PinnacleOfBeauty_Ihsanica

8/10/2019 PinnacleOfBeauty_Ihsanica

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T H E P I N N A C L E O F B E A U T Y


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THE PINNACLE OF BEAUTY

On the Lightening of Ab LahabsPunishment each Monday

Tj al-Shara, Sheikh Mu^ammadAkhtar Ri\ al-Qdir

Translated by

Abdul Aziz Suraqah


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Ihsanica Media

Published by

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, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Allpraise belongs to Allah, the lord of the worlds, and may prayers andsalutations be upon our master Muâmmad, and upon his Familyand Companions.

It is indeed pleasing to learn that Ihsanica Media has completedthe translation of Nihya al-zayn, which is a short work by mybeloved and noble father, our master Sheikh Muâmmad AkhtarRi\ Khn. I pray that this work nds acceptance in the DivineCourt of Allah Most High. I would like to extend my appreciationto my dear brothers in the love of the beloved and sacred Messengerof Allahs , Muhammad Junayd, Shiraz Abdul Majid, Tariq Hasan

Khan, Jawid al-Hindi, Uthman Yousaf, Irfan Edhi, ShaukatMalida, Shabir Bakali, Salim Vindhani, Balal Hassan Ali, TahseenHussain, Muhammad Umar Faruq and Faisal Noori, for puttingthis publication together, and especially Ustadh Abdul AzizSuraqah for his valuable and pleasing translation.

Sheikh Muâmmad Asjad Ri\ KhnRa s al-Jmia,

Jmia al-Ri\, Bareilly


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W issues in the sacred sciences ofIslam, a student or scholar must possess two essential features:a passionate love for Allah and His Messenger s , and a sharpanalytical mind capable of penetrating to the root of matters anddrawing from a wide array of disciplines. One without the otherwill lead inevitably to erroneous and dangerous conclusions. Strongreligious emotions, when not tempered by scholastic aptitude, willusually lead to folly, since a lovers feelings alone cannot determinethe ruling of Allah and His Messenger in a given issue. Andscholastic aptitude, when not rendered soft by love and devotion,and made malleable by sincerity, will lead to dry and lifeless rulingsthat alienate the common Muslim and provide fodder for pharisaical

hair-splitting Ahl al-Rusm (those obsessed with the outward of thelaw at the expense of the inward). Gathering between the two isperfection.

This small but detailed work by Tj al-Shara Mu^ammadAkhtar Ri\ Khn, scion of the great reviver ( Mujaddid) ImamA^mad Ri\a Khn, addresses the famous narration of Thuwayba,a slave whom Ab Lahab freed out of joy for the Prophets birth s ,and the narrations that detail the lightening of punishment thatAb Lahab received on account of that, and tackles an assortmentof objections made to these narrations, which in essence limitthe Prophets mercy and intercession. The central thesis of thistreatise is that the Prophets s power of intercession encompassesnon-believers; but not in the sense of general amnesty from Hell,rather because of the lightening of the punishment of lengthystanding to be suffered on the Last Day.


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Other areas of discussion in this work include: the use ofdreams as legal proofs, whether non-believers receive recompensefor their good deeds in the Hereafter, whether non-believers canreceive benet in their graves, the forms of intercession held bythe Prophet s , the reconciliation of proof texts that seeminglycontradict one another, and how mursal(hanging) hadith reportsare acceptable for use according to the principles of the anafschool.

If this disbeliever who was condemnedAnd whose hands were bound forever in the Fire

Mentioned that every MondayHis punishment is lightened due to his joy in A^mad

What say you of the servant Whose entire life is joyful with A^mad


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D Medina the Illuminedon Dhal-ijja , /November , , I was asked aboutthe claims of those who object to the hadith of Thu-wayba, the Prophets s wet-nurse whom Ab Lahab joyfully

manumitted upon receiving news of the Prophets birth s . Itis stated in a hadith that Ab Lahabs punishment is eased forhim on Mondays because of his action on that day. This hadith,the objectors claim, contravenes the Quran and consensus, and istherefore spurious [ maw\]. I gave a basic and preliminary an-swer that day and argued that the hadith has a basis and was metwith acceptance, and that the Quranic verses and consensus arenot taken in an absolute fashion.

There are other hadith reports mentioning some of thedisbelievers, or a group of them, receiving a lightened punishment,and that will be part of the general lightening that all peoplebeliever and disbeliever alikewill experience at the plains [onthe Day of Judgment] due to the Prophets intercession s .Now, in order to reconcile the various proof texts and eliminatecontradiction, all of these hadith reports are deemed specic

exceptions to the general and absolute texts. The source forunderstanding the meanings of the Book [the Quran] goes backto the eloquent words of the Prophet s . Allah Most High says,And likewise, We have revealed unto you the Reminder, that you mayexplain to the people what is revealed to them [ : ]. The unrestricted[mu~laq] in the Quran is what the Sunna proves to be unrestrictedin all areas, and what the Sunna deems subject to qualication isclaried in its textual implications [dilla]. It is not as some think,


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that everything that appears unrestricted at face value is takenas such; rather, in these matters one must take recourse in theexplanation set forth by the Prophet s , for his guidance is thetrue guidance. During my stay in Medina I came across a nameless book thatquoted a statement from Sheikh [Jaml] al-usaynmay Allahpreserve himthat seemed to support the view of the objector.This statement made me even stronger in my certainty that myview was correct. So after I returned to my homeland I was ableto look into this matter further. I reviewed the books of hadithand it became clear to me that my opinion was not without

precedentso may Allah be praised for what he bestows andinspires. In this treatise I shall present the hadith in question,complete with its chains of narration, and I shall detail whereit is found in the collections of al-Bukhr, al-Bayhaq, Abd al-Razzq, and others.


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I - narrated in his a : Al-kim b. N

reported via Shuayb al-Zuhr Urwa b. al-Zubayr Zaynabb. Ab Salama who reported that Umm abba b. Ab Sufyn

said, O Messenger of Allah, marry my sister, Bint Ab Sufyn.The Prophet s asked, Would you like that? She replied, I amnot yours to the exclusion of all other [women (i.e., you havemany wives)], and I would like for my sister to share with me in

the good [i.e., in this life and the next] through you. Urwasaid, Thuwayba was the manumitted slave of Ab Lahab. Hefreed her and she suckled the Prophet s . When Ab Lahabdied some of his family saw him in a dream vision and asked himabout what he received [in the Hereafter]. He replied, I havenot found any good after you save that I am given drink due tohaving set Thuwayba free, and on every Monday my punishmentis lightened.

