Nasai

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:

➊ From this narration of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu, it is understood that in the beginning, the polytheists of Makkah would sometimes listen to the recitation of the Noble Qur’an. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited Surah An-Najm, in which there is mention of Al-Lat, Manat, and Al-‘Uzza, they became very happy and delighted at this. And when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed prostration (sajdah) at the end, all the present polytheists, except for Umayyah, also prostrated along with the Muslims. It became widespread among the people that the polytheists of Makkah had become Muslims.

➋ When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed prostration during Surah An-Najm, all those present performed prostration with him. It is obvious that not all of them would have been in a state of ablution (wudu). Therefore, making ablution a necessary condition for the prostration of recitation (sajdah tilawah), when it is also required of the listener, is not correct. Unless it is stipulated that the recitation and listening of the Noble Qur’an cannot be done without ablution, whereas verbal recitation is, by consensus, permissible without ablution. The difference of opinion is only in the case of touching and reading from the physical copy of the Qur’an.

➌ Why did the polytheists of Makkah prostrate after hearing Surah An-Najm? According to Qadi ‘Iyad rahimahullah, the reason is that this is the first surah of the Qur’an in which a prostration occurs. But the question is: what effect did this have on the polytheists? The correct view is that they were pleased upon hearing the mention of their deities in this surah. Furthermore, at that time, Shaytan also uttered the words: (tilka al-gharaniqul ‘ula wa inna shafa’atahunna laturtaja) — “These are the exalted cranes (deities), whose intercession is to be hoped for.” As narrated by ‘Allamah Haythami rahimahullah from Tabarani, when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recited: “Have you seen Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza (19) and Manat, the third, the other?” then (alqa ash-shaytanu ‘indaha kalimatin heena dhakara at-tawaghit) — Shaytan, at that moment, mentioned words about the idols.

It is an evident reality that there is no possibility of these words being uttered by the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. According to neither transmitted nor rational evidence is this permissible. However, Shaytan uttering these words himself is not impossible. For support of this, see the commentary of Tabari on the verses of Surah Al-Hajj (52–54).

In the Battle of Badr, according to the explicit statement of the Qur’an, he (Shaytan) said to the polytheists of Makkah: “No one among the people can overcome you today” and “Indeed, I am your protector.” Similarly, in the Battle of Uhud, according to the narration of Sahih Bukhari, he caused confusion among them. And it is present in the Qur’an itself that when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would recite: “Shaytan casts something into his recitation, but Allah abolishes what Shaytan casts, then Allah makes His verses firm.” Further, it is said: “So that He may make what Shaytan casts a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease.” If Shaytan cannot cast anything, then what is it that Allah abolishes or removes, and what is it that He makes His verses firm against? For those whose hearts are diseased (with disbelief and hypocrisy), what is the test for them?

But from these blessed verses, it is also established that only disbelievers and hypocrites can be affected by the words of Shaytan. Therefore, to say that this would undermine all trust in the Shari’ah, because it could be that the rulings that have reached us through the narrations of the Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma’in are not actually the words of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but rather something Shaytan said, is baseless. This would only be possible if Allah had not informed us of this or if the believers had been affected by it and accepted it. If the verses of Surah Al-Hajj (52–54) are read carefully at this point, the matter becomes completely clear. For the commentary of these verses, see Fath al-Bayan, vol. 4, pp. 416–417.

‘Allamah Alusi has quoted the statement of Shaykh Abu Mansur Maturidi that the correct view is that Shaytan cast the whisper (waswasah) of “tilka al-gharaniqul ‘ula” into the hearts of his heretical and irreligious followers, so that they might cause weak Muslims to fall into doubt and suspicion about the religion. (Ruh al-Ma’ani, vol. 1, p. 230) See also the statement of Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas al-Hanafi (Ahkam al-Qur’an, Imam Jassas, vol. 3, p. 321), and the statement of Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki (Ahkam al-Qur’an, Imam Ibn al-‘Arabi, vol. 3, p. 303), (Tafsir al-Tabari, vol. 9, p. 178) (Maktabah Dar al-Kitab al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut).

In summary, these words were not uttered by the tongue of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. (anna ash-shaytana awqa‘a fi masami‘ al-mushrikeen dhalika min dooni an yatakallama bihi Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) — the meaning I have given is accepted by ‘Allamah Jarir Tabari, Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas al-Hanafi, Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki, Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah, Ibn Hajar, and Ibn Hazm. However, most of the scholars have not accepted this incident and have raised some objections to it, but we cannot go into details here. Therefore, we have not written their answers; all those objections would only be relevant if it were accepted that these words were uttered by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and we have already shown that this is impossible.

(No scholar or commentator of the modern era has accepted this incident.) Those who have refuted this incident being uttered by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam — ‘Allamah Albani rahimahullah has, on this very basis, written a separate treatise refuting it.

1:
These pebbles were about the size of broad bean seeds.

1944. Commentary: In the Valley of Resurrection (Wadi Mahshar), punishment was sent down upon the People of the Elephant (Ashab al-Fil), and one should hasten to leave the places of punishment as quickly as possible.

Commentary: See the benefits of Hadith: 3033.

(1) The aforementioned narration has been declared weak in its chain of transmission by the verifier of the book, and he has further written that the narration of Sahih Muslim suffices in this regard, meaning that the aforementioned narration is also considered actionable according to the verifier of the book. Other scholars have likely declared it authentic for this very reason. Therefore, despite the aforementioned narration being weak in its chain, it is actionable due to other supporting evidences and corroborations. For further details, see: (al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah, Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 22/418, 419, and Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud (Mufassal) by al-Albani: 6/189, 190).

(2) The Valley of Muhassir is between Muzdalifah and Mina. This is the valley where the army of Abraha was destroyed and annihilated. In other words, this is a place of Allah’s punishment; for this reason, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) passed through this valley quickly. The command is to pass through every place of punishment in this manner, and one should also pass through it weeping or with a weeping expression, silently. Regarding the pebbles, see Hadith: number 2999.

For details, see Hadith number: 3024.