your beard, my brother?
- Because it doesn't look nice, I can't grow a full beard.
Thus people come up with excuses one after another, for major and minor sins alike, in a failed attempt to avoid feeling guilty and avoid the advice of sincere people. In order to find out the rulings on this matter and to learn more about this dangerous phenomenon, we will refer to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the words of the scholars. Some of the incidents of false excuses referred to in the Qur'an: Allah has mentioned in His Book some examples of false excuses, many of which were made by the Munafiqoon, such as their excuses for failing to perform obligatory duties, the chief of which was jihad for the sake of Allah, and other duties.
(1) Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They (the hypocrites) will present their excuses to you (Muslims), when you return to them. Say (O Muhammed) ‘Present no excuses, we shall not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the news concerning you. Allah and His Messenger will observe your deeds. In the end you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He (Allah) will inform you of what you used to do.’” [al-Tawbah 9:94] Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
People’s excuses for not adhering to Islam
There are many things that a lot of people say to excuse themselves for not obeying the commands of Allah and His Messenger:
“The rulings are too difficult; these are difficult times; I haven’t been guided yet”… and other examples such as those given above. Another thing that they say is: we are afraid of people! They fear the people, but Allah is more deserving of being feared. Is He not the One Who says to us (interpretation of the meaning): “so fear them not, but fear Me’ [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
“Therefore fear not men but fear Me” [al-Maa’idah 5:44] Is it not a form of Shirk for a person to fear other people as he fears Allah or even more so?
Mu’aawiyah wrote to ‘Aa’ishah Umm al-Mu’mineen (may Allah be pleased with her) saying: “Send me a letter and advise me, briefly.” So ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrote to Mu’aawiyah saying: “Peace be upon you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, whoever seeks to please Allah by making people angry, Allah will protect him from people; whoever seeks to please people by making Allah angry, Allah will leave him to the people. Peace be upon you.” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 2414). People come up with many foolish reasons for not implementing the commands of Allah and His Messenger, in an attempt to make excuses so that they will not feel guilty, and in order to justify what they are doing by saying that they are under pressure or by misinterpretating things to suit themselves. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, refuting that:
No one has any excuse whatsoever for disobeying Allah and going against His commands when he knows of them and is able to do what he is commanded and avoid what is forbidden. If there (really) was an excuse, he would not deserve to be punished and blamed, either in this world or in the hereafter.
Some people use the Shaytaan as an excuse.
Some people use al-qadaa’ wa’l-qadar (divine decree) as an excuse. This is the worst kind of excuse. Allah connected the adornment of this world and sin to the shayaateen, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair seeming to them that which they used to do” [al-An’aam 6:43] “And so to many of the Mushrikoon (polytheists) their (Allah’s so called) ‘partners’ have made fair-seeming the killing of their children” [al-An’aam 6:137]. This does not contradict the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings” [al-An’aam 6:108] – because when this is connected to Allah, it means that it is the matter of al-Qadaa’ wa’l-Qadar (divine decree), but when it is connected to the Shaytaan it means that he is the means by which it happens. Moreover, when sin is made attractive, this is a punishment for them liking and accepting that which the Shaytaan made fair-seeming to them, because the punishment for sayi’aat (bad deeds) is more bad deeds, and the reward for hasanaat (good deeds) is more good deeds. What is meant is that using al-qadar as an excuse contradicts the idea of repentance, and it is not an acceptable excuse at all. In some reports it is stated that if a person commits a sin, then says, ‘O Lord, this was Your decree and this is what You ordained for me,’ Allah says, ‘You did this, you earned it, you wanted it and you strove for it, and I will punish you for it.’ If he says, ‘O Lord, I did wrong and I erred and I transgressed,’ Allah says, “I decreed it and ordained that it would happen, and I will forgive you for that.’ If he does a good deed and says, ‘O Lord, I did it and I gave in charity and I prayed and I fed others,’ Allah will say to him, ‘I helped you and I guided you.’ And if he says, ‘O Lord, You helped me and supported me and blessed me,’ Allah will say, ‘You did it and you wanted it and you earned it.’
So there are two kinds of excuses: those in which a person does not admit that he was wrong – which contradicts the idea of repentance, and those in which a person does admit that he was wrong – which makes repentance complete.
Some people may have some kind of excuse, but it is very slight and it will not be of much use if they want to use that excuse before Allah. If you want to know how valid an excuse is, ask yourself, will this be of any benefit to me before Allah? And fear “The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell fire)” [Ghaafir 40:52 – interpretation of the meaning]
Each person knows best about himself and whether his excuses are genuine or false. On the Day of Resurrection all matters will become clear, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay! Man will be a witness against himself [as his body parts (skin, hands, legs) will speak about his deeds], Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds)” [al-Qiyaamah 75:14-15]
Acceptable excuses On the other hand, there are some sincere people who Allah knows that they did not do some of the things that were enjoined upon them because of something that prevented them from doing so. These are some examples: It was reported from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was on a campaign and he said: “There are some people in Madeenah and we did not travel through any valley or mountain pass but they were with us, and they were prevented from coming with us for a genuine reason.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2627).
