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| imam Nawawi's 40 AHadeeth |
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| timbuktu |
| 01/15/04 at 11:41:51 |
| assalam-o-aleykum wa rehmatullahi wa barakatuhu ÇáÓÜÜÜáÇã Úáíßã æ ÑÍãÉ Çááå æ ÈÑßÇÊå ÈÓã Çááå ÇáÑÍãä ÇáÑÍíã In the name of Allah, the most Beneficient, the most Merciful Dear brothers and sisters, I will be giving some notes on a selection of 40 AHadeeth known as Imam Nawawi’s Forty Hadeeth ÇÑÈÚíä äææì This is also a learning process for me. I have posted this elsewhere, and i have put a test as well. Now, please look at it critically, and tell me where i am wrong, so that i can make corrections. These commentaries are taken from:- http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/ and a shorter commentary:- http://www.islaam.net/40hadeeth/frames.html 1. Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith:- _________________________ commentaries by:- Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi Associate Professor Department of General Studies International Islamic University Malaysia The collection of Forty Hadith by al-Imam al-Nawawi (or Imam Nawawi) has been known, accepted and appreciated by Muslim scholars for the last seven centuries. Its significance lies in the fact that these forty hadiths comprise the main essential and fundamental concepts of Islam which, in turn, construct the minimum level of required revealed knowledge for every single Muslim. Since having good knowledge of the various fundamental aspects of the religion is key to a Muslim's practice and application of Islam, we have selected simple and practical commentaries. Various principles are contained in these hadiths, such as belief, Muslim ethics and fiqh. As such, it is very important to have a good understanding of these hadiths based on scholarly interpretations. These commentaries also try to offer discussions on related contemporary issues pertaining to the concepts mentioned in these hadiths. 2. Imam Nawawi: a brief introduction:- _____________________________ The introduction is taken from:- http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/nawawi.htm Imam Muhyi al-Din Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf al-Nawawi, for short Imam Nawawi, was born in the village of Nawa in the vicinity of Damascus in 631 A.H. (1233 A.D.). He had a very short life {45 years; died in 676 A.H. (1278 AD)}, but during this short period, he wrote a large number of books on different subjects. Every work has been recognised as a valuable treasure of knowledge. Among them are:- • Riyad al-Salihin • Sharh Sahih Muslim • Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud • Kitab-ur-Raudah • Tahdhib-ul-Asma was-Sifat • Arba'een • Mukhtasar At-Tirmidhi • Tabaqat Ash Shafi'iyah • Muhimmatul-Ahkam • al-Adhkar • al-Tibyan fi adab hamalat al-Qur'an • al-Irshad wa'l-Taqrib fi 'Ulum al-Hadith • al-Minhaj His Sharh Sahih Muslim is a standard text book for the study of Hadith while his al-Minhaj is used for the study of Fiqh. Imam Nawawi grew up in Nawa and at the age of nineteen went to study in Damascus which was considered the center of learning and scholarship. During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty celebrated teachers, regarded as masters and authorities of their fields and disciplines. He studied Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and principles, syntax and Etymology from great scholars such as Abu Ibrahim Ishaq bin Ahmad AI-Maghribi, Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim Al-Fazari, Radiyuddin Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Abu Hafs Umar bin Mudar Al-Mudari, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Isa Al-Muradi, Abul-Baqa Khalid bin Yusuf An-Nablusi, and Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Salim Al-Misri. He had an endless thirst for knowledge. He used to read twelve lessons daily and to write commentaries on every lesson. Whatever books he read, he would write marginal notes and explanations on each book. His intelligence, hard work, love, devotion and absorption in his studies amazed his teachers and they became fond of him and began to praise and admire him. Allah had also conferred upon him the gift of fast memorization (**1) and depth of thought. He made full use of his God given qualities and potential and earned the highest degree of honor. He led a life of singular piety, righteousness and simplicity. After over 20 years, he returned to his hometown. Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he fell ill and died in 676 A.H. May Allah (swt) fill his grave with light, and grant him Firdaws-e-a3alaa. ____________________________________________________________ **1 in today’s world, memorization is frowned upon, but we know that words vary in their shades of meaning, so when reporting someone ideas, it is important to use his words as far as possible, so that the factors that cause misinterpretation are minimized. In the old days there was no printing press, and books were written by hand, so the importance of a good memory can be understood. |
| test on introduction and answers |
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| timbuktu |
| 01/15/04 at 11:46:46 |
| [slm] This is where i need your help :) The test will seem pretty simple and for children, but among us are very hesitant people, who do not know much, so i want to take them (myself included) rather slowly up the track. and please note, i don't know arabic, so that is where i am most likely to make a mistake. the test Q1: what do these forty Hadith deal with (ie what broad classification), and what is the importance of these Hadith. Q2: what is Imam Nawawi's (ÑÍãå Çááå, this will be described below under reference **1) "first" name? and what is his nickname, or "kunniyyat", or "urfa"? (if i am wrong in using these terms or in transliteration, the arabic speakers may kindly correct me) Q3: where and when was Imam Nawawi born? Q4: where and when did he die? Q5: why is he called Nawawi? Q6: what does "arbaeen" mean? Q7: name the three most famous/important books he has written, and tell us why they are considered important? ___________________________________________________________ **1 ÑÍãå Çááå - rahimahu Ahlah "may Allah have mercy upon him" - this is used after the mention of a deceased scholar or leader ÑÍãåã Çááå - rahimahum Allah "may Allah have mercy upon them" - plural form of the above ============= the answers A1: These 40 AHadeeth deal with the main and fundamental concepts of Islam which allow a Muslim to practice the deen. The main branches of knowledge they deal with are: belief (aqeedah), morals and ethics, jurisprudence (fiqh) A2: Imam Nawawi name: Yahya urfiyat (nickname): Mohiyuddin kunniyat: abu Zakariyah (abu = father of) bin (son of) Sharaf A3: He was born in 631 AH at Nawa (a village near Damascus) where he lived or studied for nearly 20 years. A4: He died at Nawa in 676 AH (1278 AD). Age 45 years according to the Hijri (lunar) calendar, and 44 years according to the Georgian (solar) one. A5: In Arabic, to link someone or something to a place or group, an “I” or “awi” is added after the name you want to link to. For example, a person coming from Lahore would be called a “Lahori” or “Lahorwi”. So “Nawawi” means “from Nawa”. The same rule applies in Farsi and Urdu. A6: “arbaeen” means 40 A7: i. “arbaeen-e-Nawawi” ÇÑÈÚíä äææì – the importance has been explained above in answer to Q1. ii. “Sharh Sahih Muslim” ÔÑÍ ÕÍíÍ ãÓáã – explanation and notes on Sahih Muslim, a coolection of Saheeh Hadeeth by Imam Muslim. This is a standard textbook on Hadith. iii. “al-Minhaj” ÇáãäåÌ – the way, is used for the study of jurisprudence. __________________________________ now if you could please help me by confirming or correcting particularly where i have indicated i am not sure. Thanks |
| 01/15/04 at 20:41:38 |
| timbuktu |
| list of the 40 AHadeeth |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/14/04 at 05:55:25 |
