“… “To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Whether you disclose what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it” (Al-Baqarah 2:284).

This verse weighed so heavily upon the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that they came to him, sat down on their knees, and said, “Messenger of Allah, we have been charged with deeds we can manage—prayer, jihad, fasting, and charity—but now this verse has been sent down to you and we are unable to bear it.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do you wish to say what the people of the two Scriptures before you said: ‘We hear and we disobey’? Rather, say: ‘We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the return.’”

When the Companions recited it and their tongues submitted to it, Allah the Exalted immediately revealed:
“ The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each of them believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers; they say, ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the destination’ ” (Al-Baqarah 2:285).

After they complied, Allah abrogated the earlier ruling and sent down:
“ Allah does not task any soul beyond its capacity. It will have [the reward of] what it earns and it will bear [the burden of] what it commits. Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err ” (Al-Baqarah 2:286)—and He said, “Yes.”
“Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden (4) as You laid upon those before us”—and He said, “Yes.”
“Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear”—and He said, “Yes.”
“Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Guardian, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people”—and He said, “Yes.”

Reported by Muslim.

18 – Chapter: The prohibition of innovations and newly introduced matters

Allah the Exalted said: “What, then, is there after the truth except misguidance?” (Yūnus 10:32).
And He said: “We have left nothing out of the Book” (Al-Anʿām 6:38).
And He said: “If you differ over anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger” (An-Nisāʾ 4:59)—that is, to the Book and the Sunnah.
And He said: “This is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow the other ways, or you will be scattered…”