The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E PTI O N S
say: They are only sacks of book who do not know what is in them.
Also, some of them might act upon a }:iadith that has been abrogated,
or follow a poor understanding of a }:iadith. Al-KhattabI said:
Some of our teachers used to narrate the }:iadith that says: "The
Prophet () forbid from !Jilaq on Friday", but used to pronounce
the word pilaq as palq instead, meaning: not to cut one's hair. My
teacher spent forty years not cutting his hair on Friday until I once
told him that the proper pronunciation was "pilaq'' meaning to sit in
circles (palaqas) before Friday prayer. This is so those attending the
Friday prayer do not get distracted with talking in these circles. My
teacher who was a righteous person responded: You have relieved
me.
Ibn Shahim composed many works on Tradition, the smallest of
them one volume and the largest a commentary in thousand volumes;
yet he knew nothing about law. Some of them ventured to
give legal opinions that were erroneous for fear of being thought
ignorant. Some became laughing-stocks in consequence of their
opinions. One of them was asked a question about the division of
an inheritance, and wrote in reply let it be divided in accordance
with the ordinances of Allah.
We were informed by Mu}:iammad Ibn AbI Manur in a Tradition
going back to Ibrahim al-J:IarbI that he said: I was told that a woman
came to 'AII Ibn lliwud while he was repeating Traditions, having
in front of him some thousand persons. She said to him: I have
sworn to give my wrapper in alms. He said: How much aid did you
pay for it? She replied: Twenty-two dirhams. He said: Then go and
fast twenty-two days. When she had left, he began to lament saying:
Alas, we made a mistake. We ordered her to perform the atonement,
for a repudiation.
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