Muslim

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
WALA YA‘DHA BA‘DUNA BA‘DAN,
The meaning of ‘adha’ is:
to accuse,
to slander,
that is, we should not fabricate lies against one another or make false accusations against each other.

Hadith Commentary:
It was not said, "the verse of women."

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Since the practice of pledging allegiance (bay‘ah) is not limited to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) alone, but rather the leader or caliph (amir or khalifah) of the Ummah may also take the pledge of allegiance, therefore Allah, the Exalted, has stipulated the condition of “in what is right” (ma‘ruf) along with obedience. Although it was impossible for the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to take the pledge of allegiance for sin or anything that was not right (ghayr ma‘ruf).

➋
In this regard, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has given a clear directive: “Obedience is only in matters of goodness.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Ahkam, Hadith: 7145) He also said: “Listening to and obeying the leader is obligatory as long as he does not command disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). If one is commanded to commit sin, then neither should he be listened to nor obeyed.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Hadith: 2955)

Hadith Commentary:
1.
In the hadith, (la naqdi bil-jannah)
means that we will not make a definitive judgment regarding anyone being destined for Paradise; rather, their matter is referred to Allah, the Exalted.
In some narrations, (la na'si)
appears, which means that we will not disobey Allah in exchange for Paradise. Another possible meaning is that the sentence ends at (la na'si),
i.e., we will not disobey Allah. This meaning is in accordance with Surah As-Saff, verse 12.
The phrase (bil-jannah)
is connected to (baya'na),
meaning that we pledged allegiance in exchange for Paradise.
2.
By "pledge of allegiance" (bay'ah) is meant the covenant and acknowledgment that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to take from those accepting Islam.
In the Noble Qur'an, there is mention of taking such a pledge from women who migrated.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/278)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr (radi Allahu anhu) with them for their education and training.
He stayed at the house of As'ad ibn Zurarah (radi Allahu anhu).
Then, through the efforts of these two noble companions, many of the Ansar embraced Islam.
Before the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in Madinah Tayyibah, Islam had greatly progressed there.
At the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), these companions arranged for the Friday sermon (khutbah) in Madinah Tayyibah even before the migration, as is mentioned in several ahadith.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“I do not know whether the prescribed punishments (hudud) are expiations (kaffarah)?” (Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 2/450, Hadith: 3683)
After this, Allah, the Exalted, informed the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that the prescribed punishments are indeed expiations and a means of purification from sins.
The mention of shirk (associating partners with Allah) along with sins in the hadith of Hudhayfah radi Allahu anhu does not mean that if a polytheist (mushrik) is punished in this world, it will be an expiation for his shirk, because the eternal abode of the disbelievers and polytheists in Hell is certain, and there is consensus (ijma‘) of the Ummah on this.
On this basis, this hadith has a specific meaning: that for the Muslim upon whom the prescribed punishment (hadd) is carried out, it will be an expiation for him.
(2)
The verse of the Noble Qur’an recited by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is as follows:
“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the pledge that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring any falsehood which they have invented between their hands and feet (i.e., will not fabricate any baseless or unproven slander), and will not disobey you in any good matter, then accept their pledge and ask Allah’s forgiveness for them. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (: Al-Mumtahanah 60:12)
It should be clear that the pledge (bay‘ah) mentioned in this hadith took place after the conquest of Makkah, because the aforementioned verse was revealed after the conquest of Makkah, and the pledge that took place on the night of ‘Aqabah was upon listening and obeying the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in hardship and ease, and in happiness and distress.
(Fath al-Bari: 12/103)
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Abadah ibn Samit al-Ansari al-Salmi was a naqib (leader) of the Ansar.
He participated in both pledges at Aqabah and took part in the Battle of Badr as well as all other battles.
Umar radi Allahu anhu sent him to Sham (Greater Syria) as a judge (qadi) and teacher (mu'allim).
Afterwards, he went to Palestine and passed away in Bayt al-Maqdis at the age of 72 in the year 34 AH.
Radi Allahu anhu wa ardah. Ameen.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that if a person receives the punishment for a sin and the prescribed legal penalty (hadd) is carried out upon him, then this becomes a means of purification for his crime, and it also becomes an expiation (kaffarah) for that sin. Furthermore, if he also repents along with this, then it is an added excellence, and through this he will return to his previous state, and the stain of transgression (fisq) will also be removed from him.
This necessitates that his testimony is also acceptable.

