26 February2012
Khaibar Falls (3);Intentions, Actions and Rewards
Khaibar Falls (3);Intentions, Actions and Rewards
Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
The use of
catapults in warfare
Last
week we briefly mentioned how the Muslim Army found a quantity of weapons
stored in cellars, including some engines of war. These were brought out to be
used in other assaults, a ballista (catapults) for hurling rocks and two
testudos for bringing men up to the walls beneath an impregnable roof so that
they could breach an entrance; thanks to these engines, the easier fortresses
fell one by one. The first powerful resistance they encountered was at a
stronghold named Na'im, Here the garrison came out in great force, and on that
day every attack made by the Muslims was repulsed.
Shortly after this battle, the Jews moved to ’Abi Castle and barricaded
themselves inside. The same events recurred; the Muslims besieged the new site
for three days and then the great Muslim hero Abu Dujanah Sammak bin Kharshah
Al-Ansari — of the red ribbon — led the Muslim army and broke into the castle,
conducted fierce military operations within and forced the remaining Jews to
flee for their lives into another fort, An-Nizar. An-Nizar was the most
powerful fort, and the Jews came to the established conviction that it was too
immune to be stormed, so they deemed it a safe place for their children and
women. The Muslims, however, were not dismayed but dragged on the siege, but
because standing at a commanding top, the fort was impregnable. The Jews inside
were too cowardly to meet the Muslims in open fight but rather hurled a shower
of arrows and stones on the attackers. Considering this situation, the Prophet*
ordered that rams be used and these proved effective and caused cracks in the
ramparts providing an easy access into the heart of the fort, where the Jews were
put to rout and fled in all directions leaving behind their women and children.
With these series of military victories, the first division of Khaibar was
totally reduced, and the Jews in the other minor fortresses evacuated them and
fled to the second division.
The
catapult is a war machine that is used to demolish walls behind which the
enemies fortify themselves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used it to throw
stones at those walls, but he most certainly did not employ snakes or fire. The
intended targets were the fortifications and the enemy combatants who were
fighting from their stations upon the fortifications and from directly behind
them. The targets intended by the catapults were clearly not civilians, women,
or children, though there was a possibility under those circumstances that some
civilians could have been injured unintentionally. This, however, is quite
different than intentionally attacking civilian targets, women, and children.
Any direct attack against such people is categorically unlawful and had been
expressly prohibited by the Prophet*. During the battles of those days a
catapult served the same purpose as artillery serves in modern warfare.
Modern
Western armies claim to fight with ‘Smart Weapons’ but many of these lead to
the killing of innocent people – including aerial bombing, drone attacks, army
tank fire, cluster munitions. Indeed, the greatest terror attacks in history
(Nagasaki & Hiroshima atomic bombs) were clearly aimed to kill civilians
and not just military persons. Hence, Muslims should be aware of the rules of
warfare and other countries should not preach justice and fairness when they
clearly do not care about innocents dying on or near a battlefield, or even far
away from a battlefield (as with current US policy).
The little girl and
the Prophet
A
brief story about how a young girl, along with other female helpers who wanted
to take care of the wounded during the battle, was sat with the Prophet* on his
camel. When they dismounted the Prophet* noticed that she was curled up by the
foot of the camel and he also saw some blood stain on the saddle. He* enquired
whether this was the first time she had her menses and she said it was and he
reassured her, and told her to wash the stain with salt and water – which she
did. After the battle and the distribution of the spoils of war, the Prophet*
sought her out by name and personally put a necklace around her neck. She later
said that she never parted with the necklace and wrote in her will that when
she died, as a sign of respect for the Prophet*, she wanted her body to be
washed with water mixed with salt.
Khaibar falls
The
last of the strongholds to make any resistance was Qamus. This belonged to the
family of Kinanah, one of the richest and most powerful clans of the Bani
Nadir. Some of them had long lived in Khaibar whereas others of the family,
including Kinanah himself, had recently settled there after they had been
exiled from Yathrib. It was they especially who had been counting on the help
of Ghatafan, whose failure to keep their promise had been an unnerving
disappointment for them; and they were still further demoralised by the bad
news brought by all those fugitives who had now crowded into Qamus. They none
the less held out for fourteen days; then Kinanah sent word that he wished to
come to terms with the Prophet, who said he was willing to negotiate.
