26 February2012
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

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.

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25 September 2011

25 September 2011

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

Seerah: Banu Quraizah (part 2)

Abu Lubabah
For twenty-five nights they were besieged, and then they sent to the Prophet* to ask him to let them consult Abu Lubabah, Like the Bani Nadir, they had long been allies of Aws, and Abu Lubabah had been one of their chief links with his tribe. The Prophet* bade him go to them, and he was beset on his arrival by weeping women and children so that much of his sternness against the treacherous enemy was softened; and when the men asked him if they should submit to Muhammad he said "Yea", but at the same time he pointed to his throat as much as to warn them that in his opinion submission meant slaughter. The gesture was in contradiction with his assent, and might have prolonged the siege still further; and no sooner had he made it than an overwhelming sense of guilt added itself to the guilt which he already felt in the depth of his soul on account of the palm-tree which he had refused to give to his orphan ward at the Prophet*'s request/ "My two feet had not moved from where they were," he said, "before I was aware that I had betrayed the Messenger for God." His face changed colour and he recited the verse: Verily we are for God, and verily unto Him are we returning. "What’s the matter with you?" said Ka'b. "I have betrayed God and His Messenger," said Abu Lubabah, and as he went down from the upper room he put his hand to his beard, and it was wet with his tears. He could not bring himself to go out the way he had entered and to face his fellow Awsites and others who, as he knew, were waiting eagerly to hear his news and to escort him to the Prophet*. So he passed through a gate at the back of the fortress and was soon on his way to the city. He went straight to the Mosque, and bound himself to one of the pillars, saying: "I will not stir from this place until God relent unto me for what I did."
The Prophet* was waiting for his return, and when he finally heard what had happened he, said: "If he had come to me I would have prayed God to forgive him; but seeing that he hath done what he hath done, it is not for me to free him until God shall relent unto him."!  He remained at the pillar for some ten or fifteen days. Before every prayer, or whenever it was necessary, his wife would come to untie his bonds; then after he had prayed he would bid her bind him once more.
It was at the dawn of one of the days which followed the death of Sa’d bin Mu’ath, when the Prophet* was in the apartment of Umm Salamah, that he announced to her: "Abu Lubabah is forgiven." "May I not give him the good tidings?" she said. "If thou wilt," he answered, so she stood at the door of her apartment which opened into the Mosque, not far from the pillar to which he had bound himself, and called out: "O Abu Lubabah, be of good cheer, for God hath relented unto thee." The men who were in the Mosque surged upon him to set him free, but he stopped them saying: "Not until the Messenger of God set me free with his own hands." So the Prophet* passed by him on his way to the prayer and loosed his bonds. And this was done shortly before the morning prayer.
After the prayer Abu Lubabah came to the Prophet* and said that he wished to make an offering in expiation of what he had done, and the Prophet* accepted from him a third of his property, for the Revelation which had set him free had said: Take alms of their wealth to purify them,' the reference being not only to Abu Lubabah but also to other good men at fault who freely admitted that they were wrong.

