Miscellaneous by Al-Albani-199
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The questioner : There is a report from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that says "Tell the people what they can understand. Do you want Allah and His Messenger to be lied about?", and Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar transmitted a statement from Malik that the meaning of this is the hadiths of the attributes. Is this report authentic? And if it is not authentic, what is the meaning of that command? ... And if it is authentic.
The Shaykh : The hadith is authentic, or rather this report is authentic, mawquf (stopping at) 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhari narrated it with a connected chain of narration to 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), so it is authentic without doubt. As for the intended meaning, it is that it is obligatory that we do not tell the general public something their minds cannot bear. It is not of this type, as mentioned regarding Malik, that we do not tell the people about the verses of the attributes and the hadiths of the attributes, or the hadiths of the attributes. Because the meaning of this is that we do not tell the people about the verses of the attributes, and this is not something said by someone far below Malik, let alone by Imam Malik, the Imam of the City of Migration.
Especially since the fitrah (innate natural disposition) of people, the general public, is closer to the Salafi creed in this issue than the intellectuals influenced by 'ilm al-kalam (theology). Because the creed of the Salaf is, by the admission of the Khalaf (the later generations), the safest. So how can it be said that it is not befitting for us to tell the general public about the creed that is the safest? This example for this report does not match it, nor is it the intended meaning of it. Rather, we take as an example for it what Al-Bukhari himself narrated, in my opinion in this chapter, that Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to him (peace and blessings be upon him) He said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 64:1497 Mu'adh said, "O Messenger of Allah, should I not give the people good news?" He said, The statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to Mu'adh and his giving him good news about the virtue of this testimony, this good word, that whoever says it sincerely from his heart, Allah will protect his body from the Fire, may be understood by some people as it is the reality in many countries, especially among us in Syria, that it is done, as long as he testifies that there is no god but Allah, he has entered Paradise, no reckoning and no punishment. Whereas the intended meaning of this testimony, which has that virtue, is not that whoever says it merely with his tongue, Allah will save him from the Fire. Rather, he must believe in it, and then belief in it must be preceded by knowing its meaning. And we, unfortunately, are still arguing with the masses of Muslims to make them understand the meaning of this good word. They interpret it, they still interpret it incompletely, saying the meaning of "La ilaha" is "no Lord," and this interpretation is deficient. I do not want to enter into this topic, but the meaning of "La ilaha" is "no one worthy of worship in truth except Allah." If the Muslim knows the correct meaning of this good word and then believes in it firmly from his heart, this is without doubt, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in another hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5401 But among the implications of this good word is that one acts in accordance with its requirements, and its requirement is acting upon at least the pillars. So whoever acts upon the implications of this testimony, Allah will protect his body from the Fire absolutely. This is the correct, complete meaning. As for if he falls short in a little or a lot of acting upon the implications of this testimony, his affair is with Allah, as our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) said in His Book [An-Nisa 4:48] If this monotheist, the one who says and believes in this testimony, dies, He will save him from eternal abode in the Fire, but it does not prevent him from entering the Fire because of sins he had committed or committed, if Allah wills He will punish him, and if He wills He will forgive him. So the understanding of this text by many people is corrupted. Therefore, when Mu'adh asked the Messenger of Allah for permission to give the people good news, he said to him .
So this is a true example of the report of 'Ali: "Speak to people according to their understanding". The people, or the individuals, who understand from you if you give them this Prophetic good news contrary to the correct meaning, it is not befitting for you to tell them about it, except that you tell them and explain the meaning to them completely, so that when they know this testimony, it increases their faith upon their faith and their righteousness upon their righteousness.
The Shaykh : The hadith is authentic, or rather this report is authentic, mawquf (stopping at) 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhari narrated it with a connected chain of narration to 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), so it is authentic without doubt. As for the intended meaning, it is that it is obligatory that we do not tell the general public something their minds cannot bear. It is not of this type, as mentioned regarding Malik, that we do not tell the people about the verses of the attributes and the hadiths of the attributes, or the hadiths of the attributes. Because the meaning of this is that we do not tell the people about the verses of the attributes, and this is not something said by someone far below Malik, let alone by Imam Malik, the Imam of the City of Migration.
Especially since the fitrah (innate natural disposition) of people, the general public, is closer to the Salafi creed in this issue than the intellectuals influenced by 'ilm al-kalam (theology). Because the creed of the Salaf is, by the admission of the Khalaf (the later generations), the safest. So how can it be said that it is not befitting for us to tell the general public about the creed that is the safest? This example for this report does not match it, nor is it the intended meaning of it. Rather, we take as an example for it what Al-Bukhari himself narrated, in my opinion in this chapter, that Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to him (peace and blessings be upon him)
Shall I not give you good news, O Mu'adh?
ألا أبشّرك يا معاذWhoever dies while testifying that there is no god but Allah, Allah will protect his body from the Fire.
من مات وهو يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله حرّم الله بدنه عن النارLet them work, otherwise they will become complacent.
دعهم يعملون إذًا يتكلواLet them work.
دعهم يعملونNarrated 'Urban bin Malik: who attended the Badr battle and was from the Ansar, that he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have lost my eyesight and I lead my people in the prayer (as an Imam). When it rains, the valley which is between me and my people, flows with water, and then I cannot go to their mosque to lead them in the prayer. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I wish that you could come and pray in my house so that I may take it as a praying place. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah willing, I will do that." The next morning, soon after the sun had risen, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came with Abu Bakr. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for the permission to enter and I admitted him. The Prophet (ﷺ) had not sat till he had entered the house and said to me, "Where do you like me to pray in your house?" I pointed at a place in my house whereupon he stood and said, "Allahu Akbar." We lined behind him and he prayed two rak`at and finished it with Taslim. We then requested him to stay for a special meal of Khazira which we had prepared. A large number of men from the adjoining area gathered in the house. One of them said, "Where is Malik bin Ad-Dukhshun?" Another man said, "He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet said, "Do not say so. Do you not think that he has said: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah," seeking Allah's pleasure? The man said, "Allah and His Apostle know better, but we have always seen him mixing with hypocrites and giving them advice." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah has forbidden the (Hell) Fire for those who testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, seeking Allah's pleasure. "
من قال لا إله إلا الله نفعته يوما مت دهرهIndeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءNo, otherwise they will become complacent. Let them work.
لا، إذًا يتكلوا دعهم يعلمونSo this is a true example of the report of 'Ali: "Speak to people according to their understanding". The people, or the individuals, who understand from you if you give them this Prophetic good news contrary to the correct meaning, it is not befitting for you to tell them about it, except that you tell them and explain the meaning to them completely, so that when they know this testimony, it increases their faith upon their faith and their righteousness upon their righteousness.