Verbal Security
It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. Al-ʿĀs – Allāh be pleased with them – said:
Leave alone what you have nothing to do with, and do not speak about what does not concern you, and secure your tongue like you secure your money.
Ibn Ḥibbān Al-Bustī, Rawḍatu Al-ʿUqalāʾ 1:55.
April 27, 2015 – الاثنين 8 رجب 1436 Advice from the Salaf, Character, Speech
Comments Off on Verbal Security
The Value of Avoiding Haram Income
It is reported that Mālik b. Dīnār – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
It is better for a man to leave one ḥarām dirham than to give one hundred thousand in charity.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 5:125.
Knowledge is the Good of this Life
It is reported that Abū Al-Dardāˀ – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
There is no good in this life except for one of two men: a man listening carefully, receiving and holding [knowledge]; or someone knowledgeable speaking.
Ibn Ḥibbān, Rawḍatu Al-ʿUqalāʾ 1:42.
March 11, 2015 – الأربعاء 20 جمادى الأولى 1436 dunyâ, Guidance, Humility, knowledge
Wolves in Sheeps’ Clothing
It is reported that Abūl-ʿĀliyah said:
There will come upon the people a time when their hearts will be derelict of the Qurān; they will find neither sweetness nor pleasure by it. If they fall short of doing what they have been commanded to do, they will say: Allāh is most forgiving, merciful (He will forgive us), and if they do what they have been forbidden from doing, they will say: we will be forgiven, we haven’t committed any shirk with Allāh. Their affairs will all be based on [false] hope, having no truth and sincerity with it. They will wear the skins of lambs over hearts of wolves. The best of them in his religion will be someone who compromises.
Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd article 1741.
March 7, 2015 – السبت 16 جمادى الأولى 1436 fitnah, hypocrisy, iman, Quran, Signs of the Hour
The Scholar, the Ignorant, the Heedless and the Fool
It is reported that Al-Khalīl b. Aḥmad said:
Men are of four types: There is the man who knows and he knows that he knows. He is knowledgeable, so follow him and ask him. And there is the man who does not know, and he knows that he does not know. He is ignorant, so teach him. And there is the man who knows, but he does not know that he knows. He is heedless, so remind him. And then there is the man who does not know, but he does not know that he does not know (he thinks he knows). This is the fool (idiot), so beware of him.
Ibn ˁAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiˁ Bayān Al-ˁilm wa Faḍlihī article 1538.
Who Can Feel Secure From Trial?
It is reported that Jubayr b. Nufayr said:
I entered upon Abū Al-Dardāʾ – Allāh be pleased with him – at his home in Ḥims and found him standing in prayer at his place of prayer. When he sat for tashahhud he started to seek protection with Allāh from al-nifāq (hypocrisy). So when he had finished praying, I said “May Allāh forgive you o Abū Al-Dardāʾ, what have you got to do with nifāq?” He said, “O Allāh forgive!”, three times, and replied, “Who can feel secure from trial, who can feel secure from trial? By Allāh, a man can be tested with fitnah in a single hour and turn away from his religion.”
Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān 1:857.
February 6, 2015 – الجمعة 17 ربيع الثاني 1436Character, fear, fitnah, hypocrisy
Beware the Sinful Scholar
It is reported that Harim b. Ḥayyān – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
“Beware of the sinful scholar (al-ʿālim al-fāsiq).” This reached ʿUmar, so he wrote to him in fear, “Who is the sinful scholar?” He wrote back, “I did not intend but good; this is when there is an imām (leader, taken as an example) who speaks knowledge, but practices sins, confusing the people, and thus they go astray.”
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 4:49.
January 15, 2015 – الخميس 24 ربيع الأول 1436Advice from the Salaf, fear, knowledge, sins
Imam Ahmad on Boycotting the Khawarij
Al-Khallāl records that Imām Aḥmad – may Allāh have mercy on him – said about the Khawārij:
Do not sell food or clothes to them, and do not buy from them.And he said,The Khawārij are renegades, an evil people.
Al-Khallāl, Al-Sunnah 1:155
December 18, 2014 – الخميس 26 صفر 1436Bid’ah, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, Jihad,Refutations, Sunnah
Comments Off on Imam Ahmad on Boycotting the Khawarij
Sermon of Uthman on Guidance before Death
It is reported that ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān – Allāh be pleased with him – once addressed the people in a sermon. He praised Allāh, then said:
O people! Fear Allāh and obey Him, for piety is a valuable prize. Verily the most intelligent person is he who takes account of himself and works for what comes after death, and acquires through the light (guidance) of Allāh a light for the darkness of the grave.
The servant of Allāh should fear lest Allāh the Mighty and Sublime resurrects him blind though he used to see. A few comprehensive words can be enough for a wise man, whereas the deaf (who does not listen to guidance) is being called from afar.
And know that whoever Allāh the Mighty and Sublime is with has nothing to fear; but whoever Allāh the Mighty and Sublime is against, then in whom can he hope after Allāh?!
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 4:116,117.
December 13, 2014 – السبت 21 صفر 1436Advice from the Salaf, death, fear, Guidance,Resurrection, taqwâ, the hereafter
Just Playing
It is reported that Imām Mālik – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Whatever you fool around with, don’t fool around with your dīn (religion).
Al-Lālakāʾī, Sharḥ ʾUṣūl ʾIʿtiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:163
November 20, 2014 – الخميس 27 محرم 1436Advice from the Salaf, Coming to Islam,Steadfastness
The Man Who Was Abducted by Jinn
ʿAbd Al-Raḥmān b. Abī Laylā reports:
A man from his people, from the Anṣār, went out one night to pray ʿIshāʾ with his people [during the Caliphate of ʿUmar], but some jinn abducted him, and he went missing. His wife went to ʿUmar and told him [of her missing husband]. ʿUmar asked his people about him, and they confirmed that he had gone out to pray ʿIshāʾ but had gone missing. [ʿUmar] told the woman to wait for four years.
When four years had passed, the woman went back to ʿUmar and informed him [of her case]. He asked her people and they confirmed the case. He told her she could now marry, and she did. But her [first] husband returned and raised a dispute [over the marriage] to ʿUmar b. Al-Khaṭṭāb – Allāh be pleased with him. ʿUmar said, “One of you disappears for ages, his family does not know whether he is alive or not [and then he turns up, making claims]!” The man replied, “O Leader of the Believers, I have an excuse.” He asked, “And what is your excuse?” The man replied, “I went out to pray ʿIshāʾ one night, but some jinn captured me, and I [was held captive] by them for a long time. Then, some Muʾmin – or Muslim (one of the reporters, Saʿīd, was not sure of the exact word used) jinn waged an attack on them, fought them and beat them, and took captives. They took me amongst the captives, but said, ‘We see that you are a Muslim man, and it is not allowed for us to keep you captive.’ So they gave me the choice of staying with them or returning to my family. I chose to return to my family. They set off with me. By night, no one would say anything to me; but by day there would be a stick I would follow.”
ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with him – asked the man, “What was your food when you were amongst them?” He replied, “Difficult [stolen?] food, and what had not had the name of Allāh mentioned over it.” ʿUmar asked, “And what did you drink when you were amongst them?” He replied, “Al-jadaf (a type of drink that does not ferment).”
ʿUmar ruled that the man had a choice to either get back the ṣadāq (dowry) he had given [and have his marriage stay nullified], or take back his wife.
Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā 7:445,446. Al-Albānī graded its chain of transmission ṣaḥīḥ in Irwā Al-Ghalīl 4:151
Runaway Scholars
It is reported that Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿAyyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
It has reached me that the scholars of old would practice what they learned when they learned it, and through practicing they would become occupied, and because of being occupied, they would be missed, and when they were missed they were sought after, and when they were sought after they would flee.
Al-Dhahabi, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 8:439,440
October 14, 2014 – الثلاثاء 20 ذو الحجة 1435 Character, Good deeds, humbleness,knowledge
Will You Not Fight? [Fitnah]
It is reported that it was said to Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ – Allāh be pleased with him – during the time of fitnah:
Will you not fight? For you are one of the people of shūrā (to be consulted in these affairs), and you are more deserving of this matter (leadership) than others? So he replied:
I will not fight until you bring me a sword with two eyes and lips that recognizes the believer from the unbeliever, for I have done jihād and I know jihād.
Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyatu Al-Awliyāʾ 1:94
August 24, 2014 – الأحد 28 شوال 1435 Bid’ah, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, fitnah,Jihad
The Comfortable Home
It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
There is no comfort or rest for the believer until he meets Allāh.
Wakīʿ b. Al-Jarrāḥ, Al-Zuhd #86
It is reported that Masrūq – Allāh have mercy him – said:
There is no house better for the believer than the niche of his grave, for then he will rest from the worries of this world, and be secured from the punishment of Allāh.
Ibid. #87
It is reported that Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym – Allāh have mercy him – said:
There is nothing that is away from the believer, and for which he waits, better for him than death.
Ibid. #88
August 2, 2014 – السبت 6 شوال 1435 death, dunyâ, Paradise, remembering Allah, the hereafter, zuhd
Speech Therapy [Exhortation]
It is reported that a man saw Ibn ʿAbbās – Allāh be pleased with them – holding the tip of his tongue saying:
Woe to you, say what is good and you will reap gain, and be silent from speaking evil and you will be safe.
The man asked him:
O Ibn ʿAbbās, what is the matter that I see you holding the tip of your tongue saying such-and-such?
He replied:
It has reached me that the servant of Allāh will not be as angry at anything on the Day of Resurrection as he will be at his tongue.
Imām Aḥmad, Al-Zuhd p236
Comprehensive Reliance
Saʿīd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Tawakkul (reliance and trust in Allah) comprehends all of Īmān.
Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd #534.
Seeking Reputation
It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with them – said:
Whoever tries to make people hear of his deeds, Allāh will make [some] of His creation hear of him (expose him), and belittle him. Ibn ʿUmar then began to cry.
Wakīʿ b. Al-Jarrāḥ, Al-Zuhd #308.
May 29, 2014 – الخميس 30 رجب 1435 Good deeds, hypocrisy, Ikhlas, intentions,Punishment, the heart
Dua from the Bottom of the Heart [Ikhlas]
ʿAbd Al-Raḥmān b. Yazīd reports:
Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym used to come to ʿAlqamah on the day of Jumuʿah and they would talk. They would call for me and I would come and talk with them. One day, they sent for me and I came. ʿAlqamah said to me,
Have you not heard what Al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym has come to us with?I replied,And what is that?He said,[Rabīʿ] said a man from the People of Scripture once said to us,I said,Do you not see how much people supplicate but how seldom their prayers are answered? That is because Allāh does not accept except what is sincere and purely for Him.Well ʿAbdullāh [b. Masʿūd] already said the same.He asked,What did he say?I replied,Haven’t you heard him say,He replied,By Him other than whom there is none worthy of worship, Allāh does not accept [the deed] of one who seeks to be heard of, or seen, and nor someone who is playing around, [He only accepts the supplication] of one who calls upon Him from the bottom of his heart.Indeed, [I have heard him say that].
Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Al-Zuhd #874.
May 24, 2014 – السبت 25 رجب 1435 Ikhlas, remembering Allah, supplication, the heart
When did you Get so Harsh?
Aḥmad b. Yūnus reports:
I saw Zuhayr b. Muʿāwiyah come to Zāʾidah b. Qudāmah (d.160H) and speak to him to get him to narrate ḥadīth to a man, so Zāʾidah asked,
Is he from Ahl Al-Sunnah?Zuhayr replied,I do not know that he has any bidʿah.Zāʾidah said,No, that is another matter! Is he from Ahl Al-Sunnah?Zuhayr said,Since when have people become like this?Zāʾidah replied,Since when did people curse Abū Bakr and ʿUmar?!
Al-Khaṭīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Jāmiʿ li Akhlāq Al-Rāwī #754.
Pimping the Religion
It is reported that Ḥudhayfah – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
How will you be (in the end times) when you open up your religion like the woman who opens her legs to expose her qubul not stopping anyone from coming to her?
Abū ʿAmr Al-Dānī, Al-Sunan Al-Wāridah fī Al-Fitan #241
Believers and Chameleons
It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Verily, you will find the believer (muʾmin) consistent time after time, upon one way, showing the same face; [whereas] you will find the hypocrite (munāfiq) changing colors, trying to be like everyone around him, running with every wind.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm #1936
March 29, 2014 – السبت 28 جمادى الأولى 1435 Character, hypocrisy, iman, Steadfastness
Sometimes the Manners Surpassed Knowledge
It is reported that Imām Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
We used to sometimes come to a scholar and what we learned of his manners was more beloved to us than the knowledge we took from him.
Abū Nuʿaym, Ḥilyatu Al-ʾAwliyāʾ #4575
February 24, 2014 – الاثنين 24 ربيع الثاني 1435 Character, knowledge, Manners and Conduct
Try to Meet Allah with This
It is reported that a man once wrote to Ibn ʿUmar – Allāh be pleased with them:
Please write down all knowledge for me.Ibn ʿUmar replied:Knowledge is vast, but if you can meet Allāh having kept your back light of the burden of people’s blood, your stomach void of people’s wealth and having kept your tongue from [disparaging] their honour, then do so.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 3:222
February 8, 2014 – السبت 8 ربيع الثاني 1435 Advice from the Salaf, Backbiting, death,dunyâ, knowledge, Relationships, the hereafter
Mixing with People of Good Character
It is reported that Al-Fuḍayl b. ʿAyyāḍ – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Do not mix except with those who have good character; for the one who has good character brings nothing but good, whilst the one who has bad character brings nothing but evil.
Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān, #87044
January 30, 2014 – الخميس 29 ربيع الأول 1435 Brotherhood, Character, Relationships
Stars on Earth
It is reported that Abū Muslim Al-Khawlānī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
The example of the scholars on earth is that of the stars in the sky: when they appear, the people are guided (they navigate using the stars), but when they disappear, the people get confused and lost.
Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Madkhal ilā Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā #287
The Humble Elite
It is reported that Imām Al-Shāfʿee – Allāh have mercy on him – said,
The loftiest in status are those who do not know their own status, and the most virtuous of them are those who do not know their own virtue.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 10:99
December 23, 2013 – الاثنين 20 صفر 1435 Character, humbleness, Humility, Manners and Conduct, taqwâ
Abu Bakr and Umar with The Prophet Today
It is reported from Sufyān b. ʿUyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – that a man once asked ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. ʾAbī Ṭālib – Allāh have mercy on him,
What was the status of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar with Rasūlullāh – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him?He replied,Their place with him is like their place with him today (i.e. where they are in their graves).
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-ʿIlm 4:254
November 29, 2013 – الجمعة 26 محرم 1435 Ahl Al-Bayt, Sunnah, The Companions, the grave
The Scholar-Messenger and The Roman King
It is reported from Al-Shaʿbī – Allāh have mercy on him – that he said:
ʿAbdul-Malik [ibn Marwān, the Khalīfah] once sent me to the king of the Romans, and I stayed with him for a number of days. When I wanted to leave, he asked me,
Are you from the House of [your] king (his family)?I replied,I am just a man from the Arabs.He gave me a parchment and said,Deliver this to your companion (the Caliph).When ʿAbdul-Malik had read it, he said to me,Do you know what it says?I replied,No.He said,It says in it, I wonder at a people who have made other than this man king over them.I said,By Allāh, if I had known I would not have carried it to you. [The Roman king] only said this because he has not seen you.ʿAbdul-Malik said,Rather, he envied me for having you, and was trying to incite me to kill you.This reached the Roman king; and when it did, he said,I wanted nothing but this.
Ibn Al-ʿImād, Shadharāt Al-Dhahab 2:26
November 21, 2013 – الخميس 18 محرم 1435 Character, historical, knowledge
Never Give Up Repenting
It is reported that a man came to ʿAlī – Allāh be pleased with him – and asked,
What do you think about a man who committed a sin?He replied,He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.[The man] said,He did that, but then sinned again?[ʿAlī] said,He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.The man again said,He did that, but returned to sin. [ʿAlī] said,He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him.The man said for the fourth time,He did, but then sinned again.ʿAlī then said,Until when?Then he said,He must seek Allāh’s forgiveness and repent to Him; and not give up until it is Shayṭān who is defeated [overcome].
Hunād b. Al-Sarī, Kitāb Al-Zuhd article 910
Filthy Silk
It is reported that a shaykh (older man) once came and greeted ‘Alī – Allāh be pleased with him, wearing a cloak decorated with silk at the front. He said to the man,
What is this filth under your beard?The man looked around and said,I do not see anything.Another man said,He means the silk embroidery.The shaykh said,In that case, we will throw it away and never wear [such a thing] again.
Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Muṣannaf article 25187
October 1, 2013 – الثلاثاء 25 ذو القعدة 1434 Ahl Al-Bayt, Attire, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, Manners and Conduct
Refusing Good Treatment
A cushion was once passed to ‘Alī – Allāh be pleased with him, upon which he sat, and said,
None but a donkey refuses good treatment (honour/respect).
Sa’īd b. Manṣūr, Al-Sunan. See Al-Albānī, Al-Ḍa’īfah 12:465, where he graded the chain of narration ṣaḥīḥ.
September 17, 2013 – الثلاثاء 11 ذو القعدة 1434 Character, Good deeds, Manners and Conduct
Delving into Falsehood (I’ll take what’s good)
It is reported that Ibrāhīm b. Ad-ham – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Delving into falsehood removes the ability to recognize the truth from the heart.
Abu Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 8:22.
August 23, 2013 – الجمعة 16 شوال 1434 Bid’ah, fitnah, knowledge, the heart
Mixing or Withdrawing for Gain
It is reported that Wahb b. Munabbih – Allāh have mercy on him – used to say:
The believer mixes with others in order to learn, keeps quiet to keep safe (from sinning), speaks in order to understand, and secludes himself for the attainment (of good).
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Al-‘Uzlah article 99.
Sincere Faith
It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
Three things are from Imān: when a man has nocturnal emission during a cold night, so he gets up – only Allāh sees him, and has a full wash; when a person fasts on a hot day; and when a man prays in a barren land, where none but Alāh sees him.
Al-Bayhaqī, Shu’ab Al-Īmān article 51
July 31, 2013 – الأربعاء 23 رمضان 1434 fasting, Ikhlas, iman, intentions, prayer,Purification, Ramadan
Your Saved Chat History
It is reported that Ya’lā b. ‘Ubayd said, “We entered upon Ibn Sūqah, who said: ‘O nephew, let me relate to you something that will hopefully benefit you; for it benefited me. ‘Atā b. Abī Rabāh once said to us:’”
Those before you used to consider idle talk to be anything other than the Book of Allāh, or the enjoining of good, or the forbidding of evil, or speaking for the sake of your basic living needs. Do you deny that there are recording angels appointed over you? Sitting on your right and your left? Never is a word said except there is an observer prepared to record? Are you not afraid (ashamed) that your record of words and deeds be spread open only to discover that there is nothing of the hereafter in it?
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 5:86
July 30, 2013 – الثلاثاء 22 رمضان 1434 angels, Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, Manners and Conduct, Quran, remembering Allah, Speech, the hereafter
Two Rare Things in Decline
It is reported that Yūnus b. ‘Ubayd – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I do not know anything rarer than a good dirham (money earnt lawfully) whose owner spends it on something right, or a brother in Islām in whose company one finds peace. And they are only getting rarer.
