Mishkat al-Masabih

Takhrij:
[صحيح بخاري 3276],
[صحيح مسلم 343]

Fiqh al-Hadith:
➊ One should protect oneself from satanic questions and incorrect misgivings (waswasah) by every possible means.
➋ It is not necessary to answer every question.
➌ The attack of satanic misgivings occurs due to weakness of faith; therefore, a Muslim servant who is firm in creed and faith should remain constantly engaged in good deeds at all times.

� Understanding of the Hadith:
It is understood that when a person experiences such blasphemous and evil thoughts and whispers, he should immediately seek refuge from Shaytan. For this, these words can be said: «اَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ».

Hadith Commentary:
Satan casts this whispering in such a way that in the world, all things are causes and effects, and means and outcomes—that is, one thing is produced from another; for example, a son from a father, a father from a grandfather, a grandfather from a great-grandfather, and ultimately, the chain ends with God.
So Satan says, then God must also have a cause. The answer to this accursed one is to recite "A‘udhu billah" (I seek refuge with Allah).
If, however, an intellectual answer is insisted upon, then the answer is this: If, from pre-eternity, the chain of causes and effects were to continue endlessly and not end at any cause, then it would necessarily follow that what exists by accident (mā bi’l-‘araḍ) would exist without what exists essentially (mā bi’l-dhāt), and this is impossible.
Thus, it is clear that the end of this chain is with such a sacred essence that is the pure cause, and is not the effect of anything, and is existent by itself (mawjūd bi’l-dhāt), not in need of anything for its existence.
That very sacred essence is God.
It is better not to get involved in such intellectual sophistries and to recite "A‘udhu billah" and seek help from your true Master.
He will remove the whispering of Satan, just as He Himself has said: ﴿إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ ۚ﴾ "Indeed, My servants—over them you have no authority." That is, O Satan! You will have no argument over My chosen servants.
Allah the Blessed and Exalted has spoken the truth.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
There are two types of satanic thoughts: one is those that do not settle in the heart, nor do they give rise to any doubt. Such thoughts disappear due to lack of interest. The second type are those that become established in the heart and serve as a prelude to doubts. The only remedy for these is that a person recites "A‘udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim" (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan), meaning that the only cure for such thoughts is Allah’s protection. Only by His power can one be safeguarded from such thoughts; He alone can remove this kind of satanic whispering, as is stated in the Noble Qur’an:
“Indeed, My servants – you have no authority over them.” (al-Hijr: 15:42)
➋
From this hadith, another satanic ploy is revealed: that he misleads the children of Adam by involving them in the cycle of causes and effects, so that in the end, they begin to think that there must be some cause or reason for the manifestation of Allah. However, Allah, the Exalted, is such a pure being that He is not the effect of anything; rather, He exists by Himself (wajib al-wujud). He is not dependent on anyone for His existence.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
The purpose is that such doubts and questions about Allah are from Shaytan, and when Shaytan puts such futile, rather foolish, questions into someone’s heart, the remedy is that the servant should seek refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan. Such questions should not be considered worthy of attention; rather, one should refrain from them, because asking about Allah, “Who created Him?” is to regard Him as created instead of the Creator.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
The meaning is that a believer’s attitude regarding these questions and doubts should be that he says to the person asking the question, or to the devil who casts doubts, and to his own self, that I have been granted the light of faith in Allah and His messengers. Therefore, for me, this question is not worthy of attention or consideration.

Just as for a person with eyes, it is not a matter worth pondering whether the sun has risen or not, whether it is bright or dark—because when Allah is that Being whose existence is His essential attribute, and who grants existence to all that exists, and is in need of no one.

If even about Him such a question is considered worthy of reflection, then where would He remain the Creator? He would become created and dependent.

Takhrij:
[صحيح بخاري 3276],
[صحيح مسلم 345]

Fiqh al-Hadith:
➊ The one who puts evil whispers into hearts is Shaytan.
➋ The best way to protect oneself from evil thoughts is that a person should recite «اعوذ بالله», seek forgiveness (istighfar), and instill the fear of Allah Ta'ala in the heart.
➌ One must make every effort to avoid evil thoughts, otherwise it is quite possible that these thoughts may turn a person towards disbelief (kufr), polytheism (shirk), and sin, and he may be destroyed.

Authentication of the Hadith:
The chain of narration of this report is hasan (good) in itself.
It has been narrated by al-Nasa’i [الكبريٰ : 10497، عمل اليوم والليلة : 661], Ibn al-Sunni [627 دوسرا نسخه : 628], Ibn Abi ‘Asim [السنة : 653 دوسرا نسخه : 665], and Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr [التمهيد 7؍146 من حديث ابي داود] through the chain of «محمد بن إسحاق بن يسار : حدثني عتبة بن مسلم مولىٰ بني تيم عن أبى سلمة بن عبدالرحمٰن عن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه» with some variation in wording. Abu Dawud has narrated it (4722, in abridged form).
◈ If Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar explicitly mentions hearing (sama‘), then he is trustworthy and his hadith is hasan, whether in rulings or in history and military expeditions (maghazi).
The undersigned has written a treatise regarding him. Also see: [الحديث حضرو : 71 ص18۔ 43]
◈ From ‘Utbah ibn Muslim to the end, the chain is authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Jurisprudence of the Hadith:
➊ A person has no control over satanic whispers (waswasah); if such whispers enter his heart, he should immediately supplicate to Allah to protect him from the accursed Satan’s whispers. He should also spit lightly to his left so that the effect of this satanic whisper is removed.
➋ One must completely avoid futile questions.
➌ In the narration of our master ‘Amr ibn al-Ahwas radi Allahu anhu, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said during the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘):
“Your blood, your wealth, and your honor are as sacred to you as this day (the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage) is sacred in this city (Makkah). Beware! Whoever commits oppression, he only oppresses himself, and no son shall be seized for his father’s crime, nor a father for his son’s crime. Beware! Satan has despaired that he will ever be worshipped in this city, but there will be followers of his who will follow him in those deeds which you consider insignificant. Thus, Satan will be pleased even with those insignificant deeds (minor sins).” [مشكوٰة المصابيح : 2670، ابن ماجه : 3055 والترمذي : 2159 وصححه وسنده حسن]

Benefit:
It is permissible to ask each other questions regarding Islamic law, but it is not permissible to ask such questions that may lead a person to disbelief. Allah, the Lord of Might and Majesty, is the Creator, and the Noble Qur’an is His attribute and speech; everything else is His creation. Allah has always existed and will always exist; He has neither a beginning nor an end. Satan causes evil words to slip from the tongue; if, at times, a satanic statement escapes one’s lips, one should immediately say, «اعوذ بالله من الشيطن الرجيم». If Satan casts a whisper regarding the Essence of Allah, one should immediately say, «آمنا بالله».