Which Is More Important, Performing a Recommended Act or Avoiding a Disliked Act in Islam?


Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Which is more important, performing a recommended act and abstaining from a disliked act?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

It is more important for us to avoid disliked actions than to perform recommended actions.

Of course, if both avoiding disliked actions and performing recommended actions can be achieved, then one should not hesitate. But if you can’t do both, then there is no doubt that avoiding disliked actions takes precedence, even if it is at the cost of failing to perform recommended actions.

This can be understood from different perspectives through various works in multiple Islamic sciences. Nonetheless, these understandings all go back to the Qur’an and the Sunna.

Juridical perspective

Several legal principles in Islamic law clearly indicate to us the duty to privilege avoiding disliked matters over performing recommended ones.

Principle 30 of the Majalla, a major book of legal principles according to the Hanafi school:

“Repelling harmful matters is more important than bringing beneficial matters.”

This principle was derived from the following verse of the Qur’an regarding wine and gambling:

Allah Most High, says: “They ask you ˹O, Prophet˺ about intoxicants and gambling. Say, “There is great evil in both, as well as some benefit for people—but the evil outweighs the benefit.” [2.219]

As you can see the Divine wisdom in forbidding from us wine and gambling was because of the priority that should be given in repelling harmful matters over bringing beneficial matters.

By performing disliked actions you will be deserving of Allah’s, Most High, blame even though you might not be punished in Hell.

By performing recommended actions, you will bring to yourself the benefit of extra rewards in the Hereafter without incurring any blame for failing to do so. The legal principle above, which has been deduced from the Qur’an, clearly tells you to first avoid the harm of performing disliked actions.

Principle 46 of the Majalla: “If a forbidding consideration is in conflict with an allowing consideration, then priority should be given to the forbidding consideration.”

This principle is based on the following Hadith:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) has said: “If I command you to do something, then perform it as best as you can. But if I forbid you to do something then leave it completely.” [Muslim]

Again the emphasis on avoiding harmful matters over performing beneficial matters is clear. I will restate the obvious: performing a disliked action is harmful to us (because of the blame deserved). Performing a recommended action is beneficial to us (because of the reward attached).

Spiritual perspective

On similar ground emphasis in classical books of of Islamic spirituality (Tassawuf) is given to first avoiding disliked actions before performing recommended actions. This is a process called “Al-Takhali wa Al-Tahali”. It is about the duty for a believer to first free himself from problematic behavior before adorning himself with praiseworthy behavior. This process is described in Ihya Ulum Al-Din of Imam Al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) for example. The basis for this process take its root in the textual proofs that I have shared above.

Nonetheless, to be properly implemented one needs the guidance of a living spiritual guide. Not finding one should not prevent you from trying to implement those principles in your life. But the help of a spiritual guide will be of tremendous help for your success in doing so.

And Allah knows best.

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.

Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.

He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.