Beware of Ghuloo (going to extremes and crossing the limits) in the Deen of Allaah
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
« وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْغُلُوَّ فِي الدِّينِ، فَإِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمُ الْغُلُوُّ فِي الدِّينِ »
“Beware of ghuloo in the Deen, for indeed those who came before you were only destroyed by ghuloo in the Deen.” [1]
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibnu Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said regarding this hadeeth: “ – (This) is general in regards to every type and category of Ghuloo, in I’tiqaad (the matters of ‘Aqeedah) and in actions. And Ghuloo (is): going beyond and exceeding the limits by increasing something in its praise, or dispraise, beyond what it rightfully deserves, and the like of that.” [2]
Al-Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said: “Allaah did not order with a command except that shaytaan has an avenue to incite evil in it, either towards negligence and wastefulness, or towards excessiveness and extremism (ghuloo). And the Deen of Allaah is in the middle between abandonment and neglect, and excessiveness and extremism, like the valley between two mountains. And al-Hudaa (guidance) is between two ways of misguidance, and the middle ground between two sides that are dispraised. So just like abandoning the command is squandering it and throwing it away, so then excessiveness and extremism in it is to corrupt and ruin it. This one is by falling short of the limits, and this one is by going beyond the limits.” [3]
And Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “And whoever seeks to get close to Allaah by what is not from the hasanaat that have been commanded, (not) by a command of obligation nor (a command) of recommendation, then he is astray, following the shaytaan, and his path is from the paths of shaytaan…” [4]
And this is what leads to bid'ah and deviation.
Then he recited this aayah.
And this is what leads to bid'ah and deviation.
Allaah said in His Book:
ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and do not follow (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you so that you may have Taqwaa." [5]
‘Abdullaah bin Mas’ood said [6]: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) drew a line for us (on the ground), then he said:
« هَذَا سَبِيلُ اللَّهِ »
“This is the Path of Allaah.”
Then he drew lines on it’s right and on it’s left, then he said:
« هَذِهِ سُبُلٌ مُتَفَرِّقَةٌ - عَلَى كُلِّ سَبِيلٍ مِنْهَا شَيْطَانٌ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ »
“These are the other paths – on every one of them is a shaytaan calling to it.”
And Allaah said in His Book:
ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘O Ahlul-Kitaab! Do not go to extremes and exceed the limits in your deen (by believing in something) other than the Haqq, and do not follow the vain desires of people who went astray in times gone by, and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the Right Path.’" [7]
Ibnul-Mundhir, Ibn Abee Haatim, and Aboosh-Shaykh reported from Qataadah regarding the meaning of Allaah’s statement ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ “Do not go to extremes and exceed the limits in your deen”: Qataadah said that it means: “do not innovate.”
So this aayah, even though it is addressed to Ahlul-Kitaab specifically, the Salaf have explained that it is general for all those who go to ghuloo from this Ummah, from the people of Bid’ah, and those who go beyond the boundaries of the Sharee’ah in their worship of Allaah.
