Truthfulness in intentions

One day, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, Mus’ab ibn al-Zubayr and ‘Abdul-Malik ibn Marwaan gathered in the courtyard of the Ka’bah and Mus’ab said to them “Wish for something”. They said ‘you begin’

So he said, “To take governship over ‘Iraaq, to marry Sukainah bint al-Husayn and ‘Aisha bint Talha ibn ‘Ubayd’Allaah.” And so he achieved that and each one of them (the wives) was given five hundred thousand dirhams in mahr and the like in provision.

‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr wished for Fiqh and that hadeeth be taken from him – and he achieved that.

‘Abdul-Malik wished for Khilaafah – and he achieved that.

And ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar[RA] wished for Paradise…

[‘Uluww al-Himmah]

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s advice about working and having a profession

‘Umar commanding the people to work hard and encouraging them to earn a living:

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn Sireen that his father said: “I attended Maghrib with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. He came to me and I had a small pile of clothes. He asked, ‘What is this you have?’ I said, ‘Some clothes. I come to this market and buy and sell.’ He said, ‘O’ Quraysh, do not let this one and others like him control trade, for it is one-third of leadership.’”

It was also narrated that al-Hasan said that ‘Umar said:

“Whoever tries to trade in something three times and cannot make any money out of it, let him move on to something else.”[1]

‘Umar said: “Learn a profession, for soon one of you will need a profession.”[2]

And he said: “Were it not for this buying and selling, you would soon become dependent on people.”[3]

And he said: “Earning in which there is some material work is better than begging from people.”[4]

And he said: “If one of you wants to buy a camel, let him choose one that is big and fat. Then if he does not benefit from it, he can still sell it and make profit.”

And he said: “O poor people, lift up your heads and engage in trade,for the way is clear, and do not be dependent on people.” [5]

And he also said: “No one of you should refrain from earning a living and say, ‘O’ Allah grant me provision.’ when he knows that the sky will not rain down gold and silver, and that Allah grants provision to people by means of one another.’” Then he recited the verse:

{Then when the [Jum’ah] Salah [prayer] is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah [by working], and remember Allah much, that you be successful.} (Qur’an 62:10)[6]

If ‘Umar saw a young man and liked him, he would ask: “Does he have a skill?” If the answer was no, he would say, “I am no longer impressed.”[7]

And he said: “There is no situation in which I would like to die, apart from Jihaad for the sake of Allah, more than if death were to come to me when I was travelling with my camels (for the purpose of trade), seeking provision by the bounty of Allah.” And he recited the verse:

{Others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah’s Bounty} (Qur’an 73:20)[8]

——
[1]Nidhaam al-Hukoomah an-Nabawiyyah, 2/20
[2]Ibid
[3]Ibid
[4]Ibid
[5]Faraa’id al-Kalam, p.129; Tanbeeh al-Ghaafileen, p.211, by as-Samarqandi
[6]Nidhaam al-Hukoomah al-Islamiya, 2/20
[7]Ibid
[8]Ibid

Hasan[RA] words before his death

Abu ‘Ubaydah Al-Baji said:

”We entered upon Al-Hassan while he was ill, the illness which he died from, and he said:

Greetings to you and welcome. May Allah greet you with peace, and may He make the everlasting dwelling (Paradise) lawful for you and I, if you are patient, and truthful and god-fearing. So do not make your share of this information, may Allah have mercy upon you, that you take it in one ear, while it goes out the other, for whoever saw Muhammed (saw), saw him coming and going, and he did not simply lay brick upon brick, or straw upon straw, rather knowledge was raised up to him, so he embarked upon it. Al-Wahi, Al-Wahi (the revelation, the revelation), to be delivered, to be delivered. Allah has blessed a slave with his mercy who lived life as it were once, so he ate little, and wore tattered rags, stuck to earth and exhausted himself in worship, crying when he made a mistake, fleeing from punishment and seeking His mercy, until his time comes and he is in that state.”

