Explanation of the Author's Statement: The Chapter on What Came Regarding the (If)
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The Shaykh : Then he said: "The Chapter on What Came Regarding the If" Regarding the "if"? If someone were to ask us how the definite article was inserted into a particle? Because "if" is a particle, and "al" is a name? It is a particle. And it has been mentioned to us at the beginning of the book of grammar, and all of you know this, the young ones and the old ones, that one of the signs of a noun is the alif and lam. Ibn Malik said:
"With pluralization, tanwin, vocative, and al, *** And what is predicated of a noun to distinguish it, it is established"
How is "if" here a particle by consensus? How was the al inserted into it? Because the intended meaning is the word itself, meaning the chapter on what came regarding this word. And therefore, one of the signs of a noun is predication.
"And what is predicated of a noun to distinguish it, it is established"
And despite that, it is correct to predicate a statement to particles, and you can say: "From" is a preposition. How do you parse "from" now? It is a subject (mubtada'), because the intended meaning is the word itself. So, "in the if" means in this word, which is the word "if." And the author (may Allah have mercy on him) made the title open: "The Chapter on What Came Regarding the If," and did not assert anything, because "if" is used in several ways. Pay attention to them. "If" is used in several ways: The first way is used in objecting to the Shari'ah. Second, O Haidar, it is used in objecting to the divine decree. — Oh woe to the one who mentions his name in these recordings, yes.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Heh, okay. Third, it is used in regret and remorse. Fourth, it is used in wishing. And fifth, in pure information. So its categories are now five. And for this reason, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) did not assert any ruling from the rulings. Yes, how many categories are there, my brother? ... , .. What?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : And for wishing, and for regret and remorse, and for wishing, and pure information. Okay, fine. If it is used in objecting to the Shari'ah, there is no doubt that it is forbidden. And among this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ali 'Imran 3:168] And during the journey, Abdullah ibn Abi and the hypocrites with him lagged behind, about two-thirds of the army, about two-thirds of the army, one-third of the army. And what happened happened, as you know, in the Battle of Uhud. How many Muslims were martyred? Seventy men. These hypocrites found something to object to regarding the legislation of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). They said, "If they had obeyed us and returned as we returned, they would not have been killed." Meaning, our opinion is better than the legislation of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). And for this reason, these people did not obey us, so they were killed. And there is no doubt that this is forbidden, and it may reach the level of disbelief.
The second is that it is intended to object to the divine decree.[Ali 'Imran 3:156] They object thereby to the decree of Allah. And although this is explicit, the smell is detected from it, meaning, if they had stayed, they would not have been killed. Okay, and where are we from the decree of Allah the Exalted?! Allah the Exalted is the One who decrees matters. And although they are here, they will not be saved from death, as will be explained, if Allah wills, in the third book. So there is no doubt that it is forbidden.
The third is that it is intended for remorse. It is for remorse and regret, so this is also forbidden, because anything that opens up remorse for you, you are prohibited from it. Anything that opens up remorse, you are prohibited from it. Because Allah wants us to always be in a state of expansiveness and ease, because remorse brings sadness and contraction to the soul, but the absence of remorse brings expansiveness and ease. And among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 2664 Did you understand? A person strives for what benefits him and does it, then things turn out contrary to what he wanted. What is the example? What is the example?
The student: The example is... He said, "If I had traveled, it would have been such and such," and he starts to regret.
The Shaykh : No, a man started digging for a pearl, worked hard, and said, "If I had known its difficulty, yes, I would have hidden the pearl." Is that acceptable? Or is there no remorse? Okay, a man was eager to buy this item, thinking there would be profit, but it turned out to be a loss, so he said, "If I had not bought it, I would not have suffered a loss." What is this? This is regret and remorse, and this happens often, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it.
The fourth is that it is used in wishing. And if it is used in wishing, it is according to what is wished. If it is good, it is good; and if it is evil, it is evil. Yes, okay. It came in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the story of the four men: Yes, this is a wish for what? Good. And the second wished that he had the money of so-and-so, which he would spend in other than the pleasure of Allah. This is a wish for evil. And like if someone says, "If I could gamble," meaning he wishes to gamble. This would be a wish for evil. So the important thing is that if it falls under wishing, it is according to what he wishes. If he wishes for good, it is good; and if he wishes for evil, it is evil.
The fifth is pure information, meaning only pure information is intended by it. For example, if you say, "If you had visited me, I would have honored you." "If you had visited me, I would have honored you." "If you had carried this heavy thing, you would have been tired." "If you had attended the lesson, you would have benefited." What do you say about this? This is permissible, there is nothing wrong with it. Permissible, nothing wrong with it. And is the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) among this?Sahih al-Bukhari 7229 ?
The student: No, this is...
The Shaykh : Ah, they differed on it. Some said that this is information, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that if he had known that this matter would be from the Companions, he would not have led the sacrificial animals and would have entered the state of ihram. And some say that this is from the category of wishing, as if he is saying, "I wish I had faced the end of my affair as I faced its beginning," so that I would not lead the sacrificial animals. Yes, and which is closer?
The student: The second.
Another student: Information.
