25 March 2012

Battle of Mutah, 41 Inclination and desires
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Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Looking after Hamzah’s Daughter - 'Umarah
One day soon after the return to Medina, the Prophet* was woken from an afternoon siesta by the sound of a somewhat heated discussion. He recognised the voices of 'Ali, Zayd and Ja'far, and it was evident that they were all three at odds with each other. It was also evident that the more they argued, the further they were from reaching an agreement. Opening the door of the room he was in, he called them to him and asked what was the cause of their dispute. They exclaimed that it was a question of honour, as to which of them had most right to be the guardian of Hamzah's daughter, who had been in 'Ali's house ever since her arrival from Mecca. "Come to me," said the Prophet, "and I will judge between you." When they were all seated he turned first to 'Ali and asked him what he had to say for himself. "She is mine uncle's daughter," he said, "and it was I who brought her out from Mecca, and I have most right to her." The Prophet* then turned to Ja'far, who said: "She’s mine uncle's daughter, and her mother's sister is in my house." His wife Asma' was 'Umarah's maternal aunt. As to Zayd, he simply said "She is my brother's daughter," for the Prophet* had made the pact of brotherhood between Hamzah and Zayd when they first came to Medina, and Hamzah had made a testament leaving Zayd in charge of his affairs. There was no doubt that each of the three was convinced that he had the best right to the honour in question. So before pronouncing his judgement the Prophet* spoke words of praise to each one of them. It was then that he said to Ja'far: "Thou art like me in looks and in character."? Not until he saw that he had made each one of them happy did he voice his decision, which was in favour of Ja'far. "Thou hast most right to her," he said. "The mother's sister is as a mother." Ja'far said nothing, but rose to his feet and circled around the Prophet* with the steps of a dancer. "Ja'far, what is this?" said the Prophet. He answered: "It is that which I have seen the Abyssinians do in honour of their kings. If ever the Negus gave a man a good reason to rejoice, that man would rise and dance about him."

‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah and the whale (Rizq from Allah)
The invasion of Al-Khabt (diluted yoghurt) took place in the year eight Hijri i.e. before Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty. Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah led three hundred horsemen to observe a caravan belonging to Quraish. Because of the inadequacy of food supplies, they began to starve so much that they had Khabt (diluted yoghurt), hence the appellation "The Army of Al-Khabt". One of the men slaughtered nine camels at three times, three each time at different stages of the mission. Abu ‘Ubaidah, the leader of the campaign prohibited him from doing so as they didn't have the means to pay back for the camels. Their rations became one date per day and they realised the value of this when the dates ran out! The sea was generous and presented them with an animal called Al-‘Anbar (sperm- whale) so rich in fat that they subsisted on it for half a month. Abu ‘Ubaida got the tallest person to ride standing up on the tallest camel and yet he could not touch to arched rib bone of the whale. When they came back home, they narrated the story to the Prophet* , who commented that it was provision granted by Allah, and asked them to share him some of its meat. This campaign came chronologically prior to Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty because of and after which the Muslims stopped intercepting Quraishi caravans.

The Battle of Mu'tah
It was the most significant and the fiercest battle during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah*, a preliminary and a prelude to the great conquests of the land of the Christians. It took place in Jumada Al-Ula 8 A.H. / September 629 A.D. Mu'tah is a village that lies on the borders of geographical Syria. The Prophet* had sent Al-Harith bin 'Umair Al-Azdi on an errand to carry a letter to the ruler of Busra. On his way, he was intercepted by Sharhabeel bin 'Amr Al-Ghassani, the governor of Al-Balqa' and a close ally to Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor. Al-Harith was tied and beheaded by Al- Ghassani. Killing envoys and messengers used to be regarded as the most awful crime, and amounted to the degree of war declaration. The Prophet* was shocked on hearing the news and ordered that a large army of 3000 men be mobilized and despatched to the north to discipline the transgressors. It was the largest Muslim army never mobilized on this scale except in the process of the Confederates Battle.
Zayd bin Haritha was appointed to lead the army. Ja'far bin Abi Talib would replace him if he was killed, and 'Abdullah bin Rawaha would succeed Ja'far in case the latter fell. A white banner was raised and handed over to Zayd. The Prophet* recommended that they reach the scene of Al-Harith's murder and invite the people to profess Islam. Should the latter respond positively, then no war would ensue, otherwise fighting them would be the only alternative left. He ordered them: "Fight the disbelievers in the Name of Allah, neither breach a covenant nor entertain treachery, and under no circumstances a new-born, woman, an ageing man or a hermit should be killed; moreover neither trees should be cut down nor homes demolished." At the conclusion of the military preparations, the people of Medina gathered and bade the army farewell. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha began to weep at that moment, and when asked why he was weeping, he swore that it was not love for this world nor under a motive of infatuation with the glamour of life but rather the Words of Allah speaking of Fire that he heard the Prophet* reciting: "There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished." [19:71]
The Muslim army then marched northward to Ma'an, a town bordering on geographical Syria. There news came to the effect that Heraclius had mobilized a hundred thousand troops together with another hundred thousand men of Lakham, Judham and Balqain - Arabian tribes allied to the Byzantines. The Muslims, on their part had never thought of encountering such a huge army. They were at a loss about what course to follow, and spent two nights debating these unfavourable conditions. Some suggested that they should write a letter to the Prophet* seeking his advice. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha was opposed to them being reluctant and addressed the Muslims saying: "I swear by Allah that this very object which you hold in abhorrence is the very one you have set out seeking, martyrdom. In our fight we don't count on number of soldiers or equipment but rather on the Faith that Allah has honoured us with. Dart to win either of the two, victory or martyrdom." In the light of these words, they moved to engage with the enemy in Masharif, a town of Al-Balqa', and then changed direction towards Mu'tah where they encamped. The right flank was led by Qutba bin Qatadah Al-'Udhari, and the left by 'Ubadah bin Malik Al-Ansari. Bitter fighting started between the two parties, three thousand Muslims against an enemy fiftyfold as large.
Zayd bin Haritha, the closest to the Messenger's heart, assumed leadership and began to fight tenaciously and in matchless spirit of bravery until he fell, fatally stabbed. Ja'far bin Abi Talib then took the banner and did a miraculous job. In the thick of the battle, he dismounted, hamstrung his horse and resumed fighting until his right hand was cut off. He seized the banner with his left hand until this too was gone. He then clasped the banner with both arms until a Byzantine soldier struck and cut him into two parts. he was posthumously called "the flying Ja'far" or "Ja'far with two wings" because Allah has awarded him two wings to fly wherever he desired there in the eternal Garden. Al-Bukhari reported fifty stabs in his body, none of them in the back. 'Abdullah bin Rawaha then proceeded to hold up the banner and fight bravely on his horseback while reciting enthusiastic verses until he too was killed.
Thereafter, a man, from Bani 'Ajlan, called Thabit bin Al-Arqam took the banner and called upon the Muslims to choose a leader. The honour was unanimously granted to Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a skilled brave fighter and an outstanding strategist. It was reported by Al-Bukhari that he used nine swords that broke while he was relentlessly and courageously fighting the enemies of Islam. He, however, realizing the grave situation the Muslims were in, began to follow a different course of encounter, revealing the super strategy-maker, that Khalid was rightly called. He reshuffled the right and left flanks of the Muslim army and introduced forward a division from the rear in order to cast fear into the hearts of the Byzantine by deluding them that fresh reinforcements had arrived. The Muslims engaged with the enemies in sporadic skirmishes but gradually and judiciously retreating in a fully organized and well-planned withdrawal.
The Prophet*received instant news of the battle through the Angels. As the Prophet*described the battle the tears were flowing down his cheeks, and when the time came for the prayer he led it and immediately withdrew from the Mosque instead of turning to face the congregation as was his wont. He did the same again at sunset, and yet again after the night prayer.
Meantime he had been to the house of Ja'far. "O Asrna'," he said, "bring me Ja'far's sons." With some misgivings at the gravity of his face she fetched the three boys. The Prophet*kissed them, and then again his eyes filled with tears and he wept. "O Messenger of God," she said, "dearer than my father and my mother, what makes you weep? Hath news reached thee of Ja'far and his companions?" "Even so," he said. "They were struck down this day." She uttered a cry of lamentation, and women hastened to her side. The Prophet*returned to his house, and ordered food to be prepared for the family of Ja'far during the next days. "Their grief doth busy them", he said, "beyond caring for their own needs." Umm Ayman and Usamah and the rest of Zayd's family were in his house. He had already condoled with them; and as he returned, Zayd's little daughter came out into the street in tears, and seeing him she ran into his arms. He now wept unrestrainedly, and as he clasped the child to him his body shook with sobs. Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah happened to pass by at that moment and searching in himself for words of comfort, he murmured: "O Messenger of God, what is this?" "This," said the Prophet*, "is one who loveth yearning for his beloved." That night the Prophet*had a vision of Paradise, and he saw that Zayd was there, and Ja'far and 'Abd Allah and the other martyrs of the battle; and he saw Ja'far flying with wings like an Angel. At dawn he went to the Mosque; his Companions sensed that the weight of his sorrow had left him; and after the prayer he turned as usual to face the congregation. Then he went again to Asrna', to tell her of his vision; and she was greatly consoled.
The Byzantines, seeing this new strategy, believed that they were being entrapped and drawn in the heart of the desert. They stopped the pursuit, and consequently the Muslims managed to retreat back to Medina with the slightest losses. The Muslims sustained twelve martyrs, whereas the number of casualties among the Byzantines was unknown although the details of the battle point clearly to a large number. Even though the battle did not satisfy the Muslims' objective, namely avenging Al-Harith's murder, it resulted in a far-ranging impact and attached to the Muslims a great reputation in the battlefields. The Byzantine Empire, at that time, was a power to be reckoned with, and mere thinking of antagonizing it used to mean self-annihilation, let alone a three-thousand-soldier army going into fight against 200,000 soldiers far better equipped and lavishly furnished with all luxurious conveniences. The battle was a real miracle proving that the Muslims were something exceptional not then familiar. It is said that only 12 Muslims died in the battle.

