Explanation of the author's statement: The chapter on saying "What Allah wills and you will" from Qutaybah: (That a Jew came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: You are associating partners with Allah.
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The Shaykh : Then he said "Chapter: Saying 'What Allah wills and you will'".
The connection of this chapter to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is very clear, and it is that saying "What Allah wills and you will" is shirk (associating partners with Allah), either major shirk or minor shirk. If one believes that this conjoined entity is equal to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is major shirk. If one claims it is below Him but has associated with Him in the wording, it is minor shirk.
Some of the scholars have mentioned, among the criteria for minor shirk: that what is a means to major shirk is minor shirk. If it is a means, it is minor shirk. This is one of the criteria, otherwise there are many criteria for minor shirk, including this issue.
"From Qutaybah: al-Nasa'i narrated it and graded it authentic" The Jew is the one who claims affiliation to the law of Musa (peace be upon him). They were called Jews either from His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Al-A'raf 7:156] meaning "We have returned," or because their grandfather's name was Yahuda ibn Ya'qub. In the first case, the affiliation is for the sake of an action, and in the second case, it is for the sake of lineage and kinship. It is not far-fetched that it is for both this and that.
He says: He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: You are associating partners with Allah, meaning you, O Muslims, are associating partners with Allah, meaning shirk occurs among you. It is clear: you say "What Allah wills and you will," and you say "By the Ka'bah." As for the first, the shirk in it is from the aspect of making this conjoined entity equal to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), "What Allah wills and you will." As for the second, "By the Ka'bah," it is because he swore by other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not deny that; he did not say "We do not do that," nor did he say "It is not shirk." Rather, he ordered them to correct this speech. He ordered them to say: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah," so that the oath would then be by whom? By Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And he ordered them to say: "What Allah wills, then you will," so that by this ordering between the will of Allah (the Exalted) and the will of this created being, the wording becomes correct. As for the first, because the oath became by Allah. As for the second, because he made it with a wording that makes clear the delay of what? The will of the servant from the will of Allah, and that there is no equality between them.
In this hadith there are benefits and there is a problem. As for the benefits: It includes that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny this Jew, even though the apparent meaning of the Jew's speech is that it is not for Allah. Rather, his intention with it was blame and censure of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his companions. But the Messenger (peace be upon him), when what he said was the truth, did not deny him.
Second, among its benefits: The permissibility of returning to the truth, even if the one who pointed it out is not in the right. Where is this taken from? From the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to change that.
And in it also, among its benefits: That it is recommended to change a thing to something close to it, by saying: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah." He did not order them, he did not say "Swear by Allah" or the like. He said "By the Lord of the Ka'bah," because it is closer to the wording they were accustomed to, and it is a correct wording, isn't it? Correct. And likewise "What Allah wills, then you will." He did not say: Say "What Allah wills alone," as he said to the man who said "What Allah wills and you will." He said:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 64:1386, rather he said: "What Allah wills, then you will," which is closer to their saying "What Allah wills and you will" than saying "What Allah wills alone."
As for the problem, it is said: How was this ruling or how was this practice established, and it was not pointed out except by this Jew? What is the answer? How was the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) silent about it? And the Companions, yes, the Companions used to say it? Huh?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : As for the Messenger (peace be upon him), the answer is as 'Isa said: It is possible that he did not hear it and did not know about it. But this possibility has a problem directed at it, which is if the Messenger did not know about them and did not hear them, or if he did not hear them and did not see them, he and did not know.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, my brother, so Allah knows, the problem remains applicable...
What is the problem and what is its answer? 'Abdullah?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, and what is its answer?
As for the Messenger (peace be upon him), it is possible that he was not aware of it, perhaps he did not know. And as for the approval of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) of this, it may be for a wisdom, because this is not from the category of major shirk, but it is from the category of minor shirk. And it may be for a wisdom, which is the trial of these Jews who criticized the believers with this word, while they themselves associate partners with Allah with major shirk, so they do not see their own defect while they deny this to the Muslims. This may be among the wisdoms, and Allah knows best. We only say that the answer to the first, which is the approval of the Messenger (peace be upon him), is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) it is possible that he did not know about this usage and that it was widespread. And as for the approval of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) of it, it may be for wisdoms, among which is this that we have learned.
Okay, why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) choose for them to say: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah" instead of "By Allah"?
And he also has from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both):Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 783. Before we start the lesson, some of you may have work on the next night and the one after that and the one after that, yes?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it appears that he will have work.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, I am saying to some of you, it is not for all of you.
