Allaah is Beautiful and Loves Beauty

From ’Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood radiallaahu ’anhu who said that the Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam said, “No one will enter Paradise who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart.” A man said, “What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?” He said, “Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on people.” [1]

Ibnul-Qayyim (d.751H) radiallaahu ’anhu said, commenting upon this hadeeth:

‘‘The phrase ‘Allaah is beautiful and loves beauty,’ includes the beautiful clothing which was asked about in the same hadeeth. It is included by way of generalization, meaning that beauty in all things is what is meant here. In Saheeh Muslim, it says: “Allaah is good and only accepts that which is good.” [2]

In Sunanut-Tirmidhee it says: “Allaah loves to see the effects of His blessing on His slave.’’ [3] It was reported that Abul-Ahwas al-Jashamee said: The Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam saw me wearing old, tattered clothes, and asked me, “Do you have any wealth?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “What kind of wealth?” I said, “All that Allaah has given me of camels and sheep.” He said, “Then show the generous blessings that He has given you.” [4]

Allaah, may He be glorified, loves the effects of His blessings to His slave to be made manifest, for this is part of the beauty that He loves, and that is part of the gratitude for His blessings which forms an inner beauty (beauty of character). Allaah loves to see the external beauty of His slaves which reflects His blessings on them, and the inner beauty of their gratitude to Him for those blessings. Because He loves beauty, He sends down on His slaves clothes and adornments with which they may make their outward appearance beautiful and He gives them taqwaa which makes their inner characters beautiful. Allaah says:

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better.” [Sooratul-A’raaf 7:26]

And He says, speaking of the people of Paradise:

“…and He gave them Nadrataan (a light of beauty) and joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise and silken garments, because they were patient.” [Sooratul-Insaan 76:11-12]

Their faces will be made beautiful with the nadrah (light of beauty), their innermost being with joy and their bodies with silken garments. Just as Allaah loves beauty in words, deeds, garments and outward appearance, so He hates ugliness in words, deeds, garments and outward appearance. He hates ugliness and its people, and loves beauty and its people. But two groups are misguided with regard to this issue: a group who say that everything that He has created is beautiful, so He loves all that He has created and we should love all that He has created and not hate anything. They say: whoever realizes that all that exists comes from Him will see that it is beautiful … these people have no sense of jealousy for the sake of Allaah or hatred and enmity for the sake of Allaah, or denouncing what is evil (munkar), or jihaad (struggle) for the sake of Allaah, or adhering His limits. They regard the beauty of images, male or female, as being part of the beauty that Allaah loves, and seek to worship Allaah through immoral acts. Some of them may even go so far as to claim that the One Whom they worship is manifested or incarnated in those images.

The second group, on the other hand, say that Allaah condemns the beauty of images, forms and outward appearances. Allaah says about the munaafiqoon (hypocrites):

“And when you look at them, their bodies please you…” [Sooratul-Munaafiqoon 63:4]

“And how many a generation have We destroyed before them. Who were better in wealth, goods and outward appearance?” [Soorah Maryam 19:54]

In Saheeh Muslim it is reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Allaah does not look at your outward appearance and your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and deeds.” [5]

According to another hadeeth: “Shabbiness is part of faith.” [6] Allaah condemns those who are extravagant, which applies to extravagance in clothing as well as in food and drink.

In order to settle this dispute, we may say that beauty in clothing and outward appearance is of three types, one of which is commendable, one is blameworthy and one of which is neither. The kind of beauty which is to be commended is that which is done for the sake of Allaah, to help one to obey Allaah and fulfill His commands, such as when the Prophet sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam made himself look beautiful (i.e. handsome) when meeting the delegations that came to him. This is like wearing armour or battle-dress when fighting, or wearing silk and showing off (in front of the enemy). This is commendable because it is done to make the word of Allaah supreme and to support His religion and annoy His enemies. The blameworthy kind of beauty is that which is done for the sake of this world, for reasons of power, false pride and showing off, or to fulfill some (selfish) desires. This also includes cases where beauty is an end in itself for a person and is all he cares about. Many people have no other concern in life. As for the kind of beauty which is neither commendable nor blameworthy, it is that which has nothing to do with either of the two purposes mentioned above (i.e., it is neither for the sake of Allaah nor for the sake of worldly purposes).

The hadeeth under discussion refers to two important principles, knowledge and behaviour. Allaah is to be acknowledged for beauty that bears no resemblance to anything else, and He is to be worshipped by means of the beauty which He loves in words, deeds and attitudes. He loves His slaves to beautify their tongues with the truth, to beautify their hearts with sincere devotion (ikhlaas), love, repentance and trust in Him, to beautify their faculties with obedience, and to beautify their bodies by showing His blessings upon them in their clothing and by keeping them pure and free of any filth, dirt or impurity, by removing the hairs which should be removed, by circumcision, and by clipping the nails. Thus they recognize Allaah through these qualities of beauty and seek to draw close to Him through beautiful words, deeds and attitudes. They acknowledge Him for the beauty which is His attribute and they worship Him through the beauty which He has prescribed and His religion. The hadeeth combines these two principles of knowledge and behaviour.’’ [7]

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Footnotes:
[1] Related by Muslim (no. 131)
[2] Related by Muslim (no. 1686)
[3] Hasan Saheeh: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2963), who said it was hasan saheeh.
[4] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (no. 15323), at-Tirmidhee (no. 1929) and an-Nisaa‘ee (no. 5128)
[5] Related by Muslim (no. 1356)
[6] Saheeh: Related by Ibn Maajah (no. 4108), Aboo Dawood (no. 3630)
[7] al-Fawaa‘id (1/185)

The Virtues of the Sacred Month of Muharram and Fasting on 'Ashura

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Chief of the Messengers, and upon all his family and companions.

Allah's sacred month of Muharram is a blessed and important month. It is the first month of the Hijri calendar and is one of the four sacred months concerning which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein ... " [Al-Qur'an 9:36]

Abu Bakrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"The year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhu'l-Qa'dah, Dhu'l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 2958]

Muharram is so called because it is a sacred (muharram) month and to confirm its sanctity.

Allah's words: "... so wrong not yourselves therein ... " mean do not wrong yourselves in these sacred months, because sin in these months is worse than in other months. It was reported that Ibn 'Abbas said that this phrase referred to all the months, then these four were singled out and made sacred, so that sin in these months is more serious and good deeds bring a greater reward.

Qutadah said concerning this phrase that wrongdoing during the sacred months is more serious and more sinful that wrongdoing at any other time. Wrongdoing at any time is a serious matter, but Allah gives more weight to whichever of His commands He will. Allah has chosen certain ones of His creation. He has chosen from among the angels Messengers and from among mankind Messengers. He chose from among speech the remembrance of Him (dhikr). He chose from among the earth the mosques, from among the months Ramadhan and the sacred months, from among the days Friday and from among the nights Laylat al-Qadr, so venerate that which Allah has told us to venerate. People of understanding and wisdom venerate the things that Allah has told us to venerate. [Summarized from the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him.]


The Virtue of Observing More Nafil Fasts During Muharram

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

"The best fasting after Ramadhan is fasting Allah's month of Muharram." [Reported by Muslim, 1982]

The phrase "Allah's month", connecting the name of the month to the name of Allah in a genitive grammatical structure, signifies the importance of the month. Al-Qari said:

"The apparent meaning is all of the month of Muharram."

But it was proven that the Prophet, peace be upon him, never fasted any whole month apart from Ramadhan, so this hadith is probably meant to encourage increasing one's fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.

It was reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to fast more in Sha'ban. It is likely that the virtue of Muharram was not revealed to him until the end of his life, before he was able to fast during this month. [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Sahih Muslim]


Allah chooses whatever times and places He wills

Al-'Izz ibn 'Abdus-Salam, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"Times and places may be given preferred status in two ways, either temporal or spiritual. With regard to the latter, this is because Allah bestows His generosity on His slaves at those times or in those places, by giving a greater reward for deeds done, such as giving a greater reward for fasting in Ramadhan than for fasting at all other times, and also on the day of 'Ashura, the virtue of which is due to Allah's generosity and kindness towards His slaves on that day ... " [Qawa'id al-Ahkam, 1/38]



'Ashura in History

Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of 'Ashura. He asked:

"What is this?"

They said: "This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa fasted on this day." He said:

"We have more right to Musa than you," so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day. [Reported by al-Bukhari, 1865]

"This is a righteous day" – in a report narrated by Muslim, [the Jews said:] "This is a great day, on which Allah saved Musa and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his people."

"Musa fasted on this day" – a report narrated by Muslim adds: " ... in thanksgiving to Allah, so we fast on this day."

