Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (582)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

As for the hadith of Abū Bakr cited by the proponents of this view, it is not authentic. The authentic hadith concerning that incident demonstrates its falsity. We shall quote it verbatim.

In Sahīh Muslim, Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“One day—or one night—the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out and came upon Abū Bakr and Umar. He asked, ‘What has brought you out of your homes at this hour?’ They replied, ‘Hunger, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, the same thing that brought you out has brought me out too. Come along.’ They went with him to the home of a man of the Ansār, but he was not at home. When his wife saw him, she said, ‘Welcome!’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked her, ‘Where is so-and-so?’ She replied, ‘He has gone to fetch us some fresh water.’

“Just then, the man of the Ansār arrived. Seeing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his two Companions, he said, ‘Praise be to Allah! No one today has more honoured guests than I.’ He went and brought them a cluster bearing unripe dates, dried dates, and fresh ripe dates, saying, ‘Eat from this.’ Then he took up his knife, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told him, ‘Do not slaughter a milk-giving animal.’ He slaughtered a sheep for them, and they ate from the sheep and the cluster of dates, and drank. When they had eaten their fill and quenched their thirst, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Abū Bakr and Umar, ‘By Him in whose hands is my soul, you will surely be questioned about these blessings on the Day of Resurrection. Hunger brought you out of your homes, yet before returning you have enjoyed these blessings.’”

This authentic hadith explicitly establishes that the address is general and is not restricted to the disbelievers.

Moreover, reality itself attests that it is not restricted to them: distraction through rivalry in accumulating more is widespread among Muslims. Indeed, most of them have been distracted by it. The Quran’s address encompasses everyone whom it reaches. Although the contemporaries of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, were the first to be addressed by it, it also includes those who came after them. This is necessarily known as part of the religion, even if some later scholars whose opinions carry no weight have disputed it.

Thus, we today, those before us, and those after us are all included in the words of Allah Most High: 2:

وأما حديث أبي بكر الذي احتج به أرباب هذا القول. فحديث لا يصح. والحديث الصحيح في تلك القصة يشهد ببطلانه. ونحن نسوقه بلفظه. في صحيح مسلم عن أبي هريرة ﵁ قال: «خرج رسول الله ﷺ ذات يوم أو ليلة. فإذا هو بأبي بكر وعمر، فقال: ما أخرجكما من بيوتكما في هذه الساعة؟ قالا: الجوع، يا رسول الله. قال: وأنا والذي نفسي بيده، لأخرجني الذي أخرجكما، قوما، فقاما معه. فأتى رجلا من الأنصار، فإذا هو ليس في بيته. فلما رأته امرأته قالت: مرحبا وأهلا. فقال لها رسول الله ﷺ: أين فلان؟ قالت: ذهب ليستعذب لنا من الماء، إذ جاء الأنصاري، فنظر إلى رسول الله ﷺ وصاحبيه، فقال: الحمد لله ما أجد اليوم أكرم أضيافا مني. قال: فانطلق فجاءهم بعذق فيه بسر وتمر ورطب فقال: كلوا من هذا. فأخذ المدية، فقال له رسول الله ﷺ: إياك والحلوبة. فذبح لهم، فأكلوا من الشاة، ومن ذلك العذق، وشربوا. فلما أن شبعوا ورووا قال رسول الله ﷺ لأبي بكر وعمر: والذي نفسي بيديه لتسألن عن هذا النعيم يوم القيامة. أخرجكم من بيوتكم الجوع، ثم لم ترجعوا حتى أصبتم هذا النعيم» . فهذا الحديث الصحيح صريح في تعميم الخطاب، وأنه غير مختص بالكفار. وأيضا فالواقع يشهد بعدم اختصاصه، وأن الإلهاء بالتكاثر واقع بين المسلمين كثيرا، بل أكثرهم قد ألهاه التكاثر. وخطاب القرآن عام لمن بلغه، وإن كان أول من دخل فيه المعاصرون لرسول الله ﷺ، فهو متناول لمن بعدهم. وهذا معلوم بضرورة الدين، وإن نازع فيه من لا يعتد بقوله من المتأخرين. فنحن اليوم ومن قبلنا ومن بعدنا داخلون تحت قوله تعالى: ٢: