them and cause them to be erased from the record of deeds?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
One of the basic principles among Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah is that
good deeds are not accepted if they are accompanied by kufr, and that
nothing cancels out all good deeds except kufr.
This is indicated by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Say: Spend (in Allaah's Cause) willingly or unwillingly, it will not
be accepted from you. Verily, you are ever a people who are Faasiqoon
(rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)."
54. And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from
them except that they disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger
(Muhammad), and that they came not to As-Salaah (the prayer) except in
a lazy state, and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly"
[al-Tawbah 9:53-54]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Nothing cancels out good deeds except kufr, because the one who dies
as a believer will inevitably enter Paradise, and he will be brought
out of Hell if he does enter it, but if all his good deeds are
cancelled out, he will never enter Paradise. Good deeds can only be
cancelled out by that which is their opposite, and nothing can be the
opposite of all good deeds except kufr. This is well known from the
principles of Sunnah. End quote.Al-Saarim al-Maslool(p. 55)
The followers of innovation, such as the Khawaarij, Mu'tazilah and
Murji'ah differed. The Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah went to extremes and
said that major sins erase and cancel out all good deeds and acts of
worship. In contrast the Murji'ah said that the good deed of faith
cancels out all bad deeds.
Secondly:
Once it is understood that nothing can cancel out all good deeds
except that which cancels out faith altogether, namely kufr, then can
some sins cancel out and erase some good deeds?
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
inMajmoo' al-Fataawa(10/638):
If bad deeds do not cancel out all good deeds, can they cancel out a
proportional amount of them, or can some good deeds be erased by sin
that is less than kufr?
There are two views among those who claim adherence to the Sunnah,
some who deny that and some who affirm it. End quote.
The first view is that bad deeds do not cancel out good deeds, rather
good deeds are the ones that cancel out bad deeds, by the grace and
bounty and kindness of Allaah.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Jaami' li Ahkaam
al-Qur'aan(3/295):
The correct 'aqeedah is that bad deeds do not cancel out good deeds. End quote.
The second view is that sins and innovations may cancel out the reward
for good deeds as a form of punishment. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
attributed this view to the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah. SeeMajmoo'
al-Fataawa(10/322).
This was also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam and his student Ibn
al-Qayyim. He said inMadaarij al-Saalikeen(1/278):
Ahmad stated that in one report and said: A person should get married
if he fears for himself; he should borrow money and get married, lest
he fall into haraam actions which would cancel out his good deeds. End
quote.
Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inKitaab
al-Eemaan(the Book of Faith) in his Saheeh:
Chapter: Fear of the believer inadvertently cancelling out his good
deeds. Ibraaheem al-Taymi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: When I
compare my words with my deeds, I am afraid that my deeds belie my
words. Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: I met thirty of the companions of the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all of whom feared
that they might be guilty of hypocrisy, and not one of them said that
his faith was like that of Jibreel and Mika'eel. It was narrated from
al-Hasan: No one fears it (hypocrisy) but a believer and no one feels
safe from it but a hypocrite. And one should be afraid of persisting
in hypocrisy and sin without repenting, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):"and [they] do not persist in what
(wrong) they have done, while they know" [Aal 'Imraan 3:135].
Imam Muslim also entitled a chapter: The believer's fear of his good
deeds being cancelled out.
Imam Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Bukhaari's title for this chapter is suited to what is mentioned in
it of good deeds being cancelled out by some sins, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the
Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one
another, lest your deeds should be rendered fruitless while you
perceive not"
[al-Hujuraat 49:2]
Imam Ahmad said: Al-Hasan ibn Moosa said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated
from Habeeb ibn al-Shaheed, that al-Hasan said: These people do not
think that some deeds can cancel out others, but Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Raise not your voices …, lest your deeds should be
rendered fruitless while you perceive not"
[al-Hujuraat 49:2]
This is also indicated by the verses in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by
reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his
wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allaah, nor in
the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which
is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They
are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allaah
does not guide the disbelieving people"
[al-Baqarah 2:264]
"Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines,
with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him
therein, while he is stricken with old age, and his children are weak
(not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery
whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat
(proofs, evidences, verses) to you that you may give thought"
[al-Baqarah 2:266]
InSaheeh al-Bukhaariit is narrated that 'Umar asked the people about
it and they said: Allaah knows best. Ibn 'Abbaas said: The verse gives
a likeness of deeds. 'Umar said: What deeds? Ibn 'Abbaas said: Deeds.
'Umar said: A rich man may strive in obedience of Allaah, then Allaah
sends the shaytaan to him and he commits sins until they drown out his
good deeds.
'Ata' al-Khursaani said: This is a man whose deeds end with shirk or a
major sin, so all his good deeds are cancelled out.
It is narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not pray 'Asr, his deeds
are cancelled out." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (553).
It also says inal-Saheehthat a man said: By Allaah, Allaah will not
forgive So and so. Allaah said: 'Who is the one who swore by Me that I
will not forgive So and so? I have forgiven So and so and I have
cancelled out your good deeds. Muslim (2621).
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: Tell Zayd that his
jihad with the Messenger of Allaah (S) will be cancelled out unless he
repents. Narrated by al-Daaraqutni (3/52) and al-Bayhaqi (5/330)
This indicates that some bad deeds cancel out some good deeds, but
they may be restored if one repents.
Ibn Abi Haatim narrated in hisTafseerfrom Abu Ja'far, from al-Rabee'
ibn Anas, that Abu'l-Aaliyah said: The companions of the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) thought that no sin
could do harm if one was sincere and that no good deed was of any
avail if one associates others with Allaah. Then Allaah revealed the
words (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Obey Allaah, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad) and
render not vain your deeds"
[Muhammad 47:33]
Then they began to fear major sins after they found out that they may
cancel out good deeds.
It was narrated from al-Hasan that he said concerning the words "and
render not vain your deeds" i.e., by committing sins. It was narrated
from Ma'mar from al-Zuhri concerning the words "and render not vain
your deeds" i.e., by committing major sins.
It was narrated that Qataadah said concerning this verse: Whoever
among you can avoid rendering vain his righteous deeds by doing bad
deeds, let him do so, and there is no strength except with Allaah.
Good cancels out evil, and evil cancels out good, and what matters is
one's final deeds.
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There are very many
reports from the salaf about good deeds being cancelled out by major
sins, and it would take too long to list them all. Hudhayfah said:
Slandering a chaste innocent woman cancels out the good deeds of a
hundred years.
It was narrated that 'Ata' said: A man may say a word in anger that
destroys the good deeds of sixty or seventy years.
Imam Ahmad said, according to the report of al-Fadl ibn Ziyaad: No one
of you can be sure that he will not steal a glance that will cancel
out his good deeds.
As for those who say that the view that good deeds may be cancelled
out by bad deeds is the view of the Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah, this is
a false view, and the views of the righteous salaf do not agree with
that. Yes, the Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah said that faith is cancelled
out by major sins and that major sin dooms one to spend eternity in
Hell, but this is a false view which was held by them alone.Sharh
Kitaab al-Eemaan min Saheeh al-Bukhaari(206-210).
Ibn al-Qayyim said: The things that cancel out or spoil good deeds are
too many to count. It is not the deeds that count, rather it is the
protection of one's good deeds from that which may spoil them or
cancel them out.Al-Waabil al-Sayyib(18).
And Allaah knows best.
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