Question:
What are your views about the following Hadith of Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 42:
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, “Whoever said “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a barley grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said: “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a wheat grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said, “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of an atom will be taken out of Hell.”
Whereas, in Qur’an it is written that there will be three groups “Sabiqoon al-Awaloon”, “As’haab al Yameen”, and “As’haab al-Shimaal”1.
Answer:
As you have stated in your question, the Qur’an seems to be quite clear on the issue that on the Day of Judgment [Yawm al-Qiyamah] people shall be divided into three groups. The Sabiqoon al-Awwaloon2, the As’haab al Yameen3, and the As’haab al-Shimaal4. The first two among these groups shall be those who will be given the good tidings of the everlasting life of bliss, while the third shall be the one sentenced to the everlasting torture of hellfire. It is also quite obvious from the Qur’an that the As’haab al Yameen will be given this name, because on the Day of Judgment they shall be handed their records in their right hands. Thus, it is quite clear from the Qur’an that no one among these three groups shall be transferred from the torture of hellfire to the gardens of Paradise. In this perspective, the subject matter of the narrative ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), which you have referred to in your question, apparently seems to be in contradiction with the Qur’an .
If all narratives relating to the subject are gathered and the issue is seen in the light of the information thus received, we get a slightly different picture. According to one of the narratives, also reported by Anas (ra) in Sahih Bukhari (Kitaab al-Tawheed) the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that on the Day of Judgment, the records of some of the believers shall be held back. And subsequently, the Prophet (pbuh) shall intercede for these people and God, in His infinite mercy shall forgive these people [and give their records in their right hands]. According to this narrative, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that he would keep going back to intercede for such believers till the time that only those are left who, according to the clear verses of the Qur’an deserve to be thrown in the hellfire, to abide there forever.
Now, if we look at the subject matter of this narrative ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), we shall see that it does not contradict with the referred grouping of people as given in the Qur’an . Because this intercession does not, in any way, alter the grouping of the Qur’an and moreover, no one is believed to be transferred from hellfire to Paradise.
Keeping the above explanation in perspective, we may hold the referred narrative of Anas (ra), as reported in the Kitaab al-Tawheed of Bukhari, as more accurate in its subject matter and hold the other narratives as erroneous versions of the same narrative. Such errors, as we know, are not improbable when a chain of individuals are involved in the transmission of a particular subject matter. Especially when such transmission depends on the correct perception of the listener as well as on an accurate narration of the perception of the transmitter. It is quite possible that some of the narrators may have misunderstood the subject matter and later on, may have very honestly and diligently transmitted what they understood to be correct, which, in reality, was not.
On the other hand, we may hold the two kinds of narratives to be independent of each other. In such a case, the narrative that you have referred to in your letter can only be accepted when an acceptable explanation, in the light of the Qur’an , is provided to resolve the apparent contradiction that you have mentioned in your question. In my opinion, an explanation worth considering may be that the Qur’an has told us that God will never forgive associating partners with Him. Besides this, God may forgive any sin for anyone (see Al-Nisaa 4: 48, Al-Nisaa 4: 116, Al-Maaidah 5: 72). Moreover, there are a few sins mentioned in the Qur’an, which deserve the everlasting punishment of hellfire. Thus, it may be that on the Day of Judgment, all those whose bad deeds are heavier than their good deeds, are sent to Hellfire. In other words, they are among the As’haab al-Shimaal on the Day of Judgment. From among those who are sentenced to Hell, for sins other than ascribing associates with Allah or for sins other than those for which the Qur’an has sentenced an everlasting punishment, the Prophet (pbuh) would request Allah for His forgiveness, and the people for whom Allah shall please, shall be forgiven. I think this interpretation also removes any contradiction between the referred narratives and the referred verses of the Qur’an.
UIUK team
7th June 1999
[1] That is, on the Day of Judgment, all mankind shall be divided into three groups. The former two groups shall qualify for the everlasting bliss of Paradise, while the third shall face the everlasting punishment of hellfire.
[2] Those who preceded others in believing in the Prophet’s message.
[3] People of the right hand, i.e. those who shall be given their records in their right hands.
[4] People of the left hand, i.e. those who shall be given their records in their left hands.
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