[Ibn Habban in ”Al Thuqaat” and Abu Na’eem in ”Al Hilya”]

The weeping of Dhun Nurayn ‘Uthman[RA]

Haani’, the freed slave of ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan, narrated that whenever ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) stood over a grave he would weep until his beard would be wet. It was said to him,

“You remember Paradise and Hell and you do not weep, but when you remember the grave you weep?”

He said,

“I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

‘The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter. Whoever passes through it safely, whatever comes after that will be easier for him, but if he does not pass though it safely, whatever comes after that will be harder for him.'”

He said,

“And I heard the Messenger say,

‘I have never seen any (disturbing) scene, more terrifying than the grave.'”

This is narrated by Tirmidhi.

(Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah, Tirmidhi asid, this is a ghareeb hadith. See Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 1/48; Jaami’ al-Usool, 11/164. Shaykh Naasir said in his commentary on Al-Mishkaat, its isnad is hasan. See Saheeh al-Jaami’ as-Sagheer 2/85)

Abu Bakr[RA] advice to ‘Umar[RA]

When he was on deathbed Abu-Bakr (رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُ*ۚ ) asked for Umar (رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُ*ۚ ).

When latter arrived, Abu-Bakr (رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُ*ۚ ) said,

“Verily I want to give you some final advice-if you will accept it from me.

Indeed, Allah Azza wa Jall (the Possessor of might and majesty)
has rights during the night,
which He does not accept during the day;

And He has rights during the day,
which He does not accept during the night.

…

And verily Allah Azza wa Jall does not accept
voluntary acts of worship
until obligatory once are first performed.

……………………..

…………………… …….

Do you not see that those
whose scales are heavy in Hereafter
are heavy only
because they followed the truth in the world;

for doing so was heavy upon them
(required striving and effort like an upward climb).

And it is befitting for a scale to be heavy
when only truth is placed on it.

….

Do you not see those
whose scales are light in the Hereafter
are light only
because they followed falsehood in the World;

and doing so was light for them
(without strain like descending a downward slope)

And it is befitting for a scale to be light
when only falsehood is placed on it.

………………………………………….. ……………….

Do you not see Allah Azza wa Jall
revealed Ayat that inspire hope
after Ayat that inspire terror.

And Ayat that inspire terror
after Ayat that inspire hope.

This is so that a slave (of Allah)
remains both hopeful (of reward)
and fearful (of punishment),

without taking his own life,
and without hoping anything
other than the truth from Allah Azza wa Jall.

………………………………………….. …………………

If you remember
and preserve (apply) this advice of mine,
then let no matter of unseen world
be more beloved to you than death-
which, at any rate, is inevitable.

And if you not heed this advice of mine,
then let no matter from unseen world
be more hateful to you than death”

From: Glimpse of the Lives of Righteous People.
Compiled by Majdi Muhammad Ash-Shahawi.

Who to Love and Trust?

It is reported that ‘Umar b. Al-Khattâb – Allâh be pleased with him – said:

We were once in a time when we did not think anyone learned the Quran seeking anything but Allâh the Exalted,

but now I fear there are men who learn it and intend the people and what they can get from them.

So seek Allâh with your recitation and deeds.

For verily, we used to know you when Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him – was amongst us, when revelation would descend and Allâh would tell us about you.

As for today, Allâh’s Messenger – peace and blessings be upon him – has passed on, and the revelations has stopped; and I only know you as I say:

whoever shows what is good, we love him for it and think good of him,

and whoever shows what is evil, we hate him for it and suspect him.

Your secret and private matters are between you and your Lord the Mighty and Majestic.

Al-Âjurrî, Akhlâq Hamalat Al-Qur`ân article 26.

Which Sahaba[RA] narrated the most hadith?

