بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1-2-1438H
If you are seeking salvation in this world and the next, you should study the Qur'an and Sunnah. Nowadays we need to study the Sunnah more than before, because of the فتن that are spread everywhere.
In Sahih Bukhari, كتب الفتن (The Book of Trials) Hadith #7084:
كان الناس يسألون رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم عن الخير، و كنت أساله عن الشر مخافة أن يدركني
The People used to ask Allah's Messenger ﷺ about the good, but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by it.
You find that most of the narrations regarding the فتن (trials) was narrated by Hudayfah, because of this.
و فيه دخن
But it will be tainted
دخن = دخان (Smoke)
قلت : و ما دخنه؟
قال: قوم يهدون بغير هديي تعرف منهم و تنكر
I asked, "What will be its taint?"
He ﷺ replied, "(There will be) some people who guide others not according to my (legal) way of guidance. You will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of others"
There is good during this time, but with little evil in it - and this evil will be people who do not follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
This began to start at the time of the companions after the death of the Prophet ﷺ and the Tabi'een; there were people who were so keen to follow the right path they became excessive, and it made them deviate. An example of this is when Ibn Masoud for example saw people remembering Allah with pebbles.
قلت: فهل بعد ذالك الخير من شر
قال: نعم، دعاة على أبواب جهنم من أجابهم إليها قذفوه فيها
I asked, "Will there be any evil after the good?"
He ﷺ replied, "Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the Hellfire, and whoever will respond to their call, will be thrown by them into the Hellfire"
In the year 300AH the Fitnah at the time of Ahmed Hanbal رحمه الله occured. The Imam of that time forced people to say that the Qur'an was created, and tortured and persecuted Ahmed Ibn Hanbal because he said that it was the uncreated speech of Allah. This Fitnah continued, and many sects increased - until what we see of Bid'ah. They have books, assemblies, and if you have no knowledge you may be tempted by their books. One of the Sufi imams who neither prayed nor fasted nor forbade evil, was praised in their books and called "رضي لله عنه" If Allah was pleased with this person, then whom will the curse of Allah be on? But nowadays ignorance is widespread.
Those who call to Hellfire are those who call their groups names and make division amongst the Muslims. We are Muslims, our religion is Islam, our leader is Muhammed ﷺ. Calling ourselves Salafi, Ikhwani, Super-Salafi, is dividing Muslims. Allah dispraised those who call to sects in Surah Mu'minoon [23:53]:
"But they (men) have broken their religion among them into sects, each group rejoicing in its belief."
However, when people start fighting those who follow the Qur'an and Sunnah and calling them names, you have to distinguish yourself with being on the right path. This is how the name أهل السنة came about.
Many are deceived with the label Wahabbiyah. They say "Wahhabi" and do not even know who Muhammed Ibn AbdulWahhab is and what his call was.
We need to hold fast go the Qur'an and Sunnah at this present time especially, in order to be saved. Hudayfah رضي الله عنه was afraid, and he lived at the time of the Prophet ﷺ. During our times, should feel more fear than he did, yet we feel even more secure, as if we are far away from the فتن.
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The companions at the time of the Prophet ﷺ were afraid to ask questions.
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ نُهِينَا أَنْ نَسْأَلَ، رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَكَانَ يُعْجِبُنَا أَنْ يَجِيءَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَادِيَةِ الْعَاقِلُ فَيَسْأَلَهُ وَنَحْنُ نَسْمَعُ
It is reported on the authority of Anas bin Malik that he said: "We were forbidden that we should ask anything (without the genuine need) from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . It, therefore, pleased us that an intelligent person from the dwellers of the desert should come and asked him (the Prophet ﷺ) and we should listen to it." [Muslim; كتاب الإيمان]
You may ask; in Surah AlBaqarah there are over a dozen verses which say, "و يسألونك" (And they ask you....), which shows us that the companions did ask questions and they were answered by Allah in the Qur'an.
Either the prohibition of asking is regarding matters which have already been decided, or the verse in Surah Maa'idah was revealed later. Because Surah Maa'idah is the Surah in which all the rulings were final and not abrogated. So perhaps the companions asked these questions before the revelation of these verses.
Hadith #7293:
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ : قَرَأَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ (عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى) فَلَمَّا أَتَيَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الآيَةِ : (وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا) قَالَ : عَرَفْنَا مَا الْفَاكِهَةُ ، فَمَا الأَبُّ ؟ فَقَالَ : لَعَمْرُكَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ التَّكَلُّفُ .
