14 December 2014 - Musa and al-Khidr

14 December 2014 - Musa and al-Khidr

The Prophet Musa* and al-Khidr
(A Wise Man)
 
Another story about the Prophet Musa* is related in the Surat al-Kahf. At the beginning of the story, Allah relates a journey the Prophet Musa* makes with his young assistant:

Who is the most Knowledge?
Ibn Abbas said that the Prophet* said: "Once Moses stood up and addressed Bani Israel. He was asked who was the most learned man amongst the people. He said: "I." Allah admonished him as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So, Allah said to him: "Yes, at the junction of the two seas there is a slave of Mine who is more learned than you." Moses said; "O my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah said: "Take a fish and put it in a large basket and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish."
Moses took a fish and put it in a basket and proceeded along with his servant boy, Joshua (Yusha Ibn Nun), till they reached the rock where they laid their heads (lay down). Moses slept, and the fish, moving out of the basket, fell into the sea. It took its way into the sea straight as in a tunnel. Allah stopped the flow of water over the fish and it became like an arch (the Prophet pointed out this arch with his hands). They travelled the rest of the night, and the next day Moses said to his boy servant: "Give us our food, for indeed, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey of ours." Moses did not feel tired till he crossed that place which Allah had ordered him to seek after. His boy said to him: "Do you know that when we were sitting near that rock, I forgot the fish, and none but Satan caused me to forget to tell you about it, and it took its course into the sea in an amazing way?" So there was a path for the fish and that astonished them. Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after." So both of them retraced their footsteps till they reached the rock. There they saw a man lying covering with a garment.
 
Moses Talks to Al-Khidr
Moses greeted him, and he replied saying: "How do people greet each other in your land?" Moses said: "I am Moses." The man asked: "Moses of Bani Israel?" Moses said: "yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me from those things which Allah has taught you." He said: "O Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught me and which you do not know, you have some of the knowledge of Allah which Allah has taught you and which I do not know." Moses asked: "May I follow you?" He said: "But you will not be able to remain patient with me, for how can you be patient about things which you will not be able to understand?" Moses said: "You will find me, if Allah so will, truly patient, and I will not disobey you in aught."

The Boat, The Boy and The Wall
So both of them set out walking along the seashore. A boat passed by them, and they asked the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khidr, so they took them on board without fare. When they were on board the boat, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice into the sea. Al Khidr said to Moses: "O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." Then suddenly Al Khidr took an axe and pulled up a plank, and Moses did not notice it till he had pulled up a plank with the axe. Moses said to him: "What have you done? They took us on board charging us nothing; yet you have intentionally made a hole in their boat as to drown its passengers. Verily, you have done a dreadful thing." Al Khidr replied: "Did I not tell you that you would not be able to remain patient with me?" Moses replied: "Do not blame me for what I have forgotten, and do not be hard upon me for my fault." So the first excuse of Moses was that he had forgotten.
When they had left the sea, they passed by a boy playing with other boys. Al Khidr took a hold of the boy's head and plucked it with his fingertips as if he were plucking some fruit. Moses said to him: "Have you killed an innocent person who has not killed any person? You have really done a horrible thing." Al Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you could not remain patient with me?" Moses said: "If I ask you about anything after this, don't accompany me. You have received an excuse from me."
Then both of them went on till they came to some people of a village, and they asked its inhabitants for food but they refused to entertain them as guests. Then they saw therein a wall which was just going to collapse and Al Khidr repaired it just by touching it with his hands. Moses said: "These are the people whom we have called on, but they neither gave us food, nor entertained us as guests, yet you have repaired their wall. If you had wished, you could have taken wages for it."
Al Khidr said: "This is the parting between you and me, and I shall tell you the explanation of those things on which you could not remain patient."

The Explanation
“As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them, who seized every ship by force.” – These were believers and poor and would have suffered greatly if the king confiscated their boats. So the damage was just enough for the king to reject them but small enough for them to fix.
"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.” – This boy would have grown up to oppress his parents and may have become a disbeliever and Allah wanted to replace him with a better son because the parents were strong believers.
"And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord.” – Again, the parents were strong believers and Allah wanted to look after the children because of the belief of the parents by protecting their wealth. This wealth would have been taken by selfish and ungrateful people had the wall not been fixed. Hence, if parents want to protect their children they should be strong believers.
“And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which could not hold patience.” – Finally, al-Khidr was acting under orders and doing as he was commanded. This was his gift / knowledge and he was not doing it of his own accord otherwise he would have been subject to the Law of Moses.
The Prophet* added: "We wish that Moses could have remained patient by virtue of which Allah might have told us more about their story." (Sufyan, the sub-narrator, said that the Prophet* said: "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses! If he had remained patient, we would have been told further about their case." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
As related in the above story, there is good and wisdom behind these events ordained by Allah, which are neither obvious nor immediately comprehensible. People should think about the good inherent in everything that befalls them in their every-day lives. Behind many events considered to be evil by people in our day, there are surely Divine purposes created by Allah. If a person remains patient and strives sincerely to grasp their Divine purposes, Allah may well make him comprehend their hidden meanings.

Allah the Almighty narrated in Surah Kahf:
"And remember when Moses said to his boy servant: "I will not give up (traveling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or until I spend years and years in traveling." But when they reached the junction of the two seas, they forgot their fish, and it took its way through the sea as in a tunnel. So when they had passed further on (beyond that fixed place), Moses said to his boy servant: "Bring us our morning meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue in this, our journey." He said: "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the dock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange way!" Moses said: "That is what we have been seeking." So they went back retracing their footsteps. Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.
Moses said to him (Khidr) "May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance, and true path) which you have been taught by Allah?" He (Khidr) said: "Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?" Moses said; "If Allah will, you will find me patience, and I will not disobey you in aught." He (Khidr) said: "Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you." So they both proceeded, till, when they were in the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Moses said: "Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have done Imra- a Munkar (evil, bad, dreadful) thing." He (Khidr) said: "Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?" Moses said: "Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair with you."
Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Moses said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have done Nukra a great Munkar (prohibited, evil dreadful) thing!" Khidr said: "Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?" Moses said: "If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me."
Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. Moses said: "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it!" Khidr said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of those things over which you were unable to hold patience.
"As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them, who seized every ship by force. "And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy. "And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which could not hold patience. (TMQ 18:60-82)

19 February 2012

Khaibar Fighting (p2), Hadith 36 (p2)

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

The Khaibar Campaign: Assorted Stories

On their way down a valley, the Muslims began to entertain Allah’s Greatness: shouting at the top of their voices: “Allah is Great, Allah is Great, there is no god but Allah.” The Prophet* asked them to lower down their voices saying: “The One you are invoking is neither absent nor deaf; He is close to you, All-hearing.”

The following morning, at sunrise, the Muslims encountered the Jews when they had come out about their jobs with their axes, spades and strings driving their cattle along. They began to shout in surprise: “Muhammad has come along with his force!” The Messenger of Allah said: “Allah is Great, Khaibar shall face destruction. Behold! When we descend in the city centre, it will be a bad day for those who have been warned (but have not taken heed).” For encampment, the Prophet* had chosen a certain plot of land he deemed suitable to serve as the headquarters of his army. However, a veteran fighter of his called Hubab bin Al-Mundhir suggested that they, under the exigencies of war requirements and for the sake of providing maximum logistic facilities, shift to another place. On approaching the vicinity of Khaibar, the Prophet* ordered his troops to halt, and began to invoke his Lord saying: “O Allah! Lord of the seven heavens and what they harbour beneath, Lord of the seven earths and what lies in their wombs, Lord of devils and whomsoever they have led astray; we beseech You to grant us the good of this village (Khaibar), the good of its inhabitants and the good that lies in it. We seek refuge with You from the evil of this village, the evil of its inhabitants, and the evil that lies in it.” Then he ordered, “Now march (towards the village) in the Name of Allah.”