Ibn
Abi Al-Huqaiq was despatched to the Messenger of Allah* to negotiate the surrender
treaty. The Prophet* agreed to spare their lives on condition they evacuate
Khaibar and the adjacent land, leaving whatever gold and silver they had in their
possession. However, he stipulated that he would disavow any commitment if they
concealed anything. So the chieftain came down from the fortress with others of
his family; and it was agreed that none of the garrison should be put to death
or made captive -neither they nor their families -on condition that they should
leave Khaibar and that all their possessions should become the property of the
victors. The Prophet then added a further clause, namely that his obligation to
spare their lives and let them go free should be annulled with regard to anyone
who might try to conceal any of his possessions. Kinanah and the others agreed
to this; and the Prophet called on Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali and Zubayr and ten of
the Jews to witness the agreement.
After
the fall of Qamus the two remaining fortresses surrendered on the same terms.
Then the Jews of Khaibar consulted together, and sent a deputation to the
Prophet, suggesting that since they were skilled in the management of their
farms and their orchards he should allow them to remain in their homes, and
they would pay him a yearly rent of half the produce. To this the Prophet
agreed; but he stipulated that if in the future he decided to banish them they
must go.
Thus,
the Muslims had a decisive victory. The Jews lost ninety-three (93) men while
the loss on the Muslim side was only nineteen (19) men.
Stealing from the
Spoils of War
Abu
Hurayra said, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, in the yea rof Khaybar. We did not capture any gold or
silver except for personal effects, clothes, and baggage. Rifaa ibn Zayd
presented a black slave boy to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, whose name was Midam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, made for Wadi'l-Qura, and when he arrived there, Midam
was unsaddling the camel of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, when a stray arrow struck and killed him. The people said, Praise
be to Allah! The Garden!' The Messenger of Allah said, 'No! By He in whose hand
my self is! The cloak which he took from the spoils on the Day of Khaybar
before they were distributed will blaze with fire on him.' When the people
heard that, a man brought a sandal-strap or two sandal-straps to the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A sandal-strap or two sandal-straps
of fire!' "
Story of Kinanah
Shortly
afterwards, the forts were handed over to the Muslims and all Khaibar was
reduced and brought under the sway of Islam. This treaty notwithstanding, Abi
Al-Huqaiq’s two sons concealed a leather bag full of jewels, and money
belonging to Huyai bin Al-Akhtab, who carried it with him when Banu Nadir had
been banished. But it soon became clear to both Jews and Muslims that much
wealth was being hidden. Where was the famed treasure of the Bani Nadir which they
had brought with them from Medina, and which they had so lavishly displayed in
their procession through its streets? The Prophet questioned Kinanah about
this, and he replied that since their arrival in Khaibar the treasure had all
been sold to pay for more arms and armour and fortifications. The Jews knew
that he was lying, and were all the more apprehensive because many of them now
believed themselves to be in the presence of a Prophet. They held that they had
no need to follow him, because he had not been sent to them; but it would be
clearly vain to try to deceive him. One of them, who had Kinanah's welfare at
heart, went to him and begged him to hide nothing, for if he did the Prophet
would certainly be informed of it. Kinanah angrily rebuked him; but within less
than a day the treasure was discovered, and Kinanah was put to death together
with a cousin of his who was found to be privy to the concealment. Their
families were made captive. Abi Al-Huqaiq’s two sons were killed in recompense
for breaching the covenant, and Safiyah, Huyai’s daughter was taken as a
captive.
Zainab tries to
poison the Prophet*
When
all the terms had been agreed upon, and when the victorious army had rested,
the widowed wife of Sallam ibn Mishkam roasted a lamb and poisoned every part
of it with a deadly poison which she concentrated especially in the shoulders,
having learnt on inquiry that the Prophet preferred the shoulder of lamb to the
other joints. Then she brought it to the camp and set it before him, whereupon
he thanked her and invited those of his Companions who were present to sup with
him. It happened on this occasion that seated next to the Prophet was a
Khazrajite named Bishr, the son of that Bara' who had led the Muslims of
Yathrib to the Second 'Aqabah and who had been the first ever to pray the
ritual prayer in the direction of Mecca. When the Prophet took a mouthful of
lamb, Bishr did the same and swallowed it, but the Prophet spat out what was in
his mouth, saying to the others: "Hold off your hands! This shoulder
proclaimeth unto me that it is poisoned." He sent for the woman and asked
her if she had poisoned the joint. "Who told thee?" she asked.
