In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Chapter 48: Whoever Makes Fun of Anything Where Allah, the Qur’ān or the Messenger are Mentioned— Explanation of Kitāb at-Tawhid of Imām Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhāb
The Text of the Chapter
Shaikhul-Islam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhāb said:
Allah (the Most High) said:
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
“If you ask them about their joking, they claim: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say to them: ‘Was it at Allah, His verses and His Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) that you were mocking?’” (Surah at-Tawbah 9:65)
Ibn ‘Umar, Muhammad bin Ka’b, Zaid bin Aslam and Qatāda (in a combination of narrations) report that during the battle of Tabook a man said: “We have never seen the likes of these reciters, who are more greedy in filling their bellies, nor greater liars in speech, nor more cowardly than them in the face of battle.” This man intended by this, the Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his Companions, who were the reciters of the Qur’ān.
ʿAwf bin Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said: “You have lied, rather you are a hypocrite. Indeed, I shall inform the prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) about what you have said.”
When ʿAwf went to tell the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), he found that he had already been informed of that by way of revelation in the Qur’ān.
The man who had said the words was already there, and the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was on the back of his camel, and the man said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, indeed we were just joking and talking to pass away the time so that the journey could be shortened.”
Ibn ʿUmar (radiyallahu ‘anhumā) said (when narrating this incident): “It is as if I am looking at that man right now, holding on to the belt of the saddle of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), and his legs were dragging on the stones in the ground.”
He kept saying, “Indeed, we were just joking and playing around.” So, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was saying:
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
“If you ask them about their joking, they claim: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say to them: ‘Was it at Allah, His verses and His Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) that you were mocking?’” (Surah at-Tawbah 9:65) And the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) did not even look towards him, nor did he add anything to what he had recited from the words of Allah the Most High.
(Reported by Ibn Jareer in his Tafseer 14/335)
Explanation
From the verse and the Hadeeth we can see the disbelief (kufr) of the one who makes fun of anything that is connected to the mention of Allah, or makes fun of the Qur’ān or the Messenger. Such a person has committed kufr, the kufr that exits him from the religion.
The man in the above Hadeeth who was mocking, intended with his speech, the Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), and Allah’s refuge is sought. He also intended the companions who were the reciters, and you should know that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) in reality was the bravest and most courageous of men. The enemy would fear him when he would come to them with his eyes reddened in battle, and when some of those alongside him were overpowered by the enemy at the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) raced forth and pierced through their lines on the back of his mule. He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) would call out saying, “I am the Prophet; there is no denying it! I am the son of Ibn ‘Abdil Muttalib!” (Bukharī no. 2864 and Muslim no.1776 narrated by Al-Barā’ Ibn ʿĀzib)
He would not shy away from the enemy in battle due to his courage and bravery. At the Battle of Uhud, he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) remained strong, firm and resolute in heart even when they struck him, and his helmet was crushed upon his head. They also struck at his cheek and split it open; and he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “How can a people be successful who wound the face of their prophet?” (Bukhāri, no. 4074).
In another narration, he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “How can a people prosper whilst they soak the face of their prophet in blood and all he is doing is calling them to the worship of Allah?” (Ibn Mājah no. 4027, graded sahīh by al-Albānī).
Imām al-Bukhāri (no. 4074) reported from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (radiyallahu ‘anhumā) that he said: “Allah’s wrath has become severe upon those whom the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) killed in battle. And Allah’s anger has become severe upon those who cause the blood to soak the face of Allah’s Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam).”
Imām Muslim (no. 1791) reported from Anas bin Mālik: Allah’s Messenger’s (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) incisor teeth were broken at the Battle of Uhud, and his head was wounded, and blood poured onto his face from his head wound. He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: ‘How can a people be successful who wound their prophet and break his incisor teeth, and all he does is call them to Allah, how can they be successful?’ Then Allah the Most High revealed the verse:
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ
“Not for you is the decision (O Muhammad).” (Surah Aal-’Imrān 3:128). Meaning that Allah will decide who will be successful and be saved [in the end].
The narration of Ibn Mājah (no. 4027) in full is narrated from Anas bin Mālik: “On the day of the Battle of Uhud, the incisors of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) were broken, and he received a head wound, and the blood poured on his face. He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) started to wipe the blood from his face saying, ‘How can a people be successful who soak the face of their prophet with blood, and all he does is call them to Allah.’ Then Allah the Most High revealed the ayah: “Not for you is the decision (O Muhammad).”
Furthermore, the reciters whom the man abused and made fun of were the utmost in terms of steadfastness and firmness in their religion. They remained steadfast when fighting against Musaylimah the liar (the false prophet), such that one of them dug and buried his own feet and legs into the ground so that he would not flee from the battle. On the day of the battle against Musaylimah “The Liar”, five hundred of these reciters were killed, such that the Sahābah who remained alive feared that parts of the Qur’ān itself would be lost due to their deaths!
What is important here is that the lie of this man was exposed clearly and openly, and that his hypocrisy was established—such that Allah (the Most High) revealed:
لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَائِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَائِفَةً بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ
“Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others from amongst you, because they were sinners and criminals.” (Surah at-Tawbah 9:66).
As an additional side point, Shaikh Al-Fawzān (hafidhahullah) said that they were not munāfiqeen (hypocrites) from the outset. The proof is in the ayah because Allah said, ‘You have disbelieved after you had believed…’ And the hypocrites do not have any Imān from the outset. Therefore, they were muslims who fell into mockery of the Sahābah (radiyallahu ‘anhum), their recitation and practice of their religion—and so they became kuffār after their Islām because of their mockery. So, this is proof that any muslim who mocks and pokes fun at the religion after knowing that it is the religion that he is mocking, then he has left the fold of Islām.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon every muslim that he keeps away from falling into that which they fell into, of mockery of the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), the Sahābah and the practice of the religion by the believers, for indeed in that lies destruction.
A point: the meaning of the phrase, ‘They are the most greedy in filling their bellies.’ This hypocrite described the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his companions as people who would eat much and fill their bellies, thus dispraising the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his companions.
We ask Allah to protect us from foolishness, buffoonery, mocking, and joking about the religion.
Finally: Any joke that includes a lie or anything harām is at least a sin, and is forbidden in the Shariah. So, avoid it, may Allah bless you.
From Al-ʿAllāmah Shaikh Ahmad Ibn Yahyā An-Najmi’s (rahimahullāh) explanation with added notes by Abu Khadeejah.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك
الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم
This article was transcribed by Umm Maryam (may Allah reward her) from the classes of Abu Khadeejah. Please share it with others.
