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Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
My Mother, My Best Friend
Aseer ibn Jaabir narrates: Whenever people would come from Yemen, Umar would ask them, "Is Uways Al-Qaranee amongst you?" until, one year, he met Uways. He said, "Are you Uways Al-Qaranee?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
"And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small.'" [Al Isra' 17/23-24]
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them." [Bukhari]
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
"Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…" [Luqman 31/14]
Ibn Abbaas continued, "Thus whoever thanks Allah and is not thankful to his parents, Allah will not accept from him."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"The pleasure of Allah is from the pleasure of the parents, and the anger of Allah is from the anger of the parents."
Let us think about how many of us treat our parents. We shy away from them when they may need something. We never visit if we are away from them. In fact, many people dispose of their parents in retirement homes. And when an argument ignites between our parents and us, many of us shout at them as if we were arguing with our evilest enemy. May Allah protect us all.
Compare this to those that came before us. Dhibyaan ibn Ali At-Thowree radi Allahu anhu used to travel with his mother to Makkah. There, in the scorching heat, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water. Then he would turn to his mother and say, "Ummi, sit in this water to cool yourself."
For many of us, our friends are more precious to us than our mother and father. Forgetful we are of the time a man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him who is more worthy of his dear companionship. He – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – said, "Your mother!" The man asked again and again, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Your mother! Your mother!" Until on the fourth time he - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Your father."
Today, when the common question is asked, "Who is your best friend?" How many people would say, "My mother!" But this is how the question should be answered and implemented.
What pleases our parents comes before everything, so long as it is not in disobedience of Allah. The scholars understood this and set the example for us. Haywah bin Shurayh radi Allahu anhu, one of the imam's of our ummah, used to give classes in front of his home. During the class, his mother would call him to feed the chickens. He would stand up, leave the halaqa, and go feed the chickens. We all want Allah to accept from us; we would all like to enter Paradise. Look down dear brothers and sisters, and you will find paradise at the feet of your mother.
Narrated Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee, from Mu'aawiyah ibn Jaahimah As-Sulamee: My father, Jaahimah radi Allahu anhu went to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I would like to go out and fight for the sake of Allah, and I have come to you for advice."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Is your mother alive?"
He said, "Yes."
"Then stay near her," advised the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "For at her feet is Jannah!"
On the other side, making our parents sad or even making them cry is one of the many ways to earn Allah's anger. Imam Ahmad narrates, from Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-Aas radi Alllahu anhu: A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to give him his pledge of allegiance. He said, "I have come to pledge allegiance to you for hijrah and I have left both my parents behind crying."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam commanded him, "Go back, and the same way that you made them cry, make them laugh."
Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said, "Making ones parents cry is amongst the uqooq, a major sin!"
Shaykh al-Qaasim once said, "Subhan Allah! How can we leave our parents sobbing, tears that the throne of Allah shakes for, tears that unsettle the angels in the heavens, and then we claim that we want to go for jihaad so that Allah will be pleased with us? Go back and make them happy with your visit as you made them sad by your departure. If they laugh and are pleased with you, Allah will be pleased."
During the funeral of his mother, Al-Haarith Al-Aklee radi Allahu anhu weeped. When asked for the reason of his tears he said, "Why should I not cry when one of my doors to Paradise has now closed?"
PART II
We reap what we plant. In a far away land, a long time ago, a boy was born blind. His widowed mother, the good Muslimah that she was, did not lose hope in her du'a and pray she did, continuously. A few years later, the boy's sight returned, alhamdulillah. Soon after she realized that her village was not befitting for her son to excel in Islamic education, so with her son in hand they migrated to Makkah. There she saw that he was being instructed in Qur'an and Hadith, the latter becoming the young man's focus. He went out far and wide collecting Hadith and compiled a Hadith book that sits next to the Qur'an in authenticity forgetting not his mother who had raised him well. His mother named him Muhammad ibn Isma'il, and many of us know him today as Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!
Dear brothers and sisters, how often is it that a farmer plants wheat and it comes out as a sunflower? You may say, never! For how can someone farm the seed of one plant and expect some other plant to grow. It just does not happen. Similarly, some parents leave their children waddling in the mud of television, music, movies, and disbelieving friends. Then, when the child reaches grade 12 and asks to go to the prom with his girlfriend, or when he enters university and stops praying, or when he gets married to a kafir and himself becomes one, then the parents say, "What happened?"
