The Meaning of the Isra'iliyyat Discussed by the Scholars

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The Shaykh : However, there is a detail that must be mentioned, for it is known that this detail is rarely read in the books of the scholars. The Isra'iliyyat are named after the narration of stories concerning the Children of Israel. They are divided into two categories: The first category, which is the most narrated and widespread, is what was narrated, as we mentioned earlier, from the People of the Book. These narrations are numerous and very numerous, such as the story of Harut and Marut, that they were two angels close to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, and that when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said to the angels

Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."

إني جاعل في الأرض خليفة قالوا أتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها ويسفك الدماء ونحن نسبح لك ونقدس لك قال إني أعلم ما لا تعلمون

[Al-Baqarah 2:30]

, Allah intended to test these angels who had said, "Will You place therein...?" He said, "Choose two angels from among you, and I will send them down to the earth and I will test them." So they chose Harut and Marut. It is a long story, the summary of which is that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, clothed them in the garment of humanity, so they were tested with a woman. They attempted to seduce her, but she refused unless they killed a boy there. They refused because they knew that this is forbidden. So she offered them wine, and they drank the wine and became intoxicated, and they killed the boy and defiled the woman. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, punished them in this world by hanging them in a well, with their heads pointing downward and their feet pointing upward, and smoke comes out from below and enters their nostrils and comes out from their rear ends. This is a story narrated in the interpretation of the previous verse. This is from the Isra'iliyyat, and it contradicts the statement of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, regarding the angels:

over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.

عليها ملائكة غلاظ شداد لا يعصون الله ما أمرهم ويفعلون ما يؤمرون

[At-Tahrim 66:6]

. This story contradicts such a verse, which explicitly states that the angels are protected from sin, and it is not conceivable that they would commit adultery or kill a soul without right, and so on, as came in those Isra'iliyyat. This type of Isra'iliyyat is what is intended when it is said that this report or these narrations are from the Isra'iliyyat.
There is another category, and although it is few, this must not be treated in the same manner as the first category. This other category consists of reports spoken by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Children of Israel. Reports spoken by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Children of Israel. These are authentic Isra'iliyyat, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reported them, and they are not of the kind narrated by the People of the Book. There are many examples of this, and there is no harm in mentioning one hadith he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

While a man from before you was walking in a desolate part of the land, he heard a voice from the cloud saying, "Water the land of so-and-so." The man walking on the earth was amazed and followed the cloud until he saw the cloud emptying its load of rain into a garden. This man looked in and saw the owner of the garden working in his land. He greeted him, and it was as if he called him by the name he had heard from the sky. The man was amazed and said to him, "What is your knowledge?" So he related to him the story that he had heard this name addressing the angels and the cloud, and the angels were ordered to send the cloud to this land where you are working. "By what?" He said to him, "I do not know of any matter for which I deserve this honor from Allah except that I own this land, so I plant it, then I harvest it, and I make its harvest into three parts: one part I return to the earth, one part I spend on myself and my family, and one part I give in charity to the poor and needy around me." So the man said to him, "That is it."

بينما رجل ممن قبلكم يمشي في فلاة من الأرض إذ سمع صوتا من السحاب يقول اسق أرض فلان فتعجب الرجل الذي يمشي في الأرض وتوجه مع السحاب حتى رأى السحاب يفرغ مشحونه من المطر في بستان فأطل هذا الرجل فرأى صاحب البستان يعمل في أرضه فسلم عليه وكأنه سماه بالاسم الذي سمعه من السماء فتعجب الرجل وقال له ما علمك؟ فقص عليه القصة أنه سمع هذا الاسم يخاطب به الملائكة السحاب ويؤمرون السحاب أن ينطلق إلى هذه الأرض التي تعمل فيها فبم ذاك؟ قال له لا أعلم أمرا أستحق من الله هذا الإكرام سوى أنني أملك هذه الأرض فأزرعها ثم أحصدها فأجعل حصيدها ثلاثة أثلاثا ثلث أعيده إلى الأرض وثلت أنفقه على نفسي وعيالي وثلت آخر أتصدق به على الفقراء والمساكين الذين حولي فقال له الرجل فهو هذا

Meaning, by your performance of these obligatory duties, you have earned this divine care, where He made the clouds subservient to you. This is a hadith that speaks about the Children of Israel, but who reported it? It is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who is described in the Noble Qur'an as not speaking from desire; it is nothing but a revelation that is revealed. Where is this hadith, since it came in the two Sahihs and from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? He said and mentioned the hadith. So it is not permissible for us to say that this is from the Isra'iliyyat in that sense. And if it is necessary, we qualify it by saying that it is from the Isra'iliyyat, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who spoke of it. What about others?

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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