According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: " ... so we fast on this day to venerate it."

A version narrated by Imam Ahmad adds: "This is the day on which the Ark settled on Mount Judi, so Nuh fasted this day in thanksgiving."

" ... and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day" – according to another report also narrated by al-Bukhari, he said to his Companions:

"You have more right to Musa than they do, so fast on that day."

The practice of fasting on 'Ashura was known even in the days of Jahiliyyah, before the Prophet's mission. It was reported that 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

"The people of Jahiliyyah used to fast on that day ... "

Al-Qurtubi said:

"Perhaps the Quraysh used to fast on that day on the basis of some past law, such as that of Ibrahim, upon whom be peace."

It was also reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to fast on 'Ashura in Makkah, before he migrated to Madinah. When he migrated to Madinah, he found the Jews celebrating this day, so he asked them why, and they replied as described in the hadith quoted above. He commanded the Muslims to be different from the Jews, who took it as a festival, as was reported in the hadith of Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

"The Jews used to take the day of 'Ashura as a festival [according to a report narrated by Muslim: the day of 'Ashura was venerated by the Jews, who took it as a festival. According to another report also narrated by Muslim: the people of Khaybar (the Jews) used to take it as a festival and their women would wear their jewellery and symbols on that day]. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

'So you [Muslims] should fast on that day.' " [Reported by al-Bukhari]

Apparently the motive for commanding the Muslims to fast on this day was the desire to be different from the Jews, so that the Muslims would fast when the Jews did not, because people do not fast on a day of celebration. [Summarized from the words of al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, in Fath al-Bari)

Fasting on 'Ashura was a gradual step in the process of introducing fasting as a prescribed obligation in Islam. Fasting appeared in three forms. When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to Madinah, he told the Muslims to fast on three days of every month and on the day of 'Ashura, then Allah made fasting obligatory when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

" ... observing the fasting is prescribed for you ... " [Al-Qur'an 2:183] [Ahkam al-Qur'an by al-Jassas, Part 1]

The obligation was transferred from the fast of 'Ashura to the fast of Ramadhan, and this one of the proofs in the field of Usul ul-Fiqh that it is possible to abrogate a lighter duty in favour of a heavier duty.

Before the obligation of fasting 'Ashura was abrogated, fasting on this day was obligatory, as can be seen from the clear command to observe this fast. Then it was further confirmed later on, then reaffirmed by making it a general command addressed to everybody, and once again by instructing mothers not to breastfeed their infants during this fast. It was reported from Ibn Mas'ud that when fasting Ramadhan was made obligatory, the obligation to fast 'Ashura was lifted, i.e., it was no longer obligatory to fast on this day, but it is still desirable (mustahabb).



The virtues of fasting 'Ashura

Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:

"I never saw the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, so keen to fast any day and give it priority over any other than this day, the day of 'Ashura, and this month, meaning Ramadhan." [Reported by al-Bukhari, 1867]

The meaning of his being keen was that he intended to fast on that day in the hope of earning the reward for doing so.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

"For fasting the day of 'Ashura, I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that went before." [Reported by Muslim, 1976]

This is from the bounty of Allah towards us: for fasting one day He gives us expiation for the sins of a whole year. Indeed Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.



Which day is 'Ashura?

An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"'Ashura and Tasu'a are two elongated names [the vowels are elongated] as is stated in books on the Arabic language. Our companions said: 'Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram and Tasu'a is the ninth day. This is our opinion, and that of the majority of scholars. This is the apparent meaning of the ahadith and is what we understand from the general wording. It is also what is usually understood by scholars of the language." [Al-Majmu']

'Ashura is an Islamic name that was not known at the time of Jahiliyyah. [Kashshaf al-Qina', Part 2: Sawm Muharram]

Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"'Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram. This is the opinion of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib and al-Hasan. It was what was reported by Ibn 'Abbas, who said: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded us to fast 'Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram.' [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who graded it a sahih hasan hadith] It was reported that Ibn 'Abbas said: 'The ninth,' and reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to fast the ninth. [Reported by Muslim] 'Ata reported that he said, 'Fast the ninth and the tenth, and do not be like the Jews.' If this is understood, we can say on this basis that it is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast on the ninth and the tenth, for that reason. This is what Ahmad said, and it is the opinion of Ishaq."



It is mustahabb (encouraged) to fast TasU'a with 'Ashura

'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:

"When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, fasted on 'Ashura and commanded the Muslims to fast as well, they said, 'O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.' The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

'If I live to see the next year, insha'Allah, we will fast on the ninth day too.'

But it so happened that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, passed away before the next year came." [Reported by Muslim, 1916]

Ash-Shafi'i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaq and others said:

"It is mustahabb to fast on both the ninth and tenth days, because the Prophet, peace be upon him, fasted on the tenth, and intended to fast on the ninth."

On this basis it may be said that there are varying degrees of fasting 'Ashura, the least of which is to fast only on the tenth and the best of which is to fast the ninth as well. The more one fasts in Muharram, the better it is.



The reason why it is mustahabb to fast on TasU'a

An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"The scholars – our companions and others – mentioned several reasons why it is mustahabb to fast on Tasu'a:

– the intention behind it is to be different from the Jews, who only venerate the tenth day. This opinion was reported from Ibn 'Abbas ...

– the intention is to add another day's fast to 'Ashura. This is akin to the prohibition on fasting a Friday by itself, as was mentioned by al-Khattabi and others.

– To be on the safe side and make sure that one fasts on the tenth, in case there is some error in sighting the crescent moon at the beginning of Muharram and the ninth is in fact the tenth."

The strongest of these reasons is being different from the People of the Book. Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade imitating the People of the Book in many ahadith, for example, his words concerning 'Ashura:

'If I live until the next year, I will certainly fast on the ninth day.' " [Al-Fatawa al-Kubra]

Ibn Hajar, may Allah be pleased with him, said in his commentary on this hadith:

"What he meant by fasting on the ninth day was probably not that he would limit himself to that day, but would add it to the tenth, either to be on the safe side or to be different from the Jews and Christians, which is more likely. This is also what we can understand from some of the reports narrated by Muslim." [Fath, 4/245]



Ruling on fasting only on the day of 'Ashura

Shaykh ul-Islam said:

"Fasting on the day of 'Ashura is an expiation for a year, and it is not makruh to fast only that day ... " [Al-Fatawa al-Kubra].

In Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, it says:

"There is nothing wrong with fasting only on 'Ashura."

Fasting on 'Ashura even if it is a Saturday or a Friday

At-Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, allowed us to fast on 'Ashura and urged us to do so. He did not say that if it falls on a Saturday we should not fast. This is evidence that all days of the week are included in this. In our view – and Allah knows best – it could be the case that even if this is true (that it is not allowed to fast on Saturdays), it is so that we do not venerate this day and refrain from food, drink and intercourse, as the Jews do. As for the one who fasts on a Saturday without intending to venerate it, and does not do so because the Jews regard it as blessed, then this is not makruh ... " [Mushkil al-Athar]

The author of Al-Minhaj said:

"'It is disliked (makruh) to fast on a Friday alone ... ' But it is no longer makruh if you add another day to it, as mentioned in the sahih report to that effect. A person may fast on a Friday if it coincides with his habitual fast, or he is fasting in fulfilment of a vow, or he is making up an obligatory fast that he has missed, as was stated in a sahih report."

Al-Sharih said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj:

"'If it coincides with his habitual fast' – i.e., such as if he fasts alternate days, and a day that he fasts happens to be a Friday. 'If he is fasting in fulfilment of a vow, etc.' – this also applies to fasting on days prescribed in Shari'ah, such as 'Ashura or 'Arafah."

Al-Bahuti, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"It is makruh to deliberately single out a Saturday for fasting, because of the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Bishr, who reported from his sister: 'Do not fast on Saturdays except in the case of obligatory fasts' [Reported by Ahmad with a jayyid isnad and by al-Hakim, who said it was according to the conditions of al-Bukhari], and because it is a day that is venerated by the Jews, so singling it out for fasting means being like them ... except when a Friday or Saturday coincides with a day when Muslims habitually fast, such as when it coincides with the day of 'Arafah or the day of 'Ashura, and a person has the habit of fasting on these days, in which case it is not makruh, because a person's habit carries some weight." [Kashshaf al-Qina']



What should be done if there is confusion about the beginning of the month?

