How To React To The Fitnah
Type: Tafseer
Source: Taken From Tafseer Imaam al-Qurtubi (1) Ibn Katheer (2) and Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa’dee (3) رحمهم الله جمعاً
Translator: Khaleel Davis
Date: 8/8/2018
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:
I, Khaleel Davis, the translator of this article say: " In light of the current fitnah between the Salafiyeen and our Mashayyak حفظهم الله One must be careful of all they hear from on social media and not rush to report this or that before verification of affairs. In doing so, you may cause harm to yourself, another Salafi, the Scholars, a student and or the masses. Let the scholars speak during the fitnah and those who know how to deal with the affairs. Remain silent and learn the affairs of the religion before you speak." Henceforth, I translated the following below, to help us understand how to deal with the affairs that cause public safety and or fear.
:بسم الله والحمد لله وصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وبعد
Allaah says:
وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِّنَ الْأَمْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ ۖ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
(4:83)
When there comes to them some matter touching (public ) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people); if only they referred it to the messenger or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allaah upon you, you would have followed Shaytan, save a few of you. Surah An-Nasaa’i 4:83
REASON BEHIND THE AYAH BEING REVEALED
Shaykh Muqbil رحمه الله said in his book: الصحيح المسند من أسباب النزول (Cause or reasons of revelation) In saheeh Muslim on the authority of ‘Umar al-Khataab about the people saying the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم divorced his wives and how he went to them and this was before the order of hijaab and asked them about it( we will summarize because it is 3 pages long and time doesn’t allow us to go into depth) “…I asked the Messenger of Allaah: O messenger of Allaah, did you divorce them? He said: No. So I said: O Messenger of Allaah, indeed I entered the Masjid and the people said that the Messenger of Allaah divorced his wives… So can I go report to them that you didn’t divorce your wives? He said: na’am if you like…so I stood by the door of the Masjid and called in a loud voice that the Messenger of Allaah didn’t divorce his wives and this verse (4:83) was sent down this ayah. So I was the one who investigated this affair and Allaah sent down this ayah." Refer to the above book pages 81-83.
HOW TO REACT TO THE FITNAH
Shaykh As-Sa’dee رحمه الله in his تيسير الكريم الرحمن said about the verse: ” This is a disciplining from Allaah for his servants about acting in a manner other than befitting. Indeed it’s a must for them when there comes an affair from the important affairs and the general benefit that relates with public safety and the happiness of the believers or with fear that in which in it is an affliction upon them, that they affirm and don’t rush with spreading that report. Rather, we return it to the Messenger, and to those charged with authority amongst them, the people of (sound) opinion and knowledge, and advice and intellect and sober (mindedness). Those in which understand affairs and understand the benefit and it’s opposite…. Page 190 of تيسير الكريم الرحمن
WHAT NOT TO DO DURING FITNAH
Imaam Qurtubi said about Allaah’s statement: اذاعوا به They make it known ” spread it, manifest it and speak with it before they know it’s reality. ..” و اذاجآءهم أمر من الأمن أو الخوف اذاعوا When there comes to them some matter touching (public ) safety or fear, they make it known…
VERIFYING REPORTS BEFORE SPREADING THEM
Ibn Katheer said: ” (this is) Disliked upon those who hurry to the affairs before verifying, therefore report it and spread it and circulate it (the information) and it isn’t (even) correct. And it’s reported by Muslim رحمه الله in his introduction of his Saheeh from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنهfrom the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم who said:
” كَفَىٰ بِالمَرءِ كَذِباً ان يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ سَمِعَ” “It’s sufficient enough as a lie that a person narrates all that he hears.”
Also, Abu Daawud reported in كتاب الأدب from his sunan
and in the Sahehayn (Bukharee and Muslim) from Maghirah ibn Shu’bah:
ان رسول الله صلي الله عليه و سلم نهى عن قيل و قال “The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم prohibited from he said she said.”
And in the Saheeh(Muslim):
مَنْ حَدَّثَ بِحَدِيثٍ و هو يَرَى انَّهُ كَذِبٌ فهو احدُ الكاذِبَيْن Whoever speaks with a statement and he sees that it is a lie, therefore he is one of the liars.”
end of Tafseer. !ولله الحمد
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(1.) He is Abu ‘Abdullah Al-Qurtubi or Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr ibn Farh al-Ansari al-Qurtubi was a famous commentator of Qur’an an a scholar of hadeeth and fiqh from Cordoba of who was a Maaliki scholar. He is most famous for his commentary of the Quran, Tafsir al-Qurtubi. He passed in the year 671 AH.
(2.) His full name was Abu Al-Fidaa’i Ad- Isma’il bin ‘Umar bin Kathir Al-Qurashi Ad-Damashqi. He was born in 701 A.H. and died in 774. He was taught by Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Qayyim,and Al-Dhahabi, just to name a few. He’s well known for his scholarship and has written several works the most famous of them is Tafseer ibn Katheer and others are: The Beginning and the End Al Bidayah wa-Nihayah or Tarikh ibn Kathir). Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya (Ibn Kathir) Stories of the Prophets
(3.) He was Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullaah ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir Ibn ‘Abdullaah Ibn Naasir Aal Sa’dee from the tribe of Banee Tameem. He was born in the city of ‘Unayzah, in the region of Qaseem, on the 12th of Muharram in the year 1307 A.H. He memorized the Qur’aan before he reached the age of 11 years. He passed away on the 24th of Jumaada ath-Thaanee in the year 1376 A.H. i.e. 1955. He was the teacher of that great scholar Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen رحمه الله.