In another narration it is mentioned that Umar رضي الله عنه was reading Surah Abasa and reached the Verse [80:31]:
He said: "We know what الفاكهة is, but what is الأبّ?" Then he reprimanded himself, saying this is التّكلف.
In another narration it is said that a man asked him, and he said the above. It was to that extent that he did not make التّكلف. However it is permissible to ask, and Ibn Abbas mentioned that الأب is a plant which animals eat and not humans.
Who is the متكلف?
التكلف is practiced by the one who does not care about priorities; He gives heed to the details of matters whilst ignoring and not giving importance to general matters.
E.g. When you study any Surah you should focus on the Articles of Faith, the Names of Allah, Attributes, Actions of Allah, what He loves and hates, etc. A متكلف will come and ask: Why is there ما here and no ما there? He leaves what is required from him at this particular stage and focuses on the details. And if you ask him what the meaning of the verse is, you will find that he does not know. Is it more important to know the meaning of the verse or if ما is mentioned here or not?
If a Scholar or knowledgeable person comes and asks about بلاغة to know and understand more, it is not considered تكلف. But as for the person who does not know anything about the Surah nor its meaning then he is considered a متكلف.
التّكلّف is according to the state of the person.
E.g. The news about Paradise and Hell. You should believe and accept. It becomes تكلف when you ask about the detail of its reality. We should rather submit ourselves and not talk about the details.
E.g. The Throne of Allah. The heavens and the earth compared to the Kursi is like a ring in a desert, and the Kursi in comparison to the Throne of Allah is like a ring in the desert. We believe. To ask or ask about the description of the throne and Kursi is تّكلّف. Do not overburden yourself beyond your capacity in knowing details about these matters.
التكلف is of two forms:
1) To overburden oneself with a matter he cannot do or undertake
This is also applied to worldly things.
E.g. A rich person has a huge wedding for her daughter/son. If a poor person comes and takes a loan from this person and that to a make a wedding like that, he has practiced تكلف. You should do the Waleema according to what you can afford and what is within your capacity.
2) Trying to understand the reality of the unseen
How do I know if I am a متكلف? Check your intention and the goal you want to attain. You have to be truthful with yourself. Are trying to please Allah or the people? If you cannot afford it, why are you burdening yourself beyond your capacity?
E.g. When you judge people, judge their intentions, and suspect them. This is التكلف.
The Ruling of التكلف: Forbidden
Hadith #7294:
This is the same incident as narrated in #7291:
The Narrator in 7291: Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari رضي الله عنه
The Narrator in 7294: Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه
They narrated the same incident, but Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari رضي الله عنه was older and Anas رضي الله عنه was just a young boy. Anas رضي الله عنه was just relating everything he saw, but Abu Musa رضي الله عنه narrated anger - because he was more experienced, learned, and knew about life and its people. If you read the Hadith of Anas alone, you would not know why the Prophet ﷺ was saying, "سألوني" (Ask me).
Anas رضي الله عنه mentioned that the Ansar wept when the Prophet ﷺ said, "سألوني". Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ was angry, because they asked him about matters he disliked. The hypocrites were asking him many irrelevant questions; doubting his truthfulness. They wanted to test his prophethood. This is considered a defamation of the Prophet ﷺ and harming him.
They companions began to weep because they understood the meaning of a Prophet getting angry with his people - it meant that the people would be destroyed. And that is why Umar رضي الله عنه said what he did.
Question 1: Where will I be admitted? "أين مدخلي"
Answer: Hell
The Prophet ﷺ will only say the truth and what is revealed from Allah. Imagine the life of this person after knowing this answer. So why did he ask this question?
Question 2: Who is my father? "من أبي"
Answer: Hudhafah
It was said that whenever there was a dispute they would defame Abdullah Ibn Hudhafah, saying his father was not Hudafah. So he took advantage of the situation to ask the Prophet ﷺ.
It is narrated when he went home, his mother came home and said why did you scandalize me - we did many things in Jahiliyyah, and you ask this question? What if the answer was that your father was not Hudafah?
This question indicates undutifulness to his mother, because he harmed her. He doubted in her chastity.
Notice the Fiqh of Imam Bukhari. In the previous Hadith, undutifulness to ones mother is mentioned iqs one of the prohibitions, and this Hadith came after, which indicates that asking too many questions can cause undutifulness to parents and harm to people around you.
Umar رضي الله عنه said:
رضينا بالله ربّت و بالإسلام ديناً و بحمدٌ ﷺ رسولاً
We accept Allah as (our) Lord and Islam as (our) Religion, and Muhammed ﷺ as our Messenger
He knelt on his knees out of his severe and intense fear of the anger of the Prophet ﷺ. He was afraid that it might cause Allah to be angry with them. The one who is pleased with Allah as His Lord, Muhammed ﷺ as his Messenger, and Islam as a Religion, will not ask questions doubting in the Messengership of the Prophet ﷺ. The one who is pleased with Allah will not ask why Islam says such and such, etc. The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ used the right words in the right place and at the right time.
Islam means Submission; Acceptance; not doubting. And one of the conditions of لا اله الا الله is submission and acceptance.
Questions like these indicate lack of submission and acceptance. Even if you do not know the wisdom, you should accept and submit, and if you do so, Allah will teach you the wisdom of that matter as a result of your submission.
For a non-Muslim to enquire about Islam is a different case. However, if you are Muslim and yet ask these type of questions, you contradict your Shahadah; your لا اله الا الله and submission to Allah. You do not have to ask about everything - only that which is necessary for you to know.
It as if Umar رضي الله عنه is saying indirectly: O Allah we have no doubt in you, and we accept Islam as our religion.
Asking too many questions does not indicate the intelligence or knowledge of a person; it indicates his lack of faith. When you accept and submit, Allah will open your eyes to see the truth.
المعتصم does not see life except through the perspective of the Qur'an and Sunnah. He does not follow the desires of his self or the Shaytan.
There are many situations and events where we do not know if something is right or wrong. This is due to our lack of knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah. What should we do? عبادة الإستهداء - Seek guidance from Allah. Before you go and ask anyone, ask Allah to guide you and teach you, until Allah opens the gate of knowledge for you. It may take a day, a week, a month. But keep asking Allah until He opens the gate of knowledge. And this always helps.
When you recite Surah Al-AlFatihah and read Verse 6:
"Guide us to the straight path"
- collect your mind and intentions. If you ask Allah 17 times, while collecting your heart on what you want to be guided to, will Allah not give you? But because our hearts are not collected, guidance comes late.
فسكت رسول الله ﷺ حين قال عمر ذالك ثمّ قال رسول الله ﷺ: أولي، و الذي نفسي بيده لقّد عرضت علىّ الجنة و النار.....
Allah's Messenger ﷺ became quiet after Umar رضي الله عنه said that. Then Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, Paradise and Hell were displayed before me..."
After Umar رضي الله عنه said the above, Allah as a result, gave them knowledge of the unseen - of
Paradise and Hell. When you submit to Allah, Allah will open the gate of knowledge and understanding for you. When you show that you are pleased with Allah as your Lord, Islam as your Religion, and Muhammed ﷺ as your Messenger, Allah will make a way for you.
Hadith #7295:
After the title of Chapter 3, the following verse is mentioned: [5:101]:
"O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.."
In this Hadith, Anas رضي الله عنه mentions the reason of revelation behind this verse. The question the man asked was not a good question.
Why should we not ask such questions? Because it will cause harm to people;your parents and family. If it happened that the answer was someone else, it would be a serious matter. It is better to keep it concealed.
Ruling: Do not dig or try to find out whatever Allah has made concealed from you.
E.g. A father will come to his children and ask: Who do you love more, me or your mum?
E.g. A teacher asks, "What do you think of me?"
This question indicates you are seeking praise of people.
Why are you embarrassing people? This is not something that just happened at the time of the Prophet ﷺ and does not apply to us. And we fall into it because of our ignorance. And then we wonder why we are afflicted and suffer calamities. If the person does not like you, they may tell lies. And you are responsible for them telling lies.
Keeping secrets concealed is a legal requirement. When you dig and ask questions, that person will be embarrassed and say what he does not want to say. You are putting them in the corner. You may either hurt him until he says the truth or he may say a lie. And this is not right.
Worship Allah through seeking concealment for yourself and others. Do not trouble yourself beyond your capacity in knowing the details of other peoples lives. And do not cause trouble to someone by exposing his secrets.
Hadith #7296:
This indicates the seriousness of asking too many questions. The Shaytan makes the person ask and ask, and will not leave him with just asking about people's affairs, but lead him until he reaches Allahs Essence and says: Allah created everything. Who created Allah?
The فطرة (Natural Disposition) answers this question. In our فطرة there is something called قطع التسلسل - Cutting the Sequence. Allah made Surah Al-Ikhlas, one of the shortest Surahs but greatest Surahs, the first thing that children memorize, and in it He says:
"He begets not, nor was He begotten;"
And we are created believing in the concept of الأولين - you see children asking who the first one who did such and such is. Allah is the First, there is nothing before Him. And Allah is The Last, and there is nothing after Him.
Asking these questions indicate the overpowering of the Shaytan.
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