Is the hadith that denies repentance for the innovator authentic, and does the innovator have a repentance?
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The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner : I read a hadith, O our Shaykh, in Tafsir al-Jalalayn which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: How authentic is this hadith, and what is the meaning of "except for the people of innovation and desires, they have no repentance"? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Naturally, this hadith is weak in both its chain and its text, as the scholars of hadith say, weak in both chain and text. As for the chain, it contains a defect that prevents it from being judged as authentic. Naturally, I am not currently recalling this specific defect, but I know that the hadith is not authentic in terms of its chain. As for it not being authentic in terms of its text, this is very clear, because the person who commits an innovation, whatever his innovation may be, it will not be more evil in the sight of Allah the Exalted than the shirk (associating partners with Allah) of the disbeliever who associates partners with Allah. If that is the case, and it is known to every Muslim, the statement of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He:[An-Nisa 4:48] This text is explicit that Allah the Exalted, indeed, it is possible and permissible for Him Blessed and Exalted is He, not only to accept the repentance of the innovator, but also to forgive him for his innovation even if he did not repent from it, because his innovation is not shirk. [An-Nisa 4:48] This is an answer on the assumption that the innovation is not like shirk, but rather is less than that. And if we assume that the innovation referred to in this hadith is a type of shirk, then we argue with the statement of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He in the attributes of the Most Merciful: [Al-Furqan 25:68-70] Allah the Exalted began by mentioning the sinners and criminals in this verse with the polytheists, saying: [Al-Furqan 25:68] to the end of the verse. Then He made an exception, meaning after He judged these people for the Fire, He said: [Al-Furqan 25:70] So let us assume that this innovator's innovation is an innovation of shirk; why would Allah not accept his repentance if he repents? And Allah the Exalted said in the previous verse: [Maryam 19:60] This is evidence for the invalidity of this text, after this text has not been established according to the method of the hadith scholars, meaning from the side of the chain. So this hadith is not authentic, neither in its chain nor in its text. But it can be said, if we assume that this hadith has a basis, that the narrator whose error caused the weakness of the chain of this hadith was one of the people of illusions and errors in narrating hadith.
The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The questioner : I read a hadith, O our Shaykh, in Tafsir al-Jalalayn which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Indeed, those who divided their religion and became sects, they are only the people of innovation, the people of desires, and the people of misguidance from this Ummah. O A'ishah, for every person who commits a sin there is a repentance, except for the people of innovation and desires, they have no repentance. O A'ishah, I am innocent of them, I am innocent of them, and they are innocent of us.
إن الذين فرقوا دينهم وكانوا شيعا إنما هم أهل البدع وأهل الأهواء وأهل الضلالة من هذه الأمة ياعائشة إن لكل صاحب ذنب توبة غير أصحاب البدع ليس لهم توبة يا عائشة إني منهم براء إني بريء منهم وهم منا براءThe Shaykh : Naturally, this hadith is weak in both its chain and its text, as the scholars of hadith say, weak in both chain and text. As for the chain, it contains a defect that prevents it from being judged as authentic. Naturally, I am not currently recalling this specific defect, but I know that the hadith is not authentic in terms of its chain. As for it not being authentic in terms of its text, this is very clear, because the person who commits an innovation, whatever his innovation may be, it will not be more evil in the sight of Allah the Exalted than the shirk (associating partners with Allah) of the disbeliever who associates partners with Allah. If that is the case, and it is known to every Muslim, the statement of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لايغفر أن يشرك به و يغفر مادون ذلك لمن يشاءIndeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لايغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء(68) And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (70) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
والذين لا يدعون مع الله إلهاً آخر ولايقتلون النفس التي حرم الله إلا بالحق ولا يزنون ومن يفعل ذلك يلقى أثاما يضاعف له العذاب يوم القيامة ويخلد فيه مهانا إلا من تاب وآمن وعمل عملا صالحا فأؤلئك يبدل الله سيئآتهم حسنات وكان الله غفور رحيماAnd those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right
والذين لا يدعون مع الله إلهاً آخر ولا يقتلون النفس التي حرم الله إلا بالحقExcept for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
إلا من تاب وآمن وعمل عملا صالحا فأولئك يبدل الله سيئاتهم حسنات وكان الله غفور رحيماExcept those who repent
إلا من تاب
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.