. I '/ } (cont.)

Selected Vocabulary ऐ - "I have forbidden for you," the .;:,. is for the first person past tense, the e-5. is the second person plural. ·ࣸ\! - "then avoid it," the word literally comes from a root meaning to put something to the side. ऒ yl - "I have ordered you" ਎I - "within your ability, as you can" ऒl - "destroyed" ऑ - "before you" 0 .)S - "excessive, lots" üI.... - "their questioning" r+9)1.:;.:;.I - "their differences" मl;,Ul - "their prophets" Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi Takhreej The wording above is actually that of Muslim. With similar other wordings, this hadith was recorded by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, al­ Tirmidhi, ibn Maajah, al-Shafi'ee in al-Umm, ibn Hibbaan, al-Baihaqi and others.' General Comments on the Hadith Although it is succinct, this hadith leads directly and indirectly to a number of important principles of Islamic fiqh. It also states the causes that bring about the destruction of a people. The Circumstances Behind the Hadith The narration in Sahih Muslim gives the circumstances that led to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) statement: ,,,. J ... ,,,. A࢏ , ,,,. ,,. ,,. ;:u .:_;;. ;;:. ࢐ 1.{, ࢓࢔· .\ c: ¢ lyl.9 --࢑ ࢒ ;i \_h ,; ,,. "" On the authority of Abu Huraira: The Prophet (peace be upon him) once addressed us saying, "O people, Allah has made the Hajj obligatory upon you." A man said, "Every year, 0 Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained quiet. The man repeated the question three times. Finally, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If I were to say, 'Yes,' it would become obligatory upon you and you would not be able to do it."2 Then he said, "Leave me with what I have left you with. Verily, the people before you were destroyed because of their excessive questioning and their 1 Cf., ibn Muhammad, pp. 92-93. 2 This incident highlights a very important point related to Islamic Legal Theory: If a command is stated in the texts, does that mean that one must perform that act once or does one have to perform it on a repeated basis? This is not the proper place to enter into a discussion of that question. The interested reader may consult Muhammad Adeeb Saalih, Ta/seer al-Nusoos fl Fiqh al-Islaami (Beirut: al-Mak.tab al-Islaami, 1984), vol. 2, pp. 284-3 15. Hadith #9: "What I have Forbidden You, Avoid ... " opposition to their prophets. If I order you to do something, do what you can. If I prohibit you something, leave it."1 About the Narrator: Abu Huraira Abu Huraira ( d. 59 A. H.) was a famous companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who was born about eighteen years before the Hijrah. There are differences of opinion concerning his actual name. The strongest opinion seems to be that it was Abdul Rahmaan ibn Sakhr ibn al-Dausi. He embraced Islam in 7 A. H. and constantly kept the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after embracing Islam. He lived in the Prophet's mosque as one of the people known as ahl al-Suffa. He related more hadith than any other companion (5374). The Prophet (peace be upon him) guided him to an act that would keep him from ever forgetting a hadith again. At night, along with the late-night prayer, he would also study hadith. He was also known to be very cautious when it came to narrating hadith. He was well known for his piety and he did not involve himself in the politic strife of his time. He was the governor of Bahrain2 for some time under Umar ibn al-Khattaab. "What I have forbidden you, stay away from" The Nature of Prohibition The word nahi (ऎ) is translated here as "forbidden," although it has two implications. There is a strict or complete prohibition of an act and then there is a recommendation to avoid an act out of dislike for the act. The first type is called l":!yi.:ill (al-tahreem), which makes something haraam or forbidden. The second type is called एI.foll (al-karaaha), which makes an act discouraged or disliked (makrooh). The most apparent meaning of this particular hadith is in reference to what is strictly forbidden, and not simply disliked. This includes adultery, fornication, drinking alcohol, taking interest, stealing, murder and so forth. These acts are all strictly prohibited and, based on this hadith, one must do one's best to avoid them under all circumstances. Disliked acts are to be avoided but there is no sin upon the person who commits them, especially on an irregular basis. Even if there is no necessity involved, it is conceivable that a Muslim may perform some of these acts. 1 Al-Haitami points out that there are other occasions that have been mentioned in relation to this hadith. It is possible that more than one event led to the Prophet (peace be upon him) making this specific statement. 2 Bahrain is currently the area of al-Hasa in Saudi Arabia.