I ask the one who objects to this hadith and claims that it isa lie: What will you say regarding these masterful Imams whoreported this hadith and received it with acceptance? Are youbold enough to say that they carelessly reported a lie in theircollected works? And if your claim is correct, how can they, thebearers of sacred knowledge and the keepers of the sacred trustof the religion, be trusted in what they say? This is tantamount

to casting aspersions upon the scholars who are the guardians ofthe Sacred Law. Ill go further and say that this is an attempt todemolish the edice of the religion. This portion of my answeris enough to answer Sheikh Jamls critical questioning of thescholars who accepted this hadith.

Al-Bukhr,a^^ al-Bukhr .


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This portion also demonstrates that there is no precedent[salaf ] for the one who claims that the hadith is a lie; and if, forarguments sake, there is a precedent, let him explain who thatprecedent is.

I would also like to ask the objector and those who supporthim: What led you to make this claim? What drew you to allegethat the hadith is a lie? Certainly you have a good example in thepredecessors [Salaf ]; they didnt claim that the hadith is a lie.The most they said was that it is mursal[a loose report]. Take thefollowing statement from Imam Ibn ajar al-Asqaln, whomyou have relied upon and quoted in your nameless book:

This hadith proves that a righteous action may benet a disbelieverin the Hereafter. This, however, contravenes the outward purportof the Quran, where Allah Most High says, And We shall turn towhat they did and they shall find it as scattered dust particles [ : ]. Firstly,it can be retorted that this report is mursal by way of Urwa, whodid not mention who narrated it to him. In the possibility that thechain is intact, the actual contents of the report are the product of a

dream vision and dream visions are not considered evidence. In alllikelihood, the narrator was still a non-Muslim at the time of seeingthe dream, and as such it can not be used as evidence.

Secondly, even if we assume that it is accepted, the import of thishadith carries the possibility of being unique for the Messenger ofAllah s , as was mentioned regarding the narration of Ab >libthat states his punishment was lightened and he was moved fromthe deepest ames to the shallowest part of Hell. Al-Bayhaq said,The narration mentioning the disbelievers not possessing anygood is understood to mean that they will neither nd an escapefrom the Hellre nor will they enter Paradise. The punishmentthey deserve for their sins and crimes besides disbelief might belightened for them on account of good they previously did. Asfor [Q\] Iy\, he stated, It is agreed by way of consensusthat the disbelievers will not stand to benet from their good


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actions or receive their rewards through enjoyment of a delightor a lightening of punishmenteven if some of them shall receivemore punishment than others.

This does not negate the possibility mentioned by al-Bayhaq,for everything narrated on this topic relates to the sin of disbelief.What is to preclude the lightening of punishment for sins that areless than disbelief?

Compare Q\ Iy\s statement above (cited by Ibn ajar)with his statement in Ikml [al-mulim] mentioned before, wherehe answers the apparent conict between the narration on thelightening of Ab >libs punishment due to the Prophetsintercession and the Quranic verses he mentioned. If you comparethe two statements you will see a clear contradiction and conictbetween them and the former and latter statements. As such, theconsensus he cited is debatable, as we shall soon detail.

Ibn ajar continued:

Al-Qur~ub said, This lightening is restricted to those who wereexplicitly mentioned in the texts. Ibn al-Munr said in his gloss,There are two issues here: [First:] what is impossible, namely,to consider the obedience of a disbeliever of benet when coupledwith his disbeliefbecause the condition for obedience is that itis performed with a correct intention, which is lacking in the caseof a disbeliever. [Second:] that the disbeliever, out of Allahs puregenerosity, can be rewarded for some good actions he performed.This is not rationally impossible. Once this is established, we see that

Ab Lahabs manumission of Thuwayba is a strong circumstantialelement [qarna] that is worthy of consideration. It is rationally

possible for Allah to bestow His generosity upon him in any wayHe wills, just as He did with Ab >lib. In this matter the divinelyrevealed texts are to be followed, both in afrmation and negation.In supplement to this, the aforementioned generosity may beshown to the disbeliever who did a good act, and Allah knows best.

Ibn ajar al-Asqaln,Fat^ al-Br ,:

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Elsewhere Ibn ajar stated:

It appears from the hadith of al-Abbs that this longing wasfullled. The Prophets statement s , My intercession shall

benet him, was deemed problematic because of the verseThe intercession of the intercessors will not avail them, [ : ]. It isretorted that this [hadith] is qualied, which accounts for whythe scholars considered it among the unique features [ kha|i|] ofthe Prophet s . It has also been said that the meaning of the wordbenet in the verse is different from the meaning of the wordbenet in the hadith. The meaning of benet in the verse, itis said, is extraction from the Hellre, and benet in the hadithmeans lightening [of torment]. This is the view supported by al-Qur~ub.

Now, al-Bayhaq said in al-Bath: The narration concerning Ab>lib is authentic, so there is no justication from the standpointof hadith authenticity to deny it. As I see it, the reason why thedisbelievers cannot receive intercession is because of the truthfulstatement [in revelation], which declares that no one can intercede

for them. This is general for every disbeliever; but it is possiblethat some disbelievers are excluded from this general statementif they are specically mentioned in a revealed text. Some ofthe theologians understood from this hadith that a disbelieverspunishment is for both his disbelief and his disobedience. It follows,then, that it is permissible for Allah to forgo the punishment ofdisbelievers on account of some of their disobedienceand thatis to bring joy to the heart of the intercessor. It is not a rewardto the disbeliever, for his good deeds turned into scattered dustwhen he died upon disbelief. Muslim narrated from Anas: As forthe disbeliever, he shall receive the [reward for] his good deeds inthis world, until, when he reaches the Hereafter, he is left withouta single good deed. Al-Qur~ub said in al-Mufhim, There is a disagreement aboutthis particular intercession. Is it verbal [ lisn qawl ] or metaphorical


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[lisn al-^l] in nature? If it is the former then it is problematic inlight of the Quranic verse. The answer to this enigma lies in the factthat qualication [ takh||] is permissible. On the other hand, if thenature of this intercession is metaphorical, then the hadith meansthat Ab >lib was rewarded by receiving a lightened punishmentbecause of the great lengths he went to honor and defend theProphet s , and that, in turn, was called an intercession becausethe Prophet s was the means for the lightening. Anotherpossible answer is that since the recipient of this lightening doesnot perceive the lightening, it is as if he wasnt beneted by it [i.e.the intercession]. This is supported by the hadith mentioned

earlier which states that he will believe that no one else is receivinga torment worse than his. That is because not even the mountainscan bear a minute amount of Hells torment, and since the onesubject to torment is preoccupied with his torment, it can be saidhe didnt benet from the lightening of punishment.

