How do we reconcile between these two statements?
Question: How do we reconcile between the saying of the Sahabah,
'Allah and His Messenger know best', i.e. the use of 'and' in this phrase and
the prohibition of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) in saying, 'what Allah and His Messenger
will'?
Answer by Shaikh Salih al-Uthaimeen (rahimahullah),
'The saying, 'Allah
and His Messenger know best' is acceptable because the knowledge of Allah's
Messenger r is from the Knowledge of Allah. Moreover, Allah is the One, Who
teaches mankind everything they do not know and therefore it is appropriate to
use 'and.' Similarly, in the matters of Sharee'ah, it is said, 'Allah and His
Messenger know best,' because he (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) is the most knowledgeable of the creation
about the Sharee'ah of Allah, and his knowledge is from the Knowledge of Allah,
Who taught him this knowledge as He says, 'Allah has sent down to you the Book
(the Qur'aan), and Al-Hikmah (Islamic laws, knowledge of legal and illegal
things i.e. the Prophet's Sunnah - legal ways), and taught you that which you
knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of Allah unto you (O Muhammad).' [Soorah
an-Nisa (4): 113]
It (i.e., saying, 'Allah and His Messenger know best,') is not like the saying,
'What Allah and His Messenger Will' because this (the latter) is from the
matters of Might (Qudrah) and Will (Mashee'ah), and it is not allowed to make
Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) a partner with Allah in this matter. (*1)
So, in matters of (the knowledge of the) Sharee'ah, it is said, 'Allah and His
Messenger knows best' but not in the Universal matters (for Allah Alone Decides
and Wills what happens in the Universe and it is His Might Alone that prevails).
The above also explains the mistake and ignorance of those who write (the
following verse) for some actions, 'And say, 'Do deeds! Allah will see your
deeds, and (so will) His Messenger…' (*2) [Soorah Tawbah (9): 105] [End of
fatawa. See, al-Manahi al-Lafdhiyah by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaimeen]
Translated by Shawana A. Aziz
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*1: translator’s note: Hudhaifah Ibn Yaman (radiallahu'anhu) said, 'The Prophet
(sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) said,
'Say not, 'What Allah wills and so-and-so wills,' but say, 'What Allah wills,
and then what so-and-so wills.'' [Abu Dawood with authentic Isnad]
The first form ('What Allah wills and so-and-so wills,') mentioned in this
Hadeeth is prohibited for the reason that it combines the will of someone else
with the Will of Allah. It is, thus, associating partners in the Will of Allah,
a form of minor Shirk. It is as if someone says to a person, 'I have only
Allah's Support and yours.' In this statement, Allah and the man (addressed) are
given the same status, which is most unfair and unjust. It would, however, be
all right to say, 'We have the support of Allah and then yours', because this
statement does not have any trace of Shirk, because in this second form, the
Will of Allah comes first, which is the correct position, and the will of
someone else comes later which is subject to the Will of Allah.
Once a man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) and said, 'With the Will of Allah and with your
will,' he (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) said to him, 'Have you made me an associate with Allah?' Rather it
is, 'what Allah Alone wills.' [An-Nisaee]
Qutailah (radiallahuanhu) narrated, 'A Jew came to the Prophet (sallallahu alihe
wa-sallam) and said, 'Your people commit
Shirk when they say, 'By the Will of Allah and with your will,' and say, 'By Ka'bah.' Thereafter, the Prophet
(sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) commanded to swear by saying, 'By the Rabb
(Lord) of the Ka'bah,' and to say, 'by the Will of Allah and then with your
will.' [An-Nisaee graded it saheeh]
Refer to As-Sunnah Issue no.4 - Article ‘Words We Say out of Negligence.’
*2: translator’s note: The complete verse is, 'And say (O Muhammad), 'Do
deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers.
And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then
He will inform you of what you used to do.' [Soorah at-Tawbah (9): 105]
Imam Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) writes in the Tafseer of this verse under the
heading, 'Mujahid said that this verse carries a warning for those who defy His
orders. Their deeds will be shown to Allah, Blessed and Most Honored, and to the
Messenger (sallallahu alihe wa-sallam) and the believers. This will certainly occur on the Day of
Resurrection, just as Allah said, 'That Day shall you be brought to Judgment,
not a secret of you will be hidden.' [Soorah al-Haqqah (69): 18] 'The Day when
all the secrets will be examined.' [Soorah at-Tariq (86): 9] and, 'And that
which is in the breasts (of men) shall be known.' [Soorah al-Aadiyat (100): 10]
Allah might expose some deeds to the people in this life. Al-Bukharee said that
Aaishah said, 'If the good deeds of a Muslim person please you, then say, ‘Do
deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the
believers.' [Fath al-Baree (13:512)]
