Inspirational Articles and Eye-Opening Incidents

Illustrating the Fundamental Values of Deen

and the Pristine Teachings of the Sunnah

Published by:

Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, Durban, South Africa

No Copyright (ɔ)

Open permission is granted for reprinting this booklet provided it is

without any alterations. A humble appeal is directed to the readers to
offer suggestions, corrections, etc. to improve the quality of this
publication in the future. May Allah  reward you for this.

The author, editors and typesetters humbly request your duas for
them, their parents, families, Mashaayikh and Asaatizah.

Compiled by: Mufti Zakaria Makada

Published and distributed by:

Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen
4 Third Avenue
P.O. Box 26393
Isipingo Beach
4115
South Africa

Tel: (+27) 31 902 9818

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E-mail: info@ihyaauddeen.co.za
Websites: http://ihyaauddeen.co.za
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http://whatisislam.co.za
http://ihyaaussunnah.com

First Edition: Safar 1444 / September 2022

 

Recognizing Allah  ........................................................................ 17

Imaam Shaafi’ee  Proving the Existence of Allah  ................ 18
Imaam Maalik  Proving the Existence of Allah  .................... 19
Signs Indicating Towards the Creator .......................................................... 19

Imaam Abu Hanifah  and The Three Questions of the Roman

Emperor...................................................................................................... 21
The Discussion of Imaam Abu Hanifah  with a Group of Atheists .. 23

The Debate between Hazrat Ebrahim  and Namrood .............. 25

Allah  - The Sole Sustainer of the Entire Creation .................. 27

Sustenance Lies in the Hands of Allah  Alone .......................... 30

Reliance on Allah  ................................................................................ 30
Refraining from Haraam ................................................................................. 31
Incident of Nabi Moosa  and the Insect ............................................ 31

The First Sermon in Madinah Munawwarah after Hijrah .................. 35

Hazrat Abdullah bin Salaam  Embracing Islam ................................ 35
Kindness and Love in Every Dimension of Life ........................................... 36

What Does Islam Invite Towards? .......................................................... 38

i
 The Most Comprehensive Verse in the Quraan Majeed............................. 40

The Lifeline of Islam ................................................................................. 42

Punctuality on Salaah ...................................................................................... 43
Refraining from Sins ........................................................................................ 44
Showing Kindness to the Creation ................................................................ 46
Golden Words of Hazrat Moulana Ilyaas  ............................................ 46

Salaah – The Key to Jannah...................................................................... 48

The Center Pillar of Deen ................................................................................ 49
The Importance of Salaah in the Life of Hazrat Umar .................... 51


Fulfilling the Trust We Owe to Allah  and the Creation.......... 55

Each Person is Responsible for Fulfilling His Trust .................................... 58

The Quality of Amaanah – the Concern for Accountability ............... 59

What Does Amaanah Refer to? ....................................................................... 60
Amaanah – The Spiritual Sight of the Heart ................................................ 60
The Prophecy of Rasulullah  ......................................................... 61
Amaanah is not Confined to Safeguarding People’s Wealth ..................... 62
Imaam Abu Hanifah  and the Fire-Worshipper ................................. 63

Incident of the Saint, Hazrat Abdullah bin Marzooq  ................ 66

The Remembrance of Allah  - The Food of the Soul ....................... 68
The Formula for Acquiring Contentment of the Heart .............................. 70

The Great Bounty of Parents ................................................................... 73

Your Parents are Your Jannah or Jahannum ............................................... 74
Two Doors of Jannah Remaining Open ......................................................... 75

ii
 Incident of the Man Carrying His Mother During Tawaaf ........................ 75
Reward of an Accepted Hajj ............................................................................ 76
Hazrat Haarithah bin Nu’maan  Serving His Mother ...................... 77
Not Causing Inconvenience to Parents ......................................................... 78
Hazrat Abu Hurairah  Serving His Mother ........................................ 79
Fourteen Rights of Parents ............................................................................. 82
Seven Rights during their Lifetime ............................................................... 82
Seven Rights after their Demise .................................................................... 83

The Companion of Nabi Moosa  in Jannah ............................... 84

The Legacy of Pious Offspring ................................................................ 93

The Investment of the Hereafter ................................................................... 94
The Concern and Dua of the Ambiyaa  for their Progeny ........... 94
The Concern of the Sahaabah  for their Children ........................... 95

Pious Children – An Investment for the Hereafter ............................. 97

The Best thing a Person Can Leave Behind After His Demise ................... 98

The Command of the Quraan Majeed ........................................................... 99

Each Parent is Responsible and Answerable for His Flock ........................ 99
The Dua of Rasulullah  and Nabi Dawood  .................... 100
Instilling Good Values in the Child in Various Dimensions of Life ........ 101

Introducing the Child to Allah  ................................................ 103

The Right of the Child over the Parents ..................................................... 104
Calling out the Azaan and Iqaamah in the Ears of the Newborn Child . 105

Teaching the Child the Etiquettes of Islam ................................................ 105

iii
 Instilling the Importance of Fulfilling the Rights of Allah  in the
Heart of the Child ........................................................................................... 106
Rasulullah  Instilling the Greatness of Allah  in the
Heart of Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas  ............................................................ 107

The Importance of the Child Remaining in Good Company............. 109

The Benefit and Harm of Good and Bad Company .................................... 110
Hazrat Ummu Sulaim’s  Concern for Her Son................................. 111
Hazrat Abbaas’  Concern for His Son ................................................ 112
Company is not Confined to Physical Association .................................... 112

Being Concerned about the Deeni Education of the Child................ 114

The Importance of the Maktab Madrasah .................................................. 115
The Sahaabah’s  Concern that their Children Remain in Pious
Company .......................................................................................................... 115
Teaching the Child to Love Rasulullah  ..................................... 116

Imparting Deeni Education to the Child with Love and Compassion .... 117
Explaining to the Child According to His Level of Understanding ........ 118
Adopting Halaal Means in Educating the Child and Exposing him to an
Islamic Environment ...................................................................................... 119
Spending Quality Time with the Children .................................................. 120

The Truthfulness of Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelani  ................... 121

The Virtues and Importance of Truthfulness and Honesty .................... 124
Loyalty to Allah  at All Times ........................................................... 125

Parents Leading by Example.................................................................. 127

Practise What You Preach ............................................................................. 128
Hazrat Anas  Remaining in the Company and Service of Rasulullah
 ......................................................................................................... 129

iv
 Education regarding Fulfilling the Rights of Rasulullah  and
the Creation ..................................................................................................... 129
Education regarding Physical and Oral Hygiene and the Great Virtue of
Cleanliness ....................................................................................................... 130
Education regarding Fulfilling the Rights of Allah  by Performing
Salaah ............................................................................................................... 131
Education regarding Social Conduct and Thinking Good of Every Muslim
........................................................................................................................... 131
Education on Raising Children ..................................................................... 132
Education regarding Upholding Every Sunnah and the Formula for
Gaining Entry into Jannah ............................................................................ 133

Wishing Well for Others ........................................................................ 137

Purchasing a Horse ........................................................................................ 139
Giving an Option to the One who Transacted with Him .......................... 140
Taking part in Jihaad and Remembering the Pledge of Rasulullah
 ......................................................................................................... 140

Having the Heart to Forgive ................................................................. 142

Rights of Neighbours .............................................................................. 147

The Command of the Quraan Majeed Regarding Neighbours ................ 147
Rasulullah  Explaining the Rights of Neighbours.................... 148
Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr  Sending Food for His Jewish Neighbour
........................................................................................................................... 149
Incident of Hazrat Hasan Basri  and His Christian Neighbour ...... 150
Warnings in the Ahaadith for those who Inconvenience their
Neighbours ...................................................................................................... 151


v
The Incident of Hazrat Wahshi  Accepting Islam .................... 157
The Immense Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah  ............................ 162

Never Lose Hope in the Reformation of Any Person ......................... 164

The Great Saint - Hazrat Fudhail bin Iyaaz ............................... 168

Incident of His Repentance ........................................................................... 168
The King, Haaroon Rasheed , Benefiting from the Advice of Hazrat
Fudhail bin Iyaaz  .................................................................................. 169

The Saint of His Time – Hazrat Bishr Haafi  .............................. 174

Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  Benefiting from Hazrat Bishr Haafi
 ................................................................................................................. 176

Tears of Repentance – the Water to Cleanse the Heart .................... 180

Appreciating the Blessing of Life .......................................................... 186

Engaging in Daily Introspection .................................................................. 188

The Day of Judgment – The Day of Regret for Many ......................... 190
The Only Regret of the People of Jannah .................................................... 191
Incident of Hazrat Maysarah bin Masrooq Abasi  ........................... 191

The Evil of Photography......................................................................... 199

The Picture-Maker Receiving the Severest Punishment on the Day of
Qiyaamah ......................................................................................................... 200
The Creature in Jahannum which will Punish the Picture-Makers ....... 201
Rasulullah  Not Entering the Ka’bah Shareef due to the Idols
Inside ................................................................................................................ 202
Being Deprived of Barakah and the Presence of the Angels ................... 203

The Evil Consequence of Wine, Drugs and Intoxicants ..................... 205

vi
 The Mother of All Evils .................................................................................. 206
Incident of a Man from the Previous Nations ........................................... 206
Intoxicants – The Destructive Weapon of Iblees....................................... 208

Innovations in Deen ............................................................................... 210

The Sin from which People Do Not Make Taubah .................................... 210
The Plan of Iblees ........................................................................................... 212
The Prophecy of Rasulullah  ....................................................... 213

Incident of the Muazzin who Lost His Imaan due to Not Observing
Purdah ...................................................................................................... 215
The Seed of Sin Planted through the Lustful Glance ................................ 217
The Poisonous Arrow of Iblees ..................................................................... 218

Consulting the Rightly-Guided Ulama ................................................ 221

Referring to the Rightly-Guided Ulama and Deeni Elders for Guidance
........................................................................................................................... 222

Referring to One’s Elders at the Time of Nikaah ....................................... 223

The Key to Acquiring Barakah and Success ............................................... 224
Incident of the Granddaughter of Shaikh Ali Tantawi  .................. 225

The Testimony of the Jews, Romans and Persians in regard to the

Sahaabah  ..................................................................................... 229
The Jews Testify to the Justice of the Sahaabah  .......................... 229
The Romans Bear Testimony to the Piety of the Sahaabah  ....... 231
The Persians Testify to the Righteousness of the Sahaabah  ...... 232

Passing Away with the Sunnah during the Pandemic ...................... 236
Opening One’s Heart Entirely to the Goodness of Islam .......................... 236

vii
 The Innumerable Avenues which Lead to Jannah .................................... 237
The Lofty Rank of the Martyr ....................................................................... 238
The One Who Passes Away in a Pandemic receives the Rank of a Martyr
........................................................................................................................... 239

The Sahaabah  During the Plague of Amwaas ............................... 239

Six Important Points for those Afflicted by the Pandemic or any
Difficulty .......................................................................................................... 241

Choosing a Life Partner .......................................................................... 244

Choosing a Pious Spouse ............................................................................... 244
Advice of Hazrat Hasan Basri  ............................................................. 245
Incident of Hazrat Abu Dardaa  Getting His Daughter Married ... 246

The Great Sacrifice of Hijrah Performed by Hazrat Suhaib Roomi

 ......................................................................................................... 248

Purchasing Jannah for One Dirham...................................................... 252

Khaleelullah - The Special Friend of Allah  ............................. 257

The Generosity and Compassion of Rasulullah  ...................... 259

Fulfilling the Needs of the Creation ..................................................... 261

Incident of Hazrat Umar  and His Wife Assisting a Family in Need
........................................................................................................................... 262

The Advice of Hazrat Umar  to a Person who Fell into Sin .... 266
Practising on Islam in Totality is Based Upon Upholding Four
Injunctions ....................................................................................................... 269

The Beautiful Approach Adopted by Our Pious Predecessors when

Correcting People .................................................................................... 271
The Incident of Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain  ........................ 272
viii
Haaroon Rasheed  Advising a Person ........................................ 274

The Incident of Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  Advising a Person

................................................................................................................... 276

The Way to Secure the Mercy and Divine Assistance of Allah 

................................................................................................................... 281
Incident of Hazrat Awf bin Maalik  ................................................... 282

The World – An Abode of Comforts and Hardships .......................... 285

Making Shukr in Ease and Exercising Sabr in Adversity ......................... 286
Making Dua for Ease....................................................................................... 287
Incident of Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair  .............................................. 288
How Should a Believer View a Test? ........................................................... 291

The Greatest Bounty of Allah  .................................................. 295

The Shoreless Ocean Filled with Treasure ................................................. 296
The Quraan Comforting a Person in the Grave ......................................... 296

Surah Kahf ............................................................................................... 298

Receiving Divine Protection from Dajjaal and All Fitnahs ...................... 299
Receiving Special Noor .................................................................................. 300
Repelling Shaitaan from the Home ............................................................. 300
Assisting One to Awaken for Tahajjud ........................................................ 300
Being Saved from the Punishment in the Grave ....................................... 301
Gaining Entry into Jannah ............................................................................ 301
Incident of a Person Gaining Salvation through the Recitation of Surah
Kahf ................................................................................................................... 301

ix
The Queen of Jannah ............................................................................... 307
The Most Beneficial Thing for a Woman .................................................... 308
The Hayaa of Hazrat Faatimah ......................................................... 308

The Beautiful Qualities of Hazrat Zainab bintu Jahsh  ........... 310

Refraining from Gheebah .............................................................................. 311
Kindness towards the Poor ........................................................................... 311
High Level of Purdah ...................................................................................... 312

How Can a Woman Reach Allah ? ............................................. 314

Three Aspects Regarding the Role of a Woman in Islam ......................... 315
Obedience to Allah  and Leading a Life of Piety ............................ 315
Remaining within the Home and Observing Strict Purdah with Non-
Mahrams .......................................................................................................... 316
Remaining Obedient to her Husband and Fulfilling his Rights .............. 318

The Islamic Attire for Women ............................................................... 320

The Warning of Rasulullah  for Women who Dress Immodestly
........................................................................................................................... 321
Rasulullah  Placing Great Emphasis upon Hayaa .................... 322

Incident of Hazrat Asmaa  ................................................................. 322

Guidelines of the Shari’ah Regarding Women’s Clothing ........................ 323

Loss of Hayaa - The Main Cause for The Pandemic............................ 326

Hayaa in All Branches of Life ........................................................................ 327
Hayaa – A Shield from Sin ............................................................................. 328
Rasulullah  Explaining the Meaning of Hayaa ......................... 329
The Decline of the Ummah ........................................................................... 330

x
 

‫بسم هللا الرمحن الرحيم‬

‫احلمد هلل رب العاملني والصالة والسالم على أشرف األنبياء واملرسلني سيدان وموالان حممد‬
‫وآله وصحبه أمجعني وبعد‬
From the entire galaxy of Ambiyaa and Rasuls, the greatest Nabi
and Rasul is Rasulullah , and from all the ummats, the
greatest ummah is the ummah of Rasulullah .

In the Mubaarak Hadith, the ummah of Rasulullah  has

been named “Al-Ummatul Marhoomah” (the ummah which has
been blessed with Allah’s  special and divine mercy).1

The shari’ah of Rasulullah  has cancelled the shari’ah of

every Nabi, and it is only the shari’ah of Rasulullah 
that will be accepted by Allah  till the end of time.

Allah  declares in the Quraan Majeed:

ّٰ ۡ َّ
‫الد ۡی َّن ِعن َّد الل ِہ ال ۡ ِا ۡسلَّام‬
ِ ‫ِان‬

1
93/8 ‫ ورواته ثقات كما يف إحتاف اخلرية املهرة للعالمة البوصريي رمحه هللا‬،4278 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
11
 The only religion that is acceptable by Allah  is the religion of
Islam.2

From this verse of the Quraan Majeed, we conclude that the

religion of Islam is complete, perfect and all-comprehensive. It
provides man with guidance in all spheres of life, and it is the
only solution to end all problems and create peace and happiness
in the world.

However, the critical question that arises is, “When the Muslims
have the formula to fulfil every need and solve every problem,
then why are Muslims facing difficulty in different parts of the
world?”

The answer to this question is that the difficulties and hardships

are on account of the Muslims not fully adopting Islam and not
adhering to the mubaarak way of Rasulullah  in all
departments of life.

The Sahaabah  were an embodiment of Islam and reflected

the true beauty of Islam wherever they went. Hence, their noble
character, just dealings, sublime conduct and beautiful lifestyle
was itself an invitation for the kuffaar to accept Islam. Through
observing the beauty of Islam in their lives, the kuffaar would
feel compelled to accept Islam.

2
19 :‫سورة آل عمران‬
12
If the ummah once again beautify their lives and character with
the mubaarak teachings of Rasulullah  then the
spectacle that was witnessed in the glorious era of the Sahaabah
 will once again be seen in the world.

Currently, the deeni decline of the ummah is on account of many

factors, among which the key factors are: (1) The weakness of
Imaan, (2) The disunity of the ummah, (3) The breakdown of
hayaa (shame and modesty), (4) The degeneration of Islamic
values through adopting the culture and lifestyle of the kuffaar.

Hence, in order to rekindle within the hearts of the ummah the

flames of love for Allah , love for deen and the Sunnah,
and love for the Muslims, which are the core elements of success
in the ummah, the need was felt to commence a series in which
these vital aspects would be briefly discussed.

This series commenced under the name “The Orchards of Love”,

and articles in this series were posted on the Ihyaaudeen
website. This kitaab is mainly a collection of articles from The
Orchards of Love series.

This kitaab may be useful for Ulama and students who wish to
prepare a lecture, as an effort was made to quote the relevant
Aayaat and Ahaadith with each point, together with an
inspirational incident so that the lesson will be well illustrated
and easily understood.

13
Similarly, this kitaab is also recommended to be used in the daily
home ta’leem as well as in the maktab or madrasah syllabus, as it
will assist in instilling the correct Islamic values in the children.

We make dua that Allah  accept this kitaab and make it a

means of the Sunnah coming alive in the entire ummah.

(Mufti) Zakariyya Makada

14

Recognizing Allah 
Allah  is the Creator and Sustainer of every creation in the
universe. Everything in the universe, whether it be the galaxies,
the solar system, the stars, the planets, or the earth and
everything it contains, is the creation of Allah .

The one who ponders and reflects over the greatness and beauty
of all these creations can well imagine the greatness and beauty
of the One who created them!

Allah  invites us, in the Quraan Majeed, to ponder and

reflect over His creation and thereby recognize His greatness and
power. Allah  says:
ۡ َّ
‫﴾ۙ ال ِذ ۡی َّن یَّذکر ۡو َّن‬۱۹۰ۚ ﴿ ‫اب‬ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ّٰ ّٰ َّ َّ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ِ َّ ‫اخ ِتل‬ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ّٰ ّٰ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ
ِ ‫اف الی ِل و النہا ِر لای ٍت لِاولِی الالب‬ ‫ضو‬ِ ‫ِان فِی خل ِق السمو ِت و الار‬
َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ ۡ ‫الس ّٰم ّٰو ِت َّو ال ۡ َّا‬ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ ۡ ۡ ّٰ َّ َّ ً ۡ َّ ً ّٰ َّ ّٰ
ۚ ‫ض ۚ َّربنا َّما خلق َّت ّٰہذا َّبا ِطل ًا‬ ِ ‫ر‬ ‫اللہ قِیما و قعودا و علی جنو ِب ِہم و یتفکرون فِی خل ِق‬
َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ ّٰ ۡ
﴾۱۹۱﴿ ‫اب النا ِر‬ ‫سبحنک ف ِقنا عذ‬

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation
of the night and the day are signs for people of understanding. Those
who remember Allah while standing or sitting or (lying) on their sides
and ponder (and reflect) over the creation of the heavens and the earth,
(saying), “Our Rabb, You did not create this without a purpose; exalted

17
are You (from creating things without a purpose), so protect us from the
punishment of the Fire! 3

Imaam Shaafi’ee  Proving the Existence of Allah


It is reported that an atheist once met Imaam Shaafi’ee  and
asked him for proof in regard to the existence of the creator,
Allah .

Imaam Shaafi‘ee  spontaneously answered, “Look at the

leaves of the mulberry tree. The colour, taste, smell, composition
and properties of every leaf are the same.

“Despite being exactly the same, when consumed by the silk

worm, silk is produced. When the bee eats from it, honey is
produced. When consumed by the goat, dung is produced and
when consumed by the musk deer, musk is produced.

“Only the design of a creator who is eternal and all-powerful

could cause so many diverse things to be produced from one
substance. Otherwise, logic would demand that the end product
of all be the same as the substance which entered all was the
same.”4

3
191-190 :‫سورة آل عمران‬
4
197/1 ‫تفسري ابن كثري‬
18
 

Imaam Maalik  Proving the Existence of Allah


A person once came to Imaam Maalik  and asked him to
present proof for the existence of a creator.

Imaam Maalik  answered, “Look at the face of a person. As

small as it may be, every person’s face comprises of eyes, a nose,
ears, a tongue, cheeks, gums, etc.

“Despite every face containing the exact same organs, there are
no two faces that are exactly the same in appearance and shape.
Voices are different, tones are different and limbs are different.

“This uniqueness with which every person is blessed can only be

the result of a creator’s design.”5

Signs Indicating Towards the Creator

A Bedouin once recited the following couplet:

‫وآاثر األقدام على املسري‬ ‫البعرة تدل على البعري‬

‫كيف ال تدل على اللطيف اخلبري‬ ‫فسماء ذات أبراج وأرض ذات فجاج‬

5
42 ‫ صـ‬:‫عقائد اإلسالم‬
19
When a lump of dung indicates that a camel had passed by and footsteps
indicate that a person had passed by,

then how could a sky filled with constellations and an earth crossed with
paths not indicate the existence of the Creator who is Most-Gracious and
All-Aware?6

Hence, after recognizing the power and greatness of Allah

, one should ponder and reflect over His deep love for His
creation. Despite our disobedience and unworthiness, He still
continues to bless us with countless bounties and favours, night
and day.

May Allah  bless us with the ability to turn to Him and

remain obedient to Him at all times.

6
173 ‫ صـ‬:‫نور األنوار‬
20
Imaam Abu Hanifah  and
The Three Questions of the
Roman Emperor
The Emperor of the Romans once sent a large amount of wealth
to the Khalifah of the Muslims. Before dispatching his
representative with the wealth, the Emperor commanded him to
pose three questions to the Ulama of the Muslims.

The Roman representative, as instructed, posed the three

questions to the Ulama but they were unable to give him
satisfactory answers.

At that time, Imaam Abu Hanifah  was still a young boy and
he happened to be present with his father.

When he saw that the Ulama were unable to adequately answer

the three questions, he approached the Khalifah and asked him
for permission to respond to the challenge of the Romans.

The Khalifah granted him permission and he turned to the

Roman representative who was seated at a raised pulpit and
asked, “Will you be posing the questions?”

When the representative replied in the affirmative, Imaam Abu

Hanifah  said, “In that case, you should descend to the floor
so that I can be seated at the pulpit.”

21
The representative complied and climbed down, allowing the
young Imaam Abu Hanifah  to ascend.

The Roman representative then put forth his first question,

“What was in existence before Allah?”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  replied by likewise asking a question,

“Do you know mathematics?” The representative replied, “Yes.”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  continued, “What precedes the

number ‘one’?” The representative replied, “One is the first
number; there is nothing before it.”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  then concluded his answer explaining,

“If there is nothing before the figurative number one, how can
there be anything before the actual One (Allah )?”

The representative then posed the second question. He asked,

“In which direction is Allah facing?”

Once again, Imaam Abu Hanifah  answered by posing a

question of his own, “When you light a lamp, in which direction
does the light shine?” The representative replied, “The light
shines equally in all four directions.”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  explained, “If a light that can be lit

and extinguished is not restricted and limited by direction, how
can the light of the Creator of the heavens and earth, which is
eternal and overpowering, ever be restricted and limited by
direction?”
22
 

The representative then asked his third and final question,

“What is Allah doing?”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  answered, “He has brought down a

disbeliever such as yourself from the pulpit and raised a believer
such as myself from the ground.”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  had correctly and efficiently answered

all three questions and the Roman representative admitted
defeat and departed.7

The Discussion of Imaam Abu Hanifah  with a

Group of Atheists
A group of atheists once approached Imaam Abu Hanifah 
with the sinister intention of murdering him.

On noticing them, Imaam Abu Hanifah  decided to engage

them in dialogue and so asked them:

“If a person had to claim that he saw a ship which had neither a
captain nor sailors to steer and navigate it, sailing through the
waves of the ocean in a perfectly straight line, loading goods on
one shore and offloading them on another shore, all on its own
without a person to oversee and control it, what would you say?”

7
415 ‫ صـ‬:‫ األشباه والنظائر‬،176 ‫املناقب للموفق صـ‬
23
The group immediately exclaimed, “Such a phenomenon is so
illogical that no intelligent person would accept it as possible!”

Imaam Abu Hanifah  responded saying, “What has then

happened to your intelligence? When you accept that one single
ship cannot sail and operate without sailors aboard, then how do
you accept that the entire universe can function and operate
without Allah  to control it?”

The entire group was astonished at this line of reasoning and

immediately repented and accepted Islam at the hands of Imaam
Abu Hanifah .8

8
41 ‫ صـ‬:‫عقائد اإلسالم‬
24
The Debate between Hazrat
Ebrahim  and Namrood
Namrood was an oppressive, tyrant king who had claimed that
he was god and commanded the people to worship him.

When Hazrat Ebrahim  went to Namrood and invited him

to the oneness of Allah , Namrood, due to his pride and
obstinacy, did not accept and asked Hazrat Ebrahim  what
his Rabb could do.

Hazrat Ebrahim  said to Namrood, “Allah  is that

Being who gives life and causes death.” Namrood, not
understanding the reality of giving life and causing death,
foolishly responded by saying, “I am also capable of giving life
and causing death!”

In order to prove his claim, he then called for two people who
had been given the death sentence and instructed that one be
executed and the other be set free and allowed to live.

Namrood failed to comprehend that the reality of giving life to a

lifeless thing means instilling the soul within it and bringing it
from a state of non-existence into a state of existence.

Similarly, he failed to understand that causing death to a living

being means removing the soul from the body (despite all the
limbs still remaining intact).
25
Seeing that this line of reasoning could not penetrate the dense
skull of Namrood, Hazrat Ebrahim  decided to change the
style of debate and presented the following argument.

He said, “My Allah is the one who causes the sun to rise from the
east and set in the west. O Namrood! If you claim to be god, then
why don’t you try to reverse the cycle and cause the sun to rise
from the west and set in the east?”

This argument was such that Namrood was unable to answer it

and was left dumbfounded and speechless.

In this way, in the arena of debate, Hazrat Ebrahim 

defeated Namrood and proved that Allah  alone has power
over all things and Allah  alone is worthy of worship.9

9
1/1 :‫ قصص القرآن‬، 344-342/1 :‫البداية والنهاية‬
26
Allah  - The Sole
Sustainer of the Entire
Creation
On one occasion, during the time of Rasulullah , a
group of Sahaabah  from the tribe of Banu Al-Ash’ar
traveled from Yemen to Madinah Munawwarah for the purpose
of hijrah.

Upon reaching the blessed city of Madinah Munawwarah, they

had found that their food provisions which they had brought
along were depleted. Hence, they decided to send one of their
companions to Rasulullah  to request him to make
arrangements for their meals.

However, when their companion reached the door of the

mubaarak residence of Rasulullah , he heard Rasulullah
 reciting the following verse of the Quraan Majeed:

ۡ َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ ۡ َّ َّ
﴾۶﴿ ‫ض ِالا َّعلیالل ِہ ِرزق َّہا َّو یَّ ۡعلم م ۡس َّتق َّر َّہا َّو م ۡس َّت ۡو َّد َّع َّہا ؕ ک ٌّل ف ِ ۡی کِ ّٰت ٍب م ِبی ٍن‬
ِ ‫و ما ِمن دٓاب ٍۃ فِی الار‬
There is no creature on earth whose sustenance is not undertaken by
Allah. He knows its permanent and its temporary place. Everything is
(pre-destined) in a clear book.10

10
6 :‫سورة هود‬
27
Hearing this verse of the Quraan Majeed, their companion
thought to himself, “What is the need to present our request to
Rasulullah  when Allah  Himself has taken the
responsibility to provide sustenance for the entire creation?”

He said to himself, “We, the people of the Banu Al-Ash’ar, are not
lower than animals in the sight of Allah . (Hence, Allah
, the Most Gracious and Merciful, will certainly provide
sustenance for us.)”

With this thought in his mind, he did not present the request of
his people to Rasulullah . Instead, he immediately
turned from the door and went back to his people.

Upon returning to his people, he addressed them saying, “O my

friends! Rejoice, for the help of Allah will soon come to you!” His
Ash’ari companions understood his statement to mean that he
had conveyed their message to Rasulullah , and that
Rasulullah  would soon make arrangements for their
meals.

Subsequently, they saw two men coming towards them, carrying

a large tray filled with meat and bread. The two men handed all
the food over to them and left. The Ash’ari Sahaabah then sat
down and relished the meal, eating to their fill.

Upon completing the meal, they found that ample food still
remained in the tray, and they thus deemed it appropriate to
return the remaining food to Rasulullah  so that he
28
 

could use it as he pleased. Hence, they instructed two of their

companions to take the food to Rasulullah .

Later on, when they all presented themselves to Rasulullah

, they thanked him for the food and said to him that
they had not tasted food as delicious as the food that he had sent
to them. Hearing this, Rasulullah  was quite surprised
and said to them, “I did not send any food to you.”

They then explained to Rasulullah  that they had sent

one of their companions to him to request him to make
arrangements for their meals, and when he returned, he gave
them glad tidings that the help of Allah would soon come to
them. This led them to believe that the food they had received
was sent by Rasulullah  himself.

Rasulullah  then called the Ash’ari Sahaabi whom they

had sent with the request and inquired from him as to why he
did not present their request. He then informed Rasulullah
 as to what had transpired.

Hearing the entire incident, Rasulullah  informed them

that the food they received was not sent by him, but rather it
was sent to them by Allah , the Being who has undertaken
the divine responsibility of providing sustenance for the entire
creation.”11

11
73/11 :‫ اجلامع ألحكام القرآن للقرطيب‬،1093 :‫ الرقم‬،‫نوادر األصول‬
29
Sustenance Lies in the Hands
of Allah  Alone
Every creature is in need of sustenance for its continuity and
survival, and sustenance lies in the hands of Allah  alone.

Qualifications, strength and intelligence are not the basis for

determining one’s livelihood. How true are the words of the
poet:

‫ويكدى الفىت يف دهره وهو عامل‬ ‫ينال الفىت من عيشه وهو جاهل‬
‫هلكن إذا من جهلهن البهائم‬ ‫ولو كانت األرزاق جترى على احلجى‬
A person acquires (abundant) livelihood despite not possessing
intelligence. Another person is left as a pauper, despite having education
and intelligence.

Had the distribution of sustenance been based on intelligence, then the

animals, on account of their ignorance, would have all perished.12

Reliance on Allah 
In the Mubaarak Hadith, Rasulullah  advised the
ummah saying, “If you place your reliance and trust upon Allah
 as you ought to, then Allah  will provide you with
sustenance, as He provides the birds with sustenance. The birds

12
95/3 :‫هناية األرب يف فنون األدب‬
30
 

leave their nests early in the morning hungry, and return in the
evening with their bellies full.”13

Refraining from Haraam

Placing one’s reliance on Allah  is the key to acquiring
success in one’s life as well as the means of gaining barakah in
one’s livelihood. However, placing reliance upon Allah 
also entails one adopting the halaal means to earn a livelihood
and ensuring that one does not violate the commands of Allah
 at any time.

Rasulullah  said, “O people! Fear Allah  and make

a moderate effort in searching for halaal sustenance. If any of
you regards his sustenance to be delayed then he should not seek
it through an avenue whereby he will disobey Allah , for
indeed the grace (barakah in wealth) of Allah  cannot be
acquired through engaging in sins.”14

Incident of Nabi Moosa  and the Insect

It is reported that at the time when Nabi Moosa  received
prophethood and was commissioned by Allah  to invite
people to Islam, the concern and thought of taking care of his
family crossed his mind.

13
‫ هذا حديث حسن صحيح‬:‫ وقال‬،2344 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ سنن الرتمذي‬،4164 ،‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجة‬
14
‫ ورجاله رجال البخاري إال أمحد بن إبراهيم بن ملحان وهو ثقة وسعيد بن أيب أمية ومل‬، 2136 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املستدرك على الصحيحني للحاكم‬
‫يذكر له جرح وال تعديل‬
31
Immediately, Allah  commanded Nabi Moosa  to
strike a certain rock with his staff. On striking the rock, he found
that the rock split open, and within it was another rock.

Nabi Moosa  was then commanded to strike the second

rock. Upon striking it, he found that within it was a third rock.

When Nabi Moosa  struck the third rock with his staff, it
split open, revealing a tiny insect living inside. This tiny,
insignificant insect was concealed beneath three layers of rock,
hidden from the eyes of all people and seemingly cut-off from
the world, yet it was eating its sustenance, provided to it by Allah
.

Allah  then allowed Nabi Moosa  to hear the words

of the insect while it was praising Him. The insect was praising
Allah  in the following words:

‫سبحان من يراين ويسمع كالمي ويعرف مكاين ويذكرين وال ينساين‬

Glory be to the One who sees me, and hears my speech, and knows where
I am, and He remembers me and never forgets me.15

Upon hearing the words of the insect praising Allah , Nabi

Moosa  realized that Allah  wished to show him that
He is the One who provides sustenance to every single creation –
even the smallest insect, and hence Allah  will provide for
him and his family.

15
204-203/6 :‫روح املعاين‬
32
The First Sermon in Madinah
Munawwarah after Hijrah
On the occasion of hijrah, when Rasulullah  entered the
blessed city of Madinah Munawwarah, multitudes of people were
eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Among them were the ardent lovers of Rasulullah  –

the Ansaar  of Madinah Munawwarah – as well as the Jews
and idolaters who resided in the city.

Rasulullah  delivered a public sermon in which he

invited the people to the beautiful teachings of Islam. The non-
Muslims were quite curious to meet the person who claimed
prophethood and hear his message, and hence many of them
came to listen to his sermon.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Salaam  Embracing Islam

Hazrat Abdullah bin Salaam , who was a Jewish Rabbi at
that time, describes his first encounter with Rasulullah 
in the following words:

“I was among the people who came to see Rasulullah ,

and when my gaze fell upon his blessed face, I immediately knew
that his face was not the face of an impostor.

35
“The very first words that emanated from his blessed mouth
were, ‘O People! Make salaam a common practice among
yourselves, provide the people with food, join ties with your
family, perform nafl salaah during the night while people are
asleep, you will enter Jannah with salaam (with peace and grace
from Allah ).’”16

This was the first impression that was left in the heart of Hazrat
Abdullah bin Salaam  and others regarding the beauty of
Islam.

He saw that Islam is a religion that does not only advocate

justice, but goes much further to promote the highest level of
compassion and kindness when dealing with the creation.

It was on account of this that later on, Hazrat Abdullah bin

Salaam  embraced Islam.

Kindness and Love in Every Dimension of Life

When we think of showing kindness and love to the creation,
then generally charitable causes come to mind. However,
showing kindness and love to the creation is not confined to this.
Rather, kindness and love should reflect in every dimension of a
Muslim’s life.

16
‫ هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخني ومل‬:‫ وقال‬،4283 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ املستدرك على الصحيحني للحاكم‬،3251 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجه‬
‫خيرجاه ووافقه الذهيب‬
36
Be it a word of encouragement to a downtrodden person, giving
advice to one in difficulty, providing a meal to the poor,
comforting the bereaved, assisting those in financial constraints,
greeting the next Muslim with a smile and bringing cheer to his
heart, making an effort to refrain from causing any pain and
inconvenience to people, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, and
overlooking the faults of people – all these are reflections of the
spirit of kindness and love that was exhibited by our beloved
Rasulullah  when dealing with the creation throughout
his mubaarak life.

May Allah  grant us the ability to emulate Rasulullah

 in all facets of our lives and bless us with the beauty of
Islam so that wherever we go, we will radiate the true values of
the Mubaarak Sunnah and become an invitation for the
disbelievers to embrace Islam.

37
What Does Islam Invite
Towards?
During the mubaarak era of Rasulullah , various people
began embracing Islam.

As the message of Islam spread and reached different regions,

Aksam bin Saifi , the leader of the Tameem clan, became
interested in finding out about Islam. Hence, he deputed two
people from his tribe to travel to Madinah Munawwarah in order
to investigate about Rasulullah  and his religion.

