Explanation of the Book: The Beginning of Revelation, Faith, and Knowledge-06a
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The reciter: Abu Nu'aym narrated to us, and Zakariyya narrated to us from Amir, who said: I heard al-Nu'man ibn Bashir say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Sahih al-Bukhari 52.
The Shaykh : Chapter: The virtue of one who safeguards his religion. "One who safeguards his religion" means one who seeks purity from ambiguous matters and mistakes.
Then he mentioned the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as narrated by al-Nu'man ibn Bashir:Sunan Ibn Majah 3984Sahih (Darussalam) This means that rulings are divided into three categories:
A clear lawful, and a clear forbidden, and there is no doubt in this. They are combined in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:275] and they are combined likewise in His saying: [An-Nisa 4:23] up to His saying: [An-Nisa 4:24]. So rulings are three categories: a clear lawful, and a clear forbidden, and there is no confusion in this. The lawful is done, and the forbidden is avoided.
There are ambiguous matters, and the causes of ambiguity are many. They may be ambiguous for the general public, or for students of knowledge whose knowledge is deficient, or whose understanding is deficient, or who have an intention that is not required. Because the causes of ambiguity include:
First: Deficiency in knowledge. It is known that one who memorizes a hundred hadiths is not like one who memorizes a thousand hadiths. Which of them has more knowledge? Second:
Or deficiency in understanding. A man who memorizes a lot and has much knowledge, but does not have understanding. This also leads to ambiguity for him, because he does not understand the texts as they are.
And the third: Bad intention, such that he forces the texts to fit his belief. This is the one who speaks about the Qur'an with his opinion, or about the Sunnah with his opinion. He wants to force the texts to fit his belief. So you find that when a text comes that contradicts his belief, he twists its neck. And perhaps if the text refuses to have its neck twisted, he breaks it. Yes, or slaughters it. So these are the causes of ambiguity.
As for the one whom Allah has given knowledge, and understanding, and a sincere intention, and who makes the texts followed rather than following, and who with his heart, his outward appearance, his limbs, and his words seeks the evidence, then he is mostly successful. He is successful in reaching the truth, and the truth is made easy for him, until he reaches it.
Sunan Ibn Majah 3984Sahih (Darussalam), so what is the position of a person regarding these ambiguous matters?
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified it, saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 52 His religion is from the perspective of Allah, and his honor is from the perspective of people. For this reason, you find that a person who persists in ambiguous matters is blamed, and it is said: So-and-so eats ambiguous things, so-and-so eats ambiguous things. For this reason, whoever wants to safeguard his religion and his honor should fear the ambiguous matters. But as long as it is not possible for him to reach knowledge, if it is possible, then this is obligatory, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nahl 16:43] So these ambiguous matters that many people do not know, if a person can reach knowledge about them, then this is obligatory. But it may not be easy for him to do so. In that case, we say: avoid them, take the path of safety. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) did not prefer anything over safety.
And I give an example of a man who said: Should I speak about such-and-such, or should I remain silent? The general rule is that safety lies in silence. The general rule is that safety lies in silence. So likewise, regarding proceeding into ambiguous matters, the general rule is that safety lies in avoiding them.
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) gave an example for the one who falls into ambiguous matters, in his saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 52 "Protected area" (Hima): It is the custom of kings, or leaders, or notables, or the like, to protect a piece of land so that people do not graze on it, so that it remains abundant for grazing their livestock. These protected areas are mostly green and swaying, better than what surrounds them that is grazed. So when this shepherd comes with his sheep around this protected area, what do the animals do?
They run toward it, they run toward it. So the one who violates ambiguous matters is like the shepherd who grazes around the protected area; he is likely to fall into it.
Then he said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1205Sahih (Darussalam) Is this a permission, or a description of reality?
This is a description of reality. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) may say a statement as a description of reality, not as an approval of it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Mishkat al-Masabih 5408 Is this an approval, or a report about reality, given the existence of evidence indicating the prohibition of imitating them?
Second, and likewise what he reported about a person's affairs being completed and tranquility being achieved: Is this an approval of a woman traveling without a mahram, even with safety?
No. And it is ambiguous for some students of knowledge, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) which intends to describe reality, and the one which intends to permit.
Here, his saying:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1205Sahih (Darussalam) does not mean that this is an approval, but it is a report about reality, because it is the custom of kings to protect for their livestock, horses, and camels what they protect.
But the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that it is permissible for the one in authority to protect for the livestock of the public treasury, and the mounts of the Muslims, on the condition that it does not harm the Muslim, on the condition that it does not harm them, by having the protected area far from the grazing grounds of the town, for example. Because if he protected the area around the town, it would restrict the people's grazing grounds. So they said: "The Imam has a protected grazing area for the mounts of the Muslims, as long as it does not harm them".
SoSahih al-Bukhari 52 The prohibitions are protected by Allah, so that people do not violate them. But despite that, Satan beautifies these prohibitions, he beautifies them for the self, just as the protected area of the king is beautified for the livestock grazing around it. So you find Satan beautifying for a person forbidden things that he violates, even though when he thinks about it, he sees that he is wrong. But Satan beautifies them in his heart. And this is a great disease. [Fatir 35:8].
