The
punishment for those who propagate the sin of his believing brother is severe.
Those who seek to expose the privacy of others so that their sin be made bare,
will have their own sins made bare by Allaah, even if he is in the most
inner-private part of his home. This is the meaning of a Hadeeth which has been
reported by Imaam Ahmad, Aboo Dawood and at-Tirmidhee.
It
is also reported by at-Tirmidhee on the authority of Waathilah bin al-Asqa’
that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “Do not
expose the trials of your brothers, it may be that Allaah Pardons him and makes
it a trial for you to fall into[1].”
At-Tirmidhee
also reported from Mu’aath bin Jabal [may Allaah be Pleased with him] that the
Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “Whoever brings shame
upon his brother on account for his sin, then he will not die except that the
accuser himself will fall into it[2].”
This has been narrated with an interrupted chain (منقطع).
Hasan
al-Basree [may Allaah have Mercy on him] used to say, “Whoever puts shame on
his brother because of his sin that he has repented from, he will not die
except that Allaah will make the very same sin as a test for the accuser[3].”
It
is also narrated, even though it has weakness, the ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood [may
Allaah be Pleased with him] said, “Tests and trials is something that hangs
over the head of the one who talks about them, so if one brings shame upon his
brother on account of his tests and trials then the accuser himself will be
constrained by the same trials[4].”
These
narrations are plentiful in meaning from many of the Salaf[5].
When
Muhammad bin Sireen [may Allaah have Mercy on him] once was overwhelmed by an
animal he was riding and said, “I know this has happened. It is because of a
sin that I have committed; I exposed a sin of a man over forty years ago when I
insulted him by saying, “Oh failure!””[6]
[1] Reported by at-Tirmidhee
in his Sunnan (2506) who classed it as Hasan Ghareeb, however classified weak
by al-Albaanee in Da’eef at-Tirmidhee.
[2] The reference for this narration has preceded.
[3] See Silsilah ad-Daa’eefah of al-Albaanee (1/178).
[4] Adh-Dhahabee stated it is weak because of the presence
of Nasr bin Baabaa [Tarteeb al-Mawdoo’aat (Pg. 246)].
[5]
Shaykh ‘Abdul-Kareem bin ‘Abdullah al-Khudayr [may Allaah Preserve him]
explains: This book (of ‘Abdul-Wahhaab and likewise throughout the works of Ibn
Taymiyyah, Ibn Rajab etc.) has chapters which are from the most important
chapters of Islaamic knowledge. However, the Shaykh throughout the book
repeatedly uses weak Ahadeeth within them. Some put blame upon the Shaykh for
doing so – using weak narrations in matters of ‘Aqeedah, despite there being an
Ijmaa (scholarly consensus which becomes binding) on the impermissibility of
using weak narrations in matters of ‘Aqeedah.
We may respond to such
claims by stating that firstly, the grading of weak narrations are sometimes
differed upon between the scholars, others from the scholars may deem such weak
narrations to be authentic (Saheeh). So the fact that he has used weak
narrations does not mean that the Shaykh has cited narrations in which the
scholars are totally agreed on its weakness. Secondly, and again we state, that
the Shaykh did not rely on such weak narrations to base rulings upon. Rather,
his work (and likewise the works of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Rajab etc.) may cite
weak narrations but the basis of their understanding is taken from Aayaat of
the Quraan and Ahaadeeth which are Saheeh.
I say: if this is case, then
citing narrations which have been deemed weak by some scholars and not others
is not something blameworthy, as their understanding has already been founded
on Aayaat and Ahaadeeth which are Saheeh.[Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed Tape 9, 149 -
151 minutes]
In fact the majority
scholars are agreed that narrations, albeit be weak, on topics of manners and
virtue (like we have here) are accepted based on certain conditions. See for
further detail: ad-Dua’a of at-Tarabaanee (Pg. 251), al-Adhkaar of an-Nawawee
(Pg. 303) and Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa of Ibn Taymiyyah (18/65-68) [TN]
[6] Shaykh Saaleh as-Suhaymee explaind: This chapter
exemplifies what came before it – that degrading and defaming are dangerous
areas in which many narrations warn against. Sufficient of a sin is it to talk
in such a manner about another Muslim, but connected to this severe sin, there
is a propagation and exposure of evil: “Would one of you like to eat the
flesh of his dead brother?” [al-Hujaraat 49: 12]. These are the consequences
of the evil intent to disgrace and insult, all of which results from the lack
of sincerity. The exception to what has been mentioned here, however, is
exposing the people of innovation and those who wish to spread sin within the
Ummah. Both of these types of people have the only intent to corrupt the Ummah
and some of these evil individuals are taken as examples of others to follow so
they must be warned against. This is similar to giving a reference to people
who wish to propose for their hand in marriage; exposing the harms proposed by
this person is a form of permissible exposure of others in order to ward off
their harm and to expose them being untrustworthy.
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