The Meaning of Fitnah, Its Types, and the Authenticity of the Hadith That Fitnah Is Sleeping

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Question:
At the beginning of this episode, one of the brothers, Muhammad, says: Honorable Shaykh Salih, what is the meaning of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation)? And is it authentic that fitnah is sleeping, and may Allah curse the one who awakens it? And does it have types?

Answer:

⁽¹⁾ In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. ⁽²⁾ [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

[Al-Fatihah 1:1-2]

And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. Fitnah, in its original sense, is a test and a trial.

And We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ

[Muhammad 47:31]

Allah tests the servants.

And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.

وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

[Al-Anbya 21:35]

He trials the servants so that the sincere in his faith is distinguished from the liar in his faith. Thus, fitnahs are what reveal people for what they truly are. Were it not for fitnahs, the sound believer would not be distinguished from the hypocrite, nor the liar from the truthful one. He, Exalted and Majestic, said:

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

[Al-Fatihah 1:1]

⁽¹⁾ Alif, Lam, Meem ⁽²⁾ Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? ⁽³⁾ But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.

الم أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ

[Al-'Ankabut 29:1-3]

This is fitnah. Fitnah can occur in religion and creed, in wealth, and in children. He, Exalted and Majestic, said:

Your wealth and your children are but a trial, and Allah has with Him a great reward.

إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

[At-Taghabun 64:15]

He, the Exalted, said: "And know that it is only your wealth and your children that are a trial." Allah, Exalted and Majestic, informed that He trials with wealth, trials with children, trials with spouses, and trials with calamities and hardships, so that a person may be patient in his religion and firm in his creed, and so that the liar who does not remain firm in his religion or his creed is revealed.

And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allah, they consider the trial of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allah.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ

[Al-'Ankabut 29:10]

And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

[Al-Hajj 22:11]

. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you

Source نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 02/275 — archive.org (1:01)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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