22 July 2012

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Battle of Hunain - the tide turns as the Muslims Return to the Battle Field and to the Fierceness of the Fight

Except for a few core group of Sahabae, all the Muslim fighters ran away from the battlefield. Those who remained with The Prophet* were some Muhajirs, a few Ansars and the nearest of his family members like: Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, al-Abbas and his son al-Fadl, Abu Sufyan b.al-Harith and Usamah b. Zayd b. Haritha. When the stampede of the Muslims became quite uncontrollable, Abu Sufyan b. Harb remarked, “Their stampede will not stop until they reach the ocean!” Safwan b. Umayyah b.Khalaf said he preferred to be ruled by a man from the Quraysh than by the Hawazin. A rumour also spread that The Prophet* had been killed, creating more panic and terror among the Muslims.

When the Prophet* found that his call for support was in vain, he summoned his uncle al-Abbas (who had a very thunderous voice), to cry out very loudly for the Muslims to return and resume fighting. The Prophet* ordered his uncle Al-‘Abbas — who was a sonorous voiced man — to call out on the followers. As loudly as he could, Al-‘Abbas shouted: “Where are the lancers?” “By Allah,” Al-‘Abbas said, “Upon hearing my voice calling them back, they turned round to the battlefield as if they had been oryxes (wild cows) tending towards their calves.” "O Companions of the Tree! O Companions of the Acacia!" Immediately the summons was answered from all sides -Labbayk!, "Here at thy service" -as Helpers and Emigrants rallied to him. “Here we are, at your service. Here we are. ” They said. There you see them trying to stop their camels and reverse to the battle. He who was unable to force his camel to turn back, would take his armour, fling it round his neck, and hastily dismount his camel with his weapon in his hand letting his camel move freely and run towards the voice source. Voices would grow louder and louder till a hundred of them gathered round the Prophet* and resumed the fight. Those who were called out upon next were Al-Ansar, the Helpers, “O, folks of Al-Ansar! Folks of Al- Ansar!”

The last group to be called out upon were Bani Al-Harith bin Al-Khazraj. Muslims battalions poured successively into the battlefield in the same manner that they had left it. The stamina of both parties was superb. Both of them stoodfast and fought fiercely. They started to fight the enemy with new vigour and The Prophet* watched the fighting standing on his stirrup. The Prophet* was so eagerly and furiously watching the battle that he said: “Now the fight has grown fierce.” The enemy were preparing a fresh onslaught, and he prayed: "O God, I ask of Thee Thy promise!" Then he told his foster-brother to give him some pebbles, and taking them in his hand he flung them in the face of the enemy as he had done at Badr. Picking up a handful of earth, he hurled it at their faces while saying: “May your faces be shameful.” Their eyes were thick with dust and the enemy began to retreat in utter confusion. The tide of the battle suddenly turned for no apparent reason -or rather, it was not apparent to the believers, but it was apparent to the enemy, as it had been previously to their scouts; and afterwards there came the Revelation that Allah helped them.

Reverse Of Fortunes And The Enemy's Utter Defeat:

Few hours had elapsed since the earth-handful was hurled at the enemy’s faces, when they were shatteringly defeated. It was later mentioned by one of those who fought the Prophet* that it felt like stones in a tin shield or metal pan grating inside him when the dust was thrown.

Then it is described that a black striped garment descended from the sky; it looked like a mass of black ants from a distance. These were the angels descended from heaven to help the Muslims, the Prophet* said. With the help of those angels the Muslims finally defeated the B. Hawazin. About seventy men of Thaqif alone were killed, and the Muslims plundered all their riding camels, weapons and cattle. Allah, Glory is to Him, alluded to this sudden change in the Qur’an when He said: “…and on the Day of Hunain (battle) when you rejoiced at your great number but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight. Then Allah did send down His Sakinah (calmness, tranquillity, and reassurance, etc.) on the Messenger [The Prophet* ] and on the believers, and sent down forces (angels) which you saw not, and punished the disbelievers. Such is the recompense of disbelievers.” [9:25,26]

Individual stories from the battle

The Muslims had lost many men at the outset of the battle, in particular the Bani Sulaym who had borne the brunt of the initial ambush. But after the first onslaught relatively few had been killed. One of these few was Ayman, Usamah's elder brother, who was struck down at the side of the Prophet.

A group of Muslims headed by Abu ‘Amir Al-Ash’ari, were despatched to chase the enemy, some skirmishes took place during which Abu ‘Amir was killed. Abu Amir was shot at his knee with an arrow which a man from Jushm had shot and fixed into his knee. I went to him and said, "O Uncle! Who shot you?" He pointed me out (his killer) saying, "That is my killer who shot me (with an arrow)." So I headed towards him and overtook him, and when he saw me, he fled, and I followed him and started saying to him, "Won't you be ashamed? Won't you stop?" So that person stopped, and we exchanged two hits with the swords and I killed him. Then I said to Abu 'Amir. "Allah has killed your killer." He said, "Take out this arrow" So I removed it, and water oozed out of the wound. He then said, "O son of my brother! Convey my compliments to the Prophet and request him to ask Allah's Forgiveness for me." Abu Amir made me his successor in commanding the people (i.e. troops). He survived for a short while and then died. (Later) I returned and entered upon the Prophet at his house, and found him lying in a bed made of stalks of date-palm leaves knitted with ropes, and on it there was bedding. The strings of the bed had their traces over his back and sides. Then I told the Prophet about our and Abu Amir's news and how he had said "Tell him to ask for Allah's Forgiveness for me." The Prophet asked for water, performed ablution and then raised hands, saying, "O Allah's Forgive 'Ubaid, Abu Amir." At that time I saw the whiteness of the Prophet's armpits. The Prophet then said, "O Allah, make him (i.e. Abu Amir) on the Day of Resurrection, superior to many of Your human creatures." I said, "Will you ask Allah's Forgiveness for me?" (On that) the Prophet said, "O Allah, forgive the sins of 'Abdullah bin Qais and admit him to a nice entrance (i.e. paradise) on the Day of Resurrection." Abu Burda said, "One of the prayers was for Abu 'Amir and the other was for Abu Musa (i.e. 'Abdullah bin Qais).

While this was going on, Ali b. Abi Talib attacked a leading man from Hawazin, who was fighting fiercely with his lance. Ali hamstrung this man’s camel. The Muslims jumped over him and cut off his foot and half of his shank. This Hawazin man still kept on fighting and finally died.

Khalid b. Walid, killed some women and children of the polytheists. The Prophet* reprimanded Khalid for resorting to such act and said that no-fighting women and children should not be harmed on the battlefield.

During this time, the Prophet* met a pregnant woman, Umm Sulaym bt Milhan the wife of Abu Talhah. She advised the Prophet* to kill those Jihdists who flee the battlefield just in the same manner as the Prophet* kills his enemy combatants. But the Prophet* was not very enthusiastic over this and said that Allah was enough for him. On that day she and her husband had come fully armed to kill as many polytheists as they could and to take their booty. Her husband, Abu Talhah, took the spoils of twenty men he had killed himself.

The Prophet* had said, 'Whoever kills someone can have his effects’, and so the Sahaba soldiers then took the armours, coats of mail, and personal valuables from the enemy soldiers that they had killed with their own hands. One Sahaba (Abu Qatada) said that he had killed an enemy and was claiming his armour but no-one could vouch for him. Then a Quraishi man claimed it was he who killed the person; to which Abu Bakr said that it was not right to gives what belongs to a lion from the lions of Allah to a hyena! Later, Abu Qatada said that with that wealth he bought his first real estate from the proceeds of such booty.

Chasing the fleeing enemy

The rout was tremendous: Malik fought with bravery, but finally retreated with the men of Thaqif to their walled city of Ta'if. The main part of Hawazin was pursued with much slaughter as far as Nakhlah. From there they returned to their camp at Awtas; but the Prophet* sent a force to dislodge them, and they took to the hills.