Sa'd bin Muath makes his judgement to please Allah
The next day, despite Abu Lubabah's warning, the Bani Quraizah opened the gates of their fortresses and submitted to the Prophet*'s Judgement. The men were led out with their hands bound behind their backs and a space was allotted them on one side of the camp. On another side the women and children were assembled, and the Prophet* put them in the charge of 'Abd Allah ibn Sallam, the former chief rabbi of the Bani Qaynuqa', The arms and armour, the garments and the household goods were collected from each fortress and all gathered together in one place. The jars of wine and fermented date juice were opened and their contents poured away.
The clans of Aws sent a deputation to the Prophet* asking him to show their former allies the same leniency that he had shown the Bani Qaynuqa' who had been the allies of Khazraj. He answered them saying: "Will it satisfy you, men of Aws, if one of yourselves pronounce judgement upon them?" And they agreed. So he sent to Medina for their chief, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, whose wound had not healed and who was being cared for in a tent in the Mosque. The Prophet* had placed him there so that he might visit him the more often, and Rufaydah, a woman of Aslam, was tending his wound. Some of his clansmen went to him, and mounting him on an ass they brought him to the camp. "Do well by thy confederates (Coalition)," they said to him on the way, "for the Messenger of God hath set thee in judgement upon them for no other purpose than that thou mayst treat them with indulgence." But Sa'd was a man of justice; like Umer he had been against sparing the prisoners at Badr, and their opinion had been confirmed by the Revelation. Many men of Quraysh who had been ransomed on that occasion had come out against them at Uhud and again at the trench; and in this last campaign the strength of the invaders had been largely due to the hostile activities of the exiled Jews of Bani Nadir, If these had been put to death instead of being allowed to go into exile, the invading army might have been halved, and Bani Quraizah would no doubt have remained faithful to their pact with the Prophet*. The arguments offered by past experience were not in favour of leniency, to say the least. Moreover, Sa'd had himself been one of the envoys to Quraizah at the moment of crisis and had seen the ugliness of their treachery when they had thought that the defeat of the Muslims was certain. It was true that if he gave a severe judgement most of the men and women of Aws would blame him, but that consideration would not have weighed much with Sa'd at any time and now it weighed not at all, for he was convinced that he was dying. He cut short the pleas of his clansmen with the words: "The time hath come for Sa'd, in the cause of God, to give no heed unto the blame of the blamer."
Sa'd was a man of mighty stature, of handsome and majestic appearance, and when he came to the camp the Prophet* said "Rise in honour of your Master," and they rose to greet him saying: "Father of 'Amr, the Messenger of God hath appointed thee to judge the case of thy confederates." He said: "Do ye then swear by God and make by Him your covenant that my judgement shall be the verdict upon them?" "We do," they answered. "And is it binding upon him who is here?" he added, with a glance in the direction of the Prophet*, but not mentioning him out of reverence. "It is," said the Prophet*. "Then I judge," said Sa'd, "that the men shall be slain, the property divided, and the women and children made captive. "I The Prophet* said to him: "Thou hast judged with the judgement of God from above the seven heavens."
The women and children were taken away to the city where they were lodged, and the men spent the night in the camp where they recited the Torah and exhorted one another to firmness and patience. In the morning the Prophet* ordered trenches, long and deep and narrow, to be dug in the market-place. The men, about seven hundred in all -according to some accounts more and to others less -were sent for in small groups, and every group was made to sit alongside the trench that was to be his grave. Then 'Ali and Zubayr and others of the younger Companions cut off their heads, each with a stroke of the sword.
When Huyay was led into the market he turned to the Prophet*, who was sitting apart with some of his older Companions, and said to him: "I blame not myself for having opposed thee, but whoso forsakes God, the same shall be forsaken." Then he turned to his fellows and said: "The command of God cannot be wrong -a writ and a decree and a massacre which God hath set down in his book against the sons of Israel." Then he sat beside the trench and his head was cut off.
The last to die were beheaded by torchlight. Then one old man, Zabir ibn Billi, whose case was not yet decided, was taken to the house where the women were lodged. The next morning, when they were told of the death of their men, the city was filled with the sound of their lamentations. But the aged Zabir quieted them, saying: "Be silent! Are ye the first women of the children of Israel to be made captive since the world began? Had there been any good in your men they would have saved you from this. But cleave ye to the religion of the Jews, for in that must we die, and in that must we live hereafter."
Zabir had always been an enemy to Islam and had done much to stir up opposition to the Prophet*. But in the civil wars of Yathrib he had spared the life of a man of Khazraj, Thabit ibn Qays, who wished to repay him for this, and who had gone to the Prophet* to ask him to let Zabir live. "He is thine," said the Prophet*; but when Zabir was told of his reprieve he said to Thabit: "An old man, without wife and without children, what will he do with life?" So Thabit went again to the Prophet*, who gave him Zabir's wife and children. But Zabir said: "A household in the Hijaz without property, how can they survive?" Again Thabit went to the Prophet*, who gave him all Zabir's possessions except his arms and armour. But thoughts of the death of all his fellow tribesmen now overwhelmed Zabir and he said: "By God I ask thee, Thabit, by the claim I have on thee, that thou shouldst join me with my people, for now that they are gone, there is no good in life." At first Thabit refused, but when he saw that he was serious he took him to the place of execution and Zubayr was told to behead him. His wife and children were set free and their property was returned to them, under Thabit's guardianship. When Abu Bakr heard about this, the normally mild companion mentioned that Zabir will meet his friends and relations in the Hellfire!

