The Validity of Saying صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم

Saying Sadaq Allah Al-‘Azim is Not an Evil Innovation

The Wahhabis of Islam-QA claim:

saying “Sadaqa Allaahu al-‘Azeem” after reciting Qur’aan is an innovation, and the Muslim should not say it.

What follows is a translation of an article proving otherwise:

The Validity of Saying صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم After Reciting The Qur’an

By Shaykh Dr. ‘Abd al-Fattah ibn Salih Qudaysh al-Yafi’i

Translated by Abu Dawud Mahbub ibn ‘Abd al-Karim

It has long been the practice of Muslims, both past and present, to say صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم after reciting the Qur’an. No one disapproved of it throughout Islamic history. In fact, the people of knowledge counted it amongst the etiquette of Qur’anic recitation.

It has been narrated in Tafsir al-Qurtubi (1/27) that al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi mentioned this to be part of the etiquette of Qur’anic recitation. He said:

‘It is from the reverence of the Qur’an that upon the conclusion of its recitation, one pronounces his Lord to be truthful and testifies to the conveyance of the Qur’an by Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and that it is true.’

Thus he would say himself:

صدقتَ ربنا وَبَلَّغَتْ رُسُلُك ونحن على ذلك من الشاهدين اللهم اجعلنا من شهداء الحق القائمين بالقِسْط

“Our Lord, You have spoken the truth, Your messengers have conveyed (Your message), and we are witnesses to this. O Allah, make us from among those who are witnesses to the truth and upholders of justice.”

Then he would supplicate with a number of supplications.

Imam al-Ghazzali, while enumerating the etiquette of Qur’anic recitation, says in his Ihya ‘Ulum al-Din(1/278):

8: To say when commencing one’s recitation:

أعوذ بالله السميع العليم من الشيطان الرجيم رب أعوذ بك من همزات الشياطين وأعوذ بك رب أن يحضرون

“I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing and All-Knowing, from Shaytan the accursed. My Lord, I seek refuge in you from the provocations of the devils and I seek refuge in you lest they come near me”

And one should then recite Surat al-Nas and Surat al-Fatiha. After concluding recitation of the Qur’an, one should say:

صدق الله تعالى وبلغ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اللهم انفعنا به وبارك لنا فيه الحمد لله رب العالمين وأستغفر الله الحي القيوم

“Allah, Exalted is He, has spoken the truth and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) has conveyed (the message). O Allah, cause us to benefit by it (the Qur’an) and place blessings for us therein. All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Ever-Living and Eternal.”

It has been related that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said this in the du’a for khatm (completion) of the Qur’an, as is mentioned by al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman (2/372):

Ahmad (al-Bayhaqi) has said: With regard to the du’a of khatm, a weak hadith has been narrated from the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) with an interrupted (munqati’) chain of transmission. Indeed the scholars of hadith are lenient in accepting what has been narrated in terms of du’as (supplications) and fada’il al-a’mal(virtues of actions) as long as none of the narrators are known for forging hadith or lying when narrating.

Abu Nasr ibn Qatada narrated to us from Abu al-Fadl ibn Hamrawayh al-Karabisi al-Mahrawi, from Ahmad ibn Najda al-Qurashi, from Ahmad ibn Yunus, from ‘Amr ibn Samura, from Jabir al-Ju’fi, from Abu Ja’far who said: ‘Ali ibn Husayn would mention from the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that when completing the Qur’an (khatm), he would praise Allah with many praises whilst standing, then he would say:

الحمد الله رب العالمين والحمد الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض وجعل الظلمات والنور ثم الذين كفروا بربهم يعدلون، لا إله إلا الله وكذب العادلون بالله وضلوا ضلالا بعيدا لا إله إلا الله، وكذب المشركون بالله من العرب والمجوس واليهود والنصارى والصابئين ومن ادعى لله ولداً أو صاحبةً أو نداً أو شبهاً أو مثلاً أو سمياً أو عدلا، فأنت ربنا أعظم من أن تتخذ شريكاً فيما خلقت والحمد لله الذي لن يتخذ صاحبةً ولا ولدا ولم يكن له شريك في الملك ولم يكن له ولي من الذل وكبره تكبيرا، الله أكبر كبيرا والحمد لله كثيرا وسبحان بكرة وأصيلا والحمد لله الذي أنزل على عبده الكتاب ولم يجعل له عوجا * قيما قرأها إلى قوله إن يقولون إلا كذبا، الحمد لله الذي له ما في السماوات وما في الأرض وله الحمد في الآخرة وهو الحكيم الخبير * يعلم ما يلج في الأرض الآية، و الحمد لله فاطر السماوات والأرض الآيتين، والحمد لله وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى آلله خير أما يشركون، بل الله خير وأبقى وأحكم وأكرم وأجل وأعظم مما يشركون والحمد لله بل أكثرهم لا يعلمون صدق الله وبلغت رسله وأنا على ذلكم من الشاهدين، اللهم صل على جميع الملائكة والمرسلين وارحم عبادك المؤمنين من السماوات والأرض، واختم لنا بخير، وافتح لنا بخير وبارك لنا في القرآن العظيم وانفعنا بالآيات والذكر الحكيم ربنا تقبل منا إنك أنت السميع العليم…

Here is ibn ‘Abbas saying صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم after mentioning some verses of the Qur’an as quoted in Tafsir al-Qurtubi (16/188):

Ibn ‘Abbas said: If childbirth is difficult on a woman, then the following two verses and two sentences should be written on a piece of paper which should be washed, and then she should be given the water to drink:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم لا إله إلا الله العظيم الحليم الكريم

 

سبحان الله رب السموات ورب الأرض ورب العرش العظيم

 

كأنهم يوم يرونها لم يلبثوا إلا عشية أو ضحاها – النازعات: ٤٦

 

