Discernment (Furqan) and Its Levels, and the Believer's Fear of His Lordالفرقان ومراتبه، وخوف المؤمن من ربه

(The recording begins partway through the answer.)

…he has no discernment (furqan) between shirk and (audio unclear). A level lower than these, and a level higher than these — until the servant reaches [a point] where he may not distinguish between the obligatory and the recommended. Another level may distinguish [that], but at another rank they do not distinguish between what is superior and what is inferior.

There are five ranks in this, according to their nearness to Allah, their humility before Him, their taking refuge in Him, their drawing near to Him, their acting for His sake, their sincerity and truthfulness, their humbling themselves before Him, and their disowning their own strength and their own power. For Allah, majestic and exalted is He, supplies these people with help from Himself, with victory and support.

Many of the creation have had the evil of their deeds made to seem fair to them, as Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said: "Is he whose [evil deed] has been made to seem fair to him…" And as Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said: "A group He guided, and a group deserved misguidance. Indeed, they took the devils as allies (audio unclear) besides Allah, and they think that they are guided." This is the tremendous matter: they do not know that they [are astray]; rather, they think that they are guided and that they are upon the truth — as He, exalted is He, said in Surat al-Kahf: "Say: Shall We inform you (audio unclear) — those whose effort is lost in the life of this world while they think that they are doing well in work." [This is] because Allah did not grant these people discernment, so they do not distinguish between what Allah has legislated and loved and what Allah has forbidden and hated.

(audio unclear) upon Allah, majestic and exalted is He, that He grant him discernment and grant him insight. Among the supplications of the Prophet ﷺ was: "O Allah, grant my soul its piety and purify it — You are the best of those who purify it; You are its Guardian and its Master." And among the supplications of the Prophet ﷺ was: "O Allah, make firm my proof, guide my heart, make my tongue upright, and remove the rancour of my heart." The supplications of the Prophet ﷺ with this meaning are very many.

The early ones, because of their knowledge of their Lord, used to fear for themselves more than others did. The more the servant knows Allah and has knowledge of Him, the more he fears Him; and the more ignorant he is of Allah and the farther from Him, the less he fears anything — as al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said. You see the believer always taking himself to account, saying: "What did I do? And what did I intend by it?" Whereas the hypocrite [presses] onward — that is, he does not care what he did. He goes on without taking himself to account, because it does not concern him at all — until he meets his Lord, (audio unclear) what he acquired and the fruit of what he sowed.

"If you did not sow, and then saw a harvester, / you will regret your neglect in the season of sowing."

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