The Great Distortion of Surah al-Hashr Verse 7


Selectively citing only part of a verse as well as citing the verse out of context and/or in isolation is a common practice of those who, for their own personal agenda and gain, strive to distort that which was conveyed by the Messengers of Allah.


One of the greatest examples of this deceptive behaviour is in the way that Surah al-Hashr, Verse 7 has been misused in trying to justify the upholding of secondary hadith compilations. Those who are guilty of such behaviour resort to citing only the latter portion of the verse as an evidence for their doctrine:


وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوه ُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا


"Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, then refrain."


However, {Surah al-Hashr, 59:7} in it's entirety is as follows:


مَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنكُمْ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ


"What Allah has restored upon His Messenger from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger, and for the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, so that it does not become a circulation between the rich among you, and whatever the Messenger gives you, then take it, and whatever he forbids you from it, then refrain. And be conscious of Allah. Indeed, Allah is severe in retributing."


So, the believers who were with the Prophet Muhammad were commanded to accept the authority of the Messenger concerning the distribution of assets. So whatever assets the Messenger gave to them, they were to accept it and not be greedy by seeking more or consider anything as unfair or unjust.


Therefore, when the verse is recited in its entirety and in context with the verses preceding it (within the same Surah), then it is understood that it does not entail the granting of any authority or right upon the Prophet Muhammad to formulate laws himself and nor does it provide any support for using secondary hadith outside of the Book of Allah as a divine source of reference. Thus, the argument of those who attempt to use only a part of this verse {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوه ُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا} to propagate such a belief is nullified and their deception is exposed. 


In fact, what is clearly understood from the verses of Allah is that the Messenger Muhammad was obliged to give judgment through the laws within the divine Book that was revealed to him and that his authority in this respect does not extend beyond governing people through the divine Book, one will find that this message is repeated within the Book of Allah, such as in {Surah al-Nisaa, 4:105}:


إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ 


"Indeed, We sent down the Book to you with the truth that you may judge (arbitrate) between mankind with what Allah has shown you..."


Furthermore, through {Surah al-Tahrim, 66:1} we learn that the personal preferences of the Prophet Muhammad were not always correct but that he was actually admonished by Allah when this was not within the guidelines of the divine Book that had been revealed to him:


يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ تَبْتَغِي مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِكَ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ


"O Prophet, why do you forbid that which Allah has made lawful for you? You seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

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