What is the meaning of the following hadith? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The fornicator is not a believer while he is committing fornication, and the thief is not a believer while he is stealing, and he is
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The questioner : The questioner says: What is the meaning of the following hadith? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2625Sahih (Darussalam) to the end of the hadith, “rewarded”?
The Shaykh : Fornication and theft are among the major sins, and for this reason Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has made the hudud (fixed punishments) obligatory for them. As for fornication, if the fornicator is unmarried, his punishment is to be flogged one hundred lashes and exiled from the city for one year. But if he is muhsan (one who has married and had intercourse with his wife in a valid marriage, and both are adults, sane, and free), his punishment is to be stoned to death with stones. So fornication and theft are among the major sins. If they are major sins, then a person does not commit them while he is a complete believer in his faith. Rather, his faith in that state and in that moment is either completely lifted, or it is deficient by a great deficiency that warrants describing faith as negated because of this great deficiency. So the hadith is open to this interpretation and that one, meaning it is open to the interpretation that faith is negated entirely, and that is in the moment he commits it, because it is not possible for one who has faith to commit this act while he knows its crime and sin in Islamic law. Or the intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith in that moment, but he is deficient by an obvious deficiency that warrants being described as negated. This latter view is closer to the truth in my opinion, and it is the position of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The first view, while possible, may apply to some individuals and not others. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the view that the intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith. So the meaning of:Sahih al-Bukhari 6782 The same is said regarding the thief.
The questioner : Completing the hadith, O Shaykh Muhammad:Sahih Muslim 57a?
The Shaykh : Yes, they are all the sameSahih al-Bukhari 2475.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The adulterer is not a believer while he is committing adultery, and the thief is not a believer while he is stealing
لا يزني الزاني حين يزني وهو مؤمن، ولا يسرق السارق حين يسرق وهو مؤمنThe Shaykh : Fornication and theft are among the major sins, and for this reason Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) has made the hudud (fixed punishments) obligatory for them. As for fornication, if the fornicator is unmarried, his punishment is to be flogged one hundred lashes and exiled from the city for one year. But if he is muhsan (one who has married and had intercourse with his wife in a valid marriage, and both are adults, sane, and free), his punishment is to be stoned to death with stones. So fornication and theft are among the major sins. If they are major sins, then a person does not commit them while he is a complete believer in his faith. Rather, his faith in that state and in that moment is either completely lifted, or it is deficient by a great deficiency that warrants describing faith as negated because of this great deficiency. So the hadith is open to this interpretation and that one, meaning it is open to the interpretation that faith is negated entirely, and that is in the moment he commits it, because it is not possible for one who has faith to commit this act while he knows its crime and sin in Islamic law. Or the intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith in that moment, but he is deficient by an obvious deficiency that warrants being described as negated. This latter view is closer to the truth in my opinion, and it is the position of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The first view, while possible, may apply to some individuals and not others. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the view that the intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith. So the meaning of:
When (a person) an adulterer commits illegal sexual intercourse then he is not a believer at the time he is doing it
لا يزني الزاني حين يزني وهو مؤمنThe questioner : Completing the hadith, O Shaykh Muhammad:
and no drunkard who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it
ولا يشرب الخمر حين يشربها وهو مؤمنThe Shaykh : Yes, they are all the same
and when a robber robs, and the people look at him, then he is not a believer at the time of doing robbery.
ولا ينتهب نهبة يرفع الناس إليه فيها أبصارهم حين ينتهبها وهو مؤمنThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.