The Prophet offers to marry Rehana, a Jewish captive
As to the other women and children, they were divided, together with the property, amongst the men who had taken part in the siege. Many of these captives were ransomed by the Bani Nadir at Khaybar, As part of his share the Prophet* had chosen Rehana, the daughter of Zayd, a Nadirite, who had married her to a man of Quraizah, She was a woman of great beauty and she remained the Prophet*'s slave until she died some five years later. At first he put her in the care of his aunt Salma, in whose house Rifa'ah had already taken refuge. Rehana herself was averse to entering Islam, but Rifa'ah, and his kinsmen of the Bani Hadl spoke to her about the new religion and it was not long before one of the three young converts, Tha'labah by name, came to the Prophet* and told him that Rehana had entered Islam, whereupon he greatly rejoiced. When it became clear that she was not pregnant, he went to her and offered to set her free and to make her his wife. But she said: "O Messenger of God, leave me in thy power; that will be easier for me and for thee." Thus she chose to remain a slave to the Prophet* although she was given the option to be free and marry the Prophet*.  For himself, the Prophet* selected Rehana bint ‘Amr bin Khanaqah, manumitted and married her in the year 6 Hijri. She died shortly after the farewell pilgrimage and was buried in Al- Baqi‘.
This Ghazwah took place in the month of Dhul Qa‘dah in the year five Hijri, and the siege of Banu Quraizah’s forts lasted for 25 days. The Chapter of Confederates was revealed containing Allah’s Words concerning the basic issues relating to the believers and hypocrites during the battle of the Confederates, and the consequences of the treachery and breaching of covenants by the Jews.
Only one woman of the Jews was killed because she had killed a Muslim warrior by flinging a grinding stone upon him. A few elements of the enemy embraced Islam and their lives, wealth and children were spared. As for the spoils of the war, the Prophet* (Peace be upon him) divided them, after putting a fifth aside, in accordance with Allah’s injunctions. Three shares went to the horseman and one to the infantry fighter. Women captives were sent to Najd to be bartered with horses and weaponry.
In the process of the seize laid to Banu Quraiza, one man of the Muslims, Khallad bin Suwaid was killed when a women of the Jews dropped the grinding stone on him, and another, Abu Sinan bin Mihsan, the brother of ‘Ukasha, died.

Hadith : No time for Hadith section today

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Taqdeer (al-Qadha wal-Qadr) - a talk about Taqdeer and a story about a little boy who dies lead to a discussion on Divine fate & Destiny...


Al Qadha Wal-Qadr is different to Al-Qadaria al-Ghaibiya (fatalism) [part]
 