This might be supported by the hadith of Umm abbamentioned earlier in the Book of Marriage from the story of Bint

Umm Salama, [stating]: Thuwayba suckled us both. Urwa said,When Ab Lahab died he was seen in a dream vision and wasasked about what he received. He said, I have not found any goodafter you save that I am given drink due to having set Thuwaybafree, and on every Monday my punishment is lightened. This hasalready been addressed in that section. In al-Tadhkira, al-Qur~ubconsidered the likelihood of a disbeliever being presented beforethe Scale to have his deeds weighed, and he opined that if thescale-pan of bad deeds outweighs the scale-pan of good deedsthen his good deeds will be obliterated and he will enter the Fire.However, the disbelievers vary with regard to this. Those of themwho have good deeds, such as the manumission of slaves andsuccor offered to Muslims, are unlike those who dont. So it isconceivable that the lightening of such a persons punishment willbe commensurate with the deeds he performed, and that is due to


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the statement of the Most High, We shall erect the Scales of justice onthe Day of Resurrection and no soul shall be wronged [ : ].

This theoretical research seems to contradict the statement of the

Most High, And its punishment shall not be lightened for them [ : ],and the hadith of Anas I mentioned earlier. There is the raised[marf] hadith of Ibn Masd, reported by Ibn Mardawayh andal-Bayhaq, that reads, The Prophet s said, No one, whetherMuslim or disbeliever, does a good deed except that Allah rewardshim for it. The Companions asked, O Messenger of Allah! What isthe reward of the disbeliever? He replied, Wealth, children, goodhealth, and the like. Then they asked, O Messenger of Allah! Whatis his reward in the Hereafter? He replied, A punishment lesserthan the greater punishment. Then he recited the verse, Cast the people of Pharaoh in the severest punishment [ : ]. The chain of thishadith is weak, and even if we assume that it is sound, it would beunderstood to refer to the lightening that occurs in relation to thepunishment for disobedience, not the punishment for disbelief.

The erudite scholar al-Ayn said:

His [i.e., Ab Lahabs] statement, due to having set Thuwaybafree, means due to him manumitting her. The word is atqa with fat^a on the letter ayn. In another narration found in Abd al-Razzqscollection he said itq , and some have said that this phrase is oneway of saying it. The most correct way is to say itq [my freeing],because it means that he freed her from the bonds of slavery.

This statement of al-Ayn was taken from al-Kirmn who said,If you say that the meaning of this phrase is that he freed herfrom the bonds of slavery, I maintain that the correct way ofsaying that is itq .

I say: Neither author was precise in his words, for itq, atqa,and atq are all verbal nouns [ma|dar] of the verb ataqa, as in,So-and-so ataqa [freed] the slave. Al-Ayns comment that

Ibid., : .


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one way to word the phrase is with itq is awed, because itq and atqa are synonymous, so how can one be more correct inmeaning than the other? Furthermore, the statement that themost correct way is to say itq , because it means that he freedher from the bonds of slavery betrays a lack of familiarity withthe language of the Arabs. The author of al-Mughrib stated, Itq isto leave slavehood and to be freed from the bonds of slavery. Theword itq can sometimes take the place of the word itq, whichis the verbal noun of ataqa in the phrase Ataqahu mawlhu [Hewas freed by his master]. In al-Taw\ it states:

One of the aspects of jurisprudence contained in this hadith isthe fact that a disbeliever may receive a recompense for his gooddeeds that were performed for the people of faith in Allahashappened with Ab >lib. However, the difference between Ab>lib and Ab Lahab in this regard is that Ab Lahabs lighteningwill be less, because of Ab >libs support for the Messenger ofAllah s , contrasted with Ab Lahabs enmity toward him.

Ibn Ba~~l said:The sacred hadith [ ^adth quds ], My mercy precedes My wrath, issoundly interpreted by those who say that Allahs mercy is not cutoff from those who are in the Hellre eternally. That is because itis completely within Allahs power to create a punishment for thedenizens of Hell that is a mercy and ease for them when comparedto the punishment [suffered by others]. The position of theverifying scholars [mu^aqqiqn] is that a disbelievers punishmentis not eased on account of the good deeds he performed in thisworld; rather, he receives his recompense in this world. Q\ Iy\said, It is agreed upon by consensus that the disbelievers will notbenet from their good actions or receive their rewards by way ofdelight or lightening of punishmenteven if some of them shallreceive more punishment than others.


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Al-Kirmn said:

Righteous deeds will not benet a disbeliever and dream visionsdo not constitute proofs. And assuming that we accept this,

there remains the possibility that the righteous deeds in questionare the actions that are linked specically to the Messenger ofAllah s , just as Ab >lib will benet by receiving a lightenedpunishment. Al-Suhayl mentioned that al-Abbs g said, I oncesaw Ab Lahab in a dream after his death and I inquired abouthis state. He replied, I have not found any good after you savethat I am given drink due to having set Thuwayba free, and onevery Monday my punishment is lightened. That is because theProphet s was born on a Monday and when Thuwayba broughtAb Lahab the good news [of his birth] he freed her. It is said thatUrwas report, When Ab Lahab died some of his family beheldhim in a dream vision and asked him about what he received, ismursal, since he did not mention who narrated it to him. Even ifwe assume that it is maw|l [i.e. with a fully connected chain], still,this report is about a dream, so it is not a proof. It is also likely

that the one who saw the dream wasnt a Muslim at the time, soit cannot be used as proof. It is also reported that this report, evenif it is accepted, might be specic to things linked to the Prophet,as is proven in the story of Ab >lib whose punishment waslightened and who was moved from a deep portion of the Fire to ashallower portion. Al-Qur~ub said, This lightening is specic tohim and those who are explicitly mentioned in the revealed texts.And Allah knows best.

[Al-Qas~aln said in]al-Mawhib al-laduniyya:

The Prophet s was suckled by Thuwayba, the freed slave of AbLahab. He freed her after she delivered to him the good news ofthe Prophets birth s . Ab Lahab was seen in a dream vision afterhis death and he was asked about his condition. He replied, I amin the Fire; however, my punishment is lightened every Monday


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evening, and I am able to drink water from these ngertips [andhe pointed to the tips of his index and middle nger]and this isbecause I freed Thuwayba when she brought me the good news ofthe Prophets birth and thus she was able to suckle him.

Ibn al-Jazar said:

If this is Ab Lahab, the disbeliever condemned in the Quran, andyet he is rewarded in the Fire because of the joy he felt on thenight of the Prophets birth s , what say you about the Muslimbeliever in divine unity who is of the Prophets Umma and whofeels happiness during the occasion of his birth and spends what

he can in celebration of his love for him s ? Certainly his rewardfrom Allah Most Generous is that He bestows upon him of Hisvast bounty and allows him to enter the Paradise of Delight!

Under the heading of the hadith, She brought me the good newsof the Prophets birth and thus she was able to suckle him, thecommentator on al-Mawhib al-laduniyya, al-Zurqn, said:

This is not contradicted by the statement of the Most High, And

we bring them to what they did and they nd it as scattered dust particles,because it did not ultimately save them from the Fire and enablethem to enter Paradise, so it is as if it did not benet them at all,as al-Bayhaq pointed out.

It could also be said that the scattering of their deeds willoccur after the resurrection, and this narration speaks of whatoccurs before that. Al-Suhayl remarked, This benet is only adecrease in punishment, for otherwise there is no disagreementthat the deeds of the disbelievers are all null and void. Al-[Ibn ajar] argued that since the disbelievers are also held

Muâmmad al-Zurqn said of Ibn al-Jazar, He is Ab al-Khayr Shamsal-Dn b. al-Jazar, Muâmmad b. Muâmmad al-Dimashq, the Imam of thevariant readings of the Quran, the hadith master, and the author of manyworks, such as the unrivaled al-Nashr f al-qirat al-ashar. He was born in and died in .

Muâmmad b. Muâmmad al-Jazar,

Arf al-tarf bi al-mawlid al-sharf , p. .


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responsible for the branches of the law [ mukh~abn bi al-fur],sins that are less than disbelief may be lightened on account ofgood deeds they performed. The author of al-Tawsh stated thatthis was specically for Ab Lahab on the grounds that it was inhonor of the Prophet s , just as the punishment was lightenedfor Ab >lib because of the Prophet s . It has also been statedthat there is nothing to preclude lightening the punishment ofevery disbeliever who performed good works. May Allah rewardthe noble hadith master Shams al-Dn Mu^ammad b. N|ir, whosaid:

If this disbeliever who was condemnedAnd whose hands were bound forever in the FireMentioned that every MondayHis punishment is lightened due to his joy in A^madWhat say you of the servantWhose entire life is joyful with A^madAnd who dies with belief in divine unity?

The position of the objector and those who support him is notunprecedented. They do follow some reports from the pious pre-decessors, but we are not bound to the conclusions they havedrawn from them. This is clear if we consider the statement ofImam Ibn ajar al-Asqaln (and al-Ayn, too). He was not sat-ised with this view, and that is why he said It is retorted, fol-lowed by a counter-reply and support for al-Bayhaqs statement,among others. This plainly shows that Ibn ajar preferred the

view of al-Bayhaq and the others, because he used their quotesas proof; and as the people of learning know, seeking recourse inlegal rationale is a proof of interpretation. Since Ibn ajar quoted Imam Q\ Iy\s opinion that it isagreed upon by way of consensus, and also quoted the statementsof those with whom the objector agrees, it behooves me to citea separate passage from Q\ Iy\ that contradicts his claim. In

Mu^ammad al-Zurqn, Shar^ al-Mawhib al-laduniyya, p. .


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Ikml [al-mulim] Q\ Iy\ said just before his aforementionedquote:

There is the statement, Did we benet him with anything? and

the statement in another hadith, Perhaps my intercession shallbenet him on the Day of Judgmentbut Allah Most High saidabout the disbelievers, The intercession of the intercessors will not benetthem and It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the idolaters, even if they are their close kin [ : ]. In reply to this,there is no denitive text stating that the Prophet s intercededfor him; he simply informed that his [i.e. Ab >libs] kinship andsupport beneted him, just as Ab Lahab was provided drink forhaving freed Thuwayba, the Prophets wet-nurse s . That was ablessing from the Prophet s which poured upon them and causedtheir punishment to be lightened. These incidents were the causeof the intercession, not the Prophets longing and entreaty s .

Let every intelligent person take note of what the objectorand his supporters did. They quoted a text that they thoughtsubstantiated their view, but ignored a text that didnt. Moreover,al-Qur~ub replied in a manner similar to Q\ Iy\ and addedmore detail. He said:

The Prophet s said: Perhaps my intercession shall benet him.What the Prophet s hoped for in this hadith actually occurred,for the Prophet s said, I found him in the deepest ames andmoved him to the shallowest ames. So it appears that he hopedfor that and was thus granted it, and then informed others. Thequestion is: is this intercession literal or metaphorical? There isa difference of opinion concerning this. If we concede that it isliteral and that the Prophet s interceded for Ab >lib throughsupplication and hopeful entreaty, that is contradicted by thestatements of the Most High, The intercession of the intercessorswill not avail them [ : ], They will not intercede save for those with

Q \ Iy\, Ikml al-mulim, : .


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whom He is pleased [ : ], and other verses of similar import. Theresponse to this objection is from numerous angles. The mostapproximate response is that the negated intercession is only thespecic intercession [al-shafa al-kh|a], which is the intercessionthat delivers one from chastisement. The most that can be saidregarding the apparent contradiction is that one is specic and theother general; hence there is no real contradiction between thetwo, because it is possible to reconcile between them.

If we concede that the intercession in this hadith is metaphorical,it will mean, as we mentioned elsewhere, that Ab >libs honorand defense of the Prophet s were the means of lightening the

punishment he deserved, because of his rejection of faith aftergaining intimate knowledge of the Prophets truthfulness s .So since that lightening was due to the Prophets existence andblessings s , the Prophet ascribed it to himself. In this contextand meaning it is not farfetched to call this an intercession. In fact,the poets have used the word intercession with this meaning.One of them said:

With his countenance there is an intercessor that effaces misdeedsTo hearts he is distinguished when he intercedes

Of course this does not adequately counter the position that thehadith contradicts the Quranic verses about intercession, so themost that can be said is that it is qualiedso let us be sufcedwith the earlier answer. Nonetheless, there is no escaping thefact that this is specic and unique for the Prophet s , and that

his intercession is both literal and metaphorical, so the differencehere is merely one of semantics.On the basis of al-Qur~ubs position it is possible to ascribe

to the Prophet s an intercession that implies the lighteningof punishment for those specically mentioned in the revealedtexts, such as Ab >lib. His punishment on account of sins was lightened, not the punishment on account of disbelief . We

Ab Abdullh al-Qur~ub,al-Tadhkira, : .


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see that when Imam al-Nawawmay Allah have mercy uponhimcomments on the hadith reports about the lightening ofAb >libs punishment, he introduces them with section titlessuch as, Section: The Prophets Intercession for Lightening HisUncles Punishment. This supports and applies equally to thenarration about Ab Lahab and adds further strength to andacceptance of the hadith of Urwa.

It is also possible to subsume the hadiths about Ab >liband Ab Lahab under the hadiths concerning the general respitethat the peopleMuslims and non-Muslims alikewill enjoyafter the terror of the standing on the Last Day. This respite

will be because of the Prophets intercession s , for he has manyforms of intercession, and the rst and the least of them is thisform.

