What is the authenticity and meaning of the hadith of Abu Thalhah al-Khushni in which he mentioned the meaning of the verse: "O you who believe, look to yourselves"?
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Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: What is the authenticity and meaning of the hadith of Abu Thalhah al-Khushni in which he says: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:105] and he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 4014Hasan (Darussalam) Sunan al-Bayhaqi 17:1096
Answer:
Yes, the hadith is authentic and it has many corroborating narrations. The meaning of the verse is clear: what is its meaning? It is that one does not look at people and say, "Everyone is doing this," and then abandon [enjoining good and forbidding evil] and fall into sin and disobedience by following the people. Rather, he restrains himself. Even if the people oppose him, he restrains himself to obedience and reward, and he leaves the common people to their own devices.
"Look to yourselves" means: adhere to the obedience of Allah and do not trade with the people of sins, saying, "Everyone is doing this, and what can I do about it?" as some of the ignorant or the idle make an excuse. Rather, accustom yourself to the fact that if the people disobey Allah, do not disobey Allah with them, and if they obey Allah, obey Allah with them. Accustom yourself to this.
As for enjoining good and forbidding evil, this remains until the Hour stands; it is necessary, but it is according to one's abilitySahih Muslim 49a. This is a system that continues until the Day of Resurrection, with degrees. Enjoining good and forbidding evil does not cease, even if the people become corrupt. At the very least, you disapprove of it in your heart and you isolate yourself from the evil and the people of evil.
So this is one thing, and the meaning of the verse is another. For this reason, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people, you are interpreting this verse other than its interpretation, and it is His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:105] And I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: from Him.
So this is authentic and this is a reality. There will be trials, there will be deviation, and there will be what will happen of what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about. The Messenger informed us about that so that we prepare for it, and so that we accustom ourselves to standing firm upon the truth and being patient with it, even if we are afflicted with harm. We are patient with this, even if we are strangers. What does "strangers" mean? We are patient with this, even if we are strangers, until Allah brings His command. Yes.
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: What is the authenticity and meaning of the hadith of Abu Thalhah al-Khushni in which he says: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about His saying:
O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْEnjoin good upon one another and forbid one another to do evil, but if you see overwhelming stinginess, desires being followed, this world being preferred (to the Hereafter), every person with an opinion feeling proud of it, and you realize that you have no power to deal with it, then you have to mind your own business and leave the common folk to their own devices. After you will come days
بل ائتمروا بالمعروف، وانهوا عن المنكر، حتى إذا رأيت شحا مطاعا، وهوى متبعا، ودنيا مؤثرة، وإعجاب كل ذي رأي برأيه، ورأيت أمرا لا يدان لك به، فعليك بنفسك، ودع عنك أمر العوام، فإن من ورائك أيامFor behind you are days in which patience is like grasping hot embers, and the reward of the one who works in them is like the reward of fifty men who work like his work.
فإن من ورائك أياما للصبر فيهن مثل قبض على الجمر، للعامل فيهن كأجر خمسين رجلا يعملون مثل عملهAnswer:
Yes, the hadith is authentic and it has many corroborating narrations. The meaning of the verse is clear: what is its meaning? It is that one does not look at people and say, "Everyone is doing this," and then abandon [enjoining good and forbidding evil] and fall into sin and disobedience by following the people. Rather, he restrains himself. Even if the people oppose him, he restrains himself to obedience and reward, and he leaves the common people to their own devices.
"Look to yourselves" means: adhere to the obedience of Allah and do not trade with the people of sins, saying, "Everyone is doing this, and what can I do about it?" as some of the ignorant or the idle make an excuse. Rather, accustom yourself to the fact that if the people disobey Allah, do not disobey Allah with them, and if they obey Allah, obey Allah with them. Accustom yourself to this.
As for enjoining good and forbidding evil, this remains until the Hour stands; it is necessary, but it is according to one's ability
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart
من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبهSo this is one thing, and the meaning of the verse is another. For this reason, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people, you are interpreting this verse other than its interpretation, and it is His saying:
O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ(peace and blessings be upon him) said: If the people see evil and do not change it, Allah will soon encompass them with punishment from Him.
صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول إذا رأى الناس المنكر ولم يغيروه أوشك أن يعمهم الله بعقابSo this is authentic and this is a reality. There will be trials, there will be deviation, and there will be what will happen of what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us about. The Messenger informed us about that so that we prepare for it, and so that we accustom ourselves to standing firm upon the truth and being patient with it, even if we are afflicted with harm. We are patient with this, even if we are strangers. What does "strangers" mean? We are patient with this, even if we are strangers, until Allah brings His command. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما صحة ومعنى حديث أبي ثعلبة الخشني الذي ذكر فيه معنى الآية يا أيها الذين آمنوا عليكم أنفسكم؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.