Be Accountable and Protect Others From Your Tongue - Shaikh Ali bin Nasir al-Faqihi

A woman al-Juhniyah, al-Ghamidiyah became pregnant as a result of adultery and then came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. She came with her guardian and requested to be purified from the offence she had committed. The Messenger said to her guardian:

“Return with her and treat her well until she gives birth.”

He returned with her, and she remained in her dwelling until she gave birth. Then she came to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. He did not send anyone to her, nor did any follower pursue or track her. There were no intelligence officers or investigators monitoring these people. Nothing was recorded in any register, nor was there a system where, once the appointed time had come, someone would be sent to search for her and, if she had not arrived, be ordered to bring her.

Rather, it was only faith (īmān) that brought her to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.

She came by herself, carrying her baby. The Messenger said:

“Return and breastfeed the baby until it reaches the age of weaning.”

This is because the baby bears no sin and would be harmed if the mother were stoned.

She returned back and breastfed the baby for two full years. Then she returned again, and the baby had a piece of bread in its hand. She said to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him:

“Purify me, O Messenger of Allah.”

What kept bringing her back was the faith (īmān) she carried.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَٰلًا مُّبِينًا

“It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should thereafter have any choice in their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” (Al-Ahzab 36)

The Companions therefore hastened, of their own free will, to establish those prescribed limits upon themselves once their hearts had become sound.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him said:

"Indeed, there is a morsel of flesh in the body which, if it is sound, the whole body is sound; and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart." (Bukhari and Muslim)

This illustrates clearly that the sound and correct methodology for all callers to Allah is the path of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. It is tawḥīd (Islamic monotheism) and the removal of doubts, misconceptions, and ambiguities from people’s hearts.

When the hearts are sound, the limbs obey.

The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“The (complete) Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Thus, people are not safe from your tongue, through backbiting, gossip, or lies, nor are they safe from your hands, through assault, theft, murder, or plundering, unless the heart is sound.

Verily you know, whenever you do something in this world for which you have not yet been held accountable, you will be held accountable on the Day of Judgement, and this serves as a deterrent.

"The (complete) Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe." (Bukhari and Muslim)

-Explanation of Kitāb al-Sunnah by Ibn Abī ʿĀsim – by Shaykh ʿAlī bin Nāṣir al-Faqīhī

Lesson two: Mins 37:18 till 39:41

In the latter part of the hadith in Muslim 1696a it mentions:

"Umar said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you offer prayer for her when she had committed adultery?’ he responded: ‘She has made such a repentance that, if it were to be divided among seventy men of Madinah, it would be sufficient for them. Have you found any repentance better than this, that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic?"

Translated by Abu Sara Haroon