(2)
At the end of the hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has also stated his own inclination, that every person upon whom the prescribed legal penalty (hadd) has been carried out—when he repents from his crime—then his testimony will be accepted.
(Fath al-Bari: 12/132)
After mentioning the prescribed penalty for highway robbery (dacoity), Allah the Exalted said:
“This is a disgrace for them in this world, and in the Hereafter they will face a great punishment.
Then He said:
But whoever repents before you overpower them, then know that Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(al-Ma’idah: 5:33, 34)

(3)
From this verse as well, it is understood that by repenting, Allah the Exalted forgives his sin.
But it should be remembered that by repenting, the rights of Allah (huquq Allah) will be forgiven, but the rights of the people (huquq al-‘ibad) must be fulfilled or forgiven by them.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
By "bay'ah" is meant the covenant and affirmation which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to take from those who accepted Islam.
At times, he would also take bay'ah from his Companions (radi Allahu anhum) as a renewal of the covenant, as is mentioned here.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In the hadith, (la naqdi bil-jannah)
means: We will not make a definitive judgment regarding anyone being destined for Paradise; rather, their matter is referred to Allah, the Exalted.
In some narrations, (la na‘si)
appears, which means: We will not disobey Allah in exchange for Paradise. Another possible meaning is that the sentence ends at (la na‘si),
i.e., we will not disobey Allah. This meaning is in accordance with the verse of Surah As-Saff: 12.
The phrase (bil-jannah)
would then be connected to (baya‘na),
meaning: We pledged allegiance in exchange for Paradise.

➋
By "bay‘ah" (pledge of allegiance) is meant the covenant and affirmation that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to take from those accepting Islam.
In the Noble Qur’an, mention is made of taking such a pledge from women who migrated.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/278)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr (radi Allahu anhu) with them for their education and training.
He stayed at the house of As‘ad ibn Zurara (radi Allahu anhu).
Then, through the efforts of these two noble companions, many of the Ansar embraced Islam.
Before the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in Madinah Tayyibah, Islam had greatly progressed there.
At the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), these companions arranged for the Friday sermon (khutbah Jumu‘ah) in Madinah Tayyibah before the migration, as is mentioned in several ahadith.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
This matter pertains to the Divine Will; this is the very indication of the hadith and this is its connection to the chapter.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
According to this hadith, Allah Ta'ala has promised Paradise upon fulfilling His covenant, and in the case of committing a lapse, two scenarios are possible.
If a person is held accountable in this world and the prescribed punishment (hadd) is carried out, then this punishment will be a means of expiation and purification from the sin. However, this expiation applies to sins other than shirk (associating partners with Allah); for shirk, repentance is required.
It will only be forgiven if one repents; if there is no accountability in this world, then the matter is left to the will (mashiyyah) of Allah Ta'ala.
➋
This supports the position of Ahl al-Sunnah that, except for disbelief (kufr), committing other sins does not guarantee entry into Hellfire. Rather, if a person dies without repentance, the matter is left to the will of Allah Ta'ala: if He wills, He may forgive, and if He wills, He may punish.
However, the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah have adopted the opposite stance.
According to the Khawarij, a person becomes a disbeliever by committing sins, and the Mu'tazilah say that although he does not become a disbeliever, he will remain in Hellfire forever.
➌
Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah has established from this hadith the will (mashiyyah) of Allah Ta'ala: that if a person dies after committing a sin without repentance, then Allah Ta'ala will decide concerning him according to His will.
This is a refutation of the Mu'tazilah and others who, based on their intellect, make decisions contrary to the Shari'ah of Allah Ta'ala, and it is also a warning to the Khawarij who declare common Muslims to be disbelievers on account of committing sins.