Ahmad said:

"If there is confusion about the beginning of the month, one should fast for three days, to be sure of fasting on the ninth and tenth days." (Al-Mughni of Ibn Qudamah]

If a person does not know when Muharram began, and he wants to be sure of fasting on the tenth, he should assume that Dhul-Hijjah was thirty days – as is the usual rule – and should fast on the ninth and tenth. Whoever wants to be sure of fasting the ninth as well should fast the eight, ninth and tenth (then if Dhul-Hijjah was twenty-nine days, he can be sure of having fasted Tasu'a and 'Ashura).

But given that fasting on 'Ashura is mustahabb rather than wajib, people are not commanded to look for the crescent of the new moon of Muharram as they are to do in the case of Ramadhan and Shawwal.


Fasting 'Ashura – for what does it offer expiation?

Imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"It expiates for all minor sins, i.e., it brings forgiveness of all sins except major sins."

Then he said:

"Fasting the day of 'Arafah expiates for two years, and the day of 'Ashura expiates for one year. If when a person says 'amin' it coincides with the 'amin' of the angels, he will be forgiven all his previous sins ... Each one of the things that we have mentioned will bring expiation. If there are minor sins for which expiation is needed, expiation for them will be accepted; if there are no minor sins or major sins, good deeds will be added to his account and he will be raised in status… If he had committed major sins but no minor sins, we hope that his major sins will be reduced." (Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab]

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

"Taharah, salah, and fasting in Ramadhan, on the day of 'Arafah and on 'Ashura expiate for minor sins only." [Al-Fatawa al-Kubra]



Not relying too much on the reward for fasting

Some people who are deceived rely too much on things like fasting on 'Ashura or the day of 'Arafah, to the extent that some of them say, "Fasting on 'Ashura will expiate for the sins of the whole year, and fasting on the day of 'Arafah will bring extra rewards." Ibn al-Qayyim said:

"This misguided person does not know that fasting in Ramadhan and praying five times a day are much more important than fasting on the day of 'Arafah and 'Ashura, and that they expiate for the sins between one Ramadhan and the next, or between one Friday and the next, so long as one avoids major sins. But they cannot expiate for minor sins unless one also avoids major sins; when the two things are put together, they have the strength to expiate for minor sins. Among those deceived people may be one who thinks that his good deeds are more than his sins, because he does not pay attention to his bad deeds or check on his sins, but if he does a good deed he remembers it and relies on it. This is like the one who seeks Allah's forgiveness with his tongue (i.e., by words only), and glorifies Allah by saying subhanallah one hundred times a day, then he backbites about the Muslims and slanders their honour, and speaks all day long about things that are not pleasing to Allah. This person is always thinking about the virtues of his tasbihat and tahlilat but he pays no attention to what has been reported concerning those who backbite, tell lies and slander others, or commit other sins of the tongue. They are completely deceived." [Al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah]



Fasting 'Ashura when one still has days to make up from Ramadhan

The fuqaha' differed concerning the ruling on observing voluntary fasts before a person has made up days that he or she did not fast in Ramadhan. The Hanafi school said that it is permissible to observe voluntary fasts before making up days from Ramadhan, and it is not makruh to do so, because the missed days do not have to be made up straight away. The Maliki and Shafi'i schools said that it is permissible but is makruh, because it means that one is delaying something obligatory. Ad-Dusooqi said:

"It is makruh to observe a voluntary fast when one still has to make up an obligatory fast, such as a fast in fulfilment of a vow, or a missed obligatory fast, or a fast done as an act of expiation (kafarah), whether the voluntary fast which is being given priority over an obligatory fast is something confirmed in Shari'ah or not, such as 'Ashura and the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, according to the most correct opinion."

The Hanbali school said that it is haram to observe a voluntary fast before making up any fasts missed in Ramadhan, and that a voluntary fast in such cases does not count, even if there is plenty of time to make up the obligatory fast. So a person must give priority to the obligatory fasts until he has made them up. [Al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah]

Muslims must hasten to make up any missed fasts after Ramadhan, so that they will be able to fast 'Arafah and 'Ashura without any problem. If a person fasts 'Arafah and 'Ashura with the intention from the night before of making up for a missed fast, this will be good enough to make up what he has missed, for the bounty of Allah is great.



Bid'ahs common on 'Ashura

Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the things that people do on 'Ashura, such as wearing kohl, taking a bath (ghusl), wearing henna, shaking hands with one another, cooking grains (hubub), showing happiness and so on. Was any of this reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a sahih hadith, or not? If nothing to that effect was reported in a sahih hadith, is doing these things bid'ah, or not? Is there any basis for what the other group do, such as grieving and mourning, going without anything to drink, eulogizing and wailing, reciting in a crazy manner, and rending their garments?

His reply was:

"Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Nothing to that effect has been reported in any sahih hadith from the Prophet, peace be upon him, or from his Companions. None of the Imams of the Muslims encouraged or recommended such things, neither the four imams, nor any others. No reliable scholars have narrated anything like this, neither from the Prophet, peace be upon him, nor from the Companions, nor from those after them; neither in any sahih report or in a da'if (weak) report; neither in the books of Sahih, nor in as-Sunan, nor in the Musnad. No hadith of this nature was known during the best centuries, but some of the later narrators reported ahadith like the one which says, 'Whoever puts kohl in his eyes on the day of 'Ashura will not suffer from eye disease in that year, and whoever takes a bath (does ghusl) on the day of 'Ashura will not get sick in that year,' and so on. They also reported a fabricated hadith that is falsely attributed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, which says, 'Whoever is generous to his family on the day of 'Ashura, Allah will be generous to him for the rest of the year.' Reporting all of this from the Prophet, peace be upon him, is tantamount to lying."

Then he discussed in brief the tribulations that had occurred in the early days of this Ummah and the killing of al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, and what the various sects had done because of this. Then he said:

"An ignorant, wrongful group – who were either heretics and hypocrites, or misguided and misled – made a show of allegiance to him and the members of his household, so they took the day of 'Ashura as a day of mourning and wailing, in which they openly displayed the rituals of Jahiliyyah such as slapping their cheeks and rending their garments, grieving in the manner of the Jahiliyyah ... The Shaytan made this attractive to those who are misled, so they took the day of 'Ashura as an occasion of mourning, when they grieve and wail, recite poems of grief and tell stories filled with lies. Whatever truth there may be in these stories serves no purpose other than the renewal of their grief and sectarian feeling, and the stirring up of hatred and hostility among the Muslims, which they do by cursing those who came before them ... The evil and harm that they do to the Muslims cannot be enumerated by any man, no matter how eloquent he is. Some others – either Nasibis who oppose and have enmity towards al-Husayn and his family or ignorant people who try to fight evil with evil, corruption with corruption, lies with lies and bid'ah with bid'ah – opposed them by fabricating reports in favour of making the day of 'Ashura a day of celebration, by wearing kohl and henna, spending money on one's children, cooking special dishes and other things that are done on 'Eid and special occasions. These people took the day of 'Ashura as a festival like 'Eid, whereas the others took it as a day of mourning. Both are wrong, and both go against the Sunnah, even though the other group (those who take it as a day of mourning) are worse in intention and more ignorant and more plainly wrong ... Neither the Prophet, peace be upon him, nor his successors did any of these things on the day of 'Ashura, they neither made it a day of mourning nor a day of celebration ...

As for the other things, such as cooking special dishes with or without grains, or wearing new clothes, or spending money on one's family, or buying the year's supplies on that day, or doing special acts of worship such as special prayers or deliberately slaughtering an animal on that day, or saving some of the meat of the sacrifice to cook with grains, or wearing kohl and henna, or taking a bath (ghusl), or shaking hands with one another, or visiting one another, or visiting the mosques and shrines and so on all of this is reprehensible bid'ah and is wrong. None of it has anything to do with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, or the way of the Khulafa' ar-Rashidun. It was not approved of by any of the imams of the Muslims, not Malik, not at-Thawri, not al-Layth ibn Sa'd, not Abu Hanifah, not al-Awza'i, not al-Shafi'i, not Ahmad ibn Hanbal, not Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, not any of the Imams and Scholars of the Muslims." [Al-Fatawa al-Kubra]

Ibn al-Hajj, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned that one bid'ah practiced on 'Ashura was deliberately paying zakat on this day, late or early, or slaughtering a chicken just for this occasion, or – in the case of women – using henna. [Al-Madkhal]

We ask Allah to make us followers of the Sunnah of His Noble Prophet, to make us live in Islam and die in a state of faith. May He help us to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. We ask Him to help us to remember Him and be thankful to Him, to worship Him properly and to accept our good deeds. May He make us of those who are pious and fear Him. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.

The Four Poisons of the Heart

The Purification of the Soul"

You should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts,
And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them.
Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts,
And opposing your self is best for it.


Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.


By the four poisons we mean unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food and keeping bad company. Of all the poisons, these are the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart's well-being.

Unnecessary Talking
It is reported in al-Musnad, on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet said: "The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right."[1] This shows that the Prophet has made the purification of faith conditional on the purification of the heart, and the purification of the heart conditional on the purification of the tongue.

At-Tirmidhi relates in a hadith on the authority of Ibn 'Umar: "Do not talk excessively without remembering Allah, because such excessive talk without the mention of Allah causes the heart to harden, and the person furthest from Allah is a person with a hard heart." [2]

'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "A person who talks too much is a person who often makes mistakes, and someone who often makes mistakes, often has wrong actions. The Fire has a priority over such a frequent sinner."[3]

In a hadith related on the authority of Mu'adh, the Prophet said, "Shall I not tell you how to control all that?" I said, "Yes do, O Messenger of Allah." So he held his tongue between his fingers, and then he said: "Restrain this." I said, "O Prophet of Allah, are we accountable for what we say?" He said, "May your mother be bereft by your loss! Is there anything more than the harvest of the tongues that throws people on their faces (or he said "on their noses") into the Fire?" [4]

What is meant here by "he harvest of the tongues'" is the punishment for saying forbidden things. A man, through his actions and words, sows the seeds of either good or evil. On the Day of Resurrection he harvests their fruits. Those who sow the seeds of good words and deeds harvest honour and blessings; those who sow the seeds of evil words and deeds reap only regret and remorse.
A hadith related by Abu Huraira says, "What mostly causes people to be sent to the Fire are the two openings: the mouth and the private parts."[5]
Abu Huraira also related that the Messenger of Allah said, "The servant speaks words, the consequences of which he does not realise, and for which he is sent down into the depths of the Fire further than the distance between the east and the west."[6]
The same hadith was transmitted by at-Tirmidhi with slight variations: "The servant says something that he thinks is harmless, and for which he will be plunged into the depths of the Fire as far as seventy autumns." [7]
Uqba ibn Amir said: "I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is our best way of surviving?" He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied: "Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your privacy, and weep for your wrong actions.""[8]
It has been related on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Prophet said, "Whoever can guarantee what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee him the Garden."[9]

It has also been related by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent."[10]

Thus talking can either be good, in which case it is commendable, or bad, in which case it is haram.

The Prophet said: "Everything the children of Adam say goes against them, except for their enjoining good and forbidding evil, and remembering Allah, Glorious and Might is He." This was reported by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah on the authority of Umm Habiba, may Allah be pleased with her.[11]

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them, and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar said "Stop! may Allah forgive you!" Abu Bakr replied; "This tongue has brought me to dangerous places."[12]

Abdullah ibn Masud said: "By Allah, besides Whom no god exists, nothing deserves a long prison sentence more than my tongue." He also used to say: "O tongue, say good and you will profit; desist from saying evil things and you will be safe; otherwise you will find only regret."

Abu Huraira reported that Ibn al-Abbas said: "A person will not feel greater fury or anger for any part of his body on the Day of Judgement more than what he will feel for his tongue, unless he only used it for saying or enjoining good."

Al-Hassan said: "Whoever does not hold his tongue cannot understand his deen."

The least harmful of a tongue's faults is talking about whatever does not concern it. The following hadith of the Prophet is enough to indicate the harm of this fault: "One of the merits of a person's Islam is his abandoning what does not concern him."[13]

Abu Ubaida related that al-Hassan said: "One of the signs of Allah's abandoning a servant is His making him preoccupied with what does not concern him."

Sahl said, "Whoever talks about what does not concern him is deprived of truthfulness."

As we have already mentioned above, this is the least harmful of the tongue's faults. There are far worse things, like backbiting, gossiping, obscene and misleading talk, two-faced and hypocritical talk, showing off, quarrelling, bickering, singing, lying, mockery, derision and falsehood; and there are many more faults which can affect a servant's tongue, ruining his heart and causing him to lose both his happiness and pleasure in this life, and his success and profit in the next life. Allah is the One to Whom we turn for assistance.

Unrestrained Glances
The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in his heart. This can result in several kinds of corruption in the heart of the servant. The following are a number of them:

It has been related that the Prophet once said words to the effect: "The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytan. Whoever lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him."[14]

Shaytan enters with the glance, for he travels with it, faster than the wind blowing through an empty place. He makes what is seen appear more beautiful than it really is, and transforms it into an idol for the heart to worship. Then he promises it false rewards, lights the fire of desires within it, and fuels it with the wood of forbidden actions, which the servant would not have comitted had it not been for this distorted image.

This distracts the heart and makes it forget its more important concerns. It stands between it and them; and so the heart loses its straight path and falls into the pit of desire and ignorance. Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, says:

"And do not obey anyone whose heart We have made forgetful in remembering Us
- who follows his own desires, and whose affair has exceeded all bounds." (18:28)

The unrestrained gaze causes all three afflictions.

It has been said that between the eye and the heart is an immediate connection; if the eyes are corrupted, then the heart follows. It becomes like a rubbish heap where all the dirt and filth and rottenness collect, and so there is no room for love for Allah, relating all matters to Him, awareness of being in His presence, and feeling joy at His proximity - only the opposite of these things can inhabit such a heart. Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allah:

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is more purifying for them.
Surely Allah is aware of what they do." (24:30)

Only the one who obeys Allah's commands is content in this world, and only the servant who obeys Allah will survive in the next world.

Furthermore, letting the gaze roam free cloaks the heart with darkness, just as lowering the gaze for Allah clothes it in light. After the above ayah, Allah, the Glorious and Mighty, says in the same surah of the Qur'an:

"Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth: the likeness of His light is as if there were a niche, and in the niche is a lamp, and in the lamp is a glass, and the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon light. Allah guides whomever He wants to His Light. Allah strikes metaphors for man; and Allah knows all things." (24:35)

When the heart is a light, countless good comes to it from all directions. If it is dark, then clouds of evil and afflictions come from all directions to cover it up.

Letting the gaze run loose also makes the heart blind to distinguishing between truth and falsehood, between the sunnah and innovation; while lowering it for Allah, the Might and Exalted, gives it a penetrating, true and distinguishing insight.

A righteous man once said: "Whoever enriches his outward behaviour by following the sunnah, and makes his inward soul wealthy through contemplation, and averts his gaze away from looking at what is forbidden, and avoids anything of a doubtful nature, and feeds solely on what is halal - his inner sight will never falter."

Rewards for actions come in kind. Whoever lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden, Allah will give his inner sight abundant light.

Too Much Food
The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the heart, strength of the intellect, humility of the self, weakness of desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'd Yakrib said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allah than his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing."[15]

Excessive eating induces many kinds of harm. It makes the body incline towards disobedience to All?¢h and makes worship and obedience seem laborious - such evils are bad enough in themselves. A full stomach and excessive eating have caused many a wrong action and inhibited much worship. Whoever safeguards against the evils of overfilling his stomach has prevented great evil. It is easier for shaytan to control a person who has filled his stomach with food and drink, which is why it has often been said: "Restrict the pathways of shaytan by fasting."[16]

It has been reported that when a group of young men from the Tribe of Israel were worshipping, and it was time for them to break their fast, a man stood up and said: "Do not eat too much, otherwise you will drink too much, and then you will end up sleeping too much, and then you will lose too much."

The Prophet and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to go hungry quite frequently. Although this was often due to a shortage of food, Allah decreed the best and most favourable conditions for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is why Ibn Umar and his father before him - in spite of the abundance of food available to them - modelled their eating habits on those of the Prophet . It has been reported that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "From the time of their arrival in Madina up until his death , the family of Muhammad never ate their fill of bread made from wheat three nights in a row."[17]

Ibrahim ibn Adham said: "Any one who controls his stomach is in control of his deen, and anyone who controls his hunger is in control of good behaviour. Disobedience towards Allah is nearest to a person who is satiated with a full stomach, and furthest away from a person who is hungry."

Keeping Bad Company
Unnecessary companionship is a chronic disease that causes much harm. How often have the wrong kind of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allah's generosity, planting discord in their hearts which even the passage of time-even if it were long enough for mountains to be worn away-has been unable to dispel. In keeping such company one can find the roots of loss, both in this life and in the next life.

A servant should benefit from companionship. In order to do so he should divide people into four categories, and be careful not to get them mixed up, for once one of them is mixed with another, then evil can find its way through to him:

The first category are those people whose company is like food: it is indispensable, night or day. Once a servant has taken his need from it, he leaves it be until he requires it again, and so on. These are the people with knowledge of Allah - of His commands, of the scheming of His enemies, and of the diseases of the heart and their remedies - who wish well for Allah, His Prophet and His servants. Associating with this type of person is an achievement in itself.

