Whoever Knows Me Yet Disobeys Me

Question :

If a Muslim must be careful not to ascribe a fabricated account of what the Prophet said, is not the situation more severe when one is ascribing a saying to Allah Almighty.

What is the correct view regarding the following saying, which is ascribed to Allah Almighty, and regarding others similar to it: "When a person knows Me yet disobeys me, I will give a free hand over him to someone who doesn't know Me.

Answer:

It is not allowed for any one to ascribe anything to Allâh or to His Messenger without knowledge. If one is not sure whether a specific saying is authentic, then he should not state it in a manner that would indicate he was certain. For example, he should instead say, "It has been related that Allâh Almighty said," Or, "It has been related that the Messenger of Allâh said," One may use these phrases or others similar to it, phrases that do not convey a sense of positive certainty.

Scholars have spoken clearly about this principle, and an example is the saying that is often ascribed to Allah Almighty:
"When a person knows Me yet disobeys me, I will give a free hand over him to someone who doesn't know Me." From what I know, this saying has no recognized chain of narration to support it it is a saying that is mainly famous in books that specialize in sermons, and one often hears this saying on the tongues of people who remind others of their duty to Allah Almighty. When one cites this saying, one must be sure to make clear that it is merely a saying that has been ascribed to Allah Almighty, not a saying that Allah Almighty said. May Allah Almighty guide all Muslims to everything that gains His pleasure.

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