Characteristics of the People of Desires in this Ummah

The people of desires are those who follow their desires and inclinations. They do not follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, they only follow their heart desires. If the Qur’aan and Sunnah contradict their desires, they abandon the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, and accept whatever agrees with their desires, not out of Iman in it but because it agrees with their desires.

This is the way of the Jews because they would only obey the messengers in what agrees with their desires and whatever disagrees with their desires, they disagree with the messenger concerning it. They either killed or rejected them as stated by Allah, the Most High:

“Verily, We took the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them Messengers. Whenever there came to them a Messenger with what they themselves desired not - a group of them they called liars, and others among them they killed.”[Soorah al-Maa’idah:70]

He stated regarding the hypocrite in this Ummah:

And when they are called to Allâh (i.e. His Words, the Qur'ân) and His Messenger, to judge between them, lo! a party of them refuse (to come) and turn away. But if the right is with them, they come to him willingly with submission.” [Soorah an-Noor: 48 - 49]

This is the way of the people of desires in the past and present. According to them, the yardstick of the truth is what agrees with their desires and whatever disagrees with their desires is falsehood even if it was Jibreel who brought it to Muhammad: for them, its falsehood!

This is their way and this is what the misguided sects in this Ummah are upon; they do not accept what has been reported from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). In fact, they do not accept what has been reported in the Qur’aan and Sunnah that disagrees with their ways and desires. They either misinterpret, distort or reject it. This is their way.

Source: A Gift to the Reader in Annotation of Sharh as-Sunnah, vol. 2, p. 222-223 by Dr, Saalih bin Fawzaan bin Abdullah al-Fawzaan; translated by Abdus-Sami Abdus-Salam, published by Dar Makkah International.