The second category are those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in. When you are healthy, you have no need of them. However, mixing with them is sometimes necessary for your livelihood, businesses, consultation and the like. Once what you need from them has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.

The third category are those people whose company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees and strengths and weaknesses. Associating with one or some of them is like an incurable chronic disease. You will never profit either in this life or in the next life if you have them for company, and you will surely lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established, then it becomes a fatal, terrifying sickness.

Amongst such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls and consequently put their selves in their rightful place. If they speak, their words fall on their listeners' hearts like the lashes of a cane, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words.

They cause distress to those in their company, while believing that they are the sweet scent of the gathering. If they are silent, they are heavier than a massive millstone-too heavy to carry or even drag across the floor [18]

All in all, mixing with anyone who is bad for the soul will not last, even if it is unavoidable. It can be one of the most distressing aspects of a servant's life that he is plagued by such person, with whom it may be necessary to associate. In such a relationship, a servant should cling to good behaviour, only presenting him with his outward appearance, while disguising his inner soul, until Allah offers him a way out of his affliction and the means of escape from this situation.

The fourth category are those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison: its victim either finds an antidote or perishes. Many people belong to this category. They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and advocate other beliefs. They call what is the sunnah a bid'a and vice-versa. A man with any intellect should not sit in their assemblies nor mix with them. The result of doing so will either be the death of his heart or, at the very best, its falling seriously ill.

What Gives the Heart Life and Sustenance

You should know that acts of obedience are essential to the well being of the servant's heart, just in the same way that food and drink are to that of the body. All wrong actions are the same as poisonous foods, and they inevitably harm the heart.

The servant feels the need to worship his Lord, Mighty and Glorious is He, for he is naturally in constant need of His help and assistance.

In order to maintain the well being of his body, the servant carefully follows a strict diet. He habitually and constantly eats good food at regular intervals, and is quick to free his stomach of harmful elements if he happens to eat bad food by mistake.

The well being of the servant's heart, however, is far more important than that of his body, for while the well being of his body enables him to lead a life that is free from illnesses in this world, that of the heart ensures him both a fortunate life in this world and eternal bliss in the next.

In the same way, while the death of the body cuts the servant off from this world, the death of the heart results in everlasting anguish. A righteous man once said, "How odd, that some people mourn for the one whose body has died, but never mourn for the one whose heart has died and yet the death of the heart is far more serious!"

Thus acts of obedience are indispensable to the well being of the heart. It is worthwhile mentioning the following acts of obedience here, since they are very necessary and essential for the servant's heart: Dhikr of Allah ta'Ala, recitation of the Noble Qur'an, seeking Allah's forgiveness, making du'as, invoking Allah's blessings and peace on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and praying at night.

FOOTNOTES
[1] Da`eef hadith, Al-Mundhari, 3/234; and al-Iraqi in al-Ihya, 8/1539.
[2] Da`eef hadith, at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/92, gharib; no one else has transmitted it other than Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Hatib, whom ath-Thahabi mentions, 1/43, stating that this is one of the gharib hadith attributed to him.
[3] Da`eef hadith, Ibn Hibban and al-Baihaqi, and al-Iraqiin his edition of al-Ihya, 8/1541.
[4] Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, ath-Thahabi.
[5] Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhiand Ahmad; also al-Hakim and ath-Thahabi.
[6] Al-Bukhari in Kitab ar-Riqaq, and Muslim in Kitab az-Zuhud.
[7] At-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud; he said the hadith is hasan gharib.
[8] At-Tirmidhi in Kitab az-Zuhud with a slightly different wording; he said the hadith is hasan. This wording is reported by Abu Na`im in al-Hilya.
[9] Al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308 and Kitab al-Hudud, 12/113.
[10] Al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308; Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, 2/18. The complete hadith is: "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent; and let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbour; and let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest."
[11] The hadith is hasan and is reported by at-Tirmidhi in Kitab az-Zuhud and by Ibn Majah in Kitab al-Fitan. At-Tirmidhi classifies it as hasan gharib. We have no report of it other than from Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Khanis.
[12] Hasan according to Abu Ya`la, Baihaqi and as-Suyuti
[13] Sahih, at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 6/607; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/201; as-Sa`ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani, 19/257; hadith number 12 in an-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths.
[14] Da`eef, at-Tabarani, 8/63; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 4/314; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 5/264.
[15] Sahih, Ahmad, al-Musnad, 4/132; as-Sa`ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani, 17/88; at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/51.
[16] Da`eef; it does not appear in most of the sources of the sunnah, but is mentioned in al-Ghazzali's al-Ihya, 8/1488.
[17] Al-Bukhari, Kitab al-At'ima, 9/549; and Muslim, Kitab az-Zuhud, 8/105.
[18] Ash-Shafi`ee, may Allah be pleased with him, is reported to have said, "Whenever a tedious person sits next to me, the side on which he is sitting feels lower down than the other side of me."

The Four Poisons of the Heart

The Purification of the Soul"

You should know that all acts of disobedience are poison to the heart and cause its sickness and ruin. They result in its will running off course, against that of Allah, and so its sickness festers and increases. Ibn al-Mubarak said:

I have seen wrong actions killing hearts,
And their degradation may lead to their becoming addicted to them.
Turning away from wrong actions gives life to the hearts,
And opposing your self is best for it.


Whoever is concerned with the health and life of his heart, must rid it of the effects of such poisons, and then protect it by avoiding new ones. If he takes any by mistake, then he should hasten to wipe out their effect by turning in repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as by doing good deeds that will wipe out his wrong actions.


By the four poisons we mean unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food and keeping bad company. Of all the poisons, these are the most widespread and have the greatest effect on a heart's well-being.

Unnecessary Talking
It is reported in al-Musnad, on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet said: "The faith of a servant is not put right until his heart is put right, and his heart is not put right until his tongue is put right."[1] This shows that the Prophet has made the purification of faith conditional on the purification of the heart, and the purification of the heart conditional on the purification of the tongue.

At-Tirmidhi relates in a hadith on the authority of Ibn 'Umar: "Do not talk excessively without remembering Allah, because such excessive talk without the mention of Allah causes the heart to harden, and the person furthest from Allah is a person with a hard heart." [2]

'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "A person who talks too much is a person who often makes mistakes, and someone who often makes mistakes, often has wrong actions. The Fire has a priority over such a frequent sinner."[3]

In a hadith related on the authority of Mu'adh, the Prophet said, "Shall I not tell you how to control all that?" I said, "Yes do, O Messenger of Allah." So he held his tongue between his fingers, and then he said: "Restrain this." I said, "O Prophet of Allah, are we accountable for what we say?" He said, "May your mother be bereft by your loss! Is there anything more than the harvest of the tongues that throws people on their faces (or he said "on their noses") into the Fire?" [4]

What is meant here by "he harvest of the tongues'" is the punishment for saying forbidden things. A man, through his actions and words, sows the seeds of either good or evil. On the Day of Resurrection he harvests their fruits. Those who sow the seeds of good words and deeds harvest honour and blessings; those who sow the seeds of evil words and deeds reap only regret and remorse.
A hadith related by Abu Huraira says, "What mostly causes people to be sent to the Fire are the two openings: the mouth and the private parts."[5]
Abu Huraira also related that the Messenger of Allah said, "The servant speaks words, the consequences of which he does not realise, and for which he is sent down into the depths of the Fire further than the distance between the east and the west."[6]
The same hadith was transmitted by at-Tirmidhi with slight variations: "The servant says something that he thinks is harmless, and for which he will be plunged into the depths of the Fire as far as seventy autumns." [7]
Uqba ibn Amir said: "I said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is our best way of surviving?" He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied: "Guard your tongue, make your house suffice for sheltering your privacy, and weep for your wrong actions.""[8]
It has been related on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Prophet said, "Whoever can guarantee what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I guarantee him the Garden."[9]

It has also been related by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent."[10]

Thus talking can either be good, in which case it is commendable, or bad, in which case it is haram.

The Prophet said: "Everything the children of Adam say goes against them, except for their enjoining good and forbidding evil, and remembering Allah, Glorious and Might is He." This was reported by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah on the authority of Umm Habiba, may Allah be pleased with her.[11]

Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them, and found him pulling his tongue with his fingers. Umar said "Stop! may Allah forgive you!" Abu Bakr replied; "This tongue has brought me to dangerous places."[12]

Abdullah ibn Masud said: "By Allah, besides Whom no god exists, nothing deserves a long prison sentence more than my tongue." He also used to say: "O tongue, say good and you will profit; desist from saying evil things and you will be safe; otherwise you will find only regret."

