Question:
In a previous discussion about whether Hajj is obligatory every year, it was mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ does not independently declare something obligatory without revelation from Allah ﷻ. It was also asked: if someone innocently or ignorantly inquired whether Hajj is required every year, would Allah ﷻ impose such a heavy obligation on the entire Ummah because of one person’s question?
Answer:
We must understand that Allahﷻ has full authority to legislate as He wills. Whether He would do so is another matter, but He certainly has the power. It is not that the Prophetﷺ would make something obligatory on his own. If the Prophetﷺ declared something obligatory, it would be through revelation from Allah. If Allahﷻ had said “yes” to the question about yearly Hajj, then it would have become obligatory, because He has the authority to command worship as He wishes.
The Qur’an tells us that we should not question Allahﷻ about what He does; rather, people will be questioned. Since Allahﷻ has that authority, the Prophetﷺ warned against asking unnecessary questions that could result in additional obligations. That is why he discouraged such questioning.