Impossible to please everyone

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allah have mercy upon him- said:

One must know that it is neither conceivable to the intellect nor in the religion to seek the pleasure of the creation [i.e. mankind and Jinn] due to two affairs: First, Imam Ash-Shaafi’ee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “The people are an unattainable goal”. Therefore, it is obligated to you to (pursue) what rectifies your affairs and adhere to it, abandon its opposite, and not concern (yourself) with it. Second, indeed, we have been commanded to (seek) the Pleasure of Allah and His Messenger, as Allah [The Most High] says:

وَٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥۤ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرۡضُوهُ إِن ڪَانُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ

But it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) if they are believers].[Surah At-Tawbah. Ayah 62]

It is obligated to us to fear Allah and not fear anyone except Allah, as Allah [The Most High] said:

فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمۡ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

So fear them not, but fear Me if you are (true) believers.
[Surah Al Imran. Verse 175]

It is obligated to us to fear Allah – fear Allah concerning the (rights) of the people, neither harm them with our hearts (i.e. blameworthy hatred etc.) nor with our limbs (i.e. physical harm); fulfil their rights with our hearts and limbs (i.e. wish them good, love for them what we love for ourselves, physically do what will benefit them, etc), but do not fear them and leave what Allah and His Messenger have commanded. The one who adheres to this path will (reach) the (praiseworthy) outcomes, just as Aa’isha [may Allah be pleased with her] wrote to Mu’aawiyah [may Allah be pleased with him and his father] and said, “To proceed: Indeed, whoever seeks the pleasure of the people at the expense of Allah’s displeasure will (earn) Allah’s displeasure and Allah will cause the people to be displeased with him. And the praise of the people will become recrimination against him. And whoever seeks Allah’s Pleasure at the expense of people’s displeasure, will (earn) Allah’s Pleasure, and Allah will cause the people to be pleased with him. Therefore, a person’s concern and intention should be nothing else but to (seek) the Pleasure of Allah and to avoid Allah’s displeasure, and the praiseworthy outcomes will be his. And there is no might or power except with Allah [(1)]

Imam Muhammad Bin Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: If all the people were pleased with you and Allah is not pleased with you, then indeed it will not benefit you except the Pleasure of Allah [The Mighty and Majestic]. Because if Allah is pleased with you, He will make people become pleased with you and make their hearts incline towards you, as it has been reported in a hadeeth, “Indeed, when Allah loves a servant, He calls Jibreel and says, ‘Verily, I love this person so you should love him’. Then Jibreel loves him and makes an announcement in the heavens, saying, ‘Indeed, Allah loves this person and you should love him’, so the inhabitants of the heavens love him. Then he is granted the (pleasure and acceptance) of the (people) on the earth” [see footnote a], just as Allah said:

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَيَجۡعَلُ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ وُدًّ۬ا

Verily, those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger) and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers). [Surah Maryam. Ayah 96]

However, if a person seeks the pleasure of the people at the expense of Allah’s displeasure, the affair will be the opposite. Allah will be angry with him and will make the people become angry with him. This is why when Mu’aawiyah [may Allah be pleased with him and his father] became the Khaleefah, Aa’isha [may Allah be pleased with her] wrote to him, saying, “I heard the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] say, “Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah at the expense of the displeasure of the people, Allah will suffice him against the people. Whoever seeks the pleasure of people at the expense of Allah’s displeasure, Allah will leave his affair to the people”. [(2)]

Al-Allaamah Saalih Al-Fawzaan [may Allah preserve him] stated:

In this regard, a person should not give precedence to anything over Allah’s Pleasure. He should fear Allah – the Mighty and Majestic- with sincere fear, and people are only feared with a fear less than that, and He employs the means to prevent their evil. If a person relies on Allah and gives precedence to Allah’s Pleasure over people’s pleasure, Allah will protect him from evil. That is because the hearts and ability to do anything are in the hand of Allah [The Mighty and Majestic], so if you please Allah, Allah will be pleased with you and people will be pleased with you. And vice versa, if you please people and displease Allah, He will be displeased with you, and people will be displeased with you, even though you are trying to please them and give priority to their pleasure over Allah’s Pleasure, so the matter will be the opposite for you. That is because the hearts are in the hands of Allah, and in this affair is that one relies on Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections], fears Him alone, and this is a type of worship. [(3)]

[(1)]: An Excerpt from ‘Majmoo Al-Fataawaa 3/233

[(2)]: An Excerpt from ‘Riyaadh As-Saaliheen 1/163

[(3)] https://www.alfawzan.af.org.sa/ar/node/16223

وفي هذا أن الإنسان لا يقدَّم على رضا الله شيء، ويخاف اللهَ -عَزّ وَجَلّ- خوفًا خالصًا، والناس إنما يخافهم خوفًا دون ذلك، ويعمل الأسباب الواقية من شرهم، وإذا إعتمد الإنسان على الله وقدَّم رضا الله على رضا الناس فإن اللهُ يكُفّ عنه الشر، لأن قلوب العباد بيد الله ونواصي العباد بيد الله -عَزّ وَجَلّ-، فإذا أرضيت الله رضي اللهُ عنك وأرضى عنك الناس. والعكس بالعكس إذا أرضيت الناس وأسخطت الله سخط عليك وأسخط عليك الناس. مع إنك تحاول إرضاهم وقدَّمت رضاهم على رضا الله فانعكس الأمر عليك، لأن القلوب بيد الله، وهذا فيه وجوب التوكل على الله -سُبحانَهُ- وإفراد الخوف من الله -عَزّ وَجَلّ- وهذا نوعٌ من أنواع العبادة