by Asma Binte Shameem

“Hajj Mabrook!” exclaimed my friend excitedly. “Continue to make du’aa for us as you’re still in the zone!”
“Huh? In the zone…..what ‘ZONE’ ??” I asked perplexed.
“You know…..you have just come back from hajj and Allaah will answer all your prayers up to 40 days after you come back from Hajj.” she explained.
“Uh….wait a second,” I said. “Where does it say that.…is it in the Qur’aan or Hadeeth?”
“I don’t know” she said shrugging her shoulders. “I’ve always just heard ‘people’ say that.”

Subhaan Allaah!
Making a statement about the Deen of Allaah…based on what ‘people’ are saying?!!
You cant do that!
There is NO ayah in the Qur’aan that says anything about the du’aa of Haajjees being accepted up to 40 days. And there is NO hadeeth of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) that says that either. NOR was such a statement made by the Sahaabah.

Then where in the world did people come up with something like that?!!

And it wasn’t just this one sister. Several people said that to me. In fact, it seems that this misconception is quite common among the Muslims.

Don’t they know that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Verily, one of the worst lies is….to attribute to me what I have not said.” (Bukhari)

And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
“Whoever narrated from me something that I did not say, let him take his place in Hellfire.” (Saheeh, agreed upon).
He (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) also said:

“Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e. Islam) will have it rejected.” (Saheeh Muslim)

When we say anything about the religion, we have to be very careful and make absolutely sure, to the best of our ability, that whatever we are saying is true and authentic. Otherwise, we are being sinful for misguiding others.

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

“Whoever calls people to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.” (Muslim)

But worse than that is that when we just say things about Islaam, without really confirming the authenticity of the matter or when we give our ‘opinions’ in a certain matter, or just repeat what ‘people’ say. We don’t realize the humongous responsibility that comes with conveying knowledge about Islaam. Nor do we realize the grave sin we are committing if we say something which is not correct.

Talking about Allaah and His religion without knowledge is actually LYING against Him, which is a grave, grave sin, A’oodhubillaah.
Allaah says:

“Who is greater in evil than he, who, without knowledge, invents a lie about Allah to mislead people? Allah does not guide the evildoers.” (Surah An’aam: 144)

Think about it. What greater evil could there be?
After all, isn’t it Allah and His religion we are talking about?
Yet we talk about it so casually without giving it a second thought, without even blinking an eye!
Without pausing even for a second, we declare this to be Haraam and that to be Halaal, this to be correct and that to be incorrect. And this to be part of Islaam and that to be a hadeeth. But based on what??
Based on ‘our’ interpretation??
But who are ‘WE’ ??
Have we graduated from Islaamic Universities? Do we all have degrees in Sharee‘ah?

Then how dare we say anything based on what we ‘heard’ people say or what ‘we’ thought was the ‘correct’ interpretation of a verse or hadeeth?

Who gave us the right to say anything…..and I mean, anything about Islaam based on our limited, so-called ‘knowledge’.
Allaah warns us:

“And do not say – what your tongues falsely describe – ‘This is lawful, and that is forbidden,’ in order to forge a lie about Allah. Indeed, those who forge a lie about Allah shall never prosper.” (Surah an-Nahl: 116)

In fact, Ibn ul Qayyim said that speaking about Allaah without knowledge is the greatest sin that you could ever commit. He based it on the verse:

“Say: ‘My Lord has forbidden all indecent acts – whether apparent or disguised – and (all) sin, and unjust oppression, and joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge.” [Surah al-‘Aaraaf:33]

Ibn ul Qayyim explains that it is the worst sin because Allaah mentions sins in the above verse in order of severity, starting from the lesser sin to the greater. And here Allaah mentions talking about Allaah without knowledge after mentioning Shirk.
Subhaan Allaah! Just think….after Shirk!
A’oodhubillaah!

`Umar ibn al Khattaab said, “Beware of using your opinion in religious matters.”
And Ibn `Abbaas, the one for whom the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) made du`aa to get the understanding of the Qur’aan and Deen, said, “All that there is to follow and obey is the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Whoever makes any statement after these two according to his opinion, then I do not know if you’ll find it among his good deeds or among his sins.”

So beware! Don’t say things about Islaam unless you have confirmed knowledge that it is authentic. And remember, there is no such thing as the du’aas being accepted up to 40 days after Hajj.
In fact, it is a lie that has no basis in the Sharee’ah of Islaam.

If it were true, ask yourself this…….what happens on day # 41????