Abu Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 3:17
July 22, 2013 – الاثنين 14 رمضان 1434 Brotherhood, dunyâ, Relationships, wealth
Five Essential Qualities of a Mufti
Ibn Battah records that Imām Ahmad – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
No man should appoint himself to issue verdicts (fatwa) until and unless he fulfills five characteristics:
- First, he should have a [firm and good] intention; for if he does not, he will have no light upon him, and nor will his words.
- Second, he should be forbearing, tranquil and serene.
- Third, he should be strong upon what he is involved in, strong in its knowledge.
- Fourth, he should have sufficient means (wealth), otherwise the people will chew him up.
- Fifth, he should know people and their ways.
Ibn Battah, Ibtāl Al-Hiyal p24.
After quoting this statement, and before his commentary on it, Ibn Al-Qayyim states:
This is one of the proofs of the eminence of Imām Ahmad and his lofty status in knowledge and insight; for these five are the pillars of fatwā, and to the extent that there is deficiency in any of them, to that extent faults will appear in the mufti.
I’lām Al-Muwaqi’īn, 6:106
July 18, 2013 – الخميس 10 رمضان 1434 fiqh, Ikhlas, intentions, knowledge, Law, patience
A Preserved State of Knowledge
It is reported that ‘Adī b. Hātim – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
You will remain in a good state as long as you do not approve what you used to know to be wrong or censure what you used to know to be right, and as long as the knowledgeable (scholar) amongst you can speak amongst you without fear.
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 26.
Sayyiduna Umar on Abu Bakr and Bilal
Jābir b. ‘Abdillāh reports that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with them – used to say:
Abū Bakr is our sayyid (master/leader), and he freed our sayyid – meaning Bilāl.
Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, hadith 3754.
July 14, 2013 – الأحد 6 رمضان 1434 Good deeds, Humility, The Companions
Seven Hundred Deadly Sins
Sa’īd b. Jubayr – Allāh have mercy on him – reports that a man once asked Ibn ‘Abbās – Allāh be pleased with them:
“How many kabā`ir (major, deadly sins) are there? Seven?” He replied, “They are closer to seven hundred than seven; except a major sin does not remain so if one (truly) seeks forgiveness [from Allāh], and a lesser sin does not remain so if one insists on continuously doing it (i.e. it becomes a major sin).”
Al-Tabarī, Al-Tafsīr article 9207, et al.
June 6, 2013 – الخميس 27 رجب 1434 Allah’s mercy, Punishment, repentance, sins
Maymun b. Mahran Describes The Salaf He Met
It is reported that Maymūn b. Mahrān – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I have been among people who I would feel ashamed to speak in front of. And I have been among people who only spoke the truth or kept silent. And I have been among people who had never really seen the sky: they had not looked up with their eyes, for fear of their Lord.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 5:213
May 23, 2013 – الخميس 13 رجب 1434 Biographical, Character, fear, Manners and Conduct
Respect for Scholars and Ahl Al-Bayt
It is reported from Al-Sha’bī that he said:
Zayd b. Thābit – Allāh be pleased with him – once mounted [his horse or camel] to ride it, so Ibn ‘Abbās – Allāh be pleased with them – took hold of the reins [to serve him by leading his ride]. When he did this, Zayd said (out of respect for him), “Don’t do this o cousin of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.” Ibn ‘Abbās said, “This is what we have been told to do with our scholars (i.e. respect them and serve them).” Zayd said, “Show me your hand.” Ibn ‘Abbās held out his hand, and Zayd kissed it and said, “And this is what we have been told to do with the Ahl Al-Bayt (Family) of our Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.”
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawaāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:146, et al
May 11, 2013 – السبت 1 رجب 1434 Ahl Al-Bayt, Humility, knowledge, Manners and Conduct, The Companions
When Blessings Turn to Blight
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Verily, Allāh lets [a person] enjoy a blessing for as long as He wills. But when He is no longer thanked for it, He turns it into a punishment.
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Kitāb Al-Shukr article 17
Who are The Jama’ah (Main Body of the Muslims)?
It is reported that Ishāq b. Rāhuway – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
If you ask the ignorant: ‘Who are Al-Sawād Al-Aʿẓam (Main Body of the Muslims)?’ they will say, ‘All the people (together).’ But they do not know that The Jamā’ah (Main Body) is a scholar who follows the footsteps of the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – and his way. So whoever is with him and follows him is [one of] The Jamā’ah, but whoever contradicts him in it leaves The Jamā’ah.
Abū Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 9:238,239 et al
April 11, 2013 – الخميس 1 جمادى الثانية 1434 ‘Aqîdah, knowledge, Sunnah
Humble Moves
It is reported that Hammād b. Zayd said:
Ayyūb [Al-Sakhtiyānī] used to have a red shawl which he wore in ihrām, and which he had kept for his shroud. I used to walk with him sometimes; he would take different paths and I would be amazed at how he knew of them. He would do this fleeing from people in case they recognized him and said, “There’s Ayyūb.”
And it is reported that Shu’bah said:
I would sometimes go with Ayyūb for some need, but he would not let me walk with him; he would move here and there in case people noticed him.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 6:22
March 25, 2013 – الاثنين 13 جمادى الأولى 1434 Character, dunyâ, humbleness, zuhd
The Revival of Knowledge
It is reported that Imām Al-Zuhrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Those of our scholars who went before us used to say,”Adherence to the Sunnah is salvation, but knowledge is taken away quickly, so the revival of knowledge means the stability of religion and worldly affairs, and the loss of knowledge means the loss of all that.”
Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharh Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah article 136
Scary Speech
‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb once entered upon Abū Bakr – Allāh be pleased with them both – and found him pulling at his tongue. He said, “Oh, what are you doing?” Abū Bakr replied, “It is this (i.e my speech) that has brought me so much trouble.”
Mālik, Al-Muatta 2:988
March 15, 2013 – الجمعة 3 جمادى الأولى 1434 Character, fear, Manners and Conduct, taqwâ
The Smile of a Traitor
Whoever sees a wrongdoing from his brother and then laughs in front of him has betrayed him.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 5:115
The Most to Answer For
Those who will be taken to account most on the Day of Resurrection are those who were healthy and unoccupied.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm 4:152
February 11, 2013 – الاثنين 1 ربيع الثاني 1434 Good deeds, Resurrection, sins, the hereafter
The Highest Standard
It is reported that Sufyān b. ‘Uyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Verily, the Messenger of Allāh – peace and blessings be upon him – is the highest standard; things are measured by him: his character, lifestyle and behavior. Whatever agrees with [these] is true and correct, and whatever contradicts [them] is wrong.Al-Khatīb Al-Baghdādī, Akhlāq Al-Rāwī wa Ādāb Al-Sāmi’ article 8.