When these two people met Rasulullah , they explained

to him that they had been sent by their leader. They then asked
Rasulullah , “Who are you and what is your message?”

Rasulullah  replied, “I am Muhammad, the son of

Abdullah, and I invite towards Islam.” Thereafter, Rasulullah
 recited the following verse of the Quraan Majeed:
ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ ۡ ۡ ِٔ َّ ۡ َّ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ َّ ّٰ َّ
‫ٓای ِذی الق ۡربّٰی َّو یَّنہی َّع ِن الف ۡحشٓا ِء َّوالمنک ِر َّو ال َّبغ ِی ۚ یَّ ِعظک ۡم‬
ِ ‫ان و ِایت‬
ِ ‫ِان اللہ یامر ِبالعد ِل و ال ِاحس‬
َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ
﴾۹۰﴿ ‫ل َّعلک ۡم تذکر ۡو َّن‬

38
“Indeed Allah  commands with justice, kindness and spending on
relatives, and He prohibits from shamelessness, evil deeds and
oppression. He advises you so that you may pay heed.”17

When the messengers heard this verse, they were impressed by

its deep and comprehensive message, and thus requested
Rasulullah  to repeat it to them so that they may
memorize it. Thereafter, they returned to their leader.

On returning to their leader, they gave him a detailed report of

their meeting. They said, “When we enquired regarding his
lineage, he merely sufficed on mentioning his name and his
father’s name, and did not attach any significance to his noble
lineage as is usually done by worldly leaders.

“However, when we enquired regarding his lineage from the

people, we learnt that he hails from a very high, pure and noble
lineage.” They then recited the verse of the Quraan before him.

When Hazrat Aksam  heard the verse, he was convinced

about the truth of Islam and remarked, “Indeed this prophet
commands with noble character and good actions, and prohibits
from despicable character and evil actions! Let us thus be among
the first people to embrace his religion, and not delay until we

17
90 :‫سورة النحل‬

39
are from among the last to do so!” Thereafter, he and his tribe
embraced Islam.18

The Most Comprehensive Verse in the Quraan Majeed

In reality, the deep message contained in this verse encapsulates
the entire message and spirit of Islam. It emphasizes the
importance of fulfilling the rights of Allah  and the
creation, as well as leading a life of complete love, purity, dignity
and respect. Hence, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood  has
mentioned that this verse is the most comprehensive verse of
the Quraan Majeed.19

The crux of this verse is that Allah  commands the

believers to uphold three things in their lives and to refrain from
three things. In doing so, they will acquire the true spirit of
Islam.

The three things we are commanded to uphold are:

1. Adl - dealing with justice by fulfilling the rights we owe to

Allah  and the creation

2. Ihsaan – to go beyond the demand of justice and show

kindness to the creation

18
583/2 ‫ تفسري ابن كثري‬،188/1 :‫اإلصابة‬
19
582/2 :‫تفسري ابن كثري‬

40
3. To show extra kindness to our relatives, as Allah  has
afforded them a greater right over us.

The three things we are commanded to refrain from are:

1. Shameless conduct and immoral behavior

2. General sins and evils

3. Oppression in any form.

41
The Lifeline of Islam
When a person is drowning and struggling to survive, he will do
anything to save his life. If he is able to catch hold of a rope
nearby through which he can pull himself out of the water, he
will desperately cling onto it and view it as his lifeline.

In this world, when a believer is faced with the turbulent tides of

fitnah that threaten to drown him in sins and destroy his deen,
then he should ask himself, “What is the lifeline of Islam that I
should firmly latch onto?”

The lifeline of Islam is improving one’s relationship with Allah

. This is the solution to all problems, whether related to
one’s deen or dunya.

When Rasulullah  migrated to Madinah Munawwarah,

then during the very first Jumu’ah Khutbah that he delivered, he
addressed the people saying, “The one who improves his
relationship with Allah , Allah  will suffice him
from the people (i.e. Allah  will take care of his affairs with
the people and improve his relationship with them).”20

Improving one’s relationship with Allah  is the key to

acquiring success in this world and the Hereafter. It can be
compared to the sun that illuminates everything in the world.

20
395/2 ‫ اتريخ الطربي‬،528/4 :‫البداية والنهاية‬
42
When one illuminates his life with the love of Allah  and
improves his relationship with his Creator, then Allah 
blesses him with His divine support and grants him success in
everything. Even his relationship with people is improved and
people begin to love him.

However, in order to improve one’s relationship with Allah

, it is imperative for one to uphold three aspects in his life.

The first is to be punctual on salaah, the second is to refrain from

sins, and the third is to show kindness to the creation, especially
one’s family and relatives.

Punctuality on Salaah
Salaah has been described in the Hadith as being the main pillar
of one’s deen.21 Without being punctual on one’s salaah, one will
never be able to improve one’s relationship with Allah 
and gain His divine love and mercy.

It was the burning desire of Rasulullah  for the males of

his ummah to perform their fardh salaah with jamaat in the
musjid.

Rasulullah  was so passionate about performing salaah

with jamaat in the musjid that even in his extreme illness prior
to his demise, when he was unable to walk unassisted, he took

21
‫ هذا حديث حسن صحيح‬:‫ وقال‬،2616 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
43
support on the shoulders of two people and went to the musjid
for salaah.22

In regard to those men who were performing their salaah at

home, Rasulullah  said, “Had it not been for the women
and children in the homes, I would have performed the Esha
Salaah and thereafter commanded a group of youth to set fire to
the homes of those people who perform their fardh salaah in
their homes )without any valid excuse(.”23

In the Hadith of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood , it is

mentioned that the one who wishes to meet Allah  on the
Day of Qiyaamah as a Muslim should guard his five daily salaah
through performing them in the musjid.24

Refraining from Sins

In order for one to improve his relationship with Allah , it
is incumbent upon him to refrain from sins and safeguard
himself from fitnahs.

The great Muhaddith, Allaamah Yusuf Binnowri , has

mentioned, “In every age and era, fitnahs manifested in different
forms. However, in principle, there are two types of fitnahs that

22
712 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
23
:‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال يف غاية املقصد‬،‫ رواه أمحد وأبو معشر ضعيف‬:2162 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،8796 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
651 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ صحيح مسلم‬،651 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ صحيح مسلم‬،‫ هو ىف الصحيح خال ذكر الذرية والنساء‬:644
24
849 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ سنن النسائي‬،654 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
44
harm one’s deen; fitnahs in amal (actions) and fitnahs in ilm
(knowledge).”

Allaamah Binnowri  thereafter explained that fitnahs in

amal take place when people become involved in sins such as
illicit relationships, zina, consuming alcohol and drugs, interest,
bribery, shamelessness, nudity, dancing, singing and music.
These sins then lead to one getting involved in oppression, lying,
dishonesty in dealings, etc.

The ill-effects of these sins eventually impact on one’s salaah,

fasting, zakaat, hajj and all other righteous actions. The more one
indulges in these sins and immerses himself in them, the weaker
one’s deen becomes, and one will gradually be deprived of
carrying out good actions.

With regard to the fitnah of ilm (knowledge), then this comes

about through one acquiring his deen from unreliable and un-
Islamic sources (e.g. TV, Youtube, Facebook, etc.).

Through one acquiring his deen from these corrupt sources, his
heart and mind will be shaped accordingly, causing him to have
the wrong understanding and outlook of deen. Hence, the
actions that he will carry out thereafter will conform to the
mindset that he has acquired from these sources.25

25
22-21‫دورِاحرضےکےنتفص‬
45
Showing Kindness to the Creation
In order for one to improve his relationship with Allah , it
is vital for him to show kindness to the servants of Allah 
and fulfill their rights.

Showing kindness to the servants of Allah  is an effective

means to draw the mercy of Allah . If one ill-treats the
servants of Allah , he can never acquire the love and
mercy of Allah .

Golden Words of Hazrat Moulana Ilyaas 

Hazrat Moulana Ilyaas  mentioned that on the Day of
Qiyaamah, there will be two actions that will be most pleasing to
Allah  due to which people will gain forgiveness.

The first is showing respect to everything that relates to deen

e.g. the Quraan Majeed, the azaan, the musjid, the muazzin, the
Ulama, etc.

The second is showing kindness to the creation. These two

actions are most beloved to Allah  and will cause people to
gain entry into Paradise.

Allah  has given one’s family and relatives a greater right

compared to the general Muslims. Hence, one has a greater
obligation to treat his relatives kindly and fulfill their rights.

46
Furthermore, treating one’s relatives kindly is a means of
earning immense barakah in one’s life.

Rasulullah  mentioned, “The one who wishes that his

sustenance be increased and that his life be lengthened should
maintain family ties.”26

Unfortunately, the great importance of fulfilling the rights of

family members is gradually leaving the lives of Muslims. There
is no one to take care of the aged or family members that are ill.

The lamentable outcome is that people fall into depression and

lose hope, whereas the religion of Islam offers hope and mercy to
one and all in every condition.

Therefore, if one wishes to acquire the special mercy of Allah

 in his life, then the secret is for him to perform all his
salaah in the musjid with jamaat, refrain from all sins and show
kindness to the creation and fulfill their rights.

26
5986 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
47
Salaah – The Key to Jannah
Islam is the only path that leads to the love of Allah  and
leads to Jannah. Through practising on Islam, one will earn the
pleasure of Allah  and acquire eternal success.

From all the obligations of Islam, the obligation of salaah ranks

the highest. Rasulullah  said, “Salaah is the key to
Jannah.”27

In another Hadith, Rasulullah  said, “Salaah is a noor

(divine light).”28 Hence, if one wishes to illuminate his life, then
he should illuminate his life with salaah.

Currently, many countries around the globe are experiencing an

economic recession. In the face of this global crisis, various
schemes and systems are being adopted to boost the economy.

However, in the Quraan Majeed and Mubaarak Hadith, Allah

 and His Rasul  have linked the blessings of
sustenance and livelihood to Salaah.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says:

َّ َّ َّ ً ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ ۡ
ؕ ‫َّو ام ۡر ا ۡہلک ِبالص ّٰلو ِۃ َّو ۡاصط ِب ۡر َّعل ۡی َّہا ؕ لَّا ن ۡسـَِّٔلک ِرزقا ؕ ن ۡحن ن ۡرزقک‬

27
377/2 ‫ وإسناده حسن كما يف التيسيري للعالمة املناوي رمحه هللا‬،4 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
28
223 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
48
 Command your family to perform salaah and remain steadfast upon it
(yourself). We do not ask sustenance from you - we provide sustenance
to you.29

Hazrat Abdullah bin Salaam  reports that whenever the

mubaarak household of Rasulullah  were afflicted with
financial hardship, Rasulullah  would exhort them to
resort to salaah and would recite the abovementioned verse to
them as well.30

The Center Pillar of Deen

When a person would embrace Islam, then among the first things
that Rasulullah  would teach him was salaah.31

Rasulullah’s  entire life was dedicated to establishing

salaah in the ummah. When he came to Quba and Madinah
Munawwarah, his first and foremost priority was to establish the
musjid and unite people upon salaah.32

Apart from this, Rasulullah  commanded that a musjid

be built in every locality to unite people upon salaah.33

29
132 :‫سورة طه‬
30
11173 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ و رجاله ثقات كما يف جممع الزوائد‬886 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط‬
31
1618 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،2765 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند البزار‬
32
3906 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
33
‫ ببناء املساجد يف‬:‫ قوله‬:‫ قال سفيان‬:‫ وقال الرتمذي‬،1936 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وإسناده صحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،23146 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
‫الدور يعين القبائل‬
49
Rasulullah  said, “Salaah is the center pillar of deen.” In
other words, through safeguarding this center pillar, one’s entire
deen will remain protected, and through destroying this center
pillar, the entire structure of one’s deen will collapse.See 21

Hazrat Aaishah  explained the conduct of Rasulullah

 and the importance he showed to performing salaah
in the musjid. She reports, “Within the home, Rasulullah
 would always assist with the chores of the home. But
as soon as he would hear the azaan, he would leave the home,
proceeding to the musjid.”34

On one occasion, the delegation of Thaqeef came to Rasulullah

 with the intention of accepting Islam. However, they
requested to be excused from coming out in jihaad, from paying
ushr (giving ten percent of the crop) to the zakaat collector and
from performing salaah.

Rasulullah  acceded to their first two requests, but

refused to grant them concession to leave out performing salaah.
Rasulullah  said, “There is no goodness in a religion
wherein there is no salaah.”35

34
5363 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
35
‫ إن احلسن البصري مل يسمع من عثمان بن أيب‬:‫ قد قيل‬:3025 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال املنذري رمحه هللا يف خمتصره‬،3026 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
‫العاص‬
50
The Importance of Salaah in the Life of Hazrat Umar

The importance and significance of salaah was so deeply
entrenched in the hearts of the Sahaabah  that even when
they were on their deathbed, they ensured that they upheld the
pillar of salaah.

On the morning that Hazrat Umar  was stabbed, Hazrat

Miswar bin Makhramah  entered his presence. On
entering, he found Hazrat Umar  unconscious.

Hazrat Miswar  asked those present as to whether Hazrat

Umar  had performed his salaah. They replied that he had
not yet regained consciousness, and hence had not performed
salaah.

Hazrat Miswar  knew Hazrat Umar’s  devotion to

salaah throughout his entire life. Therefore, Hazrat Miswar
 advised them to wake him up by mentioning to him that it
is the time of salaah. Accordingly, they called out, “O Ameerul
Mu’mineen, your salaah!”

As soon as Hazrat Umar  heard the word ‘salaah’, he awoke

and exclaimed, “Yes! By Allah! There is no share in Islam for the

51
one who neglects his salaah!” Hazrat Umar  thereafter
performed his salaah.36

Hazrat Umar  also asked, “Did the people perform their

Fajr Salaah?” He was told that the people performed their salaah.
It was only then that Hazrat Umar  felt satisfied.37

May Allah  keep us steadfast on salaah and grant us the

ability to emulate every Sunnah of Rasulullah  in every
facet of our lives.

36
1636 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،8181 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط للطرباين‬
37
581 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مصنف عبد الرزاق‬
52

Fulfilling the Trust We Owe
to Allah  and the
Creation
During the pre-Islamic era and after the advent of Islam,
Uthmaan bin Talhah was the custodian of the keys of the Ka’bah
Shareef. He would open the Ka’bah Shareef on Mondays and
Thursdays, allowing people to enter and engage in ibaadah.

On one occasion, prior to the hijrah, while people were entering

the Ka’bah Shareef on the allocated day, Rasulullah 
also intended to enter. However, Uthmaan bin Talhah did not
allow him entry and spoke rudely and harshly to him.

Rasulullah  patiently endured his harsh treatment and

addressed him saying, “O Uthmaan! A day is soon to come when
you will see the keys of the Ka’bah in my hand, and I will have
the power to give it to whomsoever I wish.”

Uthmaan responded saying, “That day will be a day of disgrace

for the Quraish!” Rasulullah  said, “No! Rather, it will
be a day of great honour for the Quraish.”

Uthmaan bin Talhah says, “I knew that this day will certainly
come and I had full conviction that what Rasulullah 
said was bound to take place.”

55
Nevertheless, the time came when Allah  commanded
Rasulullah  and the Sahaabah  to perform hijrah
to Madinah Munawwarah, and many fierce battles ensued
between the Muslims and the Quraish in the years that followed.

Then came the time when Allah  inspired the heart of

Uthmaan bin Talhah to embrace Islam. Hence, he set out from
Makkah Mukarramah to Madinah Munawwarah in the 7th year
after hijrah to declare his Imaan and pledge allegiance at the
blessed hands of Rasulullah .

One year later, on the occasion of Fath-e-Makkah (the conquest

of Makkah), Rasulullah  instructed Hazrat Uthmaan bin
Talhah  to bring the keys of the Ka’bah Shareef to him,
since the keys were in the care of his family.

After bringing the keys, Rasulullah  entered the Ka’bah

Shareef and engaged in ibaadah. Thereafter, when Rasulullah
 came out from the Ka’bah Shareef, Hazrat Abbaas and
Hazrat Ali  both desired to be granted the honour of being
the custodians of the keys of the Ka’bah Shareef.

While Rasulullah  was in the Ka’bah Shareef, Allah

 had revealed the following verse of the Quraan Majeed,
instructing him to return the trust to Hazrat Uthmaan bin
Talhah  and his family.38

38
570/2 :‫الدر املنثور‬
56
 

Allah  said:
َّ ّٰ َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ
‫ِان الل َّہ یَّامرک ۡم ا ۡن ت َّؤدوا الۡا ّٰمن ِت ِالٰۤیا ۡہ ِل َّہا‬
Indeed Allah  commands you to return the trust to those who are
entitled to it.39

Rasulullah  then returned the keys to Hazrat Uthmaan

bin Talhah , and told him that the keys will remain with his
family, and that no one will take it from them besides an
oppressor.40

When Hazrat Uthmaan bin Talhah  was leaving with the

keys, Rasulullah  called him back and said, “O
Uthmaan! Do you remember what I had told you in the past, that
a day is soon to come when you will see the keys of the Ka’bah in
my hand, and I will have the power to give it to whomsoever I
wish?”

Hazrat Uthmaan bin Talhah  replied, “Yes, O Nabi of Allah

! I remember that day!”41

From the abovementioned verse of the Quraan Majeed, we learn

that all trusts should be returned to those who are entitled to

39
58 :‫سورة النساء‬
40
‫ ووثقه ابن معني يف رواية وضعفه مجاعة كما‬،‫ خيطئ‬:‫ وفيه عبد هللا بن املؤمل وثقه ابن حبان وقال‬،11234 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري للطرباين‬
5707 :‫ الرقم‬،‫يف جممع الزوائد‬
41
17/5 ‫ الطبقات الكربى‬،388/38 ‫اتريخ دمشق‬
57
them. In the Mubaarak Ahaadith, Rasulullah  has
placed great emphasis on fulfilling trusts.

Each Person is Responsible for Fulfilling His Trust

It should be understood that fulfilling trusts is not confined to
wealth which has been entrusted to a person, but rather includes
every type of responsibility (whether worldly or deeni) which
one has been given.

The imaam of the musjid, the muazzin, the mutawalli (the

trustee of a musjid or deeni organization), the ruler or subject,
the teacher or student, the employer or employee, the purchaser
or seller, the husband or the wife, the parents or children, the
neighbours or associates – all have been entrusted with a
responsibility which they owe to Allah  and to the
creation. Hence, the greatest trust, which will include all trusts,
is the trust of deen.

May Allah  bless us with the tawfeeq of fulfilling this trust

correctly, in accordance to the laws of shari’ah.

58
The Quality of Amaanah – the
Concern for Accountability
Allah  has blessed man with countless favours. Some are
physical favours, while others are spiritual favours.

Many a time, there are countless favours that are linked to a

single favour. Consider the favour of eyesight – it is the means of
one enjoying thousands of other favours of Allah .
However, eyesight is from among the physical favours of Allah
.

Among the spiritual favours of Allah  is the quality of

amaanah (the concern for accountability). The quality of
amaanah is regarded among the significant qualities of Imaan,
and its importance has been greatly emphasized in the Mubaarak
Hadith.

Hazrat Anas  reports, “Very seldom would Rasulullah

 deliver a sermon and not emphasize the importance of
amaanah saying, ‘The one who does not possess amaanah does
not possess perfect Imaan, and the one who does not fulfill his
promises does not possess complete deen’.”42

42
‫ وضعفه النسائي وغريه كذا يف جممع الزوائد‬،‫ ورجاله ثقات رجال الشيخني غري أيب هالل وثقه ابن معني وغريه‬،12567 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
98/2
59
What Does Amaanah Refer to?
The quality of amaanah refers to one having the concern for
accountability in the court of Allah  in regard to the
obligations one owes to Allah  and the servants of Allah
.

This is such a great quality that it is the doorway to acquiring

innumerable spiritual and physical bounties of Allah . The
quality of amaanah creates life in the spiritual heart and imbues
it with spiritual sight.

Hence, when one possesses the quality of amaanah, then the

spiritual heart is able to see good as good and evil as evil. It is
able to differentiate between that which is beneficial for a person
and that which is harmful for him.

In essence, amaanah motivates a person towards adopting piety

and righteousness in all spheres of his life.

Amaanah – The Spiritual Sight of the Heart

Just as one requires physical sight in order for him to be able to
benefit from the light of the sun, similarly one requires the
spiritual sight of the heart (i.e. the quality of amaanah) in order
for him to benefit from the light of deen (i.e. the Quraan and the
Sunnah).

60
 

If one does not possess physical sight, then despite the world
shining brightly around him, he will not be able to benefit from
the beauty of the world.

In the same way, if a person lacks the light of the heart (i.e. he
lacks the quality of amaanah), then despite the Quraan and
Sunnah being found (which is the key to success in illuminating
the life of a believer with happiness), such a person will not be
able to fully benefit from the light of deen.

The Prophecy of Rasulullah 

Hazrat Huzaifah  reports, “Rasulullah  mentioned
two Ahaadith to us; I have witnessed the first materialize, and I
am still waiting to witness the second.

“Rasulullah  informed us that amaanah (the fear of

accountability) was sent down by Allah  into the recesses
of the hearts of men. Thereafter, through the light of amaanah,
people understood the Quraan and the Sunnah correctly.

“Rasulullah  thereafter mentioned to us that a time will

come when this amaanah will gradually be raised from the
hearts of men.

“Rasulullah  said, ‘A man will sleep and wake up, and a

portion of the amaanah will be raised from his heart (i.e. on
account of him committing sins, a portion of the amaanah will be
raised from his heart overnight, resulting in him not
61
understanding deen correctly and thereafter becoming negligent
in fulfilling the rights of Allah  and the servants).’

“Rasulullah  then said, ‘People will wake up in the

morning dealing among themselves, and they will not uphold
amaanah. At that time, it will be said, ‘In such-and-such tribe,
there is a man who possesses the quality of amaanah’, and it will
be said regarding a certain person, ‘How intelligent is he! How
prudent is he! How capable is he!’, yet such a person’s heart will
not even contain Imaan equivalent to a mustard seed.”43

Amaanah is not Confined to Safeguarding People’s

Wealth
Generally, when the quality of amaanah is mentioned, then
people’s minds go towards safeguarding wealth which has been
entrusted to a person.

However, it should be borne in mind that the quality of amaanah

is not confined to the obligation of safeguarding the wealth or
property of any person who has appointed one as his trustee.

Rather, the quality of amaanah is such that it encompasses every

branch of a person’s life, whether relating to the obligations he
owes to Allah  or the servants of Allah .

43
6497 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
62
 

Hence, in one’s domestic life, social life, economic life and in

every other sphere of one’s deeni and worldly life, one should
consider oneself accountable in the court of Allah  for the
rights one owes to Allah  and the servants of Allah .

In today’s times, if each person upholds the quality of amaanah

in his life, then peace and harmony will prevail in the world.
There will be no reason for disputes and quarrels to arise
between relatives, husbands and wives, employers and
employees, friends, neighbours, business partners, people in
positions of authority such as trustees and teachers, or people
who render services to the public such as doctors, builders,
lawyers, advocates, etc.

Likewise, at the time of winding and distributing the estate of the

deceased, no person will be oppressed nor will anyone’s rights be
usurped, as each person will be concerned about fulfilling the
rights he owes to the next person and of being accountable on
the Day of Qiyaamah.

Imaam Abu Hanifah  and the Fire-Worshipper

Below is an incident of Imaam Abu Hanifah  which depicts
the great quality of amaanah in his heart and the dynamic effect
it had on a fire-worshipper:

Imaam Abu Hanifah  was once owed an amount of money

by a certain fire worshipper.

63
When Imaam Abu Hanifah  went to the house of the fire
worshipper to request payment and arrived at the door, then
mistakenly, he stepped on some impurity which was on the
ground, causing it to stick to his sandal.

Imaam Abu Hanifah  then shook the sandal to remove the

impurity. However, this caused the impurity to accidentally fall
onto the wall of the fire worshipper’s house!

Imaam Abu Hanifah  was greatly worried and perturbed. He

felt that if he left the impurity on the wall, it would cause the
wall to appear unsightly, and if he scraped it off, then some
portion of the sand of the wall would also be removed, thereby
damaging the wall. In this state of concern, Imaam Abu Hanifah
 knocked on the door.

When the fire worshipper came out to meet Imaam Abu Hanifah
, he was worried that Imaam Abu Hanifah  had come
to collect the outstanding money, and thus began to make
excuses.

However, Imaam Abu Hanifah  said to him, “We have a

problem at hand that is far more important than the money you
owe me. By mistake, the impurity from my shoe came onto your
wall. I am concerned regarding how I will be able to clean it
without causing any damage to your wall.”

When the fire worshipper had seen the character of Imaam Abu
Hanifah  and the quality of amaanah within him, he was
64
 

greatly affected and said, “Before purifying the wall, I wish to

purify my heart and life by accepting Islam.” Saying this, he
immediately brought Imaan and accepted Islam.44

May Allah  bless the ummah with the quality of amaanah

in every facet of their lives.

44
192/1 :‫التفسري الكبري‬
65
Incident of the Saint, Hazrat
Abdullah bin Marzooq 
Hazrat Abdullah bin Marzooq  was a pious servant of Allah
 and a contemporary of the great Muhadditheen, Hazrat
Sufyaan bin Uyainah and Hazrat Fudhail bin Iyaadh .

Initially, he was inclined towards the luxuries of the world and

was not committed to deen. However, Allah  blessed him
with divine tawfeeq (grace) to repent and reform his life.
Hereunder follows the story of his repentance:

Once, Abdullah bin Marzooq  was engrossed in futility,

drinking wine and listening to music. While engaging in these
sins, he missed his Zuhr, Asr and Maghrib Salaahs.

When each salaah time set in, one of his slave girls came to him
and reminded him to perform his salaah. However, due to his
indulgence and engrossment in drinking and entertainment, he
did not pay any attention to her reminder.

Finally, when the time of Esha Salaah had also elapsed and the
night was over, his slave girl took a burning ember from the fire
and placed it on his foot.

When the burning ember touched his foot, he shouted out in

pain and asked her, “What are you doing!?” The slave girl
replied, “When you are unable to tolerate a burning ember of fire
66
 

from this world, then how will you tolerate the fire of
Jahannum?”

When he heard this advice from his slave girl, he was

immediately moved to tears. This was the turning point in his
life.

He thus turned to Allah  in repentance and performed the

salaahs which he had missed. He then reformed his life and gave
up his life of sin. He sacrificed his wealth in the path of Allah
 and began to lead a life of simplicity, sufficing on little
wealth of the world.

After reforming his life, on one occasion, Hazrat Sufyaan bin

Uyainah  and Hazrat Fudhail bin Iyaadh  visited him.
They had found him leading a life of complete simplicity which
conformed to the Sunnah.

Hazrat Sufyaan  asked him, “It is mentioned in the Hadith

that when one sacrifices something for the sake of Allah ,
then Allah  grants him something far better in return.
What has Allah  granted you in exchange of all that you
have sacrificed?”

Hazrat Abdullah bin Marzooq  replied, “Allah  has

granted me true happiness and the contentment of the heart.”45

45
122 ‫كتاب التوابني البن قدامة صـ‬
67
The Remembrance of Allah  - The Food of the
Soul
Each person is searching for true happiness and the contentment
of the heart. Some people search for it in material possessions,
palatial homes and sporty cars. Some search for it in holiday
resorts, tourist attractions and amusement centers. Others
search for it in sports, recreation and entertainment.

However, Allah  has placed true happiness and the

contentment of the heart in His love and remembrance. The love
of Allah  is the source of true happiness and the
contentment of the heart.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says:

ۡ ۡ َّ ّٰ ۡ َّ
﴾۲۸﴿ ‫الَّا ِب ِذک ِر الل ِہ تط َّم ِئن القل ۡوب‬
Behold! It is only through the remembrance of Allah  that hearts
find satisfaction (and happiness).46

When one ponders over the human being, one realizes that Allah
 has created him with two dimensions. The first is his
physical body which comprises of his external form, and the
second is his spiritual body which comprises of his soul (rooh).

46
28 :‫سورة الرعد‬
68
 

As for the physical body of man, then Allah  created it

from soil. Hence, the physical body requires the physical things
of this world (e.g. food, drink, clothing, home, car, etc.) for its
sustenance and nourishment, fulfillment and satisfaction.

As for the spiritual body of man (the rooh), then since Allah
 did not create it from the earth, but rather created it in
the Heavens, its sustenance and nourishment, fulfillment and
satisfaction is acquired through heavenly actions.

These heavenly actions refer to the commands of shari’ah (e.g.

salaah, zakaat, fasting, etc.) which serve as spiritual food for the
soul.

When a person performs salaah, fasts, gives sadaqah, recites the

Quraan Majeed and engages in other acts of ibaadah, then his
soul receives the spiritual food which Allah  has created as
its sustenance and nourishment.

Hence, his soul (spiritual heart) is illuminated with the noor of

shari’ah and he perceives a sense of happiness and fulfillment.

On the contrary, when a person engages in evil deeds and sins

such as misusing the eyes, consuming haraam, stealing,
committing zina, oppressing people, carrying out shameless
actions, gambling, etc. then his heart loses the light of Imaan and
is covered in the darkness of sins.

69
As a result, he perceives a sense of misery and emptiness and his
soul lacks true happiness and fulfillment.

The Formula for Acquiring Contentment of the Heart

The great saint and sage of the time, Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali
Thanwi  once mentioned the following:

Acquiring true happiness is not based on possessing abundant

wealth. Rather, acquiring true happiness is based on acquiring
the contentment of the heart and soul. This contentment of the
heart and soul can only be acquired through fulfilling the
commands of shari’ah and strengthening one’s relationship with
Allah .

If a person is steadfast on deen and fulfills the commands of

shari’ah, then even though he does not possess a lot of the world,
he will find inner happiness and satisfaction. On the contrary, if
a person is not firm on deen, then despite possessing a lot of the
world, his heart will lack true happiness.47

ِ 47
89-88/23 :‫ملفوظات حكيم األمت‬
70
The Great Bounty of Parents
Among the greatest favours of Allah  upon a person is the
favour of parents. The favour of parents is so invaluable and
irreplaceable that it is granted to a person only once in his
lifetime.

Just as the favour of life is only granted once to a person, and

when it ends, it will never return, similarly the favour of parents,
when taken away, can never be recovered.

Every favour that a person enjoys has certain rights attached to

it. When the favour of parents is among the greatest favours,
then the rights that are attached to it are among the most
important of rights in deen.

The Quraan Majeed and Mubaarak Ahaadith are replete with

commands and injunctions regarding the great importance of
fulfilling the rights of parents and treating them with utmost
kindness.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says:

َّ َّ ۡۤ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ ً ۡ َّ ۡۤ َّ ۡۤ َّ َّ َّ َّ َّ
‫َّو ق ّٰضی َّربک الا ت ۡعبد ۡوا ِالا ِایاہ َّو ِبالوَّال َِّد ۡی ِن ِا ۡح َّسانا ؕ ِاما یَّ ۡبلغ َّن ِعن َّدک ال ِکبَّ َّر ا َّحدہ َّما ا ۡو ِک ّٰلہ َّما فلَّا‬
َّ َّ َّ ۡ َّ َّ ۡۤ َّ َّ
﴾۲۳﴿ ‫تق ۡل لہ َّما ا ٍف و لَّا تن َّہ ۡرہ َّما َّو ق ۡل لہ َّما ق ۡولًا ک ِر ۡی ًما‬

73
 Your Rabb has ordained that you worship none but Him, and that you
be kind towards your parents. If any one of them or both of them reach
old age, do not say to them, “Uff (a word or expression of anger or
irritation)”, and do not scold them, and address them with respectful
words.”48

It is reported in the Hadith that the pleasure of Allah  lies

in the pleasure of the parents, and the displeasure of Allah
 lies in the displeasure of the parents.”49

Your Parents are Your Jannah or Jahannum

Once, a Sahaabi enquired from Rasulullah  regarding
the rights of parents. Rasulullah  said, “They (parents)
are either your Jannah or your Jahannum.”50

In other words, if one is kind, compassionate and loving towards

his parents and obeys them in all permissible matters, he will be
blessed with Jannah. On the contrary, if he disobeys them and is
harsh and rude towards them, then his evil treatment towards
them will be the means of him entering the fire of Jahannum.

48
23 :‫سورة اإلسراء‬
49
‫ هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم ومل خيرجاه ووافقه الذهيب‬:‫ وقال‬7249 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ املستدرك للحاكم‬،1899 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
50
‫ هذا إسناد ضعيف‬:99/4 ‫ وقال البوصريي يف مصباح الزجاجة‬،3662 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجه‬
74
Two Doors of Jannah Remaining Open
In another Hadith, Rasullullah  said, “Whichever
muslim spends his day in the condition that his parents are
pleased with him (i.e. he obeys Allah  in regard to fulfilling
the rights of his parents), then two doors of Jannah will be open
for him. If he only has one parent alive, then only one door will
be open for him.

“Whichever muslim spends his day in the condition that his

parents are displeased with him (i.e. he disobeys Allah  in
regard to fulfilling the rights of his parents), then two doors of
Jahannum will be open for him. If he only has one parent alive,
then only one door will be open for him.”51

Incident of the Man Carrying His Mother During Tawaaf

It is reported that on one occasion, Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar
 was performing tawaaf when he saw a man from Yemen
carrying his mother on his back while performing tawaaf.

As the man carried her, he was uttering the following words of

poetry:

51
5016 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب يعلى ورواته ثقات كما يف إحتاف اخلرية املهرة‬
75
 I am her subservient camel. Any other conveyance which she may ride
on may frighten her, but I will never cause her any fear (i.e. I will not
cause her any inconvenience). I am now carrying her on my back, but
the period for which she carried me in her womb was longer.

After completing the tawaaf, the man asked Hazrat Ibnu Umar
, “Have I fulfilled the right of my mother by carrying her
during her tawaaf?”

Hazrat Ibnu Umar  replied, “No! In fact, you have not even
repaid her for one moment of pain she experienced during her
labor.”52

Obedience and service to parents is a path leading to Jannah.

Seeing to the comfort of parents, fulfilling their needs and
showing them the love and respect that they deserve is a great
ibaadah that earns one tremendous rewards in this world and
the next.

Reward of an Accepted Hajj

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas  reports that Rasulullah
 said, “There is no obedient child who looks at his
parents with mercy (and love) except that Allah  records
for him the reward of an accepted hajj for every time he looks (at
his parents with mercy)”

52
‫ فقد التزم‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬،7550 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
‫أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
76
The Sahaabah  asked, “Even if he looks one hundred times
every day?” Rasulullah  replied, “Yes, Allah  is
the greatest and He is much more bountiful (His reward is much
more than you can imagine).”53

Hazrat Haarithah bin Nu’maan  Serving His

Mother
Hazrat Haarithah bin Nu’maan  was an eminent Ansaari
Sahaabi of Nabi  who had fought in the Battle of Badr.
From all the virtues of this Sahaabi, it was the love, respect and
selflessness with which he served his mother, Hazrat Ja’dah
, that stood out the most.

Rasulullah  once related a dream to the Sahaabah

, informing them that he had entered Jannah and heard
the sound of a person reciting the Quraan Majeed.

Rasulullah  then said that he asked the inmates of

Jannah as to who was reciting the Quraan Majeed. They informed
him that the person reciting was Hazrat Haarithah bin Nu’maan
.

After relating the dream, Rasulullah  said to the

Sahaabah  that the high and lofty rank which Hazrat

53
‫ فقد التزم‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬،7472 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
‫أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
77
Haarithah  had acquired was on account of his obedience
and service to his parents.

It is reported that the extent to which Hazrat Haarithah 

went to see to his mother’s comfort was such that he would feed
her by placing the morsels of food in her mouth with his own
hand.

Furthermore, if his mother gave him any instruction which he

did not hear, perhaps due to her advanced age, then he would
not inconvenience her by asking her to repeat her instruction.
Instead, he would ask those present regarding what she had said.

It was this quality, of serving his mother with complete love,

respect and consideration, that earned this Sahaabi  the
rank where Rasulullah  himself heard him reciting the
Quraan Majeed.54

Not Causing Inconvenience to Parents

If we make the hearts of our parents happy, they will give us
their heartfelt duas which will assist us in this world and the
next. On the contrary, neglecting our parents and hurting their
hearts is a severe sin that will deprive us of all goodness,
happiness and blessings in our lives.