Hadith 41 (of Nawawi's Forty Hadith)
Hadith 41: Inclinations and Desires according to Islam
Abu Muhammad 'Abdullah bin Amr bin al-'As reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "None of you (truly) believes until his desire or inclination is in accordance with what I have brought or subservient to what I came with." [al-Maqdidsi]
This hadith is similar to His statement   "But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith [Iman] until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them" [Surah an-Nisaa', 65].   In Surah al-Ahzab Ayah 36, Allah says: It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision.
The reason for the revelation of the first ayah, as related by al-Bukhari, was as follows :  Az-Zubair had a quarrel with a man from amongst the Ansar over the use of water from a stream, so they both went to the Messenger of Allah* for judgement between them. So he* said: "O Zubair, irrigate your land and then let the water flow to [the land of] your neighbour." Through this, he* encouraged az-Zubair to pardon his neighbour and to make affairs easy for him. However, the Ansari then said : "[You have judged in his favour] because he is the son of your uncle". So the colour of the face of the Messenger of Allah* changed [from anger], and he said : "O Zubair, hold back the water [in your land] until it rises to the level of the stems [of the trees], and then let it flow [to your neighbours land]". And by this the Messenger of Allah* indicated to az-Zubair the means by which the Ansari could be corrected from his error [of not submitting to the judgement of the Prophet*].
And it has been authenticated from the Prophet* in another hadith that he* said : "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his father or child or the whole of mankind". Abu az-Zinaad said that this is from the Comprehensive Speech of the Prophet*, as he has combined in these few, simple words great meaning and import. This is so since the types of Love are three: the Love which arises from a feeling of respect and greatness, such as the Love of ones parents; the Love which arises from compassion and mercy, such as the Love of ones child; and the Love which arises from seeing in another [person] traits which are similar to ones own, such as the Love of the whole of mankind in general. Thus all the types of Love have been enumerated [by the Prophet* in this hadith].
And the import of the hadith is that one must not surrender ones soul to [any person] other than the Messenger*. And the Companions used to be alongside the Prophet* in fighting their own fathers and sons and brothers [who were polytheists], and Abu 'Ubaydah killed his own father due to his harming the Messenger of Allah*. And on the Day of Badr, Abu Bakr faced his own son, 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan, in the hope that he would be able to overcome him and kill him. So whosoever finds similar to this in his self then he can be assured that his desires are subservient to that which the Prophet* brought.
It is an obligation on every single believer to love what Allah loves and to hate what Allah hates to a degree that will motivate them to fulfill his or her obligations. If that love is increased above the level which will lead to fulfilling the preferable acts (mandoub), this is considered an additional preferable level. At the same time, he should hate or dislike what Allah hates or dislikes to the extent that will lead him to avoid all the prohibitions. If that level leads him to avoid what needs to be avoided, then that is an additional level that Allah will reward him for.
In the two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim it is related that the Prophet*, said: "None of you will be truly a believer until I become more beloved to him than himself, his children, his family, and all the people." The true love necessitates that one has to follow whatever has been commanded by Allah and the Prophet*, as stated in Surah al-Imran Ayah 31-32: Say (O Muhammad*): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Say (O Muhammad*): "Obey Allah and the Messenger." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers.
The true believer is one who loves Allah and the Prophet*, truly and sincerely from his or her heart, and loves whatever Allah loves and whatever the Prophet*, loves, and hates whatever Allah hates and whatever the Prophet*, hates or dislikes. This love will lead him to act in accordance with these likes and dislikes. If someone acts in a different way, the obligatory love to Allah and the Prophet*, is not complete and has a defect. In this case, he has to repent and do his best to fulfill all the obligatory levels to achieve complete love to Allah and towards His Prophet*. All the sins or disobedience that take place as a result of desires happen because self-desire is given a higher degree or outweighs the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet*. Allah attributes this in the Qur'an to the disbelievers. In Surah al-Qasas Ayah 50, Allah says: But if they answer you not, then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than the one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?
Allah also commanded one of his Prophets not to follow his desires. In Surah Saad Ayah 26, Allah says: And follow not your desire, for it will mislead you from the Path of Allah. Allah has made restraining desires one of the conditions to be fulfilled in order to enter Paradise. Allah says in Surah al-Nazi'at Ayah 40-41: But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode.
Anyone who does anything that contradicts with the Message that Allah sent His Prophet*, with and violates any of the instructions or prohibitions, is a person who is following his own desires. It should be noted that desire has to do with likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes are not the main goal. Scholars say that the main point here is not to be influenced by those likes or dislikes. If someone likes something that violates the shari'ah, this person is following his own desires. If that person is influenced by those likes or dislikes, this will lead to an act. The act will lead to forms of actions which either pleases or displeases Allah. In both cases, the person has full responsibility and accountability. The responsibility and accountability are not for the likes or dislikes. They are for what the likes or dislikes lead him to. It is known that following the desires is the reason behind many evil acts and it is also the basis for bid'ah (heresy). When someone follows his desires without evidence or truth, this will lead him to fall into bid'ah easily. And those who are misled by their desires are the first to follow misconceptions, as stated by many scholars. Whenever there is a misconception they easily fall into problems or troubles.
Muslims must be sincere in their efforts to fight self-desires. The issue is not to like or dislike but what the result of this likes or dislikes is. For instance, if someone is sleeping before dawn in the early morning and then he hears the call for Fajr prayer but is too lazy or sleepy to wake up to perform the salah, this is considered following his self-desires. Everyone likes to sleep but the problem is the result of this leads us to delay or miss the Fajr prayer ( a wajibat). Another example is food. There are many things that we can eat but if they are not halal, we have to refrain from consuming them. A third example is the love of money. To like money is one thing but to be misled by money is a problem because this will lead the heart to be enslaved to money and the worldly life. This explains why the scholars say that committing sins is actually a result of desires. We should make the shari'ah as the judging authority for everything we do. Before we do something, we should ask ourselves: Is this act based on a sound reason? If the answer is not, then we are following the desires. This is why Allah labels the Qur'an as Al-Furqan or as the criterion that distinguishes what is right and what is wrong.
Tips to Control your Desires
There are signs of following desires. One of the signs is neglecting or turning away from seeking beneficial 'ilm (the needed knowledge of Islam). Another sign of following desires is turning one's back from the guidance that the Prophet*, has come with. One scholar mentions that the objective of shari'ah is to keep Muslims away from desires so that the believer will be a servant to Allah willingly and become an honest servant of Allah. He also states that following one's desires with regard to the rulings of shari'ah is a problematic issue where a person might use tricks to fulfill his desires, using deception in order to evade the rulings of shari'ah. With regards to how one can control and deal with one's desires, firstly Al-Imam Al-Shatibi says that the main thing is to make the law of shari'ah and its rulings as a judging authority that every Muslim should respect, appreciate, and comply with. Secondly, some other scholars mention feeling Allah's presence, seeking knowledge, and the continuance remembrance of Allah are the ways of controlling self-desires. Thirdly, Imam Ibn Qayyim mentions about 50 ways of dealing with self-desires. Even those who are already influenced by self-desire can use any of these ways to get rid of their self-desires. He mentions this in his book Rawdat al-Muhebin (Garden of Lovers). The following are 15 selected ways:
1. Strong resolution.
2. Patience.
3. Self-courage.
4. Considering consequences.
5. Reflecting that Muslims have been created for a great mission which cannot be fulfilled except by controlling one's desires.
6. Not to be enslaved by self-desires.
7. To know that Satan is the enemy that gets through the servants of Allah. Satan uses desires to influence people.
8. To know that following self-desires will lead to someone's destruction and punishment by Allah.
9. To know that fighting desires by making an effort in order not to be influenced by the desires is one of the greatest forms of jihad. Fighting desires is the essential message of Islam. Muslims are required to make every effort to adhere to the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
10. To know that the one who lets the desires take over and lead him will spoil his intellectual opinion.
11. To know that following desires will weaken the eagerness for performing good deeds. The opposite is also true in this case - that is, not following desires leads to strengthening one's motivation to perform good deeds.
12. To know that not being misled by desires will lead to the honour in this life and the Hereafter.
13. To know that following desires is the main cause of the spiritual heart disease and the remedy of the disease is to not follow desires. We have to make jihad to fight desires otherwise we will not be able to fight our enemies.
14. To know that seeking knowledge and feeding it by performing the preferable acts will strengthen one's faith.
15. To know that we need to be enlightened by the Qur'an and Sunnah. This requires us to make the effort to recite the Qur'an in order to know the meaning and the wisdom behind the ayahs.

Children's Feedback:

Importance of prayer with tips and virtues thereof

Muslim Inventions - Bookshops

Doing the Right Thing

Hajj Museum Trip Discussions

18 March 2012

Lesser Pilgrimage; 40 Stranger/Traveller

* SURVEY ~ Future Circles for Harborne Islamic Study Circle *
Topics that the children (and adults) wanted covering in future Study Circles included Fiqh Topics, General Topics and Teenager Issues.
Please vote for which things you would like to discuss during the Circle.
Rank them according to which topic you would like to really do to the one you are least interested in.
Vote for as many or as few as you like....
This shouldn't take more than 5 minutes (InshaAllah)
Thank You.
Naveed

** The link for the Survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HJS5R9R   **

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Muhalim wrongly kills a person who said ‘Assalamu Alaikum’
On the way back from a short expedition Muhalim killed a person who greeted him with ‘Assalamu Alaikum’. There was some tension between Muhalim and this person in the days of Jahiliyyah (before Islam). Muhalim then took over his camel and property. The leader of the tribe of the killed person came to the Prophet* to ask that Muhalim be killed as rightful retribution allowed in Islam. Muhalim’s tribal chief asked the Prophet* for clemency. The Prophet* finally managed to convince the aggrieved chief to take blood money. Then Muhalim’s friends asked him to seek forgiveness from the Prophet* but the Prophet was angry and said ‘Oh Allah, do not forgive Muhalim’. This obviously upset Muhalim and later Allah revealed a verse criticising the behaviour of Muhalim. Hence, we learn that ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ is the greeting of Muslims and a way to spread peace and love – and that killing a Muslim wrongly is a great sin (as we discussed last week).

Obey your leader – but only in Islam (the Good)
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those of you (Muslims) who are in (rightful) authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. (An-Nisa 4:59)
The Sahabahs went out with a leader [ameer] and he told them to build a fire and then he said, 'jump in the fire'. However, they disobeyed him and Muhammad* said it was good they did not obey him as the leader must obey Allah and his Rasool* and listen only in the ‘Good’ (Khair = Islam). If they had jumped in the fire they would never have left (ie., Hellfire). Ibn Umar (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger* said, ‘It is incumbent on a Muslim person to listen and obey whether he likes it or hates it as long as he is not commanded to commit sin. If he is given command to sin then he must neither listen nor obey.” [Muslim]. Hence, we can't be obedient to the "created" things if that means we disobey the "Creator" of things. The man is ameer of the home but if he says to do something haram he should be disobeyed as obedience is to Allah and His message. Today, many leaders of Muslims ask the people to do things that are not allowed by Islam and we should be careful who we follow!