The connection of this chapter to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is very clear, and it is that saying "What Allah wills and you will" is shirk (associating partners with Allah), either major shirk or minor shirk. If one believes that this conjoined entity is equal to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it is major shirk. If one claims it is below Him but has associated with Him in the wording, it is minor shirk.
Some of the scholars have mentioned, among the criteria for minor shirk: that what is a means to major shirk is minor shirk. If it is a means, it is minor shirk. This is one of the criteria, otherwise there are many criteria for minor shirk, including this issue.
"From Qutaybah:
That a Jew came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: You are associating partners with Allah. You say: What Allah wills and you will, and you say: By the Ka'bah. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them that when they intended to swear an oath, they should say: By the Lord of the Ka'bah, and that they should say: What Allah wills, then you will
أن يهوديا أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: إنكم تشركون، تقولون ما شاء الله وشئت، وتقولون والكعبة، فأمرهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أرادوا أن يحلفوا أن يقولوا ورب الكعبة، وأن يقولوا ما شاء الله ثم شئتindeed, we have turned back to You
إنا هدنا إليكHe says: He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: You are associating partners with Allah, meaning you, O Muslims, are associating partners with Allah, meaning shirk occurs among you. It is clear: you say "What Allah wills and you will," and you say "By the Ka'bah." As for the first, the shirk in it is from the aspect of making this conjoined entity equal to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), "What Allah wills and you will." As for the second, "By the Ka'bah," it is because he swore by other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not deny that; he did not say "We do not do that," nor did he say "It is not shirk." Rather, he ordered them to correct this speech. He ordered them to say: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah," so that the oath would then be by whom? By Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And he ordered them to say: "What Allah wills, then you will," so that by this ordering between the will of Allah (the Exalted) and the will of this created being, the wording becomes correct. As for the first, because the oath became by Allah. As for the second, because he made it with a wording that makes clear the delay of what? The will of the servant from the will of Allah, and that there is no equality between them.
In this hadith there are benefits and there is a problem. As for the benefits: It includes that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deny this Jew, even though the apparent meaning of the Jew's speech is that it is not for Allah. Rather, his intention with it was blame and censure of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his companions. But the Messenger (peace be upon him), when what he said was the truth, did not deny him.
Second, among its benefits: The permissibility of returning to the truth, even if the one who pointed it out is not in the right. Where is this taken from? From the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to change that.
And in it also, among its benefits: That it is recommended to change a thing to something close to it, by saying: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah." He did not order them, he did not say "Swear by Allah" or the like. He said "By the Lord of the Ka'bah," because it is closer to the wording they were accustomed to, and it is a correct wording, isn't it? Correct. And likewise "What Allah wills, then you will." He did not say: Say "What Allah wills alone," as he said to the man who said "What Allah wills and you will." He said:
Have you made Me equal to Allah? Say: What Allah wills alone
أجعلتني لله ندا، قل: ما شاء الله وحدهAs for the problem, it is said: How was this ruling or how was this practice established, and it was not pointed out except by this Jew? What is the answer? How was the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) silent about it? And the Companions, yes, the Companions used to say it? Huh?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : As for the Messenger (peace be upon him), the answer is as 'Isa said: It is possible that he did not hear it and did not know about it. But this possibility has a problem directed at it, which is if the Messenger did not know about them and did not hear them, or if he did not hear them and did not see them, he and did not know.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, my brother, so Allah knows, the problem remains applicable...
What is the problem and what is its answer? 'Abdullah?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, and what is its answer?
As for the Messenger (peace be upon him), it is possible that he was not aware of it, perhaps he did not know. And as for the approval of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) of this, it may be for a wisdom, because this is not from the category of major shirk, but it is from the category of minor shirk. And it may be for a wisdom, which is the trial of these Jews who criticized the believers with this word, while they themselves associate partners with Allah with major shirk, so they do not see their own defect while they deny this to the Muslims. This may be among the wisdoms, and Allah knows best. We only say that the answer to the first, which is the approval of the Messenger (peace be upon him), is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) it is possible that he did not know about this usage and that it was widespread. And as for the approval of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) of it, it may be for wisdoms, among which is this that we have learned.
Okay, why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) choose for them to say: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah" instead of "By Allah"?
And he also has from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both):
A man said, to the Prophet, 'Whatever Allah wills and you will.'
أن رجلا قال للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما شاء الله وشئتThe student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it appears that he will have work.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, I am saying to some of you, it is not for all of you.