| [slm] below is a list of the 40 AHadeeth we hope to study hadith topic ____________________________________________________________ 01 Actions are judged by intentions 02 Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Qadar 03 The five pillars of Islam 04 Creation of human being; Al-Qadar 05 Ibadah & Bida'ah (Innovation) 06 Purification of the heart 07 Nasihah 08 The concept of Jihad 09 How are obligations to be fulfilled? 10 Being pure (at-Tayyib) 11 Avoiding doubtful acts 12 Being concerned with beneficial matters 13 The obligation of loving all Muslims 14 The value of human life 15 Good manners in speech; behaviour of Muslims towards neighbours/guests 16 Restraining oneself from anger 17 The concept of Ihsan 18 The concept of Taqwa 19 Allah's Protection 20 The concept of Al-Haya' (modesty) 21 The concept of Istiqamah 22 Deeds that lead to Paradise I 23 How to free oneself 24 Prohibition of injustice and oppression; seeking Allah's Guidance 25 Charitable acts I 26 Charitable acts II 27 Internal Controlling System 28 Adhering to the Sunnah 29 Deeds that lead to Paradise II 30 Transgressing the limits 31 The concept of Al-Zuhd (asceticism) in Islam 32 Not causing harm 33 The plaintiff and the defendant 34 The concept of Al-Amr bil-Ma'ruf wan-Nahiu 'anil- Munkar (Enjoining what is good and discouraging what is evil) 35 Evil acts that spoil brotherhood 36 The significance of fulfilling the needs of a Muslim 37 How deeds are recorded 38 The concept of Wilayah (the closer servants of Allah) 39 What is pardoned for this ummah 40 The Muslim's attitude towards the worldly life 41 Desires to be subservient to Revelation 42 Seeking Allah's Forgiveness |
| 02/14/04 at 08:31:32 |
| timbuktu |
| Hadith 01: Actions are judged by intentions |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/14/04 at 05:57:45 |
| Hadith 01: Actions are judged by intentions =========================================== Úä ÃãÜíÜÑ ÇáãÄãäÜíä ÃÈí ÍÜÝÕ ÚãÑ Èä ÇáÎØÇÈ ÑÖí Çááå Úäå ¡ ÞÇá : ÓãÚÊ ÑÓæá Çááå Õáì Çááå ÚÜáíå æÓáã íÜÞÜæá: ( ÅäÜãÇ ÇáÃÚÜãÜÇá ÈÇáäíÇÊ æÅäÜãÜÇ áßÜá ÇãÜÑÆ ãÇ äÜæì . Ýãä ßÜÇäÊ åÌÑÊå Åáì Çááå æÑÓæáÜå ÝåÌÑÊÜå Åáì Çááå æÑÓÜæáå æãä ßÇäÊ åÌÑÊå áÜÏäíÇ íÕÜíÈåÇ Ãæ ÇãÑÃÉ íäßÍåÇ ÝåÌÑÊå Åáì ãÇ åÇÌÑ Åáíå ). ÑæÇå ÅãÇã ÇáãÍÏ Ëíä ÃÈÜæ ÚÜÈÜÏ Çááå ãÍãÏ Èä ÅÓãÇÚÜíá Èä ÇÈÑÇåÜíÜã Èä ÇáãÛÜíÑå Èä ÈÜÑÏ ÒÈå ÇáÈÎÇÑí ÇáÌÚÜÝí¡[ÑÞã:1] æÇÈÜæ ÇáÍÓÜíÜä ãÓáã Èä ÇáÍÌÇÌ Èä ãÜÓáã ÇáÞÜÔÜíÑí ÇáÜäíÓÜÇÈÜæÑí [ÑÞã :1907] ÑÖí Çááå ÚäåãÇ Ýí ÕÍíÍíåãÇ ÇááÐíä åãÇ ÃÕÍ ÇáßÊÈ ÇáãÕäÝå. [It is narrated on the authority of Amirul Mu'minin, Abu Hafs 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say: "Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended. Thus, he whose migration (hijrah) was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim] background ========= This hadith was said by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, at the time when a man emigrated from Makkah to Madinah during the Hijrah for the sake of marrying someone and not for the sake of Islam. It is considered to be one of the greatest hadiths in Islam. Al-Imam al-Shafie said: This Hadith is one third of the knowledge of Islam; related to about 70 topics of Fiqh. Al-Imam Ahmad (with reference to al-Imam al-Shafie's statement) said: Islam is based on three fundamentals (all are among the 40 hadiths ): i. Hadith 1: which is stated above. ii. Hadith 5: "Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected." iii. Hadith 6: "Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know……" These three hadiths are agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. These hadiths can be seen as three criteria to help Muslims evaluate and judge what they do and say "as an ibadah" in their daily life: i. Hadith 1 - To evaluate and judge our internal actions (actions of the heart). ii. Hadith 5 - To evaluate and judge our external actions (actions of the limbs). iii. Hadith 6 - To evaluate and judge our dealings "mu'amalat" (interaction between people). Niyyah (intention) has two meanings: i. The intention before an ibadah (e.g. prayer) (**1) ii. The willingness (**2) The second meaning (ii) is what is meant in this hadith. _____________________________ Note from timbuktu: I will mark with two asterisks and a number to indicate where I think a clarification is needed in the explanation. **1 i. above: - can mean aim/ desire, that is, for what purpose we are going to do this act. Or it can mean the words that are required (in some madhabs) to declare the niyyah (Salafees do not think a declaration in words is needed, Hanafis do. & I do not know about the Maliki, Shafi`ee, or Hanabli madhabs) **2 ii. above:- for Salafees it can mean the will, or its intensity, of wanting to do the act. Here I do not understand the use of the word willingness, unless the explanation is from a madhab’s point of view, in which case it may mean the internal aim, as opposed to a spoken one. _____________________________ lessons ====== The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, starts the hadith with the principle ("Actions are judged by intentions") and then gives three examples. This is the methodology of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. The examples help illustrate the principle so that it is easier for people to understand and they can apply the principle to other similar situations. The three examples consist of one of good intention (migration for the sake of Allah and His Messenger) and two of bad (or at least not for Allah) intentions (migration for the sake of worldly gains or for marriage). This hadith emphasises ikhlas (sincerity - to be truthful and honest to Allah alone, performing an act solely for Allah's sake whereby no other witness except Allah is sought). Ikhlas is one of the conditions of accepting good deeds. The other condition is that the actions must be done in accordance with the Shariah as it will be explained in the fifth hadith. This can be seen in the shahadah : • "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah" is the ikhlas - ensuring that we do things for the sake of Allah and Allah alone. • "I bear witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah" - the Sunnah is the manifestation of the Quran - the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, is our example, our best model to follow. Following his Sunnah in our ibadah, Akhlaq (ethics), and Muamalat (dealings) ensures that we are acting in accordance with the Shariah. Thus, the shahadah shows us the conditions for accepting a deed or performing an action: (a) it should be for the sake of Allah because He is the only One we worship, and (b) it should be in accordance with the Shariah. To achieve ikhlas, we have to avoid shirk (associating others with Allah, which causes insincerity). Al-Imam al-Harawi said the root cause for insincerity (or shirk) is self-desire (al-hawa). Therefore no action should be done because of self-desire. Imam al-Harawi states that there are 7 types of self-desires: i. To make oneself appear good in the hearts of others (**3) ii. To seek the praises of others iii. To avoid being blamed by others iv. To seek the glorification of others v. To seek the wealth/money of others vi. To seek the services or love of others vii. To seek the help of others for oneself _____________________________ **3 in i. to vii above, “others” here means other than Allah (swt), so it includes oneself. For example, “glorification of others” can mean glorification of myself, or my family, or my tribe, or my country, i.e. anyone other than Allah. _____________________________ Ways to obtain ikhlas: • Do righteous deeds - the more good deeds we do and hence get closer to Allah, the more sincere we will be. • Before we do any deed we should firstly seek knowledge (ilm) - our actions/deeds should be guided by knowledge so that we do them in accordance to the Shariah. • Do not give false impressions - do not make others believe that an action we did was good when it was not. • Al-Imam Ahmad said: Before you do anything, check your intention (niyyah) - ask yourself before performing an action: "Is it for the sake of Allah?" Ibnu al-Qayyim says: Any action we do is subject to three defects: i. Being conscious that others are observing our actions ii. Seeking a return (benefit/reward) for the action iii. Being satisfied with the action Examples: • If we go to the masjid for the salah and we are early, arriving before the Imam and finding a place in the first saff, we should not be proud of ourselves and think of ourselves being better than others. We should praise Allah for enabling us to go to the masjid and for being able to perform the salah without any difficulties. • After every salah, we should tell ourselves that we could have performed it better and try to improve in our next salah. What happens if we were to change our niyyah while performing an action? Ibn Rajab says according to the ulama' if the niyyah at the end of the action matches the beginning (i.e. doing the action for the sake of Allah), then any changes (**4) in the middle of the action will be forgiven or does not matter, insha