54
:‫ الرقم‬،‫ رواه أمحد وأبو يعلى ورجاله رجال الصحيح كذا يف جممع الزوائد‬:‫ وقال العالمة اهليثمي رمحه هللا‬،4425 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب يعلى‬
191/1 :‫ التبصرة البن اجلوزي‬، 408/1 :‫ أسد الغابة‬،15736
78
Furthermore, it is reported that the one who treats his parents in
an ill manner will be punished in this world, apart from the
punishment he will receive in the Hereafter.

Rasulullah  said, “Allah  will forgive any sin

which He wishes, besides the sin of showing disobedience to
one’s parents (i.e. Allah  does not generally forgive this sin
without one seeking forgiveness from one’s parents).

“Indeed Allah  will punish the person in this world before

he passes away (i.e. apart from the punishment in store for him
in the Hereafter for hurting his parents, he will be punished in
this world).”55

However, it is important to remember that if one’s parents

demand that one should do something contrary to the shari’ah,
then one must respectfully refrain from such actions, as the
obedience of Allah  is the first priority.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  Serving His Mother

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  is a famous Sahaabi from among the
Sahaabah of Rasulullah . He embraced Islam in the year
7 A. H. and remained with Rasulullah  till the end of his
life. Though he spent only a few years with Rasulullah ,

55
‫ فقد‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬، ،7506 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
‫التزم أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
79
Allah  blessed him with the honour of reporting the most
amount of Ahaadith from Rasulullah .

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  would always remain in the service

of his mother who was aged and required his service. Rasulullah
 had commanded him to remain in the khidmat of his
aged mother.

It is reported that on the occasion of the Battle of Khaibar,

Rasulullah  addressed the Sahaabah  and
encouraged them to take part in jihaad. Hearing this, the
Sahaabah  immediately hastened to prepare for jihaad.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  was also eager to participate in the

campaign and wage jihaad at the side of Rasulullah .
However, his mother required his assistance and his khidmah.
Hence, he went to his mother and said, “Please allow me to
prepare and go for jihaad, as Rasulullah  has
commanded the Sahaabah  to prepare and go out for
jihaad.”

Hearing this, his mother was unhappy and said, “How can you go
when you know the difficulty that I will experience when you are
not here?” However, due to his eagerness to join Rasulullah
, he insisted saying, “I cannot remain behind and be
separated from Rasulullah !”

His mother further pleaded with him and even reminded him of
her right over him on account of her raising him and
80
breastfeeding him through his infancy, yet he appeared
determined to join Rasulullah .

The mother of Hazrat Abu Hurairah  thus came to

Rasulullah  in secret and informed him of what had
transpired. She explained that her son was eager to join the
expedition, but she required his khidmah at home. After
listening to her complaint, Rasulullah  said, “You may
go, for your need will be attended to.”

Thereafter, when Hazrat Abu Hurairah  came to Rasulullah

, Rasulullah  turned away from him. Hazrat
Abu Hurairah  immediately perceived that Rasulullah
 was displeased with him and thus said, “O Rasul of
Allah ! I notice that you are turning away from me, and
I know that your displeasure with me can only be on account of
some complaint that you heard regarding me.”

Rasulullah  addressed him and said, “Are you the one

whose mother has to plead with him, to the extent that she even
has to remind him of her haqq over him due to breastfeeding
him! When you are in the service of your parents, do you think
that you are not in the path of Allah ? Rather, when one
shows kindness to his parents and fulfills their rights then he is
definitely in the path of Allah !”

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  thus remained at home with his

mother and did not join the expedition. In fact, Hazrat Abu

81
Hurairah  later mentioned, “For the next two years, until
my mother’s demise, I remained with her, in her service, and did
not join any expedition of jihaad.”56

From this Hadith we understand the great reward one will

receive for engaging in the khidmah of his parents.

Fourteen Rights of Parents

Hazrat Moulana Abraarul Haqq Saheb  has mentioned 14
points regarding the rights of parents (7 points regarding
fulfilling their rights during their lifetime and 7 points regarding
fulfilling their rights after their demise).

Seven Rights during their Lifetime

1. Azmat: To respect them

2. Muhabbat: To have love and affection for them

3. Itaa’at: To obey them

4. Khidmat: To serve them

5. Fikr-e-Raahat: To grant them ease and comfort

6. Raf-e-Haajat: To take care of all their needs

7. To visit them often

56
9650 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وفيه علي بن يزيد األهلاين وهو ضعيف كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،7897 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري‬
82
Seven Rights after their Demise
1. Dua-e-Maghfirat: To beg Allah  for their forgiveness
and to shower His special mercy upon them

2. Esaal-e-Sawaab: To regularly convey sawaab (reward) to

them (by giving out sadaqah, doing nafl ibaadah, etc. and
conveying the reward to them)

3. Ikraam-e-A’izzah wa Ahbaab wa Ahl-e-Qaraabat: To respect

and honour their relatives, friends and associates

4. I’aanat-e-A’izzah wa Ahbaab wa Ahl-e-Qaraabat: To assist and

help their relatives, friends and associates according to your
ability and means

5. Adaa-e-Dain wa Amaanat: To pay off their debts and to return

any trust

6. Tanfeez-e-Jaaiz Wasiyyat: To execute their permissible

bequest

7. To visit their graves often.57

ِ 57
291 ‫ صـ‬:‫حيات أبرار‬
83
The Companion of Nabi Moosa
 in Jannah
In Islam, every good deed and righteous action has the potential
to connect one with Allah  and earn him reward in the
Hereafter. However, there are certain special actions that hold
special significance in the sight of Allah  and can become
the means for one acquiring the goodness of the entire deen and
the goodness of the dunya together.

Among these special actions is the action of showing kindness to

the creation and being concerned about their deeni and physical
welfare.

There are many incidents in the annals of history which show

how Allah  granted people special grace and transformed
their lives from evil to goodness on account of them showing
compassion to His creation – whether Muslims, disbelievers or
even animals.

Below is an incident regarding a person who was outwardly a

normal person, but he earned a high rank in the Hereafter on
account of serving his parents and fulfilling their rights with
love, compassion and mercy.

84
The dua he received from the recesses of his parents’ hearts
made him so special in the sight of Allah  that he became
the companion of Nabi Moosa  in Jannah.

It is reported that on one occasion, Nabi Moosa  made dua

to Allah  saying, “O Allah! Show me my companion in
Jannah!” Allah  accepted the dua of Nabi Moosa ,
showed him a certain person and said, “O Moosa! Go to such-and-
such city, for it is there that you will find this person who is your
companion in Jannah.”

Nabi Moosa  thus set out and travelled until he came to

the city which Allah  had mentioned. On arriving in the
city, Nabi Moosa  met a young man who was the person
that Allah  had shown him. The young man met Nabi
Moosa  and greeted him, but did not know that this was
Nabi Moosa , the prophet of Allah .

Nabi Moosa  replied to his greeting, and then asked the

young man if he could spend the night at his home as his guest.

The young man agreed saying, “I am happy to host you as my

guest. If you are happy with whatever I will offer you to eat, then
I am pleased to entertain you and honour you.” Nabi Moosa
 replied, “I am happy with whatever you offer me.”

The young man was a butcher by trade. Hence, after accepting

Nabi Moosa  as his guest, he took him to his butchery and
asked him to wait until he had completed his trade for the day.
85
As Nabi Moosa  waited in the young man’s shop, he
noticed that whenever the young man came across any piece of
fat or any bone marrow, he would set it aside and keep it.

Eventually, when the young man had completed his trade for the
day, he took Nabi Moosa  to his home. On entering his
home, he took out the fat and marrow that he had kept aside and
cooked it.

After the meal was prepared, he went into one of the rooms of
his house. Nabi Moosa  noticed that in this room, there
were two large baskets (similar to a hammock) suspended near
the roof. The young man went to one of the baskets, and with
extreme care and gentleness, he lowered it to the ground.

As he lowered the basket, Nabi Moosa  saw that inside it

was the young man’s father who was extremely old. The young
man took his father out of the basket and washed his face. He
then washed his clothing and fragranced it, after which he
dressed his father in the clean, fragranced clothing.

Thereafter, he took some bread, broke it into small pieces and

poured some of the cooked fat and marrow onto it. He then fed it
to his father, until he was satiated, and then gave him water to
drink until he was satisfied.

After he had served the old man in this manner and fulfilled his
needs, the old man made dua for him saying, “O my son! May
Allah  not let your effort in caring for me go to waste, and
86
may He make you the companion of Nabi Moosa bin Imraan
 in Jannah!”

The young man then brought down the second basket, and Nabi
Moosa  noticed that inside it was the young man’s mother
who was also extremely old. The young man cared for her just as
he had cared for his father.

After serving her and seeing to her needs, she made dua for him
saying, “Alhamdulillah! O my son! May Allah  not let your
effort in caring for me go to waste, and may He make you the
companion of Nabi Moosa bin Imraan  in Jannah!”

When Nabi Moosa  saw the level of compassion and care

that the young man showed to his aged parents, he was
overcome by sympathy for them. Hence, he began to weep, and
in this condition, he left the home of the young man.

Seeing Nabi Moosa  leave, the young man immediately

followed him, as he was his guest, and presented him with some
of the food that he had prepared.

However, Nabi Moosa  said to him, “O my brother! I have

no need for your food! The only reason for me coming to you was
that I had asked Allah  to show me my companion in
Jannah, and Allah  showed me that you are the one who
will be my companion in Jannah.”

87
The young man asked Nabi Moosa , “May Allah 
have mercy on you! Tell me, who are you?” Nabi Moosa 
replied, “I am Nabi Moosa bin Imraan.” Hearing this, the young
man was so astonished that he fell to the ground unconscious.

After he had recovered and regained consciousness, the young

man entered his home and gave his parents the glad tidings that
Allah  had accepted their dua for him to be the companion
of Nabi Moosa  in Jannah.

He told them that the man who was with him was none other
than Nabi Moosa  himself, and he had conveyed the news
to him, from Allah  Himself, that Allah  had
accepted their dua.

On hearing this good news, the parents were so overjoyed that

they emitted a shriek of happiness and passed away. After the
ghusl was performed, Nabi Moosa  performed their
janaazah salaah. Thereafter, the young man joined Nabi Moosa
 and remained in his company until the end of his life.58

In this incident, we see that the reason why the young man was
blessed to become the companion of Nabi Moosa  in
Jannah is that he had earned his parents’ sincere duas on account
of serving them, being obedient to them and showing them
kindness, love and compassion.

58
28 ‫ صـ‬:‫الزهر الفائح‬
88
If we also serve our parents fulfil their rights and treat them with
love, compassion and mercy, then Allah  will also bless us
with acceptance.

89
The Legacy of Pious Offspring
The father of Nabi Yunus  was a pious man named Mattaa.
He and his wife, for a long time, desired that Allah  bless
them with a son and depute him as a Nabi to the Bani Israa’eel.

Many years passed, with them making dua, until finally, they
decided to go to the blessed spring of Nabi Ayyoob  from
which he had bathed and was granted complete shifaa by Allah
.

They both went to the spring and bathed in its water. Thereafter,
they engaged in salaah and begged Allah  in dua to bestow
them with a blessed son who would be a Nabi to the Bani
Israa’eel.

Allah  accepted their dua and the wife of Mattaa

thereafter conceived Nabi Yunus .

After four months of pregnancy, while the child was still in the
womb, Mattaa passed away and left this world.59

Though Mattaa did not live to see the fruit of his dua materialize,
he left a pious son as his legacy that will continue to earn him
tremendous rewards in the Hereafter.

59
2/16 :‫عمدة القاري‬
93
The Investment of the Hereafter
From this incident, we understand that the greatest legacy is the
legacy of pious offspring. This legacy is such that it will not only
benefit one in this world, but its benefit will continue to the
Hereafter.

Rasulullah  said, “When a person passes away, all his

actions come to an end except for three actions; sadaqah-e-
jaariyah (his good and righteous deeds whose rewards continue
after his demise), his knowledge from which people benefit (after
his demise) and a pious child who makes dua for him.”60

The Concern and Dua of the Ambiyaa  for their

Progeny
When one examines the lives of the Ambiyaa , the
Sahaabah  and the pious of the past, he will find that they
made special dua for pious offspring who would be a legacy for
them after their demise.

Similarly, they were concerned about the deeni progress of their

progeny throughout their lives.

60
1631 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
94
Thus, the Quraan Majeed makes special mention of the dua of
Hazrat Ebrahim  and Hazrat Zakariyya  for pious
offspring.61

Likewise, when Hazrat Ya’qoob  was lying on his deathbed,

he advised his children to remain steadfast upon deen after his
demise. His greatest concern, even as he neared his end, was for
the deeni security of his progeny after him.62

The Concern of the Sahaabah  for their Children

After Rasulullah  made hijrah to Madinah
Munawwarah, Hazrat Ummu Sulaim  brought her young
son, Hazrat Anas , to him and requested him to accept her
son for his service.63

Hazrat Anas  was approximately ten years old at that time.

He remained in the blessed service of Rasulullah  for
ten years until the demise of Rasulullah .64

Undoubtedly, it was the concern for deen and the upbringing of

her son that had prompted her to take him to Nabi  and
dedicate him to his service.

61
6- 5 :‫ سورة مرمي‬،128 :‫سورة البقرة‬
62
133 :‫سورة البقرة‬
63
1470 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وفيه حممد بن احلسن بن أيب يزيد وهو ضعيف كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،3624 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب بعلى‬
64
5166 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
95
Similarly, Hazrat Abbaas  instructed his young son, Hazrat
Abdullah bin Abbaas , to spend the night with Rasulullah
 at the house of his aunt, Hazrat Maimoonah , in
order to observe his Tahajjud Salaah and benefit from his blessed
company.65

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas  was approximately twelve or

thirteen years old at that time.

It is the desire of every parent that his child should be safe and
secure after his demise. Hence, necessary steps are taken to
secure the financial future of the child.

However, the greater concern of the parent should be the deeni

security of the child, as this is the only thing that will keep him
connected to Allah  and earn him success in this world
and the next.

65
4995 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ مسند البزار‬،138 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
96
Pious Children – An
Investment for the Hereafter
Among the invaluable bounties of Allah  upon man is the
bounty of children. The bounty of children is among the special
favours of Allah  mentioned in the Quraan Majeed. Allah
 says:
َّ َّ َّ َّ ً َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ ً َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ َّ َّ ّٰ َّ
ؕ ‫اجک ۡم َّب ِنی َّن َّو َّحف َّدۃ و َّرزقک ۡم ِم َّن الط ِی ّٰب ِت‬
ِ ‫و اللہ جع َّل لکم ِمن انف ِسکم ازواجا و جع َّل لکم ِمن ازو‬
Allah has created spouses for you from among yourselves, and created
for you sons and grandsons from your spouses, and granted you pure
sustenance.66

Many favours of Allah  are such that their benefits and

good are confined to one’s lifetime. However, the benefit of
children is such an investment that it does not only accrue
goodness for a person during his life, but also continue to benefit
him after his demise.

However, this investment will only accrue goodness for a person

if he instills deeni values in his children and connects them to
Allah . So long as his children uphold deen in their lives
and practise upon the teachings of deen which he had imparted

66
72 :‫سورة النحل‬
97
to them, his investment will continue to accrue him goodness
and reward, even after his demise.

The Best thing a Person Can Leave Behind After His

Demise
Rasulullah  said, “The best things which a person can
leave behind after his demise are three; a pious child who makes
dua for him, sadaqah-e-jaariyah (the good and righteous deeds -
the rewards of which continue to reach one after his demise),
and the knowledge of deen (which he imparted to people) that
people continue to practise after his demise.”67

In another Hadith, Rasulullah  said, “No father can give

his child a better gift than the gift of good manners.”68

In yet another Hadith, Rasulullah  mentioned, “Treat

your children with honour and dignity, and teach them good
morals and values.”69

67
125 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وإسناده صحيح كما يف الرتغيب والرتهيب للمنذري‬،241 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجة‬
68
‫ هو ضعيف‬:‫ رواه مجاعة عن عامر قلت‬:2044 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال الذهيب يف املهذب يف اختصار السنن الكبري‬،1952 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
‫واخلرب فمرسل‬
69
102/4 ‫ وإسناده ضعيف كما يف مصباح الزجاجة‬،3671 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجه‬
98
The Command of the Quraan Majeed
Instilling deeni values within one’s children is such an important
duty upon parents that Allah  has commanded them to
fulfill this duty in the Quraan Majeed. Allah  says:
َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡۤ َّ َّ
‫ٰۤیای َّہا ال ِذ ۡی َّن ّٰا َّمن ۡوا ق ۡوا انف َّسک ۡم َّو ا ۡہ ِل ۡیک ۡم ن ًارا‬

O you who believe! Save yourselves and your family from the fire of
Jahannum…70

In other words, you should guide your wives and children

towards deen and protect them from treading on the path of
misguidance. Hence, on the Day of Qiyaamah, a person will also
be questioned regarding this duty and responsibility.

Each Parent is Responsible and Answerable for His

Flock
Rasulullah  said, “Every one of you is a shepherd, and
every one of you will be questioned regarding his flock. The
Muslim leader is a shepherd and will be questioned regarding his
subjects, and a husband is a shepherd who will be questioned
regarding his household, and a wife is a shepherd in her
husband’s home and will be questioned regarding her flock…”71

70
6 :‫سورة التحرمي‬
71
893 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
99
On the contrary, if a person neglects to give his children the
correct Islamic upbringing, and fails to instill deeni values within
them, or is not concerned regarding the company they keep,
thereby allowing them to be exposed to the wrong elements,
then instead of them being a means of benefit and goodness,
they will become a calamity for him in this world and the next.

The Dua of Rasulullah  and Nabi Dawood

It is reported that among the duas which Rasulullah 
taught the ummah to make for protection from rebellious
children is the following dua:

ِ ‫اللهم إِِين أع يوذ بِك ِم ين جا ِر الس يوِء وِم ين زيوج تشيِب ِين قـيبل اليم ِشيي‬
‫ب وِم ين ولد يك يون علي رًّب‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ي‬
O Allah! I seek protection in You from an evil neighbour, from a spouse
who will make my hair become white before old age, and from a child
who will dominate me (thereby causing me pain).72

Similarly, it is reported that among the duas that Nabi Dawood

 would make was:

‫ين أع يوذ بِك ِم ين مال يك يون علي فِيتـنة وِم ين ولد يك يون علي وّبال‬ِِ
‫اللهم إ ي‬
O Allah! I seek Your protection from wealth that will be a fitnah (trial)
for me, and from a child that will be a calamity for me!73

72
‫ ورواته ثقات‬،1339 :‫ الرقم‬،‫الدعاء للطرباين‬
73
‫ وفيه من مل أعرفهم‬17429 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،6180 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط‬
100
Through his Mubaarak Ahaadith and sublime conduct, Rasulullah
 taught the Sahaabah  and the ummah the
manner in which they should impart good morals and deeni
values to their children and instill within them Islamic
etiquettes.

Instilling Good Values in the Child in Various

Dimensions of Life
There are many dimensions of life that need to be focused on
when instilling good values, morals and etiquettes in a child.
Some of these dimensions are:

1. Teaching the child the correct Islamic beliefs and

strengthening his Imaan

2. Instilling in the child the importance of fulfilling the rights of

Allah  and abstaining from sins

3. Impressing on the child the importance of fulfilling the rights

of the creation

4. Teaching the child respect, etiquette and good character

when dealing with people

5. Highlighting to the child the importance of external and

internal purity

6. Creating hayaa and the fear of Allah  in the child

101
7. Emphasizing on the child the importance of always
remaining in good company and abstaining from bad
company

8. Teaching the child the special ways to draw the mercy of

Allah .

102
Introducing the Child to
Allah 
The upbringing of a child is extremely important and can be
likened to the foundation of a building. If the foundation of a
building is firm and strong, then the building will also be firm
and strong and will weather all conditions.

Conversely, if the foundation of a building is weak and shaky,

then with the slightest tremor, the building will collapse.

In the same way, the upbringing of the child is the foundation on

which the child’s entire life is based. In order for a child to
prosper and progress in life, the child requires a sound Islamic
upbringing.

Thus, if the correct Islamic upbringing is not given to the child,

and Islamic values and morals are not instilled within him, then
the detriment and harm of this will continue to manifest
throughout his life.

The child will experience difficulty in his domestic life when

dealing with his wife and children. He will encounter problems
in his social life when dealing with family, neighbours and
people in general. He will not know how to uphold the sanctity of
deen and respect the rights of people.

103
In essence, on account of him not being given the correct Islamic
upbringing, he will not progress in deen and his worldly life will
also be affected.

The Right of the Child over the Parents

Giving the child an Islamic upbringing is the right of the child
over the parents. It is reported that the Sahaabah  once
asked Rasulullah , “O Rasul of Allah ! We
know the rights of the father over the child, but what are the
rights of the child over the father?”

Rasulullah  replied, “The right of the child over the

father is that the father gives him a good name and teaches him
Islamic etiquette and values.”74

It is reported that Hazrat Ibnu Umar  once advised a

person saying, “Ensure that you give your child a good Islamic
upbringing, for you will be questioned regarding this on the Day
of Qiyaamah. You will be asked regarding the type of upbringing
that you had given him and the type of education that you had
imparted to him, while he will also be asked regarding whether
he was obedient and submissive to you.”75

74
681 ‫ وضعفها كما يف املغين عن محل األسفار يف األسفار ص ـ‬،8291 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب االميان‬
75
‫ فقد التزم‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬،8295 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب االميان‬
‫أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
104
Calling out the Azaan and Iqaamah in the Ears of the
Newborn Child
In the upbringing of a child, the first aspect is introducing the
child to Allah . Hence, we witness that when the child is
born, even before the age of understanding, shari’ah commands
that azaan be called out in the right ear of the child and iqaamah
in the left ear of the child.

All this is done in order to mold the heart of the child towards
Imaan and create the oneness and greatness of Allah  in
his heart. In other words, after coming into the world, the first
thing that the child is introduced to is Allah .

Teaching the Child the Etiquettes of Islam

Rasulullah , through his mubaarak action, taught the
ummah that they should teach their children to take the name of
Allah  at the time of meals. Hence, the child should
understand that the food he is enjoying was bestowed to him by
Allah .

Hazrat Umar bin Abi Salamah  narrates that on one

occasion, when he was a child, Rasulullah  said to him,
“Commence eating by taking the name of Allah , eat with
the right hand, and eat from your side of the plate.”76

76
5376 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
105
In this Hadith, Rasulullah  had imparted three Sunnats
to this young child, impressing on him that even when eating, we
should be mindful of fulfilling the rights of Allah .

Furthermore, Rasulullah  had advised and taught the

young child with such love and compassion that the lesson
became firmly entrenched in his heart. Thus, he says that from
that day onwards, he always ensured that he ate in the manner
taught to him by Rasulullah .

Instilling the Importance of Fulfilling the Rights of

Allah  in the Heart of the Child
As the child grows up, Rasulullah  taught the ummah
that they should impress upon the child to fulfill the rights of
Allah , and from all the rights, the most important right is
that of salaah.

Rasulullah  said, “Instruct your children to perform

salaah when they reach the age of seven, and discipline them for
not performing salaah when they reach the age of ten.”77

In other words, although the child is young, and salaah is not yet
compulsory upon him, we are instructed to emphasize to the
child the importance of fulfilling the great right of Allah 
known as salaah.

77
126 ‫ وإسناده حسن كما يف رايض الصاحلني صـ‬495 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
106
Likewise, the conviction regarding the infinite greatness and
supreme power of Allah  must be instilled in the heart of
the child from a young age.

The child should grow up understanding that it is only Allah

 who is the source for all goodness in his life, and that
there is no might and power besides Allah .

Rasulullah  Instilling the Greatness of Allah

 in the Heart of Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas  reports that on one occasion,
he was travelling with Rasulullah  when Rasulullah
 addressed him saying, “O young boy! Protect the
commands of Allah , and He will protect you. Protect the
commands of Allah , and you will find Him before you (i.e.
He will be with you and take care of your needs).

“When you beg for your needs, then only beg from Allah .
When you seek assistance, then only seek assistance from Allah
.

“Understand that if the entire ummah has to unite to try and

benefit you, then they will not be able to benefit you except to
the extent that Allah  has decreed for you, and if the
entire ummah has to unite to try and cause you harm, then they
will not be able to do so, except to the extent that Allah 
has decreed.

107
“The pen (of taqdeer) has been raised and the pages (of taqdeer)
have dried (i.e. whatever has been decreed by Allah  will
come to pass and there can be no change in the decree of Allah
).”78

From this Hadith, we understand the manner in which

Rasulullah  instilled the greatness of Allah  in
the child, and the way in which Rasulullah  connected
the child with Allah .

78
‫ هذا حديث حسن صحيح‬:‫ وقال‬،2516 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
108
The Importance of the Child
Remaining in Good Company
In the upbringing of a child, it is of paramount importance for
the parents to ensure that their child always remains in pious
company and is exposed to a good environment.

The good environment and pious association will leave an

indelible impression on the heart of the child which will
thereafter shape his thinking and mold his outlook towards life.

As a result, the child will grow up with the correct mindset of

Islam and his heart will be molded with the true values of Islam.

The Hadith explains that every child is born with a pure

disposition. This disposition will enable him to see and
understand the truth of Islam as he grows up. However, through
the child being in the wrong environment, the child is influenced
towards the wrong religion. Hence, the child born in the home of
a Jew, Christian, or fire-worshipper adopts the religion of his
parents.79

79
1385 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
109
The Benefit and Harm of Good and Bad Company
In one Hadith, Rasulullah  compared a pious
companion to a person carrying musk, and he compared a bad
companion to a person fanning a fire.

Rasulullah  explained that through remaining in the

company of the musk-carrier, even if one does not receive some
musk as a gift or buy some musk from him, then at the very least,
he will benefit from the pleasant fragrance of the musk while
remaining in his company.

Conversely, through remaining in the company of the person

fanning the fire, even if one’s clothing is not burnt by the fire,
one will still be affected by the fire through perceiving the
unpleasant smell of the smoke.80

In this Hadith, Rasulullah  explained that remaining in

good company will never be devoid of benefit, while remaining
in bad company will never be devoid of harm.

When we study the lives of the Sahaabah , we find that

they understood the profound effect which a person’s company
and association have on him. Hence, there are many incidents
which reflect the concern which the Sahaabah  had for
their children to always remain in good and pious company.

80
5534 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
110
Below are two incidents which show the deep concern which
Sahaabah  had for their children to remain in pious
company and acquire deeni benefit.

Hazrat Ummu Sulaim’s  Concern for Her Son

It is reported that at the time when Rasulullah 
performed hijrah and came to Madinah Munawwarah, Hazrat
Anas  was a young boy who was just eight years old. After
the arrival of Rasulullah , his mother held his hand and
took him to Rasulullah .

When they entered into the blessed presence of Rasulullah

, the mother of Hazrat Anas  addressed
Rasulullah  and said, “O Rasul of Allah ! There
is no man or woman of the Ansaar who has not presented you
with a gift. However, I do not have anything to present to you as
a gift besides my son. Therefore, please accept him for your
service.”81

Rasulullah  accepted him in his service, and he

remained in the blessed company of Rasulullah  for ten
years.See 64

The mother of Hazrat Anas , Hazrat Ummu Sulaim ,

understood the value of good company. Since there can be no

81
1470 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وفيه حممد بن احلسن بن أيب يزيد وهو ضعيف كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،3624 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب بعلى‬
111
company better than the company of Rasulullah , she
wanted her young son to remain in his blessed company.

Hazrat Abbaas’  Concern for His Son

Hazrat Abbaas , the uncle of Rasulullah , desired
that his son, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas , should acquire
special blessings through remaining in the blessed company of
Rasulullah .

Hence, it is reported from Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas 

that when he was a young lad, approximately twelve or thirteen
years old, his father, Hazrat Abbaas , instructed him to
spend the night at the house of his aunt, Hazrat Maimoonah
, in order to benefit from Rasulullah  and
observe his Tahajjud Salaah.

Accordingly, Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas  spent the night at his

aunt’s house, observing the Tahajjud Salaah of Rasulullah
, and thereafter he conveyed to the ummah the
manner in which Rasulullah  performed his Tahajjud
Salaah.See 65

Company is not Confined to Physical Association

When people think of company and association, it is generally
friends and physical companionship that comes to mind.
However, the terms ‘company’ and ‘association’ have a much
broader meaning. In essence, every element in the environment
112
which influences one’s thinking, molds one’s mindset and affects
one’s behavior and conduct can be regarded as one’s company
and association.

Hence, the literature that one reads, the websites that one
browses, the social media accounts that one follows, etc. - all
these are different forms of company and association that mold
one’s mindset and influence and shape one’s thinking in regards
to one’s goals and objectives in life.

Thus, just as it is imperative for the parents to be particular and

discerning regarding their children’s friends, it is equally vital
for them to closely monitor and control the other elements of
company to which their children are exposed.

113
Being Concerned about the
Deeni Education of the Child
A nation blessed with deeni knowledge and sound understanding
is a progressive and productive nation with a bright and
promising future.

On the contrary, a nation deprived of deeni knowledge and

sound understanding is a nation heading towards destruction
and failure.

It is for this reason that when any Nabi would be sent to a nation,
then one of the primary duties of the Nabi would be to enrich
and empower the people with deeni knowledge and
understanding, and instill within them sublime morals and
values.

Hence, the concern of Rasulullah  was always directed

towards teaching the Sahaabah  good character and
showing them how to conduct correctly in various spheres of
life.

The importance of imparting deeni knowledge to the child can

be understood from the fact that whenever any person accepted
Islam, then one of the first concerns of Rasulullah  was
to educate him regarding deen.

114
Hence, before the hijrah, when the first group of the Ansaar
accepted Islam, then Rasulullah  sent Hazrat Mus’ab
bin Umair  to Madinah Munawwarah to teach them deen.82

The Importance of the Maktab Madrasah

Hazrat Umar  also understood the great importance of
imparting deeni education to children. Hence, apart from the
general concern that Hazrat Umar  showed for teaching
deen to the ummah, he had a specific concern for the deeni
education of the young children.

Thus, it is reported that Hazrat Umar  was the first person

who instituted the deeni system of maktab madrasahs. He
appointed teachers to educate the children and stipulated an
allowance for them from the Baytul Maal.83

The Sahaabah’s  Concern that their Children

Remain in Pious Company
Likewise, many Sahaabah  from the Muhaajireen and
Ansaar were concerned regarding the deeni welfare of their
children and their receiving the correct deeni education and
understanding.

82
87/3 :‫الطبقات الكربى البن سعد‬
83
30/1 ‫الفواكه الدواين على رسالة ابن أيب زيد القريواين‬
115
Hence, they encouraged their children to pledge allegiance at the
blessed hands of Rasulullah  and benefit from him,
thereby acquiring the knowledge and understanding of deen
from him.

Among the young Sahaabah who pledged allegiance were Hazrat

Abdullah bin Zubair , Hazrat Abdullah bin Ja’far  and
Hazrat Umar bin Abi Salamah . At the time of pledging
allegiance, Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair  was approximately
seven or eight years old.84

Imparting deeni education to one’s child is so important that the

Hadith explains that on the Day of Qiyaamah, a person will be
taken to task for neglecting to attend to his child’s deeni
education.85

Teaching the Child to Love Rasulullah 

In another Hadith, Rasulullah  said, “Instill three
qualities in your children. Teach them the love for their Nabi
. Teach them the love for the family of Rasulullah
, and teach them the recitation of the Quraan Majeed,
for indeed the bearers of the Quraan Majeed will be under the

84
161-161/28 :‫ اتريخ دمشق‬، 2146 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
85
‫ فقد التزم‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬،8295 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
‫أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
116
shade of Allah’s throne with the Ambiyaa and chosen ones, on
the day in which there will be no other shade.”86

In regards to the education of the child, there are four important

aspects that should be taken into consideration:

Imparting Deeni Education to the Child with Love and

Compassion
The first aspect is to impart deeni education to the child with
love, compassion and affection. This was the manner in which
Rasulullah  imparted education to the young Sahaabah
.

Hazrat Umar bin Abi Salamah  narrates, “On one occasion,

when I was a child and was eating with Rasulullah , he
said to me, ‘O young lad! Commence eating by taking the name of
Allah , eat with the right hand, and eat from your side of
the plate.’”87

This approach of love that Rasulullah  showed this

young Sahaabi became the means for him loving the Sunnah and
practising on it throughout his life. Thus, he says that from that
day onwards, he ensured that he always ate in the manner
taught to him by Rasulullah .

86
311 :‫ الرقم‬،‫اتريخ ابن النجار وسنده ضعيف كما يف فيض القدير‬
87
5376 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
117
Explaining to the Child According to His Level of
Understanding
The second aspect is to open the heart and mind of the young
child by explaining the lesson to him according to his level of
understanding and comprehension.

It is reported that on one occasion, a young person came to

Rasulullah  and sought permission to commit zina. The
Sahaabah  became upset and angered at this, however
Rasulullah  addressed him with gentleness saying,
“Come close to me.”

Thereafter, Rasulullah  asked him, “Would you like

someone to commit zina with your mother?” He replied, “No, O
Rasul of Allah ! May my life be sacrificed for you!”

Rasulullah  then explained to him, “Just as you do not

like it for your mother, others also do not like someone to
commit zina with their mothers.”

Rasulullah  then repeated the same question, asking

him whether he would like someone to commit zina with his
daughter, sister and aunts. Each time, he replied that he would
not like someone to commit zina with his daughters, sisters and
aunts. Then, Rasulullah  explained to him that others
would not like that zina be committed with their daughters,
sisters and aunts.

118
Rasulullah  then placed his blessed hand on the chest
of this Sahaabi and made dua for him saying, “O Allah! Forgive
his sins, purify his heart and safeguard his private parts from
zina.”

The impact of Rasulullah  explaining to this Sahaabi in

this loving manner and making dua for him was such that from
that day onwards, he felt great disgust for committing zina.88

Adopting Halaal Means in Educating the Child and

Exposing him to an Islamic Environment
The third aspect is that halaal means should be adopted to
educate the child and the child should be exposed to an Islamic
environment.

Adopting haraam means in the education of the child or

exposing the child to the wrong environment will only bring
about the wrong effect and cause the child to grow up with the
wrong morals and values.

Exposing the child to the co-ed educational system or university

system, or leaving the child in the care of people who lack
Islamic values, leads to the degeneration of the child’s morals
and character.

88
543 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،22211 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ مسند أمحد‬،5032 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
119
Spending Quality Time with the Children
The fourth aspect is that the parents should show love and
affection to their children and spend quality time with them.
During this quality time, if they find that their child has shifted
from good character and morals, then they should correct them
and guide them.

Similarly, in this time, they should bond with them, creating the
love of deen and the Sunnah within their hearts. Rather than the
discussions in the home revolving around worldly achievements
and the acquisition of wealth, parents should discuss the
achievements of the Sahaabah  and the manner in which
they upheld the Sunnah of Rasulullah  in their lives.

By doing this, the goals which the Sahaabah lived for and died for
– of serving humanity, upholding deen and justice – will then
pass onto them and become their goals in life.

120
The Truthfulness of Shaikh
Abdul Qaadir Jeelani 
Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelani  was a great Aalim and Wali of
Allah  who lived in the sixth century of Islam. Allah
 had blessed him with such great acceptance that many
people reformed their lives at his hands.

One salient quality that stood out in his life was the quality of
truthfulness and honesty. Below is an incident that reflects this
beautiful quality in his life which attracted the hearts of even the
greatest sinners of his time:

When Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelaani  decided to tread the

path of knowledge, he sought permission from his mother to
travel to Baghdad where he would study under the leading
Ulama of the time.

His mother permitted him to leave and gave him forty dinars
which she sewed into his kurta, beneath his armpit. At the time
when she bid him farewell, she advised him to ensure that he
always spoke the truth and never spoke lies.

Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelani  took his mother’s advice to

heart and promised her that he would always be truthful and
would always conduct with honesty.

121
Shaikh Abdul Qaadir  thereafter joined a caravan of people
traveling to Baghdad. During the journey, the caravan was
waylaid by sixty robbers who looted the caravan, taking
whatever wealth they found.

Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelani  mentions, “While looting the

caravan, one of the robbers came to me, and thinking that I did
not have any money, he asked me, ‘O pauper! How much of
money do you have with you?’ I remembered the advice of my
mother and replied, ‘Forty dinars.’

“He then asked me, ‘Where is the money?’ I replied, ‘It is sewn
into my kurta beneath my armpit.’ The robber was not convinced
and thought that I was joking and therefore left me.

“After a few moments, another robber came to me and asked me

the same question, to which I gave the same answer. This robber
also thought that I was joking and thus left me.

“Later on, both robbers went to their leader and informed him of
what had transpired and mentioned to him that upon enquiring,
I told them that I have forty dinars with me, concealed in my
kurta. The leader said to them, ‘Bring him to me.’

“When they brought me to their leader, he asked me, ‘O young

lad! How much of wealth do you have with you?’ I replied, ‘I have
forty dinars.’ He then asked me, ‘Where is the wealth?’ I replied,
‘It is sewn into my kurta under my armpit.’

122
“He was quite surprised and asked me, ‘What made you speak the
truth and confess that you possess this wealth? (In other words,
had you not informed us of it, we would have never known of it.)’

“I replied, ‘My mother advised me to always be truthful, and I

promised her that I will always speak the truth and will never lie.
Hence, I did not want to break the promise which I made to my
mother by speaking lies when you asked me regarding the
wealth.’

“Hearing this answer, the leader was extremely affected and

began to weep. He exclaimed, ‘You refuse to break the promise
which you made to your mother, whereas I have been breaking
my promise to Allah  for so many years by waylaying
caravans and committing sins!’”

Shaikh Abdul Qaadir Jeelani  explains, “The leader then

repented at my hands and pledged to never return to the sin of
robbery and theft.

“When the other robbers witnessed his repentance, they

addressed their leader saying, ‘We made you our leader in crime
and robbery and followed you. Now we will make you our leader
in repentance and taubah and follow you in this as well.’ They
thus repented and returned all the stolen wealth to the caravan.”

123
In this way, through firmly holding onto the quality of
truthfulness and honesty, Shaikh Abdul Qaadir  became the
means for all sixty robbers to repent and change their lives. 89

The Virtues and Importance of Truthfulness and

Honesty
In the Mubaarak Hadith, Rasulullah  has greatly
emphasized the importance and virtue of truthfulness and
honesty. Rasulullah  said, “Hold firm to truthfulness
(and honesty), for truthfulness leads one towards piety, and
piety leads one towards Jannah.

“A person will continue to speak the truth and endeavour to

always remain upon truthfulness (at all times), until he will be
recorded as a siddeeq (extremely truthful person) by Allah
.

“Refrain from lies, as lies leads one towards sin, and sin leads one
towards the fire of Jahannum. A person will continue to speak
lies, and tries to remain upon this habit of speaking lies (at all
times), until he will be recorded as a great liar by Allah .”90

It should be borne in mind that truthfulness and honesty is not

confined to speech. Rather, it applies to every dimension of one’s

89
9 ‫ صـ‬:‫ قالئد اجلواهر‬،186 ‫ صـ‬:‫هبجة األسرار‬
90
2607 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
124
deeni and worldly life. When one is truthful, then he will fulfill
every obligation and responsibility, whether it relates to his
deeni or worldly life.

In fact, truthfulness even surpasses the limits of merely fulfilling

obligations and includes making an effort to show a higher
degree of love and compassion to the creation, in the manner
Rasulullah  had taught the ummah to conduct.

Loyalty to Allah  at All Times

In essence, a true servant of Allah  is one who is loyal to
Allah  at all times. He is constantly concerned about
pleasing Allah  and taking care of His creation to the best
of his ability, thereby exhibiting his loyalty to His Creator.

The servant who brings these qualities in his life is honoured and
blessed with the rank of a siddeeq. The greatest of the
siddeeqeen was Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq , whom Allah
 had made the best example for the ummah to follow after
the Ambiyaa . His every word and action radiated this
sublime quality to the highest level.

In the upbringing of a child, it is extremely important for the

parents to instill in the child the quality of being truthful at all
times and being honest in his dealings. When this quality is
deeply entrenched in the heart of the child, then throughout his
life, no matter what situation he will be faced with, he will

125
ensure that he fulfills the rights of Allah  as well as the
rights which he owes to the creation.

Furthermore, when this quality is enhanced in his life, then at

every moment, he will be conscious about leading a pure life,
internally and externally, and will be concerned about standing
before Allah  and being held accountable for his actions
on the Day of Qiyaamah.

Therefore, every word that he will utter and every action that he
will carry out will be in total harmony and conformity with the
high levels of sidq (truthfulness). Hence, wherever he goes, he
will be a beacon of light and a source of mercy for the entire
creation.

126
Parents Leading by Example
Rasulullah  was the greatest of Allah’s  creation.
Allah  selected him as His final Messenger and blessed him
with the greatest deen – the deen of Islam which is the most
perfect code of life for man to follow.

When one examines the blessed personality of Rasulullah

, then one finds that Allah  blessed him with the
highest standard of character and nobility so that he could serve
as the ultimate example for humanity to emulate until the end of
time.

Thus, every dimension of the blessed life of Rasulullah 

was exemplary and outstanding. Whether in the home, while
conducting as a husband to his wife and father to his children, or
whether in the musjid, as the imaam of the congregation, or in
the community as the leader of the Muslims, he conducted in the
most perfect manner and set the best standard for all people to
follow.

Hence, in the upbringing of a child, until and unless the parents

do not emulate the blessed lifestyle and character of Rasulullah
, bringing his sunnah into their lives and home, they
will not see and achieve the desired results in their child’s
upbringing.

127
Merely tutoring the child by giving him Islamic education and
verbally advising him regarding good morals and values will not
prove effective if the parents’ actions, conduct and lifestyle
oppose their words.

Practise What You Preach

When one studies the lives of the Sahaabah  and the way
they tutored their children and steered them towards good
morals and values, the glaring aspect that stands out is that they
practised what they preached and their actions were testimony
to their words.

Together with the parents leading lives of piety and

righteousness, thereby becoming good examples for their
children, they should also teach their children to fulfill the rights
of Allah  and the rights of the creation.

They should guide them regarding oral, physical and spiritual

cleanliness, and great emphasis should be laid on social conduct
and etiquette. When Rasulullah  taught the Sahaabah
 deen, his teachings were comprehensive and covered all
dimensions of human living.

128
Hazrat Anas  Remaining in the Company and
Service of Rasulullah 
Hazrat Anas  was the special attendant of Rasulullah
 who was honoured with the golden opportunity of
serving Rasulullah  for ten years until the demise of
Rasulullah .

During this period of ten years, Rasulullah  conducted

with him with affection and love and taught him deen. He says,
“I served Rasulullah  for ten years. During this period,
he never hit me, spoke to me harshly, scolded me, or even looked
at me sternly.”

Among the golden advices and teachings which Rasulullah

 imparted to him are the following:

Education regarding Fulfilling the Rights of Rasulullah

 and the Creation
Rasulullah  said to Hazrat Anas , “O my beloved
son! Keep my secrets confidential, and you will become a true
believer.”

Hazrat Anas  says, “After Rasulullah  gave me this

advice, I never divulged his secrets to anyone, despite my mother
and the respected wives of Rasulullah  asking me what
he had said to me (while they were unaware that what Rasulullah
 had mentioned to me was confidential).”
129
Rasulullah  also said, “O my beloved son! If you are able
to constantly send durood upon me then do so, as the angels will
beg Allah  for your forgiveness.”

Education regarding Physical and Oral Hygiene and the

Great Virtue of Cleanliness
Hazrat Anas  says: Rasulullah  also said to me, “O
my beloved son! Ensure that you make a complete wudhu. If you
do so, then the two angels (who are recording your deeds) will
love you and you will be granted barakah in your life.

“O Anas! When you have a fardh bath, then wash your body
thoroughly. Through washing your body, you will be cleansed of
all your minor sins.”

I then asked Rasulullah , “How should I ensure that I

have washed my body thoroughly?” Rasulullah 
replied, “When bathing, ensure that you wet the roots of your
hair and thoroughly rub the skin of your body.”

Rasulullah  also said, “O my beloved son! Remain in the

state of wudhu if you are able to, for the one who passes away in
the state of wudhu acquires the rank of a shaheed (a martyr).”

130
Education regarding Fulfilling the Rights of Allah
 by Performing Salaah
Rasulullah  said to Hazrat Anas , “O my beloved
son! Try to offer some (nafl) salaah in your home as well. O Anas!
When you make ruku, then ensure that you grasp your knees
firmly, spread your fingers apart and keep your elbows away
from your sides.

“O my beloved son! When you raise your head from ruku, allow
all your limbs to settle and be calm (before proceeding into
sajdah), as on the Day of Judgement, Allah  will not look
with mercy at the one who does not keep his back straight when
waking up from ruku.

“O my beloved son! When you make sajdah, place your head and
palms firmly on the ground, and do not make sajdah so rapidly
that it is like the pecking of a rooster, and do not place your
forearms on the ground in sajdah, resembling the sitting of a dog
or fox. Refrain from looking around in salaah, as this action is a
means of destroying (the reward of) your salaah.”

Education regarding Social Conduct and Thinking Good

of Every Muslim
Rasulullah  said to Hazrat Anas , “O my beloved
son! When you come out from your home, then make salaam to

131
every Muslim that you see, for if you do so, you will return home
cleansed from your minor sins.

“O my beloved son! When you enter your home then make

salaam to your household members.”91

In one narration, Rasulullah  said, “When you leave

your home, then on seeing any Muslim, you should feel in your
heart that he is better than you.”92

Education on Raising Children

Hazrat Anas  reports that Rasulullah  said, “On
the seventh day after the child is born, the aqeeqah should be
performed, he should be given an Islamic name and his head
should be shaved.

“When the child reaches the age of seven, he should be taught

Islamic etiquette and manners. When he reaches the age of nine,
his bed should be separated from his siblings. When he reaches
the age of thirteen, he should be disciplined and hit if he does
not perform salaah or fast.

“When he reaches the age of sixteen or seventeen, his father

should get him married. Thereafter, his father should hold his
hand and address him saying, ‘I have taught you Islamic

91
1470 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وفيه حممد بن احلسن بن أيب يزيد وهو ضعيف كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،3624 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب بعلى‬
92
1470 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ جممع الزوائد‬،856 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الصغري للطرباين‬
132
etiquette, I have educated you in deen and I have got you
married. I seek refuge in Allah from you becoming a means of
fitnah and trial for me in this world and a means of punishment
for me in the Hereafter.”93

Education regarding Upholding Every Sunnah and the

Formula for Gaining Entry into Jannah
Rasulullah  said to Hazrat Anas , “O my beloved
son! If you are able to spend your day and night without having
malice for anybody in your heart, then do so, as this will make
your hisaab (accountability in the court of Allah) easy.”

Rasulullah  also said, “O my son! This (i.e. keeping your

heart clean at all times) is my Sunnah. The one who loves my
Sunnah loves me, and the one who loves me will be with me in
Jannah. O my beloved son! If you adhere to these advices of mine
then there will be nothing more beloved to you than death.”94

From the above, we can understand the great importance of

imparting deeni knowledge and understanding to the child, as
well as the loving, gentle and compassionate approach
Rasulullah  adopted when teaching Hazrat Anas .

93
‫ رواه أبو الشيخ يف كتاب الضحااي والعقيقة إال أنه قال وأدبوه لسبع سنني وزوجوه لسبع‬:‫ وقال العراقي‬،316/6 :‫إحتاف السادة املتقني‬
‫عشرة ومل يذكر الصوم ويف إسناده من مل يسم‬
94
343/9 ‫ اتريخ دمشق البن عساكر‬،‫ هذا حديث حسن غريب من هذا الوجه‬:‫ وقال‬،2678 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
133
When the child is taught deen with such love and care, he will
have enthusiasm and eagerness for deen in his heart, and will
thereafter live his life in accordance with the dictates of deen

134
Wishing Well for Others
From the entire value-system of Islam, every value which Islam
advocates is full of attraction and radiates beauty. Whether it be
showing respect to the elderly, or compassion to the young, or
fulfilling the rights of parents and one’s kith and kin – all reflect
the unique splendor of Islam.

However, the soul of all these sublime qualities is contained in

one Hadith. Rasulullah  said that deen is to wish well
for one and all.95

As Muslims, we are taught that just as we wish well for ourselves

– we should also wish well for others. Just as we wish for others
to show us kindness and compassion, we should also ensure that
we deal with them in the same manner. In another Hadith,
Rasulullah  said, “Love for others what you love for
yourself.” 96

Wishing well for people and showing them compassion is among

the core values of Imaan. On one occasion, Rasulullah 
addressed the Sahaabah  saying, “You will never acquire
perfect Imaan until you show kindness and mercy to the
creation.”

95
55 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
96
240/4 ‫ وإسناده حسن كما يف مصباح الزجاجة‬،4217 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ سنن ابن ماجة‬،2305 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
137
The Sahaabah  responded, “O Rasul of Allah ! We
all show kindness when dealing among people.”

Rasulullah  then said, “I am not referring to you

showing special kindness and mercy to your close friends or
those whom you dearly love. Rather, I wish that you show the
same level of special kindness and mercy to the entire creation
which you show to your close friends or those whom you dearly
love.”97

The Sahaabah  took the advice of Rasulullah  to

heart and followed it so passionately that they made this the
cornerstone of their lives. Hence, we find that some of them even
pledged allegiance at the hands of Rasulullah  to always
wish well for others and keep their interest at heart at all times.98

Among the Sahaabah  who pledged allegiance at the hands

of Rasulullah  to wish well for the entire ummah and to
deal with them in the best manner at all times was Hazrat Jareer
bin Abdillah Al-Bajali .

Below are a few incidents from the life of this illustrious Sahaabi
which shed light on this beautiful quality of Islam which was a
hallmark in his life and which shone out to the world.

97
13671 :‫ الرقم‬،‫رواه الطرباين ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬
98
57 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
138
Purchasing a Horse
Hazrat Jareer  once went to the market to purchase a horse
with his freed slave. When Hazrat Jareer  saw a horse that
he liked, he sent his freed slave to the owner to purchase it for
him.

The freed slave thus went to the owner and offered to pay him
300 dirhams, but the owner refused as he felt that the horse was
worth more than that. The freed slave then began to bargain
with him, and eventually, when they could not agree on a price,
he brought the owner to speak to Hazrat Jareer .

On coming to Hazrat Jareer , the slave explained that he

had offered to purchase the horse for 300 dirhams, but the owner
refused to accept the price as he felt that the horse was worth
more.

The seller then asked Hazrat Jareer , “Do you think the
horse is worth 300 dirhams?” Hazrat Jareer  replied, “No,
your horse is worth more than that.” Hazrat Jareer  then
asked him how much the horse was worth, after which he agreed
to pay him 700 or 800 dirhams for the horse.

After the sale was concluded, Hazrat Jareer  reprimanded

his freed slave for trying to purchase the item for less than it was
worth, saying, “Why do you bring him to me, complaining about

139
the price you offer, when I had pledged to Rasulullah 
that I would wish well for every Muslim?”99

Giving an Option to the One who Transacted with Him

Imaam Abu Zur’ah , the grandson of Hazrat Jareer ,
narrates the following incident regarding his grandfather, Hazrat
Jareer , and the importance he showed to the pledge he
took at the blessed hands of Rasulullah , to wish well
for every Muslim. He says:

“Whenever Jareer  would sell or purchase anything, then

after concluding the transaction, he would address the person
whom he was dealing with and say, ‘What we have taken from
you is better in our sight than what we have given you, hence we
give you the option that if you wish to cancel this transaction,
you may do so.”100

Taking part in Jihaad and Remembering the Pledge of

Rasulullah 
During the era of the rule of Hazrat Mu’aawiyah , an army
was once dispatched to a certain place. At that time, Hazrat
Jareer  was suffering from ill health.

99
40/2 ‫ شرح النووي على مسلم‬،2395 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري للطرباين‬
100
‫ وسكت عليه هو واملنذري‬،4945 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
140
Thus, when dispatching the army, Hazrat Mu’aawiyah 
wrote a letter to Hazrat Jareer  informing him that he had
exempted him and his children from participating in future
expeditions of jihaad on account of his ill health.

On receiving the letter, Hazrat Jareer  wrote the following

reply to Hazrat Mu’aawiyah :

“I pledged at the hand of Rasulullah  that I would listen

and obey (the leader of the Muslims), and that I would always
wish well for all Muslims. Hence, if I recover from my illness and
I feel well, then I will personally join the expedition and
participate in the jihaad.

“However, if I am still weak and sick, then I will find someone to

join the expedition in my place, and I will personally provide him
with the funds, weapons and equipment that he requires to go
out in jihaad.”101

May Allah  grant us the same quality of wishing well for

the ummah and showing all people kindness and compassion, in
the same manner the Sahaabah  wished well for all people
and showed them kindness and compassion.

101
‫ وحديث جرير هذا معروف عنه من طرق كثرية‬:‫ وقال الشيخ حممد عوامة يف حاشيته‬،19878 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املصنف البن أيب شيبة‬
141
Having the Heart to Forgive
Hazrat Waa’il bin Hujr  was a famous Sahaabi of Rasulullah
 who hailed from the land of Yemen and was from the
progeny of kings.

It is reported that when he departed from Yemen to come to

Madinah Munawwarah to embrace Islam, then prior to his
arrival, Rasulullah  informed the Sahaabah  of
his imminent arrival.

Rasulullah  said to the Sahaabah , “There is a

person who is about to reach Madinah Munawwarah from the
land of Hadramowt in Yemen. He is coming with the intention of
embracing Islam, and he hails from the progeny of kings. His
name is Waa’il bin Hujr.”

On his arrival, Rasulullah  welcomed him, honoured

him, and spread out his mubaarak shawl for him to sit on.
Rasulullah  made special dua for him saying, “O Allah!
Bless Waa’il with barakah, as well as his children and
grandchildren.” Rasulullah  then appointed him as his
deputy over the people of Yemen.

Before departing from Madinah Munawwarah, he requested

Rasulullah  to give him a land in Yemen. Upon his
request, Rasulullah  allotted to him a plot of land in
Yemen, and instructed Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  to accompany
142
him to Yemen in order to demarcate the land and hand it over to
him.

Accordingly, Hazrat Waa’il  and Hazrat Mu’aawiyah 

set out together from Madinah Munawwarah. Hazrat Waa’il
 was traveling on a camel, while Hazrat Mu’aawiyah 
was traveling on foot. At that time, Hazrat Mu’aawiyah 
was so poor that he did not have sandals to wear to cover his feet
during the journey.

As they traveled through the scorching desert, the hot sand

began to burn the feet of Hazrat Mu’aawiyah . Eventually,
when the pain became difficult for him to bear, he turned to
Hazrat Waa’il  and said, “Please allow me to sit behind you,
on your animal, and ride with you, as the sand of the desert is
burning my feet”.

However, Hazrat Waa’il  replied, “You are not worthy to be

seated with kings on their conveyance.”

Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  then requested him to lend him his

sandals, but Hazrat Waa’il  replied, “I cannot lend you my
sandals, but if you wish, you may walk in the shadow of my
camel.” Hearing this reply, Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  remained
silent and continued to walk barefoot.

On returning to Madinah Munawwarah, Hazrat Mu’aawiyah

 informed Rasulullah  of what had transpired

143
during the journey, and the manner in which Hazrat Waa’il
 had conducted with him.

Rasulullah  responded, “He has just embraced Islam,

and hence he still has some of the traits of Jaahiliyyah in him.
Overlook what he has done to you and treat him well.”

In other words, since Hazrat Waa’il  had just embraced

Islam and had spent only a few days in the blessed company of
Rasulullah , the beautiful qualities of Rasulullah’s
 Mubaarak Sunnah had not yet permeated his life.
Hence, on this occasion, he conducted in this manner. However,
later on in his life, he reached great heights in piety and
righteousness.

Hazrat Mu’aawiyah , at that time, was leading a life of

abject poverty. However, Allah  had decreed that a time
would come when he would rule the world.

Thereafter, when Rasulullah  passed away, Hazrat Abu

Bakr  became the Khalifah, followed by Hazrat Umar
, Hazrat Uthmaan  and then Hazrat Ali .

Finally, the time then came when Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  was

appointed as the Khalifah of the Muslims.

When Hazrat Waa’il  learnt of Hazrat Mu’aawiyah 

becoming the Khalifah, he set out to visit him and pay his
respects to him.

144
On hearing that he was coming, Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  came
to the outskirts of the city to honour him and receive him.
Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  then made him comfortable, honoured
him by making him sit with him in his own place and presented
him with many gifts.

Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  then said to him, “Do you remember

the day we traveled together?” When Hazrat Waa’il 
remembered the incident, and he saw the great honour and
kindness that Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  was now showing him,
then he felt great remorse over his past conduct.

He expressed his remorse before Hazrat Mu’aawiyah  and

admitted his mistake saying, “O Ameerul Mu’mineen! At that
time, I was a new Muslim who had just come out of kufr and
Jaahiliyyah! Allah  has now blessed us with Islam. At that
time, I did not conduct according to the sublime teachings of
Islam!”

Later on, when narrating this incident, Hazrat Waa’il 

mentioned, “At that time, I wished that had I only made him sit
in front of me on the animal!”102

In this incident, we see that despite the treatment which Hazrat

Mu’aawiyah  received from Hazrat Waa’il , he did not

102
389-386/62 :‫ اتريخ دمشق‬، 331-330/7 :‫ البداية والنهاية‬، 1381 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ سنن الرتمذي‬، 27239 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
145
harbour a grudge or any ill feelings in his heart. Rather, he went
to the extent of showing him great honour, love and kindness.

This was on account of him adhering to the advice of Rasulullah

 for him to overlook the mistake of Hazrat Waa’il 
and still deal with him in a good manner. This was the Mubaarak
Sunnah of Rasulullah  – that he always overlooked the
mistakes of people and forgave those who hurt him and caused
him pain.

May Allah  bless us all with the capacity and heart to

overlook the faults of people and deal with them in accordance
to the Sunnah and the blessed character of Rasulullah .

146
Rights of Neighbours
In order for the world to function smoothly and harmoniously, it
is imperative for each person to fulfil the rights he owes to
others.

If people’s rights are not upheld and fulfilled, then chaos and
anarchy will prevail in the world. Stealing and usurping of
wealth will be rampant and oppression and transgression will be
the order of the day.

People will trample the rights of the weak and old, women and
children, and take advantage of them on account of them not
being able to fend for themselves and stand up for their rights.

Hence, shari’ah has outlined the rights of people as well as

explained the manner in which their rights should be fulfilled.

The Command of the Quraan Majeed Regarding

Neighbours
In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says: “Show kindness to
parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the close neighbour, the distant
neighbour and the companion at your side.”103

In the above verse, among the rights of people which Allah

 discusses are the rights of neighbours.

103
36 :‫سورة النساء‬
147
In the Mubaarak Ahaadith, Rasulullah  has placed great
emphasis on upholding the rights of neighbours.

Rasulullah  said, “A true believer is not one who eats to

his fill while knowing that his neighbour remains in the state of
hunger.”104

Rasulullah  Explaining the Rights of

Neighbours
Hazrat Mu’aawiyah bin Haydah  reports that he once asked
Rasulullah , “O Rasulullah ! What are the
rights of my neighbour?”

Rasulullah  replied, “You should visit him (and show

concern for him) when he falls ill, attend his funeral when he
passes away, assist him with a loan if he seeks it from you, and if
he falls into difficulty through poverty, then you should conceal
his poverty (i.e. through helping him in such a way that no one
else comes to know).

“If some good comes his way, then you should congratulate him,
and if a calamity befalls him, then you should sympathise with
him.

104
‫ رواه الطرباين والبزار وإسناد البزار حسن‬:13554 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،751 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري للطرباين‬
148
“Furthermore, you should not raise your building higher than
his, thus becoming the means for obstructing the ventilation of
his house.

“Do not cause inconvenience to him through the aroma which

emanates from your utensils (while cooking i.e. on account of
him not being able to afford this type of meal, do not cause him
pain over his poverty through allowing the smell to reach him
e.g. having a braai) unless you intend dishing out some of the
food for him and sharing it with him.”105

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr  Sending Food for His

Jewish Neighbour
The Sahaabah  and the pious of the past were extremely
considerate towards their neighbours on account of them being
aware of the high position the neighbour enjoys in deen.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr  had a neighbour who was a Jew.

On one occasion, a goat was slaughtered in the home of Hazrat
Abdullah bin Amr  and its meat was prepared.

Upon arriving home, he enquired from his respected household,

“Did you send any portion of the meat for our Jewish neighbour?
I heard Rasulullah  say, ‘Jibra’eel  continued to
emphasize the rights of the neighbour to me to such an extent

105
‫ رواه الطرباين وفيه أبو بكر اهلذيل وهو ضعيف‬:13545 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،1014 ‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري للطرباين‬
149
that I thought (that on account of the great rights he holds in
deen), perhaps Allah  will even include him among a
person’s heirs.’”106

Incident of Hazrat Hasan Basri  and His Christian

Neighbour
It is reported regarding Hazrat Hasan Basri  that he had a
neighbour who was a Christian.

Hazrat Hasan Basri  lived in the lower storey of the

building, while his Christian neighbour lived above him in the
upper level.

The sewage of his Christian neighbour from the upper level used
to leak into his home. However, Hazrat Hasan Basri  never
complained to his neighbour nor informed him of this.

Hazrat Hasan  instructed that a container be placed

beneath the leak so that the sewage would fall into it and would
not mess his home.

At night, when there was no one to observe what was happening,

he would take the container out of his home and dispose of the
sewage.

106
‫ هذا حديث حسن غريب من هذا الوجه‬:‫ وقال‬،1943 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
150
One day, when Hazrat Hasan  was ill, his Christian
neighbour came to visit him. When he entered the home of
Hazrat Hasan  and saw the container filled with sewage, he
realized that it was coming from his home.

In embarrassment he asked, “For how long has this sewage been

leaking?” Hazrat Hasan Basri  replied, “For the last twenty
years.”

Upon hearing this, the neighbour was so overcome by the

conduct of Hazrat Hasan Basri  that he immediately
removed his traditional Christian garment and accepted Islam.107

Warnings in the Ahaadith for those who Inconvenience

their Neighbours
Just as there is great emphasis in the Mubaarak Ahaadith for
fulfilling the rights of the neighbour, similarly there are severe
warnings and admonitions reported regarding causing
inconvenience to the neighbour.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  reports that Rasulullah 

said, “The one who believes in Allah  and the Day of
Qiyaamah, he should not cause inconvenience to his
neighbour.”108

107
247 ‫ صـ‬:‫اإلمتاع واملؤانسة‬
108
6018 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
151
In another Hadith, it is reported that Rasulullah 
repeated the following statement thrice, “I take an oath in the
name of Allah , such a person can never be a perfect
believer.”

A Sahaabi enquired, “O Rasulullah ! Which person are

you referring to?” Rasulullah  said, “The one whose
neighbour is not spared from his harm and evil.”109

On one occasion, a person came to Rasulullah  and said,

“O Rasulullah ! There is a certain woman who is well-
known for engaging in abundant nafl salaah, giving charity and
keeping nafl fasts. However, she causes harm to her neighbours.”

Rasulullah  said, “She will be in the fire (i.e. she will be

punished by Allah  for ill-treating her neighbours).”

The man then said, “O Rasulullah ! I know of another

woman who does not engage in abundant nafl salaah, nor does
she keep abundant nafl fasts, nor does she give abundant charity,
but she distributes pieces of cheese in sadaqah and does not
cause harm to her neighbours (i.e. she fulfils the rights of her
neighbours).”

Rasulullah  said, “She will be in Jannah (i.e. on account

of her good treatment to her neighbours, she will be rewarded
with Jannah).”110

109
13563 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،7878 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
152
From the above Ahaadith, we understand that Islam has afforded
utmost importance to the rights of neighbours.

Hence, we should try, at all times, to fulfill the rights of our

neighbours and should ensure that we do not cause them
inconvenience or harm at any time.

May Allah  bless us with the tawfeeq of fulfilling the rights

of our neighbours as well as the rights we owe to the other
servants of Allah .

110
13562 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله ثقات كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،9675 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
153

The Incident of Hazrat
Wahshi  Accepting Islam
During the Battle of Uhud, one of the painful tragedies suffered
by Rasulullah  was the martyrdom of his beloved uncle,
Hazrat Hamzah .

The person responsible for killing Hazrat Hamzah  was

none other than Hazrat Wahshi bin Harb .

At that time, he was not a Muslim, but Allah  later on

blessed him with Imaan and the honour of becoming a Sahaabi.
The incident of his accepting Islam is as follows:

After Allah  blessed Rasulullah  and the

Sahaabah  with the conquest of Makkah Mukarramah,
Hazrat Wahshi  fled to Taa’if, as he feared that the Muslims
would seize him and kill him in retaliation for him killing Hazrat
Hamzah .

Thereafter, when the people of Taa’if wished to embrace Islam,

they sent a delegation to Rasulullah .

At that time, Hazrat Wahshi  also accompanied this

delegation and came to Makkah Mukarramah.

157
When he came before Rasulullah , Rasulullah 
asked him, “Are you Wahshi?” Hazrat Wahshi  replied,
“Yes, I am Wahshi.”

Rasulullah  then said, “Are you the person who killed

Hamzah ?”

Hazrat Wahshi  responded, “Yes, the matter (regarding me

killing your uncle) is exactly as you have heard (i.e. I am the
person who killed your uncle).”

Despite Hazrat Wahshi  killing his uncle, Hazrat Hamzah

, Rasulullah  still had great concern for his
salvation. This great concern was out of the deep love that
Rasulullah  had for every ummati.

Hence, Rasulullah  immediately invited Hazrat Wahshi

 to embrace Islam.

Hazrat Wahshi  wished to embrace Islam, however he had a

few concerns in his heart which were preventing him from
embracing Islam.

Hence, he replied, “O Muhammad ! How can I embrace

Islam, whereas the Quraan Majeed mentions that the one who
commits murder, engages in shirk or indulges in zina will not be
forgiven and will be sent to Jahannum? Allah  says:

158
 

ۡ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ
‫َّو ال ِذ ۡی َّن لَّا یَّ ۡدع ۡو َّن َّمع الل ِہ ِالّٰ ًـہا ّٰاخ َّر َّو لَّا یَّقتل ۡو َّن النف َّس ال ِت ۡی َّحر َّم اللہ ِالا ِبال َّح ِق َّو لَّا یَّ ۡزن ۡو َّن ۚ َّو َّم ۡن‬
ً ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ ّٰ
﴾۶۹‫﴾ یض َّع ۡف لَّہ ال َّعذاب یَّ ۡو َّم ال ِق ّٰی َّم ِۃ َّو یَّخل ۡد فِ ۡی ٖہ م َّہانا ﴿ ٭‬۶۸﴿ ‫اما‬ ً َّ‫یَّ ۡف َّع ۡل ّٰذل َِّک یَّ ۡل َّق اَّث‬

And those who do not call unto any other deity with Allah, and do not
kill a person whom Allah has given sanctity, except rightfully, nor do
they commit zina; and whoever does this (i.e. commits these sins of
shirk, murder and zina), he will meet the punishment (in Jahannum).
The punishment (in Jahannum) will be doubled for him on the Day of
Qiyaamah and he will remain therein humiliated.111

Hazrat Wahshi  then said, “As for myself, then I have

committed all these major sins, so do you find any chance for me
gaining forgiveness?”

Rasulullah  remained silent and did not reply, until

Allah  revealed the following verse of the Quraan Majeed:
َّ ّٰ َّ َّ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ َّ َّ‫ِالَّا َّم ۡن ت‬
‫ان اللہ غفوۡ ًرا‬ ‫اب َّو ّٰا َّم َّن َّو َّع ِم َّل َّعمَّلًا َّصال ًِحا فاولٰٓ ِئک ی َّب ِدل اللہ س ِیاتِ ِہم حسن ٍت ؕ و ک‬
َّ
﴾۷۰﴿ ‫ر ِح ۡی ًما‬
(The one who commits these sins of shirk, murder and zina will not be
forgiven and will be punished in Jahannum,) unless he repents, brings
Imaan, and carries out righteous deeds, for Allah will transform the evil

111
69-68 :‫سورة الفرقان‬
159
deeds of such people into good deeds, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Most
Merciful.112

On hearing this verse, Hazrat Wahshi  replied, “O

Muhammad ! Though in this verse, Allah  has
promised to forgive those people who have committed these sins
which I have committed, however their forgiveness is
conditional.

“The condition is that they should repent, bring Imaan and carry
out righteous deeds in their lives. How do I know whether I will
manage to fulfil this condition (and hence gain the forgiveness of
Allah )?”

Allah  then revealed the following verse:

َّ َّ َّ ّٰ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ
ۚ ‫ِان الل َّہ لَّا یَّغ ِفر ا ۡن یش َّرک ِب ٖہ َّو یَّغ ِفر َّما د ۡو َّن ذلِک ل َِّم ۡن یشٓاء‬
Indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be ascribed to Him, but He
forgives all other sins for whomsoever He wishes.113

Hearing this verse, Hazrat Wahshi  responded, “O

Muhammad ! I see that in this verse, Allah 
mentions that He will forgive the sins of those whom He wishes.
However, I do not know whether Allah  will wish to

112
70 :‫سورة الفرقان‬
113
48 :‫سورة النساء‬
160
 

forgive me or not. Is there anything else that you can tell me

(that will give me hope in me being forgiven)?”

Rasulullah  remained silent and did not reply, until

Allah  revealed the following verse of the Quraan Majeed:
َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ
‫ق ۡل ّٰی ِع َّبا ِد َّی ال ِذ ۡی َّن ا ۡس َّرف ۡوا َّعلٰۤیانف ِس ِہ ۡم لَّا تقنط ۡوا ِم ۡن ر ۡح َّم ِۃ الل ِہ ؕ ِان الل َّہ یَّغ ِفر الذن ۡو َّب َّج ِم ۡی ًعا ؕ ِان ٗہ‬
﴾۵۳﴿ ‫الر ِح ۡیم‬ َّ ‫ہوَّ الۡ َّغف ۡور‬

O My servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of

the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins, for He is Most Forgiving, Most
Merciful.114

When Hazrat Wahshi  heard this verse, he exclaimed, “Yes!

This verse (is the verse which has given me hope of me gaining
forgiveness)!” Saying this, he immediately embraced Islam.

The Sahaabah  then enquired from Rasulullah ,

“O Rasul of Allah ! In this verse, Allah  has
promised to forgive those who turn to Him in repentance. Does
this promise also apply to us?”

Rasulullah  replied, “This promise applies to all the

Muslims (who turn to Allah  in repentance).”115

114
53 :‫سورة الزمر‬
115
268/15 :‫ تفسري القرطيب‬،309-307/4 :‫ أسد الغابة‬،11314 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ جممع الزوائد‬،4072 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
161
From this incident, we see the great love that Allah  has
for His servants.

Allah  loves to forgive His servants. No matter how far a

person may be from deen, and how abundant and evil his sins
may be, if he turns to Allah  in sincere repentance and
makes a firm resolve to reform his condition, then Allah 
will definitely forgive him.

The Immense Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah 

It is reported in the Hadith Qudsi that Allah  says, “O son
of Aadam ! So long as you turn unto Me (in repentance)
and have hope in My forgiveness, I will forgive your sins, and I do
not care (there is no one to question My authority).

“O son of Aadam ! Even if your sins reach the clouds of the

sky and you then turn to Me, seeking My forgiveness, I will
forgive you and I do not care (there is no one to question My
authority).

“O son of Aadam ! If you come to Me with the whole earth

full of sins and you meet Me in a condition that you do not
ascribe any partners to Me, I will come to you with the whole
earth full of forgiveness.”116

116
‫ هذا حديث حسن غريب ال نعرفه إال من هذا الوجه‬:‫ وقال‬،3540 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
162
 

Thus, a believer should never become despondent and lose hope

in the mercy of Allah . So long as there is life, there is
hope.

May Allah  bless us all with the tawfeeq of constantly

turning to Him in repentance, aameen.

163
Never Lose Hope in the
Reformation of Any Person
Hazrat Abdullah bin Maslamah Qa’nabi  was among the
leading Muhadditheen of his era. He was the ustaad of many
eminent Muhadditheen, the likes of Imaam Bukhaari, Imaam
Muslim and Imaam Abu Dawood .

It is reported that in the beginning of his life, he would associate

with wrong company and would consume alcohol.

However, after coming into contact with the great Muhaddith

and saint, Imaam Shu’bah , there was a complete
transformation that entered his life and he became among the
stalwarts of Islam.

Below is the incident that led to his repentance and reformation:

Abdullah bin Maslamah was once seated at the door of his house,
waiting for his friends to arrive. While seated, he had seen the
great Muhaddith, Imaam Shu’bah , pass by his home, riding
on his donkey.

There were many people who were walking besides and behind
the donkey of Imaam Shu’bah , with the intention of
drawing benefit from his words and company.

