Text copied Link copied

Al-Fatawa – home

﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

Scholar
Search mode

Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned, in the verses with which he began the chapter on maintaining adherence to the Sunnah and its etiquettes, several verses, among which is the statement of Allah the Exalted:
And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - (53) The path of Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. وإنك لتهدي إلى صراط مستقيم * صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ
[Ash-Shuraa 42:52-53]
The address here is to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); Allah (Mighty and Majestic) informed him that he guides to a straight path, meaning he indicates it, points to it, and clarifies it for the people. Allah clarified the straight path in His statement:
The path of Allah صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ
meaning the path that Allah the Exalted established for His servants, which is His Shari'ah. Allah attributed it to Himself because He is the one who established it and because it leads to Him. Similarly, He attributed it in Surat al-Fatihah to those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor, because they are the ones who walk upon it. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guides people to the straight path, points them to it, calls them to it, encourages them to walk upon it, and warns them against opposing it. And so it is with those who follow him in his Ummah from the Rabban scholars, for they call to the straight path, the path of Allah. If someone asks: How do you reconcile this verse
And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - وإنك لتهدي إلى صراط مستقيم
[Ash-Shuraa 42:52]
with the statement of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like إِنَّكَ لا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ
[Al-Qasas 28:56]
? This verse was revealed when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was grieved for his uncle Abu Talib. His uncle Abu Talib was a mushrik, but he used to defend him, elevate his status, protect him, and recite great praises and poems about him. However, he was deprived of the best of Islam, and may Allah protect us, and he died upon disbelief. When the time of his death approached, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and two men from Quraysh were with him. The Prophet would say to him:
O my uncle, say: There is no god but Allah, a word with which I will argue for you before Allah. When they were about to say it, the two men from Quraysh said to him: Do you desire to turn away from the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib? يا عم قل لا إله إلا الله كلمة أحاج لك بها عند الله، فإذا هم أن يقولها قال له الرجلان من قريش: أترغب عن ملة عبد المطلب؟
meaning: the religion of shirk, and may Allah protect us. The last thing he said was that he was upon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he died a disbeliever. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He interceded for him before Allah, so he was in a shallow part of the Fire, and upon him were two sandals of fire from which his brain boils إنه شفع فيه عند الله، فكان في ضحضاح من نار وعليه نعلان من نار يغلي منهما دماغه
two sandals on the bottom of his body from which his brain boils. So what do you say about what is below the brain, and may Allah protect us? He said:
And he is the lightest of the people of the Fire in punishment, and were it not for me وإنه لأهون أهل النار عذابًا ولولا أنا
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
he would have been in the bottom-most depth of the Fire لكان في الدرك الأسفل من النار
Sahih al-Bukhari 6208
So here he says:
Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like إِنَّكَ لا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ
[Al-Qasas 28:56]
And in the verse mentioned by the author:
And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - وإنك لتهدي إلى صراط مستقيم
[Ash-Shuraa 42:52]
The scholars of knowledge said: The reconciliation between them is that the verse affirming guidance intends guidance by indication, meaning that you point the creation to it, and not everyone who is pointed to the straight path finds the right guidance.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas