On the authority of Abu Hurairah Abd-ur-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr (RA) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of AlIaah be upon him) say:
"What I have forbidden for you, avoid What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can, for verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed [the nations] who were before you". [Related by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Explanation of Hadeeth 9
The wording of this hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, from Abu Hurairah [RA], states: The Messenger of Allaah [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] addressed us and said:
"O People! Hajj has been made Obligatory upon you, so perform the Hajj." So a man asked: "Is that every year, O Messenger of Allaah?"So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained silent until the man repeated his question three times. Then he said: "If I had said yes then it would have become Obligatory upon you [i.e. every year], and you would not have been able to do so. Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified], for verily the nations before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets. So if I order you with something then do as much of it as you are able, and if I forbid you from something then keep away from it.",
And the Scholars of Usool (i.e, in Fiqh) have differed over the issue of the Command to perform an action - does it imply repetition? That is, if we are ordered to do something then does that automatically imply that we must do it repeatedly? Or does it mean that doing it once is sufficient unless otherwise specified? For example, we are commanded with Han but that is just once in a lifetime, but we are also commanded with Salaah and that is every day.
So most of the Fuqahaa (Jurists) have decided that a command does not automatically imply repetition, others have said that we do not rule that it implies repetition nor do we rule that it does not imply repetition, except with a further evidence that indicates one or the other. And this hadeeth is a proof for those who have the latter opinion. For if there were an automatically implied ruling of either repetition or no repetition then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have replied "If I had said yes then it would have become obligatory, and you Would not have been able to do that Rather, if there had been an automatic implication of repetition or otherwise, then the man would not have asked the question in the first place. And as for his statement: "Do not ask me about that which I have left [unspecified] then this apparently indicates that a command does not imply repetition, and also that the origin of all affairs is that they are not waajib, until the Shareeah specifies them as being waajib. And this is the correct position according to the majority of the Scholars of Usool.
And his statement: "If I had said yes it would have become obligatory upon you" is an evidence that he would make ijtihaadin rulings, and that it was not binding upon him that all rulings be made by Revelation. And his statement:
"What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can "is an important Principle of Islaam, and is from his concise speech. And based upon this principle are countless other rulings - such as the Prayer of one who is unable to complete some of its pillars or conditions, then he performs what he is able to from that which remains. And the one who cannot wash all the necessary limbs of wudoo, washes that which he is able to. And in the case of removing evil, then if one is not able to remove it entirely then one removes what one is able to. And many other affairs like these, as are well known from the Books of Fiqh. And this hadeeth is similar to the statement of Allaah:
"And have taqwaa of Allaah, as much as you are able"(Q 64: 16)
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited