The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 326 · “So long as it was not a sin”▾

   Context: The puzzle rests on prophetic ʿiṣma, affirmed in Sunni theology though schools differ on minor slips. The Emir answers as a ḥadīth exegete, not from unveiling: a choice including sin can only come from creatures such as unbelievers or hypocrites. Ibn Ḥajar's Fatḥ al-Bārī discusses the same difficulty; any parallel is unverified here.✦AI

   رَوَي الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ أَنَّهُ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- مَا خُيِّرَ بَيْنَ شَيْئَيْنِ اِلَّا اخْتَارَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ اِثْماً، فَاِنْ كَانَ اِثْماً كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ•

   Quotes a hadith: al-Bukhārī 3560, in other words · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗

   Al-Bukhārī relates in the Ṣaḥīḥ that he (God bless him and grant him peace) was never given a choice between two things without choosing the easier of them, so long as it was not a sin; and if it was a sin, he was the farthest of all people from it.✦

   In brief✦AI

   The Emir cites the ḥadīth that the Prophet, whenever given a choice between two things, chose the easier unless it was a sin, and notes al-Tirmidhī's shorter variant. A scholar asked how God could offer His Messenger a choice that included sin. The Emir answered that the choice might come from God or from hypocrites and unbelievers. When God offers it, the sentence ends at “the easier of them”: God does not command indecency, and the Prophet is protected from sin, so the proviso works as a disjoined exception. It applies only when others offer the choice.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 1051 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 1052 ↗ (archive.org)

   ¶ 4621

2. وَرَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْثَماً• بِدُونِ فَاِنْ كَانَ اِثْماً اِلَخْ،

   Quotes a hadith: not found in the Six Books or the Muwaṭṭaʾ (sunnah.com data, 11 Nov 2026) · grade not yet checked by a person

   Al-Tirmidhī relates it as "so long as it was not a sinful matter", without "and if it was a sin…" and so on;✦

   ¶ 4622

3. أَشْكَلَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَقَالَ: كَيْفَ يُخَيِّرُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى رَسُولَهُ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- بَيْنَ الْاِثْمِ وَغَيْرِهِ•

   This ḥadīth puzzled one of the scholars, who said: How could God, exalted, give His Messenger (God bless him and grant him peace) a choice between sin and something else?✦

   ¶ 4623

4. فَقُلْتُ: لَهُ التَّخْيِيرُ لِرَسُولِ‌ اللَّهِ- صَلَّى‌ اللَّهُ‌ عَلَيْهِ‌ وَسَلَّمَ- أَعَمُّ مِنْ أَنْ‌ يَكُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ- تَعَالَى- وَمِنَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكُفَّارِ•

   I said to him: the choice put to the Messenger of God (God bless him and grant him peace) is broader than that; it may come from God, exalted, and also from the hypocrites and the unbelievers.✦

   ¶ 4624

5. فَاِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ يُخَيِّرُ نَبِيَّهُ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- بَيْنَ حُكْمَيْنِ فِي حَقِّهِ، أَوْ فِي حَقِّ أُمَّتِهِ•

   For God, exalted, sometimes gives His Prophet (God bless him and grant him peace) a choice between two rulings, either concerning himself or concerning his community.✦

   ¶ 4625

6. فَاِنْ كَانَ التَّخْيِيرُ مِنَ اللَّهِ- تَعَالَى- فَيَكُونُ الْكَلَامُ قَدْ تَمَّ عِنْدَ قَوْلِهِ أَيْسَرَهُمَا•

   So if the choice comes from God, exalted, the statement is complete at the words "the easier of them."✦

   ¶ 4626

7. فَاِنَّهُ تَعَالَى لَا يُخَيِّرُ رَسُولَهُ بَيْنَ مَا يَكُونُ اِثْماً وَغَيْرِ اِثْمٍ فَاِنَّهُ تَعَالَى لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَلِلْعِصْمَةِ الثَّابِتَةِ لَهُ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- وَيَكُونُ بِمَثَابَةِ الِاسْتِثْنَاءِ الْمُنْقَطِعِ•

   For He, exalted, does not give His Messenger a choice between what is a sin and what is not a sin, since He, exalted, "does not command indecency" (cf. Q 7:28), and because of the protection from sin established for him (God bless him and grant him peace); and [the clause] will then be like a disjoined exception.✦

   ¶ 4627

8. لَكِنْ اِنْ كَانَ التَّخْيِيرُ لَهُ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- مِنْ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ- تَعَالَى- فَيَخْتَارُ الْأَيْسَرَ، مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ اِثْماً•

   But if the choice put to him (God bless him and grant him peace) comes from someone other than God, exalted, then he chooses the easier, so long as it is not a sin.✦

   ¶ 4628

9. فَاِنْ كَانَ اِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ•

   Quotes a hadith: al-Bukhārī 3560, part of it · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗

   And if it is a sin, he is the farthest of all people from it.✦

   ¶ 4629

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