February 2, 2013 – السبت 21 ربيع الأول 1434 Character, Manners and Conduct, Sunnah
Followers of Dajjal
It is reported that Muhammad b. Sīrīn – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
If the Dajjāl appears, I believe the heretics (People of Desires, Bid’ah) will follow him.
Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharh Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah 1:131
January 24, 2013 – الخميس 12 ربيع الأول 1434 ‘Aqîdah, Bid’ah, the hereafter
Real Men
It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
Do not be impressed by the twitter of an individual. But one who fulfils his duty and trust, and refrains from [transgressing against] the honor of people is the real man.
Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā article 12345.
January 12, 2013 – السبت 30 صفر 1434 Backbiting, Character, Manners and Conduct
The Influence of Companionship
It is reported that Sufyān Al-Thawrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
There is nothing that corrupts a person or rectifies him more than [his] companion.
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 504.
How Imam Al-Shafi Spent his Nights
Al-Rabī’ b. Sulaymān reports:
Al-Shāfi’ī used to divide the night into three parts: he would write (knowledge) for the first third, pray during the second third and sleep during the last third.
It is reported from Husayn Al-Karābīsī that he said:
I spent the night with Al-Shāfi’ī. He would pray for about a third of the night. I hardly ever saw him recite more than fifty verses (in the prayer), one hundred at most. Whenever he came to a verse about mercy, he would ask Allāh for His Mercy, for himself and for the believers; and whenever he came to a verse about punishment, he would seek Allāh’s refuge from it, and ask salvation for himself and for all the believers. So it is as if both hope and fear were brought together for him.
Al-Bayhaqī, Ma’rifatu Al-Sunan articles 362, 365.
January 5, 2013 – السبت 23 صفر 1434 Allah’s mercy, Biographical, fear, knowledge,prayer, Punishment, supplication
Rubbish Opinions
Mālik b. Mighwal said:
Al-Sha’bī once said to me, “When these [people] report to you from Allāh’s Messenger – praise and peace of Allāh be upon him, adhere to it; but when they merely opine, throw it in the trash.”
Al-Dārimī, Al-Sunan 1:78.
December 30, 2012 – الأحد 17 صفر 1434 Advice from the Salaf, Bid’ah, knowledge,Sunnah
Humble Beginnings
It is reported that Al-Ahnaf b. Qays – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I find it amazing how anyone who passed through the urinary tract twice could ever be arrogant and haughty!
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:92.
December 27, 2012 – الخميس 14 صفر 1434 Character, humbleness, Manners and Conduct, women
From whom does Knowledge Come?
It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Mas’ūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
The people will remain upon goodness as long as knowledge comes to them from the Companions of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him, and from their seniors. But when knowledge comes to them from their minors, that is when they will be destroyed.
Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi article 1060.
Note
Being upon a good and right path is based on following the knowledge of the Companions and seniors: scholars and people who adhere to the Sunnah, whereas taking knowledge from minors like ignorants and heretics is a sign of destruction.
November 18, 2012 – الأحد 4 محرم 1434 Bid’ah, knowledge, Sunnah, The Companions
Definition of Asceticism – The Three Types of Zuhd
It is reported that Ibrāhīm b. Ad-ham – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Zuhd (abstinence from materialism, asceticism) is of three types: (i) obligatory zuhd, (ii) virtuous zuhd and (iii) zuhd for safety. Obligatory zuhd is to abstain from what is forbidden (harām); virtuous zuhd is to be disinterested in what is allowed (of this world); and zuhd for safety is to stay away from doubtful matters.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 905.
Beyond Words
It is reported that ‘Alī b. Abī Tālib – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
Mention what you will of the greatness of Allāh, but Allāh is greater than anything you say. And mention what you will of the Fire, but it is more severe than anything you say. And mention what you will of Paradise, but it is better than anything you say.
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 853.
November 6, 2012 – الثلاثاء 21 ذو الحجة 1433 ‘Aqîdah, Paradise, The Fire, the hereafter
A Dangerous Game
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
How strange it is that a people whose departure (from this world to the next) has been announced, and whose predecessors have already departed, still play around!
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 843.
A Sign of Self-Respect
It is reported that Muhammad b. Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Whoever has self respect does not give any value to the worldly life (dunyā).
Ibn Al-Jawzī, Sifatu Al-Safwah 2:77.
October 3, 2012 – الأربعاء 17 ذو القعدة 1433 Character, dunyâ, zuhd
Between You and the One in the Grave
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – once said during the funeral of a man:
May Allāh have mercy on the man who works for the likes of this day; for today you are able to do what these brothers of yours, the residents of these graves, cannot do. So make full use of your health and free time before the day of distress and accounts comes upon you.
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 53.
September 18, 2012 – الثلاثاء 2 ذو القعدة 1433 Advice from the Salaf, death, dunyâ, Good deeds, the grave, the hereafter
Following Hadith Exactly
Abū Ja’far reports:
Whenever Ibn ‘Umar – Allāh be pleased with him – heard a hadīth from Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – he never went beyond it, and he never fell short of it.
Ibn Mājah, Al-Sunan, hadīth #4. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded this narration sahīh in his edition of the Sunan.
Shaykh Al-Albānī explained that ‘he never went beyond it’ means: he never added anything to what was in the hadīth or overstepped the bounds of the hadīth; and ‘he never fell short of it’ means: he never neglected what was in the hadīth.
See No Evil
It is reported on the authority of Al-Walīd b. Mazyad that he said:
I heard Al-Awzā’ī say, when I asked him, “Who is a fool?” He replied, “One who is blind to what is wrong (evil), [though] he has insight into what is good.”
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 7:116.
August 21, 2012 – الثلاثاء 3 شوال 1433 Good deeds, knowledge, Shaytân
The Just Mufti
It is reported that Masrūq – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
To (be guaranteed) one day in which I issue correct and just verdicts (fatwā) is more beloved to me than fighting in battle (ghazwah, jihād) for a year.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:66.
Living the Dream
It is reported that Yūnus b. ‘Ubayd (d. 139H) – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I only liken the worldly life (dunyā) to a man who, whilst sleeping, sees in his dream things he likes and things he does not like. Then he wakes up (the world ends and the next life starts).
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 21.
Love for the Sincere
It is reported that Harim b. Hayyān – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Never does the servant turn wholeheartedly to Allāh except that Allāh turns the hearts of the believers to him, providing him their love.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:49.
Harim b. Hayyān was one of the Successors, deputized by ‘Umar, and known for his devoutness.
When Living with those You Cannot Avoid
Muhammad Ibn Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
He is not wise who does not live in a good way with the person he has no choice but to live with, until Allāh gives him relief from that [situation].
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:117 et al. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded it Sahīh in Silsilatu Al-Da’īfah 6:172, after explaining that it is not authentic as a hadīth from the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.
Calamities that Afflict Knowledge
Imām Al-Zuhrī said:
Verily, knowledge has calamities [that afflict it]. One of its calamities is when the scholar is left, until he goes away with his knowledge. Another calamity is forgetting [knowledge]. Yet another calamity is lying about [knowledge], and this is the worst type.
Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm article 684.
The Economic Crisis [Dunya]
It is reported that Ibrāhīm Al-Taymī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
What a great difference there is between you and those people [of the past, the Salaf]! Worldly wealth came to them but they fled from it, whereas the world turns its back on you and you go after it.
Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 538.
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
By Allāh, never was a person given an abundance of worldy wealth and then not feared this might be a plot against him [for his wrongdoing] except a person lacking intelligence and sound opinion. And never has Allāh held back worldy wealth from a person and that person has not thought that a good choice has been made for him except a person who [also] lacks intelligence and sound opinion.
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dham Al-Dunyā article 42.
Stupid: Asking for Quran without Sunnah
It is reported that ‘Imrān b. Husayn – Allāh be pleased with him – was once relating hadīth amongst a group of people, when a man said:
Leave this and give us something from the Book of Allāh. ‘Imrān said, “You are a dunce (stupid). Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of prayer. Do you find in the Book of Allāh details of fasting!? This Qur`ān prescribes those matters, and the Sunnah explains them.”
Al-Harawī, Dham Al-Kalām article 244, et al with various wordings.
The Real People
It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Ahmad b. Hanbal – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
I asked my father, “Who are the [real] people?” He replied, “The [real] people are none but those who say haddathanā and akhbaranā (those who report hadīth).”
Abū Bakr Al-Daynūrī, Al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir Al-‘Ilm article 3438.
Non-Racial Supremacy
It is reported that Abū ‘Ubaydah b. Al-Jarrāh – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
O people! Yes, I am a man from Quraysh, but there is not a white man (literally: red), nor a black man amongst you who exceeds me in righteousness (taqwā) except that I wish I was in his skin.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 1:18.
The Sly Heretic [Bidah]
It is reported that Mufaddal b. Muhalhal – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
If the heretic started mentioning his bid’ah right at the beginning of the sitting, you would be on your guard and flee from him, but what he does is begin by mentioning hadīth from the Sunnah. Then, he slips his bid’ah in on you. It might then stick to your heart; but when will it leave your heart?
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā, 2:444.
Will Allah Punish Me for Praying? [Bidah]
Imām Sa’īd b. Al-Musayyib – Allāh have mercy on him – once saw a man praying more than two rak’ah after sunrise the beginning of Fajr, making many bows and prostrations, and so he forbade him. The man said, “O Abu Muhammad, is Allāh going to punish me for praying?” Sa’īd said, “No, but He will punish you for contradicting the Sunnah.”
Al-Bayhaqī, As-Sunan Al-Kubraa 2:466. graded sahīh by Shaykh Al-Albānī. See Irwā Al-Ghalīl 2:236.
Shaykh Al-Albānī writes:
This is one of the superb answers given by Sa’īd b. Al-Musayyib – Allāh have mercy on him. It is a strong weapon against heretics (mubtadi’ah) who recommend many different types of religious innovation in the name of them being dhikr and prayer. They then criticize the followers of the Sunnah for criticizing them, and accuse them of censuring dhikr and prayer, when in fact [Ahl Al-Sunnah] are only criticizing the contravention of the Sunnah in matters such as dhikr and prayer.
May 3, 2012 – الخميس 12 جمادى الثانية 1433 Bid’ah, prayer, remembering Allah, Sunnah
Truth and Falsehood, Praise and Blame
It is reported that Khālid b. Ma’dan – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
Whoever seeks praise by going against the truth, Allāh will throw it back upon him as blame, and whoever faces blame in order to conform to the truth, Allāh will return it as praise for him.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:540.
April 16, 2012 – الاثنين 24 جمادى الأولى 1433 Character, Ikhlas, patience
Knowing a Man by his Moves
It is reported that Al-A’mash – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
They (the Salaf) never used to ask about [the religious condition of ] a man after knowing three things about him: where and upon whom he entered, where and with whom he walked, and the close company he kept.
Meaning: Knowing these things about a man is more than sufficient for knowing whether he is following the right path on the Sunnah or not.
Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah article 419.
April 3, 2012 – الثلاثاء 11 جمادى الأولى 1433 Bid’ah, Manners and Conduct, Sunnah
Checking from where the Sun Rises
It is reported that Al-Dahhāk said:
How surprising it is that the companions of ‘Abdulāh (ibn Mas’ūd) are looking now to see where the sun rises from. Do they not know that when Fajr comes from a direction, the sun rises from the same?
It is reported that Jundub b. ‘Abdillāh Al-Bajalī said:
I once sought permission to see Hudhayfah three times without being given permission. So I left, but his messenger caught up with me. [When I spoke to Hudhayfah] he asked, “What made you leave?” I replied, “I thought you were sleeping (after Fajr).” He said, “I do not sleep until I see where the sun rises from.” [The narrator] said, “I related this to Muhammad (another narrator), to which he said, ‘More than one of the Companions of Muhammad – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – did this.’”
Ibn Abī Shaybah, Kitāb Al-Adab articles 156 and 157.
Hypocrisy Today
Hudhayfah b. Al-Yamān – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
The munāfiqūn (hypocrites) amongst you today are worse than those in the time of Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him.
He was asked, “How is that o Abū ‘Abdillāh”?
He replied:
Because those [in the time of the Prophet] used to hide their nifāq (hypocrisy), whereas the hypocrites of today commit [hypocrisy] openly.
Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh hadith 7113.
March 2, 2012 – الجمعة 9 ربيع الثاني 1433 fitnah, historical, hypocrisy
Wearing Perfume for Your Husband
It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattāb came out one Eid. Passing by a group of women, he could smell the scent of perfume from one of them. He asked, “Who is the one wearing this scent? By Allāh, if I knew who she was, I would do such-and-such (punish her). A women is only to wear perfume for her husband, and if she goes out, she wears her older (scruffier) clothes or the older clothes of her servant.” And so it was rumored amongst the women that the woman [who was wearing perfume in public] got up from that gathering having soiled herself (out of fear).