Brothers and sisters, it is the harvest of what we planted. If we do not raise our children to be obedient, where do we expect them to learn? If we do not practice Islam ourselves, who will be our children's example? How do you teach a child to wake up for Fajr, when he sees his own father and mother sleeping in, day after day? You may ask: how do I raise my children to be good Muslims, obedient to their parents? Consider the following:
Firstly: One should discipline their children throughout their youth. Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik missed a son of his during Jumah one week. When he met him later, he asked him, "Why did you miss Jumah?"
His son replied, "My donkey couldn't make the trip."
His father then said, "Couldn't you have walked!" For an entire year after that, Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik made his son walk to Jumah.
Secondly: The piety of the father and mother reaches the children. In the Qur'an, Allah recalls for us the story of Khidr, and how he rebuilt a wall for 2 orphans.
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town. Under it was a treasure belonging to them and their father was a righteous man…(Al Kahf 18/82)
Look at how Allah protected these orphans because of the piety of their father. In tafseer, it is said that it was in fact because of the piety of their grandfather seven generations back! Sa'eed ibn Jubayr said, "I often lengthen my salah for the sake of my son; perhaps Allah may protect him (because of it)."
In conclusion, let us reflect on the virtue of respecting our parents:
It is one of the greatest things that we can do. In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ood radi Allahu anhu, a man asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "What deed is most beloved by Allah?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Salah on time."
The man asked, "And then?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Respecting and revering ones parents."
He asked, "And then?"
"Jihaad for the sake of Allah."
It is a means by which our sins are forgiven. When Allah commanded in the Qur'an:
And We enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents …
The next verse tells us:
Respecting our parents will lead us to Jannah! In Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, "May he perish! May he perish! May he perish!"
It was asked, "Who, O Messenger of Allah?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "He whose parents attain old age in his life - one or both of them - and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them)."
And when our parents are gone, the goodness towards them does not end.
Malik ibn Rabi'ah Al-Saa'idi narrated: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when an Ansari man came and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything left from my birr to my parents that I should present to them after their death?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Yes, four things: Pray and ask forgiveness for them. Fulfill their pledges. Be kind to their friends. And maintain the ties of kinship that come from only their direction. That is what is left from your birr to them after their death."
Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Maajah reported that Aamir ibn Abd Allah ibn Az-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu said, "My father died, and for an entire year I did not ask Allah for anything except that He forgive my father."
Remember dear brothers and sisters as you meet your parents today, the words of Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "Fa feehima fa jaahid!" – Do Jihad in (your kind treatment of) your parents.
O Allah, forgive us and our parents, and reward them with the finest reward. O Allah, elevate their position in the hereafter and this dunya; make that which befalls them an expiation for their sins. O Allah, grant them residence in Firdaus, the highest level of Jannah, with the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, and the Martyrs.
Ameen.
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Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads!
He said, "Yes."
Umar continued, "From Muraad, then Qaran?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then asked, "Were you once afflicted with leprosy and your skin healed except for a dirham's area?"
Uways said, "Yes."
Umar finally asked, "Do you have a mother (that is alive)?"
He said, "Yes."
Umar then said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Uways ibn Aamir will come to you with the delegations from Yemen, from Muraad, then from Qaran. He was once afflicted with leprosy and his skin healed except for a dirham's area. He has a mother, and he treats her kindly. If he was to ever swear by Allah (for something) Allah would fulfill his oath. If you can, request that he ask forgiveness for you." Umar then requested from Uways, "Ask forgiveness for me." And Uways Al-Qaranee did.
Allah ta'aala commanded us in the Qur’an:
"And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age in your life, then do not say to them 'uff' (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them, rather address them in terms of honor / And lower for them the wing of submission and humility through mercy. And say, 'My Lord! Grant them Your mercy as they brought me up when I was small.'" [Al Isra' 17/23-24]
Ad-Daylami collected from Al-Husayn ibn Ali, that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"If Allah knew any smaller than 'uff' (tsk) to be disespectful to parents, He would have decreed it to be haram!"
A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam seeking permission to go for jihaad. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Are your parents alive?"
He said, "Yes."
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Perform jihaad (in you kind treatment) of them." [Bukhari]
If someone came to you today and offered you a free lunch, no doubt your response would be to smile, speak kindly to them, and reserve a special place in your heart for their memory. Why is it then that our parents receive only cold stares, harsh words and bitter treatment and they are who they are in our lives? For twenty or thirty years they fed us, clothed us, washed us, and showered their mercy on our soft skin. Their love for us never dies even if we do; it is a love that goes even beyond us, to our children and even our children’s children.
