CHAPTER 4: SINNERS- PART 1
The conduct of The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with sinners
Introduction:
The Companions of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had the greatest respect for the limits set by Allah and the greatest consciousness of Him. Even though they had a great fear of sins and stayed away from them, they were humans and some of them were deceived by Satan and their own desires, which caused them to commit sins. However, they would quickly repent and return to Allah if they fell into sins, even if this required them to sacrifice their lives for the sake of being saved from the punishment of Allah. Therefore, we should examine the conduct of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, regarding his Companions who committed sins.
Allah ordered the sinners in the time of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to come to him, so he would ask Allah to forgive them. Allah Says (what means): «And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you, [O Muhammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Accepting of repentance and Merciful.» [Quran: 4:64] So they did not come to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to forgive them, but rather so that he would ask Allah to forgive them.
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was gentle and kind to those who sinned:
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was gentle and kind with them, and he would clarify to them the ugliness of sins. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would sometimes use logical proofs to explain this, as in the narration of Abu Umamah (a Companion) when he reported that a young man came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said:
“O Messenger of Allah, give me permission to commit fornication.” The people turned to him to rebuke him, saying: “Stop, stop!” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Come close.” So he came close to him and sat down. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Would you like that for your mother?” He said: “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nor do people like it for their mothers.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Would you like it for your daughter?” He said: “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nor do people like it for their daughters. Would you like it for your sister?” He said: “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nor do people like it for their sisters.” Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Would you like it for your paternal aunt?” He said: “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nor do people like it for their paternal aunts.” Again he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked: “Would you like it for your maternal aunt?” He said: “No, by Allah, may I be sacrificed for you.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nor do people like it for their maternal aunts.” Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, placed his hand on him and said: “O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart, and guard his chastity.” After that, the young man would not turn to anything (impermissible).” (Reported by Ahmad (21708).)
So it was as if he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, just as you have female relatives, then the woman you are fornicating with is also someone’s sister, mother, or aunt, If you accept this for your female relatives then this is blameworthy but if you do not accept it for yourself then you should not accept it for others. This is how the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, showed the evil of adultery through the mindset of the people, for they do not accept it for their own relatives.
Thus, convincing him using logical proofs, along with the fear of the punishment of Allah, acted as a strong barrier between him and sinning. If every young man implemented this narration on his desires, then no one would commit fornication (or adultery), for no one would accept it for his female relatives.”(Sharh Al-Arba’in An-Nawawiyyah (11/36) by ‘Atiyyah Saalim.)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, dealt with them with complete mercy and kindness, as Allah Says (what means): «And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over [their faults], and ask Allah’s Forgiveness for them.» [Quran: 3:159] This is a testimony from Allah for His Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that he is merciful to all people, male or female, children or adults, righteous or a sinner.
Ibn Katheer (a scholar) said: “The verse (which means): «Had you been severe and harsh-hearted.» means; had you been harsh in your speech to them with a hard heart, they would have all left you. But Allah gathered them around the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and made him kind to them, as ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (a Companion) narrated regarding the description of the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in the books before Islam: ‘He is not severe or harsh, nor is he loud in the marketplace. He does not respond to the evil with another evil, but rather he pardons and forgives.’(Reported by Al-Bukhari (4838).)”(Tafseer Ibn Katheer (148/2).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was very careful in implementing corporal punishments:
More than one person came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to ask him to implement the ‘Hadd’ (corporal punishment) of Islam upon them because of a sin. The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would try to return them at first, but if they insisted he would implement the punishment.
Buraydah ibn Al-Husayb (a Companion) narrated:
“Ma’iz ibn Maalik (a Companion) came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, purify me.’ He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Woe to you! Go back, ask forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance.’ He had not gone far, when he came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, purify me.’ The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Woe to you! Go back and ask forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance.’ He went some distance, then he returned and said: “O Messenger of Allah, purify me.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, repeated what he had said before. The fourth time, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘From what am I to purify you?’ He said: ‘From adultery.’ The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked his people: ‘Is he insane?’ They said: ‘He is normal’. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Has he drunk alcohol?’ Someone stood up and smelled his breath but found no trace of alcohol. Then the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Have you committed adultery?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Perhaps you kissed, or touched, or looked?’ He said: ‘No, O Messenger of Allah.’ He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked: ‘Are you married?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ At that point, he ordered for him to be stoned.
We took him to the Baqee’ Al-Gharqad, and we neither tied him nor dug any ditch for him. He ran away and we ran after him until he reached the stony ground called Al-Harrah and he stood there. We stoned him with the large stones of the Harrah until he died. They mentioned to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that he ran when he felt the stones and knew he would die. The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Why did you not leave him, perhaps he would repent and Allah would forgive him?’
