Aslam

Praise be to Allah.These words were narrated

from Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) when his people threw him into the fire

with the catapult. He was met by Jibreel who asked him: “O Ibraaheem, do you

have any need?” Ibraaheem said, “Of you, no.” Jibreel said: “Then ask your

Lord.” Ibraaheem said: “His knowledge of my situation is sufficient

asking.”

Al-Baghawi mentioned this in his tafseer (commentary) on

Soorat al-Anbiya’, and indicated that it is da’eef (weak).  (5/327).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa

(1/183):

The report which says that when Ibraaheem was thrown into the

fire Jibreel said to him, “Ask (of your Lord)” and he said, “His knowledge

of my situation is sufficient asking” has no sound isnaad, and it is false.

Rather what is proven in al-Saheeh from Ibn 'Abbaas is that he said,

“Hasbi Allaah wa ni’m al-wakeel (Allaah is sufficient for me and He

is the best dispoer of affairs).”

With regard to Ibraaheem

asking of his Lord, this is mentioned in the Qur’aan in more than one place,

so how could he have said, “His knowledge of my situation is sufficient

asking” ??

Ibn Taymiyah also said (8/358):

With regard to his saying “His knowledge of my situation is

sufficient asking”, this is false and goes against what Allaah tells us

about Ibraaheem and other Prophets and how they prayed to Allaah and asked

of Him. It also goes against what Allaah has commanded His slaves to ask Him

for, which is the good things of this world and the Hereafter, such as when

they said (interpretation of the meaning):

"Our

Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that

which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!"

[al-Baqarah 2:201]

And making du’aa’ to

Allaah and asking of Him and putting one's trust in Him are all acts of

worship that are prescribed in Islam.

This hadeeth was also mentioned by al-Albaani in

al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (21). He said: It is one of the Israa’eeliyyaat

(reports from Jewish sources) and has no basis in any report that can be

attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Some of the Sufis adopted this meaning when they said, “Your asking of Him

is an accusation of Him.”

Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

This is serious misguidance. Would the Prophets accuse their

Lord by asking Him for various things? Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my

offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the

Ka‘bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As‑Salaat

(Iqaamat‑as‑Salat). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them,

and (O Allaah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.

O our Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what

we reveal. Nothing on the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allaah…”

[Ibraaheem 14:37-38 – interpretation of the meaning]

Many du’aa’ of the Prophets are mentioned in the Qur’aan and

Sunnah.

The one who says such a thing seems to be unaware of the fact

that du’aa’, which means beseeching and turning to Allaah, is a great act of

worship, regardless of what need one is asking to be met. Hence the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.”

Then he recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My

Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your

(invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and

do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter

Hell in humiliation!”

[Ghaafir 40:60]

That is because in du’aa’ the slave demonstrates his complete

submission to his Lord and his need for Him and his dependence upon Him.

Whoever turns away from du’aa’ turns away from worship of Allaah. No wonder

there are so many ahaadeeth which enjoin and encourage du’aa’, and the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does

not make du’aa’ to Allaah, He will be angry with him.”

This was narrated by al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh, and

al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It is a hasan hadeeth.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon

him) said: “Ask Allaah for everything, even a lace for your shoes, because

if Allaah does not make it easy for you to obtain it, you will not be bale

to obtain it.” Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni (no. 349) with a hasan isnaad, and

it has corroborating reports in the hadeeth of Anas which was narrated by

al-Tirmidhi (4/292 and others).

In conclusion, this

report which is attributed to Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) could not have

been uttered by any Muslim who understands the importance of du’aa’ in

Islam, so how can it have been said by the one who called us Muslims?

Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah, 1/29.