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who made excuses from the Bedouins came (to you, O Prophet) asking your permission to exempt them (from the battle), and those who had lied to Allah and His Messenger sat at home (without asking the permission for it); a painful torment will seize those of them who disbelieve” [al-Tawbah 9:90]
But we must note here that the ignorant person does not have a permanent excuse. Whoever is able to learn and does not do so, or is able to ask and seek fatwaas and deliberately does not do so, has no excuse.
After looking at these excuses made by sinners and hypocrites, I thought that to complete the benefit (of this discussion), we should look at some of the excuses which good people make for not taking part in or doing things that are mustahabb, or even waajib. Some examples of that are:
In the field of da’wah and seeking knowledge:
Some people give excuses for not attending worthwhile gatherings of good people and lessons by saying things such as the following:
1. Study and homework
2. Boredom
3. Not feeling comfortable with the other participants
4. Travel
5. Fear of making an ongoing commitment
6. These gatherings and activities are viewed as being like going to school
7. Conflict between the time of the activity and something else that a person likes to do
8. Poor leisure program
9. Distractions at home
10. No variety in the program
11. Too many people attending the activity
12. The presence of new students whom the person does not know
13. Parents do not let the student go out
14. Attending to family needs
15. There is no one available to take care of younger siblings
16. Family visits
17. Attending courses for work
18. Have to do overtime at work
19. Do not want to stay overnight outside the home
20. Sickness
21. Vague excuses such as “I have some problems”
22. No means of transportation
23. Emergencies
24. Not convinced that the activity or class matters
25. Busy with private tuition
26. Sleep
27. Watching sports matches
28. Appointment to meet a friend
29. Do not feel that there is any benefit in the class
30. Has friends who are not involved in the activity and does not want to leave them
31. Needs of one’s wife and children
32. Claim that the class is a repeat
33. The sports/exercise program is limited and is not enough
34. Too few contests and cheap prizes
35. Not interested
These excuses vary in strength and validity. Some of them are valid, such as #s 14, 20 and 22; some of them are feeble, such as #s 9, 27, 32.
The problem is that many of those who do not attend do not appreciate how much they have missed and how much reward they have lost by not being there. If they understood what they have missed, they would do their utmost to resolve their situation and strive to remove the obstacles that are preventing them from attending.
It is also necessary to advise adults such as businessmen and employees who keep away from lessons and meetings for the purpose of worldly gains, and remind them that that which is with Allah is better and more lasting. They should be reminded that Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nay, you prefer the life of this world, Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting” [al-A’laa 87:16-17]
They should be told how dangerous it is to be distracted by worldly things:
“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers) with Him” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:14 – interpretation of the meaning]
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al Faasiqoon (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [al-Tawbah 9:24 – interpretation of the meaning]
They should be reminded that being too busy with their family and children to learn the religion of Allah is a great loss. Allah has warned us against that: “O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you (who may stop you from the obedience of Allah); therefore beware of them! But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Taghaabun 64:14 – interpretation of the meaning]
We have to be frank but polite. We can say to them, “If you wanted to come you would have prepared yourself and removed all obstacles. Pray to Allah that you will not be one of those whom He discourages and forsakes and to whom it will be said ‘Sit you among those who sit (at home)’ [al-Tawbah 9:46].”
We ask You to make us adhere firmly to Your commands and to follow Your guidance resolutely. May we make the most of all good activities and be safe from sin. Grant us the victory of Paradise and save us from the Fire. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
by Sheikh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (an excerpt from a longer article)
Praise be to Allah Who has created us to worship Him and has prescribed His religion and sharee’ah for us to adhere to, and Who accepts our excuses for our mistakes and for what we forget or are forced to do.
Allah has commanded us to adhere firmly to His religion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Hold fast to that which We have given you” [al-Baqarah 2:63]. Religion is a serious matter that distinguishes truth from falsehood, it is not a thing for amusement [cf. Al-Taariq 86:13].
Many people do not take the matters of their religion seriously, and they offer feeble excuses. This is one of the signs of the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites), who take their religion for mockery and fun [cf. Al-Maa’idah 5:57], and when they are rebuked or advice is offered to them, they come up with excuses which in fact are worse than the sin for which they are offering these excuses.
Often we hear strange responses from people when we seek to offer advice or confront them about their evil actions and sins. For example:
Why do you not give up this sin?
- These are difficult times, and everyone is like this.
- I have not been guided yet.
The joke you told is a serious matter, and it is making a mockery of Islam.
- My intention is sound, and I only meant to have some fun.
