from the Prophet ﷺ who said, "Leave me as I leave you, for the people who were before you were ruined because of their ˹excessive˺ questions and their differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can."

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «دَعُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ، إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِسُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلاَفِهِمْ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ، فَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ».

When there was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Whether you disclose what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it; then He will forgive whom He wills and punish whom He wills, and Allah has power over all things," he said: that became severe for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

So they came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then knelt down on their knees and said: O Messenger of Allah, we have been charged with deeds that we are able to bear: prayer, fasting, jihad, and charity. But this verse has been revealed to you, and we are not able to bear it! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Do you want to say as the People of the Two Books before you said, "We hear and we disobey"? Rather, say: We hear and we obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return." They said: We hear and we obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.

When the people recited it and their tongues became compliant with it, Allah then revealed after it: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers: We make no distinction between any of His messengers. And they said: We hear and we obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return."

When they did that, Allah ﷻ abrogated it, and Allah ﷻ revealed: "Allah does not burden any soul except with what it can bear. For it is what it has earned, and against it is what it has acquired. Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake." He said: "Yes." "Our Lord, do not place upon us a burden as You placed it upon those before us." He said: "Yes." "Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear." He said: "Yes." "Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people." He said: "Yes."

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ﴿ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴾، قَالَ: فَاشْتَدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ،

فَأَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، ثُمَّ بَرَكُوا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ فَقَالُوا: أَىْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، كُلِّفْنَا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا نُطِيقُ: الصَّلاَةُ وَالصِّيَامُ وَالْجِهَادُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ، وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْكَ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ وَلاَ نُطِيقُهَا! قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَقُولُوا كَمَا قَالَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابَيْنِ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ﴿ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا ﴾؟ بَلْ قُولُوا: سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ»، قَالُوا: سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ،

فَلَمَّا اقْتَرَأَهَا الْقَوْمُ ذَلَّتْ بِهَا أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي إِثْرِهَا ﴿ آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ، كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴾.

فَلَمَّا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ نَسَخَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ ﴿ لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ، رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ﴾، قَالَ: نَعَمْ، ﴿ رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا ﴾، قَالَ: نَعَمْ، ﴿ رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ﴾، قَالَ: نَعَمْ، ﴿ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴾، قَالَ: نَعَمْ.