"The shoulder itself," said the Prophet. "What made thee do
it?" "Well thou knowest," she said, "what thou hast done unto
my people; and thou hast slain my father and mine uncle and my husband. So I
told myself: 'If he be a king, I shall be well quit of him; and if he be a
Prophet he will be informed of the poison.' " The Prophet none the less
pardoned the woman. The face of Bishr was already ashen pale, and he died shortly
afterwards. Then it is narrated in some hadith that the lady was killed because
of Bishr’s death.
Nawawi's Forty Hadith
Hadith 37: Intentions, Actions and Rewards
“… from among the sayings
he relates from His Lord (glorified and exalted be He)”
This
statement shows us that this is a qudsi
hadith, in which the Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him,
directly related words of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, that were not
to be contained in the Qur’an.
”Verily, Allah recorded the good deeds and the
evil deeds.”
Allah,
all praises and glory be to Him, has already recorded and decreed which deeds
are deserving of reward and which are deserving of punishment. In this
narration of the hadith the wording is “Allah recorded” implying that Allah
Himself recorded these things. In other narrations it states that the angels
record the deeds at the command of Allah, which is the more common
understanding, supported by other hadith.
These two understandings have been reconciled by some scholars who
stated that the recording by Allah implies two matters. One is the recording of
the good and bad deeds by Allah in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lauh al-Mahfoodh), which took place before any of the deeds were
actually performed, according to Allah’s knowledge of when they will occur. The
second recording is when the person actually performs the deeds, at which time
they are recorded by the angels
according to Allah’s justice and mercy. Imam at-Tabari said that in this
hadith is evidence for the statement that the Two Recording Angels, [assigned
to each person to write down the good and bad deeds of that person], write down
not just the actions but also what the person intends to do of good or evil,
and they know what he resolves to do in his heart. Other scholars think that
the Two Angels only write down that which is apparent from the outward actions
of the person, or from what they hear him say. It may be that the Two Angels know all that which a person
intends in his heart, and it is conceivable that Allah has granted for them a
means to attain this knowledge [which is from the Knowledge of the Ghayb or
Unseen], just as He has granted a means to many of the Prophets to attain
knowledge of many things from the Unseen. However, we should not argue about
these 2 possibilities as this is part of the Knowledge of the Unseen. The fact
that all our good and bad deeds are recorded should be a reminder to us that
anything we do and say should not be taken lightly. Nothing escapes Allah’s
knowledge, and everything will be recorded as either a good or bad deed. This
should cause us to pause before we act and ask ourselves, ‘Will this be
recorded for me as a good deed or an evil deed?’ Call yourself to account
before you are called to account.
“Then He clarified how [that
recording should occur:] whoever decided to do a good deed but he did not do
it, Allah records it with Him as a complete good deed.”
We
can see from this hadith that Allah has
divided deeds into four categories: deciding to do good deeds and then not
doing them, doing good deeds, deciding to do evil deeds and then not doing them
and doing evil deeds.
1. The first concept to
understand is al-haajis, which is a
fleeting thought that occurs in one’s mind but does not stay. This kind of
thought can occur to anyone and its content may be quite evil, but we are not
held accountable for this. This hadith is not referring to this type of thought.
2. The second concept to
understand is al-khaatir, which is a
thought that comes into one’s mind, that a person gives some thought or
consideration to, but then dismisses. This thought can also be quite evil,
coming either from shaitan or one’s own soul, but once it has passed the person
does not give anymore consideration to it. We are not held responsible for this
type of thought either.
3. The third concept is ‘the speech of a person to himself’ and
this goes beyond the other levels to contemplate whether or not we should
actually perform this action. If we do not act on this then we will not be held
responsible for this thought.