Is this respite anything but a type of lightening that thedisbelievers will receive from the torment of the terror of thatday? Al-Bjr stated in his commentary on theBurda:

The Prophet s has many types of intercession. There is his

intercession for the cessation of the reckoning, when the terror willbe so great that the people will beg to escape the judgment plain, evenif it means entering the Fire. This is called the Greater Intercession[al-shafa al-um], and it is also called the Praiseworthy Station[al-maqm al-ma^md], because at that station the Prophet s willbe praised by everyone, the rst and the last. This intercessionis specic for the Prophet s . Another type of intercession isthe Prophets intercession for a group to enter Paradise withoutreckoning. They will arise from their graves and enter straightaway into their palaces. This intercession is also specically forthe Prophet s . Another type of intercession is the Prophetsintercession for lightening the punishment of specic disbelievers,such as his uncle Ab >lib. This intercession for lighteningthe punishment of certain disbelievers does not contradictAllahs words He will not lighten [ : ], because this verse only


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negates the lightening of punishment for disbelief: it does notnegate the lightening of punishment for that which is not disbelief.

If you contemplate, dear reader, and ponder the quote above, you

will realize that the various types of intercession granted to theProphet are explained [ bayn] by him s and are a qualication[takh||] of the general texts that speak of divine threats [ wad].So by Allahs permission the Prophet s can exclude whom hewillsand with what he willsfrom the general threat. Thereare numerous examples of this, most of which have been compiledby our grandfather, the valiant Imam and Sheikh of Islam and theMuslims, Imam A^mad Ri\, in his treatise al-Amnu wa al-ul linit al-Mu|~af bi D al-bal (The security and exaltation of thosewho describe the Chosen One as the One who Repels Calamity).In this treatise he said g , Whoever would like may take thisessay and call it Maniya al-labb anna al-tashr bi yad al-abbs (Thelonging of the sagacious concerning the fact that legislation is inthe hand of the Beloved s ).

Up to this point we have presented examples of the Prophet

s lightening the punishment of disobedience for disbelievers.We explained that this lightening was for some of their actsof disobedience and not their disbelief. We also detailed withexamples, how the meanings of the Quran are subject to theProphets s explication [bayn]. Let us now dwell for a momenton the specic intercession mentioned by al-Bjr: the Prophetsintercession for a group to enter Paradise without reckoning inwhich they will arise from their graves and enter their palaces.

Imam al-Bukhr said, Is^q narrated to me via Raw^ b. Ubdafrom Shuba who said, I heard u|ayn b. Abd al-Ra^mn say,I was once sitting with Said b. Jubayr, who reported from IbnAbbs that the Prophet s said, Seventy thousand people frommy Umma shall enter Paradise without reckoning. They are thosewho do not seek incantation [ ruqya] from others, or search out for

Ibrhm al-Bjr,Sharh al-burda, p. .


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omens, and they put their trust completely upon their Lord. As you can see from this hadith, these individuals are set apartfrom the rest of humanity to whom Allah says: If you manifest whatis in yourselves or conceal it, Allah shall take you to account for it [ : ].

I say to those who support the objectors claims that the hadithof Urwa is a lie because of it contradicting the Quran, Willyou now claim that this hadith is a lie, too, or will you attemptto reconcile between it and the verse? Your answer to this is ouranswer to that!

And while were on the topic of textual conict andreconciliation, I should mention two hadith reports that seemto contradict the belief that the divine preordainment is notaltered. In the rst hadith, reported by Ab al-Shaykh in Kitbal-thawb from Anas b. Mlikg , the Messenger of Allah s said,Be frequent in your supplications, for supplications alter theabsolute preordainment. In the second hadith, reported by al-Daylam in Musnad al-rdaws from Ab Ms al-Asharg , andby Ibn Askir Numayr b. Aws al-Ashar inmursal form, the

Prophet s said, Supplication is one of the conscripted soldiersof Allah and it alters the preordainment after it is determined. Al-Munw commented on this hadith in Fay\ al-Qadr:

The absolute preordainment [ al-qa\ al-mubram] mentionedin the hadith refers to the preordainment established in theTablet of Expunction [Law^ al-Ma^w] or the books of the angels,since it accepts increase, while the pre-eternal knowledge [al-ilm al-

azal ] does not change or diminish. Al-Q\ said, Preordainment[qa\] is the pre-eternal will that determines a specic order forthe created beings. Decree [qadr] is the temporal linkage of thosethings to the divine will. To have [ibrm] with something is tomaster it [ i^km]. [al-Jawhar] said in al-i^ : It is said that so-and-so abrama something if he mastered it. Al-Zamakhshar said,

Al-Bukhr,a^^ al-Bukhr, p. .

A^mad, al-Musnad .


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An example of gurative speech is the statement, So-and-soabrama something, or The matter is mubram. This hadith was reported by Ab al-Shaykh from Anas, and itschain contains Abdullh b. Abd al-Majd. Al-Dhahab includedhim among the weak narrators and said, Ibn Man said, He isnothing. Anyhow, he marked the hadith indicating that it wasreported by the two Sheikhs [al-Bukhr and Muslim]. The authorerred when he ascribed it to Ab al-Shaykh exclusively, because itis also found in the collections of some of the recognized Sheikhs,such as al-Kha~b inTrkh [Baghdd] who reported it with thewording from al-Mazbr, from Anas.

Al-Munws explanation that the word mubram refers to thepreordainment that is established in the Tablet of Expunction[Law^ al-Ma^w] or the books of the angels, and that it does notrefer to the pre-eternal knowledge, for it does not decrease refersto a specic type of preordainment that has been called mubram, because it resembles it and is absolute insofar as it is contained inthe Tablet of Expunction or the books of the angels; hence it is

thought to be mubram even though it is conditional [muallaq] in thedivine knowledge. This matter has been thoroughly investigatedand explained by our grandfather, Imam A^mad Ri\mayAllah sanctify his secret. He said:

The realizaton of this issue has come to me via inspiration fromthe All-Knowing King. The divine legislative rulings are two types.The rst type, which includes most rulings, is absolute and free of

restriction to a particular time, and the second type is restricted toa particular time. An example of this second type is found in Allahswords:So if they testify then keep them in their homes until death overtakes themor Allah makes a way for them [ : ]. After the prescribed punishmentfor adultery was revealed, the Prophet s said, Take this from me:Allah has made a way for them. This was reported by Muslimand others from Ubdag . With regard to Allahs knowledge of

Abd al-Raf al-Munw,Fay\ al-Qadr, : .


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it, the absolute [mu~laq] is considered either lasting or qualied.The former is subject to abrogation [ naskh], and that explains whysome people think that an abrogated ruling is replaced [tabaddal],because the apparent context of the mu~laq is that it is lasting.This has caused some people to think that abrogation is the liftingof a ruling, whereas our view and the view of the investigatingscholars is that abrogation simply details the duration of a certainruling.

