What is the meaning of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever goes beyond that has transgressed, done wrong, and committed injustice" (and the discussion is about whispers in ablution)
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the meaning of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding increasing the number of washings in ablution: ?
The Shaykh : Yes, the meaning of this hadith is clear: if a person goes beyond three washings, he has done wrong, transgressed, and committed injustice. This implies that increasing beyond three is forbidden, because transgression, wrongdoing, and injustice are all forbidden. However, what is known among the scholars is that increasing beyond three is disliked. This is because there is discussion among the scholars regarding this hadith; some have graded it as weak, and others have graded it as good. Based on the principle of grading it as good, increasing beyond three would be forbidden and not permissible.
Here we pause to clarify that some people are afflicted with whispers. You find them performing ablution, washing a limb once, twice, three times, and four times. The Shaytan who afflicts them, may Allah protect us from him, tells them that they have not perfected their ablution, so they keep increasing and increasing until they destroy themselves. But the cure for that is to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan and to stick to the established number.
It is mentioned regarding 'Ali ibn 'Aqil (may Allah have mercy on him), who was one of the scholars and jurists of the Hanbali school, that a man came to him and asked: "I have major ritual impurity, and I go to the Tigris and immerse myself in the river, then I come out and say that the major ritual impurity has not been removed." Look how the man now immerses himself in the water, then comes out and says the major ritual impurity has not been removed. So Ibn 'Aqil said to him: "I see that you should not pray, because there is no prayer required of you. He said, how is that? He said, because you are insane. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 18:992 You immerse yourself in the Tigris, then come out and say that the major ritual impurity has not been removed from you." And so we ask Allah for safety for you and for us. Thus, one who is afflicted with whispers is like an insane person; he washes twice, three times, four times, and five times, then says the state of impurity has not been removed. And the cure for that, as I said, is to stick to what is prescribed, then hold back. Even if Shaytan tells you that you have not purified yourself or that you have not fulfilled the obligation, leave him alone and do not turn to him.
Whoever goes beyond that has transgressed and committed injustice
فمن زاد على ذلك فقد تعدى وظلمThe Shaykh : Yes, the meaning of this hadith is clear: if a person goes beyond three washings, he has done wrong, transgressed, and committed injustice. This implies that increasing beyond three is forbidden, because transgression, wrongdoing, and injustice are all forbidden. However, what is known among the scholars is that increasing beyond three is disliked. This is because there is discussion among the scholars regarding this hadith; some have graded it as weak, and others have graded it as good. Based on the principle of grading it as good, increasing beyond three would be forbidden and not permissible.
Here we pause to clarify that some people are afflicted with whispers. You find them performing ablution, washing a limb once, twice, three times, and four times. The Shaytan who afflicts them, may Allah protect us from him, tells them that they have not perfected their ablution, so they keep increasing and increasing until they destroy themselves. But the cure for that is to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan and to stick to the established number.
It is mentioned regarding 'Ali ibn 'Aqil (may Allah have mercy on him), who was one of the scholars and jurists of the Hanbali school, that a man came to him and asked: "I have major ritual impurity, and I go to the Tigris and immerse myself in the river, then I come out and say that the major ritual impurity has not been removed." Look how the man now immerses himself in the water, then comes out and says the major ritual impurity has not been removed. So Ibn 'Aqil said to him: "I see that you should not pray, because there is no prayer required of you. He said, how is that? He said, because you are insane. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: