Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings to our Master Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest. O Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us, You are the All- Knower, the Wise. O Allah our Lord, teach us what is useful for us, let us make use of what You have taught us and advance us in knowledge. O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us keep away from them. O Allah our Lord, make us amongst those who listen to the Word and follow the best meaning of It, and admit us, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous servants.
Dear noble brothers, we are still discussing chapters in Riyad As-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous), and today we are discussing the chapter of Raja' (hope in Allah and it is one of the pillars of worship which is based on love to Allah, fear of Him and hope in Him). Pay attention to the following Hadith, please:
(( Narrated Itban bin Malik: who was one of the companions of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and one of the Ansar's who took part in the battle of Badr: I came to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) I have weak eyesight and I lead my people in prayers. When it rains the water flows in the valley between me and my people so I cannot go to their mosque to lead them in prayer. O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)! I wish you would come to my house and pray in it so that I could take that place as a Musalla… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
Itban bin Malik is a reverend companion who took part in the battle of Badr. He used to lead his people (Bani Salem) in Salah, but on a winter day, it was difficult for him to do so, because the rain flew in the valley between him and his people, so he was not able to go to their Masjid to lead them in Salah. Itban, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
(( O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) I have weak eyesight… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
He told the Prophet, peace be upon him, that his eyesight had no longer been strong. In fact, there is profound wisdom in weakening man's senses; Allah the Almighty has blessed us with these senses, but when we become older, they start to weaken as a way of alerting us. It seems that Allah the Almighty wants to tell us: O My servant, your eyesight gets weak, your hair becomes grey, your back starts to bend, your physical strength in general is deteriorating, so be modest with Me, as I am with you."
This is a gentle hint from Allah that when man gets older he becomes weak physically (his eyesight, his hearing, and so on), so that he would be reminded of the Hereafter, and get himself prepared for it. As if Allah the Almighty wants man to prepare himself to this question: What have you prepared for the day when you meet me?
Let me go on with the Hadith:
(( "O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) I have weak eyesight and I lead my people in prayers. When it rains the water flows in the valley between me and my people so I cannot go to their mosque to lead them in prayer. O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)! I wish you would come to my house and pray in it so that I could take that place as a Musalla… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
Malik was one of the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he told the Prophet that his eyesight had weakened and he could not lead his people in Salah where he used to do, because the rain filled the valley between him and his people. Therefore, he went to the Prophet's house and asked him to come to his house and pray. Keep in mind that whoever is invited by someone should accept the invitation, particularly if the invitation is for religious purposes. Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, says in the Hadith Qudsi:
(( Narrated Mu'adh: I heard Allah Messenger, peace be upon him, saying, "Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He had said, 'My love is due to those who love one another for My sake, meet one another for My sake, visit one another for My sake and spend in charity for My sake'."))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Mu'adh bin Jabal ]
Are you so close to your believing fellow brother? Do you feel that he is part of you, and so you wish him the best the same way you wish it to yourself? Do you feel happy if he is in prosperity? Are you relieved when his problems are solved? The answers to these questions, dear brothers, are the precise standards according to which the relationship between believing brothers is evaluated.
Listen to the description of the hypocrites in Allah's following Words:
﴾ If good befalls you (O Muhammad peace upon him), it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say, "We took our precaution beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing. ﴿
The hypocrites are described in the following Prophetic Hadith as well:
(( The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The believers advise one another, and they are kind to one another even if they live far from each other, whereas the hypocrites deceive one another and envy each other even if they live close to one another." ))
[ Al-Baihaqi in Shu'ab Al-Iman, on the authority of Qatadah ]
Reaping the fruitful results of Islam requires following the example of the companions
If you own a small house, and upon visiting your fellow believing brother in his spacious house, you feel happy for him, this reflects your deep faith. Similarly, when you feel happy for your brothers whose income is good, then you have great faith. Regarding this point, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you. ﴿
Your brother's property that you eat up is considered yours. Since you are ordered by Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, to take care of the property of your fellow brother, then you are required, for a greater reason, to avoid eating it up. Refraining from doing so is one of the Islamic teachings; you should care for the property of your fellow brother as if it were yours. Doing so manifests how true believer you are, while envy shows how hypocrite someone is. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ If good befalls you (O Muhammad peace upon him), it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say, "We took our precaution beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing. ﴿
The hypocrite is relieved whenever a calamity overtakes the believer.
Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, threatens to punish those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe. The Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not. ﴿
Those people do nothing about such a crime, they utter no word whatsoever, and they never smile about it. Yet, deep inside, they are relieved that this indecency would be propagated among the believers. Hence, they are not believers by the Lord of the Ka'abah. Likewise, whoever feels hurt when good things happen to the believer, rejoices when bad things befall him, and envies him for what Allah the Almighty has bestowed upon him, is undoubtedly a hypocrite, and we seek refuge in Allah the Almighty from hypocrisy.
As a true believer, you should be happy about the blessings Allah the Almighty has given to your fellow brother and you may ask Allah the Almighty to give you the same. Also, you should be happy if Allah the Almighty raises his fame high, because this elevation and honor are actually yours just as they are his.
Now, we return to the Hadith, we have started our lesson with. The reverend companion said:
(( O Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)! I wish you would come to my house and pray in it so that I could take that place as a Musalla… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
The rain prevented him from going to the place where he should have lead his people in Salah:
(( Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said. "Allah willing, I will do so"... ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
Whoever treats his fellow poor, needy and weak brothers arrogantly is not a believer. When Adi bin Hatem wanted to meet the Prophet, peace be upon him, the Noble Prophet invited him to his house, and on the way a poor woman stopped the Prophet to talk to him. He listened to her while she was asking him for something she needed. Upon watching that, Adi bin Hatim said, "By Allah, this is not the way a king behaves!"
Once, our Master Umar entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he saw a mark left by the mat on his honorable cheek, so he wept, and said, "How come that the Messenger of Allah sleeps on the mat, and Khosrau, the king of Persia, sleeps on silk?!" He, peace be upon him, replied, "What I have been given is Prophethood and not ownership." The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to be humble. His humbleness was obvious while he was sitting with a poor person, when someone passed by them, and he, peace be upon him, said, "A poor man (meaning himself) is sitting with another poor man."
While our Master Umar was walking in the Masjid at night, it seemed that he walked on one of the limbs of a man unintentionally, and that man was quick-tempered person, so he got nervous and said, "Are you blind?" He did not know that it was Umar, and Umar replied, "No, I am not." Then, Umar was asked, "Is this how you answer him?" He said, "He asked me, and I just answered him, 'No, I am not blind."
This is how the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to be humble toward other people, and we will not be able to reap the fruitful results of religion unless we adopt their morals, and follow their steps in being humble, giving, generous, helpful to others and down to earth upon dealing with them.
(( Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said. "Allah willing, I will do so." Next day after the sun rose high, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr came and Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) asked for permission to enter… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
The instruction indicated in this Hadith is to avoid going to someone alone and to have a companion with you instead.
(( Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said. "Allah willing, I will do so." Next day after the sun rose high, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr came and Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) asked for permission to enter. I gave him permission and he did not sit upon entering the house but said to me, "Where would you like me to pray?" I pointed to a place in my house. So Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) stood there and said, 'Allahu Akbar', and we all got up and aligned behind him and offered a two-rak'at prayer and ended it with Taslim. ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
The Prophet's wisdom and keenness on maintaining the friendly relationship with his companions:
We have not yet reached the main point of this Hadith, but I just want you to notice how the Prophet, peace be upon him, came to them without telling them beforehand so that they would not trouble themselves with preparing something to offer him. They were embarrassed, and they just wanted to offer him something to eat, so they prepared special type of dish as mentioned in the Hadith:
(( We requested him to stay for a meal called "Khazira" (a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup) which we had prepared for him… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
This dish could be prepared quickly, so they were able to offer it to the Prophet, peace be upon him. In fact, being hospitable to the guest is an act of Sunnah, and whoever is hospitable to his guest is like being hospitable to his Lord:
(( We requested him to stay for a meal called "Khazira" (a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup) which we had prepared for him. Many members of our family gathered in the house… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
We come to the most important point in the Hadith. A man called Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin was not with the others when they all gathered in the house to pray, so they started to wonder where he could be. Before I go on, I would like to highlight the fact that the more elevated man is in Allah's Sight, the more companionate and merciful he is towards his fellow brothers, and this is how the Prophet used to be with others even when they committed a mistake.
It seems that Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin wronged the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he abandoned Salah. The Hadith went as follows:
(( Many members of our family gathered in the house and one of them said, "Where is Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin or Ibn Ad-Dukhshun?" One of them replied, "He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle." Hearing that, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Do not say so… ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
The answer of the Prophet peace be upon him, manifests Prophethood. Had he said, "No, he is not a hypocrite", the ones who were there and saw signs of hypocrisy in Malik, would have doubted the neutrality of the prophet's judgment, and had he said, "Yes, he is a hypocrite", his words would have reached Malik, and he would have turned away from the Prophet, peace be upon him. So, the Noble Prophet said wisely:
(( Have you not seen that he said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' for Allah's sake only?"…) ))
If these words of the Noble Prophet reached Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin, he would understand that the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbid the others from accusing him of being a hypocrite. On the other hand, the people who were there and listened to the Noble Prophet's words would understand that they should not have said so about him. Both interpretations of those words reflect the Noble Prophet's keenness on keeping the relationship between him and his companions and the relationship among his companions friendly, because whatever weakened that relationship would weaken their relationship with Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
(( Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Do not say so. Have you not seen that he said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' for Allah's sake only?" He said, "Allah and His Apostle know better. We have seen him helping and advising hypocrites." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
It seemed that Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin had seriously deviated from the Right Path, and when the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade others from accusing him of hypocrisy, he did not want them to affect his relationship with him negatively. Regarding this point, it was reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
(( No one should convey to me anything regarding one of my companions, for I love to meet you with a pure heart. ))
Accustom yourself to saying good things about your fellow brothers instead of dispraising them, lest the Islamic society become divided into groups due to its members wronging one another. If you are angry with your brother, give him a sincere piece of advice directly and make Du'a to Allah for him to help him return to Him.
(( Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Allah has forbidden the (Hell) fire for those who say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' for Allah's sake only." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
This is a general rule that may or may not be applied to Malik:
(( "Allah has forbidden the (Hell) fire for those who say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah' for Allah's sake only." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Itban bin Malik ]
What caught my attention in this Hadith (No. 417 that is mentioned in the chapter of hope in Riyadh as-Salihin), is the wisdom of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his keenness on affection between him and his companions, and his keenness on avoiding tospeak anything but whatever is good and nice.
This incident in the Hadith is in fact closely related to another one that took place during the battle of Tabuk as mentioned in an article I read two or three years ago in a magazine. A Hadith was mentioned in the article about Masjid Ad-Dirar that was built by the hypocrites. According to the Hadith, when the Messenger of Allah came back from Tabuk and he was approximately one or two days away from Al-Madinah, Jibril came down to him with the news about Masjid Ad-Dirar, that it was built with the intention of disbelief and causing division among the believers. This was in contrast to Masjid Quba', which was built on piety from the first day. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah sent some of his noble companions among whom was Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin to Masjid Ad-Dirar to bring it down before he reached Al-Madinah.
The wise attitude of the Prophet, peace be upon him, towards that companion and his great keenness on keeping his heart clean, had its positive impact on him. In other words, the Prophet's denial of attendants' accusation that Malik was a hypocrite had a deep effect on that companion, and it returned him to Allah the Almighty. Later on, the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him and other companions to bring Masjid Ad-Dirar down.
Pay attention to the following Hadith, please:
(( Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet; said, "A slave (of Allah) may utter a word which pleases Allah without giving it much importance, and because of that Allah will raise him to degrees (of reward), and a slave (of Allah) may utter a word (carelessly) which displeases Allah without thinking of its gravity and because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-Fire." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abi Hurairah
]
Before you say anything even if it is a joke, make sure that it will not hurt anyone. Also, before making any comment, make sure that it will not break anyone's heart. Furthermore, make sure that your smile at something will not do harm to anyone. Here is a Hadith regarding this point:
(( Narrated Aishah, Ummul Mu'minin: I said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): It is enough for you in Safiyyah that she is such and such (the other version than Musaddad's has (meaning that she was short-statured). He replied, "You have said a word which would change the sea if it were mixed in it." She said, "I imitated a man before him (out of disgrace)". He said, "I do not like that I imitate anyone even if I should get such and such." ))
[ Abu Dawood, on the authority of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her ]
Being a Muslim does not only mean avoiding major sins like theft and drinking intoxicants, which are avoided by the majority of Muslims. So, what does it mean to be a Muslim? It means to watch your language, because one word one says might ruin many things, like severing relations.
A brother who uses to attend our lessons, gathered once with some brothers, and when he noticed that their gathering turned into backbiting, he left them. Why should anyone backbit others? Listen to what Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting) . And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful. ﴿
This is a Divine Prohibition that requires one to abandon backbiting. Pay attention to the following Hadith, please:
(( The faith of a servant is not upright until his heart is upright, and his heart is not upright until his tongue is upright. A man will not enter Paradise if his neighbour is not secure from his evil. ))
[ Musnad Aḥmad, on the authority of Anas ]
Let your words be nice and avoid hurting the feelings of your fellow Muslim and believing brothers by scandalizing, doubting, criticizing, or embarrassing them. This is exactly what the Prophet, peace be upon him, meant when he said, "Do not say so". When these words reached Malik bin Ad-Dukhaishin, he realized how the Prophet forbid other companions from saying anything bad about him, and by these Prophetic words, the companions of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, realized that they should not say anything that could cause harm to others.
Understanding the details of the Prophetic Sirah is important:
Dear noble brothers, reading the Prophetic Sirah or listening to its details is essential in religion, because the stances of the Prophet are part of Shari'ah. I would like to mention an incident that I remember very well, and I would like to highlight the reaction of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to it.
Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, realized the dilemma Ansar were in, so he went immediately to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, this group of the Ansar are displeased with what you did with the spoils of war. You have distributed war booty among your people, and you were most generous to the Arab tribes, but you did not give the Ansar anything." The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked him, "What is your opinion about it?" Sa'd answered with the same bluntness, "I have the same viewpoint as my people." Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Call on your people."
The Noble Prophet took the initiative and started to calm them down although they did not have the right to blame him as he is a Messenger sent to them by Allah the Almighty, and he never spoke of his own desire. Let alone, all his deeds manifested his profound wisdom. Yet, he said to Mu'adh, "Call on your people." The Prophet, peace be upon him, started to deliver his speech:
(("O Ansar! I heard that an incident that happened recently made you feel ill at ease. What is it that I hear from you, about the apportionment of booty? Are you roiled up because I gave a larger share of the booty to the Makkans than I gave you? By Allah, you could have justly said, 'We believed in you at a time when all called you a liar.))
What did the Prophet, peace be upon him, started his speech with? Did he start with mentioning his favor upon them? No, he did not. On the contrary, he started with mentioning their favor upon him, to pacify them, to soften their reaction and to express his mercy and love to them.
(( We supported you at a time when you were frustrated. We gave you our money at a time when you were poor and we even sheltered you at a time when you were homeless. But tell me this: Is it not true that you worshipped idols and Allah gave you guidance through me? Is it not true that you were riven by civil discord and Allah united you through me? Is it not true that you were poor and Allah made you rich through me?" In answer to each question, the Ansar said, "Yes, that is so, and it is the grace of Allah and His Apostle." Then the Prophet said, "…but you might have answered and answered truly, 'You came to us (in Madinah) rejected as an impostor, and we accommodated you; you came as a helpless fugitive and we assisted you; an outcast, and we gave you an asylum; destitute, and we solaced you.' He added, "Why are you disturbed in mind because of the things of this life, wherewith I have sought to incline the hearts of these men (the Quraish of Makkah) unto Islam, whereas you are already steadfast in your faith?" He added, "Are you not satisfied that others should obtain the flocks and the camels, while you carry back the Prophet of the Lord unto your homes?" He also added, "No, I will not leave you forever. If all mankind went one way, and the Ansar another way, verily, I would go the way of the Ansar. O Allah! Be favourable unto the Ansar, and bless them, and their sons and their sons' sons forever." When the Ansar heard these words, they wept like they have never done before, and said, "Let others take the sheep, the cattle and the camels with them. All we want is the Prophet Muhammad, and nothing else.))
You can learn a lot from this incident, like calming down your friend and apologizing to him although he is the one who has hurt you, because doing this will soften his heart towards you. Also, mention the good things he has done for you and that you endear him. By this, you are following the Suunah of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Keep in mind that the purpose of reading the Prophetic Sirah and know the acts of Sunnah of the Noble Prophet is not to enrich your knowledge, but rather it is to deal with it as an essential part of religion.
As you know, the Noble Quran that we recite is manifested in the Prophetic Sunnah; in his morals, Sirah and actions. So, it is important to spend some time to read the Sirah of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Moral lessons of the following Hadith:
Let me repeat quickly the Hadith of our discussion today:
(( Narrated Mahmoud bin Ar-rabi' Al-Ansari: that he remembered Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and he also remembered a mouthful of water which he had thrown on his face, after taking it from a well that was in their house. Mahmud said that he had heard 'Itban bin Malik, who was present with Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) in the battle of Badr saying, "I used to lead my people at Bani Salim in the prayer and there was a valley between me and those people. Whenever it rained it used to be difficult for me to cross it to go to their mosque. So I went to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and said, 'I have weak eyesight and the valley between me and my people flows during the rainy season and it becomes difficult for me to cross it; I wish you would come to my house and pray at a place so that I could take that place as a praying place.' Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, 'I will do so.' So Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) asked my permission to let him in and I admitted him. He did not sit before saying, 'Where do you want us to offer the prayer in your house?' I pointed to the place where I wanted him to pray. So Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned in rows behind him; and he offered two rak'at, and finished them with Taslim, and we also performed Taslim with him. I detained him for a meal called "Khazir" which I had prepared for him.--("Khazir" is a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup)-- When the neighbors got the news that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was in my house, they poured it till there were a great number of men in the house. One of them said, 'What is wrong with Malik, for I do not see him?' One of them replied, 'He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle.' On that Allah's Apostle said, 'Do not say this. Haven't you seen that he said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah for Allah's sake only.' The man replied, 'Allah and His Apostle know better; but by Allah, we never saw him but helping and talking with the hypocrites.' Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) replied, 'No doubt, whoever says. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and by that he wants the pleasures of Allah, then Allah will save him from Hell." ))
[ Agreed upon, on the authority of Ibn Shihab ]
This story teaches us many lessons. It teaches us to control our tongue, to think well of our brothers, to find excuses for them, and to help them against Shaitan (Satan), not vice versa. Besides, it teaches us to be forbearing and patient while dealing with others, and not to disclose any bad things about them. Furthermore, it teaches us to be wise in choosing our words when we talk to others, or when we talk about others, because a single word may spoil relationships among people or cause them turn away from Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He. We should learn all these instructions from this story.
The story was reported in Riyad As-Salihin in a Hadith that is agreed upon. The meaning of agreed upon, is that the Hadith is authentic, and since it was reported by both Sheikhs Al-Bukhari and Muslim, then it got the highest level of authentication.
Some Ahadeeth are reported by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, or Imam Malik and so on. The most serious matter about the Hadith is its Takhreej (the extraction and the authentication to guarantee transmitting it correctly.)
Some beliefs and some Shari'ah rulings are based on the Prophetic Ahadeeth. Moreover, some stances about giving others, taking from them, severing ties, establishing relations, etc. can all be based on the Hadith, so if the Hadith is fabricated or weak, anything based on it is wrong and unacceptable. In fact, most of the problems Muslims have in our era are the results of divisions that are based on fabricated or weak Ahadeeth. Accordingly, it is important to make sure of the authentication of the narrations of Prophetic Ahadeeth.
We discuss the Ahadeeth that are mentioned in Imam an-Nawaiw's book Riyad as-Salihin. The scholars unanimously agree that all its Ahadeeth are authentic. Better yet, they are at the top of authentication since they are reported by al-Bukhari, Muslim, or by them both. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
(( Indeed this knowledge is faith (it contains the rules of religion), so carefully consider from whom you take your faith.) ))
[ Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, on the authority of Abu Hurairah ]
If you derive religious rulings from a fabricated or weak Hadith, it will lead to faults, falsehood, and deviation. This is what makes me recommend that you choose this book to keep it in your library. I expect that in every Islamic house there is a library which contains religious references, like a book of Hadith, a book of Prophetic Sirah, a book of the biographies of the companions of Allah's Messenger, a book of Fiqh that explains Fiqh in a simplified way, and so on. The Islamic house that has a library as such will not have serious problems.
A question may come to your mind, but you might not know the answer and feel embarrassed to ask others, so having authenticated religious references will help you a lot to find answers to your questions. In addition, you may ask those whose knowledge you trust to help you find the answers to your questions.
Choose the best book of Hanafi Fiqh in addition to authenticated books of Hadith and Prophetic Sirah. Sometimes, you hear about an incident that took place in the Prophetic era, so you pick the book of the Prophetic Sirah to read about it in details.
Actually, the true Muslim will forget about the place and era he lives in, and he will find himself in the Prophetic era when he reads about the Sirah attentively. He will be touched by the wonderful actions and stances of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
It is really enjoyable to read about the Prophet, peace be upon him.
***
The educated Muslims will reap the fruitful results of this education in Hajj:
Today, I attended a meeting on Hajj, and one of the Khutaba' (plural of Katib: a preacher), said, "Sometimes, you meet a pilgrim after getting back from Hajj to listen to what he does during that spiritual journey, but you will be shocked when you notice that his speech is related to the time when he got there, the vehicle by which he traveled to get there, the place where he slept, the food he ate and many other normal things that happened in one's daily life." You rarely find a pilgrim who talks about his feeling when he circumambulated the Ka'abah, about his psychological state when he had the chance to kiss the Black Stone, about his spiritual feeling in Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, about his condition when he was in Arafat, about his submission in Muzdalifah, and about the way his heart felt while he was throwing the Jimar.
Indeed, if Hajj is devoid of these spiritual feelings and sentiments, it becomes mere rites, but what does this mean? It means rituals of Hajj become meaningless actions. Pagans have rites, but we, Muslims, have acts of worship. Rites are meaningless movements, mutterings, motions, and stillness. Unlike rites, the acts of worships that Allah the Almighty has legislated are reasonable. To elaborate, when the pilgrim performs Sa'i, he does so for the Sake of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, when he circumambulate Ka'abah, he does it for Allah's Sake, and when he stands at Arafat, he keeps remembering Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
Going to perform Hajj is not only about having financial ability to afford it, having your name in the lottery, and having enough money to pay the costs, but rather, it requires more serious conditions, like being religiously committed and well-educated, so that you will be ready to perform it as required.
(( Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "An 'umra is an expiation for sins committed between it and the next, but a hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward than paradise." ))
[ Agreed upon, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
Al-Hajj al-Mabroor (the Hajj in which a person refrains from sins, pretentiousness, fame and showing off) is the one performed correctly and accepted by Allah the Almighty. It is reported that, "whoever stands at Arafat Mount thinking that his sins may not be forgiven, his Hajj will be considered invalid." You should be certain that Allah the Almighty has forgiven you.
Whoever is well-prepared religiously before he goes to perform Hajj will reap the fruit results of this preparation in Hajj. Thus, if you strongly connected to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, the minute you enter to the Haram and you see the Noble Ka'abah, you will be amazed by its grandeur. Also, you will feel that Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, addresses you by saying, "Come to Me O My servant; leave your worries behind and come to Me. Abandon the entire world and come to Me. Forget about all your problems, conflicts with others, desires, and everything in your country, and come to Me.
Always remember that Hajj is a journey to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, during which you visit Him by visiting His House. Actually, every Masjid no matter how simple it might be is considered Allah's House as reported in the following Hadith:
(( Masajid are My houses on the earth. Those who frequent them are My visitors. Good tidings to a slave who purifies himself in his house and then visits Me in My house for it is the duty of the Host to honor His guest. ))
[ Abu Na'im from Hadith narrated by Abi Sa'id ]
If you go to the House of Allah (the Masjid) in your country, then it is the duty of the Host (i.e. Allah) to honor His guest.
When man goes to the Masjid, he leaves his household to spend an hour or more there, and his house may be located in a far area, and thus he needs about two hours to reach the Masjid. So, do you believe that any one of you could come to Allah's House to understand religion, to know His Commands and Prohibitions, and to know about the purified Sirah of His Prophet, peace be upon him, without being honored by Him? Sometimes a person is saved by Allah the Almighty because of a Prophetic Hadith he understood in the religious lesson he attended in the Masjid. Therefore, do not neglect these gatherings, for they are blessed.
(( Masajid are My houses on the earth. Those who frequent them are My visitors. Good tidings to a slave who purifies himself in his house and then visits Me in My house for it is the duty of the Host to honor His guest. ))
[ Abu Na'im from Hadith narrated by Abi Sa'id ]
When you close your shop, although you can keep it open till 9.00 in the evening, because you want to attend a religious lesson in the Masjid, you will be rewarded by Allah the Almighty. A brother told me, "When I leave my shop and come to attend the religious lesson, no customer comes to it, but when the lesson finishes and I go back to the shop, customers come in a great number due to Allah's Honor to me.
Do you not like to feel how Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is pleased with you and with your deeds? This is how you can feel that.
(( Masajid are My houses on the earth. Those who frequent them are My visitors. Good tidings to a slave who purifies himself in his house and then visits Me in My house for it is the duty of the Host to honor His guest. ))
[ Abu Na'im from Hadith narrated by Abi Sa'id ]
It is not reasonable for someone to be absent-minded while circumambulating the Ka'abah. Instead, his heart should be present, should keep remembering Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, and should be totally filled with love to Him only, forgetting about all people. Enduring the hardships of travelling to Makkah by plane to perform Hajj with all its rituals, including circumambulating Ka'abah and standing at Arafat, does not mean that you should only prove your existence physically while doing all things and then get back to your country. Rather, Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, ordains Hajj because it is a great act of worship that should be performed spiritually as well as physically and with a present heart. This explains why Allah the Almighty says the following:
﴾ That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade, etc.), and mention the Name of Allah on appointed days (i.e. 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah), over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice) (at the time of their slaughtering by saying: Bismillah, Wallahu-Akbar, Allahumma Minka wa Ilaik). Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor who have a very hard time. ﴿
Educate yourself well about Hajj before performing it:
In some cases, upon asking a pilgrim after getting back to his country, "What are the benefits you got from going to perform Hajj?", he will answer, "I bought a recorder that is matchless in Syria"! What benefit is this? Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He says:
(﴾ In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for ones conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves (i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the Alameen (mankind and jinns). ﴿
What does attaining security mean? It means that if you enter the Sacred House, you will be secured. In addition, all your sins will be forgiven by Allah the Almighty, and so you will become free from sins like the newborn baby. This is how you should feel after entering the Sacred House.
As I have just said, whoever enters it is secured, but if you do not return to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, with sincere repentance, if you do not get back from Hajj as a new man in terms of your thoughts, feelings, actions, steadfastness, and business, your performance of Hajj will be worthless.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked us to have enough knowledge about Hajj before performing it:
(( Get enough Islamic information and knowledge before you perform Hajj. ))
Performing Hajj is not that difficult, but what is serious about it is to have faith that enables you to perform it as it should be. In other words, the details of Tawaf al-Qudum (is the Tawaaf of arrival for Hajj), Tawaf seven turns, kissing the Black Stone, pointing to it or kissing the hand that points to it, facing Ar-Rukn al-Yamani (The Yemeni Corner is the Southern west corner of the Ka'bah and parallel to the Black stone corner), Du'a during Tawaf, praying two rakaat, drinking Zamzam water, going to Safa and then performing Sa'i between Safa and Marwah, and jogging between the two green miles in the first three runs are all known to pilgrims, but the main thing about performing Hajj is to have faith that is up to the level meant by Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
When Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, has ordained and legislated this act of worship (Hajj), He has intended it to be performed in a certain way (spiritually and with a present heart and mind that is preoccupied with Allah Alone while seeking His Pleasure, Forgiveness, and closeness), so have you performed it this way? The way Allah intends is what matters during Tawaf, Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, during performing the rituals before the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, and on the Day of Tarwiyah.
