Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. For it is [only] what it has earned, and against it is [only] what it has acquired. Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord..."
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The Shaykh : We continue with the verse [Al-Baqarah 2:286]. Some scholars said: The difference in expression is due to the difference in the ruling [Al-Baqarah 2:286], because good is acquired by intention, and good, the good deed, is how much? Ten times its value.
As for evil, the bad deed is one, and we must verify that he actually committed a bad deed. However, the intention to commit a bad deed, along with doing the causes for it and being unable to carry it out, makes a person sinful, as we have explained in other places.
[Al-Baqarah 2:286] "If we forget, what? If we forget anything, do not hold us accountable, or if we make a mistake, meaning: we were ignorant." So Allah said: . Anything that happens to you out of forgetfulness or mistake is forgiven, but if it was an obligatory act, the sin is dropped by leaving it, and it is obligatory to make it up by performing it.
I hope you will pay attention, everyone.
If what you made a mistake in or forgot was an obligatory act, the sin is dropped by leaving it, and it is obligatory to make it up, what? By performing it. The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):, and he did not say that it is dropped from him.
As for if it was a forbidden act, the sin is dropped from him, and the expiation if there is an expiation, and the penalty if there is a penalty, and the ransom if there is a ransom. This is a forbidden act. It is obligatory for you to know the difference between performing an obligatory act and leaving a forbidden act.
I said: In both cases, one is not held accountable for forgetfulness and mistake, but the difference is that performing an obligatory act, what? It must be made up, and leaving a forbidden act has no consequence, meaning: a forbidden act done intentionally, a forbidden act done out of forgetfulness or ignorance has no consequence.
Let us give examples for this:
A man prayed without ablution, forgetting. Say, my brother, did he pray without ablution, forgetting?
If he remembers, it is obligatory for him to perform ablution and to pray. Good. And does he sin for this prayer he prayed while in a state of impurity? He does not sin because he was forgetting. May Allah bless you.
Another man prayed and there was impurity on his garment, and he forgot to wash it? Stand up, he prayed and there was impurity on his garment, and he forgot to wash it. Does he repeat the prayer? Is it not obligatory to avoid impurity in prayer? He forgot, so does he not repeat it? If he remembers after the prayer, he repeats it, because he prayed with a garment that had impurity on it. Do you say that? Be decisive, whether you are right or wrong. Do you say that?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Good. Rest. Listen, listen to your brother.
The student: ... and he was forgetting.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Is the prayer valid and he does not repeat it? Why did we say that the one who did not perform ablution repeats it?
The student: In the case of an obligatory act, he makes up the prayer.
The Shaykh : Well done.
The student: In the case of a forbidden act, nothing is required of him.
The Shaykh : Perfect. Rest. Did you understand, my brother? Avoiding impurity is not creating something, but it is removing something, so it is from the category of leaving a forbidden act. So if a person forgets and prays with impurity, we say your prayer is valid and you do not have to repeat it. And if he prays forgetting and did not perform ablution, we say you must perform ablution and what? And repeat the prayer. Perfect, and the difference is clear.
Good, a man ate while he was fasting, forgetting? Answer, is his fast valid? Or does he have to make it up?
What? There is no hadith on the same topic. Ah. Ah. Good, may Allah reward you with good. Yes.
One who ate forgetting, the meaning of the hadith, good,Sunan Ibn Majah 1673Sahih (Darussalam), correct, rest.
A man forgot to intend to fast in other than Ramadan. In Ramadan, no one is forgetting because the whole month is one intention. But in other than Ramadan, he forgot to intend to fast, and when the sun rose he remembered, and the fasting is making up Ramadan. He remembered, so did he intend from the rising of the sun? Answer.
The student: It is obligatory for him to fast.
The Shaykh : Is his fast valid or not?
The student: It is not valid.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: The intention.
The Shaykh : And is the intention from the category of performing an obligatory act or leaving a forbidden act?
The student: Performing an obligatory act.