During the time of Rasool Allah* and the Sahabah, the meaning of Qadr was well understood without any ambiguity and what it meant was very clear. There was no debate. inquiries, or differences in this issue, except the discussion between Abu Ubaidah and Umar, when Umar decided not to proceed in his trip to as-sham, once the news came telling that there was a plague spreading there and decided to go back to Medina, telling the people '' I'm returning back, thus you should return as well''. In this incident Abu Ubaidah did not attend Umar's consultation with the people and the result of the consultation.
However, when Abu Ubaidah heard of Umar's orders. he came to Umar telling him ''O Umar, are you running away from Allah's Qadr.'' By this he was objecting Umar's decision to return back to Medina. Umar was amazed by this objection raised by Abu Ubaidah and Umar said to him, ''O Abu Ubaidah. I wish someone other than you would have said this. Yes. I am running away from Allah's Qadr to Allah's Qadr ''. He explained this by saying, if you see a man coming to a place where there are two areas, one area is lush and the other barren. Don't you see that if he takes his cattle to the lush area, he is doing so according the Allah's Qadr and if he take his cattle to the barren area, he is also taking it by Allah's Qadr.
This is the only report which talked about the difference in understanding Al-Qadr, amongst the Sahabah. Otherwise, Muslims in general understood Al-Qadr the way it is in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This understanding is that everything is written in the preserved tablet (al-Lowh al-Mahfooz), from the very beginning (before creation) and there is no relationship for this in the man's actions or in the obligations Allah orders us to carry. This situation continued all the way till the second half of the second century Hijri or till the middle of the Abbasid era. Due to the translation of the Greek, Persian and Hindu philosophies, some misconceptions accumulated in the minds of some people and the question of al-Qadha wal-Qadr emerged and over shadowed the concept of Al-Qadr. After that, the issue of al-Qadaria al-Ghaibiya (fatalism) became widespread among the people. It influenced them and shaped their behavior. It was one of the declining factors for the Muslim Ummah and when the decline became more obvious (during our time).
The Qadr as the word is what Allah knows and wrote in preserved tablet (al-Lowh al-Mahfooz) at the very beginning (of creation). However, al-Qadha wal-Qadr means the question of having the actions occur against man's will. This includes the characteristics of objects, which also occur against man's will. Thus, the real meaning of both are different. Although, the meaning which may come to the mind of the people once they hear both terms may be the same, which is the ability of man to stand and face what was written.

The basis of the discussion in al-Qadha wa al-Qadar is not the action of man in terms of whether he created the action or Allah created it. Neither is it the will of Allah (SWT) in the sense that His will is conditional on the action of man so it must exist by this will. Neither is it the Knowledge of Allah in terms of Him knowing that man will do such and such action and that His Knowledge encompass that, nor that this action of man is written in the al-Lawh al-Mahfuz so he must act according to what has been written.
The basis of the discussion is definitely none of these things, because they have no relationship to the subject from the viewpoint of reward and punishment. The topic of discussion on whose basis the question of al-Qadha wa al-Qadar is built is the issue of reward and punishment for an action i.e.: Is man obliged to perform an action, good or evil, or does he have a choice? And, does man have the choice to perform his action, or does he have no choice?
When we say the basis is reward and punishment, we mean this from the perspective of the origin of accountability i.e. free will. This is because without free will reward and punishment would be meaningless.
The person who scrutinises the actions of people sees that we live within two spheres:
1) one which we dominate, seen as the sphere that is present within the region of our conduct, and within which our actions happen absolutely by our choice;
2) the other sphere dominates us, we exist within its domain, and the that which occurs upon us within it happen without our choice, whether they originate from us or fall upon us.
The actions that fall within the sphere that dominates us, we have no choice in them or in their existence. They can be divided into two kinds: The first are those required by the law of the universe. The second are those actions which are not directly necessitated by the laws of the universe. We are not accounted for anything that occurs within this sphere and it is classified as fate (Qadha) from Allah (swt). 

News: Falling satellites

A short discussion about the limits of man and his inventions, versus the Power of Allah the Creator. A brief mention of the previous topic of Qadr (see above) and linking it to the Autumn leaves and people falling of construction sites!

1 November 2009

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings & Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Boycott of the Muslims

The Quraish realised that something drastic had to be done to stop the spread of Islam and the activities of the Muslims. They were disheartened because they now saw that many prominent and noble people were now Muslims, including Hamza & Umer ibn al-Khattab. In addition, the Muslims were now operating as a distinct group in an organised fashion. Furthermore, there was now a distinct and separate group was based in Abyssinia. Hence the Muslims could not be ignored or wiped out so easily now.

So the leaders of Quraish formally requested Banu Hashim to hand over the Prophet* so that they could deal with him (that is to kill him). This went against all the known values in the society of Mecca and was an unprecedented request. Therefore, Banu Hashim refused to hand over the Prophet* and the Quraish then decided to start a comprehensive boycott of all the Muslims and the tribe of Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib - which included all the Muslims and not Muslims from these tribes. The boycott was like a siege and started in Muharram of the seventh year of Prophethood and its terms were that there was to be no dealing with both the tribes at all, no trading or marriage. The terms of the embargo were documented and pinned on the wall of the Kaaba.