The Compensatory ‘Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage)
Preparing for the Journey
The months drew on until almost a year had passed since the signing of the treaty of Hudaibiyah, It was now time to set off for Mecca in accordance with the promise of Quraysh that the Prophet* and his Companions should have safe access to the Holy Precinct in order to perform the rite of the Lesser Pilgrimage. There were about two thousand pilgrims in all, including the would-be pilgrims of the previous year, except for a few who had died or been killed in battle.
When Dhul Qa‘da month approached towards the close of the seventh year A.H., the Prophet* ordered his people, and the men who witnessed Al-Hudaibiyah Truce Treaty in particular, to make preparations to perform ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). He proceeded with 2000 men besides some women and children, and 60 camels for sacrifice, to visit the Holy Sanctuary in Mecca. The Muslims took their weapons with them fearing the treachery of the Quraishites, but left them with a party of two hundred men at a place some eight miles from Mecca. They entered the city with the swords in their scabbards. The Quraish were initially upset that the Prophet brought weapons and feared he* would attack – but were reassured that the heavy weapons would be left outside Mecca.

Entering the emptied city of Mecca
When they heard that the pilgrims had reached the edge of the sacred territory, Quraysh vacated the whole of the hollow of Mecca and withdrew to the tops of the surrounding hills. The chiefs of Quraysh were gathered together on Mount Abu Kubays, from which they could look down into the Mosque and the others aligned on the top of Qu‘aiqa‘an Mount watching the Muslims, tongue-tied at witnessing their strength and devotion. They also had a wide view of the surrounding country; and now they saw the pilgrims emerge in a long file from the north-western pass which leads down into the valley just below the city. The Prophet* at their head on his she-camel, Al-Qaswa’, while the surrounding Companions attentively focusing their look on him Their ears soon caught an indistinct murmur which quickly became distinguishable as the age-old pilgrim's cry: Labbayk Alldhumma Labbayk, [Here I am, a God, at Thy service].
The Muslims performed the usual circumambulation (tawaaf) vigorously and briskly; and on recommendation by the Prophet* they did their best to appear strong and steadfast in their circumambulation as the polytheists had spread rumours that they were weak because the fever of Yathrib (Medina) had sapped their strength. They were ordered to run in the first three rounds and then walk in the remaining ones.
The long procession of bare-headed, white-robed men was led by the Prophet*, with 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah on foot, holding the bridle. When they entered the Holy Sanctuary, ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha walked before the Prophet* reciting: "Get out of his way, you disbelievers, make way, we will fight you about its revelation with strokes that will remove heads from shoulders and make friend unmindful of friend." Of the others some were on camelback and some on foot. They made straight for the Holy House by the nearest way. Each man was wearing his upper garment as a cloak, but at the entrance to the Mosque the Prophet* adjusted his, passing it under his right arm, leaving the shoulder bare, and crossing the two ends over the left shoulder so that they hung down back and front. The others followed his example. Still mounted, he rode to the south-east corner of the Ka'bah and reverently touched the Black Stone with his staff. Then he made the seven circuits of the House, after which he withdrew to the foot of the little hill of Safa, and passed to and fro between it and the hill of Marwah, seven courses in all, ending at Marwah, to which many of the sacrificial animals had now been led.
There he sacrificed a camel, and his head was shaved by Khirash, who had done the same for him at Hudaibiyah. This completed the rite of the Lesser Pilgrimage. The main body of the pilgrims had now performed the basic rites of the lesser pilgrimage, but there remained those who were entrusted the charge of the weapons. The Prophet* had these relieved, and they went through the same devotions as the others did.

After the rites were completed
He then returned to the Mosque, intending to enter the Holy House, cluttered with idols though it was. But the doors were locked, and the key was with a member of the clan of 'Abd ad-Dar. The Prophet* sent a man to ask for it, but the chiefs of Quraysh replied that this was not in their agreement, the entry into the House not being part of the Pilgrimage rite. So none of the Muslims entered it that year; but when the sun had reached its zenith the Prophet* told Bilal to go up to the roof of the Ka'bah and make the call to prayer. His resonant voice filled the whole valley of Mecca and floated up to the tops of the hills, first with the magnification, then with the two restifications of Islam: "I bear witness that there is no god but God. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." From Abu Kubays the chiefs of Quraysh could plainly distinguish Bilal, and they were outraged at the sight of the black slave on the roof of the Holy House. But above all they were conscious that this was a triumph for the enemy which might have incalculable repercussions, and they bitterly regretted having signed the treaty, which a year ago had seemed to be in their favour.

The Prophet* marries Maymunah
The pilgrims spent three days in the evacuated city. The Prophet's tent was pitched in the Mosque. During the nights those of the Meccans who were Muslims in secret stole down from the hills, and there were many joyous encounters. 'Abbas, whose Islam was tolerated by Quraysh, openly spent most of the three days with the Prophet. It was then that he offered him in marriage his wife's sister Maymunah, now a widow, and the Prophet* accepted. Maymunah and Umm al-Fadl were full sisters, and with them, living in the household of 'Abbas, was their half-sister Salma, the widow of Hamzah, and her daughter Umerah. 'Ali suggested that their cousin, Hamzah's daughter, should not be left amongst the idolaters, to which the Prophet* and 'Abbas agreed; and since Fatirnah was one of the pilgrims it was arranged that she should take Umerah with her in her howdah.
When the three days were at an end, Suhayl and Huwaytib came down from Abu Kubays and said to the Prophet* who was sitting with Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah and others of the Helpers: "Thy time is finished, so begone from us." The Prophet* answered: "How would it harm you to give me some respite, that I may celebrate my marriage amongst you and prepare for you a feast?" "We need not thy feast," they said. "Begone from us. We adjure thee by God, O Muhammad, and by the pact which is between us, to leave our country. This was the third night, which now is passed." Sa'd was angry at their lack of courtesy, but the Prophet* silenced him, saying: "O Sa'd, no ill words to those who have come to visit us in our camp!" Then he gave orders that by nightfall every pilgrim should have left the city. But he made an exception for his servant, Abu Rafi', whom he told to stay behind and bring Maymunah with him, which he did; and the marriage was consummated at Sarif, a few miles outside the Sacred Precinct.
 

Narrators attached different designations to this lesser pilgrimage. Some called it the compensatory lesser pilgrimage, performed instead of that uncompleted of Hudaibiyah; and the other one, given preponderance by jurists, is the lesser pilgrimage consequent on certain terms of a treaty already agreed upon. On the whole, compensatory, judicial consent, retribution and reconciliation are all terms applicable to that visit.
 

Hadith 40 (of Nawawi's Forty Hadith)

Hadith 40: Be as a Stranger or Traveller
On the authority of Ibn Umer, who said: The Messenger of Allah*, took me by the shoulder and said: "Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveller/wayfarer."
Ibn Umer used to say: "When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death." [Al-Bukhari]

There are so many verses in the Qur'an that make comparisons between the worldly life and the Hereafter. The priority and emphasis is made on the Hereafter where it is described as the real life and the worldly life as a life of nothing but entertainment and amusement. Allah says in Surah al-An'am, Ayah 32: And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion but the home of Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah. Will you not then reason? And in Surah al-'Ankabut, Ayah 64, Allah expresses the same meaning mentioned in the previous ayah. The same meaning is also expressed in other ayahs such as in Surah Muhammad Ayah 36, Surah Yunus Ayah 26, Surah al-Kahf Ayah 45 -46, Surah Fater Ayah 5, Surah al-A'la Ayah 16-17, and Surah al-Isra' Ayah 18-19.
In all of the above mentioned ayahs, Allah draws the attention of the believers toward the Hereafter to remind them that it is the final destination and the real life and enjoyment of the believers. Allah also comments on this life as nothing but amusement and diversion. It is a life of a test and trial. It is a life used as a means of getting us forward to the Hereafter.

Spirituality
Islam does not view spirituality as some Hindus (body is a vessel and suppress desires to be close to God – like a guru living in isolation) or Christians (where the ‘spirit’ is sent by Jesus to enter the body and get them close to piety through supernatural means). In Islam there is no nullification of life as some people may misunderstand. There is a balance and adjustment between this life and the Hereafter. There should be no polarization or what Islam is - rahbanah or extremism. There should be no conflict between this life and the next life. There is a kind of moderate conception about this life and the Hereafter. Islam also makes it an obligation that the believers cultivate the earth and make it as an amanah for them to establish the Islamic civilization which is based on Tawhid, good morals and values. This civilisation is guided by revelation. This is considered an obligation.
Furthermore, the concept of 'ubudiyyah (worshipping Allah) is a comprehensive concept where everything we do in this life, if it is guided by revelation and is done with a good intention, becomes a form of worship even though it is a worldly matter. If the thing is done in accordance with the teachings of shari'ah and the main guidelines of revelation, then there will be the adjustment and the harmony between this life and the Hereafter. The Muslim's life in this world and the Hereafter should be in total submission and devotion to the will of Allah. The Muslim should establish a good life, improve his way of life and aim for the Hereafter at the same time. By doing so, he is obeying Allah, being guided by His guidance and instructions. He will still enjoy this life but at the same time whatever he does will be recorded by Allah as his good deeds. Consequently, he will get the pleasure of Allah.

Effective tools to spread the word
The hadith starts with Abdullah bin Umer (Ibn Umer), saying: "The Messenger of Allah*, took me by the shoulder and said." Here we can learn many lessons as teachers and educators. We have to show care and attention to our audience if we want to be good educators or teachers. This can be achieved in many different ways. The Prophet*, used to follow different approaches when dealing with his audience. Sometimes he called upon the name of a certain person and in other times, like in this hadith, he gets closer to the person he is speaking to by putting his hand on his shoulder. Sometimes the Prophet*, will start his advice or teaching with a statement that attracts the attention of the audience . For example, we can see this in a previous hadith (19) that has been said on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas when the Prophet*, said "O young man, I will teach you some words (of wisdom)." Sometimes the Prophet*, used the questioning style as we saw in a number of previous hadiths. The questioning style plays a significant role in conveying the message and attracting the attention of the audience. The Prophet*, asks the question where the answer to that question is only known to him. The audience and the addressee will be more keen and motivated to know the answer. In general, the Prophet*, used all of these approaches or means to show care to the addressee, to attract their attention, and also to stress or emphasise the meaning he wanted to convey. This is also sometimes achieved by repeating what he says. Sometimes he would draw diagrams (e.g. a circle or a square) on the ground. Other times he would use analogy to clarify or simplify a certain concept. All of the above mentioned ways can be adopted as techniques for educating.