1. Abu Hurairah (Abdur-Rahmaan) (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.59H at the age of 78; he narrated 5374 ahaadeeth. The number of his students reaches 800

2. Abdullaah Ibn Abbaas (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.68H at the age of 71; he
narrated 2660 ahaadeeth

3. Aa’ishah Siddeeqa (radi -Allaahu ‘anhaa) d.58H at the age of 67; she narrated
2210 ahaadeeth

4. Abdullaah Ibn Umar (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.73H at the age of 84; he narrated
1630 ahaadeeth

5. Jaabir Ibn Abdullaah (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.78H at the age of 94; he narrated 1560 ahaadeeth

6. Anas Ibn Maalik (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.93H at the age of 103; he narrated 1286 ahaadeeth and

7. Abu Sa’eed al -Khudree (radi -Allaahu ‘anhu) d.74H at the age of 84; he
narrated 1170 ahaadeeth.

Stories Of Khabbaab Bin Arat (r.a), The Noble Companion

His Suffereing For The Cause Of Allaah

Ibn sa’d narrated that ‘Umar (r.a), durung his caliphate, inquired of him about the detail of his sufferings after embracing Islam. So he (Khabbaab Bin Arat) showed him his back. Seeing this, ‘Umar remarked “I have never seen such a back before.” He said “My body was dragged over heaps of smoldering charcoal, and the blood and fat comming out of my back put out the fire.”

His Love For Jannah

It is said that when Islam spread and the Muslims conquered all the surrounding territory, he used to weep and say “Allaah seems to be compensating us in this world for all our sufferings, and perhaps nothing would be left for us, as reward, in the hereafter.”

Repay Me!

Imam Ahmad reported from Khabbaab Bin Arat that he said:

I was a blacksmith and Al-Aas Bin Wail owed me a debt, so I went to him to collect my debt from him. He said to me “No, By Allaah, I will not pay my debt to you untill you disbelieve in Muhammad.” I replied to him “No, by Allaah, I will not disbelieve in Muhammad (saw) until you die and are resurrected again (which according to the disbeliever meant ‘never’)” He then said to me, “Verily of I die and am resurrected, and you come to me, I will also have abundance of wealth and children and I will repay you then.”

Then Allaah revealed these aayaat (verses of The Qur’aan) “Have you seen who disbelieves in Our aayaat and said ‘I shall certainly be given wealth and children…” until “…and he shall come to Us alone.”

This was recorded by the two compilers of the sahih and other collections aswell. In the wording of Al-Bukhaari, it states that Khabbaab said “I used to be a blacksmith in Makkah and I made a sword for Al-Aas Bin Wail. So I went to him to colect my pay from him… (then he mentioned the rest of the hadith) [Fath Ul Baari 4:372, Muslim 4:2153]

“I am alone? I am with the Prophet (saw) and his companions (ra).”

It is reported from Nu’aym bin Hammaad:

‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubaarak used to often stay at home, so he was asked, “Don’t you get lonely?” He replied, “How could I get lonely when I am with the Prophet – Allaah’s peace and blessings be upon him (i.e. I read his hadeeth)?”

Also on the authority of Nu’aym bin Hammaad:

It was once said to ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubaarak, “O Abu ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan, you often sit alone at home.” He said, “I am alone? I am with the Prophet – Allaah’s peace and blessings be upon him – and his Companions.” Meaning: reading hadeeth.

Ibn ‘Asaakir, Taareekh Dimashq 32/458.

Shaqeeq bin Ibraaheem reports:

It was once said to ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubaarak, “After you have prayed with us you don’t sit with us?” He replied, “I go and sit with the Sahaabah and the Taabi’een.” We said, “And how can you sit with the Sahaabah and Taabi’een (when they have all passed away)?” He replied, “I go and read the knowledge I have collected, I find their narrations and deeds. What would I do with you? You sit around backbiting people.”

Adh-Dhahabee, Siyar A’laam Al-Nubalaa’ in his biography of ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubaarak.

Ibn Kathir On Mu’awiyah[RA]

“All the Muslims unanimously agreed to swear allegince to him in 41 AH, and he remained in charge throughout this period until the year in which he died. Throughout this period Jihaad was ongoing in the lands of the enemies, and the Word of Allaah remained supreme, and booty was coming to him from the ends of the earth; the Muslims were at ease, enjoying justice, tolerance, and goodwill. He was forbearing, dignified, a leader, prominent among people, noble, just, and a man of chivalry. He was a man of good conduct, forgiving, tolerant and overlooking the mistakes of others – may Allaah have mercy upon him.”

[al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah: 8/118]