Explanation of the Book: The Beginning of Revelation, Faith, and Knowledge-03b
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The reader: Abu al-Yaman narrated to us, saying: Shu'ayb informed us from al-Zuhri, saying: 'Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas informed us from Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him): . And Yunus, Salih, Ma'mar, and al-Zuhri's nephew narrated it from al-Zuhri.
The Shaykh : This contains evidence for the permissibility of giving to the less deserving person while withholding from the more deserving one, out of concern for his religion, out of fear that he may be led astray. For some people, if you do not give to them, they may be led astray in their religion. If you do not speak to them in a way that prefers others over them, they may be led astray in the religion.
It also contains a note on observing the state of the person being addressed, the one being given to, and the one being dealt with. A person should not say, "I will do this," without having knowledge of the people. Rather, the sincere person is the one who considers the state of his brothers. If he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for them, he gives to them. He gives them what reassures their hearts, softens them, and unites them.
In this is evidence that it is permissible for a person to repeat a request, even if the requested party has refused. For perhaps, after one time, the person who refused will reconsider, reconsider himself, and then accept the request. This is something observed. Often you say something, and then someone comes to you to speak to you about it; you reject it the first time, and they come to you the second time and you reject it, and they come to you the third time, so you look into the matter, and perhaps you yield to his saying. Yes.
The questioner : The chapter on spreading the greeting is part of Islam...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):, as if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sees something different from what the questioner sees... Then he said at the end: Sahih al-Bukhari 27 meaning there is a type of praise in it, but he...
The Shaykh : Yes. Correct, this is its apparent meaning, because the Messenger left this man, and Sa'd said: "I consider him a believer," so he said:, then what I knew of him overcame me, so I returned to my statement, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned, then he said: Sahih al-Bukhari 27 So the apparent meaning of this is the opposite, the apparent meaning of this is the opposite, but it is said, and Allah knows best, in the answer: that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to those because they were in greater danger than this one. The one to whom he gave was in greater danger than the state of this man about whom he repeated [the request] and said he is a Muslim.
The Shaykh : Do you have anything in the explanation, Mustafa?
The reader: From the beginning, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : From the first word.
The reader: "It is with sukun on the waw, not with fathah, so it was said that it is for variety. And some of them said it is for association, and that he commanded him to say both together because it is safer. And this is refuted by the narration of Ibn al-'A'rabi in his Majma' in this hadith, where he said: So it became clear that it is for interruption (i'drab) and its meaning is not denial, but rather the meaning is that applying the term 'Muslim' to one whose inner state has not been tested is more appropriate than applying the term 'believer,' because Islam is known by the ruling of the apparent. The Shaykh Muhyi al-Din stated this in summary. Al-Kirmani refuted him by saying that this necessitates that the hadith does not indicate what the chapter was established for, and that the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) response to Sa'd would have no benefit. And this refutation is refuted, and we have clarified the point of conformity between the hadith and the heading before. The summary of the story is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was generous in giving to those who displayed Islam to win them over...
So when he gave to the group, and they were from those whose hearts were being won over, and left out Ja'ila, who was from the emigrants, even though all of them asked him, Sa'd addressed him about his matter because he considered Ja'ila more deserving than them, having tested him more than them. For this reason, he revisited the matter more than once. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided him to two things: First, informing him of the wisdom in giving to those and withholding from Ja'ila, even though he was more beloved to him than those who were given, because if he left out giving to the one whose heart is being won over, his apostasy would not be safe, and he would be among the people of the Fire. Second, guiding him to refrain from praising by the inner matter without praising by the apparent matter. This clarified the benefit of the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) response to Sa'd, and that it does not necessitate pure denial of him, but rather it was one of the answers by way of advising the better, and the other... ".
The Shaykh : If one, as long as he said, and the other contains "one" with dammah.
The reader: "And the other by way of excuse. If it is said: How did you not accept Sa'd's testimony for Ja'ila regarding faith, even if he testified to his justice, which necessitates faith? The answer is: Sa'd's speech did not take the form of testimony, but rather took the form of praising him and seeking intercession in the request for his sake. For this reason, he was questioned about his wording, and even if it had been in the wording of testimony, it would not necessitate that the advice to him regarding the better matter be the rejection of his testimony... ".
The Shaykh : Rejection.
The reader: "Rejection of his testimony, but the context indicates that he accepted his statement about him, as evidenced by the fact that he excused himself to him. And we narrated in the Musnad of Muhammad ibn Harun al-Ru'ayni and others with a sound chain to Abu Salim al-Jayshani from Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: He said: I said: Like the shape of the people, meaning the emigrants. He said: He said: I said: A master among the masters of people. He said: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34:90 He said: I said: And so-and-so is like this, and you do to him what you do. He said: .
The Shaykh : That is enough.
That the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to a group of people and Sa'd was sitting, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) left out a man who was the most impressive to me among them. So I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you regarding so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer?" He said: "Or a Muslim?" I remained silent for a while, then what I knew of him overcame me, so I returned to my statement and said: "What is the matter with you regarding so-and-so? By Allah, I consider him a believer?" He said: "Or a Muslim?" Then what I knew of him overcame me, so I returned to my statement, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned, then he said: "O Sa'd, I give to a man, and another is more beloved to me than him, out of fear that Allah will throw him into the Fire."
