Personal Struggles and Opinions
Allah says in the Quran:
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ يَتْلُونَهُۥ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ
“Those to whom We have given the Scripture, who follow it as it deserves, are the ones who truly believe in it.…” (Al Baqarah 2:121)
Other verses state:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحَرِّمُوا۟ طَيِّبَٰتِ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ (87)
وَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلًا طَيِّبًا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنتُم بِهِۦ مُؤْمِنُونَ (88)
“You who believe, do not forbid the good things God has made lawful to you—do not exceed the limits: God does not love those who exceed the limits—but eat the lawful and good things that God provides for you.” (Al Ma’idah 5:87-88)
Both the hadith and the above Quranic verses are referencing those who permit that which Allah has made lawful and forbid that which Allah has made unlawful; In addition, these individuals do not change the meaning or context of a hadith or Quranic verse for any personal reasons. They accept what has been stated by Allah wholeheartedly, and it is they who will enter paradise.
However, sometimes we feel the need to appease the beliefs of others by compromising our own to fit in or to make ourselves feel better about something we do. This usually leads us to give our personal opinion instead of following the laws stated by Allah (swt). For example, some people will quote a hadith or verse and say it is okay to dress inappropriately, listen to explicit music, watch inappropriate shows, not maintain the correct boundaries with the opposite gender, take drugs, drink alcohol, etc. To be of those who will enter paradise, we cannot change the meaning or make our own opinions and decisions, Allah has clearly declared what is permissible and and what is forbidden.