How can you work in this haraam job?
- I can’t find any other job. Do you want me to die of starvation?
How could you shake hands with a woman who is a stranger to you (non-mahram)?
- My heart is pure.
Why do you not wake your child up to pray Fajr?
- Poor kid, he didn’t get enough sleep and he has to go to school.
Your daughter has passed the age of ten and she is still wearing short clothes; why don’t you tell her to wear hijab?
- She is still young. When she reaches the age of puberty we will tell her to wear hijaab.
Wear the correct Islamic hijab.
- It doesn’t look good on me. What will people say about me? The cover restricts my breathing.
Fear Allah and do not wear abayahs (outer garments) that are colourful or have patterns.
- This is what is available in the stores.
How can you bring the means of forbidden entertainment (TVs etc.) into your home?
- Our wives and children put too much pressure on us. Why don't you pray in the mosque?
- The Imam’s voice is off-putting, and there are too many offensive smells.
Why do you shave off your beard, my brother?
- Because it doesn't look nice, I can't grow a full beard.
Thus people come up with excuses one after another, for major and minor sins alike, in a failed attempt to avoid feeling guilty and avoid the advice of sincere people. In order to find out the rulings on this matter and to learn more about this dangerous phenomenon, we will refer to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the words of the scholars. Some of the incidents of false excuses referred to in the Qur'an: Allah has mentioned in His Book some examples of false excuses, many of which were made by the Munafiqoon, such as their excuses for failing to perform obligatory duties, the chief of which was jihad for the sake of Allah, and other duties.
(1) Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They (the hypocrites) will present their excuses to you (Muslims), when you return to them. Say (O Muhammed) ‘Present no excuses, we shall not believe you. Allah has already informed us of the news concerning you. Allah and His Messenger will observe your deeds. In the end you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He (Allah) will inform you of what you used to do.’” [al-Tawbah 9:94] Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
People’s excuses for not adhering to Islam
There are many things that a lot of people say to excuse themselves for not obeying the commands of Allah and His Messenger:
“The rulings are too difficult; these are difficult times; I haven’t been guided yet”… and other examples such as those given above. Another thing that they say is: we are afraid of people! They fear the people, but Allah is more deserving of being feared. Is He not the One Who says to us (interpretation of the meaning): “so fear them not, but fear Me’ [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
“Therefore fear not men but fear Me” [al-Maa’idah 5:44] Is it not a form of Shirk for a person to fear other people as he fears Allah or even more so?
Mu’aawiyah wrote to ‘Aa’ishah Umm al-Mu’mineen (may Allah be pleased with her) saying: “Send me a letter and advise me, briefly.” So ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrote to Mu’aawiyah saying: “Peace be upon you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, whoever seeks to please Allah by making people angry, Allah will protect him from people; whoever seeks to please people by making Allah angry, Allah will leave him to the people. Peace be upon you.” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 2414). People come up with many foolish reasons for not implementing the commands of Allah and His Messenger, in an attempt to make excuses so that they will not feel guilty, and in order to justify what they are doing by saying that they are under pressure or by misinterpretating things to suit themselves. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, refuting that:
No one has any excuse whatsoever for disobeying Allah and going against His commands when he knows of them and is able to do what he is commanded and avoid what is forbidden. If there (really) was an excuse, he would not deserve to be punished and blamed, either in this world or in the hereafter.
Some people use the Shaytaan as an excuse.
Some people use al-qadaa’ wa’l-qadar (divine decree) as an excuse. This is the worst kind of excuse. Allah connected the adornment of this world and sin to the shayaateen, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair seeming to them that which they used to do” [al-An’aam 6:43] “And so to many of the Mushrikoon (polytheists) their (Allah’s so called) ‘partners’ have made fair-seeming the killing of their children” [al-An’aam 6:137]. This does not contradict the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings” [al-An’aam 6:108] – because when this is connected to Allah, it means that it is the matter of al-Qadaa’ wa’l-Qadar (divine decree), but when it is connected to the Shaytaan it means that he is the means by which it happens. Moreover, when sin is made attractive, this is a punishment for them liking and accepting that which the Shaytaan made fair-seeming to them, because the punishment for sayi’aat (bad deeds) is more bad deeds, and the reward for hasanaat (good deeds) is more good deeds. What is meant is that using al-qadar as an excuse contradicts the idea of repentance, and it is not an acceptable excuse at all. In some reports it is stated that if a person commits a sin, then says, ‘O Lord, this was Your decree and this is what You ordained for me,’ Allah says, ‘You did this, you earned it, you wanted it and you strove for it, and I will punish you for it.’ If he says, ‘O Lord, I did wrong and I erred and I transgressed,’ Allah says, “I decreed it and ordained that it would happen, and I will forgive you for that.’ If he does a good deed and says, ‘O Lord, I did it and I gave in charity and I prayed and I fed others,’ Allah will say to him, ‘I helped you and I guided you.’ And if he says, ‘O Lord, You helped me and supported me and blessed me,’ Allah will say, ‘You did it and you wanted it and you earned it.’
