In the hadith: (A man from the people of Paradise will now appear before you), 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said to this man: "This is what brought you to this state
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The questioner: Our Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, regarding the statement of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr - may Allah be pleased with them both - : "This is what brought you to this state, and it is what we cannot do", when he said it to the one about whom the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - said: As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 64:1274 ; is this phrase to be understood literally that he is lower, meaning than that man, or is it something else? May Allah keep you safe?
The Shaykh: I did not understand you.
The questioner: Is this phrase actually to be understood literally that he is lower than him in this matter, that he does not hold any resentment or envy toward anyone, and so on?
The Shaykh: I mean, he is speaking about himself.
The questioner: He said - our Shaykh - using the plural pronoun, yes, he said: "It is what brought you to this state, and it is what we cannot do".
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: He said: "It is what we cannot do"; so the question here is: is this actually literal?
The Shaykh: Of course it is literal. What is the necessity to interpret it metaphorically? First, there is no doubt that the matter is so. Second, no matter how high a person rises, he may be perfect in one aspect and deficient in another. Another person may be perfect in that other aspect and deficient in the first. And the matter is as He - the Exalted - said:[Al-Qiyamah 75:14] . So when Ibn 'Amr heard that character from that guest, he pinpointed the point of perfection present in that guest, which Ibn 'Amr acknowledged that he and those like him cannot attain. So it is a specific aspect. Therefore, it is not strange for a distinguished Companion like Ibn 'Amr to say: "This is what we cannot do"; so it is literal.
The questioner: I mean - our Shaykh - may Allah reward you with good, we have benefited from you regarding the issue of capacities - if the expression is correct: individual differences - in the performance of acts of worship; I mean, a person may differ.
The Shaykh: Acts of worship? Here I think it is about morals, not acts of worship.
The questioner: In their performance, yes, but here it seems, does this mean that the majority of the Companions or something like that, "it is what we cannot do", or the majority of, I mean, of whom?
The Shaykh: No, he means a group.
The questioner : Reconciliation.
The Shaykh: It does not mean every single individual except that man; no, that is not what it means; because the minimum for a plural is two.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
A man from the people of Paradise will now appear to you.
يطلع عليكم الآن رجل من أهل الجنةThe Shaykh: I did not understand you.
The questioner: Is this phrase actually to be understood literally that he is lower than him in this matter, that he does not hold any resentment or envy toward anyone, and so on?
The Shaykh: I mean, he is speaking about himself.
The questioner: He said - our Shaykh - using the plural pronoun, yes, he said: "It is what brought you to this state, and it is what we cannot do".
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: He said: "It is what we cannot do"; so the question here is: is this actually literal?
The Shaykh: Of course it is literal. What is the necessity to interpret it metaphorically? First, there is no doubt that the matter is so. Second, no matter how high a person rises, he may be perfect in one aspect and deficient in another. Another person may be perfect in that other aspect and deficient in the first. And the matter is as He - the Exalted - said:
Rather, man, against himself, will be a witness,
بَلِ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌThe questioner: I mean - our Shaykh - may Allah reward you with good, we have benefited from you regarding the issue of capacities - if the expression is correct: individual differences - in the performance of acts of worship; I mean, a person may differ.
The Shaykh: Acts of worship? Here I think it is about morals, not acts of worship.
The questioner: In their performance, yes, but here it seems, does this mean that the majority of the Companions or something like that, "it is what we cannot do", or the majority of, I mean, of whom?
The Shaykh: No, he means a group.
The questioner : Reconciliation.
The Shaykh: It does not mean every single individual except that man; no, that is not what it means; because the minimum for a plural is two.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
Source
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