Why are obligations placed before voluntary deeds in drawing near to Allah?
2026-09-21
T77 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Selected explanation · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected continuous passage; light punctuation normalization has been applied for reading. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
المقتطف
فَوَلِيُّ اللَّهِ مَنْ وَالَاهُ بِالْمُوَافَقَةِ لَهُ فِي مَحْبُوبَاتِهِ وَمَرْضِيَّاتِهِ وَتَقَرَّبَ إلَيْهِ بِمَا أُمِرَ بِهِ مِنْ طَاعَاتِهِ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ الصِّنْفَيْنِ الْمُقْتَصِدَيْنِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ وَهُمْ الْمُتَقَرِّبُونَ إلَى اللَّهِ بِالْوَاجِبَاتِ وَالسَّابِقِينَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَهُمْ الْمُتَقَرِّبُونَ إلَيْهِ بِالنَّوَافِلِ بَعْدَ الْوَاجِبَاتِ.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Selected explanation
The ally of Allah is someone who is loyal to Him by agreeing with Him in what He loves and is pleased with, and who draws near to Him through the acts of obedience he has been commanded to perform. In this authentic hadith, the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, mentioned the two groups: those who take a middle course among the companions of the right, who draw near to Allah through obligatory deeds; and those who are foremost and brought near, who draw near to Him through voluntary deeds after the obligatory deeds.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 11/62
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited volume and printed page. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.