than Allah. For that reason, He forbade all shameful deeds, whether open or hidden.” (1)
He thus made clear that He—glorified is He—loves to be praised (2) and to excuse people, and that He hates shameful deeds. He therefore loves to be praised for His justice and benevolence, and not to be described as unjust (3).
It is well known that if someone has issued prior instructions (4) to his followers, saying, “Do such-and-such, and do not do such-and-such,” (5) and has clearly explained matters to them and left them no excuse, but they then transgress his limits and undermine his affairs (6), he is entitled to punish them and exact retribution from them.
If they say:
“Did Allah not decree this for us? Had Allah willed, we would not have done it,”
they are told:
“You have no valid argument, nor any excuse demonstrating (7) that what you did was right or that you were excused for doing it. This claim will therefore not be accepted from you. The proof has already been established against you through the preceding clarification and warning that left you no excuse.”
(1) The hadith—with variations in its wording, including at its beginning—is narrated from Abd Allāh ibn Masūd (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Bukhārī, 6/57 (Book of Exegesis, Exegesis of Surah al-Anām, chapter “Do Not Approach Shameful Deeds”), 7/35 (Book of Marriage, chapter “Ghayra [Protective Jealousy]”), and 9/120 (Book of Tawhīd, chapter on Allah Most High’s words, “Allah Warns You of Himself”); Muslim, 4/2113–2114 (Book of Repentance, chapter “Allah Most High’s Ghayra”); Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 5/200–201 (Book of Supplications, chapter “Muhammad ibn Bashshār Narrated to Us”); al-Musnad, al-Maārif edition, 5/219–220 and 6/56–57, 59; and Sunan al-Dārimī, 2/149 (Book of Marriage, chapter “Ghayra”). This hadith will appear again in this volume, p. [0–9] 60.
(2) B and A read: “He loves praise.”
(3) N and M read: “as unjust, and He hates shameful deeds,” which is an error.
(4) B and A read: “had given prior instructions.”
(5) The words “such-and-such” are omitted from B, A, and M.
(6) M reads: “his command”; N: “his commands”; B and A: “their affairs.”
(7) N reads: “It became clear.”