The Jews held a hurried council of war. But despite the warning of one of their chiefs they decided to trust to their battlements. There was no comparison, they said, between the fortresses of Yathrib and their own mountain citadels, as they liked to call them. This decision to fight in separate groups was largely based on their greatest weakness, which was lack of unity. What the Revelation had told the Prophet* about the Jews of Yathrib was also true of the people of Khaibar: III feeling is rife amongst them. Thou countest them as one whole, but their hearts are divided? It was their misfortune to be now suddenly faced by an army which, though small, was penetrated with the discipline implied in the revealed verse: Verily God loveth those who fight for His cause in ranks as if they were a close-built block.' an army of men whose souls delighted in the promise of the words: How many a little band hath overcome a multitude by God's leave! And God is with the steadfast:'

On the first day when the Prophet* attacked the nearest fortress, the garrisons of the others did not march out in a body to attack the besiegers but remained behind their own walls and busied themselves with strengthening their fortifications. These tactics reduced the disparity of numbers, but they put the steadfastness of the Muslims to the test of a long campaign on alien territory and many battles instead of one. The men of Khaibar were amongst the most expert marksmen of Arabia. Never before had the Muslims had such severe training in the use of their shields; and at the outset of the campaign the women in the camp were kept busy treating arrow wounds. Of the Prophet's wives the lot had fallen a second time in succession to Umm Salamah; and amongst the other women who accompanied the army to tend the wounded and keep up the supply of water behind the lines were the Prophet's aunt Safiyyah, Umm Ayman, Nusaybah and Umm Sulaym, the mother of Anas.

Fighting starts

The Prophet* began the campaign by reducing the minor strongholds one after the other. The first fort he was to attack was Na‘im, the first defence line with a formidable strategic position. Marhab, the leader of the fort, invited ‘Amr bin Al-Akwa‘ to meet him in combat (see last week). Yasir, Marhab’s brother, then turned up challenging the Muslims to a fight. Az-Zubair was equal to it and killed him on the spot. Real fighting then broke out and lasted for a few days. The Jews showed courage and proved to be too formidable even to the repeated rushes of the veteran soldiers of Islam. However, they later realized the futility of resistance and began to abandon their positions in An-Na‘im and infiltrate into the fortress of As-Sa‘b. Al-Hubab bin Al-Mundhir Al-Ansari led the attack on As-Sa‘b fortress and laid siege to it for three days after which the Muslims stormed it with a lot of booty, provisions and food to fall to their lot therein. This victory came in the wake of the Prophet’s* invocation to Allah to help Banu Aslam in their relentless and daring attempts to capture that fort.

During the process of the war operations, extreme hunger struck the Muslims. They lit fires, slaughtered domestic asses/donkeys and be to cook them. When the Prophet* inquired about the fires and cooking, he ordered that they throw away the meat and wash the cooking pots, forbidding the practice of eating such meat.

The Jews, meanwhile, evacuated An-Natat and barricaded themselves in Az-Zubair fort, a formidable defensive position inaccessible to both cavalry and infantry. It crowned a high mass of rock with a steep approach to the gates and sheer cliffs on all the other sides. Most of the fighting men who had escaped from the other fortresses had joined the citadel's garrison, which remained firmly within the walls. The Muslims besieged it for three days, but in vain. For several days nothing was achieved; but on the sixth night, when Umer was in command of the watch, a spy was caught in the camp, and in return for his life he gave them valuable information about the various fortresses including this fort which had a hidden resource which would enable them to hold out almost indefinitely; and he offered to tell him the secret, on condition that his life and property and family should be safe. The Prophet* agreed, and the man showed him where he could dig down to dam an underground rivulet which flowed beneath the rocks of the citadel. They had steps leading down to it from within, and since the stream was never dry they kept no stores of water. So when it was cut off they were soon driven by thirst to come out and fight, and after a savage battle they were defeated. The spy also told them about the other forts and which they could capture most easily and suggesting that they should begin with one which was not well guarded and which had a quantity of weapons stored in its spacious cellars, including some engines of war that had been used in the past against other fortresses, for like Yathrib - Khaibar had often been plagued with civil discord. The next day the fortress was taken and the engines 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.