The same may be said regarding ordainments, such as when theAngel of Death e is instructed, Seize the soul of So-and-so atsuch-and-such time, unless that person prays [for a lengthening];

and then there are ordainments that are absolute and inevitablein the knowledge of Allah Most High, and they are mubram.Thepreordainment that is ostensibly averted through supplicationcalled the conditional [muallaq] preordainmentresembles theabsolute preordainment because it appears absolute in the eyesof the creation. The reason that it appears absolute in their eyesis because there is no indication of it being restricted, although itis conditional in reality. The hadith [of Anas g reported by Abal-Shaykh] speaks of this latter type of preordainment.

As for the absolute preordainment, there is none who can avertit and there is none who can prevent Allahs judgment. If thatwere possible it would necessitate ignorance [i.e., that Allah isqualied with ignorance and does not know that someone willprevent the fulllment of His will], and Allah Most High is farexalted beyond that.

This is what it means to be cautious and follow the methodologyof those who preserve the proofs. Scholars of this caliber seekplausible interpretations in order to prevent the clash of mutualcontradiction [ taru\] in the revealed texts. They are not wontto reject a hadith merely because of the weakness of its chain ora narrators questionable probity; rather, they strive to reconcile

A^mad Ri\ Khn, al-Mustanad al-mutamad, p. .


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the reports and make them t together seamlessly. And Allah isthe source of all success.

These are the scholars we refer to when we seek to understandthe meanings of the Quran, for they are the recipients ofthe knowledge of the Mujtahid Imams who received from theCompanions, who in turn received directly from the Prophet s . They have complete insight into the meanings of the Bookand the Sunna, and they know the texts that are absolute andrestricted and those that are general and qualied.

Allah be praised, this completes the response and lifts the veil ofconfusion. All that remains is to respond to some of the otherclaims made by Sheikh Jaml concerning this topic so the truthcan be made clearer and the doubts removed.

Sheikh Jaml stated: Who told this person that the scholarsaccepted the hadith of Ab Lahab, and can he tell us where thissupposed hadith is located? We have already responded to thisin detail and mentioned those who accepted the hadith.

Then he said, What does this person say about the consensusof Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama mentioned by Q\ Iy\? We havealready answered the quote of Q\ Iy\; so let us ask: what doyou say about those who said otherwise?

Sheikh Jaml said: You are interpreting the Quran with yourpersonal opinions. This accusation does not, however, warrant a

response. We leave the matter to the people of fairness and theycan be the judge of that. The statements of the Imams exonerateus and are sufcient. Sheikh Jaml asked: Who are the scholars you are talkingabout? We say: Imam Ibn ajar, to name one. You said yourself,Sheikh Jaml, that he cited the supposed consensus quoted byQ\ Iy\, but we proved that Ibn ajar didnt support Q\Iy\s position on this.


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The Sheikh continued: Is there anything after the consensusand the verses of the Quran save misguidance? We say: Theclaim of consensus is incorrect. Al-Qur~ub and others adequatelydiscussed the Quranic verses in question. They are the reliableImams of guidance, so your question applies to them as muchas it applies to us. Ask them your questions and say, Is thereanything after the consensus and the verses of the Quran savemisguidance? I wont bother replying to your lament of I seekrefuge with Allah! Some people are audacious enough to denythe Quran and reject consensus! for the words of our Imamsare sufcient for us, and we take the matter to the Court of the

Possessor of Justice and Knowledge. Sheikh Jaml continued: The scholars have responded to thenarration about Ab >lib. Of course they have. Q\ Iy\responded just as they did, and all of them support our position.We have not come across the original sources of your citations, soyou are responsible for furnishing them.

Sheikh Jaml argued: No one articulated this. We reply: Whatdo you mean by this? What do you mean when you say that thisis fabricated against them? He continued: The scholars do notviolate consensus or belie the Quran. Of course they dont. Thathasnt happened here; the scholars we mentioned have neverviolated consensus or belied the Quran, and this position is not,as you claim, from the words of ignorant would-be sus.

This should sufce in responding to the repeated mention of Q\Iy\s supposed consensus and what the scholarsQ\ Iy\includedsaid concerning the easing of Ab >libs punishment.Anyone who reads their words will see this clearly.

Sheikh Jaml mentioned several verses from the Quranthat explain how the punishment will not be lightened for thedisbelievers. We believe in those verses just as we believe in the


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others, and we say, We believe in themall of them are from our Lord[ : ]. We explained our position on these verses and sided withthe scholars who gathered between the seemingly contradictoryproof-texts and reconciled between them. Sheikh Jaml mentionedother verses that do not speak of easing the punishment as such,but rather speak about how the disbelievers shall abide eternallyin the Hellre and never exit it, such as the verse, And they willnot exit the Fire [ : ], and And they will not exit it, and for them isan abiding punishment [ : ], and others. We agree with Sheikh Jaml on this point and believe that the disbelievers shall abideeternally in the Hellre, and the punishment for disbelief shallnever be lightened or eased. Allah speaks the truth and guides tothe straight path.


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Those who reject this hadith on the grounds that it goes againstthe apparent meaning of the Quran might attempt to use Ibnajars words against us. He mentioned the response to the

objection against the hadith in a passive formula [|ighat al-tamr\],and said, It is reported that this report is mursal. The opponentis clutching straws here, because according to usas anafsas well as the majority, mursal reports constitute evidence. Al-Irq said in hisAlyya, Mlik and al-Numn [i.e., Imam Abanfa] used them [i.e., mursal reports] as proof, as well as thosewho followed them, and they followed their religion accordingto what was contained therein. Imam al-Sakhw said in hiscommentary:

[Mlik,] i.e., Mlik b. Anas [used them as proof ] according to whatis famously reported from him. Likewise Imam Ab anfa al-Numn b. Thbit [as well as those who followed them,] i.e., those whoemulate them [ muqallidhum]. What is meant by the majorityhere is the majority of the two groups, and even a group fromthe hadith scholars, as well as Imam A^mad, according to onenarration mentioned by al-Nawaw, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Kathr,and others. They [ followed their religion according to what was containedtherein,] that is to say, each of them took what he considered amursal report and acted upon it in legal rulings and other matters.This was mentioned by al-Nawaw in Sharh al-muhadhdhab on the

The original text is contained in the brackets Tr

In other words, the majority of the anaf and Mlik jurists. Tr


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authority of many, if not most, of the jurists. Al-Nawaw said,And al-Ghazl reported this as the position of the majority.Ab Dwd said in his treatise, Most of the early scholars, suchas Sufyn al-Thawr, Mlik, and al-Awz, used mursal reportsas legal proofs, until al-Sh came along and contested them,followed by A^mad and others.

