the woman of the incorrect ruling. He رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ was so affected by this that he began to call out in the streets of Madinah, “A woman asked me a question in the night. Can anybody tell me who that woman was?” He رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ spent the entire day calling out in this manner. When night arrived, he found the woman in the very same place as the night before.

Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stated: “I informed her what the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had said and told her that there is certainly repentance for her [i.e. Allah Almighty is the most forgiving, and He will accept her repentance].” Hearing this, the woman was pleased, and she exclaimed out of joy, “I have a garden, and I give it away in the way of Allah Almighty as an expiation for my sin.”^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Do not mention the incorrect ruling

Dear Islamic brothers, we can take many things from this account. For example, one thing we learn is that we should never mention a ruling of shariah unless we know it. Those who mention rulings of shariah without any knowledge put themselves and others in harm’s way. Another thing we come to know is that, Allah forbid, if a person informs someone of an incorrect ruling or makes a mistake whilst mentioning the correct ruling, he should rectify this.

When Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ came to know of the correct ruling, he rectified himself, and look at how he went about this. He spent the entire day calling out in the streets of Madinah asking about the woman so that he could inform her of the correct ruling. سُبْحٰنَ اللہ