By the mercy of Allah we
are not held accountable for any of the above listed type of thoughts. The
Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, advised us: “Verily, Allah has overlooked for [the
members of] my nation what their souls think about as long as they do not act
on it or speak about it.” (Recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim) Although we are not held accountable, if evil
thoughts do come to our minds we should refuge in Allah from the accursed
Satan.
4. The next level is a decision or al-hamm, and that is what
this portion of the hadith is referring to. This is where the heart is determined to do a specific act. It is a
decision that is just short of a
complete resolution to act. It is this type of intention that this hadith
is referring to. So whoever decides in their heart, and becomes determined to
do a good deed, but they are unable to do it, will have a reward with Allah
that is equal to a complete good deed. This determination in the heart, it
should be noted is different to having a fleeting thought, or lightly
contemplating something. This special reward is reserved for those who had
resolved in their hearts to do a good deed, for the sake of Allah, but were
unable to do it. And Allah knows best what is in the hearts.
“And if he decided to do it
and actually did it, Allah records it with Him as ten good deeds up to seven
hundred up to many times over.”
SubhanAllah,
such is the mercy of Allah that when we actually do a good deed, He not only
rewards us for that, but He increases our reward at least ten times! Allah
tells us in the Qur’an: “Whoever brings
a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof” (Surah al-Anaam:160) How
easy Allah makes it for us to make our scale of good deeds heavy on the Day of
Judgement, all praises and glory be to Him. The Prophet, peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him, tells us in this part of the hadith, that some good deeds
could actually receive up to seven hundred times the reward of the deed. We
should immediately ask ourselves, what is it that secures a reward as great as
seven hundred times? One deed that is specifically multiplied seven hundred
fold, is the act of giving wealth for the sake of Allah. Allah, all praises and
glory be to Him, says in the Qur’an: “The
likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as that of a
grain [of corn]. It grows seven ears and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah
gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is all-sufficient for His
creatures’ needs, All-Knowing” (Surah al-Baqarah:261) There is also the
following example from the hadith: “On
the authority of Abu Masood al-Ansaari who said: A man came with a camel and
its reigns, saying, “This is for the sake of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) said, “For you, on the Day of Resurrection, will be seven
hundred camels, all of them with their reigns.” (Recorded in Muslim) We also have hadith that tell us that a deed
may be rewarded so many times over that the total amount is known only to
Allah. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him,
said: “Every good deed that a human
performs is multiplied ten times up to seven hundred. And Allah has said,
‘Except for the fast for it is done for My sake and I shall reward it [even
more]. The person leaves his desires and food for My sake…” (Recorded in
al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Patience
and perseverance is another deed that is rewarded by an amount that is known
only to Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Only
those who are patient shall receive their reward in full without measure.”
(Surah al-Zumar:10) In fact, the same deed may be performed by two different
people and the reward for each of them may be totally different. We can see
from this, that the amount of multiple reward is based on a number of factors,
including the excellence of one’s Islam, one’s sincerity and purity in action,
the excellence of the deed itself and the need for the deed done. In this way
even a small deed may secure a large reward with Allah.
“If he decided to do an
evil deed but he did not do it, Allah records it with Him as one complete good
deed.”
If a person considers doing an evil deed, but fears Allah and changes
their mind, a full good deed is recorded for them. From this we can see that
restraining oneself from evil for the sake of Allah, is a good deed and
deserves to be rewarded as such. If a person is able to make restraint for the
sake of Allah a part of their character, Allah promises they be from among the
inhabitants of Paradise: “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,” (Surah
al-Naaziaat:40-41) It may be the case
that someone decides not to perform an evil deed, simply out of fear of what
others may think of them. In this case some scholars say that the person may be
held accountable for this intention, because they put the fear of men over fear
of Allah, and Allah knows best. If a person decided to perform an evil deed and
is prevented from doing so simply by circumstance, they will still be held
accountable for this evil intention. The question arises – if a person decides
to do a good deed and it is counted as a good deed, shouldn’t the one who
decides to do an evil deed have it counted as an evil deed? The answer is that
this is part of the blessings and mercy of Allah, all praises and glory be to
Him. Allah records the evil deeds of people and them responsible for it as an
act of justice on His part. And He forgives other deeds and disregards the
decision to do evil as an act of His mercy. We can see the wisdom behind this
mercy when we consider that if a person knows they will be held accountable
just for the evil thought, there is not much to stop them from actually
committing the sin. But if that person restrains themselves, no evil deed will
be recorded for them, in fact there is the incentive of achieving a good deed.