The Prophet’s* short but powerful advice
The Prophet*, tells the believers how to deal with this life, and as usual he offers his audience with more than one choice. In this hadith, the Prophet*, is giving two choices or levels with regards to living in this world:
1. To be as a stranger
This is usually the easier choice. The Prophet*, used the analogy 'to be as a stranger' because, as scholars points out, the stranger is usually prepared to eventually go back to his original place or home town. His heart will always long for his home. His main concern will be to be in preparation to do whatever possible and beneficial for returning. A stranger does not look like the other people in his current environment - he is different. Similarly, the believer should be different from those who only care about this life and worldly matters. He should rid himself of the yearning for this materialistic world, a world where some people do not care about the spiritual aspects and the Hereafter. As believers, we should be different from the 'people of this world'.
2. To be a traveller or wayfarer, travelling along a path
This is a higher level than the stranger. The traveller is always travelling day and night without stopping, He is heeding towards his final destination. Even if he stops for a while, this is to provide himself with the needed power to continue his journey and to go farther until he achieves his main objective. A stranger might obtain and keep more things than he actually needs but the traveller takes as little as possible in terms of luggage or other things. Similarly, the believer who is in such a situation has a main objective or concern - and that is not to take more than what he needs (i.e. he should not be weighed down with materialistic things or wealth). Another thing is the traveller needs to know that he is travelling on the right path, the straight path. For this, he needs to obtain the right knowledge (ilm). He also needs good, helpful companions to help him on his way. Some scholars ask how would a person be contented with this life where the day distorts the month and the month distorts the year and the year will distort the age? That is how this person will be satisfied with this life if his age will lead him to his final destination and his life will lead him to death. One scholar said when a person looks back at his life since his awareness of this life until this moment, it will seem like a blink of an eye. What remains for the rest of his life is also like that 'blink of an eye'. If that is the case, the person should be careful and wise up.

Ibn Umer’s Advice
Ibn Umer says: "When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening." This saying is like an explanation to the hadith. Al-Bukhari mentions it because the Prophet*, is talking to Ibn Umer. If one still did not understand the message, Ibn Umer continues by saying: "Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death." This means that today you may be healthy, but you never know about the future. It is then wise and better to perform good deeds and to be closer to Allah now before being unhealthy or before dying. This meaning has been stressed by the Prophet*, in other hadiths where he asks us to utilise our time and to do beneficial things whether in this life or in the Hereafter.
This part of the hadith reminds us of the more famous hadith: “Take advantage of five before [another] five occur: Your life before death, your health before your illness, your free time before your preoccupation, your youth before your old age and your wealth before you poverty.” (Haakim) Allah, has given us ample ability and opportunity to perform good deeds, it’s up to us whether we take advantage of them. We are also reminded that the things that we have at our disposal now, will not be with us forever. Each of these five resources can also be a trial for human beings. Indeed, the trial of bounties can be harder than the trial of hardships. When we have a hardship we turn to Allah, but when we have bounties, we tend to forget who gave them to us. In this case, the believer must work harder to restrain themselves, and only partake in that which is permissible and good. Let us look at each of these trials in detail:

Wealth: There is no doubt that wealth is one of the greatest trials facing man. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, tells us in the Qur’an:  “Know that your wealth and your children are not but a trial for you and that Allah has with Him a great reward” (Surah al-Anfaal:28) Similarly the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised us: “Verily, for every nation there is a fitnah (trial and temptation). And the fitnah of my nation is wealth.” (Tirmidhi) One of the greatest trials of wealth, both earning it and spending it, is that it diverts us from the most important thing in life, the remembrance of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. Allah tells us: “O you who believe, let not your wealth and children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that, then they are the losers.” (Surah al-Munaafiqoon:9)
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised us in a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, that the ones with the most wealth, will have the least on the Day of Resurrection, except those who say, ‘This is for that, this is for that and this is for that’. In other words, they give their wealth away for good causes. Using wealth in a good way is one of the greatest ways in which we can earn Allah’s pleasure. Allah tells us: “And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.’ But never will Allah delay a soul when its time has come. And Allah is acquainted with what you do.” (al-Munaafiqoon:10-11)

Free Time: Free time is amongst one of the important bounties that Allah gives mankind. When we have time that is uninterrupted, we can devote it to study, memorising the Qur’an , helping the poor and needy and other good deeds. If we have time available to us, we have no excuse if we do not use it for the pleasure of Allah. This time will be a proof against us on the Day of Judgement. Unfortunately, our societies seem to be dedicated to entertainment, enjoyment, pleasure and sensual gratification, rather than spending time contemplating the purpose of our existence and our relationship with our Creator. Television, movies, sports, music, art and alcohol are all temptations to sidetrack us from our true purpose in life. The loss of our free time in these is a devastating loss that we will come to regret on the Day of Judgement.

Health: Sickness is a great barrier to performing good deeds, as most good deeds require some type of effort to be exerted. If we become ill, even temporarily, we will not find the means to perform these deeds. By Allah’s infinite mercy, if a person was doing good deeds, then became ill preventing them from doing the deeds, Allah will reward them as if they had been able to perform them. But if a person was not performing good deeds, and then got ill, they will not get any extra reward.

Youth: Youth is one of the most important times in a persons’ life, because they have strength, energy, zeal and more free time. Sadly, it is not unusual for people to consider youth a time for fun and enjoyment. However, this is not the correct Islamic approach. According to Islamic law, when a person reaches puberty, they are fully responsible for their deeds. All training of our youth should therefore be complete before this age. As we mentioned in previous hadith, it was the young Companions to whom the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, gave the most profound advice. If they had reached puberty, the young Companions took part in battles, some even leading armies at the tender age of eighteen.

Life: Every Muslim must realise that this life is a trial. Allah has given us this life to see how we will use it. Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “Blessed is He in whose hands is the dominion, and He is powerful over all things. [He] who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.” (Surah al-Mulk:1-2)  Our lives will soon come to an end, and if we spent all our time chasing after our own desires – what will we have to show for our time in this world? The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, advised us: “Three things follow the deceased [to his grave], two of them return and one remains will him: His family, wealth and deeds follow him while his family and wealth return and only his deeds remain with him.” (Bukhari)  Only the good deeds that we perform in this life, for the sake of Allah, will be of benefit to us in the Hereafter. So take the time to get your priorities in order before death overcomes you, as it inevitably will.

The impact of this hadith on the life of Muslims
1. To increase the sense of responsibility in terms of our duties towards Allah, the Prophet*, relatives, and the community members.
2. To motivate the Muslims to enjoin what is good and to forbid what is evil.
3. To be closer to Allah at all times.
4. To minimise weaknesses, shortcomings and sinful acts.
5. To maximise self-accountability and self-reckoning.
6. To emphasise taqwa and fearing Allah the Almighty.
7. To be safeguarded from being misled or enslaved by self-interests, desires and worldly temptations.

Challenges that threaten the above mentioned concept of dealing with this life in a good way
1. The promotion of the materialistic aspects of life, especially by the media.
2. The complexity of contemporary life where there are more problems, and the engagement in life activities without proper balance.
3. Rapid life changes due to technology advancement and progress which in turn creates other problems, such as:
   * Adjustment between the old lifestyle and the new lifestyle.
   * The emergence of new values which lead to conflicts between sets of values.
   * Technology misuse.
   * The increase of social ills.
   * The weak religious awareness and education or spiritual training in the Islamic world (i.e. tazkiyyah).
4. The challenges of modernity.
5. The challenges of globalisation and promotion of imposed corrupted western values.

Children's Feedback
Importance of Mothers (as it is Mother's Day)

Discussion about the Hajj Exhibition at the British Museum...

11 March 2012

Return from Khaibar; and Hadith 39: Leniency on those who Err, Forget, or is Forced

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Wadi Al-Qura

No sooner had the Prophet* discharged the affair of Khaibar than he started a fresh move towards Wadi Al-Qura, another Jewish colony in Arabia. He mobilized his forces and divided them into three regiments with four banners entrusted to Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada, Al-Hubab bin Mundhir, ‘Abbad bin Bishr and Sahl bin Haneef. Prior to fighting, he invited the Jews to embrace Islam but all his words and exhortations fell on deaf ears. Eleven of the Jews were killed one after another and with each one newly killed, a fresh call was extended inviting those people to profess the new faith. Fighting went on ceaselessly for approximately two days and resulted in full surrender of the Jews. Their land was conquered, and a lot of booty fell in the hands of the Muslims. The Prophet* stayed in Wadi Al-Qura for four days, distributed the booty among the Muslim fighters and reached an agreement with the Jews similar to that of Khaibar.

The Jews of Taima’

On hearing beforehand about the successive victories of the Muslim army and the defeats that their brethren, the Jews, had sustained, showed no resistance when the Prophet* reached their habitation. On the contrary, they took the initiative and offered to sign a reconciliation treaty to the effect that they receive protection but pay tribute (Jizya)  in return. Having achieved his objective and subdued the Jews completely, the Prophet* made his way back home and arrived in Medina in late Safar or early Rabi‘ Al-Awwal 7 A.H.

It is noteworthy that the Prophet*, being the best amongst war experts, realized quite readily that evacuating Medina after the lapse of the prohibited months (Muharram, Dhul Qa‘da and Dhul Hijja) would not be wise at all with the presence of the desert bedouins roaming in its vicinity. Such a careless attitude, the Prophet* believed, would tempt the undisciplined mob to practise their favourite hobby of plundering, looting and all acts of piracy. This premonition always in mind, the Prophet* despatched Aban bin Sa‘id at the head of a platoon to deter those bedouins and forestall any attempt at raiding the headquarters of the nascent Islamic state during his absence in Khaibar. Aban achieved his task successfully and joined the Prophet* in Khaibar after it had been conquered.

The Expedition called Dhat-ur-Riqa

Having subdued two powerful sides of the Confederates coalition, the Prophet* started preparations to discipline the third party, i.e. the desert bedouins, who took Najd for habitation, and continued in their usual practices of looting and plundering. Unlike the Jews of Khaibar and people of Mecca, they had a liking for living in the wilderness dispersed in scattered spots, hence the difficulty of bringing them under control, and the futility of carrying out deterrent campaigns against them. However, the Prophet* was determined to put an end to this unacceptable situation and called the Muslims around him to get ready to launch a decisive campaign against those harassing rebels. Meanwhile it was reported to him that Bani Muharib and Banu Tha‘lbah of the Ghatafan tribe were gathering army in order to encounter the Muslims. The Prophet* proceeded towards Najd at the head of 400 or 700 men, after he had mandated Abu Dhar - in another version, ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan - to dispose the affairs of Medina during his absence. The Muslim fighters penetrated deep into their land until they reached a spot called Nakhlah where they came across some bedouins of Ghatfan, but no fighting took place because the latter had agreed to go into reconciliation with the Muslims. The Prophet* led his followers that day in a prayer of fear (Salat-ul Kauf).

Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari, narrated that they set out on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah*. "We were six in number and had (with us) only one camel which we rode turn by turn. Our feet were injured. My feet were so badly injured that my nails came off. We, therefore, bandaged our feet with rags, so this expedition was called Dhat-ur-Riqa‘ (i.e. the expedition of rags.)"

