Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), the Arabs held the belief that the alternation of night and day was the cause of life and death, destruction and ruin. Therefore, when they were faced with hardships and difficulties, death and failure, destruction and ruin, illness and old age, etc., they would speak ill of time (al-zaman). However, time has no involvement in these afflictions and incidents. Thus, to speak ill of time is, in reality, to speak ill of the Creator of these things, because He alone is the One who brings them into existence. For this reason, Allah the Exalted has said: To revile time is to revile Me, because I am the One who has done these things.

Hadith Commentary:
The correspondence with the chapter heading is evident in that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) referred to this hadith as the speech of Allah.

Hadith Commentary:
In the hadith, the word "yad" (hand) has been mentioned, and it is obligatory to have faith and certainty in its apparent meaning.
Its detailed reality is referred to Allah.
To interpret (ta'wil) it is contrary to the way of the Salaf (pious predecessors).
It is possible that the interpretation we make may be contrary to what Allah intended, therefore preference is to be given to the texts (nusus) and not to interpretation (ta'wil) (Tarikh Ahl-e-Hadith, p. 284).

Benefits and Issues

In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), when the polytheists of Arabia were afflicted by any pain, sorrow, hardship, or calamity, they would say: «يا خيبة الدهر» meaning, “Alas, the ruin of time!” They would attribute these actions to time and would revile and curse time, even though the Creator of these actions is Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Thus, it is as if they were cursing Allah Himself.

◈ Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari rahimahullah has mentioned in the commentary of Surah al-Jathiyah from Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«كان اهل الجاهليه يقولون انما يهلكنا الليل والنهار وهو الذي يهلكنا يميتنا ويحيينا فقال الله في كتابه وقالوا ما هي الا حياتنا الدنيا نموت ونحيا وما يهلكنا الا الدهر» [تفسیر ابن کثیر : 4/ 109]
“The people of Jahiliyyah used to say that night and day destroy us; it is they who kill us and give us life.” So Allah, Exalted is He, said in His Book: “They say, ‘There is nothing but our worldly life; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us except time.’ But they have no knowledge of that; they only conjecture.”
↰ From the commentary of this verse, it is understood that reviling time and attributing one’s difficulties and sorrows to time, and then reviling it, is the practice of the polytheists of Arabia and the materialists (Dahriyyah). In reality, reviling time is reviling Allah, Exalted is He.

❀ In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated from our master Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«قال الله عز وجل:‏‏‏‏ يؤذيني ابن آدم يسب الدهر، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وانا الدهر بيدي الامر اقلب الليل والنهار»
“Allah, Exalted is He, said: ‘The son of Adam hurts Me; he reviles time, and I am (the Owner of) time. In My hand are all affairs. I alternate the night and the day.’” [بخاري، كتاب التفسير : باب تفسير سوره جاثيه : 4826، مسلم : 2246، حميدي : 2/ 468، مسند احمد : 2/ 238، ابوداؤد : 5274]

❀ Likewise, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«لا تسبوا الدهر فان الله هو الدهر»
“Do not revile time, for indeed Allah is time (i.e., the Owner of time).” [مسند ابي يعلي : 10/ 452]

❀ In another narration, these words are mentioned:
«لا يقولن احدكم يا ضيعة الدهر! فان الله هو الدهر»
“Let no one ever say: ‘Alas, the ruin of time!’ Verily, Allah is the Owner of time.” [حلية الاولياء : 8/ 258]

◈ Imam al-Khattabi rahimahullah explains the meaning of «انا الدهر»:
«أنا صاحب الدهر، ومدبر الأمور التي ينسبونها إلى الدهر، فمن سب الدهر عن أجل أنه فاعل هذه الأمور؛ عاد سبه إلى ربه الذي هو فاعلها»
“I am the Owner of time and the One who manages affairs. The actions which they attribute to time (i.e., the system of day and night, etc., being eternal and running by itself, that time itself kills and gives life)—whoever reviles time on the basis that it is the creator of these affairs, then his reviling returns to the Lord who is the Creator of these affairs.” [فتح الباري : 575/16]
↰ Therefore, reviling time, as is common among the general public—such as saying, ‘The times have become bad,’ ‘These are the worst of times,’ ‘Time is ruined,’ and so on—is in reality reviling Allah, Exalted is He, because the entire system of the universe is in the grasp of Allah, Alone without partner. He alone is the Creator and the One who gives death. He alone is the Manager of affairs, the Organizer, the One who rectifies all matters, the Bestower of treasures, the Supreme Helper, the Giver, the Source of blessings, and the Supporter. Therefore, reviling these affairs and time is reviling Allah, Exalted is He, who is their Creator. Thus, one must avoid such words.

Hadith Commentary:

A human being causes Me harm, meaning he behaves in such a way that, if it were done to you, it would be a cause of harm for you. Otherwise, Allah is free from the possibility that anyone could actually cause Him harm.

"I am Time (ad-Dahr)" means that Time is under My control; I am the One Who alternates and turns it.

Al-Kirmani said: "Indeed, I am everlasting forever, and this is what is meant by 'ad-Dahr' (Time)."

And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
It is established from this hadith that the One who turns (muqallib) the night and day (with kasrah on the lām) is Allah Ta'ala; therefore, the night and day, which are ad-dahr (time), are the ones being turned (muqallab) (with fatḥah on the lām).
It is evident that the one who turns (muqallib) and the one being turned (muqallab) cannot be the same; thus, necessarily, the meaning of (ana ad-dahr) is that Allah Ta'ala is the Creator and Owner of ad-dahr (time).

