Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Imam Nawawi rahimahullah has established this chapter upon this hadith: “Chapter: The Increase of Tranquility of the Heart Through the Manifestation of Evidences” (باب زیادۃ طمأنینۃ القلب بتظاہر الأدلۃ فیہ). Then Imam Nawawi rahimahullah, while explaining this hadith, said: There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding what is meant by “doubt” here. The best and most correct answer is the one given by Imam Abu Ibrahim Muzani, the student of Imam Shafi’i, and several other scholars. The meaning of their answer is: It is impossible that Ibrahim alayhis salam doubted regarding the resurrection of the dead. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam intended to say: If it were possible for the Prophets to have doubt, I would have been more deserving of doubting than Ibrahim alayhis salam. So know that I did not doubt, thus Ibrahim alayhis salam also did not doubt. (Sharh Muslim by Nawawi)

In reality, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was expressing humility. The beliefs of Ibrahim radi Allahu anhu were established upon firm foundations; his objective was to move from the knowledge of certainty (‘ilm al-yaqin) to the eye of certainty (‘ayn al-yaqin).