The Awtas group then took shelter in their camp. Later, they were eventually defeated in a severe fight. A similar battalion of horsemen pursued the idolaters who threaded the track to Nakhlah and caught up with Duraid bin As-Simmah, the old wise warrior who was sitting in a howdage (palindrome) on a camel hiding there as a woman – or being infirm. He was then caught and told to get down from the camel. When Duraid asked the young Sahaba, Rabiah b. Rufai, what he intended to do with an old man like him, Rabiah said that he wanted to kill him. When Rabiah struck his sword on Duraid it did not kill him. Duraid laughed at the poor mastery of weapon by the young Sahaba. He gave his own sword to Rabiah and instructed him how to perform a slaughter. When he died Rabiah noticed that he had thighs like leather (from riding his animals bareback). Then Duraid told Rabiah that after killing him he should go back to his mother (Rabiah) and inform her about the slaying; for he (Duraid) had previously saved many of their women. After slaying Duraid, Rabiah returned to his mother and told her about what he had done. His mother said, “By God, he set free three mothers of yours.”

The Prophet's 'sister'

Among the divisions of Hawazin was a contingent from the Bani Sa'd ibn Bakr, the clan with whom the Prophet* had spent his infancy and early childhood; and one of the older captives rebuked her captors saying: "By God, lam the sister of your chief." They did not believe her, but none the less brought her to the Prophet. "O The Prophet*, I am thy sister," she said. The Prophet* gazed at her wonderingly: she was an old woman, of seventy or more. "Hast thou any sign of that?" he said, and she at once showed him the mark of a bite. "Thou didst bite me," she said, "when I was carrying thee in the valley of Sarar. We were there with the shepherds. Thy father was my father, and thy mother was my mother." The Prophet* saw that she was speaking the truth: it was indeed Shayma', one of his foster-sisters; and spreading out his rug for her, he bade her be seated. His eyes filled with tears as he asked her for news of Halimah and Harith, his foster-parents, and she told him that they had both died in the fullness of years. After they had talked he offered her the possibility of staying with him or returning to the Bani Sa'd. She said she wished to enter Islam, but chose to return to her clan. The Prophet* gave her a rich present, and intending to give her more he told her to remain with those of her people who were in the camp, saying that he would see her again on his return. He then set off with the army for Ta'if.

Huge Spoils

The Hawazin women and children who had been behind the lines were all made captive. The booty was six thousand captives, twenty four thousand camels; over forty thousand sheep and four thousand silver ounces. The Prophet* gave orders that booty should be confined at Al-J‘iranah and ordained Mas‘ud bin ‘Amr Al-Ghifari to be in charge of it about ten miles from Mecca.

After collecting the booty, the Prophet* left for Ta’if to face the greatest number of the defeated idolaters.

Fiqh:

Asking for questions related to the Fiqh of Fasting / Ramadhan. Some questions raised (that we will talk through next week (I/A), included:

-       Can we use toothpaste

-       Does biting nails break the fast

-       Can we use inhalers

Main Topic:
We have intellectually brought a convincing argument for the existence of God. We must also examine if this agrees with mans nature. Man has certain instincts and organic needs, the satisfaction of which he constantly strives for.
The organic needs are for:

• food and drink,
• sleeping,
• breathing,
• going to the toilet

These needs are essential without which man will die.
Instincts can be categorised as three:

• Survival or self-preservation,
• Procreation or sexual/family, and
• Religiousness/worship.

Lack of fulfilling instinct won’t kill a person but will affect how they function.
We can see clearly certain manifestations or traits in man reflecting his desire to satisfy these instincts. Thus man acquires goods and nice objects, likes to own property, wants a job and income, can be greedy, and may save for the future, in attempting to satisfy his instinct for survival. Similarly compassion, affection, love, marriage, and sexual tendencies are expressions of the procreational instinct in man. The desire to worship, sanctify, revere or approach something of greater power or influence are part of man's instinct of religiousness.
Before talking about how these different needs and instincts are met and satisfied and who is the right to decide on these we spent a few minutes talking about where laws tend to come from.  Certainly, in western countries it is accepted that people make the laws.  In England traditionally it was the Royal family who have the right to make the laws and so they are considered to be sovereign over the people.  Constitutionally, the current situation is that the head of the Royal family (the monarch/the Queen) as passed the right to legislate (make the laws) to Parliament -- but the Queen still has to rubber stamp every enacted law.  Modern democratic countries may vary the process of how the laws on made but the principal remains that it is the people who have the right to make the laws.  This is very different to the situation in Islam where it is universally accepted that only Allah has the right to make the laws and that Allah is sovereign over the Muslim people.
This important difference will be expanded upon in future study circles.  Furthermore, we will explore how all these elements of belief link with the Qur'an and Shariah over the coming weeks, InshaAllah.

Feedback:
Children's Charity Update
Ramadhan

Homework:
Seerah ~ What weapons were used in the seige of Taif?
Fiqh ~ questions related to the Fiqh of Fasting
Main topic ~ bring examples of how the instincts of personal survival and worship may have changed (or are the same) over the ages

17 June 2012

Welcome back after a couple of weeks break…

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
 
Abu Sufyan's conversation with Hind
Having given orders that Hubal, the largest of the fallen idols, should be broken to pieces and that all of them should be burned, the Prophet* had it proclaimed throughout the city that everyone who had an idol in his house must destroy it. The Messenger of Allah* stayed in Mecca for 19 days. During that period he used to define the way to Islam, guide people to the orthodox path. He ordered Abu Usaid Al-Khuza'i to restore the pillars of the Holy Sanctuary, sent missions to all quarters inviting them to adopt Islam and break down the graven images still lying in the vicinity of Mecca, and he did have all of them scrapped, inculcating in the believers' ears his words: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter is supposed to scrap out the idols that should happen to be in his house."
Abu Sufyan was still only a new Muslim and, as a senior leader of the Quraish who had spent the last twenty years opposing the Prophet*, found his new predicament strange – overturning his world view. When he saw the strength of the Muslims and their devotion to Allah, as they went around the Kaaba, he was impressed. Then he returned home to his wife Hind and asked her if this was really from Allah. Hind, who was a bitter enemy of Islam just days prior had now smashed the idols in her house and was becoming reconciled to Islam. She reassured Abu Sufyan that this was truly was a sign from Allah and that the Prophet* was true. The next day Abu Sufyan met the Prophet* who informed Abu Sufyan of the private conversation he had with his wife. Abu Sufyan immediately knew that no-one could over-hear their intimate conversation and again testified that the Prophet* was indeed a Messenger of Allah.

Khalid bin Walid and his mistake with the people of Bani Jazimah
During the Age of Ignorance the tribe of Bani Jazimah had killed Khalid's uncle and Abdur Rahman's father while they were returning from Yemen and had plundered their property, and Khalid nursed a grudge against them on this account. When he came face to face with the people of Bani Jazimah, he found all of them armed and ready to defend themselves. The commander of the battalion then said aloud: "Lay down your arms on the ground, because the period of idol-worship is over and Mecca has fallen, and all the people have surrendered before the army of Islam". The chief of the tribe expressed the opinion to his men that they should hand over their arms and surrender before the army of Islam. One person out of them was intelligent enough to realize that the intentions of the commander of the army were not good. Addressing the chiefs of the tribe, therefore, he said: "The result of surrendering will be captivity and thereafter death". Eventually the opinion of the chiefs was acted upon and the arms were made over to the soldiers of Islam.

