إِنَّIfقَالَsaidقَالِa speakerعَلَىonفَرْضٍthe hypothesisأَنْthatشَيْخِSheikhالإِسْلَامِof Islamيَمِيلُleansإِلَىtoالْقَوْلِthe sayingبِفَنَاءِof the extinctionالنَّارِthe fire,,فَهَلْthen canلِأَحَدٍanyone--بِنَاءًbasedعَلَىonذَلِكَthatالْمَيْلِinclination,,أَنْtoيَقُولَsayبِهَذَاthisالْقَوْلِsayingوَيَنْتَصِرَand supportلَهُit?
If a speaker says, on the hypothesis that the Sheikh of Islam leans towards the saying of the extinction of the fire, can anyone – based on that inclination – say this saying and support it?
فَالْجَوَابُThe answer::أَنْis thatالْوَاجِبَthe dutyعَلَىonالْمُسْلِمِa Muslimأَنْtoيَنْتَصِرَsupportلِلْقَوْلِthe sayingالَّذِيthat whichدَلَّindicatesعَلَيْهِon itكِتَابُthe Bookاللَّهِof Allahوَسُنَّةُand the Sunnahرَسُولِهِof His Messengerصَلَّىpeaceاللَّهُbe uponعَلَيْهِhimوَسَلَّمَand salutations.,,وَكَانَand it wasعَلَيْهِuponجُمْهُورُthe majorityسَلَفِof the predecessorsالْأُمَّةِof the nation,,وَهُوَand it is::أَنْthatالنَّارَthe fireلَاdoes notتَفْنَىextinguishوَلَاnorتَبِيدُperishأَبَدًاever.
The answer is that the duty of a Muslim is to support the saying indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him, and that which the majority of the predecessors of the nation held, which is: that the fire does not extinguish nor perish ever.
وَالْقَوْلُAnd the sayingبِفَنَائِهَاof its extinctionبَعْدَafterبَقَائِهَاits existenceمَدَدًاperiodsمُتَطَوِّلَةًextendedقَوْلٌis a sayingمَرْجُوحٌweak,,,وَإِذَاAnd whenكَانَتْsomeبَعْضُofالْعُلَمَاءِthe scholarsالْمَشْهُورِينَfamousبِإِمَامَتِهِمfor their leadershipفِيinالدِّينِreligionلَهُto himاجْتِهَادٌan ijtihadفِيinمَسْأَلَةٍa matter--كَهَذَاlike this--وَهَذَاand thisالاجْتِهَادُijtihadنَاشِئٌarisesعَنْfromحَسَنِgoodنِيَّةٍintentionوَسَلَامَةِand purityقَصْدٍpurpose,,وَنَظَرٍand consideringفِيinالأَدِلَّةِthe evidenceالشَّرْعِيَّةِthe legislativeوَتَجَرُّدٍand freeمِنْfromالْهَوَىdesiresوَالتَّعَصُّبِand fanaticism,فَأَخْطَأَhe erredفِيهَاin itفَهُوَhe isمَأْجُورٌrewardedعَلَىforاجْتِهَادِهِhis ijtihad.
And the saying of its extinction after its long existence is a weak saying. And if some of the scholars famous for their leadership in religion had an ijtihad in a matter like this, and this ijtihad arises from a good intention and pure purpose, and considering the legislative evidence while being free from desires and fanaticism, and he erred in it, then he is rewarded for his ijtihad.
لَكِنَّButهَذَاthisلَاdoes notيُجِيزُallowلِأَحَدٍanyoneمُتَابَعَةًfollowingذَلِكَthat,وَلِلْإِمَامِAnd to the Imamالحَافِظِthe HafizابْنِIbnرَجَبٍRajabكَلَامٌwordsبِمُنَاسَبَةٍsuitableهَذَاfor thisالْمَقَامِposition,,قَالَhe saidرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercyاللَّهُon him.
But this does not allow anyone to follow that. And to Imam Hafiz Ibn Rajab, he has words suitable for this position, he said, may Allah have mercy on him.
وَهَاAnd hereهُنَاis anأَمْرٌaffairخَفِيٌّhiddenيَنْبَغِيthat shouldالتَّفَطُّنَbe paid attention toلَهُto it,وَهُوَand it is::أَنْthatكَثِيرًاmanyمِنْofأَئِمَّةِthe Imamsالدِّينِof the religionقَدْmayيَقُولُواsayقَوْلًاa sayingمَرْجُوحًاweakوَيَكُونُواand beمُجْتَهِدِينَa mujtahidفِيهِin it.,,مَوْضُوعًاHis errorعَنْهُupon itخَطَؤُهُis placedفِيهِin itوَلَاnorيَكُونُisالْمُنتَصِرُthe supporterلِمَقَالَتِهِof his statementتِلْكَthatبِمَنْزِلَتِهِin his statusفِيinهَذِهِthisالْدَّرَجَةِdegree.,,لَأَنَّهَاbecause itقَدْmayلَاnotيَنْتَصِرَsupportلِهَذَاthisالْقَوْلِsayingإِلَّاexceptلِكَوْنِfor the factمَتْبُوعِهِthat his followerقَدْhas said it,بِحَيْثِwhereلَوْifأَنَّهُhe had said itغَيْرُهُothersمِنْofأَئِمَّةِthe Imamsالدِّينِof the religionلَمَاhe would notقَبِلَهُaccept it,وَلَاnorانتَصَرَsupport itلَهُto him,وَلَاnorإِلَىtoمَنْwhoيُوَفِّقُهُagrees with him,وَلَاnorيُعَادِيopposeمِنْfromخَلَفِهِthose who follow him.,,وَلَاnorهُوَheمَعَwith thisيَظُنُّhe thinksأَنَّهُthat heإِنَّمَاonlyيَنْتَصِرُsupportsلِلْحَقِّthe truthوَإِنْand that
And here is a hidden affair that should be paid attention to: many of the Imams of the religion may say a weak saying and be mujtahid in it; his error is placed upon it and the supporter of that saying does not have his status in this degree, because it may not support this saying except for the fact that his follower has said it, such that if it had been said by others of the Imams of the religion, he would not have accepted it, nor supported it, nor to anyone who agrees with him, nor would he oppose those who follow him. And nor does he think that he only supports the truth.
وَأَمَّاAs forهَذَاthisالتَّابِعُfollowerفَقَدhe hasشَابَtaintedانْتِصَارَهُhis supportلِمَاfor whatيَظُنُّهُhe thinksالْحَقُّis the truthإِرَادَةًseekingعُلُوٍّto elevateمَتْبُوعِهِhis leaderوَظُّهُورٍand the appearanceكَلِمَتِهِof his statement,وَأَنَّهُand that heلَاdoes notيُنَسِبُattributeإِلَىtoالْخَطَأِmistake,وَتَحْذِيرًاand warningمِنْfromذَلِكَthat.وَهَذِهِand thisدَسِيسَةٌis a schemeتَقْدَحُthat tarnishesفِيthe purposeالانْتِصَارِof supportingلِلْحَقِّthe truthفَافْهَمْSo understandهَذَاthis,,فَإِنَّهُfor it isمُهِمٌّimportantعَظِيمٌgreat,,,وَاللَّهُand AllahيَهْدِيguidesمَنْwhomيَشَاءُHe willsإِلَىtoصِرَاطٍthe pathمُسْتَقِيمٍstraight.
As for this follower, he has tainted his support for what he thinks is the truth with a desire to elevate his leader and the appearance of his statement, such that he does not attribute to mistake, and this is a scheme that tarnishes the purpose of supporting the truth. So understand this, for it is important and great, and Allah guides whom He wills to the straight path.
(١)(1)جَامِعُThe Compendiumالْعُلُومِof knowledgeوَالأَحْكَامِand rulingsلِلْإِمَامِof ImamابْنِIbnرَجَبٍRajabالْحَنْبَلِيِّthe Hanbaliحَدِيثٌhadithرَقْمٌnumber٣٥35صp٢٨٩289.
(1) The Compendium of knowledge and rulings by Imam Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali, Hadith number 35, p. 289.