Dear brothers and sisters, we all have parents, whether they are with us or not, and many have not understood the severity of their position in our lives and their right to be respected and revered. Today I want to remind you and I of the true position of our parents, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Birr al-waalidayn is a characteristic of the mu'min. Al-Hasan Al-Basree defined it saying, "Al-birr is to obey the parents in everything that they ask so long as it is not to disobey Allah. Uqooq is to disown your parents, denying them all of your goodness."
By the ijama' of the 'ulama, being respectful and obedient to one’s parents is fard. Ibn Hazm said, "(Obeying ones parents) is Fard!" and he quoted the verse:
And your Lord decreed that you should worship none but Him and that you be dutiful to your parents.
To better understand what is meant by birr al-walidayn (kindness to parents), the scholars set the following conditions for one to follow:
One: He should place the pleasure of his parents above the pleasure of anyone else, including himself and his wife and kids – everyone. Two: He should obey them in everything they command or forbid, whether it agrees with his desires or not, so long as they do not command the disobedience of Allah.
Three: He should present them with everything he feels they desire, whether they ask for it or not. He should present it with kindness and mercy, understanding that no matter what he does he will always have some shortcomings in fulfilling the true kindness that his parents deserve.
Allah's love comes when our parents love us. And Allah's anger comes when our parents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu said, "There are three things that will not be accepted if its mate is not fulfilled." And he mentioned,
"Thank Me (Allah) and your parents…" [Luqman 31/14]
Ibn Abbaas continued, "Thus whoever thanks Allah and is not thankful to his parents, Allah will not accept from him."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"The pleasure of Allah is from the pleasure of the parents, and the anger of Allah is from the anger of the parents."
Let us think about how many of us treat our parents. We shy away from them when they may need something. We never visit if we are away from them. In fact, many people dispose of their parents in retirement homes. And when an argument ignites between our parents and us, many of us shout at them as if we were arguing with our evilest enemy. May Allah protect us all.
Compare this to those that came before us. Dhibyaan ibn Ali At-Thowree radi Allahu anhu used to travel with his mother to Makkah. There, in the scorching heat, he would dig a little pool and fill it with cool water. Then he would turn to his mother and say, "Ummi, sit in this water to cool yourself."
For many of us, our friends are more precious to us than our mother and father. Forgetful we are of the time a man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him who is more worthy of his dear companionship. He – sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam – said, "Your mother!" The man asked again and again, and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, "Your mother! Your mother!" Until on the fourth time he - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Your father."
Today, when the common question is asked, "Who is your best friend?" How many people would say, "My mother!" But this is how the question should be answered and implemented.
What pleases our parents comes before everything, so long as it is not in disobedience of Allah. The scholars understood this and set the example for us. Haywah bin Shurayh radi Allahu anhu, one of the imam's of our ummah, used to give classes in front of his home. During the class, his mother would call him to feed the chickens. He would stand up, leave the halaqa, and go feed the chickens. We all want Allah to accept from us; we would all like to enter Paradise. Look down dear brothers and sisters, and you will find paradise at the feet of your mother.
Narrated Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee, from Mu'aawiyah ibn Jaahimah As-Sulamee: My father, Jaahimah radi Allahu anhu went to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I would like to go out and fight for the sake of Allah, and I have come to you for advice."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked him, "Is your mother alive?"
He said, "Yes."
"Then stay near her," advised the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "For at her feet is Jannah!"
On the other side, making our parents sad or even making them cry is one of the many ways to earn Allah's anger. Imam Ahmad narrates, from Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-Aas radi Alllahu anhu: A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to give him his pledge of allegiance. He said, "I have come to pledge allegiance to you for hijrah and I have left both my parents behind crying."
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam commanded him, "Go back, and the same way that you made them cry, make them laugh."
Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said, "Making ones parents cry is amongst the uqooq, a major sin!"
Shaykh al-Qaasim once said, "Subhan Allah! How can we leave our parents sobbing, tears that the throne of Allah shakes for, tears that unsettle the angels in the heavens, and then we claim that we want to go for jihaad so that Allah will be pleased with us? Go back and make them happy with your visit as you made them sad by your departure. If they laugh and are pleased with you, Allah will be pleased."
During the funeral of his mother, Al-Haarith Al-Aklee radi Allahu anhu weeped. When asked for the reason of his tears he said, "Why should I not cry when one of my doors to Paradise has now closed?"