Jabir narrated: In the course of Dhat-ur-Riqa‘ expedition, we came to a leafy tree where the Prophet* sat shading himself off the burning sun. The others dispersed here and there seeking shelter from heat. The Prophet* had a short nap after he had hung his sword on the tree. A polytheist, meanwhile came, seized the sword and unsheathed it. The Prophet* woke up to find his sword drawn in the man’s hand. The bedouin here asked the Prophet (unarmed then): "Who would hold me back from killing you now?" The Prophet* then answered: "It is Allah." In another version, it was reported that the Prophet* took the sword when it had fallen down and the man said: "You (the Prophet) are the best one to hold a sword." The Prophet* asked the man if he would testify to the Oneness of Allah and the Messengership of Muhammad. The Arabian answered that he would never engage in a fight against him, nor would he ally people fighting the Muslims. The Prophet* set the man free and let him go to his people to say to them that he had seen the best one among all people.

A woman from the Arabians was taken prisoner in the context of this battle. Her husband, on hearing the news, swore he would never stop until he had shed the blood of a Muslim. Secretly at night, he approached the camp of the Muslims when he saw two sentries stationed there to alert the Muslims against any emergency. He shot the first one, Abbad bin Bishr, who was observing prayer, with an arrow but he did not stop prayer, he simply pulled it out. Then he was shot by three other arrows but would not interrupt his prayer. After he had done the closing salutations, he awakened his companion ‘Ammar bin Yasir, who remonstrated that he should have alerted him to which the latter replied that he was half way through a Chapter and did not like to interrupt it.

The victory at the expedition of Dhat-ur-Riqa‘ had a tremendous impact on all the Arabians. It cast fear into their hearts and rendered them too powerless to antagonize the Muslim society in Medina. They began to acquiesce in the prevailing situation and resigned themselves to new geo-political conditions working in favour of the new religion. Some of them even embraced Islam and took an active part in the conquest of Mecca and the battle of Hunain, and received their due shares of the war booty.

Other Expeditions

From that time onward, the anti-Islam tripartite coalition had been subdued, and peace and security prevailed. The Muslims, then started to redress any political imbalance and fill in the small gaps that still triggered unrest here and there in the face of the great drive of Islamization that enveloped the whole area. We could in this context mention some of these incidental skirmishes which pointed markedly to the ever-growing power of the Muslim society.

1. A platoon headed by Ghalib bin ‘Abdullah Al- Laithi in Safar or in Rabi‘ Al- Awwal 7 A.H. was despatched to muffle the provocative behaviour of Bani Al- Muluh. The Muslims managed to kill a large number of the enemy soldiers and captured a great deal of booty. A large army of polytheists rushed in their heel but floods hindered the pursuit, and the Muslims managed to withdraw in safety.

2. ‘Umer bin Al-Khattab, at the head of a 30- soldier group, set out to a spot called Turbah in Sha‘ban 7 A.H. to discipline the people of Hawazin. He no longer arrived at their habitation that they fled for their lives.

3. Thirty men with Basheer bin Sa‘d Al-Ansari headed for Bani Murrah in Sha‘ban 7 A.H. in Fadak area. He killed a large number of the enemy and seized a lot of their camels and cattle. On his way back, the enemy gathered up forces and overtook the Muslims at night. They showered Basheer and his men with arrows, and killed all the Muslims except Basheer, who took refuge in Fadak and stayed with the Jews there until his wounds healed.

4. Ghalib bin ‘Abdullah Al-Laithi at the head of a platoon of 130 men launched an attack against Bani ‘Awal and Bani ‘Abd bin Tha‘lbah in Ramadan 7 A.H. They killed some of the enemy’s men and captured their cattle and camels. ‘Usama bin Zaid killed Mardas bin Nahik, a polytheist, but after he had pronounced the testimony of Allah’s Oneness to which incident the Prophet* commented addressing his Companions: "Would you rip open his heart to discern whether he is truthful or a liar?" The seventeen-year-old Usamah was allowed to take part in this expedition. He had been with the army behind the Trench, but this was his first campaign in the fullest sense. During the encounter, a man of Murrah mocked at him on account of his youth. He soon had reason to regret it. Already bent on showing his mettle, Usamah was now goaded to fury and pursued the man far into the desert despite the orders given before the battle that they should all keep together; He finally caught up with him and wounded him, whereupon the man shouted La ilaha illallah, there is no god but God. But despite this testification of Islam, Usamah dealt him the death-blow.

The commander of the expedition was Ghalib ibn 'Abd Allah;! and one of his first thoughts after the battle was: "Where is Usamah?" He and every other man in the army knew of the Prophet's great love for the son of Zayd; and despite the victory it was to an exceedingly troubled camp that Usamah returned, one hour after nightfall. Ghalib sternly rated him. "I went after a man who was scoffing at me," said the youth, "and when I had come up with him and had fleshed him, he said La ilaha illallah," "Whereupon thou didst sheathe thy sword?" said Ghalib. "Nay," said Usamah, "not until I had made him drink the draught of death." At that the whole camp thundered abuse, and he buried his head in his hands, overcome with shame. Nor could he bring himself to eat any food during the march home. There had been a Revelation which the older men well knew in connection with one or two cases where a believer had been about to kill a disbeliever, who had then professed Islam; and exasperated at the idea of losing the spoils of armour and weapons which he had thought were his, the victor had said "Thou art not a believer," and had killed him. In Usamah's case the motive had been honour not spoils, but the principle was the same. The revealed verse was: 0 ye who believe, when ye fight in the way of God, discriminate, nor say unto him who proffereth you peace: "Thou art not a believer, " seeking the gains of this lower life, for with God are spoils in plenty. Thus were ye wont to be aforetime, but God hath sent down His Grace upon you. Therefore discriminate. Verily God is Informed of what ye do:

As soon as they reached Medina Usamah went to the Prophet, who fondly embraced him. Then he said: "Now tell me of thy campaign." So Usamah told him all that had happened since they had set out, and when he reached the point where he had killed the man, the Prophet said: "Didst thou, O Usarnah, slay him when he had said La ilaha illallah? "O Messenger of God," he answered, "he did but say it to escape from being slain." "And so," said the Prophet, "thou didst split open his heart to know if he spake the truth or if he lied!" "Never again will I slay any man who saith La ilaha illallah," said Usarnah. And he would say afterwards: "I wished that I had only entered Islam on that day."? For the Prophet had affirmed that the entry into the religion effaces the guilt of all past sins.

5. A thirty-horseman group headed by ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha marched towards Khaibar on reports that Aseer (or Basheer bin Razam) was rallying the ranks of Bani Ghatfan to attack the Muslims: They managed to persuade that Jew to follow them to Medina encouraging him that the Prophet* would institute him as a ruler of Khaibar. On their way back there occurred a sort of misunderstanding that gave rise to fierce fighting between the two parties resulting in the death of Aseer and the thirty men with him.

6. In Shawwal 7 A.H., Basheer bin Sa‘d Al-Ansari marched towards Yemen and Jabar at the head of 300 Muslim fighters to subdue a large mob of polytheists who gathered to raid the outskirts of Medina. Basheer and his men used to march at night and lurk during the day until they reached their destination. Having heard about the advent of the Muslims, the polytheists fled away leaving behind them a large booty and two men who later embraced Islam on arrival in Medina.

7. In the year 7 A.H., shortly before the Compensatory ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), a man called Jashm bin Mu‘awiyah came to a spot called Ghabah where he wanted to gather the people of Qais and entice them into fighting the Muslims. The Prophet*, on hearing these reports, despatched Abu Hadrad with two men to see to the situation. Abu Hadrad, through a clever strategy, managed to rout the enemy and capture a lot of their cattle. With this he was able to pay his dowry of 200 dirham that he has promised his wife (after the Prophet* said that he shouldn’t have agreed to pay so much even if he was fishing the money out of the river).

Nawawi's Forty Hadith
Hadith 39: Drawing Nearer to Allah Through Obligatory Duties

Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "Truly Allah has for my sake pardoned the mistakes and forgetfulness of my community, and for what they have done under force or duress." [Ibn Majah, Al-Baihaqi]

What has been stated in this hadith has also been stressed and emphasised in the Qur'an. In Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 286, it is stated: "Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or fall into error." Allah says in Surah al-Ahzab, Ayah 5: And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intended. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”  Allah also says in Surah al-Nahl, Ayah 106: Whosoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with faith or at certainty.

Being excused for what is done mistakenly or out of forgetfulness does not mean that there will be no consequent rulings. This means that a person might be forgiven but he still has to take responsibility for his actions. The consequent rulings for doing something mistakenly or out of forgiveness can be classified into three categories:

1. There are mistakes where there is no consequent ruling such as a person or a Muslim who eats during the day in the month of Ramadhan out of forgetfulness. The majority of scholars say that his fasting is still valid and he does not have to repeat that day. This opinion is based on the hadith that is related by Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim which states that "any Muslim who eats during Ramadhan out of forgetfulness will be excused and forgiven."

2. There are consequent rulings to actions that are done out of mistakes or forgetfulness such as if someone kills a Muslim by mistake - as what happens nowadays in car accidents or accidents at work, etc. It is well-known by scholars that for such a person there is no consequent ruling. There is no kaffarah (expiation of sins) but he has to pay the fidyah as stated in the Qur'an. Another example is if someone caused harm or damage to the property or money of someone else by mistake. In this case the person is responsible and has to compensate for what he has damaged even though he is forgiven by Allah and is not being regarded as sinful.

3. There are actions where there are different opinions among the Muslim scholars of whether there is a consequent ruling or not. Some scholars say that the person has a consequent ruling. Others will say that he is fully excused and has nothing to do. For example, if a person talked out of forgetfulness during his prayer. Does he have to repeat his prayer? Here we have different opinions among the scholars. Some will say he has to repeat while others will say he is going to be forgiven and excused. Another example is that a person takes an oath or swears by Allah not to do something and then he does it out of mistake or because of forgetfulness. Is this person responsible? Some scholars will say he is not forgiven and he has to make kaffarah. Others will say that he is forgiven and need not make kaffarah. A third example is if a person who is muhrim - that is he intended to perform 'umrah or hajj and then by mistake he hunts or kills an animal. Is he forgiven (i.e. is this not considered a sinful act)? He is forgiven and will not be punished for that. But the issue is whether he has to pay for it and be responsible or not. This is again a debatable issue among the scholars.

In the situation where a person is forced to do something which is not acceptable in Islam, this ikrah or duress can be categorised, according to Ibn Rajab, into two categories:

1. The person is powerless and has no choice to refuse doing an evil act or something which is not acceptable by shari'ah. This person is excused.

