The Difference Between Advising and Condemning

Author: al-Haafidh Zayn-ud-Deen Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma’eel Alarcon

Published: Wednesday 5th August, 2015



The Recompense

The recompense of one who spreads the evil deeds of his believing brother and seeks after his faults and exposes his defects, is that Allaah will seek after his faults and disgrace him (by exposing them) even if he may have committed them in the privacy of his own home. This is based on what has been reported from the Prophet, (صلى الله علیه وسلم), in several places, and Imaam Ahmad, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhee have transmitted it from numerous paths of narration. [1]

At-Tirmidhee transmitted from the hadeeth of Waa’ilah Ibn Al-Asqa’ on the Prophet, (صلى الله علیه وسلم), that he said:

“Do not express joy at your brother’s misfortune or else Allaah will pardon him for it and test you with it.” [2]


And he (At-Tirmidhee) said that it was a hasan ghareeb hadeeth.

He also reports the hadeeth of Mu’aadh, (رضي الله عنه‎), in marfoo’ form:

“Whosoever condemns his brother because of a sin (he committed) will not die until he commits it (himself).”


Its chain of narration is munqati’ (broken).

Al-Hasan said:

“It used to be said: 'Whoever condemns his brother for a sin that he repented from, will not die until Allaah tests him with it (i.e. the same sin).'” [3]


And it is reported from the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, (رضي الله عنه‎), with a chain of narration that has weakness in it:

“Affliction is charged by speech. So if a man condemns another man
by saying that he breast-fed from a female dog, then that man (who said that) will indeed breast-feed from one.” [4]


The meaning of this has been reported on a group amongst the Salaf. And when Ibn Sireen failed to return a debt he owed and was detained because of it, he said:

“Indeed, I am aware of the sin (I committed) by which this befell me. I condemned a man forty years ago saying to him: ‘O bankrupt one.’”


Footnotes

[1] The checking for this has been stated previously

[2] At-Tirmidhee reported it under number (2507) and in its chain is Al-Qaasim Ibn Umayyah Al-Hidhaa. Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in Al-Majrooheen (2/213) and said:

"He was a shaikh who reported from Hafs Ibn Gayyaath many strange and weak narrations. It is not permissible to use him as a support when he is alone (in his narration)."


Then he reported this hadeeth from him and commented upon it, saying:

"There is no source for this found in the sayings of the Messenger of Allaah, (صلى الله علیه وسلم)."


I say: This hadeeth has also been reported by At-Tabaraanee in Al-Kabeer (22/53), Musnad Ash-Shaamiyeen (384), Al-Qadaa'ee in Musnad Ash-Shihaab (917-918) and Abu Nu'aim in Al-Hilyah (5/186). And it is also succeeded by 'Umar Ibn Isma'eel Ibn Mujaalid found in At-Tirmidhee, Abu Ash-Shaikh in Al-Amthaal (202) and Al-Khateeb in At-Taareekh (9/95-96). However, there is no point in that, since 'Umar is matrook (rejected).

[3] The discussion of this has been stated previously in detail.

[4] Reported by Abu Nu'aim in Akhbaar Asbahaan (1/161) Al-Khateeb in his Taareekh (13/279) and Ibn Al-Jawzee mentioned it in Al-Mawdoo'aat (2/83). Al-'Ajaloonee in Kashf-ul-Khufaa (2/343) added to that by attributing it to Ad-Dailamee. The hadeeth is reported through other paths fromm 'Alee and Hudaifah, however they have severe weaknesses to them. See Al-Laalee Al-Masnoo'ah (2/293-295) of As-Suyootee and Mukhtasar Maqaasid-ul-Hasanah (pg. 83) of Az-Zurqaanee and Ad-Durr-ul-Multaqitt (pg. 22) of As-Saghaanee.


 

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