Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 4 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 693

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ النَّهْيِ عَنْ قَوْلِ الْإِنْسَانِ: مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا.

(from previous page) ⟵ Al-Bukhari extracted it in the Book of Adhan, Chapter: The Imam faces the people when he greets, number (846), and Muslim: Book of Faith, Chapter: Clarification of the disbelief of one who says: 'We were given rain by a star,' Chapter: The prohibition of a person saying: 'We were given rain by such and such a star.'

اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَإِنَّمَا أَلْقَى عَلَيْهِمُ السُّؤَالَ هَذَا مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنْ يَنْتَبِهُوا؛ لِأَنَّ إِلْقَاءَ الْأَسْئِلَةِ يُوجِبُ الِانْتِبَاهَ، قَالُوا: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَهَكَذَا كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا سُئِلَ عَمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ فِي الْأُمُورِ الشَّرْعِيَّةِ، أَمَّا فِي الْأُمُورِ الْكَوْنِيَّةِ الْقَدَرِيَّةِ، فَهَذَا لَا يَقُولُ: وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ؛ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ، مَثَلًا لَوْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ: أَتَظُنُّ الْمَطَرَ يَنْزِلُ غَدًا؟ تَقُولُ: اللهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَلَا تَقُلْ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ؛ لِأَنَّ الرَّسُولَ لَا يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ، لَكِنْ لَوْ قَالَ لَكَ: هَلْ هَذَا حَرَامٌ أَمْ حَلَالٌ؟ تَقُولُ: اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ؛ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الشَّرِيعَةِ.

Allah and His Messenger know best. He posed this question to them to sharpen their attention, for questions invite focus. They replied, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' Everyone, when asked about something they do not know, should say, 'Allah and His Messenger know best' regarding matters of religious law. However, for cosmic or predestined matters, one should not add 'His Messenger knows best,' because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, does not possess knowledge of the unseen. For instance, if someone asks, 'Do you think it will rain tomorrow?' you should say, 'Allah knows best,' not 'Allah and His Messenger know best,' as the Messenger does not know such things. Conversely, if asked, 'Is this forbidden or permissible?' you say, 'Allah and His Messenger know best,' because the Prophet possesses knowledge of the Sharia.

الْمُهِمُّ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَهَذَا مِنَ الْأَدَبِ، قَالَ: قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ بِي يَعْنِي فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيمَا أَوْحَاهُ إِلَى نَبِيِّهِ: أَصْبَحَ مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي، وَكَافِرٌ بِي، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، فَذَلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَذَلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ.

The point is that their reply, 'Allah and His Messenger know best,' reflects good manners. Allah the Almighty said in His revelation to the Prophet regarding that night, 'Among My servants, some have awakened as believers in Me, and some as disbelievers in Me. Whoever says, "We have been given rain by the grace and mercy of Allah," is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the star. Whoever says, "We have been given rain by the rising of such-and-such star," is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the star.'

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Vocabulary · المفردات (20 verbs · 46 nouns)

• نَهَى — to forbid
• مَطَرَ — to rain
• عَلِمَ — to know
• بَابٌ — chapter
• نَهْيٌ — prohibition
• قَوْلٌ — saying