Returning to
the truth is an established practice among the people of knowledge and virtue. Al-Qaadee Ibn al-‘Arabee Al-Maalikee narrated
in his book, Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (1/182-183): Muhammad bin Qaasim al-‘Uthmaanee
informed me more than once saying: “Once I arrived Fustaat and went to the
study circle of Shaykh Abul-Fadl al-Jawharee and attended the speech he was
delivering to the people. Among the things he said in the first gathering I
attended was: “The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) divorced his wife,
pronounced Dhihaar and took oath of abstention from his wives.” When he went
out, I followed him until I caught up with him in his house amidst a group of
people. He sat with us in the lobby and
informed the people of my affair, because he saw an indication of being a
stranger in me as he does not know the person from among those who [usually]
come to him. When most of them left him, he said to me, I consider you to be a
stranger, do you have anything to say? I said, ‘Yes’. He said to his companions:
“Excuse him so that he can talk.”
So, they stood
up and I was the only one left with him. I said to him, “Today, I attended your
study circle and heard you saying: ‘The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi
wa sallam) took oath of abstention from his wives, and you spoke the truth. You
said the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) divorced his wife, and
you spoke the truth. You also said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) pronounced Dhihaar. This did not happen and it is not right
for it to take place. This is because Dhihaar is a hateful word and a falsehood,
and that is not permissible to emanate from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam). Thereupon, he hugged me, kissed my head and said to me: ‘I have
repented from that. May Allaah reward you on my behalf with good.” Then I left
him.
On the second
day, I went early to his gathering, but I came to meet him that he had preceded
me to the central mosque and sat on the pulpit. When I entered from the mosque’s
door and he saw him, he called out with a loud voice, ‘You are welcome, my
teacher, make space for my teacher.’ So necks stretched at me, eyes stared at
me, the people rushed towards me elevating me and pushing people back from me
until I got to the pulpit. Due to the magnitude of [my] shyness, I did not know
which region of the earth I was. The mosque was crowded with its people and
shyness caused sweat to trickle from my body.
The Shaykh
turned to the people and said to them: “I am your teacher and this is my
teacher!” Yesterday, I informed you that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam) took oath of abstention from his wives, divorced his wife and
pronounced Dhihaar. None of you explained it to me or disproved me. But (this
man) followed me to my house and said such and such - and he reiterated what
took place between me and him. I have repented from the statement I uttered
yesterday and I have retracted from it to the truth. So whoever heard it among
those who were present [yesterday] should not rely on it; and those who are
present should inform those who are absent. May Allaah reward him with good. He started making supplication while the
people were saying Aameen.
Source: Ahkaam
Ash-Shitaai fee As-Sunnah al-Mutahharah, p. 94 by Shaykh Alee bin Hasan al-Halabee.