2. The person is forced to harm someone else. In this situation, we look at the issue from the perspective that he has the power over his actions and can refuse to do the harm but at the same time his intention is to remove the harm from himself rather than to harm the other person. What is the ruling in this case? The scholars say that there are certain cases where the Muslim should not do it (i.e. harm someone else) even if he is harmed himself, such as if a Muslim is forced to kill someone else. He is not allowed to do so because this is a major harm that Muslims should do their best to avoid.

But the scholars have different views regarding similar situations and actions. The first situation is that if a Muslim took an oath not to do something and then he is forced to do it. Some say that he is excused and he is allowed to do the thing that he promised not to do - he is excused and there is no ruling here. Other scholars say he is responsible and he should not do it. If it is out of his choice, this goes under the first category. The same if someone is forced or threaten or even beaten and he has been ordered to cause damage to the property of someone else. Scholars say since he has the choice, he has to do his best not to cause the damage. The issue here is that if he does it, scholars say that he will be excused in the sense that he is not sinful but he still remains responsible for the damage that he caused.  The second situation where Muslim scholars differ is prohibited acts such as drinking wine. Some scholars say if a person is forced, then he is excused. Other scholars say though he is forced, he is not allowed to do it.

Another view or category is the distinction between speech and actions.

In terms of speech, a person might be forced and allowed to say something that is not allowable. The scholars say he should not practice taqiyah. Taqiyah means to say or do something which you do not believe in and are not satisfied with. This only applies to sayings and not actions. Regarding this issue there is an agreement among the Muslim scholars. They say that whoever is forced to say something that is not allowed in shari'ah, then he will be allowed to say it - he will not be regarded or considered as 'saying' it. There is another condition that the scholars set. They say that whenever a person is put into ikrah or duress, the duress should be definite and most likely to happen and not just something the person imagines or assumes. He has to be sure. What is mentioned in this hadith should not be abused. Some Muslims today abuse what the hadith implies by using it as an excuse to not uphold a responsibility or to break a promise. Allah knows our intentions and we should not take what is mentioned in the hadith to get away from the responsibility of fulfilling a commitment or an obligation.

The misuse of the principle of Dhuroora (necessity)

Unfortunately today some people misuse Islamic principles in order to justify clearly prohibited actions. One of the most commonly misapplied principles is that of Dhuroora (necessity). People often use it to justify taking interest based loans, working in jobs that involve haram, engaging in bribery, supporting kufr political parties and a variety of other prohibited actions. They attempt to justify this from Islamic texts by saying that when your dying of hunger it becomes permitted to eat pork and other haram foods. From this they generalise and say therefore we can break the Shariah rules under any type of difficulty.

It is true that Allah said: "He has forbidden you Al-Maytah (meat of a dead animal), blood, flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than Allah. But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience and not transgressing, then there is no sin on him." [al-Baqara, 2:173]

So, the person who is in dire need can eat of what he finds from these prohibited food which is enough to keep him alive. It must be understood that these rules are specific rules with specific evidences, from them we cannot generalize and say that we are allowed to bend the shariah rules on the basis of any hardship, to do this would be haram. We must be careful here when we talk about the principle of "necessity ". Let us refer to what the classical ulema have said about this matter. Imam al Razi Al Jassas al Hanafi says in his Ahkam al Quran: "Here the meaning of necessity purports the fear for life and limb when someone avoids foods (that are in essence forbidden) ....."

Ibn Qudamah al Maqdasi al Hanabli in his Al Mughni says: "If it has become established, then the necessity that is expedient is the type that leads to starvation if the food is left". He continues to say: "...The reason for the allowance of is the need to preserve the self from destruction because this Maslaha is more beneficial than the benefit of avoiding the impure...."

Imam Abu Hamid Al Ghazali Al Shafi says in his Wasit (): "As for necessity we imply the state that probably will lead to the person's destruction, If, for example he does not eat and similarly if he fears that an illness would lead to death....."  Imam Ibn Juzi al Maliki says: "...As for necessity it is the fear of death and it is not conditional that someone is patient to such an extent that he witnesses his own death".

Clearly then we are talking about an acute scenario that is particular. Even this has certain constraints according to many of the Ulema.

(1) That there is no other means to remove this overbearing situation.

(2) That this does not affect the rights of others. In other words we try to look for an exit that does not affect others. At least in principle to such an extent that a number of Ulema forbid Muslims to eat dead human flesh in matters of starvation because this affects the rights of others i.e. those of the dead.

Another very common example is the sinking ship scenario. What if we are going to sink because of the excessive weight of the passengers, do we throw a few overboard to their doom to save the majority? The vast majority refuse this scenario of utilitarianism in Dhuroora. Another example is the Muslim prisoner shield that is put up in defence of a non Muslim army. This example is typically allowed for as a Dhuroora on a state level but more importantly because there are textual indications that allow collateral damage if it cannot be avoided. Some scholars understand this point as a Duroorah Kulia i.e. an all encompassing Duroorah (It applies to the Muslims as a whole rather than some at the expense of others)

(3) Uttering Kufr by force is a Rukhsa (legal permission) and it is better according when forced on pains of torture and death to avoid it. Imam Suyuti in Ashbah wal Nadhair page 63 says: "Eating the flesh of the dead in times of necessity takes precedence over taking someone else's money (to purchase food)." The scholars also differed on whether you can take drink alcohol when you are dying from thirst. Imam Shafi thought that alcohol makes the thirst even worse. Others also differed on whether one can take medication that has forbidden elements in it. Finally even some scholars did not consider it a sin if someone refused to take anything forbidden at all. Anyway all four schools of thought and in fact the consensus agree that Dhuroora in the fiqhi sense makes some things that are forbidden allowed in an acute scenario. Remember this is not a norm but for very particular severe situations. It cannot be made a law. Certainly it cannot lead to a normal rule for an entire population.

So one cannot claim that they have to take an interest based mortgage to buy a house on the pretext of necessity as they can rent or stay with relatives. Similarly someone can't claim that he has to pay bribery to achieve his interests as he can achieve them in a legitimate way even if it is more difficult. Someone working in a job that involves haram such as in a restaurant where they would have to serve alcohol or as a cashier in a bank where they would have to receive and give riba (usury) can get another job that is halal even if it is lesser in pay.

The countless ayat and ahadith ordering us to undertake our actions according to the commands and prohibitions of Allah can't just be washed away based upon some difficulty or hardship. "And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones.)." [al-Baqarah:155-157]

We should listen to the warning of the Messenger of Allah* when he said: "Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. During (that stormy period) a man would be a Muslim in the morning and an unbeliever in the evening or he would be a believer in the evening and an unbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Deen for worldly goods" [Sahih Muslim]

Allah says: "It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error." [al-Ahzaab:36]

Children's Feedback:

• Muslim Invention of a Postal Service – through birds
• Selected hadith on the many qualities of the Prophet*
• Joy & Sorrows
• Prophet Isa (Jesus)

4 March 2012

Khaibar (part 4) and Safiyyah and Hadith 38: Drawing Nearer to Allah

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Umm ul-Muhminin Safiyyah: The Jewish Wife of Muhammad

Among the captives taken as a result of Kinanah's hiding the treasure was his widow Safiyyah, the daughter of that Huyayy who had persuaded the Bani Qurayzah to break their treaty with the Prophet, and who had been put to death with them after the Battle of the Trench. She was seventeen years old and had only married Kinanah a month or two before the Prophet*set out from Medina. Safiyyah was of a deeply pious nature. From her earliest years she had heard her people talk of the Prophet*who was soon to come, and this had filled her imagination. Then they had spoken of an Arab in Mecca, a man of Quraysh, who claimed to be that Prophet; and then came the news that he had arrived at Quba'. Safiyyah was the daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab, the undisputed leader of the Banu al-Nadir as well as a Jewish rabbi. Saffiyah says, "I was my father's and my uncle's favourite child. When the Messenger of Allah came to Medina and stayed at Quba, my parents went to him at night and when they looked disconcerted and worn out. I received them cheerfully but to my surprise no one of them turned to me. They were so grieved that they did not feel my presence. I heard my uncle, Abu Yasir, saying to my father, 'Is it really him?' He said, 'Yes, by Allah'. My uncle said: 'Can you recognize him and confirm this?' He said, 'Yes'. My uncle said, 'How do you feel towards him?' He said, 'By Allah I shall be his enemy as long as I live.'" That was when she was a child of ten. It was clear from what they said that they believed the newcomer to be the promised Prophet, but that they intended to oppose him; and her young mind was puzzled.

Soon after her marriage, and not long before the Prophet*arrived in front of Khaibar, she had had a dream. She saw a brilliant moon hanging in the sky, and she knew that beneath it lay the city of Medina. Then the moon began to move towards Khaibar, where it fell into her lap. When she woke she told Kinanah what she had seen in her sleep, whereupon he struck her a blow in the face and said: "This can only mean that thou desirest the King of the Hijaz, Muhammad." The mark of the blow was still visible when she was brought as captive to the Prophet. He asked her what had caused it, and she told him of her dream. Now Dihyah 1 of the Bani Kalb, who had entered Islam shortly after Badr, had asked that Safiyyah should be given him as his share of the booty of Khaibar, or as part of his share, and the Prophet*had agreed; but on hearing her dream he sent to Dihyah and told him he must take her cousin instead. He then told Safiyyah that he was prepared to set her free, and he offered her the choice between remaining a Jewess and returning to her people or entering Islam and becoming his wife. "I choose God and His Messenger," she said; and they were married at the first halt on the homeward march.

This significant act of marrying Safiyyah was indeed a great honour for her, for this not only preserved her dignity, it also prevented her from becoming a slave. The marriage to Safiyyah has a political significance as well, as it helps to reduce hostilities and cement alliances. Safiyyah, relates those moments when she hated the Prophet*for killing her father and her ex-husband. The Prophet*apologized to her saying, "Your father charged the Arabs against me and committed heinous act," he apologized to the extent that made Safiyyah get rid of her bitterness against the Prophet.

The Prophet's Attitude Towards Safiyyah: The Prophet*used to treat Safiyyah with courteousness, gentleness and affection. Safiyyah said, "The Messenger of Allah went to Hajj with his wives. On the way my camel knelt down for it was the weakest among all the other camels and so I wept. The Prophet*came to me and wiped away my tears with his dress and hands. The more he asked me not to weep the more I went on weeping.

Factors helping the Prophet*win in Khaibar

The gates of the forts of Khaibar were opened and the Jewish tribes surrendered before the army of Islam under certain special conditions. However, it should be seen as to what were the factors responsible for this victory and they are of course the distinguished points of this episode. This remarkable victory of Muslims was the consequence of military planning (encamping, use of weaponry, structured attack on the forts one by one) and getting usable intelligence (sending scouts to Khaibar beforehand, interrogating the arrested people and finding out about the water stores and hidden weapons).