On observing Imaam Shu’bah  and the large crowd of

people around him, Abdullah bin Maslamah asked someone
164
 

present, “Who is this person?” The man replied, “He is Imaam

Shu’bah .”

Abdullah bin Maslamah asked, “What is his occupation?” The

man replied, “He is a Muhaddith (a person who narrates the
Ahaadith of Rasulullah ).”

Hearing this, Abdullah bin Maslamah, who was wearing a red

lungi at that time, stood up and moved to meet Imaam Shu’bah
. Upon reaching Imaam Shu’bah , he addressed him in
an abrupt manner saying to him, “Narrate a Hadith to me.”

Looking at the outer appearance of Abdullah bin Maslamah,

Imaam Shu’bah  realized that this person was a person not
committed to deen.

Hence, Imaam Shu’bah  responded, “How can I narrate

Ahaadith to you while you are not from the students of Hadith!
(i.e. you are not dressed appropriately and you have not adopted
the etiquettes of those who wish to study the Mubaarak Ahaadith
of Rasulullah )”

When Abdullah bin Maslamah heard this, he became enraged. He

drew out his knife and threatened Imaam Shu’bah  saying,
“You either narrate a Hadith to me now or else I will stab you!”

Imaam Shu’bah  thus commenced narrating, “Mansoor

narrates from Rib’ee, who reports from Hazrat Abu Mas’ood
 that Rasulullah  said, ‘If you lack the quality of

165
hayaa (shame), then do as you please (i.e. when one loses his
hayaa (shame), then he will have no respect in him and he will be
prepared to commit any type of sin).’”

Imaam Shu’bah  was a personification of the Mubaarak

Sunnah of Rasulullah . Hence, when these words
emanated from his heart, they had such a profound impact upon
the heart of Abdullah bin Maslamah that he was immediately
overcome by remorse and sincerely repented for his sins.

He threw his knife to the ground, returned home and disposed of

all his alcohol.

He thereafter said to his mother, “My friends will soon arrive.

When they come then allow them to enter and feed them. Once
they have eaten, then inform them that I have changed my life
and disposed of all the wine.”

He then set out for Madinah Munawwarah with the intention of

changing his life and studying Hadith under the great Imaam of
the time, Imaam Maalik .

He remained with Imaam Maalik  until Allah  blessed

him with the wealth of deen and he became an Imaam in the
science of Hadith.117

117
158 ‫ صـ‬:‫كتاب التوابني البن قدامة‬
166
 

From this incident, we understand that one should never lose

hope in the reformation of any person.

There were many people who were leading lives of sin, but then
turned to Allah  in sincere repentance. They then
connected themselves to the special friends of Allah , and
reformed their lives through remaining in their company.

Thereafter, Allah  blessed them with such piety and

acceptance that they became role models for the ummah to
follow.

167
The Great Saint - Hazrat
Fudhail bin Iyaaz 
Hazrat Fudhail bin Iyaaz  was an eminent Muhaddith and
great saint of his era.

Allah  had blessed him with such a high rank in Hadith

that many of the leading Muhadditheen, the likes of Hazrat
Abdullah bin Mubaarak, Hazrat Sufyaan bin Uyainah and Imaam
Shaafi’ee  have narrated Hadith from him.

It is reported that prior to Hazrat Fudhail  being blessed

with the lofty rank of piety, he was known to be a notorious
highway robber. However, Allah  blessed him with the
tawfeeq to repent from his sins and reform his life.

Incident of His Repentance

On one occasion, a certain caravan was traveling on the road
where Fudhail would rob people. Among the people present in
the caravan was a Qaari who would recite the Quraan Majeed in
the most beautiful manner.

As the caravan passed by Fudhail, the Qaari was reciting the

following verse of the Quraan Majeed:

168
 

ّٰ ۡ َّ َّ ۡ َّ َّ ۡۤ َّ ۡ َّ
‫الَّ ۡم یَّا ِن لِل ِذ ۡی َّن ّٰا َّمن ۡوا ا ۡن تخشع قل ۡوبہ ۡم ل ِِذک ِر الل ِہ‬
Has the time not yet come for the believers’ hearts to be humbled for the
remembrance of Allah…?118

On hearing this verse, the heart of Fudhail was so affected that

he immediately turned to Allah  in repentance and left the
life of sin.

Thereafter, Hazrat Fudhail  exerted himself in ibaadah and

acquiring the knowledge of deen, until the time came when even
Haaroon Rasheed , the king of the time, began to visit him
to benefit from his advice.

The King, Haaroon Rasheed , Benefiting from the

Advice of Hazrat Fudhail bin Iyaaz 
It is reported that on one occasion, when Haaroon Rasheed 
performed hajj, he said to Fadhl bin Rabee, “I perceive a
weakness in my heart. Therefore, take me to some pious friend of
Allah  so that I may take advice from him and benefit from
his company.”

Fadhl suggested to him that they go to see Hazrat Sufyaan bin

Uyainah .

118
16 :‫سورة احلديد‬
169
When they came to the home of Hazrat Sufyaan  and
knocked on the door, Hazrat Sufyaan  received him with
great honour and respect.

Haaroon Rasheed  said to him, “The purpose for which I

have come is to seek advice from you.” Hazrat Sufyaan 
then gave him some general advice.

Eventually, when Haaroon Rasheed  wished to depart, he

asked Hazrat Sufyaan , “Do you have any debts that I can
assist you with settling?” Hazrat Sufyaan  replied in the
affirmative, and Haaroon Rasheed  instructed Fadhl to
settle his debts.

After leaving Hazrat Sufyaan , Haaroon Rasheed 

turned to Fadhl and said, “I did not benefit from Hazrat Sufyaan
 in the manner I wished.” (Perhaps Haaroon Rasheed 
was not satisfied as he felt that Hazrat Sufyaan  showed him
great respect and honour and did not show him any of his
weaknesses.) Fadhl thus suggested that they go to visit Imaam
Abdur Razzaaq .

Imaam Abdur Razzaaq  also received Haaroon Rasheed

 with great honour and gave him some general advices
upon his request.

Before departing, Haaroon Rasheed  asked him, “Do you

have any debts that I can assist you with settling?” When Imaam

170
 

Abdur Razzaaq  replied that he did have debts, Haaroon

Rasheed  instructed Fadhl to settle the debts.

Once again, when they departed, Haaroon Rasheed  said to

Fadhl, “I did not benefit from Imaam Abdur Razzaaq  in the
manner I wished. Find me the right person who I can refer to.”
Fadhl then suggested that they go to visit Hazrat Fudhail bin
Iyaaz .

Upon meeting Hazrat Fudhail , Haaroon Rasheed 

requested him to present him with some advice.

Hazrat Fudhail  said to him, “When Umar bin Abdil Azeez

 was appointed as the Khalifah, he called Saalim bin
Abdillah, Muhammad bin Ka’b and Rajaa bin Haywah  and
said to them, ‘I have been tested with this trial of rulership, so
please advise me.’”

Hazrat Fudhail  then said, “Umar bin Abdil Azeez  was

so concerned about the Khilaafah that he regarded it to be a test
and trial, whereas you regard it to be a blessing (and do not have
the same concern as him).”

Hazrat Fudhail  warned him that if he did not administrate

the affairs of the Khilaafah according to the dictates of the
shari’ah, then he would suffer the punishment of Jahannum. This
warning had such an effect on Haaroon Rasheed  that he
began to weep profusely.

171
When Haaroon Rasheed  wished to depart, he asked Hazrat
Fudhail , “Do you have any debts that I can assist you with
settling?” Hazrat Fudhail  replied, “Yes! I have debts which
are the rights that I owe to my Rabb. If you wish to assist me,
then you may do so.”

Haaroon Rasheed  then presented money to Hazrat Fudhail

 saying, “Here are a thousand dinars. Accept it from me as a
gift and spend it upon your dependents.”

Hazrat Fudhail  replied, “Subhaanallah! I have shown you

the path to gain salvation, and this is how you repay me? You are
giving this wealth to a person who has no need for it. You should
rather give it to one who requires it.”

When Haaroon Rasheed  and Fadhl thereafter left the home

of Hazrat Fudhail , Haaroon Rasheed  said to Fadhl, “O
Fadhl! When you wish to take me to a friend of Allah ,
then take me to a man like him! He is undoubtedly the leader of
all the Muslims!”119

Haaroon Rasheed  was greatly impressed with Hazrat

Fudhail  on account of the beautiful qualities which he
possessed – his fear for accountability in the Hereafter, his high
level of piety, his disinterest in the world, his commitment to
shari’ah and the Sunnah and his sincere advice to the king

119
358/2 :‫ عاملي اتريخ‬، 431-428/8 :‫سري أعالم النبالء‬
172
 

regarding the manner he should administrate the affairs of the

Khilaafah.

In essence, Haaroon Rasheed  bore testimony that Hazrat

Fudhail  was an embodiment of the Sunnah.

173
The Saint of His Time – Hazrat
Bishr Haafi 
Hazrat Bishr Haafi  was a renowned saint of his era. On one
occasion, a person asked him, “How did you attain the lofty
position of piety and righteousness which we see?” In reply,
Hazrat Bishr  mentioned the following:

Whatever I have been blessed with is purely out of the grace and
favour of Allah . My initial condition was that I was not
committed to deen.

One day, while walking, I saw a piece of paper on the floor. When
I picked it up, I found the name of Allah  written on it. I
raised my gaze to the sky and exclaimed, “O Allah! This is Your
blessed name that has been thrown onto the floor!”

I then cleaned the paper and placed it in my pocket with utmost

respect.

At that time, I only possessed two dirhams (silver coins). I

proceeded to the perfume shop, purchased perfume, and applied
the perfume to the piece of paper. Thereafter, I went home, and
placed it on a high shelf in the wall (niche).

That night, I had a dream in which I was told, “O Bishr! You

raised Our name, thus We will raise your name in this world and

174
 

the next!” It was on account of this action that Allah 

granted me this position.120

From this incident, we understand that when Hazrat Bishr Haafi

 showed honour and respect to the name of Allah ,
then Allah  blessed him with the tawfeeq of reforming his
life.

Apart from this, Allah  blessed him with the true

understanding of the Quraan and Ahaadith of Rasulullah
. Hence, he was counted among the Muhadditheen of
his era.

Such was his esteemed position that the great Imaam of his time,
Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  narrated Ahaadith from him
and benefited from his deep and profound knowledge.

The Ulama explain that showing respect to anything that is

associated with deen (e.g. the Quraan Majeed, the Mubaarak
Hadith, the musjid, the azaan, the Ulama, the Huffaaz, etc.) is the
means of gaining great blessings and acceptance from Allah
.

120
103/4 :‫ هتذيب الكمال‬، 216 ‫ صـ‬:‫كتاب التوابني البن قدامة‬
175
Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  Benefiting from
Hazrat Bishr Haafi 
The following incident sheds light on the deep understanding of
deen and the ma’rifat (recognition) of Allah  which Allah
 had blessed Hazrat Bishr Haafi  with, on account of
which Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  emulated him:

During the time of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal , there was a

certain doctor who was referred to as Abdur Rahmaan At-
Tabeeb.

He would treat Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  and Hazrat Bishr

Haafi  when they were ill. He says:

On one occasion, Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal  and Bishr

Haafi  were both sick.

While treating both, I observed a difference in the response of

both when I would ask them regarding their condition.

Whenever I asked Hazrat Bishr  how he was feeling, he

would first praise Allah  saying “Alhamdulillah”, and
thereafter inform me of his condition.

On the contrary, whenever I asked Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal

, how he was feeling, he would merely reply that he was
well. He would not explain to me the actual difficulty which he
was undergoing.

176
 

One day, I addressed Imaam Ahmad  and said, “Your

brother, Bishr , is sick, and when I ask him of his condition,
he commences by praising Allah  and thereafter informs
me of his condition.

“However, when I ask you regarding your condition, then you

merely say that you are well.”

When Imaam Ahmad  heard this, he said, “Enquire from

Bishr  as to who he learnt this from.”

I responded, “I feel difficult to ask him such a question.”

Imaam Ahmad  thus said to me, “Tell him, ‘Your brother,

Abu Abdillah (Imaam Ahmad ), wishes to enquire from you
as to who you learnt this from.’”

When I thereafter went to Bishr , I conveyed to him the

question of Imaam Ahmad .

Hearing the question, he said, “The way of Ahmad  is that

he does not practise on any knowledge without verifying its
source.”

Hazrat Bishr  then said, “Azhar  narrates from Ibnu

Awn , who narrates that Ibnu Seereen  said, ‘When a
servant praises Allah  before expressing his difficulty and
condition, then his expression is not regarded as a complaint
(against the decree of Allah ).’”

177
Hazrat Bishr  then said, “Whenever you ask me regarding
my condition, and I inform you of the difficulty that I am
undergoing, then I only do so in order to express my weakness
and show you the power that Allah  has over me.”

After receiving this answer, I proceeded to Ahmad  and

informed him of what Bishr  had said.

From that day onwards, whenever I would go to Ahmad 

and ask him regarding his condition, he would first praise Allah
 and thereafter inform me of his condition.121

From this incident, we understand the following:

1. The knowledge of deen should be verified from the rightly-

guided Ulama before one practises upon it.

2. When one is going through any difficulty, he should praise

Allah  by saying ‘Alhamdulillah’, showing Allah 
that he is pleased with Allah  and His decree, despite
the difficulty he experiences.

3. At the time of difficulty, one should say ‘Alhamdulillah’,

thereby remembering the countless favours of Alah 
upon him and expressing gratitude to Allah , even at
this time.

121
245 ‫ صـ‬:‫مناقب اإلمام أمحد البن اجلوزي‬
178
 

4. When one says ‘Alhamdulillah’ before expressing one’s

difficulty, it is clear that one is not complaining against the
decree of Allah  .

5. It is Sunnah for one to adopt the halaal means in treating

one’s illness.

May Allah  bless us with the true understanding of deen

and the tawfeeq of treading in the footsteps of our pious
predecessors.

179
Tears of Repentance – the
Water to Cleanse the Heart
Hazrat Shah Ruknuddeen  was a great Aalim and saint who
lived in Multan. Allah  had blessed him with great
acceptance among the people. On the Day of Jumu’ah, his musjid
would be filled to capacity with people coming from far and wide
to benefit from him.

Once, the king, Ghiyaathuddeen Tughluq, turned to his advisor,

Moulana Zaheeruddeen, and asked him, “I notice that the
karaamaat (miracles) of Shah Ruknuddeen  are well known
among the people. Tell me, which one of his many karaamat do
you regard to be the greatest?”

Moulana Zaheeruddeen  replied, “What can be a greater

karaamat than the fact that without him inviting people, they
flock to his gathering!”

Moulana Zaheerudden  mentions:

Since the king had posed this question to me, I felt obliged to
give him a suitable answer. However, deep down in my heart, I
was not convinced regarding the piety of Shah Ruknuddeen
. I felt that perhaps people are not flocking to him on
account of his piety. Rather, it is possible that he has some amal
(spiritual exercise) through which people are attracted to him.

180
 

With this thought in mind, I decided that I should go to Shah

Ruknuddeen  the following day to test him and determine
whether he was a true saint or not.

I decided that on meeting him, I would ask him regarding the

wisdom behind certain laws of shari’ah. In specific, I intended to
ask him regarding the wisdom behind washing the hands,
gargling the mouth and inserting water into the nose at the
beginning of the wudhu.

After planning this, I went to sleep, and while asleep, I saw in a

dream that I had visited Shah Ruknuddeen . On meeting
him, he received me as a guest and presented a sweet dish to me
from which I partook.

When I awoke the following morning, I was quite surprised

regarding the dream I had seen, and was even more surprised to
find that I could still taste the sweet dish in my mouth! In fact,
the delicious taste remained in my mouth for the entire day!

Despite seeing this dream, my heart was not affected and my

opinion regarding Shah Ruknuddeen  did not change. I
thought to myself, “People see dreams all the time, and shaitaan
is capable of making a person see a dream like this. Hence, I
should not pay any attention to this dream.” Thus, I set out to
meet him, with reservations in my heart.

When I reached his khanqah, he greeted me with salaam and

made musaafahah (shook hands) with me. Thereafter, he
181
addressed me saying, “Moulana! I am happy that you have come!
My heart desired to engage in an ilmi (academic) discussion, and
hence I have been looking for an Aalim of deen such as yourself!
It is good that you have come!”

After welcoming me in this manner, he commenced the

discussion saying, “Allah  has blessed us with a deen of
extreme purity and cleanliness. Such is the purity and
cleanliness of this deen that no person can object to any
injunction of the shari’ah.

“Consider the example of wudhu. When making wudhu, Allah

 instructs us to first wash our hands, then gargle our
mouths, and thereafter insert water into our noses. What is the
wisdom behind this?”

As Shah Ruknuddeen  mentioned this, Moulana

Zaheeruddeen  realized that Shah Ruknuddeen  was
discussing the very questions that he had planned to test Shah
Ruknuddeen  with the previous night.

Shah Ruknuddeen  then continued and said, “If a person is

ignorant and lacks the understanding of deen, then he will
wonder, ‘What is the wisdom behind these injunctions?’
However, in reality, there is great wisdom behind these
injunctions.

“The reason is that shari’ah has made it incumbent upon us to

cleanse our bodies using clean water. Clean water is that water
182
 

which does not have any colour, taste and smell. If we examine
the first three actions of wudhu, we will find that they help us to
determine whether the water has these three qualities (no
colour, taste and smell), thereby qualifying it for wudhu.

“The first quality is the colour of the water. Through taking a

handful of water to wash the hands, one will be able to see
whether the colour of the water has changed in any way.

“The second quality is taste. Through gargling, one will be able

to gauge the taste of the water.

“The third quality is the smell of the water, and through

inserting water into the nose, a person will be able to determine
whether the smell of the water has changed.

“This is the beauty of our wonderful shari’ah – there are great

benefits and wisdoms behind every injunction and command,
whether big or small (some of which we comprehend, and some
which we don’t). Such is the wisdom behind the laws of shari’ah
that a person’s intellect can never object to the shari’ah.”

Shah Ruknuddeen  then said, “Moulana! This is the

injunction of shari’ah regarding a person who does not have
wudhu – that he should cleanse certain limbs with water.

“As for the person who is in the state of janaabah, then shari’ah
commands him to perform ghusl and wash his entire body. If we
examine this injunction, then outwardly, it seems to be strange.

183
A person is intimate with his own wife, yet it causes his entire
body to enter the state of janaabah, and it will remain in this
state until he performs ghusl. This is well known to all people.

“However, janaabah is merely a physical form of impurity due to

which the physical body requires purification. In comparison to
this, there is another type of impurity – the impurity of the heart
– and this also requires purification. However, what causes the
impurity of the heart?

“We have seen that when a person is intimate with his own wife,
who is halaal for him, it causes his entire body to become
impure. When this is the case, then imagine the effect on a
person’s heart when he remains in the company of evil and
sinful people, who are engaged in sins, and people who are far
from deen and are not committed to the shari’ah? Imagine the
great impurity that it creates in his heart!

“Nevertheless, the question is, ‘We know how to purify our

bodies through wudhu and ghusl, but the question is, ‘How do we
purify our hearts when our hearts become immersed in sins?’”

At this point, Moulana Zaheeruddeen  could no longer hold

back his tears and began to weep. He realized that without him
even mentioning his questions, Shah Ruknuddeen  had
begun to discuss them and had addressed all the objections in his
mind.

184
 

He realized that Shah Ruknuddeen  was indeed a great saint

and thus felt remorseful over his conduct and the ill-opinion he
had entertained regarding him.

Moulana Zaheeruddeen  turned to Shah Ruknuddeen 

and exclaimed, “Hazrat! I am completely ignorant in regard to
matters of the heart and the purification of the heart. Please, you
tell me the answer!”

Shah Ruknuddeen  replied, “When the body is impure, then

clean water is used to cleanse it and purify it. As for the person
whose heart is impure, then he also requires ‘water’ to cleanse it.

“However, the ‘water’ which he requires to clean the heart is the

‘water’ of the eyes. When the servant weeps to Allah  in
repentance and is remorseful over his sins, then through his
weeping in regret, Allah  purifies his heart.”122

ِ 122
272-267 ‫ صـ‬:‫كرمات أولياء للشيخ يوسف متاال رمحه هللا‬
185
Appreciating the Blessing of
Life
Hazrat Dawood bin Dinaar  was a great Imaam in the field of
Hadith and the teacher of renowned Muhadditheen, the likes of
Imaam Shu’bah  and Imaam Wakee’ .

During his lifetime, a plague struck the region of Khuraasaan

where he lived. There were many people who had fallen ill
during the plague and many who lost their lives.

Hazrat Dawood bin Dinaar  was among those who was

afflicted by the plague and had fallen ill. However, since Allah
 did not decree death for him at that time, Allah 
blessed him with shifaa from the plague and made this sickness a
means of his spiritual progress.

He reports that during the period of his illness, he had once

fallen unconscious, and in this state, he was shown a vision in
which the roof of his home split open and two angels descended
upon him from the sky.

One angel sat at his head side, while the other sat at his feet. The
angel seated near his feet began to examine the soles of his feet,
while the angel seated at his head side opened his mouth and
examined his tongue as well as the inner portion of his mouth.

186
 

The angel examining his feet informed the angel seated at his
head side, “I find that he frequently uses these feet to walk to the
musjid for salaah.”

In other words, the angel was indicating that he is among those

who walk to the musjid for salaah and acquire the immense
reward mentioned in the Ahaadith for those who walk to the
musjid - that for every step they take, one virtue is recorded, one
rank is raised and one sin is erased from their book of deeds.

The angel examining his tongue and mouth then informed the
angel seated at his feet, “I find his tongue and mouth to be moist
with tahmeed (reciting Alhamdulillah), tasbeeh (reciting
Subhaanallah) and the zikr of Allah . However, I find that
his recitation of the Quraan Majeed is little.”

In other words, the angel was indicating that despite Hazrat

Dawood bin Dinaar  being among the high-ranking
Muhadditheen of his time, and engaging in the service of the
Mubaarak Hadith, the thing lacking in his life was the recitation
of the Quraan Majeed. Hence, he was being apprised of his
weakness via an angel.

Thereafter, the one angel said to the other, “His time to leave
this world has not yet arrived.” Saying this, the roof of his home
opened and the two angels departed, after which the roof closed
once more.

187
Upon regaining consciousness, Hazrat Dawood bin Dinaar 
realized that Allah  had blessed him with the chance of life
to make amends for his weakness. He thus began reciting
abundant Quraan Majeed and also engaged in acquiring the
various sciences of knowledge that relate to the Quraan
Majeed.123

From this incident, we understand that when Allah 

wishes to bless a servant, then in unique and mysterious ways,
Allah  brings to his attention his weaknesses and grants
him the tawfeeq to reform his life.

Engaging in Daily Introspection

We are taught in the Mubaarak Hadith that upon awakening, we
should recite the masnoon dua:

‫ا يحل يمد ِِلِ ال ِذ يي أ يحياان بـ يعد ما أماتـنا وإِليي ِه النش يوير‬

All praise is due to Allah who granted us life after death and to Him
alone will we be returned.124

In this dua, we are reminded that with the dawning of every new
day, Allah  is blessing us with another opportunity of life
and a chance to reform our lives and set our affairs in order
before our time in this world expires.

123
131-17129 :‫اتريخ دمشق‬
124
6314 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
188
 

Hence, every day, a person should examine his life and identify
his shortcomings and weaknesses. He should then make a
concerted effort to rectify his life and fulfill the rights he owes to
Allah  and the creation.

After his five daily salaah, he should make dua to Allah  to

bless him with the tawfeeq to uphold deen in his entire life.

Among the masnoon duas which Rasulullah  had

taught the ummah to recite is the following dua:

‫آخره وخ يري عملِ يي خواتِييمه وخ يري أاي ِم يي يـ يوم أليقاك فِيي ِه‬
ِ ‫اللهم اجعل خري عم ِري‬
‫ي‬ ‫ي ي ي‬
O Allah! Make the best portion of my life the last portion, the best actions
of my life the last actions before I leave this world, and the best day of
my life the day in which I meet You.”125

May Allah  grant us the tawfeeq of reforming our lives and

coming upon the complete Sunnah of Rasulullah , and
may Allah  make the best day of our lives the day in which
we meet Him.

125
‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح غري عبد هللا بن حممد أيب عبد الرمحن‬،9448 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ املعجم األوسط‬،121 :‫ الرقم‬،‫عمل اليوم والليلة البن السين‬
17268 :‫ الرقم‬:‫األذرمي وهو ثقة كذا يف جممع الزوائد‬
189
The Day of Judgment – The Day
of Regret for Many
In the Quraan Majeed, the Day of Qiyaamah has been referred to
by various names. Some of these names are the “Day of
Recompense and Repayment”, the “Day of Gathering”, the “Day
of Loss and Gain” (i.e. loss for the disbelievers and gain for the
believers), and the “Day of Meeting” (i.e. meeting Allah ).

When we examine these names, we find that each name reflects

the condition that will prevail on the Day of Qiyaamah.

Among the names of the Day of Qiyaamah is also the “Day of

Regret”. This day will be a day of immense regret for the
disbelievers, as Allah  explains in the Quraan Majeed:
َّ ۡ ۡ ۡ َّ
ۘ ‫َّو ان ِذ ۡرہ ۡم یَّ ۡو َّم ال َّح ۡس َّر ِۃ ِاذ ق ِض َّی الۡا ۡمر‬

(O Muhammad !) Warn them (the disbelievers) regarding the

Day of Regret, when the decision will be passed (i.e. for them to be
entered into the fire of Jahannum and dwell therein for eternity).126

From this, we understand that the Day of Qiyaamah will be a day

of unimaginable and inconceivable regret for the disbelievers.

126
39 :‫سورة مرمي‬
190
 

However, just as it will be a day of great remorse and regret for

the disbelievers, it will also be, to some extent, a day of remorse
and regret for certain believers.

The Only Regret of the People of Jannah

In regard to the regret of the believers, Rasulullah 
said, “(Prior to entering Jannah,) the only regret which the
people of Jannah will have will be the time and moments which
passed by (in the world) without them remembering Allah
.”127

When Allah  will be granting great and magnificent

rewards to His special servants for the time they spent in His
remembrance, other believers will be filled with sorrow and
remorse over the valuable time and opportunities they wasted in
the world without remembering Allah .

Incident of Hazrat Maysarah bin Masrooq Abasi 

Below is a thought-provoking incident which highlights the
great value of Imaan and life, and the importance of not
procrastinating in carrying out good deeds.

127
‫ رواه الطرباين ورجاله ثقات ويف شيخ الطرباين حممد بن إبراهيم‬:16746 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،182 :‫ الرقم‬،‫رواه الطرباين‬
‫الصوري خالف‬
191
Abdullah bin Waabisah Abasi reports the following incident from
his grandfather. This incident had transpired before his
grandfather embraced Islam. He mentions:

On one occasion, during the beginning days of Islam, Rasulullah

 came to us while we were in our camp in Mina. At the
time when Rasulullah  came to us, he was riding his
conveyance while Zaid bin Haarithah  was seated behind
him. Rasulullah  then spoke to us and invited us to
Islam.

However, by Allah, we did not accept his invitation, and

goodness was not decreed for us at that time. We had heard of
him before this and we had also heard him inviting people to
Islam during the days of hajj. Now when he stood before us and
invited us to Islam, we did not respond and accept his message.

Among our group was a man named Maysarah bin Masrooq

Abasi. After hearing the message and invitation of Rasulullah
, he explained to his people, “I take an oath by Allah! If
we accept the message of this man and we take him with us, until
we make him settle in our midst and live among us, then we will
be doing that which is wise and beneficial for us! I swear by Allah
and I feel that his message will prevail and go far and wide!”

However, the people of his clan said, “Leave us out of this and do
not involve us in something that is beyond our ability to
manage.” Nevertheless, seeing that he had shown some

192
 

inclination, Rasulullah  became hopeful of Maysarah

accepting Islam and thus spoke to him further.

After hearing the blessed words and message of Rasulullah

, Maysarah responded saying, “How excellent are your
words and how they radiate with noor! I wish that I could accept
you and help you, but my clan have opposed me, and a man is
always in need of his people. If a man’s own clan is not prepared
to assist him, then it is even more unlikely that he will be able to
acquire assistance from others.”

On receiving this response, Rasulullah  turned and left,

and the Banu Abas clan also departed, returning to their families.

On the return journey, Maysarah said to his fellow clansmen,

“Let us take a detour through Fadak, as the Jews reside there and
we will be able to enquire from them as to whether they have
any knowledge regarding this man who has claimed
prophethood.”

His clansmen agreed, and thus they came to Fadak.

On coming to Fadak and placing their enquiry before the Jews,

the Jews took out a portion of their holy scripture, the Tauraah,
and then began to read the description of the final Nabi which
was recorded in their scripture.

193
The description they read was:

The final Nabi will be unlettered and will come from the land of Arabia.
He will ride the camel as his conveyance and he will suffice on a few
pieces of bread as his food. He will be neither excessively tall nor very
short (but of medium height). His hair will neither be curly nor straight.
His eyes will have a tinge of redness (i.e. the white of his eyes will be
tinged with redness).

The Jews then said, “If the man who invited you to his deen fits
this description, then accept his message and embrace his deen.

“As far as we are concerned then we will not follow him as our
hearts are filled with jealousy for him. We know that we will
fight battles against him in different places as well. From the
Arabs, every person will either follow him or fight against him,
so ensure that you are among those who follow him.”

When Maysarah heard this, he addressed his clan and said, “O

people! This issue, of whether Rasulullah  is the true
Prophet of Allah , is now absolutely clear!” However, his
people procrastinated and said, “When we return for hajj next
year, we will meet him and embrace Islam.”

They thus returned to their homeland, and the other men of

their clan did not accept what they said and did not wish to do as
they suggested. In this manner, years passed, until Rasulullah
 performed hijrah to Madinah Munawwarah. Finally,
when Rasulullah  returned to Makkah Mukarramah to
194
 

perform the farewell hajj, Maysarah met him and recognised

him.

Maysarah came to Rasulullah  and said, “O Rasul of

Allah ! From the day you stopped your conveyance by
us and spoke to us, I continued to wish that I could come to you,
accept Islam and follow you. However, something always came
up, and in this manner, time continued to pass. Hence, as you can
see, my embracing Islam has been delayed until now.

“As for my other clansmen whom you had addressed in Mina,

they have all passed away. Tell me, O Nabi of Allah !
Where is their abode, in Jannah or Jahannum?”

Rasulullah  replied, “Every person who dies on a deen

besides Islam will be in Jahannum.” Hearing this, Maysarah
exclaimed, “All praise is due to Allah who saved me from
Jahannum!”

He thereafter embraced Islam and became a pious, sincere

Muslim, to the extent that he was even held in high regard by
Hazrat Abu Bakr  during the period of his Khilaafah.128

128
‫ وقد ذكران من ذلك طرفا‬... ‫ وقال وقد استقصى اإلمام حممد بن عمر الواقدي فقص خرب القبائل واحدة واحدة‬،146/3 ‫البداية والنهاية‬
116-114/1 :‫ حياة الصحابة‬،‫صاحلا وهلل احلمد واملنة‬
195
The Evil of Photography
On one occasion, while Rasulullah  was out on a
journey, Hazrat Aaishah  hung a curtain with pictures of
animate objects on the door.

At that time, Hazrat Aaishah  was unaware that pictures of

animate objects were prohibited.

When Rasulullah  arrived at his home and his sight fell

on the curtain, he was greatly displeased. Hazrat Aaishah 
greeted him, but he did not reply to her greeting and
immediately went to the curtain and tore it.

On seeing the reaction of Rasulullah , Hazrat Aaishah

 realised that she had committed a serious mistake, on
account of which the Rasul of Allah  was displeased
with her.

With extreme humility and remorse, she exclaimed, “O Rasul of

Allah ! I turn to Allah  and His Rasul  in
repentance! Explain to me the sin that I have committed.”

The heart of Hazrat Aaishah  was so filled with the love of

Allah  and His Rasul  that she could not tolerate
their displeasure for a single moment. Hence, even though she
did not have knowledge of the sin she had committed, she first
hastened towards taubah and thereafter begged Rasulullah

199
 to explain to her the sin that she committed in order
that she does not repeat it in future.

Rasulullah  then explained to her the evil consequence

of those involved in the grave sin of picture-making. Rasulullah
 said, “O Aaishah! Indeed the people who are involved
in making pictures of animate objects will be subjected to the
worst punishment on the Day of Qiyaamah.”129

It should be borne in mind that just as making pictures of

animate objects is haraam, similarly keeping such pictures is also
impermissible. Hazrat Jaabir  reports that Rasulullah
 prohibited keeping pictures of animate objects in the
home, and also prohibited making such pictures.130

The Picture-Maker Receiving the Severest Punishment

on the Day of Qiyaamah
The severity of the sin of photography can be gauged from the
Hadith in which Rasulullah  mentioned that among
those who will be subjected to the severest of punishments on
the Day of Qiyaamah are the following three people - the one
who kills a Nabi or is killed by a Nabi, the leader who misguides

129
9187 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ مستخرج أيب عوانة‬، 5954، 2105 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
130
‫ حديث جابر حديث حسن صحيح‬:‫ وقال‬،1749 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
200
his people, and the one who is involved in picture-making of
animate objects.131

Imagine how serious is the sin of photography that Rasulullah

 mentioned the picture-maker together with the one
who killed a Nabi of Allah  or the leader of a nation who
misguides his people!

In one Hadith, it is reported that Rasulullah  said that

every photographer will be in the fire of Jahannum.132 In another
Hadith, Rasulullah  said, “The angels (of mercy) do not
enter the home wherein there are pictures (of animate
objects).”133

The Creature in Jahannum which will Punish the

Picture-Makers
In the Hadith of Sunan Tirmizi, it recorded that on the Day of
Qiyaamah, the head of a creature will be seen coming out from
the fire of Jahannum. It will have two eyes with which it will see,
two ears with which it will hear, and a tongue with which it will
speak.

131
6 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شرح مشكل اآلاثر‬
132
2110 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
133
2105 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
201
It will say, “I have been commanded to punish three categories of
people; every oppressor who defies the commands of Allah
, every person who called unto a god besides Allah ,
and those who engage in making pictures of animate objects.”

Thereafter, the creature will catch hold of these people and

plunge them into Jahannum.134

Rasulullah  Not Entering the Ka’bah Shareef

due to the Idols Inside
On the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, Rasulullah 
wished to enter the Ka’bah Shareef, but refrained from entering
due to idols being present in the Ka’bah Shareef.

Hence, Rasulullah first instructed that the idols be

removed from the Ka’bah Shareef, and thereafter he entered the
Ka’bah Shareef.135

After entering the Ka’bah Shareef, Rasulullah  had seen

drawings of animate objects on the inner-walls of the Ka’bah
Shareef. Rasulullah  cursed those who were responsible
for drawing these pictures and thereafter instructed that these
drawings be erased. 136

134
‫ هذا حديث حسن صحيح غريب‬:‫ وقال‬،2574 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
135
465/3 :‫شرح الزرقاين على املواهب اللدنية‬
136
483/3 :‫شرح الزرقاين على املواهب اللدنية‬
202
Being Deprived of Barakah and the Presence of the
Angels
In today’s times, one of the greatest causes for the homes of the
Muslims being devoid of barakah and bereft of blessings is that
there are various devices in the homes which contain pictures of
animate objects.

On account of these pictures, the angels of mercy do not enter

the home, and such homes do not enjoy peace and the blessings
of Allah .

As a result of the sinful activities which take place in such homes,

the inhabitants of these homes experience discord, unhappiness
and disunity.

When one has to analyze the root cause for the deeni decline, or
the breakdown of many marriages, or the involvement in sins
perpetrated via social media networks, then one will realize that
these problems are in some way associated with the evil of
photography.

Hence, the only way to rectify our relationship with Allah 

and bring goodness into our deen is that we adhere to the
teachings of Rasulullah  and shun all forms of
photography.

203
May Allah  bless us with the tawfeeq of upholding the
commands of shari’ah and following the Sunnah of Rasulullah
 in all facets of our lives.

204
The Evil Consequence of Wine,
Drugs and Intoxicants
When we compare the deen of Islam to the previous religions, we
find that Islam did not only declare sinful actions and evil deeds
to be haraam, but also declared the pathways that lead to sin and
evil as haraam. This has been done in order to protect a person
and secure him from falling into sin.

Consider the example of wine which was permissible in the

previous religions, but has been declared impermissible in Islam.
The reason for Islam declaring wine as haraam is that the harms
of wine outweigh the benefits, and it is a means which leads one
to committing many other sins.

