Can the Messenger command something and then do the opposite?
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The Shaykh : Can the Messenger prohibit something and then do the opposite?
The questioner : Yes, it is possible.
The Shaykh : Did you see? I am coming with you, but you are not coming with me. Now you understand my question and your answer, which is what we agreed upon, correct?
The questioner : Yes, correct.
The Shaykh : Now, in other words, if it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited something and then did it, is it permissible for Muslims in general to do that thing, or is it not permissible?
The questioner : What the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did?
The Shaykh : Not just that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he had prohibited it.
The questioner : No, it is not permissible for them to do the act that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in contradiction to his statement.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because this would be one of the indicators of his specific attributes, as this is among the specific attributes of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Also, I will come with you, and you will not come with me except later. Is it possible that his action is evidence that the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) and not for prohibition (tahrimi)?
The questioner : You may
The Shaykh : Did you see? You came with me again. Stay with me. The third question will come, and I hope it will be the last, okay?
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Is it possible that if the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibited something with a prohibition of prohibition (tahrim) and it is established that he did this prohibited thing, is it permissible for a Muslim to do it?
The questioner : ... Attempting to reconcile and harmonize the statement and the action.
The Shaykh : Reconcile and harmonize. The answer is not just that, but I will leave it to you. Reconcile and harmonize. The question is the same as the previous one: What do we do? And the question that followed was: Is it possible that his action is an explanation that his prohibition is not for prohibition (tahrim) but for discouragement (tanzihi)? The answer was yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or did you forget?
The questioner : No, I did not forget, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Now, the same question, but we say the prohibition was explicit in prohibition (tahrim). Is it permissible for you?
The questioner : We fell... .
The Shaykh : ... Now you are sitting, you did not fall.
Al-Halabi : ... You withdrew from the first session.
The Shaykh : You are upright now, you did not fall, and you realized your mistake.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The one who raised you is this sequential logic.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Correct or not?
The questioner : Yes, correct.
The Shaykh : Ah, now we return to the hadith of Ali. O my brother, it was possible to benefit from it that the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) and not for prohibition (tahrim). But when the severe prohibition came, prohibiting drinking while standing, and warning against drinking while standing: "O so-and-so, you are drinking while standing. Would you be pleased if a cat drank with you?" He said: "No." He said: "The Shaytan has drunk with you." Then he said to him or to another: "Vomit, vomit." This prevents us from saying the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) here. We are forced to say that what Ali narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was either before the prohibition, or it was for a need or dire necessity (darurah) that permits this form, even for the Muslim who is told "Vomit, vomit," because there is a command. Or, in the last case, this statement is a specific attribute of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that no one among the people shares with him. Thus, we remain with the prohibition that does not accept interpretation (ta'wil) to discouragement (tanzihi). Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Now, let us see what Abu al-Harith has.
Al-Halabi : May Allah reward you with good, O Professor.
The questioner : Yes, it is possible.
The Shaykh : Did you see? I am coming with you, but you are not coming with me. Now you understand my question and your answer, which is what we agreed upon, correct?
The questioner : Yes, correct.
The Shaykh : Now, in other words, if it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited something and then did it, is it permissible for Muslims in general to do that thing, or is it not permissible?
The questioner : What the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did?
The Shaykh : Not just that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And he had prohibited it.
The questioner : No, it is not permissible for them to do the act that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in contradiction to his statement.
The Shaykh : Why?
The questioner : Because this would be one of the indicators of his specific attributes, as this is among the specific attributes of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Also, I will come with you, and you will not come with me except later. Is it possible that his action is evidence that the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) and not for prohibition (tahrimi)?
The questioner : You may
The Shaykh : Did you see? You came with me again. Stay with me. The third question will come, and I hope it will be the last, okay?
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Is it possible that if the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibited something with a prohibition of prohibition (tahrim) and it is established that he did this prohibited thing, is it permissible for a Muslim to do it?
The questioner : ... Attempting to reconcile and harmonize the statement and the action.
The Shaykh : Reconcile and harmonize. The answer is not just that, but I will leave it to you. Reconcile and harmonize. The question is the same as the previous one: What do we do? And the question that followed was: Is it possible that his action is an explanation that his prohibition is not for prohibition (tahrim) but for discouragement (tanzihi)? The answer was yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or did you forget?
The questioner : No, I did not forget, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Now, the same question, but we say the prohibition was explicit in prohibition (tahrim). Is it permissible for you?
The questioner : We fell... .
The Shaykh : ... Now you are sitting, you did not fall.
Al-Halabi : ... You withdrew from the first session.
The Shaykh : You are upright now, you did not fall, and you realized your mistake.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The one who raised you is this sequential logic.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Correct or not?
The questioner : Yes, correct.
The Shaykh : Ah, now we return to the hadith of Ali. O my brother, it was possible to benefit from it that the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) and not for prohibition (tahrim). But when the severe prohibition came, prohibiting drinking while standing, and warning against drinking while standing: "O so-and-so, you are drinking while standing. Would you be pleased if a cat drank with you?" He said: "No." He said: "The Shaytan has drunk with you." Then he said to him or to another: "Vomit, vomit." This prevents us from saying the prohibition is for discouragement (tanzihi) here. We are forced to say that what Ali narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was either before the prohibition, or it was for a need or dire necessity (darurah) that permits this form, even for the Muslim who is told "Vomit, vomit," because there is a command. Or, in the last case, this statement is a specific attribute of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that no one among the people shares with him. Thus, we remain with the prohibition that does not accept interpretation (ta'wil) to discouragement (tanzihi). Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, O our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Now, let us see what Abu al-Harith has.
Al-Halabi : May Allah reward you with good, O Professor.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.