Abu Bakr…A Qur’anic Analysis

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه

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There are too many narrations to enumerate in reference to Abu Bakr’s virtues and merits. This article is a simple 2-point analysis about the one whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said:

ما طلعت الشمس ولا غربت على أحد بعد النبيين والمرسلين خير من أبي بكر وعمر

“There is no one better, after the Prophets and Messengers upon whom the sun rises over and sets than Abu Bakr and Umar.”

[Ibn Hanbal, 'Fada'il Sahabah', 110; Ibn Hibban, 'At-Thiqat', 363; Khateeb, 'Jaami al-Akhlaq', 1716; Tareekh Dimishq, 11802 and others]

And about the one whom Umar رضي الله عنه said:

لو وزن إيمان أبي بكر بإيمان هذه الأمة لرجح به

“If the emaan (faith) of Abu Bakr is weighed against the emaan of the ummah, it would outweigh (the latter).” [Tareekh Dimishq, 11606; Tareekh Islam ad-Dhahabi, 2916]

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1. “ALLAH IS WITH US“:

Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said about Musa and Haroon عليهم السلام, after they were ordered to go to Fir’awn to admonish and guide him:

قَالَ لَا تَخَافَا ۖ إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَىٰ

“(Allaah) Said: Fear not, verily I am with you (both), Hearing and Seeing.”  [TaHa, 46 (see also 68)]

Allaah سبحانه و تعالى used similar phrases when describing the situation of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه during their time in the cave on their hijrah to Madinah. Abu Bakr was afraid the pagan Quraish might discover them and feared that some harm might touch the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم:

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ

“If you help him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) not (it does not matter), for Allaah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were in the cave…”

When the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saw his (Abu Bakr’s) grief increasing, he strengthened his heart with the news:

إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا

“…he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to his companion (Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه): “Grieve not, verily Allaah is with us.” [At-Tawbah, 40]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kept reassuring Abu Bakr and strengthening his resolve, saying:

يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، مَا ظَنُكَ بِاثْنَينِ اللهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا

“O Abu Bakr! What do you think about two, with Allaah as their third?” [Saheeh Muslim, 2381]

Thus Allaah “being with someone” assures them of His Support, Help, Victory and Protection. This is why Allaah then continued in the same Ayah:

فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا

“And Allaah sent down His Sakeenah upon him, and strengthened him with forces that you saw not…”

Sakeenah comes from sukoon and denotes (dignified) calmness, quietness (of night), tranquillity, inner-peace etc. It was accorded to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم – but some say it refers to Abu Bakr in order to eradicate his grief and reassure him.

Shaykh Salih Maghamisi demonstrates how the pronoun in the Ayah “Allaah sent down His Sakeenah upon him” is indeed speaking of Abu Bakr.

Thus we summarise: The words used in reference to Musa and Haroon :

تَخَافَا – (fear not)
إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا – (I am with you)

Words used in reference to Abu Bakr:

تَحْزَنْ – (grieve not)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا – (verily Allaah is with us)

Both of these terms have appeared together in various context in seventeen Ayaat of Qur’an, for example:

وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“…and on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

Reflecting the state in the Hereafter of those upon whom Allaah will have His Mercy. Grief is usually a characteristic of fear and the distinct differences between the two terms are inter-related to the mental and/or physical state (of harm) they both induce in a person.

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2. HE IS SIDDEEQ:

Abu Bakr never hesitated in his acceptance of the message of Islam and supported the Deen and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with his life and wealth. There was nothing that could sway his resolve from the truth; and after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم returned to Makkah from the Isra’ and Mi’raaj, the Quraysh leaders tried to mock him at the impossibility of making such a journey in the span of one night. They went to Abu Bakr, and in an attempt to question his faith and ridicule the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, they said to him: “Do you know what your companion (i.e. the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) is saying? He says he went to Jerusalem and came back in one night.” Abu Bakr immediately replied: “If he said that, then he is truthful (it is the truth).”

