Discussion of the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) (regarding the story of the man who ordered his sons to burn him) the hadith. And is this act disbelief?

The Shaykh : I am now narrating to you a hadith from the authentic hadiths that were recorded byThe Shaykh : in their Sahihs, from the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and from the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) as well, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you see him as a believer while he says: "If Allah has power over me, He will punish me with a severe punishment"? This is doubt in the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So we can ask: Did he err in a branch, or did he err in the root of the roots regarding Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which is mentioned in the conclusion of Surat Ya-Sin: This man is the one whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) referred to in this example. The man said: He admits that he was in error with his Lord, and that if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) punishes him, He will be just, because he was in error with Him. To escape His punishment, a way out came to his mind, so he made a will. In my knowledge and belief, no such will has occurred in this world from anyone other than this man. He said: "When I die, burn me with fire, then take my ashes and scatter half of them in the sea and half of them in the wind. Burn me in the fire, take my ashes, and the wind is raging, so scatter them in the wind, and the other half in the sea." Why did this man do this deed? He thought that he would stray from his Lord and that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not able to say to him "Be" and he would become a sound human being. But Allah (Mighty and Majestic) did that to him. When he died and they scattered his ashes in the wind and in the sea, Allah said to him: "Be so-and-so," and he became a sound human being. He said to him, here is the point, he said to him: I feared You. He said: This hadith, and you know that it is from the authentic hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim, from two noble Companions, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman. This hadith is a specifier of the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted: In this hadith, Allah forgave this sinner against himself for his unjust will. But here I must pause, and this is knowledge that we need, considering that we call people to the Book and the Sunnah. Is this man who made this unjust will a disbeliever or an associate of partners with Allah? Now I am directing this question, and I do not want to hear a voice, but I see a hand raised. Whoever has an answer to this question, raise his hand. Is this man who made this unjust will a disbeliever or an associate of partners with Allah? Please.

The questioner : A disbeliever.

The Shaykh : A disbeliever. Please.

Another questioner : Neither a disbeliever nor an associate of partners with Allah.

The Shaykh : Please go ahead.

Another questioner : He is not a disbeliever nor an associate of partners with Allah, because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not forgive that partners are associated with Him, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) forgave him.

The Shaykh : Yes.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Unfortunately, we did not hear a correct answer. The one who denied the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to restore him to a human being as he was, this is disbelief without doubt. This is what we mentioned to you in the conclusion of Surat Ya-Sin: He made himself crumbled beforehand, meaning he did not wait to be buried and his body to become crumbled dust, but he hastened for himself with that ongoing unjust will, so he made himself ashes. There is no doubt that this is disbelief. But I wished to hear the correct answer, and for this reason I paused with you, by way of reminder or teaching. This man committed disbelief, and this man associated partners with Allah. And if he had not associated partners with Allah, it would not have been permissible for me to say that the verse We said that this verse is specified by such an incident, meaning that some shirk (associating partners with Allah) is forgiven. This is the meaning of the verse: The verse is not in its generality and comprehensiveness, so some shirk is forgiven, and I have now mentioned a type to you.