The Shaykh : It is from the category of performing an obligatory act, so we say to this man: Your fast is not valid as an obligatory act, but it is valid as a voluntary act, because for the obligatory act, the intention must cover the entire day from dawn to sunset. Rest.
Pay attention to this rule. This rule, my brothers, is that whoever does something out of forgetfulness or mistake, nothing is required of him, neither in obligatory acts nor in prohibited acts. But for obligatory acts, he is ordered, what? To make them up to restore the obligation, and for prohibited acts, nothing is required of him. Good.
A man in the state of ihram killed game, forgetting. Does he have an expiation? Yes? He has a penalty, not an expiation. A penalty, or does he have nothing? He has a penalty, certainly? Certainly, is he not forgetting? Good, "Our Lord, do not hold us accountable, what?" Good, and what takes this out of the rule?
The student: It is from the category of performing an obligatory act.
The Shaykh : No, how is it performing an obligatory act? Is a person ordered to kill game?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : So it is a forbidden act. He hunted game while in the state of ihram, but he was forgetting. So this is a forbidden act, so he has no sin and he has no penalty. Did you understand? Did you go back on your statement? Praise be to Allah, returning to the truth is more right. Good.
What do you say about a man who walks in Makkah or in Muzdalifah or in Mina, and a pigeon is hit by his car? Does he have a penalty or not? Say, my brother.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, what? Meaning he did not intend it. And Allah Mighty and Majestic says:[Al-Ma'idah 5:95]. Perfect, correct. May Allah bless you. The important thing is take this rule. It is not from the composition of so-and-so or the book of so-and-so, but it is from the Book of Allah Mighty and Majestic, a standing proof. Whoever is afflicted with something out of forgetfulness or mistake, complete it, then nothing is required of him. But for the forbidden act, everything related to it is lifted from him, whether expiation, ransom, or penalty. And for the obligatory act, what? He makes it up to restore the obligation.
And indicating the obligation of making up an act due to ignorance is the story of the man who entered the mosque and prayed and did not settle in his prayer, so the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to repeat his prayer, because he left an obligatory act, which is settling, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him what to do.
And Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam spoke in his prayer twice, and he was not ordered to repeat it, because speaking is from the category, what? It is from the category of performing a forbidden act, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that it was forbidden, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to make up the prayer.
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned.
لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعها لها ما كسبت وعليها ما اكتسبتAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
لها ما كسبت وعليها ما اكتسبتAs for evil, the bad deed is one, and we must verify that he actually committed a bad deed. However, the intention to commit a bad deed, along with doing the causes for it and being unable to carry it out, makes a person sinful, as we have explained in other places.
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
ربنا لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو أخطاناHe has done so
قد فعلتI hope you will pay attention, everyone.
If what you made a mistake in or forgot was an obligatory act, the sin is dropped by leaving it, and it is obligatory to make it up, what? By performing it. The evidence is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever sleeps through a prayer or forgets it - what? - let him pray it when he remembers it
من نام عن صلاة أو نسيها - ايش؟ - فليصلها إذا ذكرهاAs for if it was a forbidden act, the sin is dropped from him, and the expiation if there is an expiation, and the penalty if there is a penalty, and the ransom if there is a ransom. This is a forbidden act. It is obligatory for you to know the difference between performing an obligatory act and leaving a forbidden act.
I said: In both cases, one is not held accountable for forgetfulness and mistake, but the difference is that performing an obligatory act, what? It must be made up, and leaving a forbidden act has no consequence, meaning: a forbidden act done intentionally, a forbidden act done out of forgetfulness or ignorance has no consequence.
Let us give examples for this:
A man prayed without ablution, forgetting. Say, my brother, did he pray without ablution, forgetting?
If he remembers, it is obligatory for him to perform ablution and to pray. Good. And does he sin for this prayer he prayed while in a state of impurity? He does not sin because he was forgetting. May Allah bless you.