Khalid bin Al-Walid at the head of 350 horsemen of Helpers, Emigrants and Bani Saleem was despatched once again in the same year 8 A.H. to the habitation of Bani Khuzaimah bedouins to invite them to the fold of Islam. He was instructed to carry out his mission with peace and goodwill. There, the people were not articulate enough to communicate their intentions, so Khalid ordered his men to kill them and take the others as captives. He even had in mind to kill the captives but some of the Companions were opposed to his plan. Abdullah ibn Umer tells of this story: “The Prophet sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to the tribe of Jadhima and Khalid invited them to Islam but they could not express themselves by saying, "Aslamna (i.e. we have embraced Islam)," but they started saying "Saba'na! Saba'na (i.e. we have come out of one religion to another)." Khalid kept on killing (some of) them and taking (some of) them as captives and gave every one of us his Captive. When there came the day then Khalid ordered that each man (i.e. Muslim soldier) should kill his captive, I said, "By Allah, I will not kill my captive, and none of my companions will kill his captive." When we reached the Prophet, we mentioned to him the whole story. On that, the Prophet raised both his hands and said twice, "O Allah! I am free from what Khalid has done."” ‘Saba'na’ was a derogatory term that the Quraish used to call the Muslims – as they would not say ‘Muslims’ or ‘Islam’ but call the people who left their religion (to follow Muhammed*) as ‘Suba’a’. This is not too dissimilar to people calling Muslims today as bad terms like ‘terrorist’ or ‘extremist’! The unfortunate thing was that the people of the tribe of Jadhima only ever heard these words and so believed that all Muslims were called this. Khalid did not know this and was therefore acting in good faith but wrongly. Ibn Umer knew this and refused to obey the leader (Amir) on killing the captives – even though this was a serious matter to disobey the rightful leaders of the Muslims. Hence, we learn that Muslim loyalty is to the Qur’an and Sunnah and we should not obey leaders if they tell us to do Haram.
News of bloodshed reached the Prophet*. He was deeply grieved and raised his hands towards the heaven, uttering these words: "O Allah! I am innocent of what Khalid has done," twice. He immediately sent 'Ali to make every possible reparation/compensation to the tribes who had been wronged. This money was from the Treasury (Bait ul-Maal) of the Islamic State and was not required to be paid back through the pocket of Khalid – as it was a mistake whilst on a mission ordered by the State/Prophet*. After a careful inquiry, 'Ali paid the bloodmoney to all those who suffered loss. Ali reckoned their losses so minutely that he paid the price of even a wooden vessel in which the dogs of the tribe drank water and which were broken during their encounter with Khalid. Then he called all the afflicted chiefs and asked them whether the entire war damages and the blood-money of the innocent victims had been fully paid and all of them replied in the affirmative. Thereafter, keeping in view the fact that they might possibly have sustained some loss of which they might not be aware, Ali gave them some money gratuitously and then returned to Mecca and submitted his report to the Prophet. The remaining portion was also distributed amongst the members of the tribe in order to alleviate their suffering.

Khalid bin Walid and the idol (al-Uzza)
Shortly after the great conquest, the Prophet* began to despatch platoons and errands aiming at eliminating the last symbols reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices. The nearest to Mecca of the three most eminent shrines of paganism was the temple of al-Uzza at Nakhlah. He sent Khalid bin Al-Walid in Ramadan 8 A.H. to a spot called Nakhlah where there was a goddess called Al-'Uzza venerated by Quraish and Kinanah tribes. It had custodians from Bani Shaiban. Khalid, at the head of thirty horsemen arrived at the spot. At the news of his approach the warden of the temple hung his sword on the statue of the goddess and called upon her to defend herself and slay Khalid or to become a monotheist. Khalid demolished the temple and its idol, and returned to Mecca. On his return, the Prophet* asked him if he had seen anything there, to which Khalid gave a negative answer. Here, he was told that it had not been destroyed and he had to go there again and fulfill the task. So Khalid went again to Nakhlah, and out of the ruins of the temple there came a black woman, entirely naked, with long and wildly flowing hair. "My spine was seized with shivering," said Khalid afterwards. But he shouted "'Uzza, denial is for thee, not worship," and drawing his sword he cut her down. On his return he said to the Prophet*: "Praise be to God who hath saved us from perishing! I was wont to see my father set out for al-Uzza with an offering of a hundred camels and sheep. He would sacrifice them to her and stay three days at her shrine, and return unto us rejoicing at what he had accomplished!" He returned and narrated the story to the Prophet*, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task.

Fiqh Topic (part 5):
Introduction to Daleel / Evidence

Continuing our introduction to various topics and terminology related to Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), we talk about Daleel or Evidence / Proof (which is also linked to the Main Topic on Believing in Allah).

Daleel - what is Proof and Evidence
•    Linguistically, Daleel means a proof, indication, or evidence.
•    As an Islamic (Shariah) term, Daleel means the source or evidence for a thought, concept, or a ruling.
Any law or ruling must have a Daleel, which can be from Qur’an, Sunnah, or a source, which Qur’an and Sunnah directed us to adopt. Any ruling from the text of either the Qur’an or Sunnah is considered a Daleel.
We pray and fast not in a way we like or chose – but how we are told to – from Qur’an and Sunnah. We don’t pray kneeling with hands joined together like Christians pray but follow a specific ritual – which comes from how the Prophet* prayed. We take our ‘evidence’ (Daleel) of prayer from the Prophet*. The same with fasting in Ramadhan. All actions must have a source in Qur’an and Sunnah (and Ijma-as-Sahaba or Qiyas – to be discussed in future weeks InshaAllah).
Hence, it is important to know about the sources and how good these sources are. How reliable are the sources and how reliable are the laws we take from them. When we review sources scholars have said that there are 2 parts to the source (like there are 2 parts to Hadith = Sanad [chain of narrators] and Mutn [text]).

Structure of Daleel
As mentioned earlier, a Daleel is an evidence for an opinion, concept, ruling, or a thought from Islam. There are two aspects related to any Daleel:
•    Thaboot (source) or Riwayah (reportage), and
•    Dalalah (meaning).
The Riwayah covers issues related to how the information was relayed to us, which includes the number and the integrity of its reporters.
The Dalalah is related to the meaning of the text in the Daleel.
There are also two terms used in connection with Riwayah and Dalalah; Qata’i and Dhanni which we’ll talk about in more detail next time, i/A:
Qata’i is defined as being conclusive or decisive, while Dhanni is the opposite of Qata’i and means non-definite, speculative or indecisive.

Main Topic: Belief (part 5)
We reviewed what we had covered last week in the Aqeeda / Belief section, including:

• Belief in Allah is not a superstition nor a mythology, but is a definite fact that is established upon the use of the mind and is felt within every person
• The limited nature of the Universe and that there is nothing in reality which is unlimited (apart from Allah)
• There needs to be a first cause (Creator) upon which everything depends and itself being independent
• We cannot confine Allah to our limited understanding of the universe and its laws as Allah is beyond this and not subject to these laws as He created them. So many questions (can’t lift a stone) do not make sense
• This “Creator” (that we call Allah), is either:

1. created by someone else,
2. creator of himself, or
3. azali (eternal - limitless) whose existence is indispensable (wajib ul-wujood).

• The Islamic Belief (Aqeeda) and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis – based on thinking and the mind
• Muslims should have a belief in Allah that is beyond superstition and ‘leap of faith’
• We discussed evidence and Proof and why rational thinking is superior to scientific thinking
• Doing good deeds with 'leap of faith' in Allah doesn’t necessarily mean actions will be less rewarded by Allah
• Theory of Divine Knowledge or Divine Design behind existence, with brief examples:

1. Think about The story the boat
2. The knock on the door
3. The pile of stones on the beach
4. Footprints and the sky and mountains

3 Fundamental Questions about Life
There are 3 really basic questions that ALL humans ask. These are similar to what a person would ask if he woke up in a strange room:
•    Where am I?
•    How did I get here?
•    How do I get out of here?
These are similar to the 3 Fundamental Questions about Life:
•    Why am I here (alive)?
•    Where did I come from?
•    What happens when I die (as we all certainly die)?
Islam has answered these questions and they relate to this topic about belief. However, we’ll come back to this at the end…

Time Travel, TARDIS and Dr Who
Most people are familiar with the popular children's television show called Doctor Who. This is about an alien (Time Lord) who looks like a human being and travels throughout the universe in a special time travelling machine which also distorts the dimensions of space.  This machine is known as the T.A.R.D.I.S. (TARDIS = Time and Relative Dimension in Space).  This program introduces children (and adults - who is your favourite Doctor Who?!) to many ideas and concepts which include, for the purposes of our discussion, the ability to travel through time and outside of space. 
For example, we are informed in authentic narrations (hadith) and the Prophet* travelled from Mecca to Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and then through and outside the universe to the seven heavens, and back all in the same night.  We're also told that the Prophet actually saw the punishment of people in Hellfire as well as hearing the footsteps of people in Paradise.  The question is how could he have witnessed these if the Day of Judgment has not happened -- and this is not to do with the Knowledge of Allah because these were witnessed events?  By thinking about the limited nature of the universe, and the limited nature of the things which make up the universe including the physical objects (stars and planets) and the dimensions of the universe (time and space) we can answer questions like 'What was there before Allah' and 'Where is Allah'?

'What was there before Allah’; 'Where is Allah'?
As we discussed previously and demonstrated through a rational approach, we live in a universe that is limited.  Necessarily, this universe was created and that Creator must be unlimited and not bound by the limits of this universe.  Therefore, Allah is not confined by the dimensions of time and space.  Hence, it would be wrong to suggest that 'Allah is everywhere' - which is a belief called pantheism - a common misconception amongst people who don't think about this deeply. This gives rise to concepts that Allah is everywhere and in everything (including trees and rocks and dirty places), and so some people would use this to justify worshipping these objects claiming that they are part of God or contain God.  By claiming that 'Allah is everywhere' we are in fact limiting His existence and defining it within the realms of our dimensions of space.
It would be better to consider that Allah is 'outside' our dimensions of space -- if we can try to get our heads around that.  The problem is with our language and as we do not have any words in the language to express how somebody could be outside/not bound by the concept or constraints of space.  Words like inside, outside, beyond, where, up, down are all relative and related to space - so how can we describe something which is beyond this!? But that is indeed what/where Allah is!
The same idea is related to the question about ' what was there before Allah?' - as the words before, during, after are all specifically related to time.  Whereas, Allah is beyond time as He created time and made it unidirectional in our universe.  Hence we cannot ask what was there before time as the question doesn't make sense as there is no 'before' when time was created.  Therefore, there is no time before the Big Bang or creation of the universe.  Hence, it is perfectly possible for Allah to be separate from time and space (acknowledging that separate is still related to space!).

'There is none like unto Him’
Therefore, by thinking of all of these things Muslims have a unique and pure perspective and understanding of Allah and Tawhid.  This looks at the true Glory and Majesty of our Creator.  Hence, the only appropriate ways in which we can try to describe Him are by the descriptions He gives if Himself and the comparisons He makes.  We don't have the words in our language to properly address this but Allah does mention in the Quran that 'there is none like unto Him'!  Simply put, that is the best description.

The Absurdity of the Atheist
We then revisited some elements of the design theory, but focusing on the concept of chance and probability.  There is an old saying which states that "an atheist must have stronger belief than a person who believes in God, because the atheist must have looked under every stone and every leaf for him to not believe in God!" but we find that the modern disbelievers put their entire trust in science all this idea of chance as being the source and creator of the universe, and life and human beings.  This is obviously a false situation if we are to analyse it rationally.  The creation of the universe by chance (although we have already said it cannot occur by itself) would be similar to believing that a whirlwind swept through the streets and through a garage that had lots of car parts on the floor.  After the whirlwind had left there would be a fully functioning perfectly formed car (Bugatti if you like) with its engine running ready to hit the road with no mess on the floor! Patently, nobody would believe this yet why do atheists think this is what happened with the universe -- even though we have said it cannot happen?
One of the reasons why it is quite possible that these people refuse to believe in an Almighty Creator is because if they did believe in one they would have to have some sort of relationship with the Creator.  This would involve finding out what He wants from us and what we have to do in return.  People would have to take responsibility for their beliefs and base any actions on these beliefs.  People are afraid of this and these responsibilities and so would prefer to avoid the obvious answer -- which is belief in an Almighty Creator.  Because, if you acknowledge an Almighty Creator that you will still need to answer the 3 Fundamental Questions about Life:
•    Why am I here (alive)?
•    Where did I come from?
•    What happens when I die (as we all will die)?
We shall talk about this more detail next week, inshaAllah.

Children's Feedback:
Why I like Ramadhan and preparing for Ramadhan
The Importance of Fathers

Homework:
Why was the Prophet upset with Usama bin Zaid in Mecca?
What can prove something for you? How do you know something is true? What is sufficient 'Evidence'

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.

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5 February 2012

Amr ibn al-'As, Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed, Hadith 35

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

'Amr ibn al-'As and Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed becoming Muslim
'Amr ibn al-'As himself told the story of his coming to Islam. He said: "When we came away from the Battle of the Trench, I gathered together some men who shared my opinion and would listen to me, and I said: 'You know, by Allah, that in my opinion, this affair of Muhammad will go to extraordinary lengths. I am thinking of something, and I would like to know what you think of it.' They said: 'What are you thinking of?' I said: 'I think that we should go to the Negus and stay with him. If Muhammad conquers our people, we will be with the Negus, and we would prefer to be subject to his authority rather than to Muhammad. On the other hand, if our people prevail, they know us and will treat us well.' They thought that my suggestion was excellent, so I told them to collect something that we could take as a gift to the Negus.
Leather was the product of our land that he most valued, so we collected a large quantity and took it to him."By Allah, while we were with him, 'Amr ibn Umayyah ad- Damri came to him; he had been sent by the Messenger of Allah (to find out about Ja'far and his companions. He had an audience with the Negus. When he came out, I said to my companions that if I were to go to the Negus and ask him to let me have him, he would give him to me. Then we could cut off his head, and if I did that, Quraish would see that I had served them well by killing Muhammad's messenger. So I went in to the Negus and prostrated before him as I usually did. He welcomed me as a friend and asked if I had brought anything from our country. When I told him that I had brought a large quantity of leather, and I produced it, he was greatly pleased and wanted it. I said: 'O King, I have just seen a man leave your presence. He is the messenger of an enemy of ours, so let me have him that I may kill him, for he has killed some of our chiefs and best men.' He was enraged, and reaching out his hand he gave his nose such a blow that I thought he must have broken it. If the ground had opened up, I would have gone into it to escape his anger. Then I said to him: 'O King, by Allah, if I had thought that this would be distasteful to you, I would not have asked it.'
He said: 'Are you asking me to give you the messenger of a man to whom the great Namoos [Jibreel] I comes as he used to come to Musa - o that you can kill him? I said: 'O King, is he really like that? He said: 'Woe to you, O 'Amr! Obey meaning follow him, for by Allah, he is right. He will triumph over his adversaries as Musa triumphed over Pharaoh and his armies.' I said: 'Will you accept my oath of allegiance to him in Islam? He said: 'Yes,' and stretched out his hand, and I swore my allegiance to him in Islam. Then I went out to my companions; my opinion had changed from what it was before, hut I concealed my Islam from them."Then I went out, heading towards the Messenger of Allah* so that I might become Muslim, and I met Khalid ibn al-Waleed. That was just before the conquest of Mecca, and he was coming from Mecca.
I said: 'Where are you going, O Abu Sulaym?' He said: 'By Allah, the way has become clear. The man is indeed a Prophet, and I am going to become Muslim, by Allah. How much longer should I delay? I said: 'By Allah, I have only come to become Muslim.' So we went to Medina, to the Messenger of Allah (g). Khalid ibn al-Waleed went ahead of me and became Muslim and gave his oath of allegiance, then I came close and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I will give you my oath of allegiance on the basis that my previous sins will be forgiven and no mention will be made of what went before.' The Messenger of Allah (g) aid: 'O 'Amr, give your oath of allegiance, for Islam erases all that came before it, and hijrah erases all that came before it.' So I gave my oath of allegiance and departed."According to another report, he said: "...when Allah put Islam in my heart, I came to the Prophet (&) and said: 'Hold out your right hand so that I might swear allegiance to you.' He held out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He said: 'What is the matter, O 'Amr? I said: 'I want to stipulate a condition.' He said, 'What do you want to stipulate? I said: 'That I will be forgiven.' He said: 'Do you not know, O 'Am, that Islam destroys whatever came before it, and that hijrah destroys whatever came before it, and that hajj destroys whatever came before it?"

How Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed Embraced Islam
Khalid ibn Al-Waleed, a division commander of the Quraish’s army at the Battle of Uhud, managed to attack the Muslims from behind and turn their victory into a military defeat. He was a young man of great promise. Indeed, he was to become one of the most distinguished commanders the world had ever known. However, it took him a long time before beginning to think of adopting Islam. He says that the process began when he started to reflect on his past attitude during events of great importance. “I fought all those battles against Muhammad (pbuh). Every time I felt that all my efforts were to no avail. I was certain that Muhammad would eventually be the winner. When the Prophet came and encamped at Al-Hudaibiyah, I commanded a detachment of horsemen from among the idolaters until we met the Prophet and his companions at Asafan. I drew close to him to provoke him. He and his companions prayed Zuhr in front of us. We thought of attacking them, but we refrained. He must have realized what we were thinking of when the next prayer, Asr, was due. He therefore, led his companions in what is known as “the prayers of fear”. That affected us profoundly and we realized that he was immune from our attack. We therefore drew back. When the terms of the peace agreement of Al-Hudaibiyah were eventually negotiated and the Prophet and his companions went home, I started thinking about what might come next and what was in store for us. I thought hard: Where should I go? Should I join Negus? But then I remembered that he had already become a follower of Muhammad and that Muhammad’s companions were safe under his protection. Should I go and join Heraclius? That would have made me a Christian or a Jewish convert. That prospect did not appeal to me. Should I emigrate or should I stay where I was, waiting for something to happen?”
This state of confusion was not to be easily resolved for Khalid. He did not wish to emigrate where he would have had to prove his worth. If he stayed in Mecca, on the other hand, he knew for certain that the eventual triumph of Islam was only a matter of time. His confusion, however, clouded his vision and he could not see that the right course of action was to look at Islam objectively. Weeks and months passed and he could not make up his mind. When a year was over, and Prophet Muhammad and his companions came to Mecca for their compensatory Umrah, Khalid did not wish to look at the Muslims coming into Mecca. He went into the mountains and stayed until the Prophet and his companions departed. When he went back home, he found a letter left him by his brother, Al-Waleed ibn Al-Waleed, who had been a Muslim for some time. The letter read as follows: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent. I am infinitely amazed at the fact that you continue to turn away from Islam when you are as intelligent as I know you to be. No one can be so blind to the truth of Islam. God’s Messenger asked me about you, and said: ‘Where is Khalid?’ I said to him: ‘God will bring him to us.’ He said: ‘A man of his caliber cannot remain ignorant of Islam. If he would use his intelligence and his experience for the Muslims against the idolaters, he would benefit from it a great deal. We would certainly give him precedence over others.’ It is high time, brother, for you to make amends for the great benefits you have missed.”
When Khalid read his brother’s letter, he felt as if a curtain which had blurred his vision for a long time was removed. He was pleased at the fact that the Prophet himself inquired about him. He felt a strong desire to become a Muslim. That night he dreamt that he was in a narrow strip of land in a barren desert and he was walking on and on until he came into an open, green, limitless field. It did not take him long to make up his mind that the right course for him was to become a Muslim. He decided to join the Prophet at Medina. He felt, however, that he needed to have a companion to go with him. He looked for a young man from the nobility of Mecca and the first one he approached was Safwan ibn Umayyah. Safwan’s father and brother were killed at the Battle of Badr. His uncle was killed at Uhud. Safwan belonged to that generation of Quraish leaders who viewed their conflict with Islam in clear-cut terms. He had resolved not to compromise with Prophet Muhammad and he was in no mood to do so when Khalid approached him. Nevertheless, Khalid said to him: “Do you not see that Muhammad is gaining the upper hand against both the Arabs and the non-Arabs? It is certainly expedient for us to join him and share in whatever success he may achieve.” Safwan took a very extreme attitude and said to Khalid: “If all the Arabs followed Muhammad and I was the only one left, I would still not join him.”
When Khalid heard this reply he thought that Safwan was a man who nursed his grudges and he remembered that his father and brother were killed at Badr. He, therefore, tried to look for someone else. By chance, he met Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl, whose father had always been the most determined enemy of Islam, until he was killed at Badr. Ikrimah’s reply to Khalid’s approach was in terms similar to those of Safwan. Khalid, however, asked him not to mention his approach to anyone and lkrimah promised him that. Khalid then met Uthman ibn Talhah, a close friend of his. He thought of probing the matter with him, then he remembered that Uthman’s father, uncle and his four brothers were all killed at the Battle of Uhud. Khalid hesitated, expecting a reply similar to those of Safwan and Ikrimah. Eventually, he probed Uthman, speaking first about the fact that the Muslims continued to gain strength. He then said: “I compare our position to that of a fox in a hole. If you pour a bucket of water down into the hole, you can be certain that the fox will come out.” Then Khalid proposed to Uthman that they join the Prophet in Medina. Uthman responded positively. The two agreed to start their journey after midnight, and each to travel on his own and meet at the break of day at Ya’jaj. They then continued their journey together until they arrived at Al-Haddah, where they met Amr ibn Al-Aas. He said to them: “Welcome. Where are you heading?” Realizing that they all had the same purpose, the three of them moved together until they arrived on the outskirts of Medina, where they stopped to change their clothes. Khalid’s report is as follows: “God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was informed of our arrival, and he was pleased. I put on one of my best suits and went ahead to meet the Prophet. On the way I was met by my brother, who said to me: ‘Be quick. God’s Messenger has been informed of your arrival and he is pleased. He is waiting for you.’ We then moved faster until we saw him at a distance, smiling. He wore his smile until I reached him and greeted him as God’s Prophet and Messenger. He replied to my greeting with a face beaming with pleasure. I said: ‘I declare that there is no deity but God, and that you are God’s Messenger.’ He said: ‘Come forward.’ When I drew nearer, he said to me: ‘I praise God for guiding you to Islam. I have always been aware that you are endowed with great intelligence and I have always hoped that your intelligence will lead you only to what is right and beneficial.’ I said to him: ‘Messenger of God, I am thinking of those battles at which I was fighting against the side of the truth. I request you to pray God for me to forgive me.’ He said: ‘When you embrace Islam, all your past sins are forgiven.’ I said: ‘Messenger of God, is that a condition?’ He said: ‘My Lord, forgive Khalid ibn Al-Waleed every effort he exerted to turn people away from Your path.’ Uthman and Amr then pledged their allegiance to the Prophet. By God, ever since our arrival in the month of Safar in the 8th year of the Prophet’s emigration, the Prophet consulted me about every serious matter which cropped up, ahead of all his other companions.”

Nawawi’s 40 Hadith:
Hadith 35 (part 2)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah*, said: "Do not be envious of one another; do not artificially inflate prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not shun one another; and do not undercut one another in business transactions; and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. Piety is here - and he pointed to his chest three times. It is evil enough for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property and his honour." [Muslim]

• We covered Envy in some detail in last week’s study circle.