The Prophet’s Banner

In his previous campaigns the Prophet* had used relatively small flags as standards. But to Khaibar he had brought a great black standard made from a cloak of'A'ishah's. They called it "the Eagle. "Tomorrow," said the Prophet, "will I give the standard unto a man whom God and His messenger love. God will give us the victory by his hands; he is not one who turneth back in flight."  “The banner”, the Prophet* declared “would be entrusted to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and they (Allah and His Messenger) love him.” All the Muslims came forward in the following morning hoping to be granted the honour of carrying the banner. The Prophet* called for ‘Ali bin Abi Talib whose eyes used were stuck together and the Prophet rubbed his spit on them and they were cured, and then handed the banner to him. Umer said that he never wanted any position of authority in his life except on that day! Hence, Muslims should not seek positions of power as the love of power and love of money are two things taht corrupt men – just like sending 2 hungry wolves in to a pack of sheep! ‘Ali, on his part, pledged he would fight the enemies until they embraced Islam. The Prophet* answered him saying: “Take things easy and invite them to accept Islam and brief them on their duties towards Allah. I swear by Allah that if only one should be guided through your example, that would surely outweigh the best of our camels or spoils of war.”

Khaibar, it seems, was split into two parts with five forts in the first: Na‘im, As-Sa‘b bin Mu‘adh, the castle of Az-Zubair, ’Abi Castle, and An-Nizar in Ash-Shiqq; three others were in part two: Al-Qamus, Al-Wateeh and As-Salalim.

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/headband — 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.

Ghatafan Tribe do not show up to support Khaibar

"Where are the Bani Ghatafan?" was a question that was being asked throughout Khaibar, but not answered. They had in fact set out with an army of four thousand men as promised. But after a day's march they had heard during the night a strange voice-they did not know whether it came from earth or heaven -and the voice cried out three times in succession: "Your people! Your people! Your people!", whereupon the men imagined that their families were in danger, and hastened back whence they had come, only to find everything in order. But having returned, they were unwilling to set out a second time, partly because many of them were convinced that they would now arrive too late to have a share in the defeat of the enemy.

The Bedouin’s wish

A bedouin came to the Prophet* and after accepting Islam expressed his wish to accompany him in the expedition. The Prophet* asked some of his companions to take care of him and settle his needs. When the Muslims captured one of the forts and won a large booty, the man had taken out a herd of cattle for grazing. The spoils were distributed among the combatants apportioning the Bedouin also of his share. When he was given his part, he took it to the Prophet* and asked, "What is this?" The Prophet* explained that it was his share of the booty of war, but he said, "I didn't come to you for it." Then pointing to his throat he continued, "I followed you hoping that I would be hit by an arrow, entitling me of Paradise."The Prophet* replied, "If you desire it so, God will do likewise."Then, in a subsequent battle at Khaibar the Bedouin was among those killed in the encounter. The Prophet* asked, "Is it the same man?" When the companions replied in the affirmative, the Prophet* remarked, "He was true to God and God made his wish come true." The Prophet* shrouded his corpse with his own mantle and recited the funeral service for him. Thereafter, he said, "O Allah, thy servant had come to migrate in Thy way and was killed for Thy sake. I bear witness to it."{Zad al-Ma'ad, Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah (rh), Vol. I, p. 394}

Hadith:
Second half of Nawawi's 40 Hadith, Number 36
Hadith 36: Part 2 ~ Importance of Seeking Knowledge

On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said: "Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever alleviates [the lot of] a needy person, Allah will alleviate [his lot] in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next. Allah will aid a servant [of His] so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them, the angels surrounding them, and Allah making mention of them amongst those who are with Him. Whosoever is slowed down by his actions will not be hastened forward by his lineage." [Muslim] 

Last week we covered the first part of this wonderful hadith.