Another man prayed and there was impurity on his garment, and he forgot to wash it? Stand up, he prayed and there was impurity on his garment, and he forgot to wash it. Does he repeat the prayer? Is it not obligatory to avoid impurity in prayer? He forgot, so does he not repeat it? If he remembers after the prayer, he repeats it, because he prayed with a garment that had impurity on it. Do you say that? Be decisive, whether you are right or wrong. Do you say that?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Good. Rest. Listen, listen to your brother.
The student: ... and he was forgetting.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Is the prayer valid and he does not repeat it? Why did we say that the one who did not perform ablution repeats it?
The student: In the case of an obligatory act, he makes up the prayer.
The Shaykh : Well done.
The student: In the case of a forbidden act, nothing is required of him.
The Shaykh : Perfect. Rest. Did you understand, my brother? Avoiding impurity is not creating something, but it is removing something, so it is from the category of leaving a forbidden act. So if a person forgets and prays with impurity, we say your prayer is valid and you do not have to repeat it. And if he prays forgetting and did not perform ablution, we say you must perform ablution and what? And repeat the prayer. Perfect, and the difference is clear.
Good, a man ate while he was fasting, forgetting? Answer, is his fast valid? Or does he have to make it up?
What? There is no hadith on the same topic. Ah. Ah. Good, may Allah reward you with good. Yes.
One who ate forgetting, the meaning of the hadith, good,
Whoever eats out of forgetfulness while fasting, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah Who has fed him and given him to drink.
من أكل ناسيا وهو صائم فليتم صومه فإنما أطعمه الله وسقاهA man forgot to intend to fast in other than Ramadan. In Ramadan, no one is forgetting because the whole month is one intention. But in other than Ramadan, he forgot to intend to fast, and when the sun rose he remembered, and the fasting is making up Ramadan. He remembered, so did he intend from the rising of the sun? Answer.
The student: It is obligatory for him to fast.
The Shaykh : Is his fast valid or not?
The student: It is not valid.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: The intention.
The Shaykh : And is the intention from the category of performing an obligatory act or leaving a forbidden act?
The student: Performing an obligatory act.
The Shaykh : It is from the category of performing an obligatory act, so we say to this man: Your fast is not valid as an obligatory act, but it is valid as a voluntary act, because for the obligatory act, the intention must cover the entire day from dawn to sunset. Rest.
Pay attention to this rule. This rule, my brothers, is that whoever does something out of forgetfulness or mistake, nothing is required of him, neither in obligatory acts nor in prohibited acts. But for obligatory acts, he is ordered, what? To make them up to restore the obligation, and for prohibited acts, nothing is required of him. Good.
A man in the state of ihram killed game, forgetting. Does he have an expiation? Yes? He has a penalty, not an expiation. A penalty, or does he have nothing? He has a penalty, certainly? Certainly, is he not forgetting? Good, "Our Lord, do not hold us accountable, what?" Good, and what takes this out of the rule?
The student: It is from the category of performing an obligatory act.
The Shaykh : No, how is it performing an obligatory act? Is a person ordered to kill game?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : So it is a forbidden act. He hunted game while in the state of ihram, but he was forgetting. So this is a forbidden act, so he has no sin and he has no penalty. Did you understand? Did you go back on your statement? Praise be to Allah, returning to the truth is more right. Good.
What do you say about a man who walks in Makkah or in Muzdalifah or in Mina, and a pigeon is hit by his car? Does he have a penalty or not? Say, my brother.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Why?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, what? Meaning he did not intend it. And Allah Mighty and Majestic says:
whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed
من قتله منكم متعمدا فجزاؤه مثل ما قتل من النعمAnd indicating the obligation of making up an act due to ignorance is the story of the man who entered the mosque and prayed and did not settle in his prayer, so the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to repeat his prayer, because he left an obligatory act, which is settling, until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him what to do.
And Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam spoke in his prayer twice, and he was not ordered to repeat it, because speaking is from the category, what? It is from the category of performing a forbidden act, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that it was forbidden, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not order him to make up the prayer.