Does the previous hadith support the view of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah that the forgiveness of sins, both past and future, is specific to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. There is no evidence in this hadith for the view held by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : That the forgiveness of sins, both past and future, is not for anyone except the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : I mean, Shaykh al-Islam said: The forgiveness of sins, both past and future, is specific to the Prophet.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And not for anyone else. I ask, does the hadith support his statement?
The Shaykh : From what angle?
The questioner : The angle, may Allah reward you, is that they said: We are not in your state.
The Shaykh : Allah has forgiven you.
The questioner : Yes, and then they explained to him that Allah had forgiven him for what came before and what came after.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So they will not be forgiven for what came before and what came after.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. There is no doubt that what Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said is correct. And the validation by some of the later scholars of some hadiths that combine the forgiveness of what came before and what came after is not correct. Because, as I have told you many times, the criterion is the general rules that are the foundations of the Shari'ah. As for individual narrations, they are transmission; a person’s transmission may be wrong or right. Especially since it is not mentioned in the two Sahihs, or in either of them, the forgiveness of what came before and what came after of sins, ever. It was not mentioned.
So the correct view is that whenever you come across a hadith in which it says: Whoever does such and such, his sins that came before and that came after are forgiven, it is a weak hadith. I judge it to be weak. And we mentioned in a previous session the hadith of the people of Badr and we answered it. Because Allah said to the people of Badr:Sunan Abi Dawud 2650Sahih (Al-Albani). We answered that the great, major good deed they did will be a decisive factor for every sin that comes after it, except for disbelief.
And we mention now that in this hadith there is good news for the people of Badr, that they will not become disbelievers, because disbelief is not forgiven by good deeds. Or that if they were to become disbelievers, they would be guided to repentance and die upon Islam. Even though I do not know that anyone from the people of Badr apostatized from their religion. Not even Hatib (may Allah be pleased with him) apostatized from his religion when he informed Quraysh of the direction of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he intended to head toward them. That was not apostasy from his religion, nor a desire for disbelief. But he mentioned reasons in which he interpreted the matter (may Allah be pleased with him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) excused him, until [someone] sought permission to kill him. So it was said:Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 37:191.
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : That the forgiveness of sins, both past and future, is not for anyone except the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : I mean, Shaykh al-Islam said: The forgiveness of sins, both past and future, is specific to the Prophet.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And not for anyone else. I ask, does the hadith support his statement?
The Shaykh : From what angle?
The questioner : The angle, may Allah reward you, is that they said: We are not in your state.
The Shaykh : Allah has forgiven you.
The questioner : Yes, and then they explained to him that Allah had forgiven him for what came before and what came after.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So they will not be forgiven for what came before and what came after.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. There is no doubt that what Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said is correct. And the validation by some of the later scholars of some hadiths that combine the forgiveness of what came before and what came after is not correct. Because, as I have told you many times, the criterion is the general rules that are the foundations of the Shari'ah. As for individual narrations, they are transmission; a person’s transmission may be wrong or right. Especially since it is not mentioned in the two Sahihs, or in either of them, the forgiveness of what came before and what came after of sins, ever. It was not mentioned.
So the correct view is that whenever you come across a hadith in which it says: Whoever does such and such, his sins that came before and that came after are forgiven, it is a weak hadith. I judge it to be weak. And we mentioned in a previous session the hadith of the people of Badr and we answered it. Because Allah said to the people of Badr:
Do what you wish, I have forgiven you.
اعملوا ما شئتم فقد غفرت لكمAnd we mention now that in this hadith there is good news for the people of Badr, that they will not become disbelievers, because disbelief is not forgiven by good deeds. Or that if they were to become disbelievers, they would be guided to repentance and die upon Islam. Even though I do not know that anyone from the people of Badr apostatized from their religion. Not even Hatib (may Allah be pleased with him) apostatized from his religion when he informed Quraysh of the direction of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he intended to head toward them. That was not apostasy from his religion, nor a desire for disbelief. But he mentioned reasons in which he interpreted the matter (may Allah be pleased with him). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) excused him, until [someone] sought permission to kill him. So it was said: