How do we respond to those who deny the approving Sunnah and say: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approved the Companions eating sea urchins, and eating it is not a Sunnah?

The questioner: O Shaykh... May Allah bless you. Regarding the approval (taqrir), you mentioned that the approval is a Sunnah, and this is what we believe, of course. But there are those who bring up doubts. For example, they say to you now, "The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) approved the Companions eating sea urchins." Are you with me, Shaykh?

The Shaykh: May Allah guide you.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: I am with you, but you are not with me.

The questioner : Please, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: I am with you, you are not with me. So, may Allah bless you, what question are you asking?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: It is a repeated question.

The questioner: Repeated?

The Shaykh: Yes, repeated. Why?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: The example has already been presented, and there are dozens of examples, if not hundreds. This is just one example.

The questioner: The doubt, O Shaykh, I mean, for example...

The Shaykh: We mentioned it, O Shaykh. Are you understanding me?

The questioner: I understand, I understand. And peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: I mean, do you not find the answer to this question you are asking me in what has come before?

The questioner: If Allah wills, Lord of the Worlds. But I want a word from you to refute these people, just a specific word.

The Shaykh: It is not permissible, my brother, to repeat the speech, because others...

The questioner: That is enough. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: No, I will come with you, but you must follow me. Others will bring a second, third, fourth, tenth, and twentieth example, and so on. Do we need to finish by repeating our speech?

The questioner: No, of course not.

The Shaykh: Okay, now I will prove to you what these people say: that the Messenger approved.

The questioner: Approved. Yes, indeed.

The Shaykh: Those who ate sea urchin meat. Okay.

The questioner: They mean to say that eating sea urchin meat became a Sunnah. Is that what they say?

The Shaykh: Did we speak about the Sunnah?

The questioner: They say this. I asked you about the approval (taqrir)?

The Shaykh: I understand. Yes, the approval he approved.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: What did he approve? Eating sea urchins.

The questioner: Eating sea urchin meat.

The Shaykh: Yes, eating sea urchins. Did this become permissible or forbidden?

The questioner: Permissible.

The Shaykh: It has no relation to the Sunnah. Why did you bring up the term "Sunnah"?

The questioner: Yes, that is what we are saying.

The Shaykh: O daughter, O daughter, stay here, my dear. Yes.

The questioner: They mean, O Shaykh, they mean that they do not believe in the approving Sunnah. That is the intention, I mean...

The Shaykh: My brother, what has been said before is sufficient. May Allah bless you.

The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: They do not believe in the approving Sunnah. Did we not tell you that if they do not believe in the approving Sunnah from the Messenger, may Allah approve, they do not believe in that either?

The questioner: There is no god but Allah. May Allah reward you with good. There is no god but Allah. May Allah reward us all with good, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And to you.

The questioner: Peace be upon you.