How to Distinguish Between Fitnah and Its Absence

The questioner : How can you, our Shaykh, know about the trials (fitan)? You say, for example, that this time is a time of trials. How do we know that these are the trials, specifically those intended by the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? I mean, How do we know that these are trials and these are not trials? I mean, the distinction?

The Shaykh : I think the least one can say about the question is that it lacks precision. Perhaps if I ask: Do you see a difference between the question "Is what happened one of the trials?" and the question "Is what happened the trials?" Is there a difference between the two questions?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest. How not? Let me repeat the question.

The questioner : Repeat the question.

The Shaykh : If he says, "These trials we see are among the trials about which the hadiths have come in succession," and this is what we see of the trials, while another says, "These are the trials," is there no difference between the two statements?

The questioner : There is a difference, of course.

The Shaykh : So, which one do you mean, the first or the second?

The questioner : No, I mean the second. I mean that these are among the trials, or that these are the trials, the first one.

The Shaykh : Stick to one thing.

The questioner : These are the trials.

The Shaykh : Do you realize that when you say "these trials," the meaning of the statement is that there are no trials other than these? I don't think you realize that.

The questioner : No, I don't mean that.

The Shaykh : If you mean that these are among the trials, then you see the difference between the two expressions.

The questioner : The distinction between this question and the question I raised.

The Shaykh : Your question, my brother, means that there are no trials other than the ones we are seeing now.

The questioner : No, that is not what I mean, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : If you mean that these are among the trials, then if you mean that, stick to your question.

The questioner : Yes, how can we know that these are like these trials, that these are among the trials?

The Shaykh : Yes, glory be to Allah, this has become an embarrassing question. Do you know why? How can we know that this light is on, and this one is on, and this one is on, and there is one in front of me in the chest? How am I supposed to answer you?

The questioner : I mean, my Shaykh, why do we count them among the trials?

The Shaykh : You understood what I am saying.

The questioner : Yes, you mean clarifying the obvious.

The Shaykh : Yes, may Allah give you well-being. Now, I will bring the matter closer to you. You are touching it with your hand; this is the issue.

The questioner : Touching it with the hand means, in reality, no, it means we are in it.

The Shaykh : That is the intended meaning. It is a conceptual thing, but it is so clear and evident that it is as if you are touching it with your hand. So, if you adopt the apparent aspect and take the expression as purely material, we withdraw this word; it is for your sake.

The questioner : May Allah honor you, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : But I will say now that to the end of the hadith, this meaning is what you are seeing with your own eyes.

The questioner : Ah

The Shaykh : In your life, you are not touching it with your hand. We are afraid of this expression. Is it not trials?

The questioner : Trials.

The Shaykh : Well, if a man lives for a period of time believing that so-and-so is a disbeliever or an open sinner, and then, overnight, he believes the opposite, here the trial is very clear. What is the reason? When this person’s opinion flips, either he is mistaken or he is correct. If he is mistaken, then he is the one who has been tried, correct? Why? Because so-and-so was an open sinner, a wicked person, a disbeliever, and then he believes that he is the one who wants to support Islam and the Muslims, and he is the one. The person has not changed. As for so-and-so, the one who used to see that so-and-so was wicked, and then came to believe in his righteousness, he has been tried. Or it could be the opposite: that man was indeed an open sinner, a wicked person, a disbeliever, but what has he become? A believer. Yes, this is what the hadith addresses: both types of trial. The man becomes a believer in those days in the morning and a disbeliever in the evening, and a disbeliever in the evening and a believer in the morning. Yes, this is what we are seeing. How do you say how we should know, while we are seeing the trials? It is like rain, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in some hadiths. I don't know if you attended one of the sessions in which we narrated to you the athar of Hudhayfah, who said: Did you hear this athar or not?

The questioner : Yes, O our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes, this meaning is what we are seeing today.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Well, if we know, how do we know that these are among the trials or not?

The questioner : We seek help from Allah.

The Shaykh : Well, and after that, where do you go with the hadiths of ? And these hadiths are numerous, to the end. Yes, this is not trials?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But your question is strange, Ahmad.

The questioner : Excuse me, my Shaykh, if you could explain to us, or repeat for our ears the athar of Hudhayfah that you mentioned.

The Shaykh : The athar of Hudhayfah, in truth, is as if it is detailed specifically for our reality today.

The questioner : We seek help from Allah.

The Shaykh : Yes, and it is likely that it is one of the hadiths raised to the Messenger (peace be upon him), and Hudhayfah received it from him, because he was the keeper of the secret of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is authentic from him that he said: Because it changes according to circumstances, and we today, despite Ahmad not agreeing with us, are touching it with our hand, absolutely.