Guidance on the Hadith: “Indeed, Allah said to the people of Badr: Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you”

The questioner : The questioner asks: The saying of Allah the Exalted to the people of Badr, , is confusing because the apparent generality of "do what you will" includes disbelief. The answer to this is in one of two ways. The first is to say that it is not possible for them to will disbelief because of the firm faith that has settled in their hearts, through which nothing can enter.

The Shaykh : Disbelief. Thus, this serves as good news to them that they will not become disbelievers, and anything less than disbelief is expiated by this expedition.

The questioner : That is sufficient. May Allah bless you. Did you understand this or not?

The Shaykh : So it means that their saying "do what you will" does not include disbelief, because it is not possible for them to will disbelief due to the great good they have done. This serves as good news for them that they will not become disbelievers. Second, even if they were to become disbelievers, they would be facilitated in repentance until they are forgiven, . This would constitute two pieces of good news: either that they will not become disbelievers, or that if it were decreed that they did become disbelievers, they would return to Islam and what they fell short of would be forgiven them. And whoever looks into their conditions will not find that any one of them apostatized; none of those in the Battle of Badr apostatized. So the first meaning is the correct one.

The questioner : What? The closest and most correct is that they will not

The Shaykh : will disbelief.

The questioner : What? Huh? What?

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. The assumption where disbelief is forgiven, or fornication, or something else. Yes, I say if we assume that such a thing occurred from them, it is forgiven. But who says now, if I said, “Prove to me one instance where a sin occurred among the people of Badr without an interpretation that makes it consistent”? The mental assumption does not mean the actual reality. The mind may assume many things; perhaps the mind assumes, “The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) might apostatize,” may he be kept safe from that.

The questioner : Or not? Well, do you have evidence now that one of the people of Badr committed fornication, or stole, or drank intoxicants?

The Shaykh : It is interpreted, and for this reason I made an exception. I said, no one among them committed a sin openly, known to be a sin, except with its interpretation.

The questioner : The point is, can you now accuse one of the people of Badr of fornication? No,

The Shaykh : you cannot. And I told you, if we assume they committed fornication, stole, and drank intoxicants, these are sins less than disbelief, so they would be expiated by this great good deed. The only thing that causes difficulty is the issue of disbelief. And I told you that this is good news that they will not will disbelief, because Allah said “do whatever you wish,” and they will not commit disbelief. How can one imagine that a person who fought in this great expedition, through which Allah opened victory for the Muslims, would then become a disbeliever? That is far-fetched.

The questioner : But we say it is evidence that he will not become a disbeliever, that he will not will disbelief. Then, if we assume he became a disbeliever, as a mental assumption and not as a matter of caution, if we assume it, then

The Shaykh : O Adam, I told you and others: if you are continuing in the answer, no one raises their hand. You are confusing me, and it is of no benefit. And you are also distracted from the answer, which might be more beneficial for you than your answer to your issue. I say, if he committed a sin, for example, let it be disbelief, this is an indication that they will return to Islam and it will be forgiven for them.

The questioner : Did you understand now?

The Shaykh : So, you do not place mental assumptions on the level of reality.

The questioner : Ibn Hajar and other scholars say that if we placed mental assumptions on the level of reality, we would not be able to use any hadith as evidence. And we say the same regarding verses. That is, if we assumed that every assumption the mind makes applies to an issue or to a text, we would not be able to do so. Every text can be interpreted in various ways. We have only the apparent meaning.