What is the interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “The Bedouins said, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed…'”?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan: [Al-Hujurat 49:14] Say, “You have not believed!!”
The Shaykh : Say, “Say”?
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan:[Al-Hujurat 49:14].
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Say, “You have not believed.”
The Shaykh : No, “not,” “not.”
The questioner : Not, yes, I am sorry:[Al-Hujurat 49:14] !
The Shaykh : and His Messenger.
The questioner :[Al-Hujurat 49:14] I am confused, may you live long, about the interpretation of the last part of the verse: [Al-Hujurat 49:14] and obedience is counted as Islam, of course. Does this verse mean that those who said “We have believed” benefit from their Islam without faith, based on His saying: [Al-Hujurat 49:14]?
The Shaykh : Yes, this verse:[Al-Hujurat 49:14] The exegetes differed on this verse: is the intended meaning the hypocrites, or is the intended meaning the believers whose faith is weak?
And the correct view is that the intended meaning is the believers whose faith is weak. For this reason, He said:[Al-Hujurat 49:14] meaning it is close to entering it and settling in it. So the correct view is that it is not about the hypocrites, but about people whose faith is weak. So Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Hujurat 49:14] meaning: faith has not reached your hearts, meaning: we practiced Islam outwardly, [Al-Hujurat 49:14] meaning: but it is close. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [Sad 38:8] meaning: they have not tasted it, but it is close to them.
[Al-Hujurat 49:14] meaning: if you come with something of obedience, it will not take from you, meaning: it will not diminish anything from your deeds, so He will reward you for them, even if you do not say “We have submitted.”
The questioner : Even if the faith is not complete?
The Shaykh : Even if their faith is not complete. As for the one who has no faith in his heart at all, righteous deeds do not benefit him.
The questioner : The apparent meaning of the verse is that they do not have faith!
The Shaykh : No, they do not have complete faith in their hearts; that is what is intended by it, and that is the correct view. As for if we say it is the hypocrites who have no faith at all, they do not have righteous deeds, so even if they do them, they do not benefit them. Yes.
The questioner : And the one who has a little faith benefits from it?
The Shaykh : Yes, it benefits him. Perhaps his righteous deeds will strengthen his faith and it will increase.
The bedouins say, "We have believed."
قالت الأعراب آمنّاThe Shaykh : Say, “Say”?
The questioner : I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan:
The bedouins say, "We have believed."
قالت الأعراب آمنّاThe Shaykh : Yes, indeed.
The questioner : Say, “You have not believed.”
The Shaykh : No, “not,” “not.”
The questioner : Not, yes, I am sorry:
Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger
قل لم تؤمنوا ولكن قولوا أسلمنا ولمّا يدخل الإيمان في قلوبكم وإن تطيعوا الله ورسولَهThe Shaykh : and His Messenger.
The questioner :
and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything
ورسولَه لا يلتكم من أعمالك شيئا إنّ الله عليمٌ خبيرAnd if you obey Allah and His Messenger
وإن تطيعوا الله ورسولَهHe will not deprive you from your deeds of anything
لا يلتكم من أعمالكم شيئاًThe Shaykh : Yes, this verse:
The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,'
قالت الأعراب آمنّا قل لم تؤمنوا ولكن قولوا أسلمناAnd the correct view is that the intended meaning is the believers whose faith is weak. For this reason, He said:
for faith has not yet entered your hearts
ولما يدخل الإيمان في قلوبكمSay, "You have not [yet] believed
قل لم تؤمنواbut say, “We have submitted”
ولكن قولوا أسلمناfor faith has not yet entered your hearts
ولمّا يدخل الإيمان في قلوبكمRather, they have not yet tasted My punishment.
بل لمّا يذوقوا عذابAnd if you obey Allah and His Messenger
وإن تطيعوا الله ورسولهThe questioner : Even if the faith is not complete?
The Shaykh : Even if their faith is not complete. As for the one who has no faith in his heart at all, righteous deeds do not benefit him.
The questioner : The apparent meaning of the verse is that they do not have faith!
The Shaykh : No, they do not have complete faith in their hearts; that is what is intended by it, and that is the correct view. As for if we say it is the hypocrites who have no faith at all, they do not have righteous deeds, so even if they do them, they do not benefit them. Yes.
The questioner : And the one who has a little faith benefits from it?
The Shaykh : Yes, it benefits him. Perhaps his righteous deeds will strengthen his faith and it will increase.