Chapter: Respecting Him And Not Asking Him Unnecessary Questions

Avoid that which I forbid you to do and do that which I command you to do to the best of your capacity. Verily the people before you went to their doom because they had put too many questions to their Prophets and then disagreed with their teachings.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters.

Abandon that which I have asked you to abandon, for the people before you went to their doom (for asking too many questions).

The greatest sinner amongst the Muslims is one who asked about a thing (from Allah's Apostle) which had not been forbidden for the Muslims and it was forbidden for them because of his persistently asking about it.

The greatest sinner of the Muslims amongst Muslims is one who asked about a certain thing which had not been prohibited and it was prohibited because of his asking about it.

" A person asked about a thing from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and he indulged in hair-splitting."

Paradise and Hell were presented to me and I have never seen the good and evil as (I did) today. And if you were to know you would have wept more and laughed less. He (the narrator) said: There was nothing more burdensome for the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) than this. They covered their heads and the sound of weeping was heard from them. Then there stood up 'Umar and he said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as our Apostle, and it was at that time that a person stood up and he said: Who is my father? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Your father is so and so; and there was revealed the verse:" O you who believe, do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you (in terms of law), might cause to you harm" (v. 101).

Allah's Messenger, who is my father? And he said: Your father is so and so, and there was revealed this verse:" Do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you, might cause you harm" (v. 101).

He who desires to ask anything from me let him ask me about it. By Allah, I shall not move from this place so long as I do not inform you about that which you ask. Anas b. Malik said: People began to shed tears profusely when they heard this from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said it repeatedly: You ask me. Thereupon 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said repeatedly: Ask me, and (it was at this juncture that 'Umar knelt down and said): We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as the Messenger (of Allah). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kept quiet so long as 'Umar spoke. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: (The Doom) is near; by Him, in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, there was presented to me the Paradise and Hell in the nook of this enclosure, and I did not see good and evil like that of the present day. Ibn Shihab reported: Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba told me that the mother of 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa told 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa: I have never heard of a son more disobedient than you. Do you feel yourself immune from the fact that your mother committed a sin which the women in the pre-Islamic period committed and then you disgrace her in the eyes of the people? 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa said: If my fatherhood were to be attributed to a black slave I would have connected myself with him.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri with a slight variation of wording.

Ask me and I shall leave no question of yours unanswered for you, and when the people heard about it they were overawed, as if (something tragic) was going to happen. Anas said: I began to look towards the right and the left and (found) that every person was weeping wrapping his head with the cloth. Then a person in the mosque broke the ice and they used to dispute with him by attributing his fatherhood to another man than his own father. He said: Allah's Apostle, who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa. Then 'Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) dared say something and said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as our Messenger, seeking refuge with Allah from the evil of Turmoil. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Never did I see the good and evil as today. Paradise and Hell were given a visible shape before me (in this worldly life) and I saw both of them near this well.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Qatada.

Ask me what you wish to ask. Thereupon a person said: Who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa. Then another person stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, who is my father? He said: Your father is Salim, the freed slave of Shaiba. When 'Umar saw the signs of anger upon the face of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), he said: Allah's Messenger, we ask repentance from Allah. And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" Allah's Messenger, who is my father? He said: Your father is Salim, the freed slave of Shaiba."