And for this reason, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم titled Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (the [one who is himself] truthful one).  Sidq is a very powerful word in the Arabic language and denotes numerous meanings – these include: Utmost honesty (in speech and action); integrity where others also bear witness to one’s truthfulness; standing firm in the face of falsehood; not exaggerating nor diminishing facts etc.  In Al-Ahzab:8, Allaah Said that He Himself will ask the “truthful about their truth…”, while linking the opposite of truthfulness to “a painful torment”. It is interesting to read how the mufasireen explain this Ayah.

The word صِّدِّيقُ (Siddeeq) itself appears in the Qur’an a number of times, and the significance of this term becomes clear when we understand with whom it has been associated with. It has been used to describe Idrees, Ibraheem, Yusuf, (inc. صِدِّيقَ for Maryam) عليهم السلام – For example:

وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا

“And mention in the Book (the Qur’an) Ibraheem. Verily he was siddeeqan (and) a Prophet.” [Maryam, 56]

It is something that reflects the most loftiest of noble attributes, without which even the anbiya’ would not have been selected nor provided with missions, roles and responsibilities to fulfil.

These two specific aspects of Abu Bakr are from some of the reasons why the Ahlus Sunnah hold it integral to their creed that he رضي الله عنهما is the best of mankind after the Prophets and Messengers of Allaah; and indeed the best of all people from the Ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

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For more on the virtues of Abu Bakr, see section of Ibn Jawzi’s ‘Manaqib as-Sideeq‘

يَقۡطِينٍ۬ (Pumpkin)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه

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Protected Yunus عليه السلام and Loved by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

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يَقۡطِينٍ۬ (yaqteen) is a pumpkin gourd; and in Arabic it implies a ‘tree-like’ growth that does not have stem, similar to watermelon and cucumber plants. Its significance becomes clear when Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said in the Qur’an about Yunus عليه السلام (after he was cast out of the belly of the whale and onto the shore):

وَأَنۢبَتۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ شَجَرَةً۬ مِّن يَقۡطِينٍ۬

“And We caused a plant of yaqteen to grow over him.” [As-Saafaat, 146]

There is agreement among the muffasiroon that ‘yaqteen’ mentioned in the Qur’an is pumpkin, which is also called ‘dubba’ in the language of the Arabs. They also provide a number of reasons as to why the pumpkin plant in particular was mentioned in the Qur’an. Imam Baghawi brings a statement of Muqatil bin Hayyan in his Tafseer, where he said:

فكان يونس يستظل بالشجرة ، وكانت وعلة تختلف إليه فيشرب من لبنها بكرة وعشية حتى اشتد لحمه ونبت شعره وقوي ، فنام نومة فاستيقظ

“Yunus was protected by the shade (growth) of the plant and was given its milk to drink in the morning and evening, in order to heal his flesh and grow and strengthen his hair. He slept and awoke (under its shade)…”

Ibn Katheer said that: “Some describe the benefits of the pumpkin, such as: it grows quickly, it provides shade, it has large, smooth leaves, it keeps flies away and its fruit provides good nourishment: it can be eaten raw or cooked, and its skin may be eaten too.” Therefore from the purpose of this plant (in relation to Yunus) was to:

1) Provide cover and warmth.
2) Drink from its milk to quench thirst.
3) Eat from its flesh to stem hunger.
4) Nourish his overall physical well-being.
5) It was from the Graces of his Rabb that reached him (see Surat al-Qalam, 49)

There are other medical benefits of pumpkin that have come to light, including in helping to reduce swellings, cooling down fever, helping with digestion, eliminating bile etc. Its seeds also contain essential fatty acids that help maintain healthy blood vessels, nerves and tissue. It also include anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is understood from the books of tafseer that when Yunus عليه السلام was cast onto the naked shore, he was in a very desperate and distressful condition, which arose from the physical injuries he suffered in the acidic belly of the whale, including loss of hair, peeled skin and bleached hands and face etc. Yet the only plant that Allaah provided for his recovery was pumpkin. The Divine Wisdom behind this can never be fully comprehended. Far Above is He سبحانه و تعالى from what they associate with Him!

