59 But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.
It was said that when this plague came down on the people of Moses, 700,000 of them died within an hour. This epidemic punished them for changing the command which had been told them for another saying. But for the Ummah of Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, whoever died in a plague is a martyr.
The Yahud were punished for changing Allah’s commandments; what about people who flouted Allah’s instructions day and night, engaging themselves in things displeasing to Allah?
Some scholars said if you relate anything from the Messenger of Allah, you must quote the exact words he uttered, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, not paraphrasing or putting a word of similar meaning in place of his original word. If you did any of that, you are guilty of changing words that had been told, just like the Yahud!
Why would these scholars be this strict when even the Sahaabah used to relate the words as they understood them, not quoting the words verbatim as uttered since they were not tape recorders or computers? Yes, they were blessed with wonderfully retentive memories. Still, a reporter of Hadeeth would often say the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, either said this or this, of course in similar words and meanings.
The scholars retorted and said yes, those were the Sahaabah who were with the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam when he uttered the words; they understood him better, they received instructions directly from him, they understood clearly what he meant, and they knew his choice of words. But where are the Sahaabah today? So, we cannot claim to know what they learned from their intimacy with the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. Therefore, it is not fitting for us to use our knowledge of Arabic to change his words with what we deem similar in meaning to his original words.
Instructions in faith, they further said, at times, come in the form of words that cannot be changed with another statement of similar import, for example, Laa Ilaaha Illallaah to Laa Ilaaha Illal Adheem.
Even though Allah and Al ‘Adheem refer to the same thing, you cannot replace one with the other because Allah is the name while Al ‘Adheem is a further description of Allah.
Another example: the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, taught one of his companions this prayer to be said daily before sleeping; should somebody die after saying the prayer, they die upon the Fitrah.
Al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) said: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) asked me to recite whenever I go to bed: “(O Allah! I have submitted myself to You, I have turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You, and committed my back to You out of desire for You and fear of You, expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no refuge and no place of safety from You but with You. I believe in the Book You have revealed and in the Prophet You have sent.” Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said that if anyone recited these words and died that night, he would die in the true religion. In case he remains alive till morning, he will obtain good. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In another narration, he reported the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) as saying: “If you go to bed, perform the Salat Wudu’, lie down on your right side, and say [the above Du’a (supplication)], and let these words be your last.”
Riyad as-Salihin 80
Al-Bara’ bin ‘Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) memorised this prayer, and the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, told him to recite it to him. The companion changed Messenger to Prophet; the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, no, you cannot read the prayer like that; say it as I taught you.
In one lesson, we mentioned the difference between a prophet and a messenger. We said a prophet receives instructions from Allah and keeps that message to himself; even his wife will not be told. A messenger, on the other hand, receives messages and is directed to convey them to others. A messenger is superior to a prophet. Thus, Al-Baraa thought changing the prophet with a messenger in the prayer may be better and attract more reward. Still, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, ‘No, revert to the words as I related them’.
So, that is the summary of what they mentioned on changing the words of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.
What about changing forms of worship like the Hajj, Umrah, Salah, etc.? You cannot change any of these or introduce something new, which is worse.
It was narrated from ‘Aisha that Barirah came to ‘Aishah asking her to help her with her contract of manumission.’ Aishah said: “Go back to your masters, and if they agree to let me pay off your contract of manumission, and let your loyalty be to me, then I will do it” Barirah told her masters about that, but they refused and said: “If she wants to seek reward (with Allah) by freeing you, let her do so, but your loyalty will be to us.” She told the Messenger of Allah about that. The Messenger of Allah said to her, “Buy her and set her free, and loyalty belongs to the one who set the slave free,” Then the Messenger of Allah said: “What is the matter with people who stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allah? Whoever stipulates something that is not in the Book of Allah is not valid even if he stipulates one hundred conditions. The condition of Allah deserves to be followed and is more binding.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i 4655
On the authority of the mother of the faithful, Aisha (ra), who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not of it will have it rejected (by Allah).”
[Bukhari & Muslim]
In another version in Muslim, it reads: “He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected (by Allah).”
Hadith 5, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi
Prayer For Water
60 And remember Moses prayed for water for his people; We said: “Strike the rock with thy staff.” Then gushed forth therefrom twelve springs. Each group knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth.
Water is essential to life. They were in the wilderness, in the desert. Their greatest challenge was a lack of water. If the water source is limited to many people, there will be chaos, irresponsibility, and selfishness. Out of Allah’s grace for the Children of Israel, He made water available to them in unfathomable quantity and gave every tribe its place for water to avoid commotion.
Why would Allah command Musa to strike the rock for water to come out? Is Allah not able to make the water come out without Musa doing anything? Allah can do all things. Yes, He could cause the water to rush without hitting the rock by Musa, but there is a lesson for us here: for anything to happen in the world, there must be a cause. You don’t sit and wait for your daily bread; you must go out and work for it. There is no bread for the indolent.
When Haajar, peace be upon her, gave birth to Ismael, she had to walk between the two mounts, As-Safaa and Al-Marwa, several times to and fro, searching for water. At last, the water that gushed forth was due to Ismael crushing the sand with his feet. So, even the newborn was not spared.
Maryam, peace be upon her, mother of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, was told to shake towards her the palm tree trunk to have fresh dates. Yes, she had to shake the trunk before the dates would fall; she had to pick them one by one before she could eat. All this was happening at a time when she has just given birth to a child without a father; at a time when she had said ‘would that I had died before this..’ She should have been served the dates on a platter of gold, washed and ready to eat for her to be consoled. No, here on earth, you must work before you eat. In Paradise, you eat without work.