This is a great hadith that encompasses all the branches of Knowledge, and the Principles [of the Religion], and the Excellent Manners. In it is found the virtue of fulfilling the needs of the Muslims, and benefitting them, from what is possible for one, of Knowledge, or wealth, or aid, or guidance towards that which will correct their affairs, or advice. or other than that. And the meaning of "alleviates the need" is removing it. We see that in this hadith the obligations towards other Muslims are emphasised and the fulfilment of brotherhood is again stressed.

This indicates that doing deeds are the means of getting the rewards and that will lead a person to Paradise. Allah says: "For all shall be judged against their actions". If the good deeds are not enough, the person's lineage or ancestry will not benefit him. This is because Allah made rewards related to good deeds and not lineage. No ties of kinship will prevail amongst them. [Surah al-Mu'minun: Ayah 101]

“Whoever follows a path in order to seek knowledge thereby, Allah will make easy for him, due to it, a path to Paradise.”

The majority of commentators on this hadith, state that what is meant by ‘knowledge’ here is knowledge of the religion, although some do assert that is incorporates other types of knowledge as well. Certainly knowledge of the religion is one of the most important types of knowledge that we can attain, and it would seem that it is this type of knowledge is the most likely to facilitate us on the path to Paradise. The meaning of the phrase ‘follows a path’ used by the Prophet* is understood by Ibn Rajab to incorporate both the actual physical following of a path, as well as the non-physical means by which one attains knowledge. This statement would therefore include all acts such as travelling, walking or driving to attend lectures or meet scholars to learn from them, as well as reading, studying, memorizing, contemplating and so forth. All of these are ‘paths’ by which one seeks knowledge. The words, ‘Allah will make easy for him, due to it, a path to Paradise’, could mean that Allah will make the seeking and attaining of knowledge easy, and that it is this knowledge that will lead us to Paradise, or that Allah will facilitate the seeker of knowledge in acting on what they have learnt, and is this way it will be a cause of their guidance which will lead them to Paradise. Allah knows best. If a person acts on the basis of knowledge, Allah will bestow upon them new knowledge that they did not possess. We can see this concept articulated in the statement of Allah: “And Allah increases in guidance those who walk right” (Surah Maryam:76)

Another interpretation is that this part of the hadith refers to the physical path to Paradise in the Hereafter, and that Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, may make this particular journey easier for the seeker of knowledge. In fact, the path of knowledge, when truly applied, is the only path that leads directly to Allah and His Paradise. It guides us out of ignorance and confusion towards the light. As Allah says: “Indeed there has come to you from Allah a light and a plain Book wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings then out of darkness by His Will unto light and guides them to the straight way.” (Surah al-Maaidah:15-16)

It also deepens us in our knowledge of and love for Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, and increases our love for Him, as well as our fear and hope in Him. Allah has said: “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves who fear Allah” (Surah Faatir:28)

We know from other hadith that seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, but it does not come without effort. We must sacrifice and struggle to gain knowledge and when we do this, Allah will make easy for us to attain that knowledge and follow it to Paradise. We can see many beautiful examples amongst the most knowledgeable of Muslims, the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah have mercy on them all. The Prophet* made a special dua for ibn Abbas, that Allah should grant him knowledge and understanding of the Qur’an. But how did he attain this knowledge? Did it just come to him? No, he made sacrifices. He would sit outside the doors of the older companions, in the heat and the wind, waiting patiently to ask them about hadith. When they would come to him, they would say ‘Why didn’t you send someone for us?’ and he would say ‘No, it is more proper that I come to you’. Or the example of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who would divide the night into three portions, one for sleep, one for prayer and one for studying hadith. Later scholars would travel for one month to hear a single hadith.

Unfortunately, these days, many of us want knowledge to fall into our laps, or to gain it when it easy and convenient for us. We are no longer willing to sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. We would rather shop than attend lectures, we complain of having no time, and we want Islamic literature to come for free. Is it any wonder then that there are very few people with deep knowledge of the Islamic sciences left today? This knowledge is something very precious and we must preserve it. Allah willing, it will lead us no where other than Paradise. Surely that is worth sacrificing for?

