Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … There are two types of questions: (1) Those questions which pertain to religious matters that, due to general necessity, require clarification. Asking such questions is permissible, like when Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu and other Companions kept asking about wine until it was declared forbidden, because necessity demanded that it be prohibited. Similarly, asking about obeying unjust rulers, inheritance by kalalah, gambling, menstruation, hunting, and fighting during the sacred months, because these are necessities. Regarding this type of question, Allah the Exalted has said: {فَاسْئَلُوْا اَھْلَ الذِّکْرِ اِنْ کُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ} … So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. (Surah al-Nahl: 43) (2) Those questions which are asked merely out of affectation and obstinacy, for example, in the Prophetic era, to start probing about the permissibility or prohibition of something which the Companions were using in the presence of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and in which there was no harm found. Or to ask about something that has not yet occurred or for which there is no need. For example: asking about the reality of unseen matters like the punishment of the grave, similarly about the Hour (Qiyamah), the reality of the soul, the duration of this Ummah, or asking a question that has no relation to action. In this and other ahadith, such questions have been prohibited.

The clearest example of questions asked merely out of affectation is the demand of the people of Musa alayhis salam, when Musa alayhis salam said to them that Allah the Exalted has commanded you to slaughter a cow. Upon hearing this command, if they had slaughtered any cow, Allah’s will would have been fulfilled. But first, they said: O Musa! Are you making a mockery of us? Then, when they became aware of Allah’s command, their first question was: May Allah make clear to us what it is. When that was clarified, their second question was: What color should it be? When the color was clarified, they then said that the nature of the cow should be further clarified, as there are many such cows. In this way, when Banu Isra’il began to nitpick and ask all sorts of questions, Allah the Exalted also kept making things stricter for them. Therefore, delving deeply and adopting strictness in religion has been prohibited. Regarding halal and haram, the Shari‘ah has presented a very easy and simple law. Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda’ radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((Whatever Allah has made lawful in His Book is lawful, and whatever He has made unlawful is unlawful, and whatever He has remained silent about is pardoned. So accept from Allah His pardon, for Allah does not forget anything.)) Then he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited this verse: {وَمَا کَانَ رَبُّکَ نَسِیًّا} … Whatever Allah the Exalted has made lawful in His Book is lawful. Whatever He has made unlawful is unlawful, and whatever He has remained silent about is pardoned. So accept from Allah the Exalted His pardon, for Allah the Exalted does not forget anything. Then he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited this verse: And your Lord is not forgetful. (Musnad al-Bazzar)

An important question: The decision of halal and haram is solely according to the will of Allah the Exalted, so why is the questioner considered a sinner?

Answer: Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: Without doubt, the decisions of halal and haram have already been decreed, and the thing that becomes unlawful due to such a person’s question was already unlawful before. The reason for considering him a sinner is that he asked the question merely out of affectation and obstinacy; in reality, he had no need to ask such a question. In this hadith, “sin” means a transgression. (Summary from Fath al-Bari: 13/333)