➋
Those people who consider time (zaman) to be the real effective agent and do not have belief in the Creator of ad-dahr are called dahriyyah. These people attribute all calamities and incidents to ad-dahr (time) and speak ill of time. Through this hadith, it has been clarified that time is not independent; whatever occurs within it happens by the command and will of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. He does whatever He wills.
(fa‘‘ālun limā yurīd)

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: The meaning of "karam" is generosity, munificence, and the display of noble character. In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), people would drink wine and then display generosity and magnanimity. For this reason, the grape, from which wine is made, was called "karam" by them. However, in the sight of Allah, the one deserving of honor and respect is the Muslim person in whose heart faith (iman) and piety (taqwa) are present. Therefore, it is not appropriate to call the grape—which reminds one of wine, a prohibited thing—by the name "karam."

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: According to human convention, reviling or speaking ill of someone causes them pain and distress. In terms of human emotions and states, to speak ill of time is, as it were, to attempt—albeit in vain—to cause harm to Allah Ta'ala, and to make oneself subject to Allah's grasp and accountability. The upheavals and changes that occur in time are created by Allah Ta'ala.

Benefits and Issues:
➊
It is impermissible to revile or speak ill of time or the era. Time or the era has always been the same; however, people, forgetting their own misdeeds, begin to attribute them to the era.

➋ Since Allah ‘azza wa jall is the Creator of time and the One who brings about change within it, in this respect He has referred to Himself as "Dahr" (Time). Despite this reason, this term is not among the Names or Attributes of Allah.

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[وأخرجه البخاري فى الادب المفرد 729، من حديث ما لك به بلفظ : ”لا يقولن أحدكم“ إلخ ورواه مسلم فواد 2246، من حديث ابي الزناد به]

Jurisprudential Explanation (Tafaqquh):
➊ To speak ill of time is, in effect, to object to Allah Ta'ala, because He alone is the Creator of time and He alone is its Disposer. Therefore, one should not speak ill of time.

➋ In one hadith, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: «قال الله عز وجل : يؤذيني ابن آدم، يسب الدهر وأنا الدهر، بيدي الأمر، أقلب الليل والنهار۔» Allah Ta'ala says: The son of Adam offends Me; he speaks ill of time, while I am the One who alternates time. The command is in My hand; I am the One who alternates the night and the day. [صحيح بخاري : 4826، صحيح مسلم : 2246]

◄ What is meant by this hadith? In this regard, five further benefits are presented:

① The meaning of offending Allah is that Allah Ta'ala becomes extremely displeased with this action of the people.

② To speak ill of time in an absolute sense, such as cursing or abusing it, is prohibited because Allah Ta'ala is the Creator of time. From this, it can also be understood that the one objecting is, in fact, objecting to the Creator of time, i.e., Allah Ta'ala. May Allah protect us.

③ The disbelievers who held materialist (dahriyyah) beliefs used to speak ill of time, as their statement is quoted in the Noble Qur'an: «وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ» "Nothing destroys us except time." [45-الجاثيه : 24]

● Following them, some ignorant common people also end up speaking ill of time, whereas it is obligatory upon every human being to refrain from all those actions which incur the displeasure of Allah.

④ Only Allah is the Disposer and Controller; He has no partner. Those who associate partners with Him, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is pure and exalted above their shirk and their partners.

⑤ In some narrations, condemnation of time is also mentioned. For example, in one hadith it is stated: «لايأتي عليكم زمان إلا والذي بعده أشرمنه۔» "Whatever era comes upon you, the one that follows it will be worse (more corrupt) than it." [البخاري : 1068]

● There is no contradiction in these ahadith, because whether the time is good or apparently bad, all is from Allah. In these, time itself is not being spoken ill of nor is it being cursed.

Takhrij al-Hadith:
[صحیح بخاری 4826],
[صحیح مسلم 5863]

Fiqh al-Hadith
➊ The meaning of causing harm to Allah is that Allah Ta'ala becomes extremely displeased with this action of people.
➋ To generally speak ill of time, that is, to curse or abuse it, is prohibited, because the Creator of time is Allah Ta'ala. From this, it can also be understood that the one objecting is, in fact, objecting to the Creator of time, that is, Allah Ta'ala. «معاذ الله»
➌ The disbelievers with materialist (dahriyyah) beliefs used to speak ill of time, as their statement is quoted in the Noble Qur'an:
«وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ»
That is, "Nothing destroys us except time." [سورة الجاثيه : 24]
Following them, some ignorant common people also end up speaking ill of time.
Whereas, one must completely abstain from such actions. It is obligatory upon every person to avoid all those deeds which incur Allah's displeasure.
➍ Only Allah alone is the Disposer and Controller; He has no partner. Those who associate partners with Him, Allah is pure and free from those partners.
➎ In some narrations, there is also mention of the condemnation of time. For example, in one hadith it is stated:
«لا ياتي عليكم زمان إلا الذى بعده أشر منه»
"Whatever era comes upon you, the era that follows it will be worse (more corrupt) than it." [صحيح البخاري : 7068]
There is no contradiction in these ahadith, because whether the time is good or apparently bad, all is from Allah. In these, time itself is not being spoken ill of, nor is it being cursed.