Is the narration of a Companion regarding a hadith given precedence over his action and understanding of the hadith?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... You mentioned previously that the narration of Ibn 'Umar takes precedence over ... , and then we also mentioned yesterday that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered ... the Jews and the Christians ... the rows, but we said that this order means it is not obligatory, meaning the action of some of the Companions ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... What do you mean? I mean, this is the answer to what ... the action of the Companions.
The Shaykh : How? No, no, we are not invalidating the meaning of the narration here; rather, we are interpreting its meaning according to one of the two possibilities, because the command is suitable for obligation and suitable for recommendation. When the action of the Companions clarified it, we knew it was for recommendation. When some of them left it and some of them did it, we knew they understood it as recommended. But the hadith of Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger said: or a wording that indicates it is to be left, so when Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came and did the opposite of what the wording implies, we said there is no proof in it.
The questioner : Also ... meaning ... .
The Shaykh : Perhaps they understood that this is a difference in customs, not on the basis of religious observance.
The questioner : But they are not all of them, O Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : They are not all of them; if they had all agreed, like how it became stronger for us that shortening the prayer is not obligatory due to the action of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), where they followed 'Uthman in praying behind him and completing the prayer behind him, because if they had believed it to be obligatory, they would not have prayed four units while knowing that it invalidates the prayer.
The questioner : Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : ... What do you mean? I mean, this is the answer to what ... the action of the Companions.
The Shaykh : How? No, no, we are not invalidating the meaning of the narration here; rather, we are interpreting its meaning according to one of the two possibilities, because the command is suitable for obligation and suitable for recommendation. When the action of the Companions clarified it, we knew it was for recommendation. When some of them left it and some of them did it, we knew they understood it as recommended. But the hadith of Ibn 'Umar that the Messenger said:
Let the beards hang down.
أرخوا اللحىLet the beards grow.
وفروا اللحىThe questioner : Also ... meaning ... .
The Shaykh : Perhaps they understood that this is a difference in customs, not on the basis of religious observance.
The questioner : But they are not all of them, O Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : They are not all of them; if they had all agreed, like how it became stronger for us that shortening the prayer is not obligatory due to the action of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), where they followed 'Uthman in praying behind him and completing the prayer behind him, because if they had believed it to be obligatory, they would not have prayed four units while knowing that it invalidates the prayer.
The questioner : Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Yes.