Innovation in religion and the act of following personal whims lead individuals away from the commands of Allah and His Messenger. Those who introduce such paths neither accept legal licenses (rukhsah) nor the scholarly legal reasoning (ijtihad) derived from the Noble Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, nor do they follow the consensus of the Islamic community (ijma).
Because such a person follows their own desires and makes an idol of their whims, there is no good in them, nor any benefit to be expected from them. No matter how much you remind them of the commands of Allah and His Messenger or present them with proofs and evidence, they will never be convinced. Therefore, conversing with them is futile.
Allah Almighty says:
“Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be to him a guardian?” (Quran 25:43)
Tafsir and Explanation of the Verse
Explaining this verse, commentators note that Allah Almighty is warning His Prophet that whoever Allah has decreed for wretchedness and misguidance cannot be guided by anyone except Allah.
- The Meaning of Following Desires: The phrase “the one who takes as his god his own desire” means that whatever object of desire they find pleasing and appealing to their ego becomes their religion and path. As Allah says in another verse: “Then is one to whom his evil deed has been made attractive so he considers it good [like one rightly guided]? For indeed, Allah lets go astray whom He wills…” (Quran 35:8).
- The Prophet’s Role: This explains why Allah asks: “Then would you be to him a guardian?” Ibn Abbas noted that during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), a man might worship a white stone for a time, but if he saw another stone he liked better, he would abandon the first to worship the second.
The Quranic Warning Against Following Whims (Al-Hawa)
The Quran explicitly highlights that abandoning divine guidance in favor of personal whims leads straight to misguidance:
- Deliberate Deviation:“And if they do not respond to you—then know that they only follow their [own] desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (Quran 28:50)This means that if they fail to respond to your call to follow the Book as a guide, know that they have left themselves no excuse or argument other than blindly following their own desires.
- The Two Exclusive Paths:Whatever the Almighty has not stated or guided to is not the truth. Allah states: “Then know that they only follow their desires.” This divides all matters into two categories with no third option: either following what the Messenger brought, or following personal whims.
True Faith Requires Submitting Desires to Revelation
A person cannot be a true believer until their desires align with the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“None of you truly believes until his desires are subservient to what I have brought.”(Recorded by Ibn Abi Asim in Al-Sunnah, authenticated by Imam Al-Nawawi and other prominent scholars)
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith:
- Negation of Fundamental Faith: This refers to the negation of the essence of true faith—meaning a person’s belief is not complete until they willingly follow and submit to the religion and legislation out of sincere conviction, rather than through coercion or fear of the sword like hypocrites.
- Perfection of Faith: Some scholars suggest it means the perfection of faith is lacking until following Islamic law becomes as natural to a person as their own personal habits and inclinations, allowing them to obey effortlessly without resentment.
- Prioritizing Religious Law: Another interpretation is that a believer must love what Allah has commanded and hate what He has forbidden, always prioritizing the Sacred Law over personal inclinations.
Imam Al-Tibi remarked:
“I am amazed by someone who calls himself a follower of the Sunnah (Sunni), yet when he hears the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, he lets his own opinion override it. Is there any difference between him and an innovator? Did he not hear: ‘None of you truly believes until his desires are subservient to what I have brought’?”
The Wise Person vs. The Helpless One
Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Prophet said:
“The wise person (al-kayyis) is the one who subdues his soul and works for what comes after death, and the helpless person (al-‘ajiz) is the one who follows his soul’s desires and merely has vain hopes in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
- Subduing the Soul (Dan nafsahu): Imam Al-Tirmidhi explained that this means holding oneself accountable in this life before being judged on the Day of Judgment.
- The Helpless Person (Al-‘ajiz): This refers to the person who falls short in duties, lets their soul follow its own lusts without restraining it from forbidden pleasures and destructive sins, and yet—despite neglecting obedience—expects Allah to grant them forgiveness and Paradise without repentance.
Preserving Personal Righteousness Amidst Moral Decline
When moral corruption spreads, opinions dominate, and people become infatuated with their own viewpoints, believers are advised to focus on self-reformation while continuing to command good and forbid evil as long as possible.
Abu Umayyah al-Sha’bani reported: I asked Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani about the verse:
“Guard your own souls. If you are guided, no harm can come to you from those who stray.” (Quran 5:105)
He replied: “By Allah, you have asked one who knows well about it! I asked the Messenger of Allah about it, and he said:
‘Rather, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, until you see greed being obeyed, desires being followed, worldly life being preferred, and every person infatuated with their own opinion. Then care for yourself [focus on personal righteousness] and leave alone the general public. Verily, ahead of you are days of patience; the one who remains steadfast during them will have the reward of fifty men working like you.’ (Another narration adds: ‘The reward of fifty of you.’)” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah)
Scholars note that “infatuated with their own opinion” means a person views their perspective through the lens of perfection while completely forgetting the blessings and guidance of Allah.
The Saving Actions vs. The Destructive Traits
1. The Three Saving Acts and Three Destructive Traits
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet said:
“Three things are saving: fear of Allah in secret and in public, moderation in poverty and wealth, and justice in satisfaction and anger. And three things are destructive: following personal desires, obeying blind greed, and a person’s infatuation with themselves.” (Al-Tabarani)
2. The Balance of Knowledge and Action
Abu al-Darda said:
“When a man wakes up, his desires, his actions, and his knowledge all come together. If his actions follow his desires, his day is an evil day. But if his actions follow his knowledge, his day is a righteous day.”
3. The Light of the Heart vs. Spiritual Darkness
Whoever has the light of faith in their heart can easily recognize right from wrong. Conversely, when hearts are rusted over by sin and transgression, they follow the promptings of worldly desires.
Al-Nawwas ibn Sam’an reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah about righteousness and sin. He replied:
Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your chest and which you hate for people to find out about.’ (Sahih Muslim)
A Historical Reflection on Conscience
Imam Ibn al-Jawzi recorded in Sayd al-Khatir:
“I permitted myself a lenient legal ruling that is permissible in some schools of Islamic jurisprudence, but immediately afterward, I felt a severe hardness in my heart, a sense of distance from the Divine threshold, and a heavy spiritual darkness. My soul asked me: ‘What is this? Did you not act within the consensus of jurists?’I replied to my soul: ‘O evil soul! Your answer is twofold:
By Al-Sayed Ahmed Sahloul