There are some lessons the pilgrim should learn during Hajj, one of which is the clothes pilgrims wear. People's outfits can tell about their profession, their social position or their class. However, things are different in Hajj, because Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, orders us to get rid of these outfits in order to forget about the secular connotations of them since they reflect one's social position, career and so on. Taking off these outfits is metaphorically taking off the secular interests. Moreover, when you take off the stitched clothes and wear unstitched garments, this reminds you of the last journey (it is death as man is shrouded with the clothe of burial, which is unstitched too). Accordingly, Hajj is a journey that precedes the last one and reminds you of it, so are you well prepared for this last journey?
When you come from your country, leaving behind your status, affairs, society, relatives, worldly life, office and so on, to a place where you do not know anyone, then this reflects abandoning the worldly life. I mean, when someone prays in his country, he will be thinking about many things other than Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, but in Hajj, man should never think of anything mundane, but rather he should be strongly connected to Allah the Almighty.
Anyway, we will discuss next lesson Isnha' Allah some details about Sa'i between Safa and Marwa and the beginning of heading towards Arafat.
***
The Noble Prophet's reaction to the proposal of Quraysh:
Someone may ask, "What is the purpose of reading some incidents from Sirah?" In the first lesson of Sirah, we mentioned the reaction of the Prophet, peace be upon him, when Quraysh gave him an offer to make him the richest man among them, to get married to the most beautiful women and to be their ruler. However, the Prophet refused their offer saying those famous words:
﴾ I swear by the Name of Allah, O Uncle, that if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand in return for giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it. ﴿
[ Prophetic Sirah, by Ibn Hisham ]
This stance of the Prophet, peace be upon him, is known, and our young students must have read this famous saying of the Prophet in schools, but what can we deduce from it? We deduce what benefits us as believers.
Dear believing brothers, don't you have things you can't compromise on? Do you have non-negotiable and unquestionable things in your life? Do you have firm principles for which you sacrifice the precious and the cheap, the soul and the precious, or are you easily affected by whims, forgetting about values and principles? Do you favor your interests over Shari'ah rulings under the pretext that you take fatwas to justify those interests?
This was the first lesson in Sirah, and we went into details while explaining its points.
The way the Prophet welcomed his foster mother:
The second lesson of Sirah is about the way the Prophet, peace be upon him, welcomed his foster mother, Halimah as-Sa'diyah. Although he is Allah's Messenger, he stood up and walked towards her to welcome her. He, peace be upon him, said, "Welcome, my mother." He put his gown on the ground and let her sit on it, and he gave her a camel and 40 goats. Furthermore, he set the captives from her relatives free and gave them booty. Now, let me ask you this question: Are you such a loyal son to your mother? Are you loyal to your educator? Do you appreciat other's favor over you or you forget about it?
We can learn moral lessons from the Prophet's loyalty and faithfulness. Unfortunately, unfaithfulness can be seen in marital life of some couples. A poor husband may forget about his wife's support to him and patience on his poverty, the minute he gets rich. He starts insulting her, and he will get married to another woman. How unfaithful he is!
Once, Khadijah was mentioned before the Prophet, peace be upon him, so he cried and said, "She believed me when people belied me, she supported me when people forsook me, and she gave me her money. Allah the Almighty did not replace her for me with someone better." This is how loyal he used to be to Lady Khadijah.
Indeed, the whole religion is about faithfulness and loyalty; it is to be loyal to your parents, educators, and partner who used to work with you when you were not rich. The rich business man may forget about his partner who used to work with when he was poor, and this but unfaithfulness from his side. So, ask yourself, am I loyal to others the way the Prophet was to his foster mother Halima As-Sa'diyah?
This is all about the topic of the second lesson of Sirah.
The Prophet grazed the sheep to have the upper hand:
The topic of the third lesson of Sirah is: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to graze the sheep, so that his hand would be the upper one. He had a sense of self-respect that he never accepted to be dependent on anyone, nor did he accept to be inferior to anyone. Like the Prophet, peace be upon him, some Muhajireen (immigrants) never accepted to be dependants on Ansar (Supporters). For example, a noble companion offered Abdur-Rahman bin Awf his house and orchard, but the latter refused by saying, "O brother, may Allah bless your money. May you tell me how I can reach the market?" The Ansari (One of the Supporters) was extremely generous, and the Muhajer (one of the Muhajireen) immigrant had a high sense of self-respect.
The incidents that show the companions' behavior, actions and reactions, are in fact moral lessons we should learn. The reaction of the noble companion Abdur-Rahman bin Awf teaches you that as long as you are young and you are physically strong, you are able to be independent financially. The Prophet, peace be upon him, refused to be a burden on his uncle, Abu Talib, and so he grazed the sheep for some Dirhams in order to help his uncle.
In fact, when man works, he appreciates the value of money, and he realizes that making a living is not that easy. So, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to work in order to be in touch with other people, know their situations, understand their problems and work on solving them.
This is all about the topic of the third lesson from the Prophetic Sirah.
