Are you astonished at the jealousy of Sa‘d? I swear by Allah, I am more jealous than him, and Allah is more jealous than me. Because of His jealousy, Allah has prohibited immorality, the apparent and the hidden thereof

Explanation

Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that if he saw a man with his wife, he would strike him with the sharpest part of his sword, i.e. he would kill him immediately without hesitation. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) approved of what he said and informed that he is more jealous than Sa‘d, and that Allah is more jealous than him. The jealousy of Allah, the Almighty, is one of Allah’s attributes which are peculiar to Him, not the same jealousy of the creatures. Rather, it is an attribute befitting His grandeur, like anger, pleasure, and other attributes that are unique to Him. The linguistic meaning of 'Shakhs' is whatever is elevated and prominent, and Allah, Exalted, is more prominent, mightier, and greater than everything. So, there is no problem in referring to Allah, the Almighty, by this word, as per the principle of Ahl As-Sunnah, who restrict themselves to what Allah and His Messenger said. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Because of His jealousy, Allah has prohibited immorality, the apparent and the hidden thereof”, i.e. one of the effects of Allah’s jealousy is that He has forbidden His slaves from approaching immorality, which includes whatever is regarded as heinous and obscene by purified souls and intact minds, such as fornication. The apparent forms of immorality include what is done in public, and what is committed by the body organs, albeit secretly. The hidden forms include what is done in private and what the hearts conceal. “No one loves warning more than Allah. That is why Allah sent the messengers as bearers of glad tidings and as warners”, i.e. He sent the Messengers to warn His slaves before exacting punishment upon them, as He said (what means): {Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers.} [Sūrat An-Nisā': 165] “No one loves to be praised more than Allah, and for that reason Allah has promised Paradise." This is due to His absolute perfection. He, Exalted, likes His slaves to praise and commend Him for His grace and generosity. For that reason, He bestowed upon them every favor that they could enjoy, and He is pleased with them when they praise Him for that. No matter how much they praise and commend Him, it could never amount to what He deserves of praise and commendation. That is why He praised Himself, and promised Paradise, to be more frequently asked, praised and commended by His slaves. They have to exert as much effort as they can seeking Paradise, which is the ultimate favor.

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