Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) command the Companions for permissibility or for obligation?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. His command (peace and blessings be upon him) to the Companions regarding permissibility means
The Shaykh : In what did he command the Companions?
The questioner : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the Companions regarding permissibility. Is it said that this was a command for permissibility, or a command of obligation?
The Shaykh : Perhaps you mean: Is it said that it was a command for a recommended practice (sunnah) or for obligation? The correct view is that it was a command for a recommended practice (sunnah), but in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it was obligatory for the Companions to carry it out, because the Companions openly opposing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would cause great corruption. Those who came after them would say, "If the Companions opposed the Messenger, why should we not oppose him?" Also, their doing this is a practical application of this recommended practice (sunnah), and practical application may be more eloquent than verbal compliance. This is what I just mentioned, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). Is breaking the Hajj into an 'Umrah for the purpose of tamattu' obligatory, a recommended practice (sunnah), or is there a distinction?
Most scholars hold that it is a recommended practice (sunnah), and by "most scholars" I mean those who permit breaking the Hajj, because some scholars forbade breaking it and said: "A person can never break his Hajj into an 'Umrah." But this view is very weak and not to be relied upon. Some of them said: It is an absolute recommended practice (sunnah). Some said: It is absolutely obligatory. And some made a distinction, saying: It is obligatory for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in order to establish the recommended practice (sunnah) and apply it. It is not hidden from us all that there is a difference between a person openly defying his father's orders and defying them at another time; there is a great difference between the two. Therefore, the correct view is what Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) held: that it is obligatory for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and a recommended practice (sunnah) for others. For this reason, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is not general, but it is specific to us," meaning to the Companions, and his intention by that was obligation. Did you understand?
The Shaykh : In what did he command the Companions?
The questioner : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the Companions regarding permissibility. Is it said that this was a command for permissibility, or a command of obligation?
The Shaykh : Perhaps you mean: Is it said that it was a command for a recommended practice (sunnah) or for obligation? The correct view is that it was a command for a recommended practice (sunnah), but in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it was obligatory for the Companions to carry it out, because the Companions openly opposing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would cause great corruption. Those who came after them would say, "If the Companions opposed the Messenger, why should we not oppose him?" Also, their doing this is a practical application of this recommended practice (sunnah), and practical application may be more eloquent than verbal compliance. This is what I just mentioned, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). Is breaking the Hajj into an 'Umrah for the purpose of tamattu' obligatory, a recommended practice (sunnah), or is there a distinction?
Most scholars hold that it is a recommended practice (sunnah), and by "most scholars" I mean those who permit breaking the Hajj, because some scholars forbade breaking it and said: "A person can never break his Hajj into an 'Umrah." But this view is very weak and not to be relied upon. Some of them said: It is an absolute recommended practice (sunnah). Some said: It is absolutely obligatory. And some made a distinction, saying: It is obligatory for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in order to establish the recommended practice (sunnah) and apply it. It is not hidden from us all that there is a difference between a person openly defying his father's orders and defying them at another time; there is a great difference between the two. Therefore, the correct view is what Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) held: that it is obligatory for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and a recommended practice (sunnah) for others. For this reason, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is not general, but it is specific to us," meaning to the Companions, and his intention by that was obligation. Did you understand?