`Abd al-Husayn Rejects the Hadith: “A Sinful Kafir was Forgiven”
`Abd al-Husayn Rejects the Hadith, “Nabi salla Llahu `alayhi wa sallam was in an Impure State”
December 3, 2015`Abd al-Husayn Rejects the Hadith: “A Woman/Man was Forgiven for Giving Water to a Dog”
December 3, 2015BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
‘Abdul Hussain Rejects the Hadith: “A Sinful Kafir was Forgiven”
On page 173, under the title, “a sinful kafir was forgiven”, he states that Muslim reports from Ma’mar: “Al Zuhri said to me, ‘Should I not narrate to you two amazing ahadith? Humaid ibn ‘Abdur Rahman reports from Abu Hurairah who narrates from the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:
أسرف رجل علٰى نفسه فلما حضره الموت أوصى بنيه فقال: إذا أنا مت فأحرقوني ثم اسحقوني ثم اذروني في الريح في البحر فوالله لئن قدر علي ربي ليعذبني عذابا ما عذبه به أحدا ففعلوا ذلك به فقال الله للأرض أدي ما أخذت فإذا هو قائم فقال له: ما حملك على ما صنعت؟ فقال خشيتك يا رب أو قال مخافتك فغفر له بذلك
A man[1] destroyed himself by sinning excessively. However, when he was about to pass away, he made the following bequest to his sons, “When I die, burn me, crush the ashes into powder and then throw me into the wind at the ocean. By the oath of Allah, if my Rabb gets hold of me, he will punish me like he has never punished anyone before.”
Thus, they did as he asked. Thereupon Allah said to the earth, “Bring forth that which you have taken.”
Consequently, he stood upright. Allah asked him, “What drove you to do that which you have done?”
He replied, “Fear for You” or “Your fear”.
Thus, Allah forgave him due to it.[2]
We have already mentioned that an immoral Shia woman was forgiven simply because she lit a fire under the wall of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Also, the great disbeliever, Kisra (the Zoroastrian)—who neither believed in Allah nor His Rasul—was saved from the fire due to holding onto the false concept of Wilayah. The Shia who would rape young boys was also saved from the fire for holding onto Wilayah. All of these narrations are acceptable to ‘Abdul Hussain. He raises no objections concerning them. Alas! It is only when a narration is attributed to Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, that it becomes subject to criticism. Here is a narration from your infallible Imam, the contents of which are very similar to the hadith above. Ni’mat Allah al Jaza’iri reports in his al Anwar al No’maniyyah:
روى الصدوق بإسناده إلى مولانا الامام زين العابدين علي بن الحسين(ع) قال كان في بني اسرائيل رجل ينبش القبور فاعتل جار له فخاف الموت فبعث إلى النباش فقال كيف جواري لك ؟ قال أحسن جوار قال فإن لي إليك جاجة . قال قضيت حاجتك، قال فاخرج إليه كفنين فقال أحبّ أن تأخذ أحبهما إليك وإذا دفنت فلا تنبشني ، فامتنع النباش من ذلك وأبى أن يأخذه فقال له الرجل أحب أن تأخذه فلم يزل به حتى أخذ أحبهما إليه ومات الرجل فلما دفن قال النباش هذا قد دفن فما علمه بأني تركت كفنه أو أخذته لأخذنه، فأتى قبره فنبشه فسمع صايحاً يقول ويصيح به لاتفعل ففزع النباش من ذلك فتركه وترك ما كان عليه ، وقال لولده أي أب كنت لكم ؟ قالوا نعم الأب كنت لنا ، قال فإن لي إليكم حاجة قالوا قل ماشئت فانا سنصير إليه ان شاء الله تعالى ، قال فأحب إذا أنا مت أن تأخذوني فتحرقوني بالنار فإذا صرت رمادا فدقوني ثم تعمدوا بي ريحاً عاصفاً فذروا نصفي في البر ونصفي في البحر ، قالوا فلما ما ت فعل به ولده ما أوصاهم به فلما ذرّوه قال الله جل جلاله للبر اجمع ما فيك وقال للبحر اجمع ما فيك فإذا الرجل قائم بين يدي الله تعالى فقال له عز وجل: ما حملك على ما أوصيت به ولدك أن بفعلوه بك ؟ قال حملني على ذلك وعزتك خوفك ، فقال الله جل جلاله فأني سأرضى خصومك وقد أمنت خوفك وغفرت لك
Al Saduq reports with his chain from Imam Zayn al ‘Abidin ‘Ali ibn Hussain, “A man from the Banu Isra’il would steal (coffins) from the graves. When his neighbour fell ill and feared death, he called for the thief and asked him, ‘What kind of a neighbour was I towards you?’
He replied, ‘A great neighbour.’
The man then said, ‘I need a favour from you.’
He replied, ‘I will definitely fulfil that favour for you.’
The man took out two coffins and said, ‘I want you to take the one that is more appealing to you, but do not open my grave once I am buried.’
The thief denied and refused to accept the coffin. The man insisted that he takes the one which he finds more appealing, until he eventually accepted it. The man then passed away.
After he was buried, the thief thought, ‘He is now buried. How will he know whether or not I took his coffin? I am definitely taking it!’ He thus came to the grave and opened it, but suddenly heard a voice calling out to him in a very loud manner, ‘Do not do it!’ Thus, he was overtaken by surprise, stopped dead in his tracks and even gave up his practice.
He asked his sons, ‘What kind of a father have I been towards you?’
They replied, ‘You were a wonderful father towards us.’
He then said, ‘I have a request that I wish you to carry out.’
They replied, ‘Say whatever you wish to. By the will of Allah, we will carry it out.’
He said, ‘I wish that when I die, you burn me. Then, take the ash and crush it further. Thereafter, look for a strong wind and throw half of my ash into the ocean and the other half onto the land.’
They have reported that when he passed away, his sons fulfilled his request. Since they turned him into powder, Allah instructed the land as well as the ocean, ‘Gather all that is within you.’ Consequently, the man stood before Allah. Allah, the Most Honoured and Glorified asked him, ‘What made you request your sons to do that which they have done to you?’
He replied, ‘By the oath of Your grandeur, I done it on account of fear for You!’
Allah the most glorified replied, ‘I will satisfy your victims. I have taken care of your fear and I have forgiven you.’’’[3]
NEXT⇒ ‘Abdul Hussain Rejects the Hadith, “Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was in an Impure State”
[1] The author misinterprets the hadith. This man was from the people of the book, prior to the Nubuwwah of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Thus, he was a sinful believer and not a disbeliever.
[2] Sahih al Bukhari, al Ambiya’; Sahih Muslim, al Tawbah.
[3] Al Anwar al No’maniyyah, 4/276.
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
‘Abdul Hussain Rejects the Hadith: “A Sinful Kafir was Forgiven”
On page 173, under the title, “a sinful kafir was forgiven”, he states that Muslim reports from Ma’mar: “Al Zuhri said to me, ‘Should I not narrate to you two amazing ahadith? Humaid ibn ‘Abdur Rahman reports from Abu Hurairah who narrates from the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:
أسرف رجل علٰى نفسه فلما حضره الموت أوصى بنيه فقال: إذا أنا مت فأحرقوني ثم اسحقوني ثم اذروني في الريح في البحر فوالله لئن قدر علي ربي ليعذبني عذابا ما عذبه به أحدا ففعلوا ذلك به فقال الله للأرض أدي ما أخذت فإذا هو قائم فقال له: ما حملك على ما صنعت؟ فقال خشيتك يا رب أو قال مخافتك فغفر له بذلك
A man[1] destroyed himself by sinning excessively. However, when he was about to pass away, he made the following bequest to his sons, “When I die, burn me, crush the ashes into powder and then throw me into the wind at the ocean. By the oath of Allah, if my Rabb gets hold of me, he will punish me like he has never punished anyone before.”
Thus, they did as he asked. Thereupon Allah said to the earth, “Bring forth that which you have taken.”
Consequently, he stood upright. Allah asked him, “What drove you to do that which you have done?”
He replied, “Fear for You” or “Your fear”.