Do Not Artificially Raise Prices
In this part of the hadith the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stated that one should not commit al-najash. In business terms, this means that a person, neither the buyer nor the seller, bids up the price of an item, without the intention of buying it. If a Muslim does this, they are robbing the buyer of some of their wealth. Although there is some difference of opinion, the majority of scholars hold that even if al-najash has occurred, the sale of the item is still valid, although the person who committed the act is a sinner. Imams Ahmad and Malik give the buyer the opportunity to cancel the transaction if they were not aware of what was going on and the price increase was a large one.
Ibn Uthaimeen states that there are three cases wherein one bids up the price of something. The first case if the prohibited case of najash, where one bids up the price of something although they have no intention of buying it. The second case is where the person feels that something is being sold at a cheap price, and they are prepared to buy it for that, but then the bidding continues and it goes beyond what they are prepared to pay for it and they stop bidding. There is nothing wrong with this type of action. The third case is where someone continues to bid until they have outbid everyone else and they buy the item. There is nothing wrong with this type of behaviour either. A second interpretation of this part of the hadith is more general, not restricting najash to business transactions. Lexically speaking, the root of the word najash implies, ‘he concealed himself’ as in a hunting game. In the more general understanding, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was implying with this wording that we should not deceive each other, or work in underhanded ways, or harm our fellow Muslim. This includes every type of business transaction and our behavior in general.

“… do not hate one another…”:
Continuing with our summary of this hadith, as explained by Jamal al-Din M. Zarabozo in his work ‘Commentary on the Forty Hadith of Al-Nawawi’, we find that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, prohibited us from hating each other. This means that we cannot hate our fellow Muslim over a difference of opinion, or due to their origin or the colour of their skin and so forth. All of that type of hatred is forbidden in Islam, and goes against the concept of Brotherhood. It is clear from the Qur’an that one of the greatest blessings that Allah gives the believers is togetherness and the love of Islam. This is a very special kind of bond that transcends worldly things.  Allah says in the Qur’an: “And remember Allah’s favour upon you. You were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became bretheren. And you were on a brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it” (Surah ali-Imraan:1O3)
He, all praises and glory to Him, also says: “And He has united their [the believers] hearts. If you [O Muhammad] had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts. But it is Allah who has united them. Certainly, He is All-Mighty, All-Wise” (Surah al-Anfaal:63) We should never underestimate the importance of loving one another for the sake of Allah. In another hadith the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “You will never enter Paradise until you believe. And you will not believe until you love one another. Certainly, I shall guide you to something that, if you do it, you will love one another: Spread the greetings (of peace) among yourselves.” (Recorded in Muslim)
As we saw in the explanation of the evils of envy, spreading the salam brings us closer together, and fosters love amongst the Muslims. We should also be very careful to treat one another in the best of manners so that we do not offend or hurt the feelings of our fellow Muslims, as this can lead us towards the sin of hating one another. We should do our best to be patient and overlook each other’s faults. This is especially true of the husband and wife who have to deal with each other on a regular basis. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one characteristic in her, he is pleased with another.” (Recorded in Muslim)
Highlighting the importance of love between the believers, Allah has also forbidden acts that lead to enmity and hatred, such as alcohol, gambling. He makes it clear that these are from the tools that Satan uses to cause hatred between humans. Allah says:“Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. So will you not then abstain?” (al-Maaidah:91) In the same way, Allah prohibits backbiting or speaking badly about others. He, all praises and glory be to Him, also praises those who try to reconcile the hearts and make peace between two people who have been estranged. All of these things work together to bring hearts closer together for the sake of Islam.
Is Hatred Amongst Muslims Ever Permissible?
It is important to note that this hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, does not mean that all forms of hatred are forbidden in Islam. There is one type of hatred that is permissible, hate for the sake of Allah. Indeed love and hate for the sake of Allah is a very important aspect of our faith. As the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The one who loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah and withholds for the sake of Allah has completed the faith.” (Recorded in Abu Dawood) In other words, if a Muslim commits an evil, they should be hated for having transgressed the bounds of Allah by committing that evil, and if they commit good deeds they should be loved for performing those good deeds. Hating for the sake of Allah does not mean that we do not advise others. Perhaps Allah will guide that person to what is better, and only Allah knows what is in the hearts. An interesting point to highlight here is when people begin having different opinions about the religion, and often times divide, they tend to hate and curse each other, and say it’s for the sake of Allah. Sometimes they may be excused for what they are doing, but many times, the hatred is in fact based on their own personal dislikes and desires. They are following a certain scholar, but do not realise that he could in fact be wrong.  They hate everyone who opposes his opinion. In such a case, this hatred for others is not actually for the sake of Allah, and is not correct according to the Shareerah.  So let’s remember to spread the salam, amongst those whom we know and those who we don’t, to deal with each other with the best of manners, and not to backbite or lie. Let’s try to overlook each other’s shortcomings, and advise each other to what is best. Remember that the only permissible form of hate is hate for the sake of Allah, and the best form of love is love for His sake.

“… do not turn one’s back on each other…”
A Muslim should never cut off relations with their fellow Muslim. They should always strive to greet each other with a smiling face, and should respond to the greetings given by others. This is part of keeping the sense of brotherhood and sisterhood in Islam alive. In fact, Islam teaches us that to avoid or boycott another Muslim for more than three says, solely for the sake of worldly reasons or personal likes and dislikes, is prohibited. Another hadith tells us that: “It is not allowed for a man to boycott his brother for more than three nights, when they meet this one turns away and the other turns away. The best of them is the one who is the first to offer the greetings.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim) If we find that we are in this type of situation with another Muslim, where we are avoiding them and harboring ill-feelings towards them, we should realise that this is prohibited, and strive to rectify the situation.
One way of overcoming this is to meet the other person and give them the salam, because spreading the salam brings peace and enjoins the hearts. If that is not enough, try asking yourself, ‘Is this thing that I am upset about so serious that I am not afraid of being found sinful in front of Allah?’ There is only one answer to that question.
Permissible Forms of ‘Boycotting’
As with the case of hatred towards other Muslims, there are also forms of boycotting that are considered permissible or sanctioned by the shariah. This exception to the rule is generally reserved for when Allah’s rights are violated, not just the rights of individuals. This type of boycotting of an individual, who has transgressed the rights of Allah, may go on for more than three days, until the situation is remedied. There are numerous examples of where the Companions boycotted others for the wrong that they did. This type of boycotting is a way of illustrating to the offender how serious their offence is. There is an example recorded in Sahih Muslim, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered a boycott of two men who failed to take part in the Battle of Tabuk. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did this because he feared for the men, having committed a sin that was akin to an act of apostasy. They were therefore boycotted for months, and their greetings were not responded to. Finally, Allah accepted their repentance and the Muslims returned to their old behaviour with them. It is also permitted for a husband to boycott his wife if he sees bad conduct for her, on account of the ayah: “As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), then refuse to share their beds…” (Surah al-Nisaa:34) The purpose of the act is to solve the problem if talking won’t work, and it does not mean that he should display this type of behaviour in front of others. Rather it is to be done in private, as a way of showing her how upset he is by her behaviour. We can see then, that boycotting behaviour is permitted if it is done for a purpose that is approved by the shariah, and should only be resorted to when it is judged that its benefits will be greater than its harm.

“…and do not undercut one another in business transactions.”
We can find this command of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to not undercut one another in business transactions, in a number of hadith. For example, we see it mentioned in the following: “The Prophet forbade the city dweller from selling on behalf of a bedouin. And there is to be no najash. One also should not undercut others in business transactions. A man should not make a proposal against the proposal of his brother. A woman should not ask that her sister be divorced in order to take her place.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim) We can see that there is an emphasis here on not ‘acting against one another’. Some of the scholars, such as Ahmad, have understood this to be a part of the rights of Muslim brotherhood. Others, such as An-Nawawi, have interpreted the hadith more generally, to incorporate not undercutting non-Muslim’s in business transactions either.
Economic well-being is a very fundamental aspect of our lives, and Allah makes it clear in the Qur’an, that wealth is beloved to many people. It is therefore also one of that main causes of dispute. Even small sums of money can cause people to argue and hate one another. So in the interests of maintaining good relations, we should be very careful to act fairly in all our dealings. The type of action that this is hadith is referring to is if someone has bought something for a set price, and then another person comes and says, ‘I could sell you that, or better, for less’ and as a result the person returns the item to the first seller and buys it from the other person for the cheaper price. This would cause grief and misgivings to the original seller and it is therefore forbidden. Another example would be someone agreeing to sell something for a set price and then a second person coming and saying they will buy it for more, so the seller nullifies his agreement with the first person and sells it to the second. This type of action is also forbidden.
This hadith demonstrates to us the emphasis that Islam gives to business dealings. They are not simply considered to be a way of getting ahead on the world, rather they are based on strong ethics and consideration for others. There was a time in which the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, was in the marketplace, and he put his hand into a pile of grain and found that it was wet at the bottom. He asked the vendor, who told him that rain had fallen on it. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the said: “Why did you not put it on top of the grain so people could see it? Whoever deceives is not from me.” (Recorded in Muslim) We can therefore see that the key to a blessed business transaction is honesty and straightforwardness. A good Muslim realises that every business dealing must be based on sound morals and ethics, and that Allah will judge them not just on their actions, but on their intentions as well.

