Ibn al-Qayyim on the Ayah, “… and We Made for Him Light by Which to Walk Among the People …”

Ibn al-Qayyim on the Ayah, “… and We Made for Him Light by Which to Walk Among the People …”

“And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?” [Surah al-An’am 6:122]
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “His Saying, “… and We made for him light by which to walk among the people …” encompasses a number of issues.

One of them is that he walks among the people with light while they are in darkness, so his example and theirs is like that of a people whom the night encompassed and who became lost and who could not find the way, and the other has light with which he walks along the path and sees it and sees what he should be wary of.

The second is that he walks among them with his light, and so they take from him due to their need of light.

The third is that he walks with his light on the Day of Resurrection over the Siraat [bridge] when the people of polytheism [shirk] and hypocrisy remain in the darkness of their polytheism and hypocrisy.”


Fawaa’idul-Fawaa’id, p. 159.

’Uthaymeen on Hating the Sin and Not the Person and on Dealing with People Harshly as Though You Want to Take Revenge on Them

Shaykh ’Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “When they see a person sinning, many brothers hate the sin and this is something correct, but they [also] hate the sinner, and then they deal with him harshly as someone who hates him would, like someone who wants to take revenge on him, and this is a huge mistake.

You must cure the sinner as a gentle doctor who treats a wound in order for it to heal does, he doesn’t treat the wound in order for it to get worse, so he treats this person with gentleness and a desire for good for him and out of mercy for him, this is how the scholars who nurture are, they look at the creation with a view to reform, not to seek revenge and out of hatred—I hate the sin which this person does, but this person is a believer so he is my brother, even if he fornicated and stole, he is still my brother, the believers are but brothers.”

Majmoo’ Fataawaa wa Rasaa’il Fadilatish-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, vol. 27, pp. 311-312.