The Shaykh’s note on the phrase “So-and-so has passed to the mercy of Allah” and “So-and-so, the one who is to be pitied and forgiven.”
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The Shaykh : But there is a problem in his question. What is it?
“He has passed to the mercy of Allah”—is this a statement of fact or a hope?
Answer me, everyone? If it is a statement of fact, it is a lie.
And if it is a hope, it is the truth. For example, if someone says, “He has passed to the mercy of Allah,” do you know that he has passed to the mercy of Allah or not? Answer me, everyone? You do not know. So why do you state it as a fact, saying, “He has passed to the mercy of Allah”? But if it is a hope, meaning, “I hope that he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” then there is no harm. The same applies to saying, “So-and-so, the one who is to be pitied.” Do you mean that he is actually to be pitied, stating that he is to be pitied? That is wrong. Hoping that he is to be pitied is permissible.
Now, “So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him”—this is found in the books of the scholars. “Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him, said,” “Ikrimah, may Allah have mercy on him, said,” “Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said.” Is this good, or is it a supplication? It is a supplication. Therefore, if it were a statement of fact, it would be speaking without knowledge. But if it is a supplication, there is no harm. So, regarding “the one who is forgiven,” “the one who is to be pitied,” “he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” and the like, we say: if a person intends it as a statement of fact, what is the answer for you?
If he intends it as a statement of fact, it is not permissible. If he intends it as a hope, it is permissible. And I am asking you now: what do you think people intend, a statement of fact or a hope? I think it is a hope. Because if you took the person who said, “May Allah have mercy on him, he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” and asked him to testify, he would say, “By Allah, I do not testify.” Well, praise be to Allah, this came up in this question. And we hope that Allah the Exalted will make it good. Now, do we testify for those whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified to as being in Paradise? Yes, we testify for them, because the Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement is the truth. Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, and the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shamas, 'Ikashah ibn Mahsan, and many others—the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified that they are in Paradise. Now, do we testify that every believer is in Paradise? Do we testify that every believer is in Paradise? If you say no, that is a mistake. If you say yes, that is also a mistake.
We say: if you intend a description, meaning that every believer is in Paradise, then that is true and correct; every believer is in Paradise. But if you intend to specify, for example, that so-and-so is in Paradise, then that is not permissible, it is not permissible. But you may speak well of him and say, “I hope that he is among the people of Paradise,” and the like.
“He has passed to the mercy of Allah”—is this a statement of fact or a hope?
Answer me, everyone? If it is a statement of fact, it is a lie.
And if it is a hope, it is the truth. For example, if someone says, “He has passed to the mercy of Allah,” do you know that he has passed to the mercy of Allah or not? Answer me, everyone? You do not know. So why do you state it as a fact, saying, “He has passed to the mercy of Allah”? But if it is a hope, meaning, “I hope that he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” then there is no harm. The same applies to saying, “So-and-so, the one who is to be pitied.” Do you mean that he is actually to be pitied, stating that he is to be pitied? That is wrong. Hoping that he is to be pitied is permissible.
Now, “So-and-so, may Allah have mercy on him”—this is found in the books of the scholars. “Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him, said,” “Ikrimah, may Allah have mercy on him, said,” “Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said.” Is this good, or is it a supplication? It is a supplication. Therefore, if it were a statement of fact, it would be speaking without knowledge. But if it is a supplication, there is no harm. So, regarding “the one who is forgiven,” “the one who is to be pitied,” “he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” and the like, we say: if a person intends it as a statement of fact, what is the answer for you?
If he intends it as a statement of fact, it is not permissible. If he intends it as a hope, it is permissible. And I am asking you now: what do you think people intend, a statement of fact or a hope? I think it is a hope. Because if you took the person who said, “May Allah have mercy on him, he has passed to the mercy of Allah,” and asked him to testify, he would say, “By Allah, I do not testify.” Well, praise be to Allah, this came up in this question. And we hope that Allah the Exalted will make it good. Now, do we testify for those whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified to as being in Paradise? Yes, we testify for them, because the Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement is the truth. Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, and the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise, Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shamas, 'Ikashah ibn Mahsan, and many others—the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) testified that they are in Paradise. Now, do we testify that every believer is in Paradise? Do we testify that every believer is in Paradise? If you say no, that is a mistake. If you say yes, that is also a mistake.
We say: if you intend a description, meaning that every believer is in Paradise, then that is true and correct; every believer is in Paradise. But if you intend to specify, for example, that so-and-so is in Paradise, then that is not permissible, it is not permissible. But you may speak well of him and say, “I hope that he is among the people of Paradise,” and the like.