The Categories of Reports Concerning the Children of Israel and the Methodology for Dealing with Them
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The Shaykh : Many reports have come regarding the Children of Israel, and they fall into three categories.
The first is what came in the Qur'an.
The second is what came in the authentic Sunnah.
The third is what came from their rabbis and their scholars. As for the first and the second, there is no doubt that it is the truth and no doubt in accepting it, such as the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:246] And from the Sunnah, such as this hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). As for what is narrated about them from their rabbis and scholars, it is divided into three categories.
The first is what the Shari'ah has testified to be false; this is invalid and must be rejected. This occurs frequently in what is transmitted from the Isra'iliyyat in the exegesis of the Qur'an, as many Isra'ili reports are transmitted in the exegesis of the Qur'an which the Shari'ah testifies to be false.
The second is what the Shari'ah has testified to be true; this is accepted, not because it is from the reports of the Children of Israel, but because the Shari'ah has testified to its truth and that it is the truth.
The third is what the Shari'ah has neither testified to be true nor false; in this case, one suspends judgment, neither affirming nor denying it. This is because if we affirm them, it may be false, and we would have affirmed them with falsehood. And if we deny them, it may be true, and we would have denied them with truth. Therefore, we suspend judgment in this matter. However, there is no harm in narrating it in what is beneficial in encouraging or warning.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in this hadith that three from the Children of Israel were tested by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with ailments in their bodies. One of them was a leper, the second was bald with no hair on his head, and the third was blind and could not see. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) intended to test them and examine them, for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) tests the servant with what He wills to test him: whether he will be patient or become impatient if He tests him with hardship, and whether he will be grateful or become arrogant if He tests him with ease. So Allah sent to them an angel, an angel from the angels, and he came to them asking what they would most like. He began with the leper, and he said, "What do you most like?" He said, "A good color and good skin, and that what has disgusted people be removed from me," for the most important thing for a person is to be free from ailments, especially the ailments that are disliked by people. So he wiped him.
The first is what came in the Qur'an.
The second is what came in the authentic Sunnah.
The third is what came from their rabbis and their scholars. As for the first and the second, there is no doubt that it is the truth and no doubt in accepting it, such as the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "
ألم تر إلى الملأ من بني إسرائيل من بعد موسى إذ قالوا لنبي لهم ابعث لنا ملكا نقاتل في سبيل اللهThe first is what the Shari'ah has testified to be false; this is invalid and must be rejected. This occurs frequently in what is transmitted from the Isra'iliyyat in the exegesis of the Qur'an, as many Isra'ili reports are transmitted in the exegesis of the Qur'an which the Shari'ah testifies to be false.
The second is what the Shari'ah has testified to be true; this is accepted, not because it is from the reports of the Children of Israel, but because the Shari'ah has testified to its truth and that it is the truth.
The third is what the Shari'ah has neither testified to be true nor false; in this case, one suspends judgment, neither affirming nor denying it. This is because if we affirm them, it may be false, and we would have affirmed them with falsehood. And if we deny them, it may be true, and we would have denied them with truth. Therefore, we suspend judgment in this matter. However, there is no harm in narrating it in what is beneficial in encouraging or warning.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned in this hadith that three from the Children of Israel were tested by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with ailments in their bodies. One of them was a leper, the second was bald with no hair on his head, and the third was blind and could not see. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) intended to test them and examine them, for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) tests the servant with what He wills to test him: whether he will be patient or become impatient if He tests him with hardship, and whether he will be grateful or become arrogant if He tests him with ease. So Allah sent to them an angel, an angel from the angels, and he came to them asking what they would most like. He began with the leper, and he said, "What do you most like?" He said, "A good color and good skin, and that what has disgusted people be removed from me," for the most important thing for a person is to be free from ailments, especially the ailments that are disliked by people. So he wiped him.