They would stop people going in or out or taking any food supplies where the tribes were and guarded the entry points and exit points. This terrible siege lasted for about two or three years at the Muslims and not Muslims were suffering so much so that, it is reported, there used to eat the leaves of the trees and chew on animal hides. Even when they were allowed to enter Mecca during the pilgrimage seasons of the food would be of poor quality and priced very expensively.

Some of the non Muslims were against this boycott because it contradicted the values they held dear and in their society such as loyalty to the tribe and family. One of these people was Hisham bin Harith who would occasionally try to sneak food into the enclave where the tribes were staying or would send in a camel full of food late at night. He had relatives on his mother's side who were being boycotted. He later approached Zuhair bin Abi Umaiyah who he felt was sympathetic to Banu Hashim & Banu Muttalib and asked him if it pleased him that he could eat and drink whilst his uncles were in distress. If this boycott was against the uncles of Abu Jahl he (Abu Jahl) would never agree to the terms, and so is this not very hypocritical of them all? Zuhair replied 'Shame on you! I only one person and what can I do. You need to find someone else and then I will try to cancel this evil agreement.' Hisham mentioned he was on his side but was asked to finda third person. This was Mut'am Ibn-Adey who has asked by Hisham: ' are you pleased that two clans suffer and you look on in agreement with the suffering? By God, if you let them get away with this then they will treat you in the same way some day.' Hisham was asked to find another who was Abu-Al-Bukhturi Ibn-Hisham and later a fifth Zamaa bin Aswad who were then all agreed to meet secretly at night to devise a plan to cancel the boycott.

The next day Zuhair put on his ceremonial clothes and visited the Kaaba before approaching the Quraish in their meeting house (an-Nadwah) where he stated: "Oh Quraish, does it please you to eat well and dress at will while Banu Hashim & Banu Muttalib are after distress? I will not sit down until this evil document is torn up." Then one of the other co-conspirators stood up and agreed with him whilst denouncing the boycott. Then the third stood up followed by the fourth and fifth person. Abu Jahl view that they had conspired this but the public opinion had now swung against the boycott and everybody agreed to cancel it. When they went to retrieve the document they found that that all of it had been eaten up (by insects) apart from the opening sentence which stated ' in the name of Allah'.

Some lessons from this incident:
1. This highlights the importance of organised efforts for good
2. Great change can occur by a few people (although originally started in the mind of one person)
3. The importance of action - doing things not just talking about them
4. There is good in most people - where the non-Muslims conspired to overturn an evil against the Muslims because it went against their own values
5. The helpers of Allah come in all forms - with ants/termites eating the document



Hadith (Riyadh as-Salihin): On Steadfastness (dependable, reliable, patient)

Allah Almighty says, "O you who believe! Be steadfast; be supreme in steadfastness"
"We will test you with a certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. But give good news to the steadfast,"
"The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without any reckoning."
"But if someone is steadfast and forgives, that is the most resolute course to follow."
"Seek help in steadfastness and the prayer. Allah is with the steadfast"
"We will test you until We know the true fighters among you and those who are steadfast"

Abu Malik al-Harith ibn 'Asim al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah* said, "Purity is half of belief. 'Praise be to Allah' fills up the balance, and 'Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah' fills up everything between the heavens and the earth. The prayer is a light. Sadaqa is a proof. Steadfastness is an illumination. The Qur'an is a proof for you or against you. Everybody goes out and trades with his own self, either seting it free or destroying it." [Muslim]

Abu Sa'id Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Sinan al-Khudri said, "Some of the people of the Ansar asked for something from the Messenger of Allah* and he gave it to them. Then they asked him again and he gave to them until he had used up everything he had. He said, 'If I had anything more, I would not keep it from you. Whoever refrains, Allah will spare him from needing to ask. Whoever wants to be independent, Allah will make him so. Whoever shows fortitude, Allah will increase him in that. No one can be given any better and greater gift than fortitude.'" [Bukhari & Muslim]

