The Meaning of Abu Hurayrah’s Hadith on Lengthening the White Marks
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The questioner:
What is the meaning of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)Sahih Muslim 246b?
The Shaykh:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) does not agree with this; it is from his independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “My Ummah will come on the Day of Resurrection with white faces and white ankles from the traces of wudu.” Then Abu Hurayrah said, “So whoever among you can lengthen his white marks and white ankles, let him do so.” This is not prescribed (mashru’), because it is from the words of Abu Hurayrah, and one does not add to the place of the obligation. Yes.
The questioner:
Well, Shaykh Salih, if there is, for example, a disagreement on a matter of worship, such as adding to the washing of a limb of the wudu, following the addition of Abu Hurayrah?
The Shaykh:
No, one does not add to the limbs of the wudu; one does not add to them. They have limits that are not exceeded, because this is exaggeration and extremism, as if what is prescribed is not sufficient for the one who adds. One restricts oneself to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has prescribed, and in that is good. The addition becomes a religious innovation (bid’ah); it becomes a bid’ah. Whoever introduces into our matter what is not part of it, it is rejected. In one narration: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command, it is rejected.”
And even if it is like Abu Hurayrah, who wants to exercise independent legal reasoning and seeks good, and does not want to innovate, but the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is more worthy of being followed. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
What is the meaning of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
so he who can increase the lustre of his forehead (and that of his hands and legs) should do so.
من استطاع منكم أن يطيل غرته فليفعلThe Shaykh:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) does not agree with this; it is from his independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “My Ummah will come on the Day of Resurrection with white faces and white ankles from the traces of wudu.” Then Abu Hurayrah said, “So whoever among you can lengthen his white marks and white ankles, let him do so.” This is not prescribed (mashru’), because it is from the words of Abu Hurayrah, and one does not add to the place of the obligation. Yes.
The questioner:
Well, Shaykh Salih, if there is, for example, a disagreement on a matter of worship, such as adding to the washing of a limb of the wudu, following the addition of Abu Hurayrah?
The Shaykh:
No, one does not add to the limbs of the wudu; one does not add to them. They have limits that are not exceeded, because this is exaggeration and extremism, as if what is prescribed is not sufficient for the one who adds. One restricts oneself to what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has prescribed, and in that is good. The addition becomes a religious innovation (bid’ah); it becomes a bid’ah. Whoever introduces into our matter what is not part of it, it is rejected. In one narration: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command, it is rejected.”
And even if it is like Abu Hurayrah, who wants to exercise independent legal reasoning and seeks good, and does not want to innovate, but the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is more worthy of being followed. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، برنامج (فتاوى) (101) لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان بتاريخ [1436-09-14] - كبار العلماء — youtube.com (35:52)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.