Hadith Commentary: In the hadith, there is mention of a Badri Companion, Hazrat ‘Ubada (radi Allahu anhu).
This is the connection between the hadith and the chapter.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned this hadith for the purpose that it contains the mention of the participation of ‘Ubadah ibn Samit radi Allahu anhu in the Battle of Badr.
➋
This hadith has already appeared in the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman).
He had pledged allegiance (bay‘ah) to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at the Second ‘Aqabah. In this hadith, there is an indication towards that very pledge.

Hadith Footnote:
Who is the best of judges.

Hadith Commentary:
From the apparent wording of the hadith, it seems that the pledge (bay‘ah) mentioned refers to the pledge that took place at ‘Aqabah during the night at Mina. However, this is not the case, because that pledge was regarding obedience and listening to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), regardless of the circumstances we might face, and that we should not hesitate or hold back even if we dislike it.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Ahkam, Hadith: 7199)
Whereas the pledge mentioned here took place on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, which occurred a long time after the first pledge.
The evidence for this is that, according to one narration, the narrator recited the following verse while relating this hadith:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ عَلَىٰ أَن لَّا يُشْرِكْنَ بِاللَّـهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَسْرِقْنَ وَلَا يَزْنِينَ وَلَا يَقْتُلْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأْتِينَ بِبُهْتَانٍ يَفْتَرِينَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِنَّ وَأَرْجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعْصِينَكَ فِي مَعْرُوفٍ ۙ فَبَايِعْهُنَّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُنَّ اللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٢﴾ (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Tafsir, Hadith: 4894)
And this verse was revealed during the days of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
(Fath al-Bari: 12/245)
According to this verse, the pledge was taken from the men as well, and it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) took a pledge from his noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) that they would not commit unlawful killing.
Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) intended to clarify the abhorrence and evil of unlawful killing.

Hadith Commentary:
Bay‘ah refers to the pledge of allegiance that is made by placing one’s hand upon the hand of the Caliph of Islam, or upon the hand of a righteous and pious person.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
The conditions for allegiance (bay‘ah) mentioned in this hadith are the same conditions found in Surah Al-Mumtahanah regarding taking allegiance from women. It is as if Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, by mentioning the hadith of ‘Ubadah radi Allahu anhu, has alluded to that verse in which the taking of allegiance from women is explicitly mentioned. That verse is:
“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you allegiance...”
... (Al-Mumtahanah: 12/60)

➋
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has written that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has alluded to one of the chains of transmission of the aforementioned hadith, whose wording is as follows:
“The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took from us the same covenant that he took from the women: that we would not associate anything with Allah, would not steal, and would not commit fornication (zina).”
(Sahih Muslim, Hudud, Hadith: 4463(1709))

Explanation:
The narrator of this hadith is ‘Ubada ibn as-Samit radi Allahu anhu al-Khazraji. He was among those who came to Mecca and pledged allegiance to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at the place of ‘Aqaba. Among the twelve men whom the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam appointed as his deputies for the education and training of the people of Madinah, he was one of them. He was among the warriors of the Battle of Badr. He passed away in 34 AH at the age of 72 and was buried in Ramla. Nine ahadith are narrated from him in Sahih al-Bukhari.

The reason for the naming of the Ansar is that when the people of Madinah came to Mecca to pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in support of Islam, they were thus called Ansar. Ansar is the plural of Nasir, and Nasir means helper. In the era of ignorance, the Ansar were known as Banu Qaylah. «قيله» refers to a mother who unites two tribes. By this, both the Aws and Khazraj tribes are meant. The collective group of these is called Ansar.

From this hadith, it is understood that under Islamic law, when a criminal receives the punishment for his crime, then in the Hereafter, this punishment becomes an expiation for him.

