Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The complete text of this blessed hadith as found in Sahih Muslim is as follows:

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah radi Allahu anhu, who says: While the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in the mosque and we were sitting with him, a man came and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have committed an offense liable to a hadd (prescribed punishment), so carry out the hadd upon me.” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam remained silent. Then he repeated (his statement) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a hadd offense, so carry out the hadd upon me.” But the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam again remained silent. Meanwhile, the prayer was established. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam finished the prayer and left, the man followed behind him, and I (Abu Umamah) also followed the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to see what he would reply to the man. The man caught up with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin liable to hadd, so carry out the hadd upon me.” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him: “Tell me, when you left your house, did you not perform ablution (wudu) well?” He said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Then did you not pray with us?” He said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Then indeed Allah has forgiven your hadd, or he said: your sin.” (Sahih Muslim: 4966)

When a person would confess his crime and sin before the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the questions that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would ask him by way of inquiry would pertain to matters lesser in sin than the crime he had mentioned. For example, according to the ahadith mentioned in the previous chapter, when a man confessed to adultery (zina) before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him: “Perhaps you only indicated with your eyes, or kissed, or looked.” Reflect: a man is confessing to adultery about himself, yet the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is directing him towards matters of lesser sin.

The situation here is entirely similar: this man mentioned the hadd, but did not detail the cause for the hadd, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam preferred not to inquire about the cause, so that his crime would remain concealed. There is also room for the interpretation that it is not known what sin this man committed and whether it actually necessitates the hadd or not. However, if the details were to be asked, it would be contrary to concealing faults, so silence was preferred.

Nowadays, the approach of those who claim to be mentors is completely different from the approach of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The greatest shortcoming is that their own standard of piety and righteousness is very low. Their intention is that those under their supervision should appear as embodiments of good deeds, but if they themselves do not act, it does not matter. For example, a supervisor wanted his students to develop the habit of preparing for prayer immediately after the adhan, to be diligent in performing the sunnah and nafl (supererogatory) prayers, and to wake up early for the Fajr prayer. However, he himself would remain seated in his office, and when the iqamah was about to be called, he would go home to perform ablution and join the congregation in the third or fourth rak‘ah. Similarly, many of his own Fajr prayers would be lost to sleep, yet he would harshly scold the students for their laziness. Then, when these trainers come to know of someone’s minor offense, they mention major sins before the offender and try to extract a confession of a major sin from him.