Discussion of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake," and the difference between forgetting and making a mistake
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The Shaykh : In the verse that follows in the same verse [Al-Baqarah 2:286] What is the difference between forgetting and making a mistake? Come on, brothers, the difference is that forgetting is when a person has knowledge and then forgets, whereas making a mistake is when a person has no knowledge at all. Do you understand? In making a mistake, a person does something without having knowledge, thinking it is lawful when it is forbidden. In forgetting, he knows that the thing is forbidden but forgets and does it. So forgetting is preceded by what? By knowledge, but then distraction of the heart occurred regarding it. As for making a mistake, it was not preceded by knowledge; he was ignorant. And both are equal in the ruling of Allah, because Allah the Exalted said: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 22:306 meaning, I do not hold you accountable for forgetting or ignorance. Now, who can give us an example? The Sunnah established this great ruling that a person is not held accountable for his ignorance. It is as if we have not read this, brothers, nor explained it. Now, first let us take forgetting. A man forgot the first tashahhud in prayer. Is his prayer invalid? No, but he compensates for it with sujud al-sahw. A fasting man forgot and ate and drank. Is his fast invalid? No, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1155 In his saying: there is evidence that the fast is not diminished even if he ate until full or drank until satisfied. So the fast is complete because he said: Sahih al-Bukhari 1933 because it was without his intention; Allah provided it to him. Now, regarding ignorance, the non-accountability for ignorance, we need an example from the Sunnah to which the verse applies. From the Sunnah, please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, let me rest.
The student: A man spoke while in prayer, forgetting.
The Shaykh : We are not talking about ignorance now. We need an example from the Sunnah, my brother. From the Sunnah.
The student: ... Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam ...
The Shaykh : al-Sulami.
The student: ... when he sneezed ... he responded to him saying, "May Allah have mercy on you."
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. This is Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, not Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. And it was obligatory for a person, when he heard his brother praise Allah after sneezing, to respond to him by saying: "May Allah have mercy on you." by custom. meaning, they looked at him with their eyes in disapproval of his saying. meaning, he was lamenting the loss of his mother. This is a phrase said in times of grief or the like. May the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. Riyad as-Salihin 700 He did not frown at him, nor was harsh with him in his words, but rather he said: Riyad as-Salihin 700 or as he said. And he did not order him to repeat the prayer, even though he had spoken. Why did he not order him? Because he was ignorant.
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
ربنا لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو أخطأناI have done it, I have done it
قد فعلت قد فعلتIf anyone forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks he should complete his fast
من نسي وهو صائم فأكل اوشرب فليتم صومهLet him complete his fast
فليتم صومهthen he should complete his fast, for what he has eaten or drunk, has been given to him by Allah.
فليتم صومه فإنما أطعمه الله وسقاه أطعمه الله وسقاهThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, let me rest.
The student: A man spoke while in prayer, forgetting.
The Shaykh : We are not talking about ignorance now. We need an example from the Sunnah, my brother. From the Sunnah.
The student: ... Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam ...
The Shaykh : al-Sulami.
The student: ... when he sneezed ... he responded to him saying, "May Allah have mercy on you."
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. This is Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, not Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.