So sometimes Satan beautifies for a person what is harm to him in his religion and his worldly life. Satan depicts the things that are the prohibitions of Allah as permissible, good things, and makes it easy for a person to violate them. He says: It is easy, do it and repent, and the door of repentance is open. Or: Look at others, so-and-so does such-and-such. If you take a bribe of a hundred riyals, for example, look at another who takes a thousand riyals. He takes a hundred riyals this time, and takes a thousand riyals the second time. He says: Look, another took two thousand riyals. And he gradually leads him until he causes him to fall into destruction. We ask Allah for safety.
Sahih al-Bukhari 52, the morsel is the amount of meat that a person chews, and it is small. This morsel, he says: Sahih al-Bukhari 52, and this clearly indicates that the heart is the manager of the body, and there is no doubt in that. Then what is this heart?
The doctors say the heart is the brain, the brain, because it is the manager. For this reason, if the brain stops functioning, everything becomes corrupt. But this is a distortion. And this is part of what we said: if a person has a desire, he tries to twist the necks of the texts. We say: Glory be to Allah, how can the heart be the brain, when Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:46] in the heads?
The questioner : The chests.
The Shaykh : He never said it like that.[Al-Hajj 22:46] [Al-Hajj 22:46] The same verse, [Al-Hajj 22:46], and who is this speech from?
From the Creator, from the Creator who created the hearts, and knows what happens from them, and created the bodies, and knows that they are completely submissive to the heart. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) compared the heart to an obeyed king. The obeyed king commands and people heed him. But the Shaykh al-Islam said: The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) "if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt" is more eloquent than comparing it to an obeyed king. Because the obeyed king may be obeyed sometimes and disobeyed sometimes. But the heart with the limbs is necessary, a necessity that cannot be avoided.Sahih al-Bukhari 52.
This hadith contains a refutation of a group of people who refrain from the apparent evil, such as shaving the beard, smoking, letting the garment hang below the ankles, and the like. Then they say to you, "Taqwa is here," striking their chests so hard that they nearly tear them open from the intensity of the agitation. "Taqwa is here." Well, if they had Taqwa here, they would have Taqwa there. If they had Taqwa in the outward matters, they would have Taqwa in the heart. For the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 52. So if you see a person saying, "Taqwa is here," and striking his chest with force so that he nearly tears it open, say to him, "My brother, do not tear your chest. Your words are wrong. If what is here were sound, the limbs would be sound. For the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 52. Yes.
The result is that this hadith is a great hadith, and it is one of the hadiths of the Forty Nawawi. Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the Forty Nawawi, and his explanation is, in my view, the most comprehensive I have seen on the Forty Nawawi. And these Forty Nawawi also contain good and blessing. A small child memorizes them because they are easy, and when he memorizes them, they are engraved in his heart, and he benefits from them in old age.
In this hadith is the beautiful explanation of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his classifications, and that they are exhaustive and clear classifications. Yes.
Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
الحلال بين والحرام بين وبينهما مشبهات لا يعلمها كثير من الناس فمن اتقى المشبهات استبرأ لدينه وعرضه ، ومن وقع في الشبهات كراع يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يواقعه ، ألا وإن لكل ملك حمًى ألا إن حمى الله في أرضه محارمه ، ألا وإن في الجسد مضغةً إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلبThe Shaykh : Chapter: The virtue of one who safeguards his religion. "One who safeguards his religion" means one who seeks purity from ambiguous matters and mistakes.
Then he mentioned the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as narrated by al-Nu'man ibn Bashir:
That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between them are matters that are not clear
الحلال بين والحرام بين وبينهما مشتبهاتA clear lawful, and a clear forbidden, and there is no doubt in this. They are combined in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest
وأحل الله البيع وحرم الرباProhibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters
حرمت عليكم أمهاتكم وبناتكم وأخواتكم وعماتكم وخالاتكمAnd lawful to you are [all others] beyond these
وأحل لكم ما وراء ذلكمThere are ambiguous matters, and the causes of ambiguity are many. They may be ambiguous for the general public, or for students of knowledge whose knowledge is deficient, or whose understanding is deficient, or who have an intention that is not required. Because the causes of ambiguity include:
First: Deficiency in knowledge. It is known that one who memorizes a hundred hadiths is not like one who memorizes a thousand hadiths. Which of them has more knowledge? Second:
Or deficiency in understanding. A man who memorizes a lot and has much knowledge, but does not have understanding. This also leads to ambiguity for him, because he does not understand the texts as they are.
And the third: Bad intention, such that he forces the texts to fit his belief. This is the one who speaks about the Qur'an with his opinion, or about the Sunnah with his opinion. He wants to force the texts to fit his belief. So you find that when a text comes that contradicts his belief, he twists its neck. And perhaps if the text refuses to have its neck twisted, he breaks it. Yes, or slaughters it. So these are the causes of ambiguity.
