For the best of speech is the speech of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and the worst of matters are their innovations, and every innovation is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation

The Shaykh: For the best of speech is the speech of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and the worst of matters are their innovations, and every innovation is a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. Our previous lesson reached the forty-fourth hadith after the two hundred, from the "Chapter on Forgiveness and Pardon of People." The author (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated with his authentic chain from Wahb ibn Kaysan, who said: I heard 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr: يقول على المنبر : خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ قال : والله ما أَمر بها أن تُؤخذ إلا من أخلاق الناس والله لآخذنها منهم ما صحبتهم He said on the pulpit: Take the pardon and enjoin what is right and turn away from the ignorant ones. He said: By Allah, He did not command that it be taken except from the character of people, and by Allah, I will take it from them as long as I am with them.. This hadith is one of the reports stopping at 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. It is well known that he was among the Companions of the Messenger (peace be upon him), but when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) died, he was young in age. So he is in the same age group as Ibn 'Abbas among the Companions of the Messenger (peace be upon him). So he delivered a sermon one day on the pulpit and recited this noble verse, which is His saying (Blessed and Exalted is He): . He then said, explaining the meaning of His saying: . He said: . So he (may Allah be pleased with him) clarifies with this phrase that the intended meaning of His saying (the Exalted): is not what is famous among the exegetes, that the intended meaning of "al-'afw" (forgiveness/excess) here in this verse is the surplus of people's wealth. That is, the scholars differed in interpreting this word specifically regarding this verse: What is "al-'afw"? There are two opinions. The first opinion: The surplus wealth that exceeds the owner's need. So this surplus wealth exceeding the owner's need is what Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this verse to take from the Companions, from the Muslims. This is based on the first opinion: Take "al-'afw," meaning the surplus of wealth. And according to this opinion, its proponents say that this was in the early days of Islam, meaning that it was obligatory in the early days of Islam to pay zakah on the wealth that exceeded one's need. So when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) prescribed the known zakah at that time, this command was abrogated, because the command was specific to the surplus of wealth. But when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) prescribed zakah, it became obligatory for them to pay a specific amount on the capital, two and a half percent, as is well known.
The summary: The first opinion in interpreting this verse: means: the surplus of people's wealth. The second opinion: This is the one to which 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr inclined and dwelt upon: means: pardon. So there is a great difference between the two opinions. The first opinion: means: the surplus of people's wealth. The second opinion: means: holding fast to pardoning people when they make a mistake with you. And this is the opinion to which 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr inclined, or which he understood from this noble verse, and it is the one adopted by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi in his "Tafsir." He said that it is the most famous, meaning the strongest, of the scholars' opinions. Based on this, the author's citation of this hadith is only to clarify what was established for this hadith in the chapter, which is his saying: "Chapter on Forgiveness and Pardon of People." So the author indicates that he chooses this interpretation in this noble verse: means: hold fast to pardoning people when they make a mistake with you. 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr said, indicating that the first opinion is the weaker position and not intended in this verse, because he swore an oath and said: meaning: not from their wealth. According to the first opinion, meaning the surplus of people's wealth. Ibn al-Zubayr swore by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and he is truthful by the permission of Allah, that when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: , He did not command that it be taken except from the character of people. So in the verse there are two opinions: Take "al-'afw" from the wealth of people, and the second opinion: Take "al-'afw" from the wealth of people. And on this, what is the meaning of "Take al-'afw," meaning the surplus of the character of people? It means that people are not perfect in character, and few among them are of perfect character. So whoever is not so has bad character and may commit something with you that is a breach of what should please you and anger you. So what do you do? Hold fast to pardoning such character. This is the intended meaning of this verse, as clarified by 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), swearing by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Then he followed that by binding himself to treat people according to this divine command. Take "al-'afw," meaning pardon. For this, he also swore: "By Allah, I will take it from them as long as I am with them," meaning I will treat people according to this divine command, so I will hold fast to pardoning them when they make a mistake with me. So the correct meaning in this verse: means: take pardon, and not take "al-'afw," meaning the surplus of people's wealth. And this meaning is supported by the end of the verse, where He (the Exalted) said: . The ignorant one is the one who makes a mistake with you and provokes your anger. So you may respond to this provocation and try to take revenge on him or seek retribution from him. But if you remember such a verse or are reminded of it, you will refrain from responding to the ignorant one by holding him accountable, and instead you will respond to him with forgiveness and pardon, as He (the Exalted) said in this verse: . And from the reality of the biography of the righteous Salaf, which indicates that they were the first to act upon the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) when something occurred with them that stirred their souls and annoyed them.