Allah  mentions in the Quraan Majeed:

ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡۤ ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ ٌّ ۡ َّ ٌّ ۡ ۡۤ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ
ؕ ‫اس ۫ َّو ِاثمہ َّما اکبَّر ِم ۡن نف ِع ِہ َّما‬
ِ ‫یسـِٔلونک ع ِن الخم ِر و المی ِس ِرؕ ق ۡل فِی ِہما ِاثم ک ِبیر و منافِع لِلن‬
They ask you (O Rasulullah ) regarding wine and gambling.
Say, “In them is great sin and some benefit for people, and their sin is
greater than their benefit.”137

137
219 :‫سورة البقرة‬
205
The Mother of All Evils
The Hadith has mentioned that wine is the mother of all sins and
evils. Hazrat Uthmaan  mentioned, “Abstain from wine, for
it is the mother of all evils and immoralities.”138

The reason for the Hadith considering wine to be the mother of

all sins and evils is that once a person drinks wine, he will
become intoxicated, and in the state of intoxication, he will
commit the vilest of crimes and most heinous of sins.

Incident of a Man from the Previous Nations

In regard to wine opening the door to all sins and evils, Hazrat
Uthmaan  reports the following incident. He says:

There was a man from the nations before you who had devoted
himself to worshipping Allah . However, an unchaste and
immoral woman had fallen in love with him.

Hence, one day, she sent her slave girl to him saying, “We
request you to come to us so that you may bear testimony to
some of our affairs.” The man obliged and thus set out with the
slave girl, proceeding to the woman’s home.

On coming to the woman’s home and entering, the slave girl

locked the door behind him. Thereafter, he was taken further

138
189/3 ‫ وإسناده صحيح كما يف تفسري ابن كثري‬،5666 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن النسائي‬
206
into the home, and whenever he passed through a door, she
locked it behind him.

Finally, he arrived in the presence of the woman and saw that

she was beautiful and attractive. He also saw that she had with
her a young boy and a utensil filled with wine.

The woman addressed him saying, “By Allah! I did not call you
here for the purpose of bearing testimony. Rather, I called you
here so that you may commit zina with me, or drink one glass of
wine from this utensil, or kill this young boy.”

Forced to choose between these three evils, the man said, “Give
me a glass of this wine to drink.” The woman thus gave him a
glass to drink.

However, after drinking it, he asked for another glass, and

continued drinking in this manner until he (became drunk and
intoxicated, and in this state, he) also committed zina with the
woman and killed the young boy.

After narrating this incident, Hazrat Uthmaan  said,

“Abstain from wine, for by Allah, if Imaan and the addiction to
wine are combined in a person, then one will certainly cause the
person to come out from the other (i.e. either Imaan will cause
him to leave the wine, or the wine will cause him to leave
Imaan).” See 138

207
Intoxicants – The Destructive Weapon of Iblees
It is reported that Hazrat Abu Moosa Ash’ari  mentioned
that every morning, Iblees dispatches his armies throughout the
earth. At the time of dispatching them, he announces, “The one
who leads a Muslim most astray – I will place a crown upon his
head.”

Thereafter, the various shayaateen return to Iblees and report to

him their accomplishments for the day. One shaitaan says to
him, “I continued to misguide so-and-so, until he eventually
divorced his wife.” Hearing this, Iblees is not very impressed and
says, “Soon, he will remarry.”

Another shaitaan comes forward and says, “I continued to

misguide so-and-so until he became disobedient to his parents.”
Hearing this, Iblees merely responds, “Soon, he will begin to
obey them once again.”

Yet another shaitaan then comes forward and says, “I continued

to mislead so-and-so until he committed zina.” When Iblees
hears this, he becomes pleased and says, “You are the one who
has accomplished something great!”

A fourth shaitaan then presents himself before Iblees and says, “I

continued to make an effort on so-and-so until he began to drink
wine.” On hearing this, Iblees becomes extremely happy and
says, “You are the one who has really achieved something!”

208
Finally, a fifth shaitaan comes to Iblees and says, “I continued to
lead so-and-so astray until he committed murder.” Hearing this,
Iblees is most pleased and exclaims, “You are the one! You are
the one who has achieved the greatest accomplishment!”139

From this Hadith, we understand the evil consequence of

consuming liquor as well as getting involved in all intoxicants –
that it is the root cause for one committing major sins and
disobeying Allah .

In fact, in the Mubaarak Hadith, it is mentioned that the one who

consumes wine or liquor, it is as though his Imaan leaves him for
that moment.

Rasulullah  said, “The one committing zina is not a

mu’min at the time when he is committing zina. The one
consuming wine is not a mu’min at the time when he is
consuming wine. The thief is not a mu’min at the time when he is
stealing.”140

May Allah  save the ummah from falling into this

destructive sin of consuming wine, drugs and all other
intoxicants.

139
36 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مكائد الشيطان البن أيب الدنيا‬
140
5578 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
209
Innovations in Deen
The two main traps of shaitaan to mislead man are the traps of
wealth and women. These two traps are extremely destructive,
and most of the sins which take place in the world stem from
these two traps.

Rasulullah  said, “Indeed, the world is sweet and lush

(i.e. attractive and enticing), and Allah  has appointed you
as vicegerents in the world, so that He may examine your
conduct and behaviour in the world. Hence, beware of the fitnah
of the dunya (i.e. the fitnah of wealth) and the fitnah of women,
as the first fitnah of the Banu Israa’eel was the fitnah of
women.”141

Apart from the traps of wealth and woman, another fatal trap
which shaitaan uses to destroy the deen of many people is the
trap of bid’aat (innovated practices in deen).

The Sin from which People Do Not Make Taubah

When shaitaan learnt that the door of taubah is open to Nabi
Aadam  and his progeny until the end of their lives, and he
realised that a lifetime’s effort of misleading man will be ‘washed
down the drain’ in a few seconds through a believer shedding

141
2742 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
210
tears of taubah before Allah , then he devised a plan
whereby he would be able to stop man from making taubah.

Shaitaan said that he will engage people in such deeds which will
be haraam, but they will not regard it to be haraam, due to which
they will not make taubah and seek forgiveness from Allah
.

He will immerse them in the evil of bid’aat (innovated practices)

and other similar wrongs which he will beautify before them,
until they will begin to justify their wrongs. On account of them
not regarding the wrongs to be sins, they will not turn to Allah
 in taubah.

Hazrat Abu Bakr  reports that Rasulullah  said,

“Hold firmly to the recitation of Laa ilaaha illallah and to
istighfaar (repentance), and ensure that you engage in them
abundantly, for Iblees said, ‘I destroyed people through involving
them in sins, and they destroyed me through reciting Laa ilaaha
illallah and engaging in istighfaar.

“‘When I saw that, then I destroyed them through involving

them in their desires (i.e. innovated practices or wrong practices
which they justify). Hence, they regard themselves to be rightly
guided (and therefore do not make istighfaar).”142

142
422/7 ‫ وسنده ضعيف كما يف إحتاف اخلرية املهرة‬،136 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب يعلى‬
211
The Plan of Iblees
Imaam Awzaa’ee  mentions that Iblees said to his armies,
“What will you use in your effort to misguide man?” They
replied, “We will use everything possible to attack him!”

Iblees then asked, “Will you be able to stop them from engaging
in istighfaar?” They replied, “That is very difficult! That is
something that is attached to tauheed!”

Iblees then thought of a plan and said, “Certainly I will make

certain sins common among them for which they will not repent
to Allah  (due to regarding these sins as permissible).”
Thereafter, Iblees began to involve them in actions which they
justified due to their desires.”143

From this Hadith, one understands that prior to Qiyaamah, there

will be many impermissible practices which will become
common. People will justify these practices and will not deem
them to be sins and crimes in deen.

As a result, they will continue to engage in these practices and

will not repent, as they will regard them to be general practices
or norms of society.

143
‫ ورواته ثقات‬،316 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الدارمي‬
212
Among these sins are intermingling of sexes, involvement in
photography, women going out to the workplaces and
interacting freely with the opposite gender.

Similarly, there are many business trends which are such that
upon close examination and inspection, one realizes that they
resemble the kuffaar ribaa systems, though presented in a
different form. All these form part of the plot of shaitaan.

The Prophecy of Rasulullah 

In regard to the latter period close to Qiyaamah, Rasulullah
 had also apprised the ummah of these plots of
shaitaan materialising and becoming a reality in his ummah.
Rasulullah  said:

“O my Sahaabah! What will be the condition of my ummah when

your youth will commit sin openly and your women will
transgress all limits?” The Sahaabah  asked, “Will such a
time ever dawn upon the ummah?” Nabi  said, “Yes,
and even worse.”

Nabi  then said, “O my Sahaabah! What will be the

condition of my ummah when you will stop enjoining good and
forbidding evil?” The Sahaabah  asked, “Will such a time
ever dawn upon the ummah?” Nabi  said, “Yes, and
even worse.”

213
Nabi  then said, “O my Sahaabah! What will be the
condition of my ummah at that time when you consider wrong
to be right and right to be wrong?”144

144
1376 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ الزهد والرقائق البن املبارك‬،7404 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وسنده ضعيف كما يف إحتاف اخلرية املهرة‬،6420 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أيب يعلى‬
214
Incident of the Muazzin who
Lost His Imaan due to Not
Observing Purdah
It is reported that there was once a muazzin named Saalih in the
city of Baghdad. He was known for his piety and was blessed to
call out the azaan for forty years!

However, it was a single, poisonous glance that destroyed this

man and rendered his forty years of calling out the azaan
worthless. His lamentable downfall transpired in the following
manner:

One day, while Saalih was climbing the minaret to call out the
azaan, his gaze fell on the daughter of the Christian neighbour
whose home was adjacent to the musjid. As soon as his gaze fell
on her, he became infatuated and fell in love with her.

He thus came to her house and knocked on the door. The girl
called out from inside the home, “Who is there?” he replied,
“Saalih, the muazzin.”

When the girl opened the door, he entered the home and
embraced her. The Christian girl was shocked and exclaimed,
“You people (i.e. the Muslims) are the ones in whom people
trust, so how is it that you are behaving in this deceitful
manner?”

215
He replied, “I really want to be with you and marry you, and if
you do not agree to marry me, then I will kill you.”

The girl retorted saying, “I am only prepared to marry you if you

leave your religion.” There and then, the muazzin left Islam and
declared, “I disassociate myself from Islam and from the deen
which Muhammad  brought.”

However, the girl was still not satisfied and said, “You only spoke
these words so that you can have your way with me. After you
are done with me, you will return to your Deen. To prove that
you truly wish to be with me, eat some pork.”

Without hesitating, Saalih placed the pork into his mouth and
consumed it. The girl then requested him to consume wine, and
he willingly did so.

Finally, as the wine affected his mind and intoxicated him, he

tried to approach her. However, she went into a room and locked
the door. She then called out to him and said, “Climb onto the
roof of the house and wait for my father to come. When he
arrives then he will perform our nikaah.”

Saalih then climbed onto the roof, but due to his intoxicated
state, he fell to the ground and died.

The girl came out and concealed his body with a cloth. Later on,
when her father arrived and she informed him of what had

216
transpired, they took the body at night and dumped it in the
street.

Thereafter, when the people learnt of the fate of the muazzin,

and his reneging from Islam, they dumped his body at a rubbish
pile.145

From this incident, we understand the sad plight and lamentable

outcome of the person who called out the azaan for forty years.

When we examine this incident, we find that the point of failure

came when he did not observe strict purdah, and perhaps had
the evil habit of looking at women.

This, in turn, led to him falling in love with the girl and then
bringing upon himself the evil consequences which we have
seen, the worst of which was him leaving the fold of Islam.

The Seed of Sin Planted through the Lustful Glance

Hazrat Zun Noon Misri  was a great saint of his era and was
endowed with great wisdom and knowledge from the side of
Allah .

Once, a certain person asked him, “What is the root cause for a
person to fall into sin?” Hazrat Zun Noon  explained:

145
459 ‫ صـ‬:‫ذم اهلوى البن اجلوزي‬
217
“Sinning commences with a lustful glance. The lustful glance
leads to (haraam) feelings and thoughts being created in the
mind. If one treats and remedies the haraam thoughts by turning
to Allah  in repentance, the haraam thoughts will cease
and disappear.

“If not, they will progress until they are accompanied by

whispers and insinuations of shaitaan towards evil and sin. This,
in turn, gives rise to feelings of lust.

“All of this transpires internally (in the mind), and (until this
point,) the action of sin and evil has not yet manifested through
the action of the limbs.

“If the lust is remedied and addressed (through sincere taubah

and reforming oneself, one will be safe,) but if not, then it will
progress until it becomes a strong, irresistible urge to commit
the sin, and if this urge is not remedied then one’s entire mind
will become engulfed in thoughts of haraam and sin (thereafter,
the actual sin of zina takes place).”146

The Poisonous Arrow of Iblees

Rasulullah  said, “The impermissible lustful glance is a
poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblees. The one who leaves it
out (i.e. looking at haraam), out of the fear of Allah , Allah

146
345/9 :‫حلية األولياء‬
218
 will reward him by blessing him with such Imaan that he
will perceive its sweetness in his heart.”147

In this Hadith, the evil glance has not merely been compared to
an arrow. Rather, it has been compared to a poisoned arrow. The
reason for this is that just as the evil effects of poison spread
through the body, fatally affecting all the limbs and vital organs,
similarly the ill-effects of the haraam, lustful glance linger in the
spiritual heart and continue to affect a person, thereby spurring
all the limbs towards committing sins.

Hence, shari’ah had commanded that strict purdah be observed

between all non-mahram men and women, and shari’ah has
declared it haraam for them to cast lustful glances at each other.

In essence, the deen of Islam is so complete, perfect and

comprehensive that in the interest of maintaining purity and
chastity among people, Islam has closed and sealed off all the
avenues that lead to the sin.

It is for this reason that Rasulullah  emphasized the

importance of guarding the sight and refraining from casting
lustful gazes.

On one occasion, Rasulullah  said to Hazrat Ali ,

“O Ali! Do not follow the first (accidental) glance with a second

147
12946 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وفيه عبد الرمحن بن إسحاق الواسطي وهو ضعيف كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،10362 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم الكبري للطرباين‬
219
‫‪glance, as the first (accidental) glance was not a sin for you,‬‬
‫‪whereas the second is a sin for you.”148‬‬

‫‪148‬‬
‫سنن أيب داود‪ ،‬الرقم‪ ،2149 :‬املستدرك للحاكم‪ ،‬الرقم‪ ،2788 :‬وقال‪ :‬هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم‪ ،‬ومل خيرجاه ووافقه الذهيب‬
‫‪220‬‬
Consulting the Rightly-Guided
Ulama
The principle “refer to the experts of the field” is a principle
commonly-quoted and practised in all spheres of life.

Consider the example of a person who intends constructing a

triple-story mansion. What steps will he follow to fulfil his
intention? He will first contact an architect to draw the plans.
Thereafter, he will hire the services of an engineer as well as a
contractor to put up the project.

If he has to independently embark on such a project, without the

aid of the architect, engineer and contractor, we can well
imagine the devastating outcome that he will cause for himself
and others!

Without the correct guidance, experience and expertise, it is

highly possible that the entire structure will collapse,
endangering his life and the lives of others.

Likewise, when faced with a health-related issue, the opinion of

expert doctors is sought. Similarly, in managing one’s business,
an accountant is consulted, and when faced with a legal
challenge, a lawyer is hired.

221
Thus, we see that in all walks of life, people adhere to this
principle by taking guidance and assistance from others whom
they recognize to be the experts in their respective fields.

Referring to the Rightly-Guided Ulama and Deeni Elders

for Guidance
Just as implementing this principle is essential in all spheres of a
person’s life, it is also essential in one’s deen. Islam teaches us
that when faced with any situation which requires deeni
direction and guidance (whether relating to one’s deen or dunya)
then one should refer to the rightly-guided Ulama or deeni
elders for guidance and assistance.

The reason for Rasulullah  encouraging the ummah to

make mashwarah and consult the rightly-guided Ulama before
making a decision is that they possess the knowledge and correct
understanding of deen.

Through consulting them, one will understand the shar’ee

perspective and ruling relating to his situation, thereby assisting
him to make the correct decision and please Allah .

Hence, taking a decision in any situation, without first acquiring

deeni knowledge, is akin to a person walking blindly in the dark.

222
Referring to One’s Elders at the Time of Nikaah
Even, in regard to the institute of nikaah, Islam advocates that
one refers to his elders. More so in regard to a girl, Islam lays
great emphasis on her seeking guidance from her parents and
family elders in choosing the right partner.

It is absolutely reprehensible and against shame for a girl to look

for her own suitor and perform her own nikaah.

Thus, the Hadith explains that if a girl performs her nikaah

without her guardian, then such a nikaah will be devoid of
barakah and goodness.149

The reason for the Hadith emphasizing the need for a girl to
refer to her parents or elders is that generally, pious parents
have greater understanding and experience compared to their
children.

Due to parents having passed through these phases and seen the
ups and downs of life, they will be able to guide their children
correctly.

Hence, it is safer for the girl to follow the experience of her

parents rather than trying to experiment this department of life
on her own.

149
‫ وسنده حسن كما يف خمتصر سنن أيب داود‬،2085 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
223
There are many cases where women put themselves through
immense difficulty and complications on account of them
independently looking for their suitor and not consulting their
parents and elders.

The Key to Acquiring Barakah and Success

It should be borne in mind that referring to the pious seniors and
the learned Ulama is not only a means of acquiring safety in
one’s deen and dunya – but it is also the key to acquiring
barakah, goodness, prosperity and success in one’s life.

Hence, in the Mubaarak Hadith, Rasulullah  said,

“Barakah lies with your learned seniors.”150

In another Hadith, Rasulullah  mentioned, “The one

who makes mashwarah will not regret.”151

Below is a thought-provoking incident which highlights the

great importance of ensuring that one always consults his
seniors and rightly-guided Ulama before embarking on any
decision:

150
‫ هذا حديث صحيح على شرط البخاري ومل خيرجاه ووافقه الذهيب‬:‫ وقال‬،210 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املستدرك للحاكم‬
151
‫ رواه الطرباين يف األوسط والصغري من طريق عبد السالم‬:13157 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،6627 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط‬
‫ فعن‬:7136 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ولكن هلذا احلديث شاهد من حديث ابن عباس عند البيهقي يف شعب اإلميان‬،‫بن عبد القدوس وكالمها ضعيف جدا‬
‫ ولكن جعلها‬،‫ أما إن هللا ورسوله غنيان عنهما‬:‫ قال رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم‬،‫ وشاورهم يف األمر‬:‫ ملا نزلت هذه اآلية‬:‫ابن عباس أنه قال‬
‫ ومن ترك املشورة منهم مل يعدم عناء‬،‫ فمن شاور منهم مل يعدم رشدا‬،‫هللا رمحة ألميت‬
224
Incident of the Granddaughter of Shaikh Ali Tantawi

Shaikh Ali Tantawi  was an Aalim of Syria. His
granddaughter mentions that at one point in her life, she and her
family were considering migrating to Canada.

However, her grandfather, Shaikh Ali Tantawi , prevented

them from doing so and said to them:

Choosing to live in the land of kufr leads to your offspring losing their
deen. Even if you are able to protect the deen of your children, you can
never guarantee to protect the deen of their children and their
grandchildren. Do not bear the responsibility of them losing their deen.

His granddaughter mentions that at that time, she was skeptical

of his reasoning and jumped to the assumption that he was too
strict and only wanted to control his children’s lives. However,
despite her feelings, she and her family decided to accept his
advice and listen to him.

Many years later, when she saw the large number of people
whose children and grandchildren left the fold of Islam after
migrating to non-Muslim countries, she realized and appreciated
the advice and guidance of her grandfather.

She made dua for him saying, “May Allah have mercy on him!
Now I fully agree with him, and whenever I come across a story

225
of people whose children have lost their deen in the midst of the
busy life in the West, I recall his wise decision.”

From the above, we understand the importance of adhering to

the teaching of the Hadith – of always referring to the rightly-
guided Ulama or deeni elders.

Through doing so, one will ensure that he follows deen correctly
and will also save himself and his progeny from the harm of this
world and the next.

226
The Testimony of the Jews,
Romans and Persians in
regard to the Sahaabah 
Allah  blessed the Sahaabah  with success not only
in deen, but also in dunya.

The secret to their success was that they remained obedient to

Allah  at all times, and were never influenced by the
wealth of the world. They upheld justice wherever they went,
and even dealt with the kuffaar with the highest standards of
justice.

Hence, even the Jews, who were the arch enemies of the
Sahaabah  at that time, bore testimony to the justice of
the Sahaabah  and their leading lives of total obedience to
Allah  which was the secret to their success.

The Jews Testify to the Justice of the Sahaabah 

It is reported that Rasulullah  would send Hazrat
Abdullah bin Rawaahah  to the land of the Jews to calculate
their kharaaj (agreed amount of wealth which the kuffaar had to
pay the Muslims annually) through estimating the amount of
dates on their date trees.

229
On one occasion, the Jews plotted to give Hazrat Abdullah bin
Rawaahah  a bribe so that he would misinform Rasulullah
 of the amount of dates on their trees, thereby
decreasing the amount and taking less kharaaj.

When he arrived, they presented their women’s jewellery before

him and said to him, “This is all for you, in lieu of you being
lenient when calculating our kharaaj.”

Hazrat Abdullah  immediately addressed them saying, “O

Jews! You are the most resented of Allah’s creation in my sight
(he said this on account of the fact that the Jews were plotting
against Rasulullah  and the Muslims at that time)!

“However, despite my hatred for you, I will not oppress you in

any way by taking extra kharaaj from you. As for this wealth,
which you are offering me, then this is a bribe. The wealth
earned through a bribe is ribaa (interest), and we Muslims do not
consume interest.”

Hearing this, the Jews exclaimed, “It is on account of the justice

of Islam that the sky and earth remain in harmony!”152

152
357 ‫ صـ‬:‫املوطا لإلمام حممد‬
230
The Romans Bear Testimony to the Piety of the
Sahaabah 
Just as the Jews bore testimony to the justice and piety of the
Sahaabah , the Romans, who were the superpower of the
time, also bore testimony to the fact that the secret to the
success of the Sahaabah  was their obedience to Allah
 and leading lives of piety and righteousness.

In the Battle of Yarmook, the Sahaabah  defeated the

Roman army, despite their overwhelming numbers. When the
defeated Roman army returned to their leader, Hercules, who
was at that time situated in Antioch, he exclaimed, “Woe to you!
How was it possible for these people to defeat you? Are they not
humans like you?” The soldiers submitted, “Certainly, they are.”

Hercules then asked them, “Were you greater in number or did

they outnumber you?” The soldiers replied that they vastly
outnumbered the Sahaabah  at every instance. Hercules
finally asked, “Then why is it that you always suffer defeat when
you encounter them in battle?”

On hearing this question, one of the Roman leaders, who was

advanced in age, replied, “The one reason is that they perform
salaah the entire night and fast during the day, they fulfil their
promises, enjoin righteousness, forbid from evil and they
exercise justice with one another.

231
“The other reason is that we, on the other hand, drink wine,
fornicate, perpetrate all forms of forbidden actions, break our
promises, wrongfully snatch the wealth of people, oppress
others, enjoin that which draws the wrath of Allah  and
prohibit that which draws His pleasure, and we spread
corruption and mischief in the earth.”

When Hercules heard this answer, he acknowledged that it was

correct and said, “What you have told me is the truth.”153

The Persians Testify to the Righteousness of the

Sahaabah 
It is reported that when the armies of Yazdajird, the last ruler of
Persia, continued to suffer defeat at the hands of the Sahaabah
, he was at his wits end and was desperate for assistance.
He thus wrote a letter to the Emperor of China, imploring him to
send reinforcements.154

When the Emperor of China received the letter, he said to the

Persian messenger, “I am aware that it is incumbent on kings to
assist one another against those who threaten their power.

153
569-568/9 :‫البداية والنهاية‬
154
277/7 :‫البداية والنهاية‬
232
“However, I want you to describe to me these people who have
removed you from your land, as you have mentioned that their
soldiers are few in number and your forces outnumber them.

“If it is as you mention, that despite their inferior numbers, they

have managed to dominate and overpower you, then it can only
be on account of some good qualities which they possess, while
you are plagued by evil qualities.”

The messenger responded to the Emperor saying, “Ask me

whatever you wish to know (regarding these people).” The
Emperor asked, “Do they fulfil their promises and keep to their
word?” The messenger replied, “Yes, they do.”

The Emperor next asked, “What do they say to you before they
engage you in battle?”

The messenger answered, “They place three options before us.

The first option is for us to accept the deen of Islam. If we accept
this option, then we will become one of them (and will enjoy the
same rights that they do). The second option is for us to pay the
jizyah to them (a payment made by non-Muslims living in a
Muslim state). (If we reject these two options,) then (the final
option) is war.”

The Emperor then asked, “What level of obedience do they show

to their leader?” The messenger replied, “They are the most
obedient of people before their leader.”

233
The Emperor next asked regarding that which the Muslims
regarded as permissible and impermissible in Islam, and the
messenger informed him accordingly.

Then, the Emperor asked, “Tell me, do they treat permissible as

impermissible, and treat impermissible as permissible? (i.e. do
they respect and uphold the laws of their religion or do they
break the laws and commit sin?)” The messenger responded,
“No, (they abide by the laws of their religion).”

When the Emperor heard this, he remarked, “These people will

never be defeated and destroyed until they treat permissible as
impermissible, and treat impermissible as permissible.”

The Emperor next enquired regarding their clothing, and after

the messenger described the clothing of the Sahaabah  to
him, he asked regarding the conveyances which the Sahaabah
 rode, to which the messenger described the Arabian
horses and camels to him.

Finally, the Emperor wrote the following reply to Yazdajird:

It is not ignorance of my royal duty that prevents me from sending a

large army to your aid – an army so large that the vanguard will arrive
in Marw while the rear guard is still departing China.

(The reason for me not sending an army to assist you is that) your
messenger has described these Muslims to be such (that so long as they
hold on firmly to their deen, they will enjoy such divine assistance) that

234
if they tried to flatten a mountain, they would succeed in doing so, and if
they managed to reach my kingdom, they would remove me from my
land as well.

Thus, my advice is that you enter into a peace treaty with them, accept
living among them, and do not provoke them so long as they do not
provoke you.155

From the above incidents, we notice that when the kuffaar

viewed the justice of the Sahaabah  as well as their pure
lifestyle, they were forced to admit that the true religion of
justice is the religion of Islam.

We make dua that Allah  grant the Muslims tawfeeq to

follow in the footsteps of the Sahaabah  and emulate them
in leading lives of piety and righteousness

155
161/5 :‫اتريخ الطربي‬
235
Passing Away with the Sunnah
during the Pandemic
The religion of Islam is the greatest favour of Allah  to
mankind. Islam can be compared to a green and lush orchard
with all types of fruit bearing trees, fragrant flowers and
beneficial plants.

Wherever a person walks in this orchard, he will find something

delicious to relish, something to give him shade and comfort
from the heat, something to appease his eye and something
fragrant to satisfy his soul.

The only condition to benefit from this beautiful, flourishing,

green and lush orchard is that one enters it and opens his heart
to the goodness contained in it.

Opening One’s Heart Entirely to the Goodness of Islam

Just as the goodness of such an orchard can only be acquired
through entering it and opening the heart to its goodness,
similarly the immense blessings and goodness of Islam can only
be acquired through one entering Islam and opening his heart
entirely towards the goodness contained in it.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says:

236
 ً َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ َّ َّ
ِ ‫ٰۤیای َّہا ال ِذ ۡی َّن ا َّمنوا ۡادخل ۡوا فِی‬
‫السل ِم کٓافۃ‬

O you who believe! Enter into peace (Islam) in totality.156

In this verse, Allah  refers to Islam as ‘peace’, indicating

that Islam is the only source of true peace in the world.

When a person upholds the value system of Islam in his life and
shares the goodness of Islam with others, then peace and
happiness will prevail in his environment.

Accordingly, if all the Muslims of the world advocate and

promote Islamic values wherever they live, then peace and
happiness will rein in the entire world.

This peace and happiness will not only be enjoyed by Muslims –

rather even the kuffaar will experience the peace and goodness
of Islam.

The Innumerable Avenues which Lead to Jannah

In Islam, there are innumerable avenues through which one can
earn entry into Jannah. Through fulfilling the rights we owe to
Allah  such as salaah, zakaah, fasting and hajj, we will be
able to gain entry into Jannah.

Similarly, through fulfilling the rights we owe to the creation,

such as upholding the rights of parents, family members and

156
208 :‫سورة البقرة‬
237
neighbours, as well as spending on the poor, destitute and
orphans, we will be able to gain admission into Jannah.

In fact, Islam is so unique that it even shows us the way to

acquire goodness after leaving the world, and even the way to
benefit others in the Hereafter after leaving the world.

The Lofty Rank of the Martyr

Among the many avenues of acquiring goodness after leaving the
world as well as benefiting others in the Hereafter is passing
away as a shaheed (martyr).

When Allah  wishes to bless a person with a lofty rank in

the Hereafter, then Allah  blesses him with the rank of
martyrdom.

The martyr enjoys such exclusive privileges that all his sins are
forgiven, he is saved from the punishment of the grave, he earns
great rewards and a lofty rank in the Hereafter and is blessed
with the honour of taking seventy people to Jannah.

Just as passing away on the battlefield is the main cause for

attaining martyrdom, Allah , through His infinite grace
and mercy, has blessed this ummah with other causes through
which they may attain the rank of a martyr.

238
The One Who Passes Away in a Pandemic receives the
Rank of a Martyr
Among the many causes reported in the Hadith for earning the
rank of a martyr is passing away in a plague (epidemic or
pandemic).

It is reported in the Hadith that the one who passes away in a

plague passes away as a shaheed (and thus all his sins are
forgiven).

Similarly, it is reported that the one who dies a natural death

during a plague also receives the rank of a martyr, on condition
that he does not flee from the plague and is pleased with the
decree of Allah .157

However, it should be borne in mind that the primary condition

for earning the rank of a shaheed through passing away in an
epidemic is to be pleased with the decree of Allah .

The Sahaabah  During the Plague of Amwaas

When the plague of Amwaas struck Shaam during the Khilaafah
of Hazrat Umar , the leader of the Muslims in Syria, Hazrat
Abu Ubaidah , delivered the following sermon, “O People!
This plague is a mercy for you! It is the dua of your Nabi

157
‫ وكذا من مات يف زمن الطاعون بغريه إذا أقام‬:252/2 ‫ قال العالمة ابن عابدين رمحه هللا يف رد احملتار‬،3474 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
‫يف بلده صابرا حمتسبا فإن له أجر الشهيد كما يف حديث البخاري‬
239
 and it was the means of pious people passing away
before you! Indeed Abu Ubaidah has made dua to Allah  to
grant him a share of this plague.”

Hazrat Abu Ubaidah  thereafter became afflicted with the

plague and passed away, leaving Hazrat Mu’aaz bin Jabal 
as his successor.

Hazrat Mu’aaz bin Jabal  thereafter addressed the people

saying, “O People! This plague is a mercy for you! It is the dua of
your Nabi  and it was the means of pious people
passing away before you! Indeed Mu’aaz makes dua to Allah
 to grant his family a share of the plague.”

It is reported that when Hazrat Mu’aaz  returned from the

musjid, he found that his son was afflicted by the plague. He
continued to nurse him until he passed away.

It was not long thereafter that Hazrat Mu’aaz  noticed the

sores appear on his hand, which were the symptoms of the
plague.

Out of joy and happiness, he began gazing at his hand and said, “I
am not prepared to bargain this for all the treasures of the
world!’” Thereafter, Hazrat Mu’aaz  also departed from this
world.158

158
‫ رواه البزار وروى أمحد بعضه ويف إسناد البزار شهر بن حوشب وفيه كالم وقد وثقه غري واحد‬:‫ وقال اهليثمي‬،2671 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند البزار‬
43/10 :‫ البداية والنهاية‬،‫وروى الطرباين يف الكبري طرفا منه‬
240
From the above, we see how the Sahaabah  reacted to the
plague. They were extremely happy with the decree of Allah
 and knew that this was a means of them gaining the
special mercy of Allah  and the lofty rank of martyrdom in
the Hereafter.

Furthermore, they continued to attend the musjid for salaah as

well as take care of the sick among them.

Six Important Points for those Afflicted by the

Pandemic or any Difficulty
Hazrat Thaanwi  mentioned the following six points for
those who are afflicted with any difficulty.159

1. One should exercise sabr (patience) at the time of the

difficulty. Exercising patience in the face of difficulty is the
sign of a true believer. Rasulullah  said, “If
prosperity and favourable conditions prevail over a believer,
he expresses gratitude, and this is good for him, and if
adversity and unfavourable conditions befall him, he adopts
sabr (patience), and this is good for him.”160

2. One should not become despondent and lose hope in the

mercy of Allah . Rather, one should continue to hope
for the mercy of Allah , and remember that the power

‫ت‬ ‫ِ حكي‬ 159

175-174/23 :‫وفلماظت ماالم‬
160
2999 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
241
 and grace of Allah  is above all worldly means. Only a
kaafir loses hope on account of him not believing in taqdeer.
People of true Imaan never lose hope and are always pleased
with the decree of Allah .

3. One should not allow the difficulty to cause him to become

negligent in fulfilling his deeni obligations which he owes to
Allah  (e.g. attending the salaah in the musjid and
performing salaah in the normal manner, etc.) or the
creation (e.g. visiting the sick and taking care of them,
participating in the janaazah salaah and burial in the case
where they pass away, etc.)

4. One should continue to make dua to Allah  and adopt

the means to remove the problem (e.g. taking medication).
However, one should not place his reliance on the means, but
should place his reliance upon Allah  alone. Through
turning to Allah  in dua, Allah  will place
barakah in the means and cause the desired effect to
materialize.

5. One should continuously engage in istighfaar and beg Allah

 to forgive his sins.

6. If a calamity has afflicted any of one’s Muslim brothers, then

one should regard his brother’s difficulty as his own
difficulty. Hence, he should make dua for him, and if he is
able to assist him, then he should adopt the same means in

242
 assisting him that he would have adopted to remove his own
difficulty. (Rasulullah  said, “None of you has true
Imaan until he loves for his brother what he loves for
himself).”161

We make dua that Allah  grant the ummah the true

understanding of deen, bless us with the tawfeeq of upholding
the Sunnah of Rasulullah  and treading in the footsteps
of the Sahaabah  in all facets of our lives.

161
13 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
243
Choosing a Life Partner
When choosing a life partner, each person is overcome with
certain concerns.

The boy has the concern of choosing the right wife, who will be
compatible to him in his nature, thereby bringing happiness and
joy to his life. Likewise, he has the concern of choosing a partner
who will be a capable mother for his children, and will be able to
fit into his family circle with respect and dignity.

The girl is overcome with the concern of choosing a husband

who will fulfill her needs and requirements and provide her with
financial security.

These are some of the overwhelming concerns which people

have at the time of nikaah, as they understand that this is a new
journey that they are soon to embark on. This decision could
either be the means of adding to the joy and happiness in life, or
it could be the source of grief, misery and life-long regret.

Choosing a Pious Spouse

Islam teaches us that when choosing a spouse, then among the
aspects that one may consider is the person being from a noble
family, possessing attractive features or being affluent. However,
the primary concern should always be the deen and piety of the
individual.

244
Rasulullah  said that a woman is married for one of
four qualities; either for her wealth, for her family status, for her
beauty or for her deen. Therefore, when choosing a wife, one
should choose a pious wife so that one may become successful. If
one does not marry a woman of piety, he may later regret.162

The Sahaabah  and Taabi’een  understood the

importance of choosing a pious partner for their children. They
knew that if the husband is pious, he will fulfill the rights of his
wife and treat her with kindness. On the contrary, if he is not
pious, then he may not fulfill her rights, and at times, he may
even ill-treat or oppress her.

Advice of Hazrat Hasan Basri 

Once, a man came to Hazrat Hasan Basri  seeking some
advice. He said, “I have received many proposals for my
daughter. Please advise me as to whose proposal I should
accept.”

Hazrat Hasan Basri  replied, “Get your daughter married to

a man who fears Allah .” He then explained the reason
saying, “If he likes her then he will honour and appreciate her,
and if he dislikes her, then at least he will not oppress her.”163

162
5090 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
163
2043/5 :‫مرقاة املفاتيح‬
245
Incident of Hazrat Abu Dardaa  Getting His
Daughter Married
Below is an inspiring incident regarding Hazrat Abu Dardaa
 choosing a pious partner for his daughter:

On one occasion, Yazeed bin Mu’aawiyah proposed for the

daughter of Hazrat Abu Dardaa . Despite Yazeed being the
ruler at that time, Hazrat Abu Dardaa  turned down the
proposal.