So there are two kinds of excuses: those in which a person does not admit that he was wrong – which contradicts the idea of repentance, and those in which a person does admit that he was wrong – which makes repentance complete.
Some people may have some kind of excuse, but it is very slight and it will not be of much use if they want to use that excuse before Allah. If you want to know how valid an excuse is, ask yourself, will this be of any benefit to me before Allah? And fear “The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). Theirs will be the curse, and theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hell fire)” [Ghaafir 40:52 – interpretation of the meaning]
Each person knows best about himself and whether his excuses are genuine or false. On the Day of Resurrection all matters will become clear, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Nay! Man will be a witness against himself [as his body parts (skin, hands, legs) will speak about his deeds], Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds)” [al-Qiyaamah 75:14-15]
Acceptable excuses On the other hand, there are some sincere people who Allah knows that they did not do some of the things that were enjoined upon them because of something that prevented them from doing so. These are some examples: It was reported from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was on a campaign and he said: “There are some people in Madeenah and we did not travel through any valley or mountain pass but they were with us, and they were prevented from coming with us for a genuine reason.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2627).
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who made excuses from the Bedouins came (to you, O Prophet) asking your permission to exempt them (from the battle), and those who had lied to Allah and His Messenger sat at home (without asking the permission for it); a painful torment will seize those of them who disbelieve” [al-Tawbah 9:90]
But we must note here that the ignorant person does not have a permanent excuse. Whoever is able to learn and does not do so, or is able to ask and seek fatwaas and deliberately does not do so, has no excuse.
After looking at these excuses made by sinners and hypocrites, I thought that to complete the benefit (of this discussion), we should look at some of the excuses which good people make for not taking part in or doing things that are mustahabb, or even waajib. Some examples of that are:
In the field of da’wah and seeking knowledge:
Some people give excuses for not attending worthwhile gatherings of good people and lessons by saying things such as the following:
1. Study and homework
2. Boredom
3. Not feeling comfortable with the other participants
4. Travel
5. Fear of making an ongoing commitment
6. These gatherings and activities are viewed as being like going to school
7. Conflict between the time of the activity and something else that a person likes to do
8. Poor leisure program
9. Distractions at home
10. No variety in the program
11. Too many people attending the activity
12. The presence of new students whom the person does not know
13. Parents do not let the student go out
14. Attending to family needs
15. There is no one available to take care of younger siblings
16. Family visits
17. Attending courses for work
18. Have to do overtime at work
19. Do not want to stay overnight outside the home
20. Sickness
21. Vague excuses such as “I have some problems”
22. No means of transportation
23. Emergencies
24. Not convinced that the activity or class matters
25. Busy with private tuition
26. Sleep
27. Watching sports matches
28. Appointment to meet a friend
29. Do not feel that there is any benefit in the class
30. Has friends who are not involved in the activity and does not want to leave them
31. Needs of one’s wife and children
32. Claim that the class is a repeat
33. The sports/exercise program is limited and is not enough
34. Too few contests and cheap prizes
35. Not interested
These excuses vary in strength and validity. Some of them are valid, such as #s 14, 20 and 22; some of them are feeble, such as #s 9, 27, 32.
The problem is that many of those who do not attend do not appreciate how much they have missed and how much reward they have lost by not being there. If they understood what they have missed, they would do their utmost to resolve their situation and strive to remove the obstacles that are preventing them from attending.
It is also necessary to advise adults such as businessmen and employees who keep away from lessons and meetings for the purpose of worldly gains, and remind them that that which is with Allah is better and more lasting. They should be reminded that Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nay, you prefer the life of this world, Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting” [al-A’laa 87:16-17]
They should be told how dangerous it is to be distracted by worldly things:
“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers) with Him” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:14 – interpretation of the meaning]
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al Faasiqoon (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [al-Tawbah 9:24 – interpretation of the meaning]
They should be reminded that being too busy with their family and children to learn the religion of Allah is a great loss. Allah has warned us against that: “O you who believe! Verily, among your wives and your children there are enemies for you (who may stop you from the obedience of Allah); therefore beware of them! But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily, Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Taghaabun 64:14 – interpretation of the meaning]
We have to be frank but polite. We can say to them, “If you wanted to come you would have prepared yourself and removed all obstacles. Pray to Allah that you will not be one of those whom He discourages and forsakes and to whom it will be said ‘Sit you among those who sit (at home)’ [al-Tawbah 9:46].”
We ask You to make us adhere firmly to Your commands and to follow Your guidance resolutely. May we make the most of all good activities and be safe from sin. Grant us the victory of Paradise and save us from the Fire. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.