PART II
We reap what we plant. In a far away land, a long time ago, a boy was born blind. His widowed mother, the good Muslimah that she was, did not lose hope in her du'a and pray she did, continuously. A few years later, the boy's sight returned, alhamdulillah. Soon after she realized that her village was not befitting for her son to excel in Islamic education, so with her son in hand they migrated to Makkah. There she saw that he was being instructed in Qur'an and Hadith, the latter becoming the young man's focus. He went out far and wide collecting Hadith and compiled a Hadith book that sits next to the Qur'an in authenticity forgetting not his mother who had raised him well. His mother named him Muhammad ibn Isma'il, and many of us know him today as Al-Imam Al-Bukhari!
Dear brothers and sisters, how often is it that a farmer plants wheat and it comes out as a sunflower? You may say, never! For how can someone farm the seed of one plant and expect some other plant to grow. It just does not happen. Similarly, some parents leave their children waddling in the mud of television, music, movies, and disbelieving friends. Then, when the child reaches grade 12 and asks to go to the prom with his girlfriend, or when he enters university and stops praying, or when he gets married to a kafir and himself becomes one, then the parents say, "What happened?"
Brothers and sisters, it is the harvest of what we planted. If we do not raise our children to be obedient, where do we expect them to learn? If we do not practice Islam ourselves, who will be our children's example? How do you teach a child to wake up for Fajr, when he sees his own father and mother sleeping in, day after day? You may ask: how do I raise my children to be good Muslims, obedient to their parents? Consider the following:
Firstly: One should discipline their children throughout their youth. Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik missed a son of his during Jumah one week. When he met him later, he asked him, "Why did you miss Jumah?"
His son replied, "My donkey couldn't make the trip."
His father then said, "Couldn't you have walked!" For an entire year after that, Hisham ibn Abd Al-Malik made his son walk to Jumah.
Secondly: The piety of the father and mother reaches the children. In the Qur'an, Allah recalls for us the story of Khidr, and how he rebuilt a wall for 2 orphans.
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town. Under it was a treasure belonging to them and their father was a righteous man…(Al Kahf 18/82)
Look at how Allah protected these orphans because of the piety of their father. In tafseer, it is said that it was in fact because of the piety of their grandfather seven generations back! Sa'eed ibn Jubayr said, "I often lengthen my salah for the sake of my son; perhaps Allah may protect him (because of it)."
In conclusion, let us reflect on the virtue of respecting our parents:
It is one of the greatest things that we can do. In Bukhari and Muslim, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ood radi Allahu anhu, a man asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "What deed is most beloved by Allah?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Salah on time."
The man asked, "And then?"
He - sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Respecting and revering ones parents."
He asked, "And then?"
"Jihaad for the sake of Allah."
It is a means by which our sins are forgiven. When Allah commanded in the Qur'an:
And We enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents …
The next verse tells us:
Respecting our parents will lead us to Jannah! In Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say, "May he perish! May he perish! May he perish!"
It was asked, "Who, O Messenger of Allah?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "He whose parents attain old age in his life - one or both of them - and he does not enter Paradise (because of his goodness towards them)."
And when our parents are gone, the goodness towards them does not end.
Malik ibn Rabi'ah Al-Saa'idi narrated: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when an Ansari man came and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything left from my birr to my parents that I should present to them after their death?"
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Yes, four things: Pray and ask forgiveness for them. Fulfill their pledges. Be kind to their friends. And maintain the ties of kinship that come from only their direction. That is what is left from your birr to them after their death."
Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Maajah reported that Aamir ibn Abd Allah ibn Az-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu said, "My father died, and for an entire year I did not ask Allah for anything except that He forgive my father."
Remember dear brothers and sisters as you meet your parents today, the words of Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, "Fa feehima fa jaahid!" – Do Jihad in (your kind treatment of) your parents.
O Allah, forgive us and our parents, and reward them with the finest reward. O Allah, elevate their position in the hereafter and this dunya; make that which befalls them an expiation for their sins. O Allah, grant them residence in Firdaus, the highest level of Jannah, with the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, and the Martyrs.
Ameen.
Spread the Knowledge?
Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads!
Kinds of Speech that we Must Refrain From
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim has to control his tongue and not speak unless he says something good.