Pumpkin was also from the favourite foods of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and there are numerous ahadeeth showing his fondness for them. There is well-known narration of Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه that:

إن خياطا دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لطعام صنعه ، قال أنس : فذهبت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى ذلك الطعام ، فقرب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خبزا من شعير ، ومرقا فيه دباء وقديد ، قال أنس : فرأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يتتبع الدباء من حول الصحفة ، فلم أزل أحب الدباء من يومئذ . وقال ثمامة ، عن أنس : فجعلت أجمع الدباء بين يديه

“A tailor once invited the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم to eat from some food that he prepared. I (Anas) accompanied him صلى الله عليه وسلم to dine. The tailor brought forth some bread made from barely and some soup that had pumpkin, and dried meat. I saw the Messenger of  Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم follow the traces of pumpkin around the edge of the pot, which made me love pumpkin ever since that day.” [Saheeh al-Bukhari, 5439; Saheeh Muslim, 5068 - see also Ibn Muflih, 'Adaab al-Shar'iyah' 3/39]

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Abu Talut رضي الله عنه also narrated:

دخلت على أنس بن مالك وهو يأكل القرع وهو يقول يا لك شجرة ما أحبك إلي لحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إياك

“I entered upon Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه  while he was eating pumpkin, he said (referring to the yaqteen) ‘you are a plant that I love because the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to like eating you.’” [Tirmidhi, 1849]

Once the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم entered his house and asked A’ishah رضّى الله عنها if they had any pumpkin, and he said about it:

هذا القرع هو الدباء نكثر به طعامنا

“This dubba’ increases our food.” * [Ibn Majah, 2689; Al-Busayri in his 'Ithaaf', 4/310, who graded it as saheeh - see also Siyar al-Alaam an-Nabula', 8/211 (al-Albani graded as saheeh in 'Silsilat as-Saheehah', 2400]

* Either something we put in our food in order to increase its amount, or to enhance its taste.

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Imam Ibn Qayyim wrote extensively on the benefits of pumpkin, which can be found in his ‘Tibb an-Nabawi’ here:

Arabic

English

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And Allaah alone is the source of all goodness.

Libas of Taqwah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said in Al-Qur’an:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed garment upon you to cover yourselves and as an adornment; and the garment of Taqwah is better…” [Al-A'raaf, 26]

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1. In this Ayah, Allaah is reminding mankind of the blessings He has bestowed upon them through the provision of clothing. Clothing has two main purposes: i) To cover oneself with and; ii) As an adornment – and Allaah has made the garment of Taqwah to be better in purpose than them. This is because one can use anything to cloth himself with and fashion himself (for adornment), while it is Taqwah alone that not only reflect one’s piety and righteousness inwardly, but it is also made apparent on the outside; this inc. following the dress-code as defined by the Sunnah.

2. Al-Baghawi said about this Ayah:

قرأ أهل المدينة وابن عامر والكسائي ” ولباس ” بنصب السين عطفا على قوله ( لباسا ) وقرأ الآخرون بالرفع على الابتداء وخبره ( خير ) وجعلوا ( ذلك ) صلة في الكلام ، ولذلك قرأ ابن مسعود وأبي بن كعب ( ولباس التقوى خير )

He then mentioned the different opinion as to what “garment of taqwah” meant and brought forth the statements of some of the leading mufasiroon from the Salaf:

- Qatadah and Suddi (and ibn Jurayj) said that it meant (having) Imaan.
- Hasan al-Basri said that it meant hayya (modesty) as it was a matter (related to) taqwah.
- Atiyyah narrated from Ibn Abbas who said that it meant righteous deeds.
- Urwah ibn az-Zubayr said that it meant having khashiyyah (fear and consciousness) of Allaah
- Al-Kalbi said that it meant al-Afaf (chastity); and the wearing of a garment that does not reveal the shape of one’s body.
- Abd Al-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that it meant having fear of Allaah and awareness of his own faults.

It is also said that it is the coarse wool and clothes worn by the people of taqwah. Ash-Shawkani added that the this garment is the “garment of wara’ that prevents one from transgressing against Allaah”. Others said that this “garment of taqwah” is simply Islam…

Indeed it can be understood that the “garment of taqwah” is all of the above and combines both, the physical aspect of clothing (that is worn in accordance to the Sunnah) and the spiritual aspect of clothing in perfecting one’s Imaan, hayya, khashiyah and maintaining one’s chastity, performing righteous deeds and keeping firm upon Islam.

3. Imam Tabari brought the following hadeeth in his Tafseer, on the authority of Hasan al-Basri who heard Uthman bin Affan رضي الله عنه narrate that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

والذي نفس محمد بيده ، ما عمل أحد قط سرا إلا ألبسه الله رداء علانية ، إن خيرا فخير وإن شرا فشر

“By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no deed is done secretly except Allaah will robe (dress) him publicly (on the Day of Judgement). The good (robe) for the good deed and the evil (robe) for the evil deed.” [Tabarani, Mu'jam al-Kabeer and Bukhari, 'Adab al-Mufrad' and others - graded as marfu' by Ibn Rajab in 'Jaami al-Uloom', 1/410 and as 'nadhara' by Ahmad Shakir. According to Tabarani, the sanad is supported]

Thus this symbolic act of Allaah robing His servants in the Hereafter, is connected to the deeds one performs.

4. Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

إن الله لا ينظر إلى أجسادكم ولا إلى صوركم . ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم

“Verily Allaah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts,” and he pointed towards the heart with his fingers. [Saheeh Muslim, 2564]

And in another lengthy hadeeth, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم pointed to his chest thrice and said: “…Taqwah is here.” [Saheeh Muslim, 2565]

Imam An-Nawawi commented on this and said:

معنى الرواية الأولى أن الأعمال الظاهرة لا يحصل بها التقوى ، وإنما تحصل بما يقع في القلب من عظمة الله تعالى وخشيته ومراقبته . ومعنى نظر الله هنا مجازاته ومحاسبته أي إنما يكون ذلك على ما في القلب دون الصور الظاهرة . ونظر الله رؤيته محيط بكل شيء . ومقصود الحديث أن الاعتبار في هذا كله بالقلب ، وهو من نحو قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ألا إن في الجسد مضغة الحديث

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4. It is the ikhlas of a person that manifest itself through one’s deeds. Some people wrongly assume that the hadeeth (about Allaah not looking at “your bodies and faces”) means that one is at liberty to wear whatever one likes and do whatever pleases him as long as his intentions are sound. Some practise isbal and appeal to such narrations to show that Allaah does not look at your clothing or your bodies, but what is inside your heart. While these people conveniently forget that intentions can not be sincere while one flouts or opposes the Sunnah of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in all that they do, whether it be in dress-code or other than that!

5. Similarly, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى said about Al-Birr:

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

“It is not Birr that you turn your faces towards east and west (in prayers); but Birr is the one who believes in Allaah and the Last Day…” [Al-Baqarah, 177]

Similarly, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى said about the sacrifices:

لَن يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَـٰكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ

“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allaah, but it is Taqwah from you that reaches Him.” [Al-Hajj, 37]

Ibn Katheer reported in his Tafseer that Abul-’Aliyah said: “The Jews used to face the west for their Qiblah, while the Christians used to face the east for their Qiblah. So Allah said: “It is not Birr that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers)” – meaning, “this is Iman and its essence requires implementation.”

Similar was reported from Al-Hasan and Ar-Rabi’ bin Anas. Ath-Thawri recited: “but Birr is the one who believes in Allah”, and said that what follows are the types of Birr. He has said the truth. Certainly, those who acquire the qualities mentioned in the Ayah will have indeed embraced all aspects of Islam and implemented all types of righteousness…”

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6. It is of importance to note that straight after the Ayah of “the garment of Taqwah being better” in Al-A’raaf, 26, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ كَمَا أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْآتِهِمَا ۗ إِنَّهُ يَرَاكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيَاطِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa'] out of Paradise, stripping them of their garments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he (Shaytan) and qabeeluhu (his tribal soldiers) see you from where you cannot see them. Verily, We made the Shayateen Auliya’ (protectors and helpers) for those who believe not.” [Al-A'raaf, 27]

This Ayah imparts huge amount of guidance, if only we ponder. Allaah linked the “libas of taqwah” in the previous Ayah, to the stripping of the libas of Adam and Hawwa’ when they disobeyed their Rabb and fell victim to the whisperings of Shaytan (see TaHa, 121) – Showing that it is taqwah alone that protects one from the plots of Shaytan; for it continually reflects the true nature of one’s heart and sincere intentions, which then make themselves manifest upon the limbs of a Muslim.

7. Shaytan and his tribal soldiers see us from where we cannot see them. This is from the respite [see Al-A'raaf, 15] Allaah granted him until the Day of Resurrection, after which Iblees said:

ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ

“Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You).” [Al-A'raaf, 17]

Ash-Shukr is again from the characteristics of the believers and it is not attained except with taqwah that is inherent within ourselves, and which reflects outwardly on our tongues as well as the actions of the limbs. Hence the essence of all these Ayaat are linked by the call to preserve ourselves from sin and transgression by building our defences against Shaytan – the greatest of these defences is having taqwah to Allaah.

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May Allaah increase our taqwah and make us amongst the shakiroon.

Disparity in wealth

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said concerning the fai’ * that was accorded His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم:

كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنكُمْ

“…in order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you.”  [Al-Hashr, 7]

* Fai’ is any booty/wealth that fell to the Muslims without them having been involved in battle.

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1. Ibn Katheer mentioned that this fai’ was disposed of according to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم discretion and spent on righteous causes and for the benefit of Muslims as occurs in the first part of the Ayah. Fai’ is treated as general wealth that should be used to help the less-fortunate and provide opportunities for them to prosper.

2. The increasing discontent among the people we continue to see in the form of anti-capitalist demos and sit-ins, is evidence of the inequality wrought by manipulation and excessive amount of wealth disbursed amongst the few. The all-to-common demos and sit-ins in Western cities reflect a broken system that is built on riba and corruption, leading to injustice, greed and lack of opportunities for the lower spectrum of society – whose welfare would have otherwise been looked after by the state.

3. Supporting social fairness may roll off easily from one’s tongue, yet its implication is not understood by many including the Muslims. Centuries of “civil development and progress” in the developed world has often been dictated by a higher-class cabal and dominated by nepotism. From the onset of the current global financial meltdown, arising from ravenousness economic policies, the irresponsible and negligent governments have been manipulating wealth to readily serve the monopoly of the top 1% of the population.

4. In his ‘Tafseer al-Kabeer’, Ar-Razi made a profound note on the above Ayah and about the (Muslim) state looking after its people in good times and bad, allowing trade to benefit the poor and not allow to cede (disparity in) wealth to the rich alone. It is a sign of societal imbalance when money becomes focused on one side, or group of people alone. He wrote:

المسألة الأولى : قال المبرد : الدولة اسم للشيء الذي يتداوله القوم بينهم يكون كذا مرة وكذا مرة ، والدولة بالفتح انتقال حال سارة إلى قوم عن قوم ، فالدولة بالضم اسم ما يتداول ، وبالفتح مصدر من هذا ، ويستعمل في الحالة السارة التي تحدث للإنسان ، فيقال : هذه دولة فلان أي تداوله ، فالدولة اسم لما يتداول من المال ، والدولة اسم لما ينتقل من الحال ، ومعنى الآية كي لا يكون الفيء الذي حقه أن يعطى للفقراء ؛ ليكون لهم بلغة يعيشون بها واقعا في يد الