Is establishing the proof against disbelievers and the people of innovation sufficient, or is it necessary to understand it? What is the criterion for this understanding?
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The questioner : Is establishing the proof against the people of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the rest of the people of bid'ah (religious innovation) sufficient, or is it necessary to understand it? What is the criterion for this understanding? And Allah the Exalted says: and that is regarding the disbelievers: [Al-Kahf 18:57].
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that if the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is presented to some people from the non-Arabs in the Arabic language which they do not understand, the proof is not established against them. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Ibrahim 14:4] So, if a scholar establishes the proof of Allah upon His servants and they do not understand it because of a foreignness that has come upon their Arabic tongue, or because they are non-Arabs, then this scholar must, at that time, explain to them the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, until it becomes clear to them. If the proof becomes clear to them and then they deny it after their souls have become certain of it, then they are judged to be disbelievers and to be eternally in the Fire. However, merely reciting the proof to people who do not comprehend it is something by which the proof is not established, according to the consensus of the scholars. And when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Isra 17:15] He means a messenger in the language of their people so that they understand what he addresses them with from the revelation that was revealed to him from his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He. And to confirm this meaning, came his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, as narrated by Imam Muslim in "his Sahih" from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, in this hadith, his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, refers to every disbeliever on the face of the earth to whom the news of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reaches as he, peace be upon him, was in his call in its truth, and then he disbelieves in it; he is in the Fire.
So, his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: means only his true call. It does not, of course, mean if a disbeliever, for example, from the Europeans or the Americans or others, hears about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through the priests, monks, and Orientalists who speak about our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with lies and do not tell their people the truth of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was like in his morals and characteristics regarding his person. Then they do not speak about the truth of the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and that it is the call of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and that it is the call of reform in all fields of life. Rather, they tell their people the opposite of what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was like in his person and in his call. In this case, those people have not truly heard about him, peace and blessings be upon him. Therefore, the warning mentioned at the end of the hadith does not include them.
I repeat the mention of this hadith because of its importance in this topic. Many people imagine that merely by the Noble Qur'an reaching those disbelieving peoples through Arabic broadcasts, the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has been established against them. And therefore, it is not upon the Muslims to do anything in conveying the call. It is not so. The Qur'an was revealed in a clear Arabic language, and those people do not understand anything from it. How so, when many of the Arabs themselves, from the common people, have become like the non-Arabs, not understanding much of what is recited to them from the Book of their Lord? So how can it be said that the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has been established against those Europeans and their like of non-Arabs merely because they hear the recitation of the Qur'an from the Arabic broadcasts every morning and evening? Therefore, it is obligatory for a group of Muslims to convey the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Islam in the language of those peoples. And these people must be truly from the people of knowledge, who are good at translating the Qur'an with a meaning-based translation, not a word-for-word translation. This is the answer to that important question. Please, go ahead.
We have placed coverings over their hearts
إنا جَعَلْنا عَلى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةًIndeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness
إِنَّا جَعَلْنا عَلى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي أذانِهِمْ وَقْراًThe Shaykh : There is no doubt that if the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is presented to some people from the non-Arabs in the Arabic language which they do not understand, the proof is not established against them. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them
وَما أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ بِلِسانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْAnd never would We punish until We sent a messenger.
وَما كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاًThere is no man from this Ummah (the Muslim community), whether a Jew or a Christian, who hears about me and then does not believe in me, except that he will enter the Fire
ما من رجل من هذه الأمة من يهودي أو نصراني يسمع بي ثم لا يؤمن بي إلا دخل النارSo, his saying, peace and blessings be upon him:
hears of me
يسمع بيI repeat the mention of this hadith because of its importance in this topic. Many people imagine that merely by the Noble Qur'an reaching those disbelieving peoples through Arabic broadcasts, the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has been established against them. And therefore, it is not upon the Muslims to do anything in conveying the call. It is not so. The Qur'an was revealed in a clear Arabic language, and those people do not understand anything from it. How so, when many of the Arabs themselves, from the common people, have become like the non-Arabs, not understanding much of what is recited to them from the Book of their Lord? So how can it be said that the proof of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has been established against those Europeans and their like of non-Arabs merely because they hear the recitation of the Qur'an from the Arabic broadcasts every morning and evening? Therefore, it is obligatory for a group of Muslims to convey the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Islam in the language of those peoples. And these people must be truly from the people of knowledge, who are good at translating the Qur'an with a meaning-based translation, not a word-for-word translation. This is the answer to that important question. Please, go ahead.