Another issue that is understood is that just as it is not necessary for Allah to punish every sin, likewise it is not necessary for Allah to grant reward for every good deed. If He punishes the sinner, it is His perfect justice, and if He forgives the sin, it is His perfect mercy. If He does not grant reward for a good deed, it is His attribute of independence, and if He bestows reward, it is His perfect generosity.

A third issue established is that if someone who commits a major sin (kabirah) dies without repentance, then it is subject to Allah’s will: if He wills, He may admit him to Paradise without punishment due to the blessing of his faith, and if He wills, He may punish him and then admit him to Paradise. However, shirk (associating partners with Allah) is an exception, because regarding it, the divine law is «ان الله لايغفران يشرك به الاية»—whoever dies upon shirk, Allah will never ever forgive him, and he will remain in Hell forever. The unjust killing of a believer also carries the same ruling according to the text of the Qur’an. As for the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad), the matter is such that unless those people themselves forgive, forgiveness will not be granted.

A fourth point understood is that it is not permissible to declare any ordinary person as definitely destined for Paradise or definitely destined for Hell.

A fifth point understood is that if faith (iman) is present in the heart, then merely committing sins does not render a person a disbeliever (kafir). However, for heartfelt faith, verbal affirmation and proof of faith through action are also necessary. In this hadith, most of the issues of faith, character, and the rights of people are included, which can be called the foundation of religion and faith. It is clearly evident from this that good and evil certainly affect the increase and decrease of faith, and all righteous deeds are included in faith. This is the very purpose of the narration of these ahadith by the Amir al-Muhaddithin. Therefore, those who do not accept the increase and decrease of faith are certainly mistaken. This hadith also refutes those who declare the perpetrator of a major sin to be a disbeliever or eternally destined for Hell.

‘Allamah Ibn Hajar rahimahullah states that according to our narration, here the word "bab" (chapter) appears without a translation, and this translation is related to the previous one. «ووجه التعلق انه لما ذكرالانصار فى الحديث الاول اشارفي هذا الي ابتداءالسبب فى تلقيهم بالانصار لان اول ذلك كان ليلة العقبة لما توافقوا مع النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عندعقبة مني فى الموسم كماسياتي شرح ذلك ان شاءالله تعالىٰ فى السيرة النبوية من هذا الكتاب» That is, the reason for this connection is that the Ansar were mentioned in the first hadith, and here it is explained how they acquired this title. Its beginning was from the time when these people made a complete pledge near Mina at ‘Aqaba to support and assist the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

The term «عصابه» can be applied to a maximum of forty people. This was the pledge of Islam in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took a covenant to repent from associating partners with Allah (shirk). Then he took a promise to avoid other moral evils and not to kill their children, as these evils were common among the Arabs. He also took a promise to avoid slander. This is a lie that has no basis in reality. The words «بين ايديكم وارجلكم» are an allusion to the heart, meaning the heart has fabricated a baseless thing. Further, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took a fundamental pledge that in every good deed, obedience must always be maintained. "Ma‘ruf" is everything that is recognized as good in the view of the Shari‘ah. Its opposite is "munkar," which is viewed with aversion in the Shari‘ah.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
This pledge is the pledge of Islam.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to take a pledge from people to adhere to the religion of Islam, to migrate (hijrah), to remain steadfast on the battlefield, to abstain from immoralities and evil deeds, to act upon the Sunnah, and to stay away from innovations and customs.
A similar pledge was taken from the Ansar, and due to their adherence to it, they became deserving of being called the Ansar.
Apart from this, the pledge of Sufism (bay‘at al-tasawwuf) has no existence in Islam; it is a much later innovation.

➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established a chapter heading for this hadith in the following words:
“The prescribed punishments (hudud) are expiations for sins.”
This means that when the prescribed punishment is carried out, the sin is forgiven.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hudud, Hadith: 6784)
In some verses of the Noble Qur’an, it is explicitly stated that the prescribed punishments have the ability to cleanse the filth of sin.
(al-Nisa: 92/4)
On the other hand, from the hadith in al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim and others, it appears that it is not known whether the prescribed punishments are expiations for sins.
It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“And I do not know whether the prescribed punishments are expiations for their people or not?” (al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim: 1/36.
al-Sahihah of al-Albani, Hadith: 2217)
Al-Hafiz al-Haythami rahimahullah has reconciled between these by saying that perhaps the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said this at a time when he did not know, and later, when he came to know that the prescribed punishments do become expiations, he clarified it, as is apparent from the hadith of the chapter.
See (al-Sahihah of al-Albani: 5/252)
Then, in the aforementioned hadith, a comparison is made with the one whose matter is left to Allah—He may forgive him or punish him.
From this comparison, it is also understood that the one who was punished has been absolved.

➌
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah intended, through this hadith, to refute the Murji’ah and the Khawarij.
From this narration, it is evident that deeds are required and they affect the increase and decrease of faith, and also that the partiality of deeds is not to the extent claimed by the Mu‘tazilah and the Khawarij, who say that by committing a sin, a believer exits from faith.
Whereas from the hadith, it is understood that he does not exit from faith; rather, even after committing a sin, the matter of forgiveness remains under Allah’s will.
If His mercy encompasses, forgiveness can also occur.
It should be noted that compared to the Murji’ah, the refutation of the Mu‘tazilah and the Khawarij is less, because their position is not so harmful from a worldly perspective.
They are very strict regarding deeds.
They do not abandon deeds out of fear that they might exit from Islam.

➍
If a perpetrator of a major sin (kabirah) dies without repentance, then his matter is left to Allah’s will: if He wills, by the blessing of faith, He may admit him to Paradise without punishment, or He may punish him and then admit him to Paradise.
However, shirk (associating partners with Allah) is an exception to this.
The rule regarding it is that Allah Ta‘ala will not forgive it, and the polytheist will remain in Hell forever.
(al-Nisa: 116/4)
It should be noted that among major sins, unlawful killing is also a very heinous crime.
According to the Noble Qur’an, the punishment for this crime is Hell, in which he will abide forever.
(al-Nisa: 93/4)
Similarly, the matter of the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad) is very serious. According to numerous hadiths, the rights of people will not be forgiven until the people themselves forgive.
However, according to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah, the punishment in Hell for the perpetrators of these two crimes will not be eternal.
After serving their punishment, ultimately, they too will be entitled to enter Paradise.

➎
Some have said that just as it is not necessary for Allah Ta‘ala to punish for every crime, similarly, it is not necessary for Allah Ta‘ala to reward for every good deed.
Undoubtedly, no one can compel Allah Ta‘ala to give reward for a good deed.
But the rule of Allah Ta‘ala regarding forgiving or punishing for sins and giving reward for good deeds is not the same.
Regarding sins, His law is that He will punish, but out of His grace and favor, He may forgive.
Whereas regarding good deeds, His law and rule is that, if there are no preventions, He certainly accepts them and grants their reward.
This Exalted Being, out of His mercy, has made this binding upon Himself; no human has made it obligatory, as Allah Ta‘ala says:
﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ﴾ “And Allah is not such that He would let your faith go to waste.”
(al-Baqarah: 143/2)
And He also said:
﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ “Indeed, Allah does not let the reward of the doers of good go to waste.”
(al-Tawbah: 120/9)
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Nuqaba:
Plural of naqib,
supervisor,
protector, and caretaker.
That is, among the twelve individuals who pledged allegiance on the night of Aqabah,
I am one of them, and then after the conquest of Makkah, we also pledged allegiance to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on these matters.

Explanation:
1:
Which surah was this verse from? In this regard, nothing explicit has been established from any Companion, because the mention of receiving a full reward in the case of not associating partners with Allah, not stealing, and not committing adultery is found in several surahs of the Noble Qur’an. To claim that a specific verse from a specific surah is intended, it is necessary to have an explicit statement from a Companion as proof. Most scholars have understood this verse to refer to verse number 12 of Surah Al-Mumtahanah, which is: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا جَائكَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ يُبَايِعْنَكَ﴾ to the end.