Here we can find the encouragement of Islam in seeking and gaining knowledge. The knowledge seekers will be rewarded if the knowledge is beneficial to oneself as well as for the betterment of the Muslim community. This statement of the hadith can be interpreted in 3 ways:

1. Allah will make it easy for the knowledge seeker to gain the knowledge that he is seeking.
2. Allah will make it easy for the knowledge seeker so that he will benefit from the knowledge he is seeking. This means that he will benefit from the knowledge and this will lead him to enter Paradise. There are many people who seek knowledge but there are no blessings in the knowledge they seek. The crucial point here is the person should seek knowledge with good intentions.
3. For the one who seeks knowledge with good intentions, Allah will safely help him go through the horrible incidents and situations on the Day of Judgment.

Ibn Rajab classifies ilm (knowledge) into two types:

• The outcome of knowledge is placed in the heart. That is the knowledge about Allah and His attributes that implies fearing Allah, glorifying Him, and loving Him.
• The knowledge that we merely memorise or speak about - without our hearts being influenced or affected. This means that if the person does not abide by the knowledge that he has already obtained, then he is in a very critical situation where the he may be subject to the punishment of Allah.

“No people gather together in a house of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquillity descended upon them, mercy covers them, the angels surround them and Allah makes mention of them to those in His presence.”

SubhanAllah, this part of the hadith is so beautiful. Who would not like to have tranquillity, and the mercy of Allah, and be surrounded by angels, whilst Allah mentions us specifically to those is His presence? The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, is telling us how we can achieve this. The key to these blessings is the study of the word of Allah, the Qur’an. Indeed, in another hadith the Prophet* stated, “The best of you is the one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari)

Here the hadith implies a preferable act: to go to the mosque, to recite and study the Qur'an, or attending lectures. Ibn Rajab says that this can be applied to all branches of knowledge and not just the Qur'an. The hadith mentions four rewards for those who gather in the mosque:

1. Tranquillity - this is a great reward which includes relief from stress and being calm.
2. The Mercy of Allah over them.
3. The angels surrounding them.
4. Allah making mention of them amongst those who are in His presence.

But the purpose of the Qur’an is not simply recitation. We note that the Prophet* referred in particular to those who gather to read and study the Qur’an. The Qur’an is a source of guidance for how best to live our lives and as such, it must read with the purpose of pondering over its meaning in order to understand and apply what it teaches us. As Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, has said: “[This is] a Book that We have revealed to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its verses and that men of understanding may remember.” (Surah Saad:29) We note that Allah refers to men of ‘understanding’, those who have sought to understand the verses and be reminded by them, but we do not have to be scholars to gain the blessings mentioned in this hadith. The Prophet* said “No people…”, and the way he said was in the indefinite, implying that any type of people who come together to study the Qur’an will receive this blessing, as long as their intention is sincere for the sake of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him.

The Prophet* also mentioned people gathering “together in a house of the houses of Allah”. Some of the scholars have suggested that the use of this phrase, rather that ‘masjid‘ or mosque in particular, is so that places that are used for the purpose of pleasing Allah through study rather than prayer, could also be included. This would therefore incorporate buildings that house madrassas and so forth. Others say that the Prophet* did not mean anything specific by the use of this term, and that people gathering in any type of place to perform this act would receive this blessing. According to the majority of scholars, gathering in a group in the mosque to study the Qur’an is the preferred method for learning. However, Imam Malik disapproved of gatherings in which all people are reciting at the same time, because the teacher is unable to tell who is reciting correctly. The practice of the early scholars is that they would read one at a time, clearly and in a comprehensible fashion. The most important point that we can gain from this part of the hadith is that there are blessings for those who gather to recite the Qur’an and study its meanings. One act is not complete without the other. We cannot expect to gain the blessings of tranquillity and an eased path to Paradise if we do not understand what Allah is telling us, and what His guidance is for how we should live our lives. We may be a hafiz of Qur’an, but if we do not understand a word of what we recite, how can the meaning affect our hearts? We learnt in a previous hadith, that the Qur’an is either an evidence for us or against us. It is frightening to consider that the Qur’an could be an evidence against us if we do not apply what it teaches. How can we apply what it teaches if we do understand its message? How many of us have read the Qur’an from beginning to end in a language that we understand? How many of us know intimately what guidance Allah has sent? How can we be guided if we do not seek to understand?