After the proposal of Yazeed was turned down, one of his

attendants, who was a pious person, came to him and sought
permission to propose for the daughter of Hazrat Abu Dardaa
.

Yazeed became enraged at his request and said to him, “Get away
from here! May you be destroyed!” However, the man pleaded
with Yazeed saying, “Please give me permission, may Allah
 keep you well!” Eventually, Yazeed relented and gave the
man permission.

Thereafter, when the man proposed, Hazrat Abu Dardaa 

accepted his proposal and gave him his daughter’s hand in
marriage. The news of this then spread through society, as
people spoke of how Yazeed’s proposal had been rejected, while
the proposal of one of his poor attendants had been accepted.

246
When Hazrat Abu Dardaa  was later asked the reason for
him rejecting the proposal of Yazeed, and accepting the proposal
of the poor and pious attendant, he said, “I gave careful thought
to the future of my daughter, Dardaa, if I had to marry her to
Yazeed.”

Addressing the people present, he said, “You think, ‘What will be

the condition of my daughter, Dardaa, on the first night, when
she will enter the palace of Yazeed and will see the numerous
servants and attendants, all at her beck and call, as well as the
abundant wealth and riches of the palace shining before her
eyes?’ Just thinking of the first night of my daughter’s future,
where she will become so affected by the dunya, I wondered to
myself, ‘What will become of her deen on that day?’”164

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247
The Great Sacrifice of Hijrah
Performed by Hazrat Suhaib
Roomi 
Hazrat Suhaib bin Sinaan Roomi  was among the Sahaabah
 who brought Imaan in the early days of Islam. He was
known as Hazrat Suhaib “Roomi” on account of him having lived
in the land of Rome (known as Room in Arabic) before coming to
Makkah Mukarramah.

He was among the first forty Sahaabah to accept Islam and was
also among the Sahaabah who were subjected to relentless
torture and merciless persecution by the disbelievers of Makkah
Mukarramah.

In regard to the lofty status and eminent virtue of Hazrat Suhaib

, Rasulullah  once mentioned, “I will be the first
of the Arabs to enter Jannah, Suhaib  will be the first of the
people of Rome to enter Jannah, Bilaal  will be the first of
the people of Abyssinia to enter Jannah, and Salmaan  will
the first of the people of Persia to enter Jannah.”165

Hazrat Suhaib  was also blessed to carry out the great

ibaadah of performing hijrah to Madinah Munawwarah. In

165
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248
regard to the hijrah of Hazrat Suhaib , it is reported that
when he set out on his journey to Madinah Munawwarah, a
group of the Quraish came after him in order to prevent him
from leaving Makkah Mukarramah.

On seeing the group coming after him, Hazrat Suhaib 

dismounted from his conveyance, took out his bow and drew out
all the arrows from his quiver.

He then addressed them saying, “O group of the Quraish! You

know that I am among the best of archers among you! I take an
oath by Allah that none of you will reach me until I have fired
every arrow in my quiver! Thereafter, I will draw my sword, and
so long as I hold it in my hand, I will continue to fight you.”

Hazrat Suhaib  then said to them, “If you wish, I will show
you where I have kept my wealth and clothing in Makkah. I have
also left two slave girls in Makkah. You may take my wealth and
slave girls in exchange of leaving me and allowing me to perform
hijrah.”

Hearing this, the group of the Quraish were satisfied and agreed
to the proposal. Hazrat Suhaib  thus informed them of the
location of his wealth, after which they left him and departed.

Hazrat Suhaib  then continued on his journey. Finally, as

he drew close to Madinah Munawwarah, and came to the area
known as Harrah, he found Hazrat Umar  and a group of
the Sahaabah  who had come to receive him.
249
On meeting Hazrat Suhaib , the Sahaabah  said to
him, “What a magnificent bargain and profitable deal you have
struck!”

Hazrat Suhaib  did not understand what they were

referring to and made dua for them saying, “You as well – may
Allah  grant you barakah and make you profit in your
business transactions, and may He save you from incurring a
loss. Nevertheless, why have you said these words to me?”

The Sahaabah  then told Hazrat Suhaib  that Allah

 had informed Rasulullah  of the bargain which
Hazrat Suhaib  had struck with the disbelievers, sacrificing
his wealth in order to fulfil the great ibaadat and obligation of
hijrah.

Allah  was so pleased with the sacrifice of Hazrat Suhaib

 that He revealed the following verse of the Quraan Majeed
in his honour:
ۡ ٌۢ ّٰ ّٰ َّ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ
﴾۲۰۷﴿ ‫ات الل ِہ ؕ َّو اللہ َّرء ۡو ٌّف ِبال ِع َّبا ِد‬
ِ ‫ٓاء َّم ۡرض‬‫اس من یش ِری نفسہ اب ِتغ‬
ِ ‫و ِمن الن‬
And among the people is one who sells himself in order to earn the
pleasure of Allah, and Allah is Most Kind to His servants.166

Thereafter, when Hazrat Suhaib  entered Madinah

Munawwarah and met Rasulullah , Rasulullah

166
207 :‫سورة البقرة‬
250
 expressed his great happiness with him by exclaiming,
“What a magnificent bargain, O Suhaib! What a magnificent
bargain, O Suhaib!”167

Allah  and His Rasul  were greatly pleased with

Hazrat Suhaib  and the Muhaajireen for sacrificing
everything they had to fulfil the command of Allah  in
making hijrah to Madinah Munawwarah.

May Allah  bless us with the tawfeeq of following in their

footsteps and also sacrificing our wealth and lives for the
upliftment and preservation of deen.

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251
Purchasing Jannah for One
Dirham
On one occasion, Imaam Abu Dawood  was aboard a ship
when he heard a person on the shore sneeze and recite the
Sunnah dua saying, “Alhamdulillah”.

On hearing the person sneeze and recite the Sunnah dua

“Alhamdulillah”, Imaam Abu Dawood  immediately hired a
small boat, for the fee of one dirham (silver coin), and requested
to be taken from the ship to the shore.

When he arrived at the shore, he went to the person who had

sneezed and replied to his sneeze in the Sunnah manner by
saying, “Yarhamukallah”, and thereafter returned to the ship.

When Imaam Abu Dawood  was asked as to why he had

underwent the difficulty of leaving the ship and traveling to the
shore to reply to the person who had sneezed, he replied that it
is Sunnah to reply to the sneeze of a person.

Furthermore, if the person who sneezed replied to the one who

answered his sneeze by saying “Yahdeekumullah” (may Allah
 guide you) or “Yaghfirullahu lana walakum” (may Allah
 forgive us and you), and he is one whose duas are readily
accepted, then it would be a means for the person he is making
dua for to gain hidaayat or forgiveness.

252
That night, when the people aboard the ship went to sleep, they
were told in a dream, “O people aboard the ship! Abu Dawood
 has purchased Jannah from Allah  in exchange of
one dirham!”168

Note:

The Sunnah practice is that when one hears someone sneeze and
recite Alhamdulillah, then it is compulsory for one to reply to
the sneeze by saying “Yarhamukallah”.

Thereafter, it is also a Sunnah for the person who sneezed to

respond by saying “Yahdeekumullah” (may Allah  guide
you) or “Yaghfirullahu lana walakum” (may Allah  forgive
us and you).

Hence, Imaam Abu Dawood  desired to practise upon the

Sunnah by replying to the person who sneezed, and he also
desired to acquire the dua of the one who sneezed.

The reason is that it is possible that the one who had sneezed
may be a pious person whose duas are accepted, and through
him replying and making dua by saying “Yahdeekumullah” (may
Allah  guide you) or “Yaghfirullahu lana walakum” (may
Allah  forgive us and you), Imaam Abu Dawood 
would receive divine guidance in this life or forgiveness in the
Hereafter (or both, if both duas were recited).

168
610/10 :‫فتح الباري‬
253
Hence, Imaam Abu Dawood  underwent this difficulty
knowing the great reward that he would receive for practising
upon the Sunnah and becoming the means for the person who
sneezed also practising upon the Sunnah.

Similarly, he wished to receive the dua which will assist him in

this life by him receiving divine guidance, and assist him in the
next life by him gaining forgiveness.

Hence, according to his expectation in the mercy of Allah ,

Allah  accepted the dua of the person and made it the
means of Imaam Abu Dawood’s  forgiveness.

254
Khaleelullah - The Special
Friend of Allah 
Allah  blessed Nabi Ebrahim  with a very high and
esteemed position from the entire galaxy of the Ambiyaa.
In many places of the Quraan Majeed, Allah  praises Nabi
Ebrahim  for his unflinching faithfulness and
unquestioning submission.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  mentions:

ۡ َّ َّ ۡ ۡ ۡ ً ّٰ َّ ً َّ َّ َّ َّ ۡ ّٰ ۡ َّ
‫﴾ شا ِک ًرا لِانع ِم ٖہ ؕ ِا ۡج َّت ّٰبہ َّو َّہ ّٰدىہ ِالّٰی‬۱۲۰﴿ ‫ان امۃ قا ِن ًتا لِل ِہ َّح ِن ۡیفا ؕ َّو لَّ ۡم یَّک ِم َّن المش ِرک ِی َّن‬ ‫ِان ِابر ِہیم ک‬
ۡ ّٰ
﴾۱۲۲﴿ ‫خِر ِۃ لَّ ِم َّن الص ِل ِحی َّن‬ َّ ‫﴾ َّو ّٰاتَّ ۡی ّٰنہ فیالدن ۡ َّیا َّح َّس َّن ًۃ ؕ َّو ِان َّ ٗہ فیال ۡ ّٰا‬۱۲۱﴿ ‫ِص َّر ٍاط م ۡس َّت ِق ۡیم‬
ِ ِ ٍ
Indeed, Ebrahim  was a comprehensive leader (who possessed all
praiseworthy qualities), devoutly obedient to Allah , completely
inclining towards the truth (without any deviation), and he was not
among the mushriks. (He was) grateful for His favours (i.e. the favours of
Allah ). Allah divinely selected him and guided him to a straight
path. We bestowed good upon him in this world, and indeed, in the
Hereafter, he will be among the righteous.169

From all the Ambiyaa , Nabi Ebrahim  was

honoured with the title “Khaleelullah” – the special friend of
Allah . In regard to how Nabi Ebrahim  received this

169
122-120 :‫سورة النحل‬
257
title of honour, Allaamah Ibnu Katheer  reports the
following incident:

It was the blessed habit of Nabi Ebrahim  that he would

always try to bring people home as his guests to share his meals
with him. On one occasion, Nabi Ebrahim  went out,
looking for someone to bring home as his guest. However, he was
unable to find anyone to share his meal with him, and thus
returned home.

On arriving at his home, he found that a man had entered, in his

absence, and was standing inside. Nabi Ebrahim  asked
him, “O servant of Allah! Why have you entered my home
without permission?” The man replied, “I was granted
permission to enter by the One who is the true owner of your
home (i.e. I was given permission by Allah ).”

Hearing this, Nabi Ebrahim  asked the man, “Who are

you?” He responded, “I am the Angel of Death. My Rabb has sent
me to one of his servants to give him the glad tidings that Allah
 has chosen him to be His ‘Khaleel’ (special friend).”

Nabi Ebrahim  asked, “Who is this special person? By

Allah, if you inform me of his identity, I will ensure that I go to
him – even if he lives in the most distant of lands. I will then
remain with him until death separates us.”

The Angel of Death then said, “You are that special servant.”
Nabi Ebrahim  was overcome by joy and asked, “Am I
258
really that special person?” When the Angel confirmed that he
was, Nabi Ebrahim  enquired, “Why did Allah  make
me His Khaleel?” The Angel answered, “The reason is that you
always give others, and you never ask them for anything.” 170

When we study this incident, then we find that the aspect in the
life of Nabi Ebrahim , which was beloved to Allah ,
is that he had a heart of compassion and sympathy. He always
wished to share with others and assist them without expecting
anything in return. In fact, this quality of selflessly sharing with
others and assisting them was a salient quality of all the Ambiyaa
.

The Generosity and Compassion of Rasulullah


From all the Ambiyaa , Allah  had blessed
Rasulullah  with the greatest generosity and love for
humanity.

On the occasion of Eid, Rasulullah  had encouraged us

that we should share our meat with those who are less fortunate.
Hazrat Aaishah  mentioned that during the time of
Rasulullah , there were people who were poor and
could not afford to carry out qurbaani. Hence, Rasulullah

170
375/2 :‫تفسري ابن كثري‬
259
 encouraged the Sahaabah  who were carrying
out qurbaani to share their meat with those who were poor.171

In fact, it is mentioned in the narration of Saheeh Bukhaari and

Sunan Tirmizi that Rasulullah  himself had distributed
many qurbaani animals to those who were poor so that they
could also carry out qurbaani. This was the extent of the
compassion and kindness of the greatest of all mankind, the
leader of all the Ambiyaa  – Rasulullah .172

Insha-Allah, if we imbibe this spirit of generosity, and share our

meat with others, then Allah  will be pleased with us and
bless us with acceptance.

171
1971 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
172
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260
Fulfilling the Needs of the
Creation
Fulfilling the needs of the creation is an act of great virtue and
reward that draws the special mercy of Allah . The lives of
the Ambiyaa  reflected this quality to the highest degree.
They did not merely advocate upholding justice when dealing
with the creation – rather they encouraged people to go the
extra mile in striving to fulfill the needs of the creation.

On the occasion when Rasulullah  received nubuwwah

(prophethood), he was overcome by concern in regard to
whether he would be able to fulfill this great and mammoth task.

At that juncture, Hazrat Khadijah  consoled him in the

following words which clearly highlight the manner in which his
mubaarak heart was always filled with the eagerness to assist the
creation and fulfill their needs, even prior to nubuwwah.

Hazrat Khadijah  said to him, “You are the one who

maintains good ties with your family. You always speak the truth
and you carry the burden of those who are in difficulty. You earn
and provide for those who do not possess wealth, you extend

261
hospitality to all your guests and you always assist those who are
afflicted with natural disasters and calamities.”173

The Sahaabah  remained in the blessed company of

Rasulullah  and inculcated the mubaarak qualities of
Rasulullah . Hence, they spent their lives fulfilling the
commandments of Allah  and seeking opportunities to
fulfill the needs of the creation.

Incident of Hazrat Umar  and His Wife Assisting a

Family in Need
It is reported that on one occasion, Hazrat Umar  was
patrolling the outskirts of Madinah Munawwarah to see whether
there was any person in difficulty or in need. While patrolling, he
spotted a small tent made of hide. As he drew nearer, he heard a
woman in pain groaning within the tent and saw a man seated
outside.

Hazrat Umar  greeted the man and asked him who he was,
to which the man replied that he was a bedouin from the
countryside who had come to benefit from the generosity of
Ameerul Mu’mineen.

173
4953 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
262
Hazrat Umar  thereafter asked him why the woman in the
tent was in pain. The bedouin answered that she was crying from
the pain of labour and had nobody to assist her.

Hazrat Umar  immediately turned and hastened home. On

reaching home, he addressed his wife, Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom
, saying, “Allah  has presented an opportunity for
you to earn great reward.” “What is it?” she enquired. Hazrat
Umar  replied, “There is a woman in labour who has
nobody to help and assist her.”

Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom , without any hesitation or

reservation, instantly expressed her readiness to seize the
opportunity and help the woman in distress saying, “If it is your
wish then I will definitely assist.”

Hazrat Umar  then instructed her to pack the essentials she

would require to deliver the baby. When she had packed what
she needed, he asked her to bring him a pot, some fat and some
grain.

They then departed for the tent with Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom
 walking behind while Hazrat Umar  walked in front
carrying the pot.

On arriving at the tent, Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom  entered

and began tending to the woman. Hazrat Umar , in the
meantime, asked the bedouin to light him a fire. When the fire

263
was lit, Hazrat Umar  placed the pot on it and began to
cook the food he had brought.

After some time, a baby boy was born and Hazrat Ummu
Kulthoom  called out, “O Ameerul Mu’mineen! Give your
companion the glad tidings of a son!”

When the bedouin heard her address her husband by the title
“Ameerul Mu’mineen”, he realized that it was none other than
Hazrat Umar  before him. He was so shaken that he began
to move away from Hazrat Umar  out of awe. Hazrat Umar
, however, assured the man that there was nothing to
worry about and told him to stay where he was.

He then carried the pot to the entrance of the tent and

instructed Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom  to feed the woman.
When she was done, Hazrat Umar  again carried the pot
and now placed it in front of the man saying, “Eat! You must
have had a long night.”

He then asked the man to visit him the following day after which
he and Hazrat Ummu Kulthoom  returned. When the man
arrived the next day, Hazrat Umar  gave him many gifts
and abundant provisions.174

May Allah  grant us the quality of showing concern for the

creation and striving to fulfill their needs, in the manner the

174
186/10 :‫ البداية والنهاية‬،427/1 :‫التبصرة البن اجلوزي‬
264
Ambiyaa  and the Sahaabah  strove to fulfill the
needs of the creation.

265
The Advice of Hazrat Umar
 to a Person who Fell
into Sin
During the Khilaafah of Hazrat Umar , there was a person
from Syria who would come to Madinah Munawwarah to meet
Hazrat Umar  and benefit from him.

However, after a period of time, Hazrat Umar  noticed that

this person had not come to Madinah Munawwarah for some
time.

Hazrat Umar  became concerned and thus enquired from

the people about him. The people replied, “O Ameerul
Mu’mineen! He has fallen in the grave sin of drinking wine!”

Hearing this, Hazrat Umar  decided to send him a message

in which he would conscientize him regarding his deen.

Hazrat Umar  thus called his scribe and dictated the

following message to him which contained the opening verses of
Surah Mu’min:

From Umar, the son of Khattaab, to so-and-so, the son of so-and-so. I

greet you with salaam. I commence by praising Allah, the One besides
Whom there is no god worthy of worship.

266
Allah is the only One who forgives sins and accepts repentance, the One
who is severe in punishment, the All-Bountiful (who bestows His grace
and mercy upon His servants).

There is no god besides Him. To Him alone is the ultimate return (for all
the creation).

Hazrat Umar  handed over the letter to a messenger and

instructed him to personally deliver the letter and ensure that at
the time he delivers the letter to him, he is in a sober state.

Hazrat Umar  then turned to the people who were present

in his gathering and said, “Make dua for your brother and
sincerely beg Allah  to turn his heart towards deen and
bless him with the tawfeeq to make taubah.”

When the man received the letter of Hazrat Umar , he

began to read it. The message in the letter was so sincere and
profound that it had a dynamic effect on his heart.

He continued to repeat the verse of the Quraan Majeed which

described the divine attributes of Allah , of His all-
forgiving nature, as well as His being severe in punishment upon
those who transgress the limits of shari’ah.

Allah  says, “Allah is the only One who forgives sins and accepts
repentance, the One who is severe in punishment”.

After repeating the verse many times, he began to weep

profusely and said, “Umar  has warned me of the
267
punishment of Allah , but at the same time, he has given
me hope in the divine and all-encompassing mercy of Allah
, reminding me that Allah  will forgive me if I
repent to him.”

The man immediately repented to Allah  and made such a

firm taubah that he never went close to wine again.

When Hazrat Umar  learnt of the positive effect the letter

had on the heart of the man, he addressed the people present in
his gathering and said, “When you see your Muslim brother fall
into sin, then you should act in the manner you have seen me
conduct, by thinking of ways to guide him towards deen.

“Similarly, you should conscientize him and give him hope in the
mercy of Allah. You should also make dua to Allah for his
guidance.

“Do not deal with him in a way where you will cause him to lose
hope in the mercy of Allah, thus becoming an assistant of
shaitaan against him.”175

From this incident, we understand the deep concern which

Hazrat Umar  had for the ummah. It was this deep concern
that urged him to write the letter as well as engage in dua,
begging Allah  for the guidance of that person.

175
291/15 :‫ اجلامع ألحكام القرآن للقرطيب‬، 116/7 :‫تفسري ابن كثري‬
268
This concern of Hazrat Umar  was the concern that
Rasulullah  had for each and every ummati. Hence,
from this, we learn that just as a believer should be concerned
about his own progress, similarly, he should also be concerned
about the progress of his Muslim brother.

It is reported that Hazrat Salmaan Faarsi  said, “The

example of two believing brothers is like that of two hands; each
hand washes the other hand. Never do two believers meet one
another except that Allah  causes one of them to benefit
and bring goodness to the other.”176

Practising on Islam in Totality is Based Upon Upholding

Four Injunctions
In order for the ummah to gain eternal success, they are
commanded to practise upon Islam in totality.

Practising upon Islam in totality will be found when each person

upholds the following four injunctions in his life:

1. to bring Imaan in Allah , in His Rasul  and in

all the tenets of faith

2. to uphold all the commandments of Islam and to refrain from

all its prohibitions

176
172/6 :‫إحتاف السادة املتقني‬
269
3. to encourage one another towards upholding Islam in totality
and leading lives of righteousness

4. to encourage and assist one another to remain steadfast upon

Islam at all times, especially at the time of difficulties and
calamities.

In Surah Asr, mention is made of these four injunctions being the

basis of eternal success for a believer.

May Allah  bless us with the tawfeeq of treading on the

path of deen and making an effort to guide others towards deen.

270
The Beautiful Approach
Adopted by Our Pious
Predecessors when Correcting
People
The deen of Islam is a complete, perfect and comprehensive deen
which teaches us how to conduct in every sphere of our lives.
The deen of Islam teaches us how to be concerned about
ourselves, as well as how to be concerned about the ummah.

Among the core teachings of Islam is the teaching of good

character and adopting a beautiful approach at all times. Even at
the time when one is advising a person or correcting him, Islam
advocates that one should adopt a soft and gentle approach and
refrain from belittling the person or causing him embarrassment
in any way.

This approach of speaking gently to people and not causing them

any embarrassment was the Sunnah of Rasulullah  and
the way of the Ambiyaa .

The Sahaabah  and the pious of the past also adhered to

this Mubaarak Sunnah when inviting people to Islam or advising
and correcting them.

271
The Incident of Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain
On one occasion, an old man came to the city of Madinah
Munawwarah.

At the time of salaah, when he began to make wudhu, then

Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain  observed that he was
performing his wudhu incorrectly.

Their hearts were filled with concern for him, and hence they
wished to correct him. However, at the same time, they did not
want to embarrass him by openly correcting him.

Hence, they approached the old man, and one of them said, “My
brother and I disagree over which one of us performs wudhu
better.

“Please watch us performing wudhu and inform us as to which

one of us performs wudhu more correctly. If we make a mistake
in our wudhu, then please correct us.”

The man agreed and accordingly they both performed wudhu.

The man watched them carefully, and as he observed them, he
realised that he was the one whose wudhu was in need of
correction, and that Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain had
asked him to observe their wudhu merely as a pretext to
respectfully correct him and teach him the Sunnah manner of
performing wudhu.

272
Hence, he was grateful for this and remarked, “By Allah! I did not
know how to perform wudhu before this. Now you have both
taught me how to perform wudhu correctly.”177

177
39/1 :‫مناقب اإلمام األعظم للكردري‬
273
Haaroon Rasheed 
Advising a Person
It is reported that on one occasion, a person came to Haaroon
Rasheed  and addressed him before people in a harsh
manner saying, “O Haaroon! Fear Allah !”

On observing the harsh and impolite manner in which this

person had conducted himself when advising him, Haaroon
Rasheed  took the man aside, into seclusion, in order to
advise him.

Haaroon  said to him, “O so-and-so! Deal with me with

justice! Tell me, am I more evil or Fir’aun?” The man replied,
“Fir’aun was more evil than you.”

Haaroon  then asked him, “Are you better or Nabi Moosa

?” The man replied, “Nabi Moosa  was better than
me.”

Haaroon  then said, “Do you not know that when Allah
 sent Nabi Moosa  and his brother, Nabi Haaroon
, to Fir’aun, then he instructed them saying, ‘Speak to him
gently.’ In comparison, you have confronted me and addressed
me with harsh words in front of people.

“Thus, you have not adopted the etiquette which Allah 

commanded Nabi Moosa  to adopt when speaking to
274
Fir’aun, nor have you emulated the sublime character of the
pious servants of Allah .”

This man was a sincere person, and hence he acknowledged his

error. He apologized to Haaroon  saying, “I made a mistake,
and I ask Allah  to forgive me.”

On his part, Haaroon  did not harbour a grudge and

immediately pardoned the person saying, “May Allah 
forgive you.”

Haaroon  thereafter instructed that this person be given

twenty thousand dirhams as a gift, however the person refused
to accept it.178

From this, we understand that at the time of advising or

correcting any person, one should think to oneself, “I am not
greater than Nabi Moosa , nor is this person worse than
Fir’aun.

Therefore, when advising him, I should speak to him gently and

politely, and refrain from causing him any embarrassment.”

178
328/8 :‫املنتظم‬
275
The Incident of Hazrat Shah
Abdul Qaadir  Advising a
Person
Hazrat Shah Waliyullah  was a renowned Aalim and
Muhaddith who hailed from Delhi.

Allah  had accepted him and his family for the service of
deen, and had blessed him with sons who were also saints and
illustrious Ulama of their era. Among his sons was Hazrat Shah
Abdul Qaadir .

Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  was blessed by Allah  to

write a translation of the Quraan Majeed that gained great
acceptance among the people of India.

From all the translations of the Quraan Majeed, one of the special
features of this translation was that it was completed in a period
of forty years while in i’tikaaf in the musjid of Akbar-Aabaadi.

There are many incidents reported regarding this illustrious

personality which reflect the great piety which he possessed.
Below is a unique incident of this saintly personality:

On one occasion, while Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  was

delivering a lecture, his gaze fell on a person in the audience
whose pants was below his ankles.

276
On noticing this, Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  did not
immediately correct him, as this would lead to his
embarrassment.

However, at the same time, Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir’s 

heart was filled with great concern for this person’s hidaayat.
Hence, Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  waited for the right
opportunity to address the person and correct him.

After Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  completed the lecture, he

approached the person, and in a loving and polite manner, said
to him, “My brother! Please wait for a few moments, as I need to
speak to you.”

Once the people had left the musjid, Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir
 addressed the person, and began to explain to him, with
gentleness and compassion, saying, “My beloved brother! I have
a problem, that at times, due to my old age, my pants falls below
my ankles without me realizing it. I am very worried about this
as there are severe warnings mentioned in the Hadith for people
who let their pants hang below their ankles.”

Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir  then mentioned some of these

Ahaadith to the person. After mentioning the Ahaadith, Hazrat
Shah Abdul Qaadir  stood and said to the person, “Now
please check my pants and tell me as to whether it is below my
ankles or not.”

277
The person immediately realized that Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir
 did not really have this problem in his life. Rather, he had
mentioned this as an excuse to bring the person’s weakness to
his attention without embarrassing him.

Hence, he held onto Hazrat Shah Abdul Qaadir’s  feet and

said, “Hazrat! This problem is not in you – rather it is in me!
Today, I repent from this sin before you, and insha-Allah, I will
never commit this sin again in my life!”179

From this incident, we observe that the pious servants of Allah

 are such that they mirror the Mubaarak Sunnah of
Rasulullah . Just as they are concerned for their own
deeni progress, they are also concerned about the deeni progress
of others.

Hence, on seeing any person involved in sin, they are overcome

by concern for the person, as this was the blessed way of
Rasulullah . Thus, they look for ways to benefit the
person and correct him, while adopting an approach of
gentleness, love and compassion.

‫ل‬ 179
307 ‫ فلساص حينےکايانافروزوااعقت صـ‬،47 ‫اكحياتاولاء صـ‬
278
The Way to Secure the Mercy
and Divine Assistance of Allah

Allah  has created Jannah as a place of happiness and
comfort, and Jahannum as a place of misery and difficulty. As for
this world then Allah  has created it as a combination of
both happiness and sadness, and comfort and difficulty.

There are occasions where a person is happy and enjoys comfort,

while there are other occasions where a person is overcome by
grief and undergoes difficulty.

In essence, Allah  has created this world as a ‘testing

ground’ for man, to determine how man will fare in both
situations – the situation of prosperity and happiness, and the
situation of adversity and grief.

Many a time, a person is healthy and wealthy and leads a

comfortable life. He places his reliance on his health and wealth
and feels that no matter what problem he faces in life, he will
always be able to solve it.

However, he is then afflicted by a severe and acute sickness that

causes him to lose his health. In the pursuit of restoring his
health, he spends all his wealth taking admission in the best

281
hospitals, employing the best doctors and seeking the best
treatments.

However, since Allah  does not decree shifaa for him, even
the best of hospitals, doctors and treatments do not avail him in
any way nor bring him any relief from the ailment and difficulty
he suffers. Hence, he ultimately loses both his health and his
wealth.

It is only at this point, when a person’s wealth and health fail

him and desert him, that his eyes open to reality and he begins to
realize that the only thing that can truly help him is the mercy of
Allah .

Rasulullah  had taught the ummah that we should be

obedient and loyal to Allah  at all times. The one who is
obedient and loyal to Allah , Allah  is there for him
and grants him His special grace. Similarly, Allah  makes a
way out for him from all difficulties and problems. Even if death
is decreed for him, Allah  showers His special mercy upon
him and grants him a good death.

Incident of Hazrat Awf bin Maalik 

It is reported that on one occasion, a Sahaabi by the name of
Hazrat Awf bin Maalik  came to Rasulullah  and
said, “O Rasul of Allah ! So-and-so clan have attacked us
and looted our wealth. They also kidnapped my son and stole all
my camels!”
282
The Sahaabi came to Rasulullah  to seek assistance in
his predicament. However, Rasulullah , at that time,
did not possess any wealth to assist this Sahaabi, and therefore
gave him the following reply: “Indeed the household of
Muhammad , and many other households in Madinah
Munawwarah, are undergoing such poverty that we do not even
have one saa (a certain measure) of food or even one mudd (i.e.
quarter saa) of food to eat. Hence, turn to Allah  in dua
and beg Him for your needs.”

On returning home, the wife of Hazrat Awf  asked him

what response Rasulullah  had given him when he
sought assistance. When Hazrat Awf  informed her that
Rasulullah  had advised him to turn to Allah  in
dua, she remarked, “Certainly, the advice he gave you is the best
advice. Hence, we should turn to Allah .”

They then continued to engage in dua, and not long thereafter,

Allah  returned their son to them, together with their
camels which were now even fatter than before. Hazrat Awf bin
Maalik  was so overjoyed that he immediately came to
inform Rasulullah  of what had transpired.

On receiving the glad tidings, Rasulullah  ascended the

mimbar and addressed the people. Rasulullah 
commenced his address by praising Allah . He then
advised the Sahaabah  and showed them the method to
secure the mercy and divine assistance of Allah  when
283
they are faced with any problem or difficulty. He told the
Sahaabah  that they should turn to Allah  and beg
Him for His assistance.

Rasulullah  thereafter recited the following verse:

ۡ َّ ۡ َّ ّٰ َّ َّ
ؕ ‫﴾ و یَّ ۡرزقہ ِم ۡن َّح ۡیث لَّا یَّ ۡح َّت ِسب‬۲﴿ ‫َّم ۡن یت ِق الل َّہ یَّ ۡج َّع ۡل ل ٗہ َّمخ َّر ًجا‬
The one who adopts taqwa (in his life), Allah makes a way out for him
(from all difficulties), and provides for him sustenance from avenues
which he least expects. 180

From this incident, we understand that Rasulullah (sallallahu

‘alaihi wasallam) taught the Sahaabah  to firmly hold onto
two things at the time of difficulty:

1. The first thing is that they should ensure that they lead a life
of taqwa (piety and righteousness) and not disobey Allah
 at any time.

2. The second thing is that they should turn to Allah  in

dua and beg of His grace, as it is only Allah  that can
remove the difficulty of a servant and bless him with ease.181

180
3-2 :‫سورة الطالق‬
181
1993 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املستدرك على الصحيحني للحاكم‬
284
The World – An Abode of
Comforts and Hardships
Allah  has created this world as an abode of trial and
tribulation. In this earthly abode, a believer will be faced with
various situations and conditions.

Some situations will be in accordance to his expectation and

desire, while others will be against his temperament and nature.
At different times during his life, a believer will be tested with
health and sickness, wealth and poverty, and prosperity and
adversity.

Allah  says in the Quraan Majeed:

َّ َّ َّ ۡ َّ ۡ َّ َّ َّ
ؕ ‫ال ِذ ۡی خل َّق ال َّم ۡوت َّو ال َّح ّٰیوۃ ل َِّی ۡبلوَّک ۡم ایک ۡم ا ۡح َّسن َّع َّملًا‬
He (Allah ) is the One who created death and life so that He may
test you (and see) as to which of you is better in his actions.182

In the face of these changing conditions, Allah  wishes to

see whether the believer remains loyal and faithful to Allah
, and leads a life of obedience and submission to Him, or
he is affected by situations and overcome by changing
conditions, thereby causing him to disobey Allah .

182
2 :‫سورة امللك‬
285
Hazrat Suhaib  reports that Rasulullah  said,
“How astonishing is the condition of a believer! There is only
good for him in every situation, and this (goodness) is exclusive
for a believer. If prosperity and favourable conditions prevail
over him, he expresses gratitude, and this is good for him. And if
adversity and unfavourable conditions befall him, he adopts sabr
(patience), and this is good for him.”183

Making Shukr in Ease and Exercising Sabr in Adversity

When a servant is blessed with wealth and bounties, then Allah
 tests him to see whether he makes shukr and is grateful
to Allah  through utilizing these bounties in accordance to
the pleasure of Allah .

When a servant is tested with difficult conditions in regard to his

health or wealth, then Allah  tests him to see whether he
makes sabr and is pleased with the decree of Allah ,
remaining loyal to Him at all times.

The true test of a servant’s love for Allah  will manifest at

the time when Allah  tests His servant with difficulty, and
despite finding himself totally helpless and overwhelmed by
hardship, he remains loyal to Allah . Such a servant will
pass the test of love.

183
2999 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
286
Generally, people regard wealth and prosperity to be a bounty
from Allah , and they regard tests and difficulties to be a
calamity. However, hardships and tests are also a great blessing
and bounty from Allah , as they give the servant the
opportunity to exercise sabr through which one will acquire
immense rewards and make tremendous progress in the
Hereafter.

Rasulullah  said, “When Allah  wishes to bless a

servant with a high rank that has been decreed for him (in
Jannah), but the servant is unable to reach this high rank
through his deeds and efforts, then Allah  brings about
tests in his life and body, wealth, or his children.

“Allah  then blesses him with the tawfeeq of sabr and

enables him to exercise patience over this test, until Allah 
causes him to reach the rank which Allah  had decreed for
him.”184

Making Dua for Ease

Nevertheless, though sabr is also a great bounty from Allah
, Rasulullah  has taught us that we should not
make dua for sabr, as this, in reality, is asking Allah  to test
us with difficulties, and it is possible that we will not manage to
pass the test of sabr in the face of these hardships. Hence, one

184
‫ ورجاله ثقات إال أن خالدا مل يرو عنه غري ابنه حممد وأبوه اختلف‬:109/10 ‫ وقال احلافظ يف فتح الباري‬،3090 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
‫يف امسه لكن إهبام الصحايب ال يضر‬
287
should rather make dua to Allah  to bless him with aafiyah
(ease and comfort).

It is reported that on one occasion, Rasulullah 

overheard a Sahaabi who was making dua saying, “O Allah! I
beseech You to bless me with sabr!” Rasulullah 
corrected the Sahaabi and said, “You are asking Allah  for
tests and difficulties! Rather, ask Allah  for aafiyah!”185

Those whom Allah  loves the most – He tests them the

most in order for them to acquire His greatest proximity and
attain the highest ranks in the Hereafter.

Rasulullah  said, “Those who will be tested with the

greatest of tests will be the Ambiyaa , then those who are
closest to them in rank, then those who follow thereafter.”186

Incident of Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair 

Below is an incident of a great Taabi’ee, Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair
, which highlights the high level of sabr which he exercised
in the face of a great tragedy:

On one occasion, Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair  was on a

journey to meet Waleed bin Abdil Malik when a sore developed

185
‫ هذا حديث حسن‬:‫ وقال‬،3527 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
186
3740 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وإسناده حسن كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،27079 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
288
on his leg. After some time, the sore spread, leading to his leg
becoming infected.

