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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
تفسير من سورة النساء إلى سورة الأعرافInterpretation from Surah An-Nisa to Surah Al-A'raf
بَابُ: «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ ۔۔الخ»Chapter: "O you who have believed, do not ask about things...etc."
Hadith 8588
اُردوEn
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَبِي قَالَ أَبُوكَ فُلَانٌ فَنَزَلَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ [سورة المائدة: ١٠١] إِلَى تَمَامِ الْآيَةِ
Narrated by Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): A man said, "O Messenger of Allah! Who is my father?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Your father is so-and-so." Then this verse was revealed: {یٰٓاَیُّھَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَسْئَـلُوْا عَنْ اَشْیَائَ اِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ وَاِنْ تَسْئَـلُوْا عَنْہَا حِیْنَیُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْاٰنُ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ عَفَا اللّٰہُ عَنْہَا وَاللّٰہُ غَفُوْرٌ حَلِیْمٌ۔} … O you who have believed! Do not ask about things which, if they are made apparent to you, will distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made apparent to you. Allah has pardoned that, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Forbearing.
Brief Explanation
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 the questions of Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu and other Companions regarding alcohol, until it was declared forbidden, because necessity demanded that it be made unlawful. Similarly, questions about obeying oppressive rulers, inheritance by kahlalah, gambling, menstruation (hayd), 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 into 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 (ruh), 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 said again that its further nature should be 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 made 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 indeed 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 indeed 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 made solely according to the will of Allah the Exalted, so why is the questioner considered a sinner? Answer: Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah said: Without doubt, the decisions of halal and haram have already been decreed in destiny, and the thing that becomes unlawful due to such a person’s question was already unlawful. The reason for considering him a sinner is that he asked the question merely out of affectation and obstinacy; in reality, there was no need for him to ask such a question. In this hadith, “sin” means “wrongdoing.” (Summary from Fath al-Bari: 13/333)
For further clarification, see the chapter under hadith number (264).
(2) Those questions which are asked merely out of affectation and obstinacy, for example, in the Prophetic era, to start probing into 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 (ruh), 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 said again that its further nature should be 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 made 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 indeed 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 indeed 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 made solely according to the will of Allah the Exalted, so why is the questioner considered a sinner? Answer: Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah said: Without doubt, the decisions of halal and haram have already been decreed in destiny, and the thing that becomes unlawful due to such a person’s question was already unlawful. The reason for considering him a sinner is that he asked the question merely out of affectation and obstinacy; in reality, there was no need for him to ask such a question. In this hadith, “sin” means “wrongdoing.” (Summary from Fath al-Bari: 13/333)
For further clarification, see the chapter under hadith number (264).