And his* statement "No people gather together in one of the Houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves" is a proof for the virtue of gathering in the masjid for the recitation of the Qur’an. And regarding the word 'Sakeenah' mentioned here, then some people have said that it means 'Mercy', but this interpretation is weak due to the separate mention of Mercy in the next part of the hadith. And it has been said that it means Tranquillity, Peacefulness and Dignity, and this is better.

And his* statement "No people gather together" is in the indefinite, general form, as though he ((SAW)) meant to say "Any people" who gather for this, then they will receive all of the Virtue what he has mentioned. And he ((SAW)) did not lay a condition here that the people must be scholars, or ascetics or possessors of High Stations. And the meaning of "and the angels surround them" is similar to that mentioned by Allah in His Noble Book : "And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allah) from all round" [Soorah az-Zumar, 75], that is they will encircle and encompass them from every side. And so it will be as though the angels will be so close to them, so as to completely encircle them, and no gap will be left between them through which Shaytaan may enter.

And as for his* statement "and Mercy envelops them" then the word 'envelop' is not used except when all the parts of the object are completely covered from all sides. And Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen bin Farj said : "And the meaning of this, from what I see to be correct, is that the Envelopment of His Mercy is such that it encircles and embraces all previous sins, insha'Allah".

And his* statement "and Allah mentions them amongst those who are with Him" implies that the mentioning of Allah is amongst the Prophets and the Most Honourable of the Angels, and Allah knows best.

“Whoever is slowed by his deeds will not be hastened forward by his lineage.”

All of mankind originated from the same source. Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, tells us: “O mankind, fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and from them spread forth many men and women” (Surah al-Nisaa:1)  We all share this common lineage from the soul of Adam, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Although we may appear different on the surface, we are from the same source, with the same constitution, and have been created for the same purpose, the worship of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. The only thing that distinguishes us is taqwa, or fear of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him, which is manifested in our deeds. Allah says: “O mankind, We have created you from a male and female and We have made you into nations and tribes, so that you may recognise one another. Verily, the most honorable of you  with Allah is he who has the most taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Surah al-Hujuraat:13)

On the Day of Judgement, we will each stand before Allah alone. All the relations of this world will be forgotten and there will be no-one to help us. Allah says: “Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask [about one another].” (Surah al-Muminoon:101)  The only thing that will matter to us will be the good deeds that we performed in this world, for the sake of Allah, all praises and glory be to Him. Allah tells us: “For all there will be ranks according to what they did. And you Lord is not unaware of what they do” (Surah al-Anaam:132)  If we have not put forth any good deeds for this day – deeds that were done for the sake of Allah alone and in accordance with the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him – what rank do we think we will find ourselves in? How do we think our scales will look? Being from a high ranking family from a particular race or region will be of no assistance to us whatsoever. Actions that we did for the sake of the people and what they thought of us, will have no value.

The Prophet* has detailed in this hadith some of the actions that we can perform, with the right intention, that will be of benefit to us on that Day. When should help our brothers and sisters when they are in need, assisting them in distressful situations. We should forgive debt when someone is in dire circumstances, and conceal our brothers and sisters’ sins.  Further, we should strive to seek knowledge, and gather to recite and study the glorious Qur’an. These are just some of the important acts that we can perform, after the obligatory and recommended ones. These acts must be performed for the sake of Allah alone, whether we are from the noblest or lowest of families, so that Allah may be pleased with us, and enter us into His Paradise.

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