The Shaykh : It appears to me that it is information, and you may choose what you wish, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not wish for anything that Allah decreed otherwise. But it appears that it is information, informing that because of what he saw from his Companions of hesitation in exiting the state of ihram, he said, "If I had done such and such, if I had faced the end of my affair as I faced its beginning, I would not have led the sacrificial animals."
And in any case, the categories we have now regarding "if" are five: that it occurs in opposing the Shari'ah, in opposing the divine decree, in remorse and regret, in wishing, and in pure information. Yes, and these rulings for these five categories are known by tracking, by tracking the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. And for this reason, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) left the title open and said, "The Chapter on What Came Regarding the If." Yes... So now we have the word "if" with the insertion of the definite article al, because the intended meaning is its word. Yes.
"With pluralization, tanwin, vocative, and al, *** And what is predicated of a noun to distinguish it, it is established"
How is "if" here a particle by consensus? How was the al inserted into it? Because the intended meaning is the word itself, meaning the chapter on what came regarding this word. And therefore, one of the signs of a noun is predication.
"And what is predicated of a noun to distinguish it, it is established"
And despite that, it is correct to predicate a statement to particles, and you can say: "From" is a preposition. How do you parse "from" now? It is a subject (mubtada'), because the intended meaning is the word itself. So, "in the if" means in this word, which is the word "if." And the author (may Allah have mercy on him) made the title open: "The Chapter on What Came Regarding the If," and did not assert anything, because "if" is used in several ways. Pay attention to them. "If" is used in several ways: The first way is used in objecting to the Shari'ah. Second, O Haidar, it is used in objecting to the divine decree. — Oh woe to the one who mentions his name in these recordings, yes.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Heh, okay. Third, it is used in regret and remorse. Fourth, it is used in wishing. And fifth, in pure information. So its categories are now five. And for this reason, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) did not assert any ruling from the rulings. Yes, how many categories are there, my brother? ... , .. What?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : And for wishing, and for regret and remorse, and for wishing, and pure information. Okay, fine. If it is used in objecting to the Shari'ah, there is no doubt that it is forbidden. And among this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed.
لو أطاعونا ما قتلواThe second is that it is intended to object to the divine decree.
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed,"
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَوْ كَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُواThe third is that it is intended for remorse. It is for remorse and regret, so this is also forbidden, because anything that opens up remorse for you, you are prohibited from it. Anything that opens up remorse, you are prohibited from it. Because Allah wants us to always be in a state of expansiveness and ease, because remorse brings sadness and contraction to the soul, but the absence of remorse brings expansiveness and ease. And among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your" if" opens the (gate) for the Satan.
احرص على ما ينفعك واستعن بالله ولا تعجزن ، وإن أصابك شيء فلا تقل لو أني فعلت كذا لكان كذا وكذا فإن لو تفتح عمل الشيطانThe student: The example is... He said, "If I had traveled, it would have been such and such," and he starts to regret.
The Shaykh : No, a man started digging for a pearl, worked hard, and said, "If I had known its difficulty, yes, I would have hidden the pearl." Is that acceptable? Or is there no remorse? Okay, a man was eager to buy this item, thinking there would be profit, but it turned out to be a loss, so he said, "If I had not bought it, I would not have suffered a loss." What is this? This is regret and remorse, and this happens often, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited it.
The fourth is that it is used in wishing. And if it is used in wishing, it is according to what is wished. If it is good, it is good; and if it is evil, it is evil. Yes, okay. It came in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the story of the four men:
One of them said, "If only I had so-and-so's wealth, I would do with it what so-and-so does."
قال أحدهم لو أن لي مال فلان لعملت فيه عمل فلانThe fifth is pure information, meaning only pure information is intended by it. For example, if you say, "If you had visited me, I would have honored you." "If you had visited me, I would have honored you." "If you had carried this heavy thing, you would have been tired." "If you had attended the lesson, you would have benefited." What do you say about this? This is permissible, there is nothing wrong with it. Permissible, nothing wrong with it. And is the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) among this?
If I had formerly known what I came to know recently, I would not have driven the Hadi with me and would have finished the state of Ihram along with the people
لو استقبلت من أمري ما استدبرت ما سقت الهدي ولأحللت معكمThe student: No, this is...
The Shaykh : Ah, they differed on it. Some said that this is information, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that if he had known that this matter would be from the Companions, he would not have led the sacrificial animals and would have entered the state of ihram. And some say that this is from the category of wishing, as if he is saying, "I wish I had faced the end of my affair as I faced its beginning," so that I would not lead the sacrificial animals. Yes, and which is closer?
The student: The second.
Another student: Information.
The Shaykh : It appears to me that it is information, and you may choose what you wish, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not wish for anything that Allah decreed otherwise. But it appears that it is information, informing that because of what he saw from his Companions of hesitation in exiting the state of ihram, he said, "If I had done such and such, if I had faced the end of my affair as I faced its beginning, I would not have led the sacrificial animals."
And in any case, the categories we have now regarding "if" are five: that it occurs in opposing the Shari'ah, in opposing the divine decree, in remorse and regret, in wishing, and in pure information. Yes, and these rulings for these five categories are known by tracking, by tracking the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. And for this reason, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) left the title open and said, "The Chapter on What Came Regarding the If." Yes... So now we have the word "if" with the insertion of the definite article al, because the intended meaning is its word. Yes.