Arrival of Jafar from Abyssinia

Before proceeding to Khaibar the Prophet*sent 'Amr bin Umayyah to the court of the Negus. The purpose of sending his envoy to the Ethiopian court was that he should convey a message of the Prophet*to the King of Ethiopia and ask him to provide facilities for the departure of all the Muslims residing in Ethiopia. The Negus arranged two boats for them. The boats of the Muhajirs cast the anchor on the coast near Medina. The Muslims came to know that the Prophet*had proceeded to Khaibar and they also arrived in Khaibar without any delay. The travellers of Ethiopia arrived at the time when all the forts had been conquered. The Prophet*took sixteen steps forward to receive Ja'far bin Abu Talib, kissed his forehead and said: "I don't know for which thing I should be more happy-whether for that I have met you after so many years or for that Allah has opened the forts of the Jews for us through your brother Ali" .

Abu Hurairah becomes a Muslim

His is the foremost name in the roll of hadith transmitters. Next to him comes the names of such companions as Abdullah the son of Umar, Anas the son of Malik, Umm al-Mumininin Aishah, Jabir ibn Abdullah and Abu Said al-Khudri all of whom transmitted over a thousand sayings of the Prophet*. It is after Khaibar that he became a Muslim. Afterwards,  much of Abu Hurayrah's time would be spent in spiritual exercises and devotion to God. Qiyam al-Layl staying up for the night in prayer and devotion - was a regular practice of his family including his wife and his daughter. He would stay up for a third of the night, his wife for another third and his daughter for a third. In this way, in the house of Abu Hurayrah no hour of the night would pass without ibadah, dhikr and Salat.

Forgiving the vanquished

When great and pious persons are victorious they show love and kindness to their vanquished and helpless enemies. As soon as the enemy surrenders they show indulgence to him and refrain from taking revenge and from nursing a grudge against him. After the conquest of Khaibar the great leader of the Muslims showed kind sentiments to the people of that place (notwithstanding the fact that they had spent large sums of money to instigate the idolatrous Arabs to rise against him and had subjected Medina to attack and possible fall) and conceded their demand that they might stay on in Khaibar and continue to possess the lands and trees of that area subject to the condition that they would pay half of the produce to the Muslims.

The Prophet*could put all of them to sword or expel them from Khaibar or compel them to embrace Islam. The Prophet*did not do any such thing, but granted them complete asylum, and allowed them to follow the principles, rules, regulations and ceremonies of their religion. If the Prophet*waged war against the Jews of Khaibar it was on account of the fact that Khaibar and its residents were the centre of danger for Islam and always collaborated with the idolaters to topple down the newly established Government / State of the Muslims. The Prophet* took jizyah from them it was for the reason that they enjoyed security under the Islamic State and it was obligatory upon the Muslims to protect their lives and property. And according to minute calculations the taxes which every Muslim was obliged to pay the Islamic Government, exceeded the jizyah which the Jews and the Christians were required to pay. The Muslims had to pay zakat and khums and at times they had also to make payments out of their net property to meet the needs of the Islamic Government. As compared with this the Jews and the Christians, who lived under the banner of Islam and enjoyed collective and individual rights, had to make payments, like the Muslims, by way of jizyah, for the security of this banner. The imposition of Islamic jizyah is something different from taking tribute.

The Jews are expelled from Khaibar

The excesses of the Jews were not confined to these incidents and they harassed the Muslims every now and then with their different schemes. Eventually, during the Khilafah of Umer, his son Abdullah, who had gone to Khaibar along with some other persons to conclude an agreement was tortured by the Jews. The Caliph came to know about the incident and thought of solving the problem. Then, relying on a tradition of the Prophet*which had been quoted by some persons, he said to the companions of the Prophet: "Whoever has to realize a debt from the people of Khaibar should realize it, for I am going to give orders that they should leave this place". Soon afterwards the Jews of Khaibar were banished from there on account of repeated excesses committed by them and they left the Peninsula. Their Jewish descendants tried to forge documents later showing that they were exempt from Jizyah – but these were proven to be forged.

Hajjaj gets his money from Mecca

A merchant named Hajjaj bin 'Ilat was present in Khaibar. He had trade dealings with the people of Mecca. The grandeur of Islam and the affection and kindness shown by the Prophet*to this obstinate nation (i.e. the Jews) enlightened his heart and he came to the Prophet*and embraced Islam. Then he drew up a plan to realize his dues from the people of Mecca. He entered the city of Mecca through a gate and saw that the chiefs of Quraysh were awaiting news and were very much anxious about the developments at Khaibar. All of them encircled his camel and enquired impatiently about the condition of Muhammad. He replied: "Muhammad has suffered an unparalleled defeat and his companions have been killed or captured. He himself has been captured and the chiefs of the Jews have decided to bring him to Mecca and to execute him before the very eyes of Quraysh". This false report pleased them immensely. Then he turned to the people and said: "In view of this good news I request you to pay me my dues as early as possible so that I may go to Khaibar earlier than other merchants and may purchase the slaves". The duped people paid him his dues in a very short time.

The circulation of this news extremely upset Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet, and he desired to meet Hajjaj. He, however, winked at Abbas which meant that he would let him know the real facts later. A short time before his departure he met the Prophet's uncle secretly and said: "I have embraced Islam and I chalked out this plan only to realize my dues. The correct news is that on the day on which I left Khaibar all the forts had been conquered by the Muslims and the daughter of their leader named Huyyay bin Akhtab (Safiyyah) had been captured and had become a wife of the Prophet. Please make these facts known to the people after three days of my departure".

After three days Abbas put on his best dress, scented himself with the costliest perfume and entered the mosque with a staff in his hand and began to go round the Ka'bah. Quraysh were surprised to see the dress of Abbas which displayed his joy and happiness, because they thought that, in view of the calamity which had befallen his nephew, he should have worn a dress of mourning. He, however, relieved them of their surprise by saying: "The report which Hajjaj furnished you was a clever device to realize his dues. He has embraced Islam and he had left Khaibar when Muhammad had gained the greatest victory, and the Jews had been disarmed and some of them had been killed and others had been made captives". The chiefs of Quraysh became very sad on hearing this news and soon afterwards they heard the same thing (from other sources as well).

Nawawi's Forty Hadith
Hadith 38: Drawing Nearer to Allah Through Obligatory Duties

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "Allah the Almighty has said: 'Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.'" [Al-Bukhari]

“Whoever has mutual animosity with a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war upon him.“

This hadith begins with a very stern warning: Allah declares war upon the one who opposes His devoted servants or auliyaa. In order to understand this statement properly, we need to understand the correct meaning of a wali or friend, of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, as it is established from the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Correct Understanding of  Who is a Wali of Allah

Wali (plural auliyaa), according to the Islamic understanding, means support, love, honour, respect and being beloved in both a spiritual and material sense. In Allah’s description, He points out two essential characteristics for anyone to be among the auliyaa of Allah. The first condition is imaan (faith) and the second condition is to have taqwa (God-consciousness). Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “Lo, verily the friends of Allah are those on whom fear comes not, nor do they grieve. Those who believe and keep their duty to Allah.” (Surah Yunus:62-63)

We can see from this that the auliyaa of Allah are those who believe and continually obey Him, and have the highest levels of imaan and taqwa. This shows us that the auliyaa of Allah are not all of the same rank. In fact some scholars have said they fall into three categories, due to the ayah: “Then those who We chose of Our servants inherited the Book. But of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who are intermediate, and of them are some who outstrip others through their good deeds, by Allah’s leave.” (Surah Faatir:32)

Ibn Katheer explains in his book of Qur’anic commentary that those ‘who wrong themselves’ are believers who are negligent of obligatory some duties and perform some forbidden acts. Those who are ‘intermediate’ are those who perform obligatory duties and abstain from forbidden acts but may not perform all of the recommended acts and may perform some makrooh or disliked acts. Those who ‘outstrip others through good deeds’ are those who perform the obligatory and recommended acts and abstain from both forbidden and reprehensible deeds. This shows us that, by the mercy of Allah, perfection is not is prerequisite to be an auliyaa of Allah. Even those of us who commit some sins may still gain entry to this category. Since imaan and taqwa are not something that can be seen by others, it is not possible to know who is definitely in fact a wali or friend of Allah, unless we have been informed of this in the Qur’an and sunnah. From these we know that the greatest auliyaa of Allah are the angels and messengers and then the prophets. After that come the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them all, and the true and sincere scholars of Islam, all of whom act on their knowledge and as such are the ‘heirs of the Prophet’, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

Incorrect Understanding of Who is a Wali of Allah

Unfortunately, some Muslims have taken this concept of Wali of Allah and used it to give their Sheikh’s a kind of demi-god status, considering them higher than the Prophets, and assuming that no faults can be attributed to them. They believe them to be so near to Allah that they should ask the Wali for help instead of Allah. May Allah protect us from this type of shirk, or associating partners with Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.

Mutual Animosity

The words ‘whoever opposes…‘ are in the reciprocal form, meaning that the enmity if from both sides. We may ask why a wali would have animosity towards others when they should be forgiving and patient? We should remember that an auliyaa of Allah loves and hates for the sake of Allah not from their own desires. This animosity may be between the auliyaa who are the people of the sunnah, and the innovators, or between the auliyaa and those are sinning. There there will be a mutual dislike for the actions of the other in each of these cases. What is referred to in this hadith is a warning to those who dislike the auliyaa of Allah or oppose them simply because they implement and follow the law of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. The enmity referred to does not apply to worldly disputes or disagreements. This hadith tells us that if someone opposes a wali of Allah simply for obeying Allah, then Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has declared war on them, and we seek refuge with Allah from that.

“My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties that I have imposed upon him.”

After describing how no one should oppose His devoted servants, Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, goes on to describe the characteristics of a devoted servant. They are those who strive to get closer to Allah through performing deeds that are pleasing to Him, with pure sincerity. In this part of the hadith, Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, describes how His servant draws near to Him through their performance of the obligatory duties, namely the five pillars of Islam. A person in this category would also avoid what is forbidden as this is also a type of obligation from Allah. These people are known as the ‘companions of the right hand’ that Allah speaks about in the Qur’an (see Surah al Waaqiah:38). It is part of Allah’s immense mercy that the deeds that are obligatory upon us are also those that draw us closer to Him, the Praised, the Glorious.