Allah. However, if the niyyah at the end does not match the beginning, i.e. we do the action for other than the sake of Allah, then we must repent (taubah). _____________________________ **4 although it is not mentioned explicitly here, whenever one feels the niyyah could have changed, renew the niyyah, making it for Allah’s sake only. _____________________________ There are four things that contradict ikhlas: i. Ma'siat - committing sins - this will weaken our ikhlas ii. Shirk - associating others with Allah iii. Riya' - performing an ibadah with the intention of showing off to others iv. Nifaq - hypocrisy. Even though we must always make sure that our actions do not deviate from ikhlas, there are actions, which are automatically (**5) considered that of good intentions. For example, seeking knowledge in Islam, helping the community, doing da'wah, etc. _____________________________ **5 Here i am unable to understand how the explainer says that some actions are always with good intention. maybe his words mean something else. I am sure that knowledge in Islam, helping the community, doing da’wah etc. can also be with intentions other than pleasing Allah. _____________________________ Some rulings (ahkam) which scholars derived from this hadith: • When people 'swear by Allah' by saying "Wallahi" every now and then, their intention is not that they actually swear by Allah. They say it simply out of habit - it readily rolls off their tongue. Hence, it is harmless. However a Muslim should do his/her best to minimize it. • When someone is asked to give an oath, what is judged is his intention when he gives the oath. • There can be a combination of intentions between performing an ibadah and teaching others - we perform an ibadah for the sake of Allah, but we also do it with the intention of teaching others. e.g. when the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, performed the Hajj, he did it for the sake of Allah as well as for teaching the Sahabah (his companions, may Allah be pleased with them all). • A man may go through the process of divorcing his wife, verbally or in court, but it is his intention which counts. • What could be seen as ghibah (backbiting - talking bad, but true, things about a person behind his back) could simply be a joke or a dua. If someone talks bad about someone else, it is his intentions, which determines whether it is ghibah or not. conclusion ======== Our actions are determined by our intentions - whether they are good intentions or bad intentions. Therefore we should always check our intentions before we do or say anything. We must make sure that the action is for the sake of Allah so that it is accepted by Allah and that we will be rewarded for it, insha Allah. |
| 02/14/04 at 08:29:59 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: imam Nawawi's 40 AHadeeth |
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| al-ajnabia |
| 02/14/04 at 15:21:13 |
| [slm] this is a really good idea. Are you doing this just for us or for a class you are teaching? I had seen a commentary on the 40 ahadith in the main library here on campus in three volumes and I caught my eye but I didnt really feel I had to take it off the shelf. that is, until I read your last post. Volume one was checked out so I had to chose between volumes 2 and 3. Three seemed more particulary and immediately pertinant so I checked out that one. I like that it has both the hadith and commentary in Arabic, then in english, then the Arabic key words, then there is more commentary and more hadith to support the primary one, then the four mathabuna's (schools of thought) points of view and other expansions, rather than the endless thoughts of one particular shaikh. From a cursory glace this really seems like a source for a good foundation in understanding of fiqh or just good basic day to day islamic descision making. Well, I recommend taking up timbuktu's challange, I just hope I stay with it myself. Salaam, |
| Re: imam Nawawi's 40 AHadeeth |
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| timbuktu |
| 02/27/04 at 11:32:31 |