Abu Yahya Suhayb ibn Sinan said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What an extraordinary thing the business of the believer is! All of it is good for him. And that only applies to the believer. If good fortune is his lot, he is grateful and it is good for him. If something harmful happens to him, he is steadfast and that is good for him too.'" [Muslim]


Topic: Al-Qadhaa wal-Qadr

The Five Pillars of Islam are the five duties obligatory on every Muslim:

• Shahadah (Profession of Faith)
• Salah (prayers)
• Zakah (Giving to the poor and needy)
• Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan)
• Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

The Six Articles of Belief (Aqeeda) for all Muslims are:

• Belief in God (Allah), the one and only one worthy of worship (tawhid)
• Belief in all the Prophets (nabi) and Messengers (rusul) sent by God
• Belief in the Angels (mala'ika)
• Belief in the Books (kutub) sent by Allah (including the Qur’ān)
• Belief in the Day of Judgment (qiyama) and in the Resurrection (life after death).
• Belief in Divine Fate & Destiny (Al-Qadhaa wal-Qadar).

We have covered in previous study circles the Five Pillars and most of the Articles of Belief or parts of them, other than Al-Qadhaa wal-Qadar. This is a difficult topic to grasp but an important one as it is part of our fundamental beliefs.

One way in which to understand this is to focus on what we (as humans) control and what controls us. This needs to be viewed with respect to our ‘Accountability’ – that is what we will be asked about on the Day of Judgement and what things Allah will not hold us to account for.

This topic today will not deal with the ideas that vexed many Muslims in olden times that even caused fighting between different groups of Muslims over their ideas. I will not be dealing with ‘who created actions’, nor fatalism; neither will I explore the ideas of groups like the Mu’tazilla, Ahl-e-Jabriyya or Ahle-e-Sunnah.

What I will focus is on intentions (niyah), reward & punishment and free will. As human beings we live in two bubbles:
1. One that we fully control
2. One that fully controls us

The things that happen in the first bubble are our actions that we think about (niyah) and then start. These things we have control over and undertake at our choice, or free will. These are things like eating or drinking; walking, praying or not etc. We make the intentions and then start the actions according to this. Allah will judge us according to this by rewarding us for the good things and punishing us for the bad things. We are accountable for our actions. We start the actions but the outcome is with Allah if he allows us to fulfil them. There is no excuse for committing sins and we cannot blame Allah or His knowledge of our actions for the choices we make. If Allah decides to write these down in a book (al-Lawh Mahfuz) that is His Wisdom and we do not act because it is written. Similarly, Allah has power over all things (His Will) and if He decides to allow our actions because of our choices (free will) they still happen in accordance with His Will but not because of it. The actions are still ours and we will still be judged.

Al-Qadhaa does not relate to this, but relates to the second bubble that we live in. In this bubble there are things which happen to us that we did not do nor control. These are things that we consider are from Allah and thus are Qadhaa. Hence, we are not accounted for these (rewarded or punished as there is no Free Will) but Allah will judge how we react to these. We may feel these are good or bad but must realise that they are from Allah and He is the Wise.

There are two parts to this bubble: one that are part of the universal laws that Allah has made (we cannot walk on water, fly unaided, change the colour of the eyes when born, grow to 100feet tall etc) and the second part that happens through/by other people but effects us (such as being a passenger in a train accident, or somebody kicking a ball at us or swearing at us as we walk by, etc). We did not start these actions nor had any control over them. Hence, we should consider these as being from Allah for each of us. Allah knows the Good & Bad in these actions.

Some scholars define Qadr as being the properties or innate attributes of material objects. For example, fire has the ability/property of burning with fire and a sharp knife as being able to cut, and a stone having some weight. These properties are not produced by the objects themselves but are given to the objects by Allah alone. When these properties are removed by Allah we see miracles: such as when Ibrahim* did not burn in the fire, nor when his knife would sacrifice his first-born son Ismail.

The Prophet* said: “if something befalls you do not say ‘if only I had done so-and-so’ but say Allah determined (qadhaa) this and He did what He willed.”