‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a number of people were sitting at the door of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Some of them said: "Did Allah not say such-and-such?" Others said: "Did Allah not say such-and-such?" So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard that and came out, and he was (red) as if a pomegranate was bursting through his cheeks. He said: "Is this what you have been ordered with?" or "Is this what you have been sent with? That you set the Book of Allah against itself? The people before you were only ruined when they differed about this matter. You have nothing to do with what was going on here. See what I commanded you to do, and observe it and act upon it, and what I forbade you to do, desist from it."
Is this what you have been ordered with? That you set the Book of Allah against itself? The people before you were only ruined when they differed about this matter. You have nothing to do with what was going on here. See what I commanded you to do, and observe it and act upon it, and what I forbade you to do, desist from it
Explanation
A group of the Companions were sitting by the door of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and they disagreed on some matter. They differed about predestination, as told elsewhere, so some of them proved their arguments with verses from the Qur’an, and others did the same. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard them. So he came out, with a very red face, as if a pomegranate was squeezed on his face. He asked them whether they were created to differ, argue, and conflict on the Qur’an, comparing some parts of it to others. Were they commanded to do so? He means that neither is intended, so they did not need to do so. He also told them that the previous nations strayed because of this matter. He guided them to what would rectify and benefit them: to do what Allah ordered them to observe, and to desist from what they were forbidden to do. This is exactly what they were created for, and this is exactly what is useful to them.
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