Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 585

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

A commentary on Riyadh al-Salihin, based on the words of the Master of the Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

وَفِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ - كَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ - يَلْحَقُهُ النِّسْيَانُ، وَأَنَّهُ يَنْسَى كَمَا يَنْسَى غَيْرُهُ، وَإِذَا كَانَ يَنْسَى مَا كَانَ مَعْلُومًا عِنْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ، فَإِنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ مِنْ بَابِ أَوْلَى يَجْهَلُ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعْلُومًا عِنْدَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ لَهُ : ﴿ قُلْ لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ﴾ [الْأَنْعَامِ: ٥٠] ، فَأَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُعْلِنَ لِلْمَلَأِ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ ؛ وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ، وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِمَلَكٍ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ.

This hadith demonstrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was subject to forgetfulness just like any other human. If he could forget what he once knew, it follows logically that he would be unaware of things he had never known. Allah commanded him to declare this to the people: "Say, I do not tell you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel" (Al-An'am: 50). Thus, Allah directed him to announce publicly that he possessed no divine treasures, held no knowledge of the unseen, and was not an angel.

وَفِي هَذَا قَطْعُ السَّبِيلِ عَلَى مَنْ يَلْتَجِئُونَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ ﷺ فِي مُهِمَّاتِهِمْ وَمُلِمَّاتِهِمْ وَيَدْعُونَهُ، فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ، وَلَيْسُوا مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لَوْ كَانَ حَيًّا لَتَابَ لَهُمْ، فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَإِلَّا قَتَلَهُمْ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ مُشْرِكُونَ، فَإِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا مَلَكًا مُقَرَّبًا، وَلَا نَبِيًّا مُرْسَلًا، وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ إِنَّمَا جَاءَ لِحِمَايَةِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَتَحْقِيقِ عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، فَالنَّبِيُّ لَا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ، وَيَنْسَى مَا كَانَ قَدْ عَلِمَ مِنْ قَبْلُ، وَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ وَاللِّبَاسِ وَالْوِقَايَةِ مِنَ الْأَعْدَاءِ، وَقَدْ ظَاهَرَ بَيْنَ دِرْعَيْنِ فِي غَزْوَةِ أُحُدٍ(١) -يَعْنِي: لَبِسَ دِرْعَيْنِ- خَوْفًا مِنَ السِّلَاحِ.

This teaching shuts the door on those who call upon the Messenger in times of crisis or need. Such people are his enemies, not his followers. Had he been alive, he would have demanded their repentance; if they refused, he would have fought them for their polytheism. No human may pray to anyone other than Allah, whether to a favored angel or a sent prophet. The Prophet came specifically to protect the doctrine of monotheism and ensure worship is directed solely to Allah. He does not know the unseen, he forgets what he once knew, and he requires food, drink, clothing, and defense against enemies. During the Battle of Uhud, he wore two coats of mail to protect himself from weapons.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 41 nouns)

• لَحِقَ — to befall
• نَسِيَ — to forget
• كَانَ — to be
• حَدِيث — hadith
• دَلِيل — evidence
• رَسُول — messenger