Hadith 27905

Chapter 18

باب 18

(18) باب فِي ذَرَارِيِّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(1694) Chapter: The Offspring Of Polytheists
120
قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قُرِئَ عَلَى الْحَارِثِ بْنِ مِسْكِينٍ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، أَخْبَرَكَ يُوسُفُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَالِكًا، قِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الأَهْوَاءِ يَحْتَجُّونَ عَلَيْنَا بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ . قَالَ مَالِكٌ احْتَجَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِآخِرِهِ . قَالُوا أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ صَغِيرٌ قَالَ " اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ " .

Abu Dawud said :
Malik was asked : The heretics argue from this tradition against us. Malik said : Argue against them from its last part which goes. The people asked : What do you think about the one who died while he was young? He replied : Allah knows best what he was going to do.

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 4715

In-book reference: Book 42, Hadith 120

English translation: Book 41, Hadith 4697