“…And be, [O] servants of Allah, bretheren. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, summarised the point of the previous instructions by informing us that we should be brothers (and sisters) to one another. Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “Verily, the believers are but one brotherhood” (Surah al-Hujuraat:10) In order to preserve this sense of brotherhood, Muslims should treat each other with respect. Each Muslim should think of themselves as part of greater brotherhood that has the goal of serving and worshipping Allah. This goal is met partly through treating one another with the best of conduct and concern, for the sake of Allah alone. A Muslim should not work against another Muslim in any way. We should note here that every Muslim is the brother or sister of another Muslim, regardless of their race, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour and so forth. We are brothers and sisters in Islam. We love each other for the sake of Allah, not because we belong to the same tribe. If a Muslim mistreats or discriminates against another Muslim because of their race or colour, they are sinning and wronging their fellow Muslim, and they will be held accountable for this. Further, if a Muslim follows any of the accepted schools of fiqh (madhabs or schools of thought) or works for any of the groups working for Islam (that do not fall into the realm of kufr), then they are a brother or sister to all other Muslims. Whether you are a Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafi or a Salafi you a part of the brotherhood of Islam and they should treat each other well. The level of love and loyalty that we have towards one another should be determined only by the level of righteousness and good deeds that others possess. In other words we should love each other for the sake of Allah, and love in others what Allah loves. We should also be especially careful not to commit any acts that will harm our fellow Muslims. These will be detailed in the following posts inshaAllah.

“… He does not wrong him…”
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, next told us that a Muslim should not wrong their fellow Muslim. The concept of dhulm, or wrongdoing was discussed in detail in a previous post. Wrongdoing towards other people, including non-Muslims, will not be overlooked by Allah, and must be rectified. Because you have taken from a person’s rights or their honour by wronging them, you must restore what was taken. One must either seek forgiveness from the wronged person, or perform a deed that will restore the injustice (such as saying something good about them to the same audience you said something bad if you were backbiting, paying back money etc), or suffer punishment in this life or the Hereafter. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever has wronged another concerning his reputation or anything else should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money [to compensate for wrong deeds], but, if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to the wrong he has done. And if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari) When we think that even saying something about someone that they would not like to hear is a punishable form of wrongdoing, how many of us can truly say that we have nothing to fear on the Day of Resurrection? Take heed and watch your tongue, for nothing leads us to Hellfire like the sins of the tongue. If the wrongdoing is committed on a large scale, for instance against a class of people, it can lead to a great deal of hatred and even, as we have seen historically, civil strife. People who are constantly wronged  or oppressed by others may finally revolt against the wrongdoers, even if they are of the same religion. A Muslim society should therefore be free of wrongdoing both at an individual and societal level.

“… He does not fail him [when he needs him]…”
When we reflect on the concepts of ‘brotherhood’ and ‘sisterhood’ in Islam, we can see that they seek to foster almost familial relationships between the believers, and this carries with it both benefits and responsibilities. One of the responsibilities that we have, as brothers and sisters is Islam, is to be there for each other in our times of need. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded the Muslims to help and assist each other. In one hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, stated: “Help your brother, whether he is the one doing wrong or the one being wronged.” They [the Companions] said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we know how to help him if he is being wronged, but how do we help him if he is the one doing the wrong?” He answered, “Take him by his hand.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari) We can see from this hadith that we should not fail to assist our brother or sister in Islam even if they are wronging their own selves. This obligation therefore extends from just helping one in distress, right through to guiding them to what is best for their own souls. We can see that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, actually instructed us to ‘take him by his hand’ that is physically prevent him from wronging himself.
Mutual support, aid and assistance is therefore a vital aspect of the brotherhood of Islam. Not only does it enjoin the hearts, and work to prevent evil, but we also find, by the blessing of Allah, that if a Muslims helps their fellow Muslim, Allah will help them in return. Let’s reflect on the beautiful example of the Ansaar, the helpers, from Medina. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “But those [Ansaar] who, before them, had homes [in Medina] and had adopted the Faith – they love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given [from the booty], but they [the Ansaar] give them [the Emigrants] preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be successful.” (Surah al-Hashr:9) We know that the Ansaar assisted the Muhajirin, the Muslim migrants from Mecca, not just with their hands, but with their homes, their livelihoods, their food and even their wives, such was their selfless motivation to help the Muslims in their time of need. They asked nothing in return, they only hoped for the reward of Allah.
This obligation of assistance is not limited to those Muslims that we know, it extends to all Muslims in the fold of Islam. We have obligations to those suffering in other countries, even if we do not know them. If we do not have the financial or physical capacity to help other Muslims in need, especially those suffering in other lands, then the very least that we can do is make dua for them. We should seek out the best times to make dua – the last third of the night, when breaking the fast, between Asr and Maghrib on a Friday etc – and plead Allah to help those Muslims suffering in those situations. How many of us actually get up in the last third of the night, with the specific intention of asking Allah to relieve the suffering of Muslims that we do not know, or even those that we do? Really this is a sign of how heard our hearts have become. Muslims should pray for one another, for forgiveness of sins, for the best of this life and the Hereafter, for an end to suffering etc. Remember that when you make dua for you fellow Muslim, Allah will grant the dua for yourself also. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “No Muslim servant [of Allah] prays for his brother behind his back except that an angel says, ‘And for you the same.’” (Recorded in Muslim)
And also: “For whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will record one good deed corresponding to every believing and and woman.” (Recorded in al-Tabaraani) What greater motivation could we ask for?

“…He does not lie to him…”
In this portion of the hadith, the Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, told us that a Muslim should not lie to their fellow Muslim. It is also narrated in other hadith, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not like people to lie. When a person lies to someone else, they are betraying the other person’s trust in them. When a Muslim listens to another Muslims, they expect that they are telling them the truth. If we tell lies, even ‘small’ ones, we break this sense trust. Lying then leads to many ills, including animosity, hatred, and a sense of betrayal. It can cause relationships to breakdown, and erode the sense unity and togetherness within a community. There is only one circumstance, from a Shariah point of view,  in which any form of lying is permitted. That is for the ultimate goal of reconciling the hearts of those who are estranged. This greater good of bringing about harmony between two people is so important that it is considered permissible to tell a lie in order to help reconcile the hearts. If you feel tempted to tell a lie for any reason other than this, even if you think it’s ‘harmless’, remember who the ultimate liar is… Shaitan. Shaitan loves it when we lie to one another. It is his way of causing mischief amongst the people. Seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan and remain silent, that is far more beneficial for you.

