Notes from The Hadith of the Slave-girl explained by ibn al-Uthaymeen

[Abdul.Wahid.alAwwaah]

Hadeeth of the Slave-girl
By: Abdul-Wahid al-Awwaah

Class notes taken from the Aqeedah of Ahl us-Sunnati wal-Jama’ah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen explained by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) Masjid ar-Razzaaq Wilmington, DE (USA)

Mu’awiyah bin al-Hakam said . . . “I had a slave-girl who tended goats by the side of Uhud and Jawwaniya. One day I happened to pass that way and found that a wolf had carried a goat from her flock. I am after all a man from the posterity of Adam. I felt sorry as they (human beings) feel sorry. So I slapped her. I came to the Messenger of Allah, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, and felt as something grievous I said: “Messenger of Allah, should I not grant her freedom?” He said: “Bring her to me.” So I brought her to him. He said to her: “Ayna Allah (Where is Allah)?” She said: “Fee sama’ (Above the sky).” He said “Who am I?” She said: “Thou art the Messenger of Allah.” He said : “Grant her freedom, she is a believing woman.”¹ ²

Shaykh al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, said³ “When he, sal Allahu alayhi was-salam, said “ayna Allah? (Where is Allah)?” she replied “fee* sama’ (above the sky).” He, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, accepted this and said “she is a believing woman.”

The word “ayna” means ‘where’ and some of the people of misguidance take the word “ayna” and make it “man” (which means “who”). And this is false because the answer does not coincide with the question. (i.e. Question: Who is Allah? Answer: Above the sky- it does not coincide).

Footnote:
Some of the people who do not affirm loftiness to Allah, ta’ala, they deny this proof and say that the girl was a foreigner and majnunah (crazy), so the prophet, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, had lenience with her. And this kalam is rejected on many angels;

Firstly: From the statement of the prophet, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, is a proof in itself. So how does he, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, accept something knowing it would be a proof for his followers and that people would follow it?

Secondly: The prophet, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, was never quiet in dealing with falsehood.

Thirdly: This acceptance is connected to tawheed and the presence of Allah, ta’ala. And the prophet, sal Allahu alayhi was salam, was most diligent upon perfecting tawheed. So how is he , sal Allahu alayhi was salam, going to put forward his feeling (mercy to this “crazy” girl) before his concern with tawheed?

Fourthly: Where is the proof that she was crazy from the foundation of it? Is there anything from the foundation of it that is authenticated? Or, do people just deny that Allah, ta’ala, is above the sky?

Fifthly: Is this slave-girl who replied an answer that coincides with Qur’an, Sunnah, ijmaa and fitrah one who is considered crazy? Laa (No).

¹Sahih Muslim No. 1094
² Translation of the hadeeth taken from salafipublications.com/sps/smm
³ In his, rahimahullah, explaination of ayatul-kursi “al-Alee” that Allah, ta’ala, is above the heavens proven by Qur’an, Sunnah, ijmaa, sound intellect and fitrah he brings the hadith of the slave-girl as a proof from the Sunnah of acceptance (إقرار)
*The Shaykh goes on to explain later in his explanation that the word “fee” which is commonly translated to mean “in” takes the meaning of “ala” or “above” in this case.