| [slm] thanks al-ajnabia, this is for a Halaqa on another forum. well, no input from others, but i guess i will persevere, and psot thsi here. It is useful, because the source has been off-line for a ver, very long time, and i don't know when it will be back. Fortunately, I had the explanations all saved up. OK here goes Hadeeth 2: An Explanation of Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan ============================== Úä ÚãÑ ÑÖí Çááå Úäå ÃíÖÇ ¡ ÞÇá : ÈíäãÇ äÍä ÌáæÓ ÚÜäÏ ÑÓÜæá Çááå Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ÐÇÊ íæã ÇÐ ØáÚ ÚáíäÇ ÑÌá ÔÏíÏ ÈíÇÖ ÇáËíÇÈ ¡ ÔÏíÏ ÓæÇÏ ÇáÔÚÑ áÇ íÑì Úáíå ÃËÜÑ ÇáÓÝÑ æáÇ íÚÜÑÝå ãäÇ ÇÍÜÏ. ÍÊì ÌÜáÜÓ Åáì ÇáäÈí Õáí Çááå Úáíå æÓáã ÝÜÃÓäÏ ÑßÈÜÊíå Åáì ÑßÈÊÜíå ææÖÚ ßÝíå Úáì ÝÎÐíå¡ æÞÜÇá: " íÇ ãÍãÏ ÃÎÈÑäí Úä ÇáÅÓáÇã ". ÝÞÜÇá ÑÓÜæá Çááå ÕÜáì Çááå ÚÜáíå æÓÜáÜã :(ÇáÅÓÜáÇã Ãä ÊÜÔÜåÜÏ Ãä áÇ ÅáÜå ÅáÇ Çááå æÃä ãÍÜãÜÏ ÑÓÜæá Çááå æÊÜÞÜíÜã ÇáÕáÇÉ æÊÜÄÊí ÇáÜÒßÇÉ æÊÜÕæã ÑãÖÇä æÊÜÍÜÌ ÇáÈíÊ Åä ÇÓÜÊÜØÜÚÊ Çáíå ÓÈíáÇ). ÞÇá : ÕÏÞÊ. ÝÚÌÈäÇ áå ¡ íÓÃáå æíÕÏÞå ¿ ÞÇá : ÝÃÎÈÑäí Úä ÇáÅíãÇä . ÞÇá : Ãä ÊÄãä ÈÇááå æãáÇÆßÊå æßÊÈå æÑÓáå æÇáíæã ÇáÇÎÑ æÊÄãä ÈÇáÞÏÑ ÎíÑå æÔÑå . ÞÇá : ÕÏÞÊ . ÞÇá : ÝÃÎÈÑäí Úä ÇáÅÍÓÇä . ÞÇá : Çä ÊÚÈÏ Çááå ßÃäß ÊÑÇå ¡ ÝÅä áã Êßä ÊÑÇå ÝÅäå íÑÇß . ÞÇá : ÝÃÎÈÑäí Úä ÇáÓÇÚÉ . ÞÇá : "ãÇ ÇáãÓÄæá ÚäåÇ ÈÃÚáã ãä ÇáÓÇÆá " ÞÇá : ÝÃÎÈÑäí Úä ÃãÇÑÇÊåÇ . ÞÇá : " Ãä ÊáÏ ÇáÃã ÑÈÊåÇ ¡ æÇä ÊÑì ÇáÍÝÇÉ ÇáÚÑÇÉ ÇáÚÇáÉ ÑÚÇÁ ÇáÔÇÁ íÊØÇæáæä Ýí ÇáÈäíÇä" Ëã ÇäØáÞ ¡ ÝáÈËÊ ãáíÇ ¡Ëã ÞÇá :" íÇ ÚãÑ ÃÊÏÑí ãä ÇáÓÇÆá ¿" ÞáÊ : "Çááå æÑÓæáå ÃÚáã ". Also on the authority of 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: "While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly." We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion."" [Muslim] background ======== Al-Imam Muslim says: Towards the end of his life, Abdullah bin 'Umar (the son of 'Umar bin al-Khattab) was told by two people that a new Islamic sect had emerged from Iraq. They were called Al-Qadariah and they denied al-qadar (fate). Thus Abdullah bin 'Umar narrated this hadith which mentions qadar as one of the pillars of Iman to refute the misconception of this sect. lessons ===== This hadith teaches the adab (ethics) of seeking knowledge: • We should be clean and wear clean clothes. • We should sit properly and closer to the speaker. • Asking questions for better understanding. • Seek knowledge from the right source/authority. The method of seeking knowledge is through asking questions: • The type of questions we ask should be meaningful - questions that will lead to valuable knowledge and good action. • Asking good questions will result in better learning as well as teaching. Those who are present when the questions are asked will also learn from the answers - thus, the questioner is teaching the others. • When Ibn Abbas, one of the greatest Scholars among the Sahabahs, was asked how he obtained all his knowledge, he replied: "with an inquisitive tongue (i.e. he always asked questions) and a contemplating heart". • In many hadiths the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, himself will start by asking questions before he imparts with knowledge. Asking questions will prepare the mind/heart so that it will be ready for the answers/knowledge - ready to absorb and learn. In this hadith he calls Jibril "the questioner" which implies full appreciation and encouragement of asking questions specially the ones that will lead to gaining more knowledge. • In the Quran itself there are more than 1,200 questions - to serve different purposes - to provoke the mind of the reader and force it to indulge in thinking about what he/she reads. Scholars say that qadar can be seen at two levels: i. We believe that Allah knew, with His ultimate knowledge, what all His creations will do, even before the creations took place. Allah recorded all this knowledge in Al-Lauhulmahfudz - the preserved tablet. ii. We believe that it is the will of Allah that these things will take place, whether they are good or bad. Allah created our willingness and our ability of doing things - we can only do something if we are willing and able to do it. However, we are responsible for the choices we make. Misconceptions about Qadar ===================== Many Muslims believe that what they are going to do is caused by what has already been written in Al-Lauhulmahfudz - they confuse 'causation' with 'association'. In truth what we have is association, not causation. What we do is not caused by what is written by Allah. Allah