Al-Sakhw detailed the position of al-Sh and those whofollowed him, and outlined the conditions for accepting mursalreports. It is not within the scope of this essay to go into thesedetails, so I will refer the reader to al-Sakhws Fat^ al-Mughth.The gist of what al-Sakhw discussed regarding al-Shsconditions for accepting mursal reports was mentioned by al-Munw in al-Yawqt wa al-durar shar^ Nukhbat al-kr:

Imam al-Sh said: It [i.e., a mursal report] is accepted if itis substantiated by another distinct chain, whether mursal orcontiguous, because it makes preponderant the possibility thatthe unnamed narrator was reliable in reality. Similarly, a weakmursal report is accepted if it is substantiated by the mursal reportsof the elders among the Followers [ Tbin], and it is suitable tobe used when declaring a legal preference [tarj ] on the basis of aCompanions statement or action, or the opinion of the bulk ofscholars [or analogy], or due to its wide-dissemination withoutany rejection.

Al-Munw mentioned another method used by the hadithscholars. He said:

A group among them, such as Ibn al-jib and the author of al-Bad, held the opinion that the mursal reports from the Imams ofhadith transmission (like Sad b. al-Musayyib and al-Shab) areacceptable because there is no drawback to them. In this case thesetypes of mursal reports are judged as contiguous reports [musnad].

Al-Sakhw,Fat^ al-Mughth, : .

Abd al-Raf al-Munw,al-Yawqt wa al-durar shar^ Nukhbat al-kr,:

.


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A similar approach has been narrated from s b. Abn, one ofour anaf Imams. Ab Bakr al-Rz said inal-Fu|l, s b. Abnsaid, If someone from our time narrates a mursal report from theProphet s and it has been cited by the people of knowledge, hismursal report is carried just as his contiguous report is carried.On the other hand, if someones contiguous reports are carriedby the people, but not his mursal reports, then his mursal reportsare considered mawqf [halted]. Al-Rz continued, What hemeans by carried by the people is their acceptance of his hadithonly, not his audition [ sam], for the audition of the mursal andnon-mursal is allowable.

s b. Abn said in his book on ambiguous detailed proofsabout this type of mursal report, As far as I see it, a mursal reportis stronger than a contiguous report. What he means by mursal here are the mursal reports from the Imams of transmission. Hebelieves that they are stronger than the contiguous reports ofothers who are not of their rank .

In light of all of the above, it is clear that the hadith in questionis not rejected. How can it be, when it fulls all of the conditionsfor acceptance according to the methodology of the investigatingscholars [mu^aqqiqn] of the anafs? The report about AbLahab is from Urwa, who was a Follower from the early forebearswhose virtue is attested. There are many hadith chains containingUrwa, and they are widespread and not rejected whatsoever. Thishadith is acceptable according to the position of the majority andthe view of the verifying scholars among the anafs and others,

like Imam al-Sh. This hadith, therefore, should be consideredmaw|l, and should not be rejected on account of it being a meredream. On the contrary, we take delight in this hadith becauseit substantiates the blessings of the Prophet s that manifestedbefore and after his birth. These blessings were witnessed and

Ab Bakr al-Rz,al-Fu|l, p. . Ibid.

Ibid.


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conrmed by the nomads and city dwellers alike. The books ofProphetic biography [sra] are lled with the sayings of soothsayerswho spoke of the Prophets arrival; so if the hadith scholars andcompilers had a problem with these reports because they weredreams or narrations from disbelievers, they would have keptthem out of their collections. This answers the objection that inall likelihood, the narrator was still a non-Muslim at the time ofseeing the dream, and as such it can not be used as evidence. Ibnajars statement that in all likelihood, the narrator was still anon-Muslim at the time of seeing the dream, and as such it cannot be used as evidence is questionable for numerous reasons.

Firstly, where did he get the idea that Urwa only heard it fromthe narrator who was still not a Muslim at the time? Andassuming that Urwa only heard it from that narrator, where didIbn ajar get the idea that he heard it when the narrator wasstill a non-Muslim? Why is it inconceivable that Urwa heard thishadith after the narrator embraced Islam, or that he heard it fromanother Companion besides al-Abbs? Nevertheless, it can beargued that al-Abbs was narrating the event that inuenced hisdecision to embrace the faith. In the commentary on al-Bu|rsHamziyya ode, Ibn ajar [al-Haytam] said:

Al-Bayhaq, al-Kha~b, Ibn Askir, and others reported fromal-Abbsg , who said, I said to the Prophet s , O Messengerof Allah! A sign of your Prophethood has led me to embrace yourfaith. I saw you [at birth] whispering to the moon and pointingat it with your nger, after which it began to tilt. The Prophets , said, I was speaking to it and it was speaking to me. It wasdistracting me so I wouldnt cry, and I could hear its sound as itprostrated under the Throne.

This report proves that al-Abbs g wanted to proclaim hisfaith but had chosen instead to conceal it until he found the rightopportunity to do so. He was powerless at the time and was

Ibn ajar al-Haytam, Shar^ al-Hamziyya, p. .


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discernment, to cling to every minute detail in the mursal reports.Our only protocol is to accept and rely upon the mursal reportsand show condence in the upright Imams of transmission. ImamA^mad Ri\may Allah sanctify his secretsaid in al-Hd al-kf f ^ukm al-\if(the sufcient guide to the ruling on weak hadith):

Fairness dictates that the non-specialist in hadith criticism shoulduse mursal reports as proofs in legal rulings. The non-specialistneed only avail himself of the view of the critic, not engage in ahands on, self-directed critique; for that is a burden that thenon-specialist cannot bear. There is undoubtedly no differencewhether the non-specialist mentions or omits the chain of trans-missionboth are identical. Indeed, the statement of the scrupu-lous hadith critic that The Messenger of Allah s said is just asclear as an explicit or implicit authentication, if not clearer. Thepotential laxity, positive conjecture, and errors that the hadithspecialist makes in citations are just as possible in his hadith au-thenticationsthis has been tried and tested. This fact has beenexplicitly stated by the Imams, such as Ibn al-al^, al->abar,

al-Nawaw, al-Zarkash, al-Irq, al-Asqaln, al-Sakhw, Za-kariyy al-An|r, al-Suy~, and others. They mentioned that onemay accept a hadith with condence and use it as a proof if a reli-able Imam authenticates it or reports it in a book that endeavorsto maintain a high standard of textual soundness. We mentionedthe opinions of the scholars to this effect in our book Madrij~abaqt al-^adth. We quoted earlier the statement of [Al] al-Qrfrom Sheikh al-Islam in point twenty-one, so why is it applicablethere but not here?

