1/60. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 135a — Questions About Allah and Faith
Clarifying the Waswasah (Whispers, Bad Thoughts) with regard to faith, and what the one who experiences that should say
Who Created Allah Hadith: When Questions About Knowledge Go Too Far
Sahih Muslim : 135a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 135a
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ يَزَالُ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَكُمْ عَنِ الْعِلْمِ حَتَّى يَقُولُوا هَذَا اللَّهُ خَلَقَنَا فَمَنْ خَلَقَ اللَّهَ " . قَالَ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِ رَجُلٍ فَقَالَ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَدْ سَأَلَنِي اثْنَانِ وَهَذَا الثَّالِثُ . أَوْ قَالَ سَأَلَنِي وَاحِدٌ وَهَذَا الثَّانِي .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: People will constantly ask you questions pertaining to knowledge till they would say: Allah created us, but who created Allah? he (the narrator) says: he (Abu Huraira) was (at the time of narrating this hadith) catching hold of the hand of a man and he said: Allah and the Messenger told the truth. Two persons have already put me this question, and this is the third one, or he said: One man has put me this question and he is the second one.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 135aIn-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 254USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 1, Hadith 246
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 135a
This who created Allah hadith speaks about questions related to knowledge. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said people would keep asking until they say that Allah created us, then ask who created Allah. Abu Huraira’s response in the narration shows that this question did appear, just as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had said. The lesson is not to reject useful knowledge. The text points to a question that crosses into a harmful path when it is aimed at Allah in that way. For anyone searching for a hadith about doubts in faith, the Hadith teaches that some questions need a faith-based stop, not more talk. The believer holds to the truth that Allah and His Messenger told the truth.
What we learn from this hadith
- Seeking knowledge is not the same as following every troubling question.
- The Hadith foretells a question that people would raise about Allah.
- Abu Huraira treated the Prophet’s warning as true when he saw it happen.