As for the one whom Allah has given knowledge, and understanding, and a sincere intention, and who makes the texts followed rather than following, and who with his heart, his outward appearance, his limbs, and his words seeks the evidence, then he is mostly successful. He is successful in reaching the truth, and the truth is made easy for him, until he reaches it.
and between them are matters that are not clear, about which not many people know
بينهما مشتبهات لا يعلمها كثير من الناسThe Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified it, saying:
So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor.
فمن اتقى المشبهات استبرأ لدينه وعرضهSo ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمونAnd I give an example of a man who said: Should I speak about such-and-such, or should I remain silent? The general rule is that safety lies in silence. The general rule is that safety lies in silence. So likewise, regarding proceeding into ambiguous matters, the general rule is that safety lies in avoiding them.
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) gave an example for the one who falls into ambiguous matters, in his saying:
And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it.
ومن وقع في الشبهات كراع يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يواقعهThey run toward it, they run toward it. So the one who violates ambiguous matters is like the shepherd who grazes around the protected area; he is likely to fall into it.
Then he said:
Indeed for every king is a sanctuary
ألا وإن لكل ملك حمًىThis is a description of reality. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) may say a statement as a description of reality, not as an approval of it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
you will certainly follow the practices of your predecessors
لتركبن سنن من كان قبلكم اليهود والنصارىSecond, and likewise what he reported about a person's affairs being completed and tranquility being achieved:
Until the traveling woman goes from such a place to such a place, fearing nothing but Allah.
حتى تخرج الظعينة من كذا إلى كذا لا تخشى إلا اللهNo. And it is ambiguous for some students of knowledge, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) which intends to describe reality, and the one which intends to permit.
Here, his saying:
Indeed for every king is a sanctuary
ألا وأن لكل ملك حمىBut the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that it is permissible for the one in authority to protect for the livestock of the public treasury, and the mounts of the Muslims, on the condition that it does not harm the Muslim, on the condition that it does not harm them, by having the protected area far from the grazing grounds of the town, for example. Because if he protected the area around the town, it would restrict the people's grazing grounds. So they said: "The Imam has a protected grazing area for the mounts of the Muslims, as long as it does not harm them".
So
the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things
ألا إن حمى الله في أرضه محارمهThen is one to whom the evil of his deed has been made attractive so he considers it good [like one rightly guided]? For indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So do not let yourself perish over them in regret
أفمن زين له سوء عمله فرءاه حسنا فإن الله يضل من يشاء ويهدي من يشاء فلا تذهب نفسك عليهم حسراتSo sometimes Satan beautifies for a person what is harm to him in his religion and his worldly life. Satan depicts the things that are the prohibitions of Allah as permissible, good things, and makes it easy for a person to violate them. He says: It is easy, do it and repent, and the door of repentance is open. Or: Look at others, so-and-so does such-and-such. If you take a bribe of a hundred riyals, for example, look at another who takes a thousand riyals. He takes a hundred riyals this time, and takes a thousand riyals the second time. He says: Look, another took two thousand riyals. And he gradually leads him until he causes him to fall into destruction. We ask Allah for safety.
Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
ألا وإن في الجسد مضغةً إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلبif it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلبThe doctors say the heart is the brain, the brain, because it is the manager. For this reason, if the brain stops functioning, everything becomes corrupt. But this is a distortion. And this is part of what we said: if a person has a desire, he tries to twist the necks of the texts. We say: Glory be to Allah, how can the heart be the brain, when Allah the Exalted said:
For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which
فإنها لا تعمى الأبصار ولكن تعمى القلوب التيThe questioner : The chests.
The Shaykh : He never said it like that.
but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
ولكن تعمى القلوب التي في الصدورSo have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason
أفلم يسيروا في الأرض فتكون لهم قلوب يعقلون بهاFor indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
فإنها لا تعمى الأبصار ولكن تعمى القلوب التي في الصدورFrom the Creator, from the Creator who created the hearts, and knows what happens from them, and created the bodies, and knows that they are completely submissive to the heart. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) compared the heart to an obeyed king. The obeyed king commands and people heed him. But the Shaykh al-Islam said: The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) "if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt" is more eloquent than comparing it to an obeyed king. Because the obeyed king may be obeyed sometimes and disobeyed sometimes. But the heart with the limbs is necessary, a necessity that cannot be avoided.
if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt
إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله ، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كلهThis hadith contains a refutation of a group of people who refrain from the apparent evil, such as shaving the beard, smoking, letting the garment hang below the ankles, and the like. Then they say to you, "Taqwa is here," striking their chests so hard that they nearly tear them open from the intensity of the agitation. "Taqwa is here." Well, if they had Taqwa here, they would have Taqwa there. If they had Taqwa in the outward matters, they would have Taqwa in the heart. For the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt
إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله ، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كلهif it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt
إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله ، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كلهThe result is that this hadith is a great hadith, and it is one of the hadiths of the Forty Nawawi. Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the Forty Nawawi, and his explanation is, in my view, the most comprehensive I have seen on the Forty Nawawi. And these Forty Nawawi also contain good and blessing. A small child memorizes them because they are easy, and when he memorizes them, they are engraved in his heart, and he benefits from them in old age.
In this hadith is the beautiful explanation of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his classifications, and that they are exhaustive and clear classifications. Yes.