In any case, this is similar to Imam A^mad [b. anbal] orYa^y [b. Man] saying this hadith is authentic, or al-Bukhr,Muslim, Ibn Khuzayma, and iy [al-Maqdis] mentioning ahadith in their rigorously authentic collections [ al-i^ ], not tomention al-Mundhirs silence in his Mukhta|ar and the reports ofIbn al-Sakan in his a^ and Abd al-aqq in al-A^km.


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Both statements are accepted: those of the aforementionedImams as well as the statements of the reliable and scrupuloushadith critics who say The Messenger of Allah s said, andThe Messenger of Allah s did, and who report his rulings,states, descriptions of beauty, affairs of grandeur, and qualities ofperfectionmay Allah Most High send prayers and salutationsupon him and bless him, exalt him, ennoble him, and honor him,amen!

It is not possible to reject the hadith about Ab Lahab on thebasis of it being mursal. We are sufced with what our Imamshave pointed out and validated. Al-Al al-a|fak said in al-Durr al-mukhtr: We must follow what they [i.e., our Imams]authenticated and preferred and treat it just as we would if theygave us edicts during their lifetime.

A^mad Ri\ Khn, al-Hd al-kf f a^km al-\if, p. .

Al-Al al-a|kaf,

al-Durr al-mukhtr,:

.


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The ndings of this research leave us with twelve points:

The hadith of Urwa is acceptable, and although mursal, ittakes the ruling of a maw|l narration.

This hadith is accepted and reported by the valiant Imams.Had Imam al-Bukhr been the only scholar to report thishadith it would sufce as a proof, so what say you when thereliable Imams agreed with his report?The contents of Urwas hadith are supported and strength-ened by the narration that speaks of the lightening of Ab>libs punishment.Urwas hadith does not conict with the apparent texts ofthe Quran, for, as we quoted from al-Qur~ub and others, itis possible to reconcile between them.

There is nothing to preclude the possibility of punishmentbeing lightened so long as it is not the punishment meted outfor disbelief.

The punishment mentioned in the verse it will not be light-ened [ : ], which is for the disbelievers, is not unrestrict-ed; rather, it is specic to the punishment meted out for dis-belief.

The source for understanding the meanings of the Quran goesback to the eloquent words of the Prophet s . People are atvarying levels when it comes to this. There are scholars whotake from the Mujtahid scholars who took from the Compan-


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ions who understood the Quran directly from the Prophetsinstruction s , and then there are laymen like us who do nothave the privilege to authenticate texts or declare preferences.Our role is to rely on what the Imams have transmitted to usfrom the Prophet s and accept what has been given to us bythe jurists who had a sound understanding of the meanings ofthe Quran and Sunna. They conveyed to us their understand-ing. They are our reference points and we have condence intheir transmissions and rulings. Allah Most High said, O youwho believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authorityover you [ : ].

Urwas hadith can be used as a proof and is not diminished bythe fact that it reports a dream vision.This hadith is likewise not diminished by the claim that inall likelihood, the narrator was still a non-Muslim at the timeof seeing the dream, and as such it can not be used as evi-dence. There is an explicit narration from al-Abbs provingthat he embraced Islam and concealed his faith, so the previ-

ously mentioned objection is baseless, and Allah knows best. As we quoted from Imam A^mad Ri\ in his al-Mustanad al-

mutamad, a ruling might appear absolute although it is actu-ally qualied. This, however, is only apparent to the scholars.

The Prophet s has many types of intercession, the least ofthem being the relief he brings to people at the JudgmentPlain, as we mentioned earlier. This type of intercession

proves that the disbelievers in general will experience a light-ening of the terror experienced on the Day of Standing. In-cluded in this intercession is the Prophets intercession forsome disbelievers exclusively, as mentioned in the hadithin Muslims a^ . We detailed how these intercessions arequalications of the general texts.

You can also apprehend from this that there is an apparent


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mutual-contradiction [ mura\a] between the proof texts inthe Quran and Sunna: some indicate that the disbelieversdeeds will not avail them any reward in the Hereafter andthat their punishment will not be lightened, whereas otherproofs indicate that some of them will receive reward fortheir good deeds and experience a lightened punishment. Ibring to mind the words of the Most High, And we shall setup the scales of justice [ : ]. Al-Qur~ub mentioned this versein al-Tadhkira as a proof for his research that was mentionedby Ibn ajar in al-Fat . He sought to prove that the deedsof the disbelievers are weighed in the Scale. The clearest

proof for the general weighing of deeds is the verse, Andthe weighing on that Day will be a true weighing. So they whose scalewill be heavy shall be from the triumphant. And they whose scale will belight are those who lost their own selves for having wronged Our verses [ : - ]. As you can see, this verse proves that the deeds of thedisbelievers are generally weighed; therefore, we must seekas best we canto reconcile and gather these texts togetherand show qualication [ takh||] in order to prevent conictbetween them. The way to do this is to believe that Allahdoes not forgive that partners are set up along with Him [ : ], asHe revealed in the decisive verse of His Book, and to believethat He can forgive what is less than that through lighteningpunishment for whomever He wills, for He forgives less thanthat for whomever He wills [ : ].

I also recall the hadith of Abdullh b. Masd, who reported thatthe Prophet s said, No one, whether Muslim or disbeliever,does a good deed except that Allah rewards him for it. TheCompanions asked, O Messenger of Allah! What is the reward ofthe disbeliever? He replied, Wealth, children, good health, andthe like. Then they asked, O Messenger of Allah! What is hisreward in the Hereafter? He replied, A punishment lesser thanthe greater punishment. Then he recited the verse, Cast the people


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of Pharaoh in the severest punishment [ : ]. After citing this reportin al-Fat , Ibn ajar said, The chain of this hadith is weak, butyou should pay no mind to that, because he was speaking aboutthe chain and not the actual text of the hadith. The weakness ofthe chain does not necessarily imply the weakness of the text, andhow could it, when a similar meaning was reported in the story ofAb >lib, and it has numerous routes of transmission. Ibn ajarinterpreted the hadith of Ab >lib as referring to the lighteningof punishment that is linked with disobedience, and not disbelief.As you can plainly see, Ibn ajar provided the hadith a soundinterpretation and corroborated al-Qur~ubs view. Looking atIbn ajars words, as for the sins that are less than disbelief,what is to prevent their punishment being lightened on accountof them? we say that the hadith is established even if its chainhas weakness. The chain of transmission should not cause one toabandon a narration so long as its meaning is sound. This is theconclusion that I have drawn from the words of the Imams, andwith Allah is all success.

In conclusion, I say to Sayyid Jaml: O Sayyid! Dont be concernedby the ignorance of the speaker; look instead to what is being said.As someone said in the days of old, Dont look at the speaker,rather consider what is being said. May Allah Most High sendprayers and salutations upon our master Mu^ammad, and uponhis Companions and family.

Mu^ammad Akhtar Ri\a al-Qdir al-Azhar


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