The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

300 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
"'He replied, "They have learned that what their Lord promised them was
true"' (siirat al-Riim; XXX, v.52).
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A
,' isha stated, 'People say that he spoke the words, "They heard what I said
to them." However, what he said was, "they have learned"'"
Ibn Ishaq stated that Humayd d-Tawil related to him, from Anas h. Mdik
who said, "The Companions of the Prophet (SAAS) heard him saying in the
middle of the night, '0 denizens of the pit, 0 Wtha h. Rabi'a, 0 Shayba b.
Rabi'a, 0 Umayya b. Khalaf, 0 Aba Jahl b. Hish-,' and he went on to enumerate
those in the pit. 'Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true,
for I have found what my Lord promised me to be true.'
"The Muslims said, '0 Messenger of God, are you calling out to decaying
bodies?'
"He replied, 'You do not hear any better than they what it is I say; but they
cannot answer me."'
Imam Ahad related this from Ibn Abn 'Adi, from Hamid, from Anas. His
account was similar. This tradition conforms to the criteria of both the sheikhs
(al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Ihn Ishaq stated, "A scholar related to me that the Messenger of God (SAAS)
said, '0 denizens of the pit, you were very bad relatives of the prophet who was
your Prophet. You called me a liar, while the people believed in me. You
expelled me, while they gave me shelter. You fought me, while they aided me.
Have you found what your Lord promised you to he true? I have found what my
Lord promised me to be true."'
I would comment that this is one of those ahadith that '.%'isha, God bless her,
used to interpret (differently), believing them to contradict the verses in the
Qur'an. These have been documented in a single volume.
In this case the passage contradicted, in her view, is the verse, "And you do
not make those in the graves listen" (siirat al-Fapr; XXXV, v.22). This verse
however does not contradict the previous statement. The view of the majority of
the Companions is correct in the light of the ahadirh that contradict her views,
God bless her and be pleased with her.
Al-Bukhari stated that Wbayd h. Ismacil related to him, from Aha Usama,
from Hisha b. Wrwa, from his father, who said, "Someone mentioned in
'A'isha's presence that Ibn 'Umar quoted the Prophet (SAAS) as having said,
that the dead would be persecuted in their graves because of the weeping of their
families. She commented, 'God have mercy on him, no! What the Messenger of
God (SAAS) said was, "They will be tortured for their faults and their sins, and
their families are weeping for them now."'
"She went on, 'That is like the account saying, "The Messenger of God
(SAAS) stood at the trench in which were the polytheists who had been killed at
Badr and he spoke to them, and commented, 'They do listen to what I say "'
However, what he said was, "They now know that what I was telling them was
true."' She then recited, "you do not make the dead to hear" (siirat al-Rum;