[10] Abu Makkah – False contextualisation of an Ayah in Surah Hud
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
False contextualisation of an Ayah in Surah Hud in reference to Shaikh Abu Khadeejah’s critique of Muhammad Abdur Razzaaq
Allah [The Exalted] said:
وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know (the truth).
[Surah Al-Baqarah. Ayah 42]
Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said:
Allah forbade (us) from mixing truth with falsehood and thus leading to the concealment of the truth. Mixing truth with false is by mixing the two until one of them is confused with the other. This is forgery and deceit by way of which what is made apparent is the opposite of what it is in reality. Likewise, when the truth is confounded with falsehood, the culprit manifests falsehood in the image of truth and speaks with a statement that carries two meanings- a correct meaning and a false meaning, so the listener is under the illusion that the speaker intends the correct meaning, whilst he intends the corrupt meaning. (1)
While attempting to twist reality, mix truth with untruth, and conceal the truth, Abu Makkah [may Allah guide him] employed another false analogy -under the cover of knowledge, proof, and sound extrapolation – to portray Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allah preserve him] as an extreme oppressor!
Abu Makkah stated:
Where is Waheed from the manners of the Noble Prophet Nuh alayhis Salaam:
وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزۡدَرِىٓ أَعۡيُنُكُمۡ لَن يُؤۡتِيَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيۡرًاۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ
“nor do I say of those upon whom your eyes look down that Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is most knowing of what is within their souls”.
When extracting benefits from the story of Nuh alayhis Salaam Shaykh as-Sadi states that: Vilifying the hearts of the believers is a trait inherited from the enemies of the Messengers.
Ibn Abdil-Barr mentions in his at-Tamheed, “They have an Ijmaa (consensus) that the rulings of this Dunya is based on the apparent and the hidden affairs is left for Allah”.
Waheed Alam should have shame on himself, pity his own heart, and repent to Allah from such a vile statement”. [End of quote]
Response:
In the above quote, Abu Makkah vehemently disputed Shaikh Abu Khadeejah’s assertion that Muhammad Abdur Razzaaq [may Allah guide him] is afflicted with a disease in the heart as a result of his false alliances with the Musaafiqah extremists and ahlul bidah. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The diseases of the heart are two types: (I) Shubhah (a false affair that is considered or disguised as truth or reality) and Shak (doubt). (II) Shahwah (vain or unbridled desires) and Ghay (i.e. deviation from the straight path)”. (2)
Indeed, we agree with Abu Makkah that only Allah knows the secrets of the heart; however, he attempted to use this sound belief – in this particular discussion – to confound truth with falsehood, and turned a blind eye to the fact that his companion was judged based on his false alliances with Musaafiqah extremists and ahlul bidah – a classic illustration of what many of us have witnessed over the years from some of those who would affirm a mighty affair related to Aqeedah while – from what is witnessed – manifesting ulterior motives due to co-operating with ahlul bidah or defending oppressors, and thus they deliberately apply what they affirm in the wrong context. Is there any other reason Abu Makkah and Muhammad would have supported Musaafiqah extremists and collaborate with ahlul bidah besides the fact that they are either afflicted with the disease of Shubhah or Shahwa?! The only other reason would be insanity, and if that were the case, we would not have responded to Abu Makkah because the pen has been lifted from the insane. However, neither Abu Makkah nor Muhammad is insane.
According to Abu Makkah, Imaam As-Sadi stated that one of the attributes inherited from the opponents of the Messengers is that they vilify the hearts of the believers! We could not determine whether his quote from Imaam As-Sadi was in reference to the aforementioned Ayah, or if he was quoting the Imaam from elsewhere in his Tafseer, or from another book of the Imaam, or if he was citing from someone else’s annotation of the Imaam’s Tafseer, or whether he was quoting from a different print of the Imaam’s Tafseer. That because we could not find this statement of the Imaam in the explanation of this Ayah (i.e. Ayah 31, Surah Hud). Therefore, we transmit here what is found in the copy that is in our possession as follows:
وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ وَلَا أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا ۖ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ إِنِّي إِذًا لَّمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
وَلا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ أي: غايتي أني رسول الله إليكم، أبشركم، وأنذركم، وأما ما عدا ذلك، فليس بيدي من الأمر شيء، فليست خزائن الله عندي، أدبرها أنا، وأعطي من أشاء، وأحرم من أشاء، ( وَلا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ ) فأخبركم بسرائركم وبواطنكم ( وَلا أَقُولُ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ) والمعنى: أني لا أدعي رتبة فوق رتبتي، ولا منزلة سوى المنزلة، التي أنزلني الله بها، ولا أحكم على الناس، بظني.
وَلا أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ أي: ضعفاء المؤمنين، الذين يحتقرهم الملأ الذين كفروا لَنْ يُؤْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ فإن كانوا صادقين في إيمانهم، فلهم الخير الكثير، وإن كانوا غير ذلك، فحسابهم على الله.
إِنِّي إِذًا أي: إن قلت لكم شيئا مما تقدم لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ وهذا تأييس منه، عليه الصلاة والسلام لقومه، أن ينبذ فقراء المؤمنين, أو يمقتهم، وتقنيع لقومه، بالطرق المقنعة للمنصف
And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah, nor that I know the Ghaib (unseen); “nor do I say I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will not bestow any good on them. Allah knows what is in their inner selves (as regards belief etc). In that case, I should, indeed be one of the Zalimun (wrong-doers, oppressors, etc.).
[وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزۡدَرِىٓ أَعۡيُنُكُمۡ – nor do I say of those upon whom your eyes look down upon]- Meaning, those believers with a lower status in society about whom the chiefs – who disbelieved – look down upon; [لَن يُؤۡتِيَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيۡرًاۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ – that Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is most knowing of what is within their souls]- Meaning, if they are sincere in their faith, they will receive abundant good, but if not, then their reckoning is with Allah. [إِنِّىٓ إِذً۬ا – In that case]- Meaning, if I were to say to you any of the things mentioned (i.e. that with me are Allah’s Treasures, I know the unseen, I am an angel, or that those believers you look down upon will not be bestowed any good), [لَّمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ – I should, indeed be one of the Zalimun (wrong-doers, oppressors, etc.)]. [end of quote]
Observation a: We could not find the statement transmitted by Abu Makkah from Imaam As-Sadi regarding opponents of the Messengers vilifying the hearts of the believers, but maybe it is found elsewhere, and Allah knows best.
Observation b: This Ayah does not support the point Abu Makkah was desperately attempting to make about Shaikh Abu Khadeejah’s criticism of Muhammad Abdur Razzaaq, whether or not he mentioned any references. Imaam Ibn Al-Qaayim [may Allah have mercy upon him] quoted Az-Zujaaj [may Allah have mercy upon him] as follows: [وَلَآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزۡدَرِىٓ أَعۡيُنُكُمۡ لَن يُؤۡتِيَہُمُ ٱللَّهُ خَيۡرًاۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ – nor do I say of those upon whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is most knowing of what is within their souls]- Meaning, “If you claim that they simply follow me without thinking, then I don’t need to observe what’s going on in their hearts. If I observe someone singling out Allah in worship, I will deal with them based on what I see and delegate knowledge of what is in their souls to Allah”. (3)
Indeed, what is absolutely clear from this Ayah is that the poor believers were scorned and their Imaan was vilified when they performed good deeds and obeyed Prophet Nuh [peace be upon him]. As a result, this circumstance cannot be comparable to that of a person who purposefully opposes the Sunnah by collaborating with ahlul bidah and supporting Musaafiqah extremists, implying that such a person is either afflicted with Shubhah or Shahwah- the two diseases of the heart!
Amazing is Abu Makkah’s situation, for he defends someone who does something terribly wrong, but when that person is rebuked and warned of the consequences, he argues that people are vilifying his heart! Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab [may Allah be pleased with him] and will quote it again as follows: “People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine revelation during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger but now there is no longer any more (new revelation). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favour the one who does good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, because Allah will judge him for that; but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good”. [Saheeh Bukhaari. Number 2641]
Indeed, Abu Makkah [may Allah rectify his affair and distance him from deception] uses the Ayah (Hud 31) out of context in reference to Shaikh Abu Khadeejah’s critique of Muhammad Abdur Razzaaq, whose blameworthy and false affiliations are as visible as the midday sun.
To be continued…InShaaAllah
Ref 1: An Excerpt from “Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim. 1/124
Ref 2: An Excerpt from “At-Tib An-Nabawiy” page 3 with comments by Al-Allaamah Muhammad Haamid Al-Faqee (may Allah have mercy upon him)
Ref 3: An Excerpt from “Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnul Qayyim. 2/54