“…And he does not show contempt for him…”
Like envy, pride and arrogance were the cause of the first sins ever committed. Satan was arrogant and envious with respect to Adam, in that he thought he was better than him. Envy, pride and arrogance prevented Satan from obeying Allah and bowing down to Adam, peace be upon him. From this lesson we can see what dangerous and threatening things arrogance and pride are. If we have even a small amount of pride in our hearts, it could lead us to the Hell-Fire. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “One who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise” A man said, “But a man loves that his clothes are nice and his shoes are nice.” He [the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] replied, “Verily Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. [Thus, that is not pride] Pride is rejecting the truth and showing disdain for the people.” (Recorded in Muslim) In general, an arrogant or proud person thinks that they are better than others. Brotherhood implies treating each others as equals and giving people their due rights. In fact it implies giving preference to others over ourselves. When we look down on others, or think that we are better than them, because of our education or job etc, this shows contempt for the other person and this does not give the person their rights. This attitude strikes at the very heart of the concept of Brotherhood upon which Islam is based. We do not know what is in the hearts of others. The poorer, simpler person may well be more pious than us, because they have only Allah to rely on. By thinking ourselves better, we may also forget that it is Allah who has given us our blessings. In a blink of an eye He, all praises and glory be to Him, could take everything away and where would we be then? If we find ourselves suffering from this sin of arrogance and pride and having contempt for others, we should stop to reflect on our origins. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, created us from a clot, a small clinging thing, mixed juices that we would not even touch if we saw them. He took us from this state and gave us the faculties of hearing, sight, intelligence and affection through no effort of our own. Everything we have comes from Him. Should we not then stop feeling pride, and rather be grateful and give thanks?

“Piety is here” – and he pointed to his chest three times.”
For us, as human beings, our most important concern should not be our appearance, or the colour of our skin, or the amount of money we have. In fact, it is not even our outward actions that are of the utmost importance. The most important concern for us is what is in our hearts, and piety or taqwa is a matter of the heart. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said: “Verily, Allah does not look at your bodies or your shapes. But He looks at your hearts.” (Recorded in Muslim) To have taqwa, is to fear Allah in our hearts and to strive to protect ourselves from His anger or punishment. The minimum aspect of taqwa, is to obey Allah and not disobey Him. To achieve a higher level, one must put some distance between oneself and anything that could anger Allah. The people of taqwa, will leave even permissible deeds out of fear that there might be something harmful in them. Leaving these doubtful or permissible deeds then acts as a barrier between the believer and any acts of disobedience. When a believer performs all the obligatory deeds that they are capable of  and stays away from all the forbidden and doubtful matters, and when they further perform the recommended acts and stay away from the disapproved ones, they are truly deserving of the title muttaqeen “the people possessing taqwa“.
Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female , and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Surah al-Hujuraat:13) The beauty of this is that only Allah knows what is in the hearts of the people. We as human beings, can’t determine what is inside someone’s heart. We should therefore not look down on anybody, because they may in fact be very beloved to Allah. A person may look contemptible from a wordly point of view, and yet they may be very beloved to Allah due to their taqwa. Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “O believers! Let not a group of you scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let [some] women scoff at other women for it may be that the latter are better than the former.” (Surah al-Hujuraat:11)
Outward appearances and ‘status’ should therefore not be our basis for judging others. This point is illustrated in a very telling hadith: “A man passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he [the Messenger (peace be upon him)] asked someone who was sitting next to him, “What do you think of that man?” He said, “He is from the noblest class of people. By Allah, if he were to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage, his proposal would be accepted. If he were to intercede on behalf of another, his intercession would be accepted.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kept quiet. Then another man passed by and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked the same man “What do you think of that man?” He replied, “He is from the poor Muslims. If he were to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage it would not be accepted. If he were to intercede on behalf of someone, his intercession would not be accepted. And if he were to speak, no one would listen to his speech.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said, “This [poor] man is better than an earth full of the other [type of man].” (Recorded in al-Bukhari) This is the exact opposite of the criteria that most people use to judge others. The heartbreaking point that is illustrated here is that because of people’s perceived status, they are given preference over others who are in fact more beloved to Allah. Many times, when it comes to the marriage of their children, parents look for the suitor with the best status, the best job, the best tribe, the best family, but not, the best taqwa. The Prophet, peace be upon him, advised us to choose the partner that is the most pious, and that is better for us. On the Day of Judgement, the true ‘value’ and ‘worth’ of people will be shown, and it will not be the worldly criteria that matter. It will not benefit us that we were wealthy, or from an important family, or were the Managing Director of such and such a company. The only thing that will matter is what matters to Allah – and that is the state of our hearts.

“It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt.”
We can see here that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is further emphasizing what he stated earlier in this hadith – that a Muslim should never show contempt or look down on another Muslim. His use of language shows us that looking down on others is a serious matter, in fact it is a form of evil. In his commentary on this hadith, Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo points out that Allah created human beings as noble creatures. Allah has further blessed Muslims with the gift of faith. When we consider this fact, it should show us that we have no right to look down on those that Allah has blessed. Contempt for our fellow Muslims is manifested in actions such as: not greeting a Muslim when we see them, not responding to their salam, backbiting them, and thinking they are not deserving of Paradise and so forth. When we do or think these things, we are in fact holding our fellow Muslims in contempt, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, has shown us is a sin. Al-Nawawi argues that no Muslim should ever look down on, or belittle anyone else, and they should never think that they are better than others. They should either assume that others are better than them, or have no opinion on the matter. This is because we have no idea where the final resting place of a human being will be. Even if it is a non-Muslim, Allah may guide them to what is better. If it is a young Muslim, they may have committed less sins than us. If it an elder Muslim, they have been in Islam longer than us. If it is a non-pious Muslim, Allah may guide them to what is better. We do not know the heart or the final end of anyone, so it is not our place to judge or look down upon anyone else. And Allah knows best.

“All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor.”
This is one of the most important messages of Islam with respect to society. Because of this, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made this same point on several significant occasions in his life, including during his Farewell Pilgrimage. We see this example in the following hadith: “On the authority of ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) delivered a speech to the people on the Day of Sacrifice. He said, “O people, what day is this?” They answered, “The sacred (inviolable) day.” The he said, “What land is this?” They answered, “The sacred land”. Then he said, “What month is this?” They said, “The sacred month.” He said, “Verily, your blood, wealth and honour are inviolable for you as the sacredness of this day of yours in this land of yours in this month of yours.” He repeated this a number of times and then he raised his head and said, “O Allah, have I conveyed the message? O Allah, have I conveyed the message?” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim)
SubhanAllah, what a powerful message. If these instructions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were adhered to, Muslims would live secure and protected lives. The Prophet, peace be upon him, particularly mentioned blood, wealth and honour, because if these were protected, everything else would be secure. There are numerous ahadith in this collection of Imam Al-Nawawi, that give the same message – none of our actions should harm our fellow Muslims. Before we do an action we should ask ourselves firstly whether it is permissible according to the shariah, and secondly, will it cause any harm to our fellow Muslims? We cannot just concern ourselves with our own happiness and needs, we must also think of others. Except in cases permitted by law, a Muslim must avoid the shedding of any other Muslim’s blood, or indeed harming them in any way. No Muslim should harm another’s wealth, and we should show respect for our fellow Muslim’s property. If we borrow something, we should take care of it. If we harm another’s property we should compensate them for it. The importance that Islam places on the protection wealth is evident in the shariah punishment for theft – the removal of the thief’s hand, if certain conditions are met. It is harsh but it emphasises the  importance of safeguarding each other’s wealth. Finally, a person’s honour is to be respected in the same way as their blood and wealth. This means that we must be extremely careful about what we say about other Muslims. Backbiting – speaking truthfully behind another’s back in ways that are displeasing to them – is a violation of honour. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, describes this deed as follows: “Do not backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it [so do not backbite]. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” (Surah al-Hujuraat:12)
When we reflect on the lack of implementation of these principles of safeguarding each other’s blood, wealth and honour, in our communities today, is it any surprise that we lack the sense of brotherhood that occurred amongst the earliest Muslims, who took these teachings very seriously? Not adhering to these principles erodes our sense of trust and community and the concepts of brotherhood and sisterhood in Islam. Let’s reflect on whether we are adhering to these noble principles, and if not, let’s strive to rectify our conduct and seek forgiveness for those we have wronged. Let’s call ourselves to account before we are called to account.

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