Ibn Abī Shaybah, Al-Musannaf article 6387.
February 26, 2012 – الأحد 4 ربيع الثاني 1433 ‘Eid, fitnah, Manners and Conduct, Marriage,Relationships, women
Homeless & Senseless
It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Mas’ūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
This world (the dunyā) is [only taken as] a home by those who will have no real home [in Jannah], and it is the wealth of those who will have no real wealth, and it is gathered and collected for by those who have no real intelligence.
Ibn Abī Al-Dunyā, Dhamm Al-Dunyā article 16.
Give the World for Islamic Knowledge
It is reported that Imām Al-Hasan Al-Basrī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:
To learn a single topic of knowledge and teach it to a Muslim is more beloved to me than having the whole world and giving it in the cause of Allāh.
Al-Khatīb Al-Baghdādī, Al-Faqīh wa Al-Mutafaqqih article 53.
The Mad Mufti
It is reported that ‘Abdullāh b. Mas’ūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:
By Allāh, he who gives people verdicts (fatwā) for every question they ask him is crazy (majnūn).
Ibn Battah Al-‘Ukbarī, Ibtāl Al-Hiyal article 81, et al.
Imām Ibn Battah (d. 304H) laments:
So here is Ibn Mas’ūd, swearing by Allāh that a person who gives people verdicts for every question they ask him is mad. And [now] if a person swore, he would not be breaking his oath, and if a person said, he would be speaking the truth: that most of the muftis of our time are mad. For you will hardly find a man who is asked about an issue pausing to consider carefully before answering, nor fearing Allāh and bringing to mind that Allāh is watching him, and fearing that He will say to him: What is the basis of your answer? Rather, most of them worry that it will be said: so-and-so was asked a question and he had no answer…
The Fabler-Preachers (Storytellers)
It is reported that Abū Qilābah – Allāh Have mercy on him – said:
It is only the storyteller-preachers (al-qusās) who have killed knowledge. A man listens to a storyteller for a year without really learning anything that will last, whereas a man who sits with a scholar for an hour learns what will last and benefit him before he even gets up.
Abō Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyā` 2:287.
The Hated Muezzin
It is reported that a man once came to ‘Abdullâh b. ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – and said:
I love you for Allâh.
Ibn ‘Umar replied:
Then bear witness that I hate you for Allâh!
The man asked, “Why?”
He replied, “Because you sing in your adhân (call to prayer), and you take a wage [for calling it]!”
Al-Tabarânî, Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabîr, article 13059; from Shaykh Al-Albânî, Al-Sahîhah 1:104, where he grades it authentic.
The Humble Heretic
‘Alî b. Abî Khâlid – Allâh have mercy on him – reports:
I once said to Ahmad, “This shaykh – referring to an older man who was with us – is my neighbor. I told him not to keep the company of a certain person, and he would like to hear what you have to say about him: I am referring to Hârith Al-Qasîr (Al-Hârith Al-Muhâsibî). Many years ago, you saw me with him and told me not to sit with him nor speak with him. I have not spoken to him since that time. This shaykh, however, does sit with him. So what do you say?”
I saw Ahmad go red with anger, his eyes bulging; I had never before seen him like this. He started to say, “Him! May Allâh do such-and-such to him! Only those well-informed of him know what he really is, only those who really know him know what he is. Al-Mughâzilî, Ya’qûb and so-and-so sat with him, and he caused them to adopt the views of Jahm (Ibn Safwân, leader of the Jahmites). They were destroyed because of him.”
The old man said, “But Abû ‘Abdillâh, he reports hadîth, and he is mild and humble; he has done such-and-such [good works].” Abû ‘Abdillâh (Imâm Ahmad) became angry and began repeating, “Let not his humility and softness deceive you”. He also said, “Do not be fooled by his bowed head, he is an evil man; only those well-informed of him through experience know him. Do not speak to him – with all disrespect to him. Are you going to sit with everyone who narrates from Allâh’s Messenger – may the praise and peace of Allâh be upon him – though he be a heretic (mubtadi’)? No, with all disrespect.”
Tabaqât Al-Hanâbilah, article 325.
Studying Manners
It is reported that Abû Bakr Al-Matû’î said:
I sat in the circle of Abû ‘Abdillâh Ahmad b. Hanbal for twelve years while he read the Musnad to his children, and I never wrote a single hadîth, I only looked at his behavior, character and etiquette.
Ibn Al-Jawzî, Manâqib Ahmad, article 210.
It is reported that Al-Hasan b. Ismâ’îl said, ‘I heard my father say:
There would gather in the circle of Ahmad five thousand people or more; less than five hundred would write, the rest would learn from him good manners and behavior.’
Ibid.
It is reported that Sufyân Al-Thawrî said:
A man who wanted to write hadîth would [learn] manners and worship for twenty years before starting.
Abû Nu’aym, Hilyatu Al-Awliyâ`, 6:361.
Taking Turns and Sharing Knowledge
‘Abdullâh b, ‘Abbâs reports that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with them – said:
I used to have a neighbor from the Ansâr who lived in the area of Banî Umayyah b. Zayd, which is in the ‘Awâlî of Medinah, and we used to take turns attending [the gatherings] of Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s praise and peace be upon him. My neighbor would attend one day and I the other; so when I attended I would convey to him the reports about the revelation that had come, and other such news, and when he attended he would do the same.
My Ansârî companion went on one of his days, and [upon returning] came to my door and knocked hard saying, ‘Is he there?’ I was alarmed and came out to him, and he said, ‘Something serious has happened (some people thought the Prophet had divorced his wives).’ I entered upon Hafsah and found her weeping. I said, ‘Has Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s praise and peace be upon him – divorced you [all]?’ She replied, ‘I don’t know.’ Then, I came to the Prophet – Allâh’s praise and peace be upon him – and asked him, still standing, ‘Have you divorced your women?’ He said, ‘No’, so I said, ‘ Allâhu Akbar (Allâh is Greatest).’
Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on Taking Turns in Seeking Knowledge.
Notes
The narration translated above is a shorter report of the full incident, recorded elsewhere in Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.
In his commentary on Sahîh Al-Bukhârî, Ibn Hajr lists some of the lessons and points that can be taken from this narration, including the following:
1. This hadith shows us that the khabar (news, report) of a single (reliable) person is dependable.
2. The student of knowledge should not neglect taking care of his living needs, in order to help him continue seeking knowledge and other pursuits (at that time, ‘Umar was involved in trade, as is mentioned in other reports).