Al-Bukhaari (6018) and Muslim (47) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or else keep silent…”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If he wants to speak, then if what he wants to say is good and he is confident that he will be rewarded for it, whether it is obligatory or praiseworthy, then let him speak, but if it does not seem to him that it is good and he will be rewarded for it, then let him refrain from speaking, whether he thinks it is haraam or makrooh or permissible. Based on this, it is recommended to refrain from saying permissible words and we are enjoined to avoid that, lest that lead us into something that is haraam or makrooh, which is what happens in many cases or in most cases. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)’
[Qaaf 50:18]
Imam al-Shaafa’i understood the hadeeth to mean that if a person wants to say something, he should think about it: if it seems to him that it will not do any harm, then he should speak, but if he thinks that it will do some harm or he thinks that this is most likely, then he should refrain from speaking.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to control our tongues in more than one hadeeth, such as that narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2406) from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is salvation?’ He said, ‘Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sin.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3331.
Al-Tirmidhi (2616) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh, after teaching him some of the laws of Islam, “Shall I not tell you what is the foundation of all that?” I [Mu’aadh] said: “Of course, O Prophet of Allaah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” He said, “May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu’aadh! Will the people be thrown into Hell on their faces or on their noses for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
The hadeeth enjoins refraining from indulging in specific things, because that is something that is of no benefit to a person, and indeed it may cause him a great deal of harm in his spiritual and worldly affairs.
It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If my companions are mentioned, then keep quiet; if the stars are mentioned, then keep quiet; and if the divine decree is mentioned, then keep quiet.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 2/96. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 34).
This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible for a person to speak badly of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that he should keep quiet about the disputes that occurred among them, because speaking badly of them or criticizing them implies that one is rejecting what Allaah said about them in the Qur’aan, where He praised them by saying (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”
[al-Tawbah 9:100]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)”
[al-Fath 48:29]
This is how Allaah has described them in His Book, so no doubt they are of just character and are the best and greatest of mankind. So no one hates them but a hypocrite and no one loves them but a believer.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“One of the basic principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they think and say nothing to criticize the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah has described them in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’
[al-Hashr 69:10]
And they obey the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘Do not curse my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, he would not reach the status of one of them, nor even come half way.’ (Agreed upon).”
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/152.
Abu Zar’ah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If you see a man criticizing any one of the Sahaabah, then know that he is a heretic, because the Qur’aan is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Sahaabah. So whoever criticizes them means in effect to say that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be criticized and ruled to be a heretic who is misguided.”
Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafd wa’l-Dalaal wa’l-Zandaqah, 2/608.
With regard to the second part of the hadeeth, which enjoins refraining from speaking about the stars, what is referred to by that – and Allaah knows best – is seeking guidance by the stars concerning matters that are unseen, as the people of the jaahiliyyah used to do by means of astrology, such as using the movement of heavenly bodies to indicate when certain earthly events would occur, such as the blowing of the wind, rainfall, changes in prices, and other matters which they claimed to know from the movements of heavenly bodies. They used to say that whoever got married under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, or whoever traveled under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, and whoever was born under such and such a star would be lucky or unlucky, etc.
(See Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Baab Id’aa’ ‘ilm al-Ghayb min Qiraa’at al-Kaff wa’l-Finjaan wa ghayrihima. See also Fataawa al-‘Aqeedah, 2/185-186-187-190) by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, where he makes some very useful comments).
With regard to the third part of the hadeeth, which refers to refraining from speaking about the divine decree (al-qadar), Abu Ja’far al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The divine decree is a secret known which Allaah has hidden from His creation. No angel who is close to Him and no Prophet whom He sent knows that. Pursuing such matters only leads to failure and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah, and it leads to injustice, so beware of looking into the matter, thinking about it and wondering about it. Allaah has kept knowledge of His decree from His slaves, and has forbidden them to pursue the matter, as He says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):
‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned’
[al-Anbiya’ 21:23]
So whoever questions what Allaah does has rejected the ruling of the Book, and whoever rejects the ruling of the Book is a kaafir.”
Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 276
So the Muslim has to submit to Allaah in all His affairs, and know that whatever happens to him could never have missed him, and what misses him could never have happened to him. There is a lot that may be said on this topic. May Allaah bless the man who believes in the will and decree of Allaah without indulging in philosophical discussion about the matter.
And Allaah knows best.
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The Muslim has to control his tongue and not speak unless he says something good.