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أعطى رهطًا وسعد جالس فترك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رجلًا هو أعجبهم إلي فقلت : يا رسول الله ما لك عن فلان فوالله إني لأراه مؤمنًا ؟، فقال : أو مسلمًا ، فسكت قليلًا ثم غلبني ما أعلم منه فعدت لمقالتي فقلت : ما لك عن فلان فوالله إني لأراه مؤمنًا ؟. فقال : أو مسلمًا ، ثم غلبني ما أعلم منه فعدت لمقالتي وعاد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ثم قال : يا سعد إني لأعطي الرجل وغيره أحب إلي منه خشية أن يكبه الله في النارThe Shaykh : This contains evidence for the permissibility of giving to the less deserving person while withholding from the more deserving one, out of concern for his religion, out of fear that he may be led astray. For some people, if you do not give to them, they may be led astray in their religion. If you do not speak to them in a way that prefers others over them, they may be led astray in the religion.
It also contains a note on observing the state of the person being addressed, the one being given to, and the one being dealt with. A person should not say, "I will do this," without having knowledge of the people. Rather, the sincere person is the one who considers the state of his brothers. If he fears fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for them, he gives to them. He gives them what reassures their hearts, softens them, and unites them.
In this is evidence that it is permissible for a person to repeat a request, even if the requested party has refused. For perhaps, after one time, the person who refused will reconsider, reconsider himself, and then accept the request. This is something observed. Often you say something, and then someone comes to you to speak to you about it; you reject it the first time, and they come to you the second time and you reject it, and they come to you the third time, so you look into the matter, and perhaps you yield to his saying. Yes.
The questioner : The chapter on spreading the greeting is part of Islam...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
Or a Muslim
أو مسلماNarrated Sa'd: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) distributed (Zakat) amongst (a group of) people while I was sitting there but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) left a man whom I thought the best of the lot. I asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Why have you left that person? By Allah I regard him as a faithful believer." The Prophet (ﷺ) commented: "Or merely a Muslim." I remained quiet for a while, but could not help repeating my question because of what I knew about him. And then asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "Why have you left so and so? By Allah! He is a faithful believer." The Prophet (ﷺ) again said, "Or merely a Muslim." And I could not help repeating my question because of what I knew about him. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Sa'd! I give to a person while another is dearer to me, for fear that he might be thrown on his face in the Fire by Allah."
لأعطي الرجل وغيره أحب إلي منهThe Shaykh : Yes. Correct, this is its apparent meaning, because the Messenger left this man, and Sa'd said: "I consider him a believer," so he said:
Or a Muslim
أو مسلماO Sa'd! I give to a person while another is dearer to me, for fear that he might be thrown on his face in the Fire by Allah.
يا سعد إني لأعطي الرجل وغيره أحب إلي منه خشية أن يكبه الله في النارThe Shaykh : Do you have anything in the explanation, Mustafa?
The reader: From the beginning, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : From the first word.
The reader: "It is with sukun on the waw, not with fathah, so it was said that it is for variety. And some of them said it is for association, and that he commanded him to say both together because it is safer. And this is refuted by the narration of Ibn al-'A'rabi in his Majma' in this hadith, where he said:
Do not say "believer," but say "Muslim."
لا تقل مؤمن بل مسلمSo when he gave to the group, and they were from those whose hearts were being won over, and left out Ja'ila, who was from the emigrants, even though all of them asked him, Sa'd addressed him about his matter because he considered Ja'ila more deserving than them, having tested him more than them. For this reason, he revisited the matter more than once. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided him to two things: First, informing him of the wisdom in giving to those and withholding from Ja'ila, even though he was more beloved to him than those who were given, because if he left out giving to the one whose heart is being won over, his apostasy would not be safe, and he would be among the people of the Fire. Second, guiding him to refrain from praising by the inner matter without praising by the apparent matter. This clarified the benefit of the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) response to Sa'd, and that it does not necessitate pure denial of him, but rather it was one of the answers by way of advising the better, and the other... ".
The Shaykh : If one, as long as he said, and the other contains "one" with dammah.
The reader: "And the other by way of excuse. If it is said: How did you not accept Sa'd's testimony for Ja'ila regarding faith, even if he testified to his justice, which necessitates faith? The answer is: Sa'd's speech did not take the form of testimony, but rather took the form of praising him and seeking intercession in the request for his sake. For this reason, he was questioned about his wording, and even if it had been in the wording of testimony, it would not necessitate that the advice to him regarding the better matter be the rejection of his testimony... ".
The Shaykh : Rejection.
The reader: "Rejection of his testimony, but the context indicates that he accepted his statement about him, as evidenced by the fact that he excused himself to him. And we narrated in the Musnad of Muhammad ibn Harun al-Ru'ayni and others with a sound chain to Abu Salim al-Jayshani from Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
What do you think of Ja'ila?
كيف ترى جعيلا ؟.What do you think of so-and-so?
فكيف ترى فلانا ؟.Ja'il is better than the earth filled with so-and-so.
فجعيل خير من ملء الأرض من فلانHe is the head of his people, so I seek to win them over through him. This is the status of the aforementioned Ja'il with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), as you see. Thus, the wisdom in withholding from him and giving to others has become clear, and that it is for the benefit of reconciliation, as we have established. And among the benefits of the hadith of this chapter are...
إنه رأس قومه فأنا أتألفهم به . فهذه منزلة جعيل المذكور عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كما ترى فظهرت بهذا الحكمة في حرمانه وإعطاء غيره ، وأن ذلك لمصلحة التأليف كما قررناه ، وفي حديث الباب من الفوائد ... "The Shaykh : That is enough.