Then, if they actually go forward and do the good deed, it will be multiplied
for them many times. And Allah is the most Just, full of Mercy.
1. The one who decides or
just has the intention to do the evil act but then he refrains from doing it
because of his fear of the people or does not like to be blamed by them. Some
scholars say this person will be punished.
2. The person decides to do the evil act but
was not able to perform it because of external factors (qadr). For example, a
person decides to break into a house to steal, but he does not succeed and runs
away because a police car is driving around the area. Some scholars say that he
will be punished though he did not steal.
3. Someone who decides and has the intention
to do the evil act, makes the effort but is not able to perform it because of
his lack of strength or capabilities. Scholars say this person will be
punished. For instance, if two Muslims fight each other with the intention of
killing each other, as stated in the well-known hadith, both the killer and the
one who has been killed will be in the Hellfire. The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, this is the killer -
what about the poor person who has been killed?" The Prophet*, said he had
the intention to kill his friend or brother but was not able to because he was killed himself.
4. Someone has the intention to do an evil act
and talks to others about it but does not do it. Some scholars say that he will
be punished just because of his bad intention. Other scholars say he will not
be punished unless the sin itself is the impermissible kind of speech like
slander, backbiting or lying.
”If he decided to do it and
he actually did it, Allah records it as one evil deed.”
Allah
is not unjust to any of His creation. If a person commits an evil deed, it is
recorded as one bad deed without any multiplication. Allah, all praises and
glory be to Him, tells us in the Qur’an: “Whoever
brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and
they will not be wronged.” (Surah al-Anaam:160) From above, that when a
person intends to do a good deed, this is in itself considered a good deed, and
if they then go on to perform the deed, the reward is multiplied a minimum of
ten times. If a person intends to do an evil deed, but does not do it, a good
deed is recorded for them. If they actually perform an evil deed, it is only
counted as one evil deed with no multiplication. We should note though that
evil deeds do differ in their weight and gravity. So whilst they are only
counted as one evil deed, some of these deeds may be graver than others. Very
grave sins include destructive sins such as adultery, murder, shirk and so forth. The time at which the sin is
committed may contribute to the gravity, such as wrongdoing committed during
the Inviolable Months, being worse than that committed at other times. The
sanctity of the place where the wrongdoing was committed also increases the
gravity of the sin. Allah says of sins committed in the Inviolable Mosque: “And whoever inclines to evil therein or to
do wrong, him We shall cause to taste a painful torment” (Surah al-Hajj:26)
The
nobility of the person, or the fact that they are taken as an example can also
make the sin graver. Allah says: “O
wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual
intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled. And that is easy for Allah.”
(Surah Al Ahzaab:30)
Many
scholars have also noted that if a person shows pleasure at having committed a
sin the enormity of the sin would be considered greater. The sin is also made
greater by telling others about what you have done. The Prophet, peace and
blessing of Allah be upon him, said: “All
of my Nation are to be forgiven except those who publicise their sins.
Publicising the sins includes a person doing something during the night and
then in the morning, although Allah had kept that act concealed for him, he
says, ‘O so and so, last night I did such and such’. He spent the whole night
being concealed by his Lord and in the morning he uncovered what Allah had kept
concealed for him.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The
enormity of the sin is also greater when there is little excuse for the person
to commit the sin. This means that the act was not committed by a person who
was overcome by their desires. The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon
him, said: “There are three [categories
of people] to whom Allah will not speak [any pleasing words], for whom Allah
will not cleanse of their sins and at whom Allah will not look and they shall
have a grievous punishment. [They are] an old man who commits illegal sexual intercourse,
a lying king and an arrogant impoverished person.” (Recorded by Muslim)
If
we consider how merciful Allah is with recompensing our deeds, we will see that
the only ones who are destroyed are those who destroy themselves willingly. If
a person restrains themselves and then does a good deed, they will find their
reward multiplied by Allah. And Allah is the Most Just, the Most Kind.
Children's Feedback:
What we should expect from our Islam
What are we good at?
