If anyone summons other to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error the sin of which sins being diminished in any respect on that account.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا  

The Muslim who offends most against the Muslims is he who enquires about something which has not been forbidden to men, and it is declared forbidden because of his enquiry.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُرْمًا مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ فَحُرِّمَ عَلَى النَّاسِ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَسْأَلَتِهِ  

Whenever he (mu’adh b. jabal) sat in a meeting for preaching, he would say: Allah is a just arbiter; those who doubt would perish. One day Mu’adh b. jabal said: In the times after you there would be trails in which riches would be abundant. During these trails the Quran would be easy so much so that every believer, hypocrite, man, woman, young, grown up, slave and free man will learn it. Then a man might say: What happened with the people that they do not follow me while I read the Quran? They are not going to follow me until I introduce a novelty for them other than it. So avoid that which is innovated (in religion), for whichever is innovated is an error. I warn you of the deviation of a scholar from right guidance, for sometimes Satan utters a word of error through the tongue of a scholar; and sometimes a hypocrites may speak a word of truth. I said to Mu’adh b. jabal: I am at a loss to understand may Allah have mercy on you that a learned man sometimes may speak a word of error and a hypocrite may speak a word of truth. He replied: Yes, avoid the speech of a learned man on distract you from him (the learned), for it is possible that he may withdraw (from these well-known things), and you get the truth when you hear it, for truth has light. Abu Dawud said: In this tradition Ma’mar on the authority of al-Zuhrl said: The words “wa la yun iyannaka” instead of “wa la yuthniyannaka,” with the same meaning: “it may not distract you” salih b. Kaisan on the authority of al-Zurhrl said in this tradition the words “al-mushtaharat” (well-know things). He also said the word “La yuthniyannaka” as ‘Uqail mentioned. Ibn ishaq, on the authority of al-Zuhri, said: Yes, if you are doubtful about the speech of a scholar until you say: WHAT did he mean by this word?  

أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ كَانَ لاَ يَجْلِسُ مَجْلِسًا لِلذِّكْرِ حِينَ يَجْلِسُ إِلاَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ حَكَمٌ قِسْطٌ هَلَكَ الْمُرْتَابُونَ فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ يَوْمًا إِنَّ مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ فِتَنًا يَكْثُرُ فِيهَا الْمَالُ وَيُفْتَحُ فِيهَا الْقُرْآنُ حَتَّى يَأْخُذَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُ وَالْمُنَافِقُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ وَالصَّغِيرُ وَالْكَبِيرُ وَالْعَبْدُ وَالْحُرُّ فَيُوشِكُ قَائِلٌ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا لِلنَّاسِ لاَ يَتَّبِعُونِي وَقَدْ قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ مَا هُمْ بِمُتَّبِعِيَّ حَتَّى أَبْتَدِعَ لَهُمْ غَيْرَهُ فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمَا ابْتُدِعَ فَإِنَّ مَا ابْتُدِعَ ضَلاَلَةٌ وَأُحَذِّرُكُمْ زَيْغَةَ الْحَكِيمِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ يَقُولُ كَلِمَةَ الضَّلاَلَةِ عَلَى لِسَانِ الْحَكِيمِ وَقَدْ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِمُعَاذٍ مَا يُدْرِينِي رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ أَنَّ الْحَكِيمَ قَدْ يَقُولُ كَلِمَةَ الضَّلاَلَةِ وَأَنَّ الْمُنَافِقَ قَدْ يَقُولُ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ قَالَ بَلَى اجْتَنِبْ مِنْ كَلاَمِ الْحَكِيمِ الْمُشْتَهِرَاتِ الَّتِي يُقَالُ لَهَا مَا هَذِهِ وَلاَ يُثْنِيَنَّكَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَّهُ أَنْ يُرَاجِعَ وَتَلَقَّ الْحَقَّ إِذَا سَمِعْتَهُ فَإِنَّ عَلَى الْحَقِّ نُورًا  

A man wrote to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Aziz asking him about Divine decree. He wrote to him: To begin with, I enjoin upon you to fear Allah, to be moderate in (obeying) His Command, to follow the sunnah (practice) of His Prophet ﷺ and to abandon the novelties which the innovators introduced after his Sunnah has been established and they were saved from its trouble (i.e. novelty or innovation) ; so stick to Sunnah, for it is for you, if Allah chooses, a protection ; then you should know that any innovation which the people introduced was refuted long before it on the basis of some authority or there was some lesson in it, for the Sunnah was introduced by the people who were conscious of the error, slip, foolishness, and extremism in case of (the sunnah) was opposed. So accept for yourself what the people (in the past) had accepted for themselves, for they had complete knowledge of whatever they were informed, and by penetrating insight they forbade (to do prohibited acts); they had more strength (than us) to disclose the matters (of religion), and they were far better (than us) by virtue of their merits. If right guidance is what you are following, then you outstriped them to it. And if you say whatever the novelty occurred after them was introduced by those who followed the way other then theirs and disliked them. It is they who actually outstripped, and talked about it sufficiently, and gave a satisfactory explanation for it. Below them there is no place for exhaustiveness, and above them there is no place for elaborating things. Some people shortened the matter more than they had done, and thus they turned away (from them), and some people raised the matter more than they had done, and thus they exaggerated. They were on right guidance between that. You have written (to me) asking about confession of Divine decree, you have indeed approached a person who is well informed of it, with the will of Allah. I know what whatever novelty people have brought in, and whatever innovation people have introduced are not more manifest and more established than confession of Divine decree. The ignorant people (i.e. the Arabs before Islam) in pre-Islamic times have mentioned it ; they talked about it in their speeches and in their poetry. They would console themselves for what they lost, and Islam then strengthened it (i.e. belief in Divine decree). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not mention it in one or two traditions, but the Muslims heard it from him, and they talked of it from him, and they talked of it during his lifetime and after his death. They did so out of belief and submission to their Lord and thinking themselves weak. There is nothing which is not surrounded by His knowledge, and not counted by His register and not destined by His decree. Despite that, it has been strongly mentioned in His Book: from it they have derived it, and from it they have and so ? they also read in it what you read, and they knew its interpretation of which you are ignorant. After that they said: All this is by writing and decreeing. Distress has been written down, and what has been destined will occur ; what Allah wills will surely happen, and what He does not will will not happen. We have no power to harm or benefit ourselves. Then after that they showed interest (in good works) and were afraid (of bad deeds).  

عَنِ الْقَدَرِ فَكَتَبَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ أُوصِيكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَالاِقْتِصَادِ فِي أَمْرِهِ وَاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ وَتَرْكِ مَا أَحْدَثَ الْمُحْدِثُونَ بَعْدَ مَا جَرَتْ بِهِ سُنَّتُهُ وَكُفُوا مُؤْنَتَهُ فَعَلَيْكَ بِلُزُومِ السُّنَّةِ فَإِنَّهَا لَكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عِصْمَةٌ ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْتَدِعِ النَّاسُ بِدْعَةً إِلاَّ قَدْ مَضَى قَبْلَهَا مَا هُوَ دَلِيلٌ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ عِبْرَةٌ فِيهَا فَإِنَّ السُّنَّةَ إِنَّمَا سَنَّهَا مَنْ قَدْ عَلِمَ مَا فِي خِلاَفِهَا وَلَمْ يَقُلِ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ مَنْ قَدْ عَلِمَ مِنَ الْخَطَإِ وَالزَّلَلِ وَالْحُمْقِ وَالتَّعَمُّقِ فَارْضَ لِنَفْسِكَ مَا رَضِيَ بِهِ الْقَوْمُ لأَنْفُسِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَقَفُوا وَبِبَصَرٍ نَافِذٍ كَفَوْا وَلَهُمْ عَلَى كَشْفِ الأُمُورِ كَانُوا أَقْوَى وَبِفَضْلِ مَا كَانُوا فِيهِ أَوْلَى فَإِنْ كَانَ الْهُدَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ لَقَدْ سَبَقْتُمُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَلَئِنْ قُلْتُمْ إِنَّمَا حَدَثَ بَعْدَهُمْ مَا أَحْدَثَهُ إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِهِمْ وَرَغِبَ بِنَفْسِهِ عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السَّابِقُونَ فَقَدْ تَكَلَّمُوا فِيهِ بِمَا يَكْفِي وَوَصَفُوا مِنْهُ مَا يَشْفِي فَمَا دُونَهُمْ مِنْ مَقْصَرٍ وَمَا فَوْقَهُمْ مِنْ مَحْسَرٍ وَقَدْ قَصَّرَ قَوْمٌ دُونَهُمْ فَجَفَوْا وَطَمَحَ عَنْهُمْ أَقْوَامٌ فَغَلَوْا وَإِنَّهُمْ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُسْتَقِيمٍ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُ عَنِ الإِقْرَارِ بِالْقَدَرِ فَعَلَى الْخَبِيرِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَعْتَ مَا أَعْلَمُ مَا أَحْدَثَ النَّاسُ مِنْ مُحْدَثَةٍ وَلاَ ابْتَدَعُوا مِنْ بِدْعَةٍ هِيَ أَبْيَنُ أَثَرًا وَلاَ أَثْبَتُ أَمْرًا مِنَ الإِقْرَارِ بِالْقَدَرِ لَقَدْ كَانَ ذَكَرَهُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْجُهَلاَءُ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِهِ فِي كَلاَمِهِمْ وَفِي شِعْرِهِمْ يُعَزُّونَ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَزِدْهُ الإِسْلاَمُ بَعْدُ إِلاَّ شِدَّةً وَلَقَدْ ذَكَرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَيْرِ حَدِيثٍ وَلاَ حَدِيثَيْنِ وَقَدْ سَمِعَهُ مِنْهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَتَكَلَّمُوا بِهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَبَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ يَقِينًا وَتَسْلِيمًا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَتَضْعِيفًا لأَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَىْءٌ لَمْ يُحِطْ بِهِ عِلْمُهُ وَلَمْ يُحْصِهِ كِتَابُهُ وَلَمْ يَمْضِ فِيهِ قَدَرُهُ وَإِنَّهُ مَعَ ذَلِكَ لَفِي مُحْكَمِ كِتَابِهِ مِنْهُ اقْتَبَسُوهُ وَمِنْهُ تَعَلَّمُوهُ وَلَئِنْ قُلْتُمْ لِمَ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ كَذَا وَلِمَ قَالَ كَذَا لَقَدْ قَرَءُوْا مِنْهُ مَا قَرَأْتُمْ وَعَلِمُوا مِنْ تَأْوِيلِهِ مَا جَهِلْتُمْ وَقَالُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ بِكِتَابٍ وَقَدَرٍ وَكُتِبَتِ الشَّقَاوَةُ وَمَا يُقَدَّرْ يَكُنْ وَمَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَلاَ نَمْلِكُ لأَنْفُسِنَا ضَرًّا وَلاَ نَفْعًا ثُمَّ رَغَبُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ وَرَهِبُوا  

Ibn ‘Umar had a friend from the people of Syria who used to correspond with him. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar wrote to him: I have been informed that you have talked something about Divine decree. You should write it to me, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Among my community there will be people who will falsify Divine decree.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِالْقَدَرِ  

I said to al-Hasan: Abu Sa’id, tell me about Adam. Was he created for the heaven or the earth? He said: No, for the earth. I said: It was unavoidable for him. I said: Tell me about the following verse of the Quran: ”can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah, except such as are (themselves) going to blazing fire.” He said: The devils do not lead anyone astray by their temptation except the one whom Allah destined to go to Hell.  

لاَ بَلْ لِلأَرْضِ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ لَوِ اعْتَصَمَ فَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ قَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنْهُ بُدٌّ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ * إِلاَّ مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ } قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لاَ يَفْتِنُونَ بِضَلاَلَتِهِمْ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَحِيمَ  

“And for this did He create them.” He said: He created these for this and those for that.  

عَنِ الْحَسَنِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى { وَلِذَلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ } قَالَ خَلَقَ هَؤُلاَءِ لِهَذِهِ وَهَؤُلاَءِ لِهَذِهِ  

“Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah, except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing fire.” He said: Except the one whom Allah destined that he should go to Hell.  