2:
The generality found in this hadith—that whoever commits any of these sins and then the prescribed punishment (hadd) is carried out upon him, then that punishment is an expiation for him—this generality is restricted by the noble verse:
﴿إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء﴾ (An-Nisa: 116),
therefore, if someone is killed due to apostasy, then this killing will not be an expiation for him.

(1) This narration has already been mentioned earlier, and the necessary details have been explained. By "bay‘ah" is meant a covenant. After the bay‘ah to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), neither the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) nor the Followers (tabi‘in) pledged allegiance (bay‘ah) to anyone, not even to the Rightly Guided Caliphs (khulafa’ al-rashidun). Therefore, there is no longer any need for this bay‘ah. Although, from both a rational and a legal (shar‘i) perspective, there appears to be no objection to it, the fact that the Companions and Followers abandoned it altogether is itself a strong proof.

(2) “He recited the entire verse”—by this verse is meant the verse from Surah al-Mumtahanah which was revealed regarding the bay‘ah of women. Perhaps he substituted the feminine forms with masculine ones, because he was not reciting the Qur’an, but rather taking a covenant; therefore, there can be no objection to a change in the wording.

(1) This blessed hadith refers to the pledge (bay‘ah) of Islam which was specific to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Now, it is not permissible to take this pledge from anyone, because after the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it is not transmitted that this pledge was taken from anyone. To extract the philosophy of the Sufi pledge (bay‘ah al-tasawwuf) from this is absolutely wrong and impermissible.

(2) From this blessed hadith, it is understood that if the prescribed punishment (hadd) for a crime is carried out upon a person in this world (i.e., he receives the legal punishment for his crime), then this punishment becomes an expiation (kaffarah) for that criminal. This is also the view of the majority of the scholars. However, some scholars consider repentance (tawbah) to be necessary for expiation along with the carrying out of the prescribed punishment. But the view of the majority is authoritative and, in terms of evidence, stronger.

(3) This narration has been reported by Imam al-Nasa’i (rahimahullah) from two teachers, namely ‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘d and Ahmad ibn Sa‘id. Teacher Ahmad ibn Sa‘id, in his narration, has opposed Imam al-Nasa’i’s (rahimahullah) other teacher, ‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘d, in the following way: When ‘Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘d narrates this narration, he mentions the intermediary of Abu Idris al-Khawlani between Ibn Shihab (Imam al-Zuhri) and ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (radi Allahu anhu). But when Ahmad ibn Sa‘id narrates this narration, he does not mention the intermediary of Abu Idris al-Khawlani; rather, he makes Ibn Shihab (rahimahullah) a direct student of ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (radi Allahu anhu), even though Imam al-Zuhri (Ibn Shihab) did not meet ‘Ubadah (radi Allahu anhu). In this way, this narration is also disconnected (munqati‘).

(1) "The entire verse": By this is meant the verse from Surah Al-Mumtahanah in which the command is given to take the pledge (bay‘ah) from women regarding the aforementioned matters. This verse pertains to women, and the wording is also in the feminine form. Apparently, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would have recited it with the masculine wording (as for men). However, even if it was recited with the original (feminine) wording, there is no harm in that, because the objective is to indicate the matters of the pledge.

(2) "Covered it up": That is, he did not let anyone become aware of the sin. No such witnesses were available through whom the prescribed punishment (hadd) could be enforced, or the punishment was not given.

(1) This narration and the previous narration are not related to the relevant chapter because there is no mention of jihad in them; however, they are related to the original chapter, that is, issues of allegiance (bay‘ah). Unless it is said that “good and righteous deeds” also include jihad.

(2) “The women pledged allegiance”: When any woman migrated from Makkah and came to you and accepted Islam, you would take allegiance (bay‘ah) from her with the above-mentioned words. In Surah Al-Mumtahanah, verse number 12, you were commanded to take allegiance from women with these words. However, it should be remembered that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never took a formal (physical) allegiance (bay‘ah) from any woman with his blessed hand; rather, he would take allegiance from women only verbally. Throughout his life, his blessed hand never touched the hand of a non-mahram woman.