3. At the same time, the student of knowledge should be diligent and resolute in asking about the knowledge he has missed in his absence.
October 12, 2011 – الأربعاء 14 ذو القعدة 1432 Brotherhood, knowledge
At the Crossroads of Gratitude
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
It has reached me that when Allâh the Mighty and Majestic blesses a people and gives them some good he asks them to be grateful. If they are grateful, He is all-able to give them more. But if they are ungrateful, He is all-able to turn His blessings into a punishment.
Al-Bayhaqî, Shu’ab Al-Imân article 4536.
Graffiti of the Salaf
Here is a picture of what is considered (to date) the oldest dated Islamic inscription, from 24H, when the Rightly Guided Caliph ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – was assassinated. It is located at Al-‘Ulâ in present day Saudi Arabia. It is one of a number of ‘graffiti’ inscriptions made by travelers and pilgrims from the first few centuries of Islâm.
UNESCO included this amazing archaeological find in its Memory of the World Register of Documentary Collections. An update entry states:
Saudi Arabia – Earliest Islamic (Kufic) Inscription. This very well preserved inscription is located on a red sandstone block of rock south of Qa’a al Muatadil, north of Sharma in al-Ula, northwest of Saudi Arabia on the ancient trade and pilgrimage route connecting the early Islamic city of al-Mabiyat with Madain Saleh. It is the oldest Islamic inscription found so far. It mentions the date of the death of the second Caliph of Islam, Omar bin al-Khattab and reads as follows: “In the name of God, I Zuhair wrote the date of the death of Omar the year four and twenty (Hegrah)”. Caliph Omar bin al-Khattab died on the last night of the month of Dul-Hajj of the year 23 Hegrah, and was buried next day on the first day of Muharram of the new year 24 Hegrah (corresponding to 644 AD).
Note: The discoverers and local experts say the script is Hijâzî, not Kufic.
Here’s a trace of the text:
What it says
The inscription can be translated as follows:
In the Name of Allah
I, Zuhayr, wrote [this] at the time ‘Umar died, in the year four
and twenty [24H]
Next to this inscription, it reads:
I am Zuhayr, Mawlâ of the Bani Salamah [tribe]
Ignorance and the Sword
It is reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
One who acts without knowledge is like one who travels off the path; and the one who acts without knowledge corrupts more than he rectifies. So seek knowledge in a way that does not harm your worship, and seek to worship [Allâh] in a way that does not harm [your seeking of] knowledge. For verily, there were people (the Khawârij extremists) who sought to worship [Allâh] but abandoned knowledge until they attacked the Ummah of Muhammad – Allâh’s praise and peace be upon him – with their swords. But if they had sought knowledge, it would not have directed them to do what they did.
Quoted by Ibn ‘Abd Al-Barr, Jâmi’ Bayân Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi article 905.
September 5, 2011 – الاثنين 7 شوال 1432 fitnah, historical, knowledge, worship
Supplicating after a Complete Reading of the Quran [Khatm Al-Quran]
Thâbit Al-Bunânî, Qatâdah and Ibn ‘Atîyah all report:
When Anas b. Mâlik – Allâh be pleased with him – used to finish a complete reading of the Qur`ân he would gather his wife and children and supplicate for them.
Al-Firyâbî, Fadâ`il Al-Qur`ân article 83; Al-Dârimî, Al-Sunan hadith 3477 et al. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded one of its chains of transmission sahîh. See Marwîyât Du’â Khatm Al-Qurân article 12.
Three Sunan of Eid Al-Fitr
Imâm Sa’îd b. Al-Musayyib – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
The Sunnah of Al-Fitr consists of three things: Walking to the prayer place (musallâ), eating before leaving [for the prayer] and taking a full bath.
Al-Firyâbî, Ahkâm Al-‘Eidayn. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded its chain of transmission sahîh in Irwâ` Al-Ghalîl 3:104.
The Merit of Night Prayer when others Sleep
It is reported that ‘Abdullâh b. Mas’ûd said:
Allâh the Mighty and Sublime laughs at two men [being pleased with them]: a man who stands in the middle of the night while his family sleeps; he purifies himself and stands in prayer, so Allâh laughs at him. And a man who meets the enemy [in battle] and his comrades are defeated; but he stands his ground until Allâh the Mighty and Sublime gives him martyrdom.
Abû Bakr Al-Âjurrî, Fadl Qiyâm Al-Layl, article 9.
Note: A longer version of this narration is reported from Allâh’s Messenger himself – praise and peace be upon him – in the Musnad of Ahmad and other collections. Shaykh Al-Albânî grades it good based on other corroboratory reports (hasan lighayrihi). See Sahîh Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb article 630.
August 21, 2011 – الأحد 21 رمضان 1432 merits, Names and Attributes of Allah, prayer
The Sweetest Words [Ikhlas]
It is reported that the son of Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd – Allâh have mercy on him – said to his father:
Father! How sweet (beautiful) the speech of the Companions is! [Al-Fudayl] said, “Son, do you know why it was so sweet?” He replied, “No father, I do not.” He said, “Because they sought Allâh the Exalted when they spoke.”
Al-Bayhaqî, Shu’ab Al-îmân 2:299
August 14, 2011 – الأحد 14 رمضان 1432 Ikhlas, intentions, The Companions
Ignorant Piety
It is reported that Imâm Muhammad b. Sîrîn – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
There were people who abandoned knowledge and sitting with the scholars, and [instead] took to their chambers and prayed until their skin dried [from exertion in worship]. Thereafter they began to contradict the Sunnah and thus were destroyed. By Allâh, never does a person act without knowledge, except that he spoils and corrupts more than he fixes and rectifies.
Al-Asbahânî, Al-Targhîb wa Al-Tarhîb 3:98
Asking for less refutation [signs of Ahl Al-Bidah]
It is reported from Al-‘Abbâs b. Al-Walîd that ‘Uqbah said:
I was once with Arta’ah b. Al-Mundhir when one of the people in the gathering said, “What do you say about a man who sits with the followers of the Sunnah and mixes with them, but when the followers of Bid’ah are mentioned he says, ‘Spare us from mentioning them, do not talk about them?’” Arta’ah said, “He is one of them, do not let him confuse you about his condition.” I felt this was strange, so I went to Al-Awzâ’î – and he used to clarify these matters when they came to him. He said, “Arta’ah is right, the matter is as he said; this person forbids talking about [Ahl Al-Bid’ah], so how can [people] be on guard against them if they are not exposed?”
Ibn ‘Asâkir, Târîkh Dimishq 8:15.