Honesty in Knowledge

Shaykh Bakr Aboo Zayd (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“It is incumbent upon the student of knowledge to be pre-eminent in adorning himself with honesty in knowledge: when seeking and acquiring it, implementing it, conveying it and passing it on. This[1] is because, success of the Ummah lies in the righteousness of its actions, and the righteousness of its actions lies in the correctness of its knowledge, and the correctness of its knowledge lies in its men being honest in what they narrate or explain. So whosoever speaks about knowledge without honesty has inflicted a wound upon knowledge and it is as if he has placed a rock to obstruct the path of the Ummah to success.”[2]

While commenting on the above words, Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated:

“Among the most important qualities that the student of knowledge should possess is that he should be honest in his knowledge; he should be honest in conveying it and honest in explaining it. If he explains a case, he should be honest without making any addition or omission. When he conveys knowledge, he should be honest in conveying it without making any addition or omission. Most people fall short of this honesty. In most cases you will see the one who lacks honesty in knowledge explaining issues in a manner that it would conform to his opinion and he would omit the rest text [that does not conform to his opinion]. He narrates from the people of knowledge -  in fact from the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah -  that which conforms to his view and omits the rest. So he is just like the one who said: “Your Lord did not say woe to those who are intoxicated; rather your Lord said, ‘Woe to those who pray.’”

He omitted: “Who delay their Salaah (prayer) from their stated fixed times.” There is no doubt that this is a false step and it is a deceit upon knowledge. This is because, what is obligatory is to convey knowledge with honesty and explain it with honesty. It would not harm you if the proof is contrary to what you have stated, for it is obligatory upon you to follow the proof and to convey it to the Ummah so that it would have insight into the issue. The like of this situation – I mean lack of honesty – would necessitate a person becoming a defiantly disobedient person whose statement should not be trusted nor his narration accepted because he is a mudallis (one who commits tadless[3])”

Source: Sharh Hilyah Taalib al-‘Ilm, p. 138-139 by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) 

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[1] Rasaa’il al-Islaah (1/13)

[2] See Sharh Hilyah Taalib al-Ilm, p.

[3] Tadless means imposition or giving a false impression.

Are all the Sahaabah trustworthy?

A sahaabi[1] is whoever met the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), believed in him and died upon Islam.[2]

Proofs of their trustworthiness

First: Allaah the most High said: “Certainly was Allah pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muhammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest.”[3]

Allah – blessed and exalted be He – explained in the above ayah that He was pleased with the believers who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) under the tree. Since He knew what was in their hearts of eemaan and truthfulness, He sent down tranquillity upon them at that time. As such, this is a testimony from Allah – blessed and exalted be He – of the sincere eemaan of those people who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) under the tree -  bay’ah ar-Ridwaan.

It is established from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) that he said: “None among those who gave the allegiance under the tree shall enter Hell fire except the owner of the red camel.”[4] This man was one of the hypocrites who went out with the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). His name is al-Jidd bin Qays. And the number of those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) under the tree were one thousand four hundred. Some scholars said they were one thousand five hundred. Allah testified eemaan for them and affirmed that their hearts conform to their outer appearance. So there was no hypocrite among them except a man whom the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) informed about, who was among them, but he did not pledge allegiance to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).

Second: Allah the most High said: And why do you not spend in the cause of Allah while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it]. Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterwards and fought. But to all Allah has promised the best [reward]. And Allah, with what you do, is Acquainted.”[5]

Meaning He promised best reward to those who spent and fought before the conquest and He also promised best reward to those who spent and fought before the conquest. This is corroborated by the saying of Allah the most High: “For them therein is heavy sighing, and they therein will not hear. Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us - they are from it far removed. They will not hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding eternally. They will not be grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them, [saying], "This is your Day which you have been promised.”[6]

This is also an established testimony from Allah – blessed and exalted be He – concerning the generality of the Sahabaah no matter whether among them were those who believed and spent before the conquest of Makkah or those who believed and spent after the conquest of Makkah.

There is Consensus Regarding their Trustworthiness

Aboo ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The people of truth among the Muslims – and they are ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah – unanimously agreed that all of them (the Sahaabah) are trustworthy.”[7]

Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Ahlus-Sunnah unanimously agreed that all of them (that is,  the Sahaabah) are trustworthy and none disagreed with this except some deviants among the innovators.”[8]

Source: See Huqbah min at-Taarikh, pp. 181-184 by Shaykh 'Uthmaan bin Muhammad al-Khamees (may Allah preserve him)

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[1] The plural is Sahaabah

[2] Al-Isaabah (1/10)

[3] Soorah al-Fath: 18

[4] Recorded by at-Tirmidhee (3863); the origin is in Saheeh Muslim (2496). See Silsilah as-Saheehah under hadeeth (2160)

[5] Soorah al-Hadeed: 10

[6] Soorah al-Anbiyaa: 100-103

[7] Al-Istee’aab (1/8)

[8] Al-Isaabah (1/17)

Excavating the Graves of Muslims and Non Muslims

Question: Is it permissible to excavate the graves of the Muslims and the graves of the disbelievers?

Answers: There is a difference between excavating the graves of the Muslims and excavating the graves of the disbelievers. Thus, excavating the graves of the Muslims is not permissible except until after the corpse has deteriorated and become decay. This is since excavating the grave would expose the buried cadaver and its bones to wreckage, and the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Breaking the bones of a deceased believer is like breaking his bones if he were alive.” So the believer has sanctity after his death, just as he used to have sanctity during his lifetime. However, this sanctity is of course within the legislated bounds.

As for excavating the graves of the disbelievers, then they do not possess this (same) sanctity. Therefore, it is permissible to excavate them based on what is established in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim that when the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) migrated from Makkah to Madeenah, the first thing he instituted was the construction of the Prophet’s masjid, which is still in existence today. But (at that time), there used be a garden there that belonged to a group of orphans from the Ansaar, in which were graves of polytheists. So he, (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to these orphans: “Give me a price for your land.” He meant by this, “Sell me your land for its price.” They responded: “It is for Allaah and His Messenger. We do not want any price for it.” And there was found old ruins and graves of polytheists on that land. So the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) put someone in charge of the graves of the polytheists and so they were levelled (and the bodies were taken out). And he put someone in charge of the old ruins and they were flattened. Then the Prophet’s masjid was established on the ground of that garden.

Therefore, the excavation of the graves is from two perspectives. As for it being done to the Muslim graves, then it is not permissible. And as for it being done to the disbelievers’ graves then it is permissible. I have indicated in the response, that it is not permissible to excavate the Muslims’ graves until the bodies first deteriorate and become dust, but when is this? Indeed, it differs according to the different types of land. There are arid desert lands, which expedite the decaying of the bodies buried in them. Thus, it is not possible to put a regulation that would determine the specific time it takes for the bodies to decay. So just as it is said: “The inhabitants of Makkah are the most knowledgeable about its mountain trails,” then those individuals who bury people in that land know best the approximate time it takes for the dead buried in the graves to decay.

Source: The Fataawaa of Shaikh al-Albaanee From al-Asaalah Magazine Issues 1-21, p. 80