Abu Huraira reported that Ibn al-Abbas said: "A person will not feel greater fury or anger for any part of his body on the Day of Judgement more than what he will feel for his tongue, unless he only used it for saying or enjoining good."

Al-Hassan said: "Whoever does not hold his tongue cannot understand his deen."

The least harmful of a tongue's faults is talking about whatever does not concern it. The following hadith of the Prophet is enough to indicate the harm of this fault: "One of the merits of a person's Islam is his abandoning what does not concern him."[13]

Abu Ubaida related that al-Hassan said: "One of the signs of Allah's abandoning a servant is His making him preoccupied with what does not concern him."

Sahl said, "Whoever talks about what does not concern him is deprived of truthfulness."

As we have already mentioned above, this is the least harmful of the tongue's faults. There are far worse things, like backbiting, gossiping, obscene and misleading talk, two-faced and hypocritical talk, showing off, quarrelling, bickering, singing, lying, mockery, derision and falsehood; and there are many more faults which can affect a servant's tongue, ruining his heart and causing him to lose both his happiness and pleasure in this life, and his success and profit in the next life. Allah is the One to Whom we turn for assistance.

Unrestrained Glances
The unrestrained glance results in the one who looks becoming attracted to what he sees, and in the imprinting of an image of what he sees in his heart. This can result in several kinds of corruption in the heart of the servant. The following are a number of them:

It has been related that the Prophet once said words to the effect: "The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytan. Whoever lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him."[14]

Shaytan enters with the glance, for he travels with it, faster than the wind blowing through an empty place. He makes what is seen appear more beautiful than it really is, and transforms it into an idol for the heart to worship. Then he promises it false rewards, lights the fire of desires within it, and fuels it with the wood of forbidden actions, which the servant would not have comitted had it not been for this distorted image.

This distracts the heart and makes it forget its more important concerns. It stands between it and them; and so the heart loses its straight path and falls into the pit of desire and ignorance. Allah, Mighty and Glorious is He, says:

"And do not obey anyone whose heart We have made forgetful in remembering Us
- who follows his own desires, and whose affair has exceeded all bounds." (18:28)

The unrestrained gaze causes all three afflictions.

It has been said that between the eye and the heart is an immediate connection; if the eyes are corrupted, then the heart follows. It becomes like a rubbish heap where all the dirt and filth and rottenness collect, and so there is no room for love for Allah, relating all matters to Him, awareness of being in His presence, and feeling joy at His proximity - only the opposite of these things can inhabit such a heart. Staring and gazing without restraint is disobedience to Allah:

"Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that is more purifying for them.
Surely Allah is aware of what they do." (24:30)

Only the one who obeys Allah's commands is content in this world, and only the servant who obeys Allah will survive in the next world.

Furthermore, letting the gaze roam free cloaks the heart with darkness, just as lowering the gaze for Allah clothes it in light. After the above ayah, Allah, the Glorious and Mighty, says in the same surah of the Qur'an:

"Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth: the likeness of His light is as if there were a niche, and in the niche is a lamp, and in the lamp is a glass, and the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon light. Allah guides whomever He wants to His Light. Allah strikes metaphors for man; and Allah knows all things." (24:35)

When the heart is a light, countless good comes to it from all directions. If it is dark, then clouds of evil and afflictions come from all directions to cover it up.

Letting the gaze run loose also makes the heart blind to distinguishing between truth and falsehood, between the sunnah and innovation; while lowering it for Allah, the Might and Exalted, gives it a penetrating, true and distinguishing insight.

A righteous man once said: "Whoever enriches his outward behaviour by following the sunnah, and makes his inward soul wealthy through contemplation, and averts his gaze away from looking at what is forbidden, and avoids anything of a doubtful nature, and feeds solely on what is halal - his inner sight will never falter."

Rewards for actions come in kind. Whoever lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden, Allah will give his inner sight abundant light.

Too Much Food
The consumption of small amounts of food guarantees tenderness of the heart, strength of the intellect, humility of the self, weakness of desires, and gentleness of temperament. Immoderate eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'd Yakrib said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "The son of Adam fills no vessel more displeasing to Allah than his stomach. A few morsels should be enough for him to preserve his strength. If he must fill it, then he should allow a third for his food, a third for his drink and leave a third empty for easy breathing."[15]

Excessive eating induces many kinds of harm. It makes the body incline towards disobedience to All?¢h and makes worship and obedience seem laborious - such evils are bad enough in themselves. A full stomach and excessive eating have caused many a wrong action and inhibited much worship. Whoever safeguards against the evils of overfilling his stomach has prevented great evil. It is easier for shaytan to control a person who has filled his stomach with food and drink, which is why it has often been said: "Restrict the pathways of shaytan by fasting."[16]

It has been reported that when a group of young men from the Tribe of Israel were worshipping, and it was time for them to break their fast, a man stood up and said: "Do not eat too much, otherwise you will drink too much, and then you will end up sleeping too much, and then you will lose too much."

The Prophet and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to go hungry quite frequently. Although this was often due to a shortage of food, Allah decreed the best and most favourable conditions for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is why Ibn Umar and his father before him - in spite of the abundance of food available to them - modelled their eating habits on those of the Prophet . It has been reported that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "From the time of their arrival in Madina up until his death , the family of Muhammad never ate their fill of bread made from wheat three nights in a row."[17]

Ibrahim ibn Adham said: "Any one who controls his stomach is in control of his deen, and anyone who controls his hunger is in control of good behaviour. Disobedience towards Allah is nearest to a person who is satiated with a full stomach, and furthest away from a person who is hungry."

Keeping Bad Company
Unnecessary companionship is a chronic disease that causes much harm. How often have the wrong kind of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allah's generosity, planting discord in their hearts which even the passage of time-even if it were long enough for mountains to be worn away-has been unable to dispel. In keeping such company one can find the roots of loss, both in this life and in the next life.

A servant should benefit from companionship. In order to do so he should divide people into four categories, and be careful not to get them mixed up, for once one of them is mixed with another, then evil can find its way through to him:

The first category are those people whose company is like food: it is indispensable, night or day. Once a servant has taken his need from it, he leaves it be until he requires it again, and so on. These are the people with knowledge of Allah - of His commands, of the scheming of His enemies, and of the diseases of the heart and their remedies - who wish well for Allah, His Prophet and His servants. Associating with this type of person is an achievement in itself.

The second category are those people whose company is like a medicine. They are only required when a disease sets in. When you are healthy, you have no need of them. However, mixing with them is sometimes necessary for your livelihood, businesses, consultation and the like. Once what you need from them has been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided.

The third category are those people whose company is harmful. Mixing with this type of person is like a disease, in all its variety and degrees and strengths and weaknesses. Associating with one or some of them is like an incurable chronic disease. You will never profit either in this life or in the next life if you have them for company, and you will surely lose either one or both of your deen and your livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and is established, then it becomes a fatal, terrifying sickness.

Amongst such people are those who neither speak any good that might benefit you, nor listen closely to you so that they might benefit from you. They do not know their souls and consequently put their selves in their rightful place. If they speak, their words fall on their listeners' hearts like the lashes of a cane, while all the while they are full of admiration for and delight in their own words.

They cause distress to those in their company, while believing that they are the sweet scent of the gathering. If they are silent, they are heavier than a massive millstone-too heavy to carry or even drag across the floor [18]

All in all, mixing with anyone who is bad for the soul will not last, even if it is unavoidable. It can be one of the most distressing aspects of a servant's life that he is plagued by such person, with whom it may be necessary to associate. In such a relationship, a servant should cling to good behaviour, only presenting him with his outward appearance, while disguising his inner soul, until Allah offers him a way out of his affliction and the means of escape from this situation.

The fourth category are those people whose company is doom itself. It is like taking poison: its victim either finds an antidote or perishes. Many people belong to this category. They are the people of religious innovation and misguidance, those who abandon the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and advocate other beliefs. They call what is the sunnah a bid'a and vice-versa. A man with any intellect should not sit in their assemblies nor mix with them. The result of doing so will either be the death of his heart or, at the very best, its falling seriously ill.

What Gives the Heart Life and Sustenance

You should know that acts of obedience are essential to the well being of the servant's heart, just in the same way that food and drink are to that of the body. All wrong actions are the same as poisonous foods, and they inevitably harm the heart.

The servant feels the need to worship his Lord, Mighty and Glorious is He, for he is naturally in constant need of His help and assistance.

In order to maintain the well being of his body, the servant carefully follows a strict diet. He habitually and constantly eats good food at regular intervals, and is quick to free his stomach of harmful elements if he happens to eat bad food by mistake.

The well being of the servant's heart, however, is far more important than that of his body, for while the well being of his body enables him to lead a life that is free from illnesses in this world, that of the heart ensures him both a fortunate life in this world and eternal bliss in the next.

In the same way, while the death of the body cuts the servant off from this world, the death of the heart results in everlasting anguish. A righteous man once said, "How odd, that some people mourn for the one whose body has died, but never mourn for the one whose heart has died and yet the death of the heart is far more serious!"

Thus acts of obedience are indispensable to the well being of the heart. It is worthwhile mentioning the following acts of obedience here, since they are very necessary and essential for the servant's heart: Dhikr of Allah ta'Ala, recitation of the Noble Qur'an, seeking Allah's forgiveness, making du'as, invoking Allah's blessings and peace on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and praying at night.

FOOTNOTES
[1] Da`eef hadith, Al-Mundhari, 3/234; and al-Iraqi in al-Ihya, 8/1539.
[2] Da`eef hadith, at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/92, gharib; no one else has transmitted it other than Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Hatib, whom ath-Thahabi mentions, 1/43, stating that this is one of the gharib hadith attributed to him.
[3] Da`eef hadith, Ibn Hibban and al-Baihaqi, and al-Iraqiin his edition of al-Ihya, 8/1541.
[4] Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, ath-Thahabi.
[5] Sahih hadith, at-Tirmidhiand Ahmad; also al-Hakim and ath-Thahabi.
[6] Al-Bukhari in Kitab ar-Riqaq, and Muslim in Kitab az-Zuhud.
[7] At-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud; he said the hadith is hasan gharib.
[8] At-Tirmidhi in Kitab az-Zuhud with a slightly different wording; he said the hadith is hasan. This wording is reported by Abu Na`im in al-Hilya.
[9] Al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308 and Kitab al-Hudud, 12/113.
[10] Al-Bukhari, Kitab ar-Riqaq, 11/308; Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, 2/18. The complete hadith is: "Let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or remain silent; and let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbour; and let whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest."
[11] The hadith is hasan and is reported by at-Tirmidhi in Kitab az-Zuhud and by Ibn Majah in Kitab al-Fitan. At-Tirmidhi classifies it as hasan gharib. We have no report of it other than from Muhammad ibn Yazid ibn Khanis.
[12] Hasan according to Abu Ya`la, Baihaqi and as-Suyuti
[13] Sahih, at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 6/607; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/201; as-Sa`ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani, 19/257; hadith number 12 in an-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths.
[14] Da`eef, at-Tabarani, 8/63; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 4/314; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 5/264.
[15] Sahih, Ahmad, al-Musnad, 4/132; as-Sa`ati, al-Fath ar-Rabbani, 17/88; at-Tirmidhi, Kitab az-Zuhud, 7/51.
[16] Da`eef; it does not appear in most of the sources of the sunnah, but is mentioned in al-Ghazzali's al-Ihya, 8/1488.
[17] Al-Bukhari, Kitab al-At'ima, 9/549; and Muslim, Kitab az-Zuhud, 8/105.
[18] Ash-Shafi`ee, may Allah be pleased with him, is reported to have said, "Whenever a tedious person sits next to me, the side on which he is sitting feels lower down than the other side of me."

Ramadan - A Reminder of Unity

By Imam Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-AlbaaneeSource: Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah (1/442-445)Translated by Al-Istiqaamah Newsletter [1]

Abu Hurayrah (raa) related that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said:

"Fast when they fast, end the fast when they end theirs, and sacrifice the day that they sacrifice." [2]

Al-Bayhaqee relates by way of Abu Haneefah, who said: 'Alee ibn al-Aqmar related to me, from Masrooq, who said: I entered upon 'Aaishah on the day of 'Arafah, so she said: "Serve Masrooq with some gruel, and make it more sweet." Masrooq said: Nothing prevented me from fasting this day except that I feared that it may be the day of Sacrifice. So 'Aa'ishah said to me: "The day of Sacrifice is when the people sacrifice, and the day of ending the fast is when the people end their fast." This chain of narration is jayyid (good) due to what has preceded.

Understanding This Hadeeth:
Imaam at-Tirmidhee says after quoting the hadeeth: "One of the people of knowledge has explained this hadeeth by saying: Its meaning is to fast and end the fast along with the Jamaa'ah and the majority of people."

As-San'aanee said in Sublus-Salaam (2/72): "In this (hadeeth) is a proof that being in agreement with the people is accepted in establishing 'Eed, and that the individual person who believes that it is the day of 'Eed - because of the sighting of the moon - then it is obligatory upon him to be in agreement with the people, and that the ruling of the people - concerning the Prayer, breaking the fast, and sacrificing - is binding upon the individual."

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) mentioned this meaning in Tahdheebus-Sunan (3/214), and said: "It is said: In it a refutation of those who say that whosoever knows the positions of the moon due to astronomical calculations, then it is permissible for him to fast and end the fast, even if others do not know. It is also said: That the individual witness who sees the moon, but the qaadee (judge) has not accepted his testimony, then there is no fasting for him, just as there is no fasting for the people."

Abul-Hasan as-Sindee said in Haashiyah 'alaa Ibn Maajah, after mentioning the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah which was related by at-Tirmidhee: "And its apparent meaning is: That there is no room for individual (opinions) to enter into these affairs, nor to act individually in this. Rather, this affair goes back to the Imaam (the Leader of the Muslims) and the Jamaa'ah (united body of Muslims under the Imaam). It is obligatory upon the individuals to follow the Imaam and the Jamaa'ah. From this is that is an individual sights the moon, but the qaadee rejects his witness, then the individual has no right in these matters, but rather he must follow the Jamaa'ah in this."
And this is the meaning which is evident from the hadeeth, and which is emphasized by the fact that 'Aa'ishah (raa) used it with Masrooq when he prevented himself from fasting on the day of 'Arafah, fearing that it could be the day of Sacrifice. So she explained to him that there is no weight given to his individual opinion in this, and that he should follow the Jamaa'ah. So she said to him: "The day of Sacrifice is when the people sacrifice, and the day of ending the fast is when the people end their fast."

Unity is One of the Goals of the Sharee'ah
And this is what is befitting for the easy-natured and tolerant Sharee'ah (Prescribed Islaamic Law), one of the goals of which is uniting the people together, unifying their ranks and keeping away from them all that would split their comprehensive unity - from the individual opinions. So the Sharee'ah does not give any weight to the individual opinion in matters concerning 'ibaadah jamaa'iyyah (collective acts of worship), such as Fasting, 'Eed and Prayer in congregation - even if the opinion is correct, from one angle. Do you not see that the Sahaabah (the Companions) - radiallaahu 'anhum - used to pray behind each other. So from them were those who held the view that touching a woman, or the flowing of blood from the body invalidates the wudhoo' (ablution), along with those who did not hold this view. From them were those who would complete the Prayer whilst traveling, whilst others shortened. Yet these, and other such differences, did not prevent them from collectively praying behind a single Imaam and deeming it to be acceptable. And this is because they knew that tafarruq (splitting-up) in the Religion is more evil than having ikhtilaaf (differences) in some opinions. Indeed, the matter with one of them reached the extent that he would not even deem acceptable any opinion which differed with the great Imaam in the major gatherings; such as the gathering at Minaa (during Hajj), to the extent that he would totally abandon acting upon his opinion in that gathering - fleeing from that which could result from this evil, because of acting according to his own opinion.

Thus, Abu Daawood relates (1/307) that 'Uthmaan (raa) prayed four rak'ahs at Minaa, so 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood criticized him saying: "I prayed two rak'ahs with the Prophet (saws) and two rak'ahs with Abu Bakr, and two rak'ahs with 'Umar, and two rak'ahs with 'Uthmaan in the beginning of his rule, then he completed it (i.e. by praying four rak'ahs). After that the ways became divided with you all. So I hope from these four rak'ahs, that two of them would be accepted." Then Ibn Mas'ood prayed four rak'ahs. So it was said to him: You criticized 'Uthmaan, yet you prayed four? So he said: "Differing is evil."

Its chain of narration is Saheeh (authentic), and something similar to this is related in the Musnad (5/155) of Imaam Ahmad, from Abu Dharr (raa).

So those who continue splitting-up with regards to the Prayer, and who refuse to follow the local Imaams in some mosques - especially in the witr Prayer during Ramadaan - using as proof that this is against their madhhab (school of thought), then they should reflect upon the above mentioned hadeeth and athar (narration). Likewise, those who claim knowledge of astronomy and who, due to their opinion, fast and end their fast alone - preceding or lagging behind the majority of Muslims, not seeing any problem in doing so - should also reflect upon the previously quoted proofs. So all of them should consider, and reflect upon the knowledge that has been mentioned. Perhaps they will find for themselves a cure for their ignorance and self-delusion, so that they may then become a unified rank along with their Muslim brothers - for indeed the Hand of Allaah Subhanahu wa Taa'ala is over the Jamaa'ah.

Footnotes:
[1] Silsilatul-Ahaadeethus-
Saheehah (1/442-445), the hadeeth authentications have been abridged and edited.
[2] Saheeh: Related by at-Tirmidhee (2/37). Shaykh al-Albaanee authenticated it in As-Saheehah (no.224)

Fasting

…Let us return to the commentary on the hadith of Harith, where he Prophet speaks of what will rescue a servant from the Foe: “And [God] enjoins upon you the fast. Verily, the similitude of that is a man carrying a sack-full of musk in a crowd of people, all of them marvelling at its fragrance—for the breath of someone lasting is more fragrant to God, Most High, than the scent of musk.” [Tirmidhi, Amthal, 2790; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 16542.]

The Prophet uses the image of someone carrying a sack-full of musk concealed from view, hidden under his garments, after the habit of those who carry musk. Fasting is, likewise, hidden from the eyes of men and unperceived by their senses.

The fasting person's limbs fast from sins; his tongue fasts from lies, base language and false witness; his stomach fasts from food and drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If he speaks, he says nothing to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does nothing to spoil his fast. All his speech is salutary and wholesome, as are his deeds—like the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the bearer of musk. Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his presence and is safe from false witness, lies, base language and wrongdoing. This is the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply abstinence from eating and drinking.

Hence, a sound hadith states: “When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the action that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to refrain from food and drink.” [Bukhari, Adab, 5597; Ibn Maja, Siyam, 1679; also in Bukhari, Sawm, 1770, without the word ‘ignorance’] And in [another] hadith: “Some who fast obtain nothing from it but hunger and thirst.” [Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 8501, with the ending ‘And some may tand for prayer at night and receive nothing from it but sleeplessness.’ Also in Bahyaqi, Shu`ab al-Iman, 3542, with ‘standing at night’ mentioned first.]

True fasting is when the limbs fast from sin and the stomach fasts from food and drink. As food and drink can break the fast or spoil it, so sins can cut off its reward and spoil its fruits, as if one had not fasted at all.

The Prophet's Giving of Glad Tidings In the Hardest of Situations

What we Muslims need today is a change of understanding; we need to step out of our time and place and see our situation in light of the laws that Allah placed in His creation, and the guidance that He sent His Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, with.


"And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy; if you are suffering (hardships) then surely, they (too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allah (for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not, and Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise." [An-Nisaa' (4):104]

We see in the Seerah of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, that he would give glad tidings in the hardest of moments.

We may think at times there is no exit for the Ummah, but we have to remember, Allah has promised victory to this Ummah, a victory He will bring when He wants, due to His Wisdom. Our situation is one of weakness and we know it will change to one of strength. Imam Ahmad was quoted as saying that the Falsehood will not be manifest over the Truth until our hearts leave the Truth. We are certain, when we fulfill the conditions of victory, that the Truth will be manifest over the Falsehood. We know it is near, though it may not be two weeks. With Allah, it is close, as even the Day of Judgment is referred to as "Tomorrow". [Al-Hashr (59):18]

The following are three dire situations from the Prophet's Seerah during which he reassured and gave glad tidings to his followers.

The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, in Ta'if

"When the harm and plotting of the Quraish increased, after the deaths of the Prophet's, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, uncle and wife, he headed to Taif hoping that he might find in this trip greater attentivenes and support for his message. Instead, they turned him away in a very impolite manner. They encouraged their boys to stone him. They stoned him until he bled from his noble feet." [Al-Sibai, "The Prophet's Seerah, p. 36]

"Given this support and auspicious start, depression, dismay and sadness that used to beset him since he was driven out of At-Ta’if, he turned his face towards Makkah with fresh determination to resume his earlier plan to expose people to Islam and communicate his Message in a great spirit of zeal and matchless enthusiasm.

Zaid bin Harithah, his companion, addressing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, 'How dare you step into Makkah after they (Quraish) have expatriated you?' The Prophet (Peace be upon him) answered: 'Hearken Zaid, Allâh will surely provide relief and He will verily support His religion and Prophet.'" [Al-Mubaarakfuri: Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom, "The Third Phase Calling Unto Islam Beyond Makkah"]


The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, With Abu Bakr During the Hijrah

"The notables of Makkah convened an emergency session to determine the future course of action and explore all areas that could help arrest the two men. They decided to block all avenues leading out of Makkah and imposed heavy armed surveillance over all potential exits. A price of 100 camels was set upon the head of each one. Horsemen, infantry and tracers of tracks scoured the country. Once they even reached the mouth of the cave where the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr were hiding. When he saw the enemy at a very close distance, Abu Bakr whispered to the Prophet (Peace be upon him): 'What, if they were to look through the crevice and detect us?' The Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his God-inspired calm replied: 'Silence Abu Bakr! What do you think of those two with whom the Third is Allâh.' It was really a Divine miracle, the chasers were only a few steps from the cave." [Al-Mubaarakfuri: Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom, " Migration of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)"]

"…In a version by Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), he said: "We emigrated while the Makkans were in pursuit of us. None caught up with us except Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju‘sham on a horse. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allâh, this one has caught up with us.’ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied: ‘Don’t be cast down, verily, Allâh is with us.’ [Al-Mubaarakfuri: Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom, " Migration of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)"]

The Battle of the Ditch

"It was the winter season, the air was cold and there was a food crisis in Medina, which was about to come under a brutal siege, and there is nothing more deadly to the spirit of resistance than despair, for if the besieged were to be exposed to its violent bouts, the way of humiliating surrender would be the only alternative. For this reason, the Prophet strove hard to arouse the moral strength of his men to the highest pitch so that they'd feel certain that the triral which faced them was just a passing cloud which would soon disperse, and thereafter Islam would resume its march and people would enter into it in large numbers, and the strongholds of tyranny would crumble before it and no plots would come from them nor would any evil be feard from them. It is a rule of politics that this wide hope should accompany the stages of ceasless effort." [Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Fiqh us-Seerah, p. 308]

"Another illustrious preternatural example went to the effect that an obstinate rock stood out as an immune obstacle in the ditch. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) took the spade and struck, and the rock immediately turned into a loose sand dune. In another version, Al-Bara‘ said: On Al-Khandaq (the trench) Day there stood out a rock too immune for our spades to break up. We therefore went to see the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) for advice. He took the spade, and struck the rock uttering 'in the Name of Allâh, Allâh is Great, the keys of Ash-Shâm (Geographical Syria) are mine, I swear by Allâh, I can see its palaces at the moment;' on the second strike he said: 'Allâh is Great, Persia is mine, I swear by Allâh, I can now see the white palace of Madain;' and for the third time he struck the rock, which turned into very small pieces, he said: 'Allâh is Great, I have been given the keys of Yemen, I swear by Allâh, I can see the gates of San‘a while I am in my place.' The same version was narrated by Ishaq."

[Al-Mubaarakfuri: Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom, "Al-Ahzab (the Confederates) Invasion"]

"So when the confederates swept down upon Medina and laid a tight siege around it, the Muslims did not give up in despair but faced the bitter reality with unshakeable hope in a noble future.

'And when the true beleivers saw the clans, they said: this is that which Allah and His Messenger promised us. Allah and His Messenger are true. And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.' [Al-Ahzab (33):22]

As for the weaklings, the doubters and the sick of heart, they made fun of the promises of victory and thought them to be the desires of deluded people, and they said to the Prophet:

'He tells you that he sees from Yathrib the palaces of Hirah and the city of Kisra, while you are there digging the ditch and you cannot pass stool (for fear).'

About them Allah says,

'And when the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, were saying: Allah and His messenger promised us naught but delusion.' [Al-Ahzab (33):12]

[Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Fiqh us-Seerah, p. 310-311]

Twelve or thirteen years later, the Prophet's promise about Persia came true.

Maybe it should be noted here that the hypocrites of today are also telling us that Allah has promised us nothing but delusion - those hypocrites who want removal or change of the Shari`ah. Beware of them, because they promise us nothing but delusion.

"Allah is predominant over his affair, but most of the people do not know." [Yusuf (12):21]