(3) “In any good deed”: These words have come in common usage, otherwise it is not possible that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would command any evil deed.

(4) “Will erase it”: It is understood from this that the legal punishment (hadd) received in this world erases the sin. Allah Ta‘ala will not question about it. According to the Hanafis, repentance is also necessary for the forgiveness of the sin. The punishment is only to prevent (the person) in the future and for admonition, but the apparent words of the hadith are contrary to this.

(5) “It is up to Allah Ta‘ala”: After concealment (of the sin), it is hoped from the mercy of Allah Ta‘ala that He will forgive, provided that the one who committed the sin benefits from the concealment and makes sincere repentance. Allahumma aj‘alna minhum.

Urdu footnote:
This narration has no connection with the relevant chapter, although it is related to the main chapter (allegiance/pledge). This narration has already been mentioned previously. (See: Hadith 4167)

Takhrij al-Hadith:
[صحیح بخاری 18],
[صحيح مسلم 4461]

Fiqh al-Hadith
➊ The conditions of allegiance (bay‘ah) mentioned in this hadith have their basis in the Noble Qur’an. See: [سورۃ الممتحنہ آیت : 12]
➋ Shirk (associating partners with Allah), theft, adultery, killing of children, and slander are major sins (kabirah). Among them, the greatest of all (akbar al-kabair) is shirk, for which there is no forgiveness. As for the remaining sins, if Allah wills, He may forgive them. «والله غفوررحيم»
➌ Whoever has the prescribed punishment (hadd) or discretionary punishment (ta‘zir) carried out upon him in this world (by the Islamic government), then this serves as expiation for his sin. Some scholars say that repentance (tawbah) is also necessary along with this, but the preferred view is that the establishment of the hadd itself is expiation. «والله اعلم»
A summary of a hadith in al-Mustadrak al-Hakim [36/1 ح 104] is that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«وما أدري الحدود كفارات لأهلها أم لا»
I do not know whether the prescribed punishments serve as expiation or not. [وسنده صحيح وصححه الحاكم على شرط الشيخين ووافقه الذهبي]
The reconciliation between these two narrations is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was later informed by revelation that the prescribed punishments are indeed expiation.
➍ The evidences from the Book and the Sunnah establish that in Islam, there are only two types of bay‘ah:
① Bay‘ah to the Prophet ② Bay‘ah to the Caliph (Khalifah).
It should be noted that the bay‘ah which some Sufi individuals take with their spiritual guides (pirs), etc., has no basis in the Book or the Sunnah. These Sufi bay‘ahs sometimes lead their followers to claim to be caliphs, authorized deputies, or even the Mahdi, and so on. «العياذ بالله»
Similarly, there are bay‘ahs to parties as well; all such bay‘ahs are innovations (bid‘ah), meaning they are rejected. We supplicate to Allah, the Exalted, to protect the Muslims from the evil of the Sufis, the partisans, and the Khawarij. (Amin)

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to take allegiance (bay‘ah) from people. Bay‘ah is an Arabic word; its simple meaning in Urdu is “promise.” To make a promise of obedience and submission to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), considering someone to be honorable and respected, is absolutely not prohibited in the Shari‘ah. However, some people think that making “bay‘ah” is necessary for the completion of religion; this is their misconception and an incorrect belief. Furthermore, some people perform a specific type of bay‘ah by which they mean the system of spiritual mentorship and discipleship (piri-muridi), and this system of piri-muridi is neither permissible nor established in Islam; it is an innovation (bid‘ah). Then, as a result of this piri-muridi type of bay‘ah, they also commit acts contrary to the Shari‘ah, which is a clear disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Moreover, this hadith also shows that if a sin is concealed, this too is a mercy from Allah, but concealment does not mean that a person should increase in sin; rather, the purpose is that after committing a sin, a person should make sincere repentance, and in every way avoid that sin in the future. Otherwise, Allah makes the sin apparent to everyone.