Many people do not seem to realise that the obligatory duties are for a believers own benefit. Allah tells us: “Verily the prayers restrain one from evil and lewdity” (Surah al-Ankaboot:45) “But prostrate yourself and draw near (unto Allah)” (Surah al-Alaq:19) “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you may attain God-consciousness (taqwa)” (Surah al-Baqarah:183) “Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them by that” (Surah al-Taubah:103)

All of the obligatory deeds serve to purify us and draw us closer to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.  They are like the root of a tree and voluntary deeds are like its branches. If the believer first fulfils the foundations, they are demonstrating their willingness to submit to Allah, and this in turn earns His approval. This commitment grows and spreads to the performance of voluntary deeds as a way of further pleasing  Allah. Obligatory deeds are also deeds of the heart. The heart must have a pure, sincere intention, free of envy and pride and other ills, in order for the action to be acceptable to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. The servant of Allah therefore draws nearer to his Lord though purifying both their intention and action, and performing the obligatory duties for the sake of Allah alone.

“My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I love him.”

Allah’s servants draw near to Him by performing the duties that He, all praises and glory be to Him, has obligated us to perform. Those who strive even harder, and voluntarily perform extra good deeds, and protect themselves from acts that will earn Allah’s wrath, continue to draw nearer to Allah until He loves them. We can see in the example of human beings, that a person becomes beloved to another by doing more than is required to assist them. If a person, for example, returns something that he borrowed from another, but also gives a gift as thanks, that will make him beloved in the eyes of the one that lent to him. This hadith shows us that this works in the same way in the case of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, His love for us grows as we strive harder to please Him.

There is ample evidence to indicate that a servant of Allah must also strive to stay away from what is forbidden (haraam) as well as what is disliked (makrooh). The Prophet* said: “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt” (Ahmad)  “Place between you and the forbidden acts a covering [or barrier] of permissible acts.” (Recorded in ibn Habbaan)  ‘That which is lawful is clear, and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful [or ambiguous] matters about which not many people are knowledgeable. Thus, he who avoids these doubtful matters certainly clears himself in regard to his religion and honour. But he who falls into the doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like a shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Verily every king has a sanctuary and Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. In the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be sound, all of the body is sound and which, if it be diseased, all of the body is diseased. This part of the body is the heart.” (Recorded in Bukhari and Muslim)

Unfortunately, many Muslims consider the ‘legal’ definition of makrooh (a disliked act) which states that it is an act that the person will be rewarded for avoiding and will not be punished for committing, and therefore consider it ‘permissible’ to engage in such acts. But those who strive to be nearer to Allah, look beyond this definition and consider the act from the point of view of the value of the act in the sight of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. When we consider that Allah, ‘dislikes’ the act, would we want to be one of those who perform it? Rather we should strive to stay away from such acts, even though they are not strictly forbidden. As we can see from the hadith cited above, when a person strays into performing dislikes acts, they come nearer to committing forbidden acts. If they should then slip into what in unlawful, they will fall into performing deeds that are hated by Allah.

An important aspect of performing voluntary deeds that many people neglect, is that they also make up for shortcomings in the obligatory deeds. If we ask ourselves about the quality of performance of our obligatory prayers, how many of us could say that we have no shortcomings that need to be made up? The Prophet* said: “The first deeds for which the slave of Allah will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgement will be his prayers. If they are in order, he will have prospered and been successful. But if they are wanting, he will have failed and been a loser. If there is some shortcoming in his obligatory, the Lord will say, ‘See if My slave has any voluntary prayers with which may be completed that which was wanting from the obligatory prayers’. Then the rest of his deeds will be judged in like fashion.” (Tirmidhi)

From this we can see why it is that those who perform the voluntary deeds receive the love of Allah, both in this life and the Hereafter. These are the people that Allah is describing in this part of the hadith. The Prophet* said: “If Allah loves a slave, He announces to Gabriel, ‘Verily Allah loves so and so, so love him.’ The Gabriel loves him and he announces to the inhabitants of the heavens ‘Verily Allah loves so and so, so love him’ Then the inhabitants of the heavens love him. And then he is granted the acceptance of the people of the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

“And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. “

When we read this part of the hadith, the first question that comes to mind is, ‘What does it mean that Allah would become a person’s hearing etc?’. The scholars have differed in their interpretation of this phrase. The majority agree that this is an allegorical reference to Allah’s support for His wali. When the wali sincerely strives to get closer to Allah by performing obligatory and voluntary deeds, they will be raised in rank from imaan (faith) to ihsaan (goodness). Then they will able to worship Allah as if they see Him, and look at the world knowing that He sees them, turning to Him in their hearts and fearing Him such that they dare not disobey Him. Their hearts are filled with the greatness of Allah and there is no room for anything else. Their own desires are abandoned in favour of Allah’s. They look for Allah’s sake, see for His sake, hear for His sake, speak for Hi sake, and act for His sake.

Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has described the people for whom He becomes their eyes, ears and so on, in the Qur’an. They are the type of people who do not even turn to the evil that they see. They are numb to the effects of other’s sins. This does not mean that they do not fulfill their duty of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, but it means they would not be tempted by the evil around them. Allah says about them in the Qur’an: “And when they hear vanity, they withdraw from it and say: Unto us our works and unto you your works. Peace be unto you. We desire not the ignorant.” (al-Qasas:55)  “The faithful slaves of the Beneficent are those who walk on the earth modestly and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace” (al-Furqaan:63)  This is the real essence of pure tawhid, the meaning of la ilaaha illa-llaah, when a person devotes all of their love, hope, fear and obedience to Allah alone. We love what Allah loves and hate what He hates, all praises and glory be to Him. Sins only occur when our own desires love something that Allah hates or dislike something that Allah loves, even if only for a short period of time. If a person gives into their own desires then this is actually a type of deficiency in their tawhid.

Purification of the Soul According to the Qur’an and Sunnah

This hadith describes how a person becomes beloved to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, by purifying ourselves and our souls. It is through purifying ourselves that we draw closer to Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. As Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “The Day [of Judgement] whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who comes to Allah with a clean, sound heart.” (al-Shuaraa:88-89) The purification of the soul is one of the main reasons why the Prophet* was sent. Allah tells us: “He it is who sent among the unlettered ones a messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Sunnah. And, verily, they had been in manifest error.” (Al-Jummuah:2)

Since the Prophet* was sent to purify the souls of the people, there can be no question that his method of purification of the soul is the method that is approved by Allah and is pleasing to Him, all praises and glory be to Him. This path is clear and easy to follow:

1) We must first purify our beliefs and cleanse ourselves of any shirk or associating partners with Allah.

2) We must strive to become beloved to Allah by performing deeds that are obligatory upon us.

3) We should strive to perform extra voluntary good deeds which will make us even more beloved to Allah.

This is the correct path for purification as outlined in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is a path that does not necessarily take a long amount of time or involve any passing through levels or stages. A person could become an auliyaa of Allah very quickly if they have sincerity and devotion to Allah. Anyone who claims that one can draw closer to Allah by means other than this, such as through other practices or the assistance of a pious person, is no different to the idol worshippers who claimed they were getting closer to Allah by worshipping their idols. The evidence clearly contradicts them.

Purification of the Soul According to the Sufis

Historically and contemporarily speaking, it has been the Sufis who claim to follow the path of purification. This hadith provides one of the main sources by which their claims can be evaluated in that it shows us the path for how one can become beloved to Allah. For the Sufis, the path to become a wali of Allah is a long and arduous journey. One must do spiritual exercises and through many stages to get to this level. As detailed in Zarabozo’s commentary on this hadith, the Sufi’s begin their path with fulfilling obligatory deeds, but when they move to the ‘second level’, it is recommended that the person only perform obligatory deeds and spend the rest of the time on other exercises. The path also contains practices that are not contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah such as zuhd (renunciation of the world), special types of rhyming dhikr, listening to music and dancing. After all of these, one finally ‘witnesses’ Allah, which is for them the essence of being a wali. In reality, this is a heretical path that has no basis in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It has as its goal the ‘witnessing of Allah’, whereas the purification according to the Qur’an and Sunnah seeks only to make a servant the best servant that they can be, nothing more or different to that.

Some Sufis use this hadith to try and prove their belief in fanaa (annihilation and loss of oneself in God), hulool (incarnation in God) and ittihaad (union with Allah). They argue that this hadith states that Allah is becoming one’s vision, hearing and so forth, so the person must be becoming one with Allah. In reality though, this hadith is an argument against that concept, because it makes the distinction between the Creator Allah and the created wali. Allah makes it clear that he opposes those who oppose His auliyaa, hence they are clearly separate from Him and He Protects them. The remainder of the hadith also shows us that the wali comes to Allah to ask of Him – Why would they need to do that if they had become one with Him? We can see from this that no matter how pious the wali of Allah becomes, they are still only human beings and dependent on Him, the Sublime the Glorious.

“Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it.”

Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, is able to grant His servant anything that He wishes, without any need of him having to ask for it. But it is through being asked, and granting the request, that Allah becomes more beloved to the slave and the slave becomes even more beloved to Allah. This hadith shows us that if a person performs the obligatory deeds and further voluntary good deeds, and stays away from what is forbidden (haraam) and disliked (makrooh), this person will be honoured with a special place with respect to Allah. Allah’s love will cover them, such that if they ask Him, He will grant their request, and if they were to seek refuge in Him, He would grant them refuge and respite. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said: “There are from the slaves of Allah people who, if they were to make an oath upon Allah, He would certainly fulfill it.” (Bukhari)

It is interesting to note that many early Muslims  often preferred to patiently bear the afflictions of this world, in the hope that they would receive the reward of Allah in the Hereafter. One of the Companions of the Prophet* who was promised Paradise, Saad ibn Abu Waqaas, lost his sight later in his life. He was told by his friends that he should ask Allah to return it. His reply was, “The decree of Allah is more beloved to me than my eyesight.” As some of the early scholars have noted, Allah knows what is best for His slaves. Sometimes a believer will ask for something while Allah knows that what they ask for is not what is best for them. As a result, Allah may not answer the supplication directly, but rather He may give the believer something that is better for them in both this life and the Hereafter. The Prophet* told us: “There is no Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain anything sinful or ask for the ties of kinship to be broken, save that Allah gives him one of three things: either he will give him what he asks for soon, or He will delay it for him for the Hereafter or he will keep a similar evil away from him.” (Ahmad)

The Benefits of Asking Allah

One might ask, ‘What is the benefit of asking Allah when He already knows what is in our hearts and what is best for us?’ When Allah gives the person what they have asked for, and the person realises that Allah has responded to their supplication, this brings them joy and a deeper faith, which encourages them to do more good deeds in order to draw closer to Allah. In addition, supplication is one of the greatest forms of worship, and all its benefits would be lost to the person if they were not to make dua. Finally, the wali of Allah is freeing themselves from the illusion of self-sufficiency. Everything is in Allah’s hands, we are completely dependent on Him for everything and we need to remind ourselves of this. No matter what level of closeness to Allah one reaches, we will always be reliant on Him.

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