قُلْتُ لِلْحَسَنِ { مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ بِفَاتِنِينَ * إِلاَّ مَنْ هُوَ صَالِ الْجَحِيمِ } قَالَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَوْجَبَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ يَصْلَى الْجَحِيمَ  

Al-Hasan used to say that his fall from the heaven on the earth is dearer to him than uttering: The matter is in my hand.  

لأَنْ يُسْقَطَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ الأَمْرُ بِيَدِي  

Al-Hasan came to us. The jurists of Mecca told me that I should speak to him that some day he should hold a meeting for them and preach to them. He said: Yes. So they gathered and he addressed them. I did not see anyone on orator greater than him. A man said: Abu Sa’id, who created Satan? He replied: Glory be to Allah! Is there any creator other than Allah? Allah created Satan, and he created good and created evil. The man said: May Allah ruin them! How do they lie to this old man.  

قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا الْحَسَنُ مَكَّةَ فَكَلَّمَنِي فُقَهَاءُ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَهُ فِي أَنْ يَجْلِسَ لَهُمْ يَوْمًا يَعِظُهُمْ فِيهِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَاجْتَمَعُوا فَخَطَبَهُمْ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَخْطَبَ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ مَنْ خَلَقَ الشَّيْطَانَ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الشَّيْطَانَ وَخَلَقَ الْخَيْرَ وَخَلَقَ الشَّرَّ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ يَكْذِبُونَ عَلَى هَذَا الشَّيْخِ  

“Even so do We let it creep into the hearts of the sinners.” He said: Polytheism  

عَنِ الْحَسَنِ { كَذَلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ } قَالَ الشِّرْكُ  

Between them and their faith.  

عَنِ الْحَسَنِ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ { وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ } قَالَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الإِيمَانِ  

I was a prisoner in Syria. A man called me from behind. I turned towards him and suddenly found that it was Raja b. Haiwah. He said: Abu ‘Awn, what is this that the people are telling about al-Hasan? I said: They are much lying to al-Hasan.  

يَا أَبَا عَوْنٍ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُونَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُمْ يَكْذِبُونَ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ كَثِيرًا  

I heard Ayyub say: Two kinds of people have lied to al-Hasan: people who believed in free will and they intended that they publicise their belief by it; and people who had enmity with and hostility (for al-Hasan), saying: Did he not say so and so? Did he not say so and so?  

سَمِعْتُ أَيُّوبَ يَقُولُ كَذَبَ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ ضَرْبَانِ مِنَ النَّاسِ قَوْمٌ الْقَدَرُ رَأْيُهُمْ وَهُمْ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُنَفِّقُوا بِذَلِكَ رَأْيَهُمْ وَقَوْمٌ لَهُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ شَنَآنٌ وَبُغْضٌ يَقُولُونَ أَلَيْسَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ كَذَا أَلَيْسَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ كَذَا  

Qurrah b. Khalid used to tell us: O young people! Do not think that al-Hasan denied predestination, for his opinion (i.e., belief) was sunnah and sight.  

كَانَ قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ يَقُولُ لَنَا يَا فِتْيَانُ لاَ تُغْلَبُوا عَلَى الْحَسَنِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ رَأْيُهُ السُّنَّةَ وَالصَّوَابَ  

If we learnt that the remark of al-Hasan would reach the extent that it has reached, we would write a book for his withdrawal and call witnesses to him; but we said: This is a remark that surprisingly came out (from him) and it will not be transmitted to others.  

أَنَّ كَلِمَةَ الْحَسَنِ تَبْلُغُ مَا بَلَغَتْ لَكَتَبْنَا بِرُجُوعِهِ كِتَابًا وَأَشْهَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ شُهُودًا وَلَكِنَّا قُلْنَا كَلِمَةٌ خَرَجَتْ لاَ تُحْمَلُ  

Al-Hasan said: I will never return to it.  

لِيَ الْحَسَنُ مَا أَنَا بِعَائِدٍ إِلَى شَىْءٍ مِنْهُ أَبَدًا  

Al-Hasan never interpreted any Quranic verse but to establish (Divine decree).  

مَا فَسَّرَ الْحَسَنُ آيَةً قَطُّ إِلاَّ عَلَى الإِثْبَاتِ