with His ultimate knowledge knew what we are going to do. He could easily have put the good-doers into Jannah and the evil-doers into the Hellfire. But Allah is Adil (Just) so He created us in this life as to test us which way to go. What we are going to do will match what has already been written but it's not a matter of causation - what we do is out of our own willingness and ability and we do have full responsibility on whatever choice we make. Looking at guidance and misguidance, guidance (hidayah) is a gift (rahmah) from Allah. It is Allah who created us and gave us the mind so we can distinguish between right and wrong to a certain capacity. It is Allah who equipped us with fitrah to like the truth and good and to dislike the wrong and evil It is Allah who gave us the ability and power to do things and it is Allah who sent the Messenger with the Message to guide us in things, which are beyond the reach of our conception. So when it comes to guidance it is a bounty from Allah. But when it comes to misguidance, it has to do with us. When we do bad deeds, it is from our own willingness and ability. Those who turn away from guidance do so because they want to turn away, i.e. they choose not to be guided. They have been misguided because they are arrogant - they refuse to listen. And so when they swerved from the right way, Allah let their hearts swerve from the truth. [Surah As-Saff (61): ayat 5] Nevertheless there are people who have not received the Message of Islam/guidance at all or the Message has not reached them in the clearest form, i.e. it is incomplete or distorted. These people are called Ahlul Fatrah and will be excused and not be punished, even though there are misguided. There are certain situations where we can do something about our qadar. For example: • Illness/sickness is qadar - but we have been commanded by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, to look for a cure should we become ill. Finding a cure is also qadar. Thus, a qadar could be dealt with through another qadar. • If something unfortunate happens to us, e.g. if we lost our job, we don't just say that it's qadar and do nothing about it. We look for another job, the consequence of which is another qadar. 'Umar bin al-Khattab was traveling with a group of Sahabahs during his Khilafah (leadership). They were coming to a town when they heard that it had a contagious/infectious disease, i.e. cholera. 'Umar asked his group whether they should proceed or go back (to Madinah). The majority of the Sahabahs said they should go back but some said they should proceed. Then one Sahabi said he knew a hadith where the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said, "If you hear that this disease exists in a country, don't travel to that country." So 'Umar decided that they should go back. Another Sahabi (it seems from the second group) asked him whether he was running away from a qadar. 'Umar replied that they were moving away from one qadar to another qadar. Thus, whenever there is a problem, a challenge or any hardship which we can remove, overcome, solve or minimize, it is a must that we do so. Some scholars like al-Imam al-Jilani use the term: "overcoming qadar" in this regard. In one hadith, the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said, "Be keen for whatever is beneficial for you. Seek the help of Allah. And don't be reckless." This hadith implies we must make the effort. The right concept of qadar is: we are responsible for whatever we do. For example: If we were to drive recklessly and caused an accident where someone died or was injured, we cannot simply say that it is qadar, abusing the concept to justify our mistakes. It is qadar that the incident took place because it is by the permission of Allah. But we are responsible for the death because it is through our willingness and ability that it happened. That's why in the courts we will be found guilty. If qadar can be used as an excuse, then many crimes will go unpunished - a thief can simply claim that his stealing was qadar! Those who abuse the concept of qadar are those who fail to be responsible. They abuse it to justify their failure. The correct way of using qadar as an excuse is: if someone exerts himself to do his best to fulfil an obligation but due to an unavoidable circumstance, which was out of his control, he could not achieve that obligation - then he might be excused. For example, a student has studied hard for an exam but on the day of the exam he falls sick and does poorly or cannot even attend the exam, then he can say that it is qadar and that it is the will of Allah. When it comes to religious obligations, the matter is the same. We cannot blame qadar for committing sins or failing to do a wajib as some Muslims might do. We have to know that we are responsible. We might get into a weak status of Iman in doing a sin or delaying a wajib. Islam is such a practical religion that it gives us room for repentance and getting back to the right path. In the above hadith the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, defines Al-Islam, i.e. the five pillars, as the outward actions of the limbs, Al-Iman as being associated with belief - the inner actions of the heart, and Al-Ihsan as the highest level to attain. But the first two definitions can be interchanged with each other - sometimes Islam can be used to describe internal actions and Iman can mean external actions. There are a few hadiths which The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, mentions that there are more than seventy actions which are considered as Iman. If the term Islam is used on its own, it means the whole thing - Al-Islam, Al-Iman and Al-Ihsan. Similarly, when Iman is used on its own it means Al-Iman, Al-Islam and Al-Ihsan. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, mentions at the end of this hadith that the deen consists of these three things. If the Iman is weak it will affect Al-Islam (good deeds/actions). According to al- Imam Abu Hanifa: Even though Al-Iman and Al-Islam are different, Al-Iman necessitates the actions (Al-Islam). Some Scholars say the Muslims are considered strangers among the Disbelievers; and the Mua'minin are considered strangers among the Muslims; and the Muhsinin are considered strangers among the Mua'minin. Al-Ihsan (the highest level of Iman where we worship Allah as if we see Him or if we don't see Him we know He sees us) is about fearing Allah and glorifying Him. This will lead us to strive for our best in performing our ibadah - we will be more sincere in our ibadah. Thus Al-Ihsan is also about the best actions of the heart. The actions that will lead to Al-Ihsan: to love Allah the most, to fear Allah the most, to seek the help of Allah, to have hope in Allah that He will give us mercy and guide us, to trust Allah wholly. When Jibril, aliyyhi as-Salam, asks the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, about the Hour (the Day of Judgement), the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, replies that neither he nor Jibril knows the answer. This is an example set by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, where even someone with vast knowledge like himself does not know everything and admits so. Al-Imam Malik was asked forty questions by someone and to most of them he answered "I don't know - Allah knows better". The man was surprised that the great Imam Malik didn't know the answers. Seeing the man surprised, Imam Malik told him that when he goes back to his town, to tell the people that he met and asked al-Imam Malik questions and Imam Malik said he didn't know the answers. Al-Imam Malik didn't want to be accountable for giving wrong answers. Thus, if we are to become an educator or a scholar, we should have the courage to admit what we do not know. We should not give an answer which may contain incorrect information. The signs of Akhirah mentioned in this hadith are minor signs, as opposed to major ones. We believe in these signs but we should not worry about them too much - we should not worry about when these signs will occur. We should actually be careful as some of these signs are bad deeds and we must steer away from these bad deeds. conclusion ======== This hadith contains everything about Islam: the five pillars of Islam, the beliefs that make up Iman (including the belief of fate or qadar), the attainment of the highest level of Iman which is Ihsan, the adab of seeking knowledge and of teaching. |
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