Tuesday, 26 May 2026 (10 Dhuʻl-Hijjah 1447 AH)
Question: It is known that the consensus of the Household (Peace be Upon Them) is a decisive proof; so did the consensus of the early Progeny occur regarding the ruling of Abu Bakr on Fadak, that it is a ruling contrary to what Allah, Glorified, sent down upon His Messenger (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace)?
And if consensus did occur on that, then would Imam Yahya ibn Hamzah and Imam al-Mahdi Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Murtada (Peace be Upon Them) be opposing the consensus of the Progeny (Peace be Upon Them), because they considered Abu Bakr correct in his ruling and said that he ruled by his independent reasoning?
The answer—and Allah is the One Who grants success—is that the evidences have indicated that the ruling of Abu Bakr on Fadak is false, even if there were nothing except the complaint of Fatimah (Peace be Upon Her) and her anger against the two Shaykhs; and it appears that the Household (Peace be Upon Them) are unanimous upon its falsity.
And what is closer to right guidance is that we say: the two of them erred, and error is pardoned even if it opposes the decisive evidence, and that is like marrying a woman while she is in her waiting period, in error and ignorance.
And this error is not like the error of one who says: Allah, the Exalted, is seen, or that He commits an evil act; because this is ignorance of Allah, the Exalted, and ignorance of Allah is disbelief, and attributing evil to Him, the Exalted, is also ignorance of Him, along with what that contains of lowering Him from the attribute of holiness, wisdom, justice, and mercy.
Source: Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.3