Author: Maulana Abul Hasan Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani
Question: Is it mentioned in Tirmidhi that a man once gave a sermon before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said: "Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever disobeys them has gone astray." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: "What a bad speaker you are; say: 'Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger.'" What is the reason for this prohibition?
Answer:
This hadith has been narrated in several hadith collections, both in extended and brief forms:
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Jumu'ah, Chapter on Shortening the Prayer and Sermon: 870; Nasa'i, Book of Marriage, Chapter on Dislike of the Sermon: 3281; Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on a Man Delivering a Sermon with a Bow: 1099; Book of Manners: 4981; Musnad Ahmad: 4/256; Bayhaqi: 1/86, 3/216; Mustadrak Hakim: 1/289].
However, I could not find this narration in Tirmidhi.
In this narration, where the speaker said, "Whoever disobeys them has gone astray," the Prophet (peace be upon him) responded by saying, "What a bad speaker you are." Scholars of hadith have offered several explanations for the Prophet's displeasure at this statement. Some have said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was displeased because the speaker combined Allah and His Messenger in one pronoun. However, this reasoning is not entirely correct, as it has been narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught them a sermon in which it is mentioned:
"Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever disobeys them harms only himself and does not harm Allah at all."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 1097]
Similarly, in the Quran, it is stated:
"Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet." [Surah Al-Ahzab: 56]
↰ In this verse, the pronoun "yusalloon" includes both Allah and the angels.
◈ Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"The correct understanding is that the prohibition was made because the nature of sermons is such that they should include detailed explanations and clarity, avoiding ambiguities and symbolic expressions. This is why it is authentically narrated in Sahih Bukhari that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke, he would repeat his words three times to ensure they were understood."
[Sharh Nawawi 6/139, Beirut Edition]
For further details, see the footnotes of Suyuti on Nasa'i and other works.
A speaker should avoid using ambiguous expressions to ensure that the audience does not experience any confusion. While it is permissible to include Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) in one pronoun, it is essential to clarify and explain matters thoroughly for the general public.
Question: Is it mentioned in Tirmidhi that a man once gave a sermon before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said: "Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever disobeys them has gone astray." The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: "What a bad speaker you are; say: 'Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger.'" What is the reason for this prohibition?
Answer:
This hadith has been narrated in several hadith collections, both in extended and brief forms:
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Jumu'ah, Chapter on Shortening the Prayer and Sermon: 870; Nasa'i, Book of Marriage, Chapter on Dislike of the Sermon: 3281; Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on a Man Delivering a Sermon with a Bow: 1099; Book of Manners: 4981; Musnad Ahmad: 4/256; Bayhaqi: 1/86, 3/216; Mustadrak Hakim: 1/289].
However, I could not find this narration in Tirmidhi.
In this narration, where the speaker said, "Whoever disobeys them has gone astray," the Prophet (peace be upon him) responded by saying, "What a bad speaker you are." Scholars of hadith have offered several explanations for the Prophet's displeasure at this statement. Some have said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was displeased because the speaker combined Allah and His Messenger in one pronoun. However, this reasoning is not entirely correct, as it has been narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught them a sermon in which it is mentioned:
"Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whoever disobeys them harms only himself and does not harm Allah at all."
[Sunan Abi Dawood: 1097]
Similarly, in the Quran, it is stated:
"Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet." [Surah Al-Ahzab: 56]
↰ In this verse, the pronoun "yusalloon" includes both Allah and the angels.
◈ Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
"The correct understanding is that the prohibition was made because the nature of sermons is such that they should include detailed explanations and clarity, avoiding ambiguities and symbolic expressions. This is why it is authentically narrated in Sahih Bukhari that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke, he would repeat his words three times to ensure they were understood."
[Sharh Nawawi 6/139, Beirut Edition]
For further details, see the footnotes of Suyuti on Nasa'i and other works.
A speaker should avoid using ambiguous expressions to ensure that the audience does not experience any confusion. While it is permissible to include Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) in one pronoun, it is essential to clarify and explain matters thoroughly for the general public.