The people split into two groups regarding Maa’iz. Some of them said: ‘He has been destroyed, his sins have encompassed him.’ Another said: ‘There is no repentance better than the repentance of Maa’iz, for he came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and placed his hand in the Prophet’s hand and said: ‘Stone me to death.’
They remained like this for two or three days. Then the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came to them while they were sitting. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, greeted them and then sat down and said: ‘Ask forgiveness for Ma’iz ibn Maalik.’ They said: ‘May Allah forgive Ma’iz ibn Maalik.’ The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘He made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among a nation, it would have been enough for all of them.’
Then a woman from (the tribe) Ghaamid came to him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, purify me.’ Thereupon he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Woe to you! Go back and ask forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him.’ She said: ‘I see that you want to send me back as you sent back Ma’iz ibn Maalik.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘What has happened?’ She said that she had become pregnant as a result of fornication. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked: ‘You?’ She said: ‘Yes.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to her: ‘Not until you give birth to that which is in your womb.’
One of the Ansaar took responsibility for her until she delivered the child. The Ansaari came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said: ‘The woman from Ghaamid has given birth.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘In that case, we shall not stone her and leave her infant with no one to breast-feed him.’ One of the Ansaar got up and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the responsibility of nursing him will be upon me.’ She was then stoned to death.”(Reported by Muslim (1695).)
Sometimes he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would not ask for the details of the sin so as to cover the sinner:
Abu Umamah (a Companion) said:
“While we were sitting with the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in the mosque, a man came in and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a sin that necessitates the Hadd punishment, so implement it upon me.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, stayed silent and did not ask him anything. The man repeated: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a sin that necessitates the Hadd punishment, so implement it upon me.’ He again stayed silent, until the time for prayer came. After the prayer, the man followed the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he left, and I followed them to hear what he would say. The man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a sin that necessitates the Hadd punishment, so implement it upon me.’ The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to him: ‘When you left your house, did you not perform ablution well?’ The man said: ‘Yes I did, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Then you prayed with us?’ The man said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Then Allah has forgiven your sin.’ Or he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Your Hadd.’” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (6823) and Muslim (2764).)
If he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, punished someone for a crime, he did not blame that person and forbade others from cursing him:
Buraydah ibn Al-Husayb (a Companion) reported: after mentioning the story of Maa’iz:
“The woman from Ghaamid came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have committed adultery, so purify me.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, turned her away. The next day she returned, and she said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, why do you turn me away? Perhaps you want to turn me away as you did to Maa’iz? By Allah, I am pregnant.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘If so, then wait until the baby is born.’ She then came later with the baby wrapped up, and she said: ‘I have given birth to him.’ He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Go and breastfeed him until he is weaned.’ So she later came with the
baby, and he had a piece of bread in his hand. She said: ‘I have weaned him, O Messenger of Allah, and now he eats food.’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave the baby to a man from the Muslims, and ordered for her to be buried up to her chest, and then he ordered the people to stone her. Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed came with a rock and threw it at her head, and some of the blood splashed on him, so he cursed her. The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard his curse, so he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,said: ‘Calm down, Khaalid! By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, she has repented such a repentance that if a tax-collector (This refers to those who used to forcefully take taxes from people, which is a major sin in Islam.) were to repent as such, he would be forgiven.’ Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered her to be removed, and he prayed over her, and they buried her.”(Reported by Muslim (1695).)
In another narration, ‘Umar (a Companion and the second Caliph) said to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: ‘Will you pray over her and she has committed adultery?’ The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “She has repented such a repentance that if it was divided amongst seventy men from Madinah it would have been enough for them. Is there a better repentance than for her to sacrifice her life for Allah?”(Reported by Muslim (1696).)
It could be problematic that in this narration the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not stone her until she breastfed her baby and then weaned him. In the first narration, a man from the Ansaar offered to take care of the child’s breastfeeding, and in the second narration, they stoned the woman immediately. The answer is as An-Nawawi said: “These two narrations oppose each other outwardly. For the second one says that he waited until after the child ate bread, and the first narration indicated that he stoned her immediately after the birth. The meaning of the first narration should be interpreted to conform to the second narration, for it is the same story and the same woman, and both narrations are authentic. The second narration is explicit, while the first one is not. So the statement in the first narration: ‘A man from the Ansaar said: I will take responsibility for his breastfeeding’, should be interpreted to mean that this was after his weaning. So he intended by breastfeeding: taking care of and raising the child, and he used the term ‘breastfeeding’ as a figure of speech.’” (The explanation of An-Nawawi on the book of Muslim (202/11).)
By Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid
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