Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Mu`adh bin Jabal was riding on the beast with the Prophet (PBUH), when he (PBUH) said to him, "O Mu`adh!" Mu`adh replied, "Here I am responding to you, and at your pleasure, O Messenger of Allah." He (PBUH) again called out, "O Mu`adh." He (again) replied, "Here I am responding your call, and at your pleasure." He (Messenger of Allah) addressed him (again), "O Mu`adh!" He replied, "Here I am responding to you, and at your pleasure, O Messenger of Allah." Upon this he (the Prophet (PBUH)) said, "If anyone testifies sincerely that there is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, truly from his heart, Allah will safeguard him from Hell." He (Mu`adh) said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I not then inform people of it, so that they may have glad tidings." He (PBUH) replied, "Then they will rely on it alone (and thus give up good works altogether)." Mu`adh (May Allah be pleased with him) disclosed this Hadith at the time of his death, to avoid sinning for concealing.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
Imam At-Taibi says that the honesty of heart means firmness of faith and arrangement of actions which will provide evidence of Tauhid and Risalah (Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH)). Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar states that Imam At-Taibi has made this elaboration to remove the ambiguity which arises from the wording of the Hadith because it is generally held by Ahadith that one who bears witness to Tauhid and Risalah will not go to Hell, while Ahlus-Sunnah hold that it stands proved by concrete arguments that sinful Muslims will be consigned to Hell and then brought out from it by intercession. It shows that for the determination of real meanings of this Hadith we shall have to keep in view other related arguments as well. These meanings are riveted with good deeds. In other words, one who bears witness to Tauhid and Risalah and fulfills Islamic injunctions and obligations and requirements of Faith and fear of Allah, will not be consigned to Hell. Some scholars are of the opinion that this Hadith refers to such people who truly repented and renounced Kufr and Shirk and wholeheartedly professed Tauhid and Risalah but died soon after that and thus did not get an opportunity to do good deeds. Such people will certainly go to Jannah.
This Hadith leads to the conclusion that ordinary people should not be told things the true meanings of which they find difficult to grasp and accomplish evil deeds relying on such glad tidings.
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