Surah As-Saff: Verse 2 - يا أيها الذين آمنوا لم... - English

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿2﴾ كَبُرَ‌ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿3﴾

(0 those who believe, why do you say what you do not do? It is severely hateful in Allah's sight that you say what you do not do...61:2-3)

Apparently, the phrase 'what you do not do' implies that one should not claim to do something he does not intend to do. From this it may be deduced that it is prohibited to make a commitment to do a work while a person does not have the genuine intention to really do it, because this would be ostentation and a false commitment. Obviously, the blessed Companions, in the story of the background of revelation, were not making such promises without having intention to fulfill them. Instead, their intention was genuine. From this we learn that the verse includes a situation where a person commits to do something with true intention to do it, but relies solely on his own strength, it is not in keeping with his station of ` abdiyyah or 'servitude'. First of all, there is no need to make such a claim. If the occasion does arise to do something, he may go ahead and do it. If, for some reason or the other, a person has to make a promise or claim, he may affirm it by saying 'If Allah wills'. In this way, it would not be a boastful claim.

Ruling

It follows from the above discussion that if a person claims that he will do something in future but has no intention to do it, it is a major sin (kabirah) and a cause of incurring Allah's wrath. The sentence: كَبُرَ‌ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ "It is severely hateful in Allah's sight that you say what you do not do....[ 61:3] " applies to this situation. However, in a situation where one makes a claim to do something in future with real intention to do it, it is makruh [ reprehensible ] and forbidden only if he makes the claim relying on his own strength and ability.

Difference between a Claim (Da` wa) and Preaching (Da'wah)

It is learnt from the foregoing discussion that these verses are related to false claims (Da` wa) to do something in future without intention to do it, which incurs Divine displeasure and indignation. This verse is not related to a situation where a preacher invites others to do something, while he himself does not do it. The rules of this situation are mentioned in other verses and Ahadith. For example: أَتَأْمُرُ‌ونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ‌ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ , (Do you bid others to righteousness while you ignore your own selves) [ 2:44] This verse puts to shame such preachers who do not practice what they preach. The import of this verse is that when they are preaching to others, they should preach to themselves with greater force, and if they are calling other people to do good deeds, they too should practice them.

All this does not imply that if a person has been lax in the performance of good deeds, he should abandon preaching to others. Or if he has been indulging in any kind of sin, he should not forbid others from indulging in such sins. It needs to be borne in mind that the performance of a righteous deed is one form of virtue, and urging others to perform this righteous deed is another form of virtue in its own right. Obviously, if one has abandoned one form of virtue, it does not necessarily follow that he should abandon the other form as well. It is possible that through the blessing of the preachment, the preacher might develop the ability to perform the righteous deed. This has been experienced widely and on a large scale. However, if the deed belongs to the category of wajib or sunnah mu'akkadah, it is obligatory, in the light of the verses, to continuously show remorse and regret on one's not practicing it. And if the action belongs to the category of mustahabbat, it is mustahab [ rewardable ] to show remorse and regret.