When Hazrat Urwah  eventually reached Waleed, he asked

him to have his infected leg amputated. Waleed thus summoned
the doctor who instructed Hazrat Urwah  to take a sedative
so that he would be able to amputate the leg while Hazrat Urwah
 was asleep.

However, Hazrat Urwah  refused to take the sedative

saying, “Go ahead and amputate. I cannot imagine how a person
can ever consume something which will cause him to be
negligent and unaware of Allah .” The doctor therefore
placed the blade on his leg halfway down the shin, and began to
cut.

Such was the patience of Hazrat Urwah  that those who

were around him at the time later mentioned that he did not
utter even one remark of complaint! Rather, the most they heard
from him was an occasional hiss of pain.

After the leg of Hazrat Urwah  was amputated and was

placed in the tray (to be taken away and buried), he looked it at
and expressed gratitude saying, “Only Allah  and I know
that I never used this leg to walk towards His disobedience.”

It is also reported that while Hazrat Urwah  was traveling to

visit Waleed, he suffered a second calamity where his son,

289
Muhammad, fell from the roof of the stable and was trampled to
death by the animals.

After undergoing these two severe calamities, suffering the loss

of his son and his leg, Hazrat Urwah  addressed Allah
 saying, “O Allah! I had seven sons. You took only one son
and left me with six sons! O Allah! I had four limbs. You took only
one limb and left me with three limbs! I take an oath in Your
name! If You take something away from a person, You also leave
with him (that which will suffice him), and if You test a person,
You also grant him comfort.”

Furthermore, some narrations have mentioned that Hazrat

Urwah , despite undergoing the amputation, did not leave
out his recitation of one quarter of the Quraan Majeed in
Tahajjud Salaah that night!

After Hazrat Urwah  returned from the journey, Hazrat Isa

bin Talhah , a great Taabi’ee and Aalim, came to visit him.
When he entered, Hazrat Urwah  instructed one of his sons
to lift his kurta so that Hazrat Isa  may see his amputation.

On seeing the amputation, Hazrat Isa  addressed Hazrat

Urwah  by his kunyah (filial title) saying, “O Abu Abdillah!
We do not need you to wrestle or race, (for which you require a
leg,) and Allah  has left with you that which we all need
from you – your deep understanding and profound knowledge of
deen.”

290
Hearing this, Hazrat Urwah  said to him, “No person has
consoled me over the loss of my leg in the manner you have
consoled me.”187

How Should a Believer View a Test?

It is reported that Hazrat Umar  once mentioned,
“Whenever any calamity afflicted me, I found three great
bounties from Allah  contained in it (which were a means
for me to thank Allah ).

“The first bounty (for which I am grateful to Allah ) is that

the calamity occurred in my dunya – not in my deen.

The second bounty (for which I am grateful to Allah ) is

that the calamity could have been far more severe (yet out of His
mercy, Allah  did not make it very severe).

“The third bounty (for which I am grateful to Allah ) is

that Allah  has made this an opportunity to bestow me
with immense reward in the Hereafter.”188

187
427/6 :‫ اتريخ اإلسالم‬، 21-19/20 :‫هتذيب الكمال‬
188
95/1 :‫صفوة التفاسري‬
291
The Greatest Bounty of Allah

Hazrat Ayyoob  was a Nabi of Allah  who was tested
with severe sickness. After patiently enduring many years of
sickness, Allah  granted him complete shifaa.

Allah  commanded him to strike his feet on the ground,

thereby causing a spring of pure, healing water to gush forth. He
bathed in the water and was completely cured.

Furthermore, Allah  restored his youth, granted him

exceptional beauty, and blessed him with double the favours that
he had lost during the period of his illness.189

In regard to the spring of Hazrat Ayyoob , it is reported

that it possessed special healing and rejuvenating qualities.
Hence, as long as the spring remained and did not dry up, people
would come to it and bathe in it to find cure from their
ailments.190

Indeed, how unique was this healing spring and how fortunate
were those blessed to bathe in its water! However, it was not
long before the spring dried up.

189
283/15 ‫عمدة القاري‬
190
2/16 :‫عمدة القاري‬
295
The Shoreless Ocean Filled with Treasure
As far as the ummah of Rasulullah  is concerned, Allah
 has not blessed us with a spring, but rather He has
blessed us with an ocean that has no shores and contains pearls,
emeralds, rubies and every form of priceless treasure.

The more one draws from this ocean, the more it increases. It
will never decrease nor dry up, but will remain forever, blessing
its people with cure, barakah and goodness.

What is this ocean? It is none other than the Quraan Majeed, the
divine speech of Allah  to His creation and the greatest
bounty of Allah  in the world.

As long as the ummah firmly holds onto the Quraan Majeed and
fulfill its rights, this Quraan Majeed will be a source of light for
them in this world and in the grave, and on the Day of Qiyaamah,
it will accompany them on the plains of Resurrection until it
enters them into Paradise.

The Quraan Comforting a Person in the Grave

It is reported from Hazrat Ubaadah bin Saamit  that when a
person who holds firmly onto the Quraan Majeed passes away,
then before being buried, while his family are still engaged in
attending to his funeral rites, the Quraan comes to him in a
beautiful form and stands at his head side, protecting him and

296
comforting him until he is wrapped in his kafan (shroud). The
Quraan then enters the kafan and rests on his chest.

When he is placed in the grave, and the soil is placed over him,
and all his friends depart, then the angels, Munkar and Nakeer,
come to him and make him sit up in his grave. The Quraan then
comes between him and the angels. The angels address the
Quraan saying, “Move away so that we may question him.”

However, the Quraan replies, “Never will I move away! By the

Rabb of the Ka’bah, he remained my companion and friend in the
world! Therefore, I will never abandon him in any situation! If
you have been instructed to carry out any task (i.e. question
him), then you may do so, but leave me to remain here with him,
for I will not leave him until I enter him into Jannah.”191

May Allah  grant us the tawfeeq to remain loyal to the

Quraan Majeed by reciting it daily and upholding its teachings in
every department of our lives so that we may acquire the true
blessings of the Quraan Majeed in this world, in the grave and
the Hereafter.

191
245/1 ‫رواه ابن أيب الدنيا وغريه عن عبادة بن الصامت موقوفا عليه ولعله أشبه كما يف الرتغيب والرتهيب للمنذري‬
297
Surah Kahf
In the various Ahaadith, Rasulullah  has encouraged
the ummah to recite certain surahs of the Quraan Majeed on a
daily basis or weekly, as these surahs contain special benefits for
those who recite them. Among these surahs are Surah Yaseen,
Surah Mulk, Surah Sajdah, Surah Waaqi’ah and Surah Kahf.

In regard to Surah Kahf, Rasulullah  encouraged the

ummah in his Mubaarak Ahaadith to recite Surah Kahf on the
Day of Jumu’ah. Hence, reciting Surah Kahf on the Day of
Jumu’ah is among the Sunnah practices that should be carried
out on the Day of Jumu’ah.

In one Hadith, it is reported that Rasulullah  once

addressed the Sahaabah  and said, “Shall I not show you a
surah which is such that it was accompanied by seventy
thousand angels (when it was revealed), its greatness fills the
space between the sky and the earth, and the one who recites it
receives reward equivalent to that?”

The Sahaabah  replied, “Certainly inform us of such a

surah, O Rasul of Allah !”

Rasulullah  said, “This surah is the surah of the people

of the cave (Surah Kahf). The one who recites this surah on the
Day of Jumu’ah, all his (minor) sins will be forgiven until the next
Jumu’ah, and for a further three days as well. He will also receive
298
a special noor that will shine to the sky, and he will be divinely
protected from the fitnah of Dajjaal.”192

Below are some of the great virtues and benefits that are
reported in the Mubaarak Ahaadith regarding the recitation of
Surah Kahf:

Receiving Divine Protection from Dajjaal and All

Fitnahs
Hazrat Ali  reports that Rasulullah  said, “The
one who recites Surah Kahf on the Day of Jumu’ah will receive
divine protection from Allah  for eight days from every
type of fitnah. If Dajjaal has to emerge then he will be divinely
protected from Dajjaal as well.”193

In another Hadith, Hazrat Abu Dardaa  reports that

Rasulullah  said, “Whoever recites the ten verses from
the end of Surah Kahf, he will receive divine protection from
Dajjaal.”194

The Ulama explain that it is better for one to recite the entire
surah. However, if one suffices on reciting the first ten verses or
last ten verses of Surah Kahf, then one will also receive divine
protection from Dajjaal.

192
346/10 :‫ اجلامع ألحكام القرآن للقرطيب‬،203 :‫ الرقم‬،‫فضائل القرآن البن الضريس‬
193
430 :‫ الرقم‬،‫األحاديث املختارة لضياء الدين املقدسي‬
194
11146 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،27516 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
299
Receiving Special Noor
Hazrat Mu’aaz bin Anas  reports that Rasulullah 
said, “The one who recites the beginning verses and concluding
verses of Surah Kahf, it will become a noor for him from his feet
until his head, and the one who recites the entire surah, it will
become a noor for him from the earth until the sky.”195

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar  reports, “Whoever recites

Surah Kahf on the Day of Jumu’ah, a special noor will shine for
him from beneath his feet until the clouds in the sky, and this
noor will shine for him on the Day of Qiyaamah, and his (minor)
sins (committed) between the two Jumu’ahs will be forgiven.”196

Repelling Shaitaan from the Home

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mughaffal  reports that Rasulullah
 said that if Surah Kahf is recited in any home, then
shaitaan will not be able to enter that home for that night.197

Assisting One to Awaken for Tahajjud

Hazrat Aaishah  reports that Rasulullah  said
that the one who recites the last five verses of Surah Kahf when

195
‫ ويف إسناد أمحد ابن‬،‫ رواه أمحد والطرباين‬:11144 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال العالمة اهليثمي رمحه هللا يف جممع الزوائد‬،15626 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
‫هليعة وهو ضعيف وقد حيسن حديثه‬
196
1098 :‫ الرقم‬،‫تفسري ابن مردويه إبسناد ال أبس به كما يف الرتغيب والرتهيب للمنذري‬
197
190/8 :‫ابن مردويه كما يف روح املعاين‬
300
retiring to bed, Allah  will assist him to wake up at
whatever time he wishes to wake up in the night.” 198

After quoting this narration, Allaamah Aaloosi  mentions, “I

have tried this many times and found it to be most effective.”

Being Saved from the Punishment in the Grave

It is reported that Hazrat Anas  mentioned that the one
who recites Surah Kahf receives a special noor that shines
between the sky and the earth, and through reciting this surah,
he is saved and protected from the punishment in the grave.199

Gaining Entry into Jannah

Hazrat Samurah bin Jundub  reports that Rasulullah
 said, “The one who memorizes and recites ten verses
of Surah Kahf, the fitnah of Dajjaal will not harm him, and the
one who recites the entire surah will enter Jannah.” 200

Incident of a Person Gaining Salvation through the

Recitation of Surah Kahf
Allaamah Ibnul Hajar Asqalaani  has mentioned the
following incident which highlights the immense virtue of

198
214/2 ‫تفسري ابن مردويه وسنده ضعيف كذا يف السراج املنري للعزيزي‬
199
346/10 :‫اجلامع ألحكام القرآن للقرطيب‬
200
346/10 :‫اجلامع ألحكام القرآن للقرطيب‬
301
reciting Surah Kahf. He says that the Qaadhi of Safad,
Muhammad bin Abdir Rahmaan Uthmaani, mentions that
Saifuddeen Balbaan Husaami narrated the following to him. He
said:

One day, I went out to the desert. On coming out, I saw that Ibnu
Daqeeq Al-Eid  was present in the cemetery, standing at a
certain grave. He was reciting the Quraan Majeed and engaging
in dua while weeping.

When I asked him why he was weeping, he said, “The inmate of

this grave was one of my students who learnt the Quraan Majeed
from me, but then he passed away.

“Last night, I saw him in a dream and asked him regarding his
condition. He replied, ‘After I was placed in the grave, on account
of my sins, I saw the punishment come towards me in the form of
a fierce dog that resembled a predatory animal. I was overcome
by fear, and the dog began to frighten and threaten me.

“‘While I was in this state of fear, I suddenly saw a handsome

man appear who began to chase the dog away and rescue me
from its harm. The man thereafter came to me and gave me
comfort and consolation from the harm of the dog.

302
“‘I asked him, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am the Surah Kahf
which you used to punctually recite in the world on the Day of
Jumu’ah. I have been sent to come and rescue you’’”201

201
352/5 :‫الدرر الكامنة يف أعيان املائة الثامنة‬
303
The Queen of Jannah
Hazrat Faatimah  was the youngest daughter of Rasulullah
 and was most beloved to him. The extent of his love
for her can be gauged from the fact that the last person and first
person that he would meet when departing or returning from an
expedition was his beloved daughter, Hazrat Faatimah .202

Shortly before departing from this world, Rasulullah 

informed her that she will be the queen of all the women in
Jannah.203

The fact that from all the women who came in the world, Allah
 selected her and crowned her with the position of being
the queen in Jannah is sufficient for us to understand that she is
the greatest of all women.

Hence, every aspect of her life was blessed, most beautiful and
worthy of emulation. There are thus countless lessons that can
be learnt from her exemplary life.

Among these lessons are that she led a life of complete purity
and righteousness, remained obedient to the teachings of
Rasulullah , and always adopted purdah, thereby
concealing herself from the gazes of strange men.

202
4213 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
203
3624-3623 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
307
The Most Beneficial Thing for a Woman
On one occasion, Rasulullah  asked the Sahaabah
 as to what was the most beneficial thing for women.
However, none of the Sahaabah  gave any answer.

When Hazrat Ali  returned home, he put forth the question

to Hazrat Faatimah  who spontaneously answered, “The
thing most beneficial for women and most beloved in the sight of
Allah  is that they do not see men and that men do not see
them (i.e. they do not have any contact with men and vice
versa).”

When Rasulullah  was informed of her answer, he

expressed great happiness and mentioned, “Faatimah is part of
me.”204

The Hayaa of Hazrat Faatimah 

Hazrat Faatimah  showed such importance to the
command of Rasulullah  regarding purdah that she
firmly held onto it until the very end of her life.

Prior to her demise, she said to Hazrat Asmaa bint Umais ,

“I feel ashamed of being carried on a bier by men who will see
the shape of my body through the cloth placed over my kafan.”

204
46012 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وإسناده ضعيف كما يف كنز العمال‬،‫ واللفظ له‬،40/2 ‫ حلية األولياء‬،526 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند البزار‬
308
Hazrat Asmaa  replied, “O daughter of Rasulullah
! Shall I not show you a solution which I learnt in the
land of Abyssinia?” Saying this, she asked for some palm leaves
to be brought. She then shaped the leaves into a frame which she
placed over the bier, and then draped the cloth over the frame.
In this way, the body of a deceased woman would be entirely
concealed.

When Hazrat Faatimah  saw this, she was pleased and said,
“How good and beautiful is this (way of burying a woman).” She
then made dua for Hazrat Asmaa  saying, “May Allah
 conceal your faults as you have assisted me to conceal my
body!”205

From this incident, we see that Hazrat Faatimah  had such

great concern for purdah, that she could not even tolerate the
shape of her body being revealed to strange men after her death.

May Allah  bless the women of this ummah to follow in

the footsteps of Hazrat Faatimah .

205
368/5 :‫أسد الغابة‬
309
The Beautiful Qualities of
Hazrat Zainab bintu Jahsh

It is a well-known fact that the actions and behavior of a person
reflect what he possesses in his heart.

If one’s heart is brimming with the love of Allah  and His

Rasul , then this love will express itself by him obeying
Allah , leading a life in conformity to the Sunnah and
treating the creation with love and kindness.

On the contrary, if one’s heart is brimming with love for wealth

or love for name and fame, then this love will express itself in his
endeavours, conduct and behavior.

When we examine the lives of the respected wives of Rasulullah

, we find that every aspect of their lives radiated the
true love of Allah  and His Rasul . It was on
account of their purity and goodness that Allah  divinely
selected them to be the wives of Rasulullah  in this
world and the Hereafter.

Often, when people sit together, the discussion revolves around

other people’s lives, and gossip or gheebah (backbiting) occurs.
However, the respected wives of Rasulullah  were
extremely cautious in refraining from these types of sins.

310
One of the wives of Rasulullah  was Hazrat Zainab bintu
Jahsh . She possessed many outstanding qualities, among
which was her clean-heartedness and her extreme caution in
refraining from gheebah or gossip.

Refraining from Gheebah

During the scandal against Hazrat Aaishah , there were
many hypocrites who were actively involved in spreading false
rumours and accusations against her. Allah  revealed
many verses of the Quraan Majeed declaring her innocence and
purity.

Prior to these verses being revealed, Rasulullah  asked

Hazrat Zainab  regarding her co-wife, Hazrat Aaishah
. She spontaneously responded, “I protect my ears and
eyes from giving false information regarding that which I did not
hear or see. I only know good regarding Aaishah !”206

Kindness towards the Poor

Apart from Hazrat Zainab’s  clean-heartedness and purity,
she was very kind and compassionate towards the poor. She
would tan animal hides, sell them, and thereafter spend the
income on the poor and needy.207

206
2661 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
207
1325/4 :‫مرقاة املفاتيح‬
311
Rasulullah  once said to his respected wives, “The first
of you to join me after my demise will be the wife with the
longest arms.”

The respected wives initially thought that the literal meaning of

this statement was intended. Thus, they began to measure the
length of their arms and found that the one among them with
the longest arms was Hazrat Saudah .

However, only when Hazrat Zainab  passed away first did

they realize that the literal meaning of ‘longest arms’ was not
intended. Rather, the figurative meaning was intended, referring
to the one who gave the most sadaqah.208

High Level of Purdah

During the farewell hajj, Rasulullah  addressed his
respected wives and said to them, “After this, remain in your
homes (i.e. after performing hajj, remain in your homes and do
not leave your homes without a valid need).”

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  mentions that it was on account of

this statement of Rasulullah  that Hazrat Zainab and
Hazrat Saudah  never left their homes thereafter to even
perform nafl hajj.

208
1420 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
312
Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Saudah  would say, “By Allah!
We never mounted a conveyance after hearing this from
Rasulullah .”209

From this, we understand that Hazrat Zainab  was

extremely conscious of purdah and despite it being permissible
for her to travel for nafl hajj and umrah, she preferred to remain
within her home until the end of her life.

209
5304 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وهو حديث صحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،26751 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
313
How Can a Woman Reach
Allah ?
Allah , through His infinite grace and mercy, has created
and designed the world in the most perfect form and caused it to
continue functioning most precisely and accurately.

The unique rotation of the sun and moon, the alternation of the
day and night, the rainfall from the clouds and the four seasons –
all are manifestations of the Qudrat (Power) of the Most-Perfect
Creator, Allah .

Each creation of Allah  has been created to fulfill a specific

role and function in the world. Similarly, Allah  created
man, who is the pinnacle of His creation, to fulfill the greatest
objective – to worship Allah  and uphold His commands in
the world.

In order for man to be successful in fulfilling the purpose for

which he has been created, Allah  has stipulated specific
roles for men and women to adhere to when leading their lives
in the world.

These roles, which Allah  has designated to both men and

women, are in total conformity and harmony to their nature and
disposition.

314
Three Aspects Regarding the Role of a Woman in Islam
In Islam, the role of a woman can be encapsulated in three
aspects:

1. The first aspect is her obedience to Allah  and leading

a life of piety.

2. The second aspect is her remaining within her home and

observing strict purdah with all non-mahrams.

3. The third aspect is her remaining obedient to her husband

and fulfilling his rights.

Rasulullah  said, “When a woman is punctual on her

five daily salaah, fasts during the month of Ramadhaan, protects
her chastity and is obedient to her husband, she may enter
through whichever door of Jannah she wishes.”210

Obedience to Allah  and Leading a Life of Piety

A woman’s primary concern at all times should be to remain
obedient to Allah  and lead a life of piety. She should
understand that Allah  is the Creator and the Only Being
who will bless her with success, happiness and contentment in
her life.

210
‫ رواه أمحد والطرباين يف األوسط وفيه ابن هليعة وحديثه حسن‬:7634 ،‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،1661 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
‫وبقية رجاله رجال الصحيح‬
315
Hence, she should regard His command to be first and foremost
in her life, and she should never compromise in fulfilling His
commands for anything in the world.

Rasulullah  said, “There is no obedience to the creation

in those things that lead to the disobedience of Allah .”211

Remaining within the Home and Observing Strict

Purdah with Non-Mahrams
In order for a woman to be successful and beloved in the sight of
Allah , she should remain within her home and not leave
her home without need. Allah  addresses the blessed
wives of Rasulullah  and the women of the ummah
saying:
ۡ َّ َّ َّ َّ
‫َّو ق ۡر َّن ف ِ ۡی بی ۡو ِتک َّن َّو لَّا تبَّر ۡج َّن تبَّر َّج ال َّجا ِہ ِل َّی ِۃ الۡا ۡولّٰی‬

“Remain within your homes and do not come out of your homes making
a display of your beauty like the women during the former days of
ignorance.”212

Rasulullah  said that a woman should be concealed

from the eyes of strange men. When she exits from her home,
shaitaan begins to stare at her.213 (In this way, shaitaan causes

211
34406 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ املصنف البن أيب شيبة‬،7257 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
212
33 :‫سورة األحزاب‬
213
‫ هذا حديث حسن صحيح غريب‬:‫ وقال‬،1173 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
316
men to cast lustful glances at her, inciting them towards her.)
The time that she is closest to her Rabb is when she is concealed
within her home.”214

Imaam Shaafi’ee  has stated that during the mubaarak era

of Rasulullah , none of the respected wives, daughters
or women of the family of Rasulullah  would be present
for the congregational or Jumu’ah Salaah in the musjid. This was
on account of the fact that Rasulullah  encouraged the
women to perform their salaah within their homes.215

When the women of the Sahaabah  left their homes for a

valid need, they observed a very high level of purdah from
strange men. Even at the time of performing tawaaf, the women
would ensure that they do not mix with the men.

Imaam Bukhaari  has narrated a Hadith showing that in the

time of Rasulullah , when the women would perform
tawaaf, then they would not walk among the men. Rather, they
would perform tawaaf on the side, separated from the men. In
this way, there would be segregation between the men and
women.216

214
7671 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ ورجاله رجال الصحيح كما يف جممع الزوائد‬،2890 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط للطرباين‬
215
624/8 :‫اختالف احلديث‬
216
1618 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
317
Remaining Obedient to her Husband and Fulfilling his
Rights
It is reported that on one occasion, Hazrat Asmaa bintu Yazeed
 came to Rasulullah  while he was seated among
the Sahaabah  and addressed him in the following words:

“O Rasul of Allah ! We women remain within the

confines of our homes and protect ourselves from the gazes of
strangers. We fulfill the needs of our husbands and bear their
children.

“The men have been favoured by Allah  by being able to

attend the Jumu’ah Salaah and other salaahs in congregation
whereas we women perform our salaah within our homes.

“The men visit the sick and attend funerals. They perform hajj
after hajj, and even greater – they participate in jihaad in the
path of Allah .

“When the men leave their homes to perform hajj or umrah or to

guard the borders of the Islamic territories, it is the womenfolk
who protect their wealth for them. The women sew their clothes
for them and raise and care for their children.

“After all, O Rasul of Allah ! Do the women not have

any share in the reward of the men?”

Rasulullah  was greatly pleased with her question and

said to her, “If a woman displays excellent conduct with her
318
husband, endeavours to please him, and cooperates and assists
him in the good works that he does, then she will be an equal
partner with him in receiving the great rewards of the good
deeds that her husband carries out.”217

From the abovementioned incident, we understand that there

are many great opportunities for the women of this ummah to
progress in deen and acquire the tremendous rewards of the
Hereafter. However, they will only acquire progress and
acceptance if they fulfill their role which Allah  has
chosen for them and they are pleased with the decree of Allah
.

217
‫ فقد التزم‬،‫ أو يف مؤلف معترب كتصانيف البيهقي‬:331/1 ‫ قال العالمة السيوطي رمحه هللا يف تدريب الراوي‬،8369 :‫ الرقم‬،‫شعب اإلميان‬
‫أن ال خيرج فيها حديثا يعلمه موضوعا‬
319
The Islamic Attire for Women
Islam is the perfect code of life. It provides complete guidance in
all spheres of life and teaches man how to conduct and how to
fulfill his worldly and deeni needs.

Islam advocates respecting human rights and promotes sublime

conduct when interacting with the creation. In aspects of
honesty, trustworthiness, kindness to parents, respect to elders,
and decency in manner, speech and dressing, Islam is second to
none.

From among the core values that Islam encourages one to adopt
is the quality of Hayaa (shame and respect).

While hayaa is not confined to clothing and attire, hayaa in

dressing and attire forms an essential and integral branch of
Islam, as it is through a person’s clothing and attire that his
Islamic identity is recognized.

Through looking at the religious symbols on people, one

automatically understands which religion they belong to. Hence,
when a Mu’min adorns himself with the attire of Islam, he
reflects the beauty of Islam and is identified as a believer.

320
The Warning of Rasulullah  for Women who
Dress Immodestly
Rasulullah  had prophesized the coming of such crucial
and critical times in the ummah where women will be clothed in
transparent clothing or clothing revealing the shape of their
bodies. Rasulullah  had sounded severe warnings and
admonitions for such women.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah  reports that Rasulullah 

said, “There will be two groups (in my ummah) who will be
punished in Jahannum whom I have not yet seen (i.e. they will
emerge after my demise).

“One group will carry whips with them resembling the tails of
cattle, with which they will (oppressively) lash the people.

“The second group will be those women who will wear clothes
yet will still be naked (i.e. they will wear tight fitting or clothing
revealing the shape of their bodies), they will attract men
towards themselves, and they themselves will be inclined
towards men, their heads will resemble the humps of the Bukhti
camels (i.e. they will wear buns which will be high like camel
humps). They will neither enter Jannah nor smell its fragrance
despite its fragrance being perceivable from a great distance
away.”218

218
2128 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح مسلم‬
321
Rasulullah  Placing Great Emphasis upon
Hayaa
Rasulullah  placed great emphasis upon this branch of
Islam, and whenever he saw that the attire of the Sahaabah
 was not conforming to Islam, he immediately corrected
them.

On one occasion Hazrat Asmaa , the respected sister of

Hazrat Aaishah , entered the home while wearing a thin
garment. Rasulullah  was displeased with this attire for
the women of this ummah and immediately corrected her.

He  explained to her that the entire body of a woman

should be covered in a manner that together with the cloth being
non-transparent, even the shape of the body should not be
discernible.219

Incident of Hazrat Asmaa 

This lesson of hayaa, taught with respect by Rasulullah
, was so deeply entrenched in the heart of Hazrat
Asmaa  that it remained with her until the end of her life.

Hence, it is reported that when she reached old age, her beloved
son, Hazrat Munzir bin Zubair , after returning from Iraq,

219
‫رضي‬- ‫ مل يدرك عائشة‬:‫ هذا مرسل خالد بن دريك‬:‫ وقال املنذري يف خمتصر سنن أيب داود قال أبو داود‬،4104 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن أيب داود‬
‫ سعيد بن بشري أبو عبد الرمحن البصري نزيل دمشق موىل بين نصر وقد تكلم فيه غري واحد وذكر احلافظ أبو أمحد‬:‫ ويف إسناده‬.-‫هللا عنها‬
‫ عن خالد بن دريك عن أم سلمة بدل عائشة‬:‫ ال أعلم من رواه عن قتادة غري سعيد بن بشري وقال مرة فيه‬:‫اجلرجاين هذا احلديث وقال‬
322
sent her a cloth as a gift. The cloth was of very fine and superior
quality, however it was thin and revealing.

Hazrat Asmaa  had lost her sight at that time, and so held
the fabric in her hand, examining it carefully. Then, with
disappointment, she said, “Return the gift to him.”

When the cloth was returned to her son, Hazrat Munzir ,

he was hurt at his mother returning his gift. He came to Hazrat
Asmaa  and said to her, “O my mother! The cloth is not
transparent! (Hence, it is fine for you to wear).”

Hazrat Asmaa  replied, “Even though it is not transparent,

due to it being tight, it will still reveal the shape of the body.”

He thereafter bought for her common garments made in Marw

and Quhistaan. She accepted them saying, “It is these types of
garments that you should give me to wear (as these conform to
the Sunnah).”220

Guidelines of the Shari’ah Regarding Women’s Clothing

Shari’ah has provided extensive guidelines in regard to the
description of the clothing a woman should cover herself with.

1. The clothing must provide cover for her entire body,

otherwise in the eyes of shari’ah, the clothing will not be
worthy of being called “clothing.” It is compulsory upon a

220
199/8 :‫الطبقات الكربى البن سعد‬
323
 woman to cover her entire body and hair (with the exception
of her hands till her wrists and feet) before non-mahrams
(strange men).

2. The clothing must be such that it should neither be

transparent nor reveal the shape of her body. Hence, if the
clothing is tight-fitting to the extent that the shape of the
body is discernible, such a woman is also included in the
description of the Hadith being “clothed yet naked.”

3. When leaving the home, a woman should ensure that the

laws of hayaa and modesty are maintained. The Hadith
commands that she should dress in an unattractive manner,
should not apply perfume and she must don the niqaab. It is a
fact of life that there exists a basic natural inclination
towards the opposite gender. Wearing attractive clothing
further incites such inclination which leads to fitnah.

The type of clothing that is essentially worn by one gender

should not be worn by the opposite gender Rasulullah
 is reported to have said, “Allah  has cursed
those women who imitate men (in dressing, etc.) and those
men who imitate women.”221

4. May Allah  revive the quality of hayaa among the

women of this ummah and bless them with the tawfeeq of

221
‫ رواه الطرباين يف األوسط عن شيخه علي بن‬:13197 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،4003 :‫ الرقم‬،‫املعجم األوسط للطرباين‬
‫سعيد الرازي وهو لني وبقية رجاله ثقات‬
324
emulating the Mubaarak Sunnah of Rasulullah  in
their dressing and attire.

325
Loss of Hayaa - The Main Cause
for The Pandemic
Allah  has created the peel of a fruit as a means of
adornment and protection for the fruit.

Once the peel is removed, the fruit loses its beauty and
protection, and in no time, it begins to rot and loses all its good.

In the very same way, Allah  has created clothing for man
as a means of beauty as well as protection from the cold and heat
of the environment.

Once the clothing is removed, he loses his beauty and becomes

exposed to the cold and heat of the environment.

Just as Allah  has created physical clothing for man, as a

means of beauty and protection for his body, Allah  has
created spiritual clothing for man as a means of beauty and
protection for his spiritual soul.

This spiritual clothing is the clothing of hayaa.

In the Quraan Majeed, Allah  says:

َّ ۡ َّ َّ
‫و َّج َّع َّل لَّک ۡم َّس َّرا ِب ۡی َّل ت ِق ۡیکم ال َّحر‬

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 And He (Allah ) has made for you garments which protect you
from the heat (and cold, etc.).”222

In another verse, Allah  says:

ۡ َّ َّ ّٰ ۡ َّ ً ً ‫ّٰی َّبن ۡۤۡی ّٰا َّد َّم َّق ۡد اَّن ۡ َّزلۡ َّنا َّع َّل ۡیک ۡم ل َِّب‬
ؕ ‫اسا یوَّا ِر ۡی َّس ۡو ّٰا ِتک ۡم َّو ِر ۡیشا ؕ َّو ل َِّباس التق ّٰوی ۙ ذلِک خی ٌّر‬ ِ
O children of Aadam ! We have sent down to you clothing to
cover your nudity as well as to be an adornment for you, and the
(spiritual) clothing of taqwa (piety and hayaa) is the best.223

In regard to hayaa, Rasulullah  said, “Hayaa is an

integral branch of Imaan.”224

In another Hadith, Rasulullah  said, “Every religion has

a distinguishing characteristic, and the distinguishing
characteristic of Islam is hayaa.”225

Hayaa in All Branches of Life

When the topic of hayaa is discussed, it is generally hayaa in
dressing that comes to mind. However, although hayaa in
dressing is essential and extremely important, hayaa is not
restricted to dressing and attire. Rather, hayaa refers to
conducting with shame, modesty and respect in all branches of a

222
81 :‫سورة النحل‬
223
26 :‫سورة األعراف‬
224
9 :‫ الرقم‬،‫صحيح البخاري‬
225
9 :‫ الرقم‬،‫موطأ اإلمام مالك‬
327
person’s life, whether fulfilling the rights of Allah  or the
creation.

When one studies the mubaarak life of Rasulullah , one

realizes that Rasulullah  was an embodiment of hayaa.

From his ibaadah to his eating, sleeping, interacting and even

attending the call of nature, every action portrayed the highest
levels of shame and modesty. In every dimension of his
mubaarak life, he ensured that the desired degree of hayaa was
never compromised.

He always showed special importance to inculcating hayaa in the

Sahaabah , in their dressing and attire and other facets of
life, and ensured that they remained completely distinct from
the kuffaar.

Hayaa – A Shield from Sin

The reason for Rasulullah  attaching such importance
to hayaa is that it serves as a shield to protect one’s Imaan as well
as preserve one’s Islamic morals and values.

When one possesses the quality of hayaa within his life, this
hayaa will guide him to conduct, in every situation, with shame,
modesty and respect, fulfilling the rights of Allah  and the
creation.

When the spiritual clothing of hayaa is removed from one’s life,

his Imaan and deen is left exposed and vulnerable to the
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environment of sin and evil. He will not deal with people with
respect and be concerned about fulfilling their rights. Rather, he
will only be concerned about his personal or worldly benefit. He
will go to wrong places, associate with wrong company, listen to
music, and view haraam on the internet, cell phone, etc.

This is all on account of him not having hayaa for Allah ,

thereby breaking the commands of Allah  and not
fulfilling the teachings of Rasulullah .

Rasulullah  Explaining the Meaning of Hayaa

On one occasion, Rasulullah  addressed the Sahaabah
 saying, “Adopt hayaa before Allah  as you ought
to.”

Rasulullah  then explained to them the meaning of

hayaa by saying, “Hayaa is that you protect your face and all the
limbs of the face, and you protect your stomach and whatever
enters it.

“Similarly, you protect your belly from earning and consuming

haraam, and you protect your heart from displeasing Allah
 at all times. (In other words, you utilize all the faculties of
your body such as the eyes, tongue, ears, hands, stomach, etc. to

329
fulfil the commands of Allah , and refrain from using them
to displease Allah  in any way.)”226

The Decline of the Ummah

In the Mubaarak Ahaadith, Rasulullah  had foretold the
coming of such crucial times before Qiyaamah where this quality
of hayaa will gradually leave the lives of people.

Rasulullah  said that the learned will not be respected

and followed, and people will not conduct with shame and
respect before people of nobility and dignity. People will speak
Arabic, yet their hearts will be like the hearts of the kuffaar.227

In this Hadith, Rasulullah  indicated that at that time,

the value system of Islam will be at a decline and there will be a
degeneration in the quality of hayaa and respect in the lives of
the Muslims, resulting in them following the ways of the kuffaar.

The result of hayaa leaving the lives of the ummah is that

presently, Muslims have adopted the path of shamelessness and
immorality which is idealized by the kuffaar.

Hence, most homes have been affected by photography and the

evil influences of the TV, internet, etc. Currently, with the
invention of the smart phone, it is easy for one to commit sins at

226
3160 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وإسناده حسن كما يف خالصة األحكام للنووي‬،2458 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن الرتمذي‬
227
‫ رواه أمحد وفيه ابن هليعة وهو ضعيف‬:861 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،22879 :‫ الرقم‬،‫مسند أمحد‬
330
the mere press of a button, and hence sins are being perpetrated
throughout the world on an unprecedented level.

Rasulullah  foretold that when immorality and vice will

be the order of the day, then await earthquakes, pandemics,
epidemics, plagues, viruses and sicknesses that were never heard
of and will be such that it will leave people perplexed and
helpless.

Rasulullah  also mentioned that the only solution at

that time will be to turn to Allah  and earnestly beg His
forgiveness for their sins, in the manner that a drowning person
cries in dua when he is drowning and on the verge of losing his
life.228

We make dua that Allah  bless the entire ummah of

Rasulullah  to inculcate the mubaarak quality of hayaa
in their lives, repent for their sins and come onto the complete
Sunnah of Rasulullah  in all facets of their lives.

228
‫ حلية‬،‫ روى ابن ماجه بعضه رواه البزار ورجاله ثقات‬،9615 :‫ الرقم‬،‫ وقال اهليثمي يف جممع الزوائد‬،4019 :‫ الرقم‬،‫سنن ابن ماجه‬
48/3 ‫األولياء‬
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