Thus, Allah forgave him due to it.[2]
We have already mentioned that an immoral Shia woman was forgiven simply because she lit a fire under the wall of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Also, the great disbeliever, Kisra (the Zoroastrian)—who neither believed in Allah nor His Rasul—was saved from the fire due to holding onto the false concept of Wilayah. The Shia who would rape young boys was also saved from the fire for holding onto Wilayah. All of these narrations are acceptable to ‘Abdul Hussain. He raises no objections concerning them. Alas! It is only when a narration is attributed to Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, that it becomes subject to criticism. Here is a narration from your infallible Imam, the contents of which are very similar to the hadith above. Ni’mat Allah al Jaza’iri reports in his al Anwar al No’maniyyah:
روى الصدوق بإسناده إلى مولانا الامام زين العابدين علي بن الحسين(ع) قال كان في بني اسرائيل رجل ينبش القبور فاعتل جار له فخاف الموت فبعث إلى النباش فقال كيف جواري لك ؟ قال أحسن جوار قال فإن لي إليك جاجة . قال قضيت حاجتك، قال فاخرج إليه كفنين فقال أحبّ أن تأخذ أحبهما إليك وإذا دفنت فلا تنبشني ، فامتنع النباش من ذلك وأبى أن يأخذه فقال له الرجل أحب أن تأخذه فلم يزل به حتى أخذ أحبهما إليه ومات الرجل فلما دفن قال النباش هذا قد دفن فما علمه بأني تركت كفنه أو أخذته لأخذنه، فأتى قبره فنبشه فسمع صايحاً يقول ويصيح به لاتفعل ففزع النباش من ذلك فتركه وترك ما كان عليه ، وقال لولده أي أب كنت لكم ؟ قالوا نعم الأب كنت لنا ، قال فإن لي إليكم حاجة قالوا قل ماشئت فانا سنصير إليه ان شاء الله تعالى ، قال فأحب إذا أنا مت أن تأخذوني فتحرقوني بالنار فإذا صرت رمادا فدقوني ثم تعمدوا بي ريحاً عاصفاً فذروا نصفي في البر ونصفي في البحر ، قالوا فلما ما ت فعل به ولده ما أوصاهم به فلما ذرّوه قال الله جل جلاله للبر اجمع ما فيك وقال للبحر اجمع ما فيك فإذا الرجل قائم بين يدي الله تعالى فقال له عز وجل: ما حملك على ما أوصيت به ولدك أن بفعلوه بك ؟ قال حملني على ذلك وعزتك خوفك ، فقال الله جل جلاله فأني سأرضى خصومك وقد أمنت خوفك وغفرت لك
Al Saduq reports with his chain from Imam Zayn al ‘Abidin ‘Ali ibn Hussain, “A man from the Banu Isra’il would steal (coffins) from the graves. When his neighbour fell ill and feared death, he called for the thief and asked him, ‘What kind of a neighbour was I towards you?’
He replied, ‘A great neighbour.’
The man then said, ‘I need a favour from you.’
He replied, ‘I will definitely fulfil that favour for you.’
The man took out two coffins and said, ‘I want you to take the one that is more appealing to you, but do not open my grave once I am buried.’
The thief denied and refused to accept the coffin. The man insisted that he takes the one which he finds more appealing, until he eventually accepted it. The man then passed away.
After he was buried, the thief thought, ‘He is now buried. How will he know whether or not I took his coffin? I am definitely taking it!’ He thus came to the grave and opened it, but suddenly heard a voice calling out to him in a very loud manner, ‘Do not do it!’ Thus, he was overtaken by surprise, stopped dead in his tracks and even gave up his practice.
He asked his sons, ‘What kind of a father have I been towards you?’
They replied, ‘You were a wonderful father towards us.’
He then said, ‘I have a request that I wish you to carry out.’
They replied, ‘Say whatever you wish to. By the will of Allah, we will carry it out.’
He said, ‘I wish that when I die, you burn me. Then, take the ash and crush it further. Thereafter, look for a strong wind and throw half of my ash into the ocean and the other half onto the land.’
They have reported that when he passed away, his sons fulfilled his request. Since they turned him into powder, Allah instructed the land as well as the ocean, ‘Gather all that is within you.’ Consequently, the man stood before Allah. Allah, the Most Honoured and Glorified asked him, ‘What made you request your sons to do that which they have done to you?’
He replied, ‘By the oath of Your grandeur, I done it on account of fear for You!’
Allah the most glorified replied, ‘I will satisfy your victims. I have taken care of your fear and I have forgiven you.’’’[3]
NEXT⇒ ‘Abdul Hussain Rejects the Hadith, “Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was in an Impure State”
[1] The author misinterprets the hadith. This man was from the people of the book, prior to the Nubuwwah of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Thus, he was a sinful believer and not a disbeliever.
[2] Sahih al Bukhari, al Ambiya’; Sahih Muslim, al Tawbah.
[3] Al Anwar al No’maniyyah, 4/276.