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 I know 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—and it 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 to send 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 seduced by a woman, and they tried to seduce her, but she refused unless they killed a young man there. They refused, because they knew that this was forbidden. So she offered them intoxicants, and they drank the intoxicants and became intoxicated, and they killed the young man and committed adultery with the woman. So Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) punished them in this world by hanging them upside down in a well, their heads downward and their feet 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 saying 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]

. So 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 this narration is 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) narrated 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 be upon him) said:

While a man from before you was walking in a desolate place on earth, he heard a voice from the clouds saying: "Water the land of so-and-so." The man walking on the earth was amazed, and he followed the clouds until he saw the clouds pouring their 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 told him the story: that he had heard this name being addressed to the angels of the clouds, and they were ordering the clouds to go to this land where you are working. "By what?" He said: "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 صوتًا من السحاب يقول : اسق أرض فلان . فتعجب الرجل الذي يمشي في الأرض ، وتوجَّه مع السحاب ، حتى رأى السحاب يُفرغ مشحونَه من المطر في بستان ، فأطلَّ هذا الرجل ، فرأى صاحب البستان يعمل في أرضه ، فسلَّم عليه ، وكأنه سماه بالاسم الذي سمعه من السماء ، فتعجب الرجل ، وقال له : ما علمك ؟ فقصَّ عليه القصة ؛ أنه سمع هذا الاسم يُخاطب به الملائكة السحاب ، ويأمرون السحاب أن ينطلق إلى هذه الأرض التي أنت تعمل فيها ؛ فبم ذاك ؟ قال : لا أعلم أمرًا أستحقُّ من الله هذا الإكرام ، سوى أنني أملك هذه الأرض ، فأزرعها ، ثم أحصدها ، فأجعل حصيدها ثلاثة أثلاث ، ثلث أعيده إلى الأرض ، وثلت أنفقه على نفسي وعيالي ، وثلت آخر أتصدَّق به على الفقراء والمساكين الذين حولي فقال له الرجل : فهو هذا

. Meaning, by your performance of these obligatory duties, you deserved this divine care, where He made the clouds subservient to you.
This is a hadith that speaks about the Children of Israel, but who narrated it? It is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who is described in the Noble Qur'an as:

⁽³⁾ Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. ⁽⁴⁾ It is not but a revelation revealed,

لا ينطق عن الهوى إن هو إلا وحي يوحى

[An-Najm 53:3-4]

. So, since this hadith came in "the two Sahihs" and from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who said: and mentioned the hadith, then it is not permissible for us to say this is from the Isra'iliyyat in the true sense. And if it is necessary, we qualify it by saying it is from the Isra'iliyyat, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is the one who spoke it.
Fine, what about others?

Source www.al-albany.com

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

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