al-Usul min Ilm al-Usul - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (32)

al-Usul min Ilm al-UsulIbn al-'Uthaymin

nothing prevented their charitable donations from being accepted except that they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger.” (Tawbah 9:54)

Nor is the unbeliever required to make up those duties once he accepts Islam, for the Almighty says, “Tell those who disbelieve that if they desist, they will be forgiven for whatever has already passed.” (Anfāl 8:38). The Prophet ﷺ likewise said to ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ, “Do you not know, O ʿAmr, that Islam wipes out everything that came before it?” (1) He will be punished for having neglected the commands only if he dies in a state of unbelief, as the Exalted recounts regarding the reply of the criminals when they are asked, “What drove you into Saqar?” (Muddaththir 74:42) — “We were not among those who prayed” (74:43); “nor did we feed the poor” (74:44); “we used to join those who plunged into idle talk” (74:45); “and we used to deny the Day of Recompense” (74:46); “until certainty came upon us.” (74:47)

Excuses that remove accountability

Certain factors lift legal responsibility; among them are ignorance, forgetfulness, and coercion. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah has pardoned my nation for mistakes, forgetfulness, and whatever they are compelled to do.” (2) This ḥadīth is related by Ibn Mājah and al-Bayhaqī and is corroborated by other evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah.

Ignorance is lack of knowledge. Whenever a legally accountable person commits something forbidden while unaware of its prohibition, nothing is due from him—such as one who speaks during prayer not knowing that speech therein is forbidden. Likewise, if he omits an obligatory act while ignorant of its obligation, he is not required to make it up provided it was

(1) Narrated by Muslim, no. 121, Book of Faith, ch. 54: “Islam wipes out all that came before it, as do hijra (emigration) and hajj (pilgrimage).” (2) Narrated by Ibn Majah, nos. 2043 and 2045, Book of Divorce, ch. 16: “Divorce pronounced under coercion or in forgetfulness,” and by al-Bayhaqi, 6/84, Book of Confessions, ch. “Confessions that are invalid.” ʿAjluni states in Kashf al-khafa, 1/523, no. 1393, that al-Nawawi graded the hadith hasan in both al-Rawda and the Forty Hadith. Ibn Kathir recorded its chain of transmission in Tuhfat al-talib, 1/271, no. 158.

مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِه﴾ [التوبة: من الآية ٥٤]. ولا يؤمر بقضائه إذا أسلم؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنْتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ﴾ [لأنفال: من الآية ٣٨] وقوله ﷺ لعمرو بن العاص: «أما علمت يا عمرو أن الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله» (١)، وإنما يعاقب على تركه إذا مات على الكفر؛ لقوله تعالى عن جواب المجرمين إذا سئلوا: ﴿مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ﴾ [المدثر:٤٢] ﴿قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ﴾ [المدثر:٤٣] ﴿وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ الْمِسْكِينَ﴾ [المدثر:٤٤] ﴿وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ﴾ [المدثر:٤٥] ﴿وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ﴾ [المدثر:٤٦] ﴿حَتَّى أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ﴾ [المدثر:٤٧] موانع التكليف: للتكليف موانع منها: الجهل والنسيان والإكراه؛ لقول النبي ﷺ: «إن الله تجاوز عن أمتي الخطأ والنسيان وما استكرهوا عليه» (٢). رواه ابن ماجه والبيهقي، وله شواهد من الكتاب والسنة تدل على صحته. فالجهل: عدم العلم، فمتى فعل المكلف محرماً جاهلاً بتحريمه فلا شيء عليه، كمن تكلم في الصلاة جاهلاً بتحريم الكلام، ومتى ترك واجباً جاهلاً بوجوبه لم يلزمه قضاؤه إذا كان

(١) رواه مسلم «١٢١» كتاب الإيمان، ٥٤ - باب كون الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله وكذا الهجرة والحج. (٢) رواه ابن ماجه «٢٠٤٣، ٢٠٤٥» كتاب الطلاق، ١٦ - باب طلاق المكره والناسي. والبهقي «٦/ ٨٤» كتاب الإقرار، باب من لا يجوز إقراره. قال العجلوني في «كشف الخفاء» «١/ ٥٢٣/ ١٣٩٣»: حسنه النووي في «الروضة» و «الأربعين». وجود إسناده ابن كثير في «تحفة الطالب» «١/ ٢٧١/ ١٥٨».