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سلسله احاديث صحيحه
Silsilah Sahihah
الايمان والتوحيد والدين والقدرBook of Faith, Monotheism, Religion, and Divine Decree
Value of good deeds done in disbelief after accepting Islam
Hadith 46
اُردوEn
- " أسلمت على ما أسلفت من خير ".
Sayyiduna Hakim bin Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "You have accepted Islam along with all the good deeds you have done."
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Mahfooz Ahmad
Benefits:
Hakim bin Hizam was a disbeliever; when he accepted Islam, the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave him the glad tidings that the good deeds he performed in the state of disbelief had also been preserved for him.
Imam al-Albani rahimahullah writes: In light of this hadith, it is established that when a disbeliever or an apostate accepts Islam, the good deeds performed in their previous lives are also stored up for them. If a person, after performing Hajj in the state of Islam, becomes an apostate and then returns to Islam, his Hajj is not rendered void. However, if a disbeliever performs Hajj in the state of disbelief and then embraces Islam, that Hajj does not suffice for him, because his Hajj was not performed according to the rulings of Islamic law, as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدُّ» “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our matter (religion), it will be rejected.”
Those who claim that the Hajj of an apostate is rendered void should also consider his marriage, his pronouncements of divorce, his transactions of buying and selling, and his gifts as null and void, because all these were conducted according to Islamic rulings. Yet none of them hold these matters to be invalid, so it is clear that their statement regarding Hajj is unsound.
After this discussion, we would like to draw your attention to the following hadith:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مُؤْمِنًا حَسَنَتَهُ يُعْطِى بِهَا، وَفِي رَوَايَة: يُتَابُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّزْقُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَيَجْزِي بِهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُطْعِمُ بِحَسَنَاتِ مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الآخِرَةِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ يُجْزَى بِهَا .» [صحيحه: 53]
“Allah does not wrong the believer regarding his good deeds; he is granted provision in this world because of them, and he will be rewarded for them in the Hereafter. But as for the disbeliever, he is given the reward for his good deeds for Allah in this world, and when he reaches the Hereafter, he will have no good deed left for which he could be rewarded.”
In this blessed hadith, the mention is of that disbeliever who, according to Allah’s knowledge, is to die as a disbeliever, because this indication is present in the same hadith, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“So that when that disbeliever reaches the Hereafter, he will have no good deed left for which he could be rewarded.” As for the disbeliever who is to die as a believer after accepting Islam, his good deeds performed in the state of disbelief are not lost, and he will be rewarded for them in the Hereafter, as is known from various ahadith. [صحيحه: 248]
However, the objection is raised that Abu Talib gave full support to you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at the beginning of Islam, due to which you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam interceded for him, and he will benefit from your intercession. From this, it is understood that due to Abu Talib’s good deeds, his punishment was lessened. Please see this objection and its answer in some detail:
«عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَلْ نَفَعْتَ أَبَا طَالِبٍ بِشَيْءٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَحُوطُكَ وَيَغْضَبُ لَكَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، هُوَ فِي ضَحْضَاحِ مِنْ نَّارٍ، وَلَوْلا أَنَا أَيْ: شَفَاعَتُهُ، لَكَانَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ»
“Sayyiduna Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib radi Allahu anhu said: O Messenger of Allah! Have you benefited your uncle Abu Talib in any way, for he used to protect you and become angry for your sake? He (the Prophet) said: ‘Yes, now he is in shallow fire, and if it were not for my intercession, he would have been in the lowest depth of the Fire.’”
[مسلم: 134/1، 135، و أحمد: 206/1 و 207، 210، وأبو يعلى: 2/213 و 2/313، وابن عساكر: 1/51/19]
«عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدِ الْخُدْرِي، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ذُكِرَ عِندَهُ عَمَّة أبو طَالِبٍ، فَقَالَ: لَعَلَّهُ تَنْفَعُهُ شفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَيُجْعَلُ فِي ضَحْضَاحِ مِنْ نَارٍ يَبْلُغُ كَعْبَيْهِ، يَغْلِي مِنْهُ دِمَاعُهُ» [الصحيحة: 54]
Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was mentioned in the presence of his uncle Abu Talib. He said: “Perhaps my intercession will benefit him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be placed in shallow fire that will reach his ankles, and his brain will boil because of its heat.”
[مسلم: 135/1، و أحمد: 50/ 3 و 55، و ابن عساكر: 1/51/19، وأبو يعلى فى ”مسنده“ : 2/86]
From these ahadith, it is apparent that due to Abu Talib’s actions, his punishment was lessened. The answer to this objection is as follows:
Imam al-Albani rahimahullah writes: There are two answers to this objection:
➊ These ahadith do not indicate that Abu Talib’s actions were the cause of the lessening of his punishment; rather, the lessening of his punishment was due to the intercession of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. [صحيحه: 54]
Then the Imam wrote regarding the hadith of Sayyiduna Abbas bin Muttalib radi Allahu anhu: In this hadith, it is clarified that the cause of the lessening of Abu Talib’s punishment was your sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s intercession, not his own actions. Therefore, there is no contradiction between this hadith and the principle we have previously stated.
The conclusion is that this is a special distinction of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that his intercession was accepted for Abu Talib, even though he died upon shirk, and the law of Allah regarding the polytheists is:
«فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ» [سورة مدثر: 48] “The intercession of the intercessors will not benefit them.”
But Allah bestows His grace upon whomever He wills, and the one most deserving of it is the leader of the Prophets, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
➋ If we accept that the cause of the lessening of Abu Talib’s punishment was his action of helping you, then he will be considered an exception to the original legal principle, and the other ahadith will be maintained upon their original meaning, that the good deeds of a disbeliever who dies in the state of disbelief are lost. [صحيحه: 55]
Hakim bin Hizam was a disbeliever; when he accepted Islam, the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave him the glad tidings that the good deeds he performed in the state of disbelief had also been preserved for him.
Imam al-Albani rahimahullah writes: In light of this hadith, it is established that when a disbeliever or an apostate accepts Islam, the good deeds performed in their previous lives are also stored up for them. If a person, after performing Hajj in the state of Islam, becomes an apostate and then returns to Islam, his Hajj is not rendered void. However, if a disbeliever performs Hajj in the state of disbelief and then embraces Islam, that Hajj does not suffice for him, because his Hajj was not performed according to the rulings of Islamic law, as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدُّ» “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our matter (religion), it will be rejected.”
Those who claim that the Hajj of an apostate is rendered void should also consider his marriage, his pronouncements of divorce, his transactions of buying and selling, and his gifts as null and void, because all these were conducted according to Islamic rulings. Yet none of them hold these matters to be invalid, so it is clear that their statement regarding Hajj is unsound.
After this discussion, we would like to draw your attention to the following hadith:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مُؤْمِنًا حَسَنَتَهُ يُعْطِى بِهَا، وَفِي رَوَايَة: يُتَابُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّزْقُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَيَجْزِي بِهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُطْعِمُ بِحَسَنَاتِ مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا لِلَّهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، حَتَّى إِذَا أَفْضَى إِلَى الآخِرَةِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ يُجْزَى بِهَا .» [صحيحه: 53]
“Allah does not wrong the believer regarding his good deeds; he is granted provision in this world because of them, and he will be rewarded for them in the Hereafter. But as for the disbeliever, he is given the reward for his good deeds for Allah in this world, and when he reaches the Hereafter, he will have no good deed left for which he could be rewarded.”
In this blessed hadith, the mention is of that disbeliever who, according to Allah’s knowledge, is to die as a disbeliever, because this indication is present in the same hadith, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“So that when that disbeliever reaches the Hereafter, he will have no good deed left for which he could be rewarded.” As for the disbeliever who is to die as a believer after accepting Islam, his good deeds performed in the state of disbelief are not lost, and he will be rewarded for them in the Hereafter, as is known from various ahadith. [صحيحه: 248]
However, the objection is raised that Abu Talib gave full support to you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at the beginning of Islam, due to which you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam interceded for him, and he will benefit from your intercession. From this, it is understood that due to Abu Talib’s good deeds, his punishment was lessened. Please see this objection and its answer in some detail:
«عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَلْ نَفَعْتَ أَبَا طَالِبٍ بِشَيْءٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَحُوطُكَ وَيَغْضَبُ لَكَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، هُوَ فِي ضَحْضَاحِ مِنْ نَّارٍ، وَلَوْلا أَنَا أَيْ: شَفَاعَتُهُ، لَكَانَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ»
“Sayyiduna Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib radi Allahu anhu said: O Messenger of Allah! Have you benefited your uncle Abu Talib in any way, for he used to protect you and become angry for your sake? He (the Prophet) said: ‘Yes, now he is in shallow fire, and if it were not for my intercession, he would have been in the lowest depth of the Fire.’”
[مسلم: 134/1، 135، و أحمد: 206/1 و 207، 210، وأبو يعلى: 2/213 و 2/313، وابن عساكر: 1/51/19]
«عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدِ الْخُدْرِي، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ذُكِرَ عِندَهُ عَمَّة أبو طَالِبٍ، فَقَالَ: لَعَلَّهُ تَنْفَعُهُ شفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَيُجْعَلُ فِي ضَحْضَاحِ مِنْ نَارٍ يَبْلُغُ كَعْبَيْهِ، يَغْلِي مِنْهُ دِمَاعُهُ» [الصحيحة: 54]
Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was mentioned in the presence of his uncle Abu Talib. He said: “Perhaps my intercession will benefit him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be placed in shallow fire that will reach his ankles, and his brain will boil because of its heat.”
[مسلم: 135/1، و أحمد: 50/ 3 و 55، و ابن عساكر: 1/51/19، وأبو يعلى فى ”مسنده“ : 2/86]
From these ahadith, it is apparent that due to Abu Talib’s actions, his punishment was lessened. The answer to this objection is as follows:
Imam al-Albani rahimahullah writes: There are two answers to this objection:
➊ These ahadith do not indicate that Abu Talib’s actions were the cause of the lessening of his punishment; rather, the lessening of his punishment was due to the intercession of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. [صحيحه: 54]
Then the Imam wrote regarding the hadith of Sayyiduna Abbas bin Muttalib radi Allahu anhu: In this hadith, it is clarified that the cause of the lessening of Abu Talib’s punishment was your sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s intercession, not his own actions. Therefore, there is no contradiction between this hadith and the principle we have previously stated.
The conclusion is that this is a special distinction of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that his intercession was accepted for Abu Talib, even though he died upon shirk, and the law of Allah regarding the polytheists is:
«فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ» [سورة مدثر: 48] “The intercession of the intercessors will not benefit them.”
But Allah bestows His grace upon whomever He wills, and the one most deserving of it is the leader of the Prophets, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
➋ If we accept that the cause of the lessening of Abu Talib’s punishment was his action of helping you, then he will be considered an exception to the original legal principle, and the other ahadith will be maintained upon their original meaning, that the good deeds of a disbeliever who dies in the state of disbelief are lost. [صحيحه: 55]
Source: Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah: Commentary by Muhammad Mahfooz Ahmad, Page: 46