كأنهم يوم يرون ما يوعدون لم يلبثوا إلا ساعة من نهار بلاغ فهل يهلك إلا القوم الفاسقون – الأحقاف: ٣٥

 

صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم

Ibn Kathir presents this in a well-known section of his work on history (due to it being on a controversial issue) where, after mentioning some verses of the Qur’an, he says صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم. He says in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya 13/119:

Whoever abandons the unequivocal sacred law which was revealed unto Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah, the seal of the prophets, and seeks arbitration outside of it in the (previous) abrogated sacred laws, commits kufr (disbelief). So what of one who seeks arbitration in the law of the Tartars and gives preference to it over this? Whoever does so has committed kufr by consensus of the Muslims. Allah, Exalted is He, has said:

أفحكم الجاهلية يبغون، ومن أحسن من الله حكما لقوم يوقنون

“Is it, then, the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance that they seek? Who is better in judgement than Allah, for a people who believe?” (al-Ma’ida: 50)

And He, Exalted is He, has also said:

فلا وربك لا يؤمنون حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم ثم لا يجدوا في أنفسهم حرجا مما قضيت ويسلموا تسليما

“So, never by your Lord! Never shall they become believers, unless they make you the judge in the disputes that arise between them, then find no discomfort in their hearts against what you have decided, and surrender to it in total submission.” (al-Nisa’: 65)

صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم

In fact, according to the Hanafis and Shafi’is, if one says “صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم” after ending recitation of the Qur’an in his Salah, with the intention ofdhikr, then it will not make his Salah defective.

The Hanafi Opinion

It is mentioned in al-Bahr al-Ra’iq (2/8):

It is mentioned in al-Fatawa al-Tatarkhaniyya andal-Fatawa al-Zahiriyya: ‘If the Imam recites a verse of targhib (encouragement to good) or tarhib(discouragement from evil) and the muqtadi (follower) says “صدق الله وبلغت رسله” then he will indeed have done wrong but his Salah will not be invalid.’ End quote (from al-Fatawa al-Tatarkhaniyya and al-Fatawa al-Zahiriyya). This is problematic as it is a reply to his Imam, and because of this, it is mentioned in al-Mubtagha: ‘If a person who is in Salah hears someone else who is also in Salah saying “ولا الضالين” and replies saying “آمين” then his Salah will not become invalid. It is also said that the Salah will become invalid and this is the view of the later scholars. The ruling is the same for one who says “صدق الله وصدق الرسول” when his Imam completes his recitation of the Qur’an.’ End quote.

In al-Durr al-Mukhtar, al-Haskafi states (1/621):

Derivative issue: If one hears the name of Allah, Exalted is He, and says “جل جلاله” or hears the name of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and says “صلى الله عليه وسلم” or he hears the Imam’s recitation of the Qur’an and says “صدق الله ورسوله” then the Salah will become invalid if he intends it as a reply thereof. End quote.

In his Hashiya (marginalia) on Maraqi al-Falah, al-Tahtawi says (2/320):

Regarding al-Shurunbulali’s statement “Everything from the Qur’an which is intended as a reply will invalidate the Salah“: Only the Qur’an has been specified (here) so that the ruling regarding other things is known a fortiori (bi al-awla). Therefore if one mentions the Shahadatayn when the caller of the adhan mentions them, or hears mention of Allah and says “جل جلاله“, or hears mention of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and says “صلى الله عليه وسلم“, or after the Imam completes his recitation of the Qur’an one says “صدق الله العظيم” or “صدق رسوله“, or one hears Shaytan and curses him, or a man calls him to say “الله أكبر” aloud and he does so, in all of these situations, the Salah will become invalid. End quote.

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani mentions in al-Mabsut  (1/204):

I asked: If you see a man who is praying Salah behind the Imam and the Imam finishes the Surah, is it disliked for the man to say “صدق الله وبلغت رسله“? He answered: I prefer that he remain silent and listen carefully. I then asked: If he does do so then will it break his Salah? He answered: No. His Salah will be intact, however, it is better for him to remain silent. End quote.

The Shafi’i Opinion

In his Hashiya on Asna al-Matalib, al-Ramli says (1/179):

Ibn al-‘Iraqi was asked regarding a person in Salah who, after the Qur’anic recitation of his Imam, says “صدق الله العظيم“, would this be permissible for him or would his Salah become invalid? He answered: It is permissible and the Salah will not become invalid because of it, due to it being dhikrin which there is no worldly speech. End quote.

It has been mentioned by al-Jamal in his Hashiya on Sharh Manhaj al-Tullab (1/431) as well as by al-Shabramallisi in his Hashiya on Nihayat al-Muhtaj ila Sharh al-Minhaj (2/44):

Derivative issue: If one says “صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم” after reciting something from the Qur’an, al-Ramli says that this should not harm his Salah. The same ruling applies if one was to say “آمنت بالله” after reciting a verse where it is appropriate to do so. End quote.

From al-Sayyid Mustafa al-Dhahabi’s Sharh(commentary) on Manhaj al-Tullab. End quote.

See also Qalyubi’s Hashiya on Minhaj al-Talibin(1/116).

Conclusion

From all of this, we come to realise the rashness of those contemporaries who deem saying صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم after reciting the Qur’an to be a reprehensible innovation. Allah, Exalted is He, has said:

خُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

“Man is a creature of haste”(al-Anbiya’: 37)

He has also said:

وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَجُولًا

“Man is ever hasty” (al-Isra’: 11)

 

صَدَقَ اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْم

Allah has certainly spoken the truth.

Written by Shaykh Dr. ‘Abd al-Fattah ibn Salih Qudaysh al-Yafi’i
Yemen, Sana