Al-Bukhaari (6018) and Muslim (47) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day, let him speak good or else keep silent…”
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If he wants to speak, then if what he wants to say is good and he is confident that he will be rewarded for it, whether it is obligatory or praiseworthy, then let him speak, but if it does not seem to him that it is good and he will be rewarded for it, then let him refrain from speaking, whether he thinks it is haraam or makrooh or permissible. Based on this, it is recommended to refrain from saying permissible words and we are enjoined to avoid that, lest that lead us into something that is haraam or makrooh, which is what happens in many cases or in most cases. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it)’
[Qaaf 50:18]
Imam al-Shaafa’i understood the hadeeth to mean that if a person wants to say something, he should think about it: if it seems to him that it will not do any harm, then he should speak, but if he thinks that it will do some harm or he thinks that this is most likely, then he should refrain from speaking.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to control our tongues in more than one hadeeth, such as that narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2406) from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is salvation?’ He said, ‘Control your tongue, keep to your house and weep over your sin.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3331.
Al-Tirmidhi (2616) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh, after teaching him some of the laws of Islam, “Shall I not tell you what is the foundation of all that?” I [Mu’aadh] said: “Of course, O Prophet of Allaah.” He took hold of his tongue and said, “Control this.” I said, “O Prophet of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” He said, “May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu’aadh! Will the people be thrown into Hell on their faces or on their noses for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2110.
The hadeeth enjoins refraining from indulging in specific things, because that is something that is of no benefit to a person, and indeed it may cause him a great deal of harm in his spiritual and worldly affairs.
It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If my companions are mentioned, then keep quiet; if the stars are mentioned, then keep quiet; and if the divine decree is mentioned, then keep quiet.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 2/96. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 34).
This hadeeth indicates that it is not permissible for a person to speak badly of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that he should keep quiet about the disputes that occurred among them, because speaking badly of them or criticizing them implies that one is rejecting what Allaah said about them in the Qur’aan, where He praised them by saying (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success”
[al-Tawbah 9:100]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)”
[al-Fath 48:29]
This is how Allaah has described them in His Book, so no doubt they are of just character and are the best and greatest of mankind. So no one hates them but a hypocrite and no one loves them but a believer.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“One of the basic principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that they think and say nothing to criticize the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as Allaah has described them in the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And those who came after them say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful’
[al-Hashr 69:10]
And they obey the command of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘Do not curse my companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, he would not reach the status of one of them, nor even come half way.’ (Agreed upon).”
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/152.
Abu Zar’ah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If you see a man criticizing any one of the Sahaabah, then know that he is a heretic, because the Qur’aan is true, and the Messenger is true, and what he brought is true, and no one conveyed all of that to us but the Sahaabah. So whoever criticizes them means in effect to say that the Qur’aan and Sunnah are false, so it is more appropriate that he should be criticized and ruled to be a heretic who is misguided.”
Al-Sawaa’iq al-Muhriqah ‘ala Ahl al-Rafd wa’l-Dalaal wa’l-Zandaqah, 2/608.
With regard to the second part of the hadeeth, which enjoins refraining from speaking about the stars, what is referred to by that – and Allaah knows best – is seeking guidance by the stars concerning matters that are unseen, as the people of the jaahiliyyah used to do by means of astrology, such as using the movement of heavenly bodies to indicate when certain earthly events would occur, such as the blowing of the wind, rainfall, changes in prices, and other matters which they claimed to know from the movements of heavenly bodies. They used to say that whoever got married under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, or whoever traveled under such and such a star, such and such would happen to him, and whoever was born under such and such a star would be lucky or unlucky, etc.
(See Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Baab Id’aa’ ‘ilm al-Ghayb min Qiraa’at al-Kaff wa’l-Finjaan wa ghayrihima. See also Fataawa al-‘Aqeedah, 2/185-186-187-190) by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, where he makes some very useful comments).
With regard to the third part of the hadeeth, which refers to refraining from speaking about the divine decree (al-qadar), Abu Ja’far al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“The divine decree is a secret known which Allaah has hidden from His creation. No angel who is close to Him and no Prophet whom He sent knows that. Pursuing such matters only leads to failure and deprivation of the mercy of Allaah, and it leads to injustice, so beware of looking into the matter, thinking about it and wondering about it. Allaah has kept knowledge of His decree from His slaves, and has forbidden them to pursue the matter, as He says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):
‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned’
[al-Anbiya’ 21:23]
So whoever questions what Allaah does has rejected the ruling of the Book, and whoever rejects the ruling of the Book is a kaafir.”
Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 276
So the Muslim has to submit to Allaah in all His affairs, and know that whatever happens to him could never have missed him, and what misses him could never have happened to him. There is a lot that may be said on this topic. May Allaah bless the man who believes in the will and decree of Allaah without indulging in philosophical discussion about the matter.
And Allaah knows best.
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Share this article and share in the ajr for each person who reads
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