The topic of the fourth lesson from Sirah is the I'tikaf of the Prophet, peace be upon him. He used to spend many nights in the Cave of Hira', whereas people today are all busy with their work, and their life is hectic. Man wakes up in the morning, eats his breakfast, goes to his office, and accomplishes his tasks. At two o'clock, he goes home, has his lunch, and takes a nap. After that, he goes to his afternoon job as an accountant, for instance, and he comes back home at ten o'clock. He has his dinner and sleeps till the next day.
This person is consumed in a worthless manner, because he does not have time to reflect on the purpose of his existence. He spends all his time working, having appointments, and holding meetings with others. He will be shocked when death comes unexpectedly, because he does not prepare himself well for the hour of death.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to practice I'tikaf (an Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying alone in a Masjid, or any other place, for a certain number of days, devoting oneself to Ibadah during these days and staying away from worldly affairs. The literal meaning of the word suggests sticking and adhering to, or being regular in something) for several nights in the Cave of Hira'.
I'tikaf is important in everyone's life to gets himself away from all worries and concerns of this life, but let me be clear in this point: the partial solitude is necessary, while the continuous one is unhealthy, as it represents a withdrawal from life and an escape from reality.
As for the partial solitude, it is important to keep one away from the hustle and bustle of work, of gossip, and of being preoccupied with earning money.
I would like to stop at this point for a while. What will happen at the end of my life? What comes next after I achieve these profits? What comes next after I buy this house? What will happen next after I finish building this luxurious house in the resort? What comes after all these things? Death does! Have you prepared yourself for death? Contemplation is necessary to reflect on serious issues; it acts as the brake that prevents man from rushing forward unconsciously. When he contemplates devoting some time to be with Allah the Almighty, he will have the chance to think about everything, and as I have just said, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to spend many nights alone with his Lord in the Cave of Hira'.
I have earlier said that the first purpose of solitude is to ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth. When you are alone with your Lord, there is no mundane interest, no earning money, no trade, no deal, no marriage, no fixing of a complex machine, no buying a machine, no travelling, nor fun to think about in such solitude. Instead, you wonder why you were born on earth and you wonder about the One Who has created you, the reason why He has created you, the mission He has assigned to you, how life ends, and what comes after death.
The first purpose of this solitude with your Lord is the chance to think of your destiny, of the major issues in your faith, and of your principles. The second purpose is to draw closer to Allah, by mentioning His bounties and blessings, by praising, glorifying, and testifying His Monotheism, by making Munajat and Du'a to Him, by reciting His Book (the Noble Quran), by prostrating to Him and so on.
This seclusion has a scientific side and an emotional one. The scientific aspect is to increase your knowledge of Allah the Almighty and of yourself by knowing the reason of your existence, the mission you are assigned to accomplish, the journey after death, and where you were before you came into existence on earth. This is meditation.
The emotional side of this solitude is actually the results of reciting Allah's Book, remembering the blessings of Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, praying Tahajud, prostration, making Du'a, weeping out of fear of Allah, being humble to Him, and hoping to be protected from His Torment and to have your sin forgiven. These things get you closer to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, and the closer you are to Him the clearer your sight is and the happier you feel.
By Allah, the only Deity worthy of worship, the one whose solitude is correct, his deeds will be correct so will be his speech. Besides, he feels on the next day that he is a new man who is enlightened, whose heart is filled with happiness, who is strong physically, intellectually and psychologically, and who feels safe and tranquil.
It is reported in a Hadith Qudsi that Allah the Almighty says:
(( O My servant, do not fall short in praying two Rak'at ahs before sunrise, and I will suffice you till the end of the day. ))
The two main purposes of solitude are to know Allah the Almighty and to be in contact with Him, so if it is not done for these two purposes, it becomes a daydreaming that causes harm to man. There is an anecdote of a man who sat alone and started daydreaming. He said to himself, "Tomorrow, I will sell this jar of honey and will buy with its money a land, will build a house, and will buy a herd of sheep. Also, I will get married, and will have children and will discipline them. If they misbehave, I will hit them with this stick like this", he hit the jar with his stick and broke it, losing the homey that was inside it.
Accordingly, if man isolates himself, he should achieve the two purposes of his isolation: knowing Allah the Almighty and getting closer to Him, lest he becomes just a dreamer who dreams of unrealistic things and talking nonsense. Furthermore, being alone has two dangers; the first danger is to be addicted to a continuous solitude as a way of escaping life and becoming distant from reality, and the second danger is to resort to this solitude for different purposes than those two (i.e. knowing Allah the Almighty and getting closer to Him).
Let your solitude be partial. For example, you can sit alone for quarter or half an hour every morning, or you can practice I'tikaf in Ramadan. What matters is to distance yourself from the hectic life of your society and to go to a calm place where you can dedicate some of your time to Allah the Almighty alone.
The partial solitude that aims at spending some time to know Allah the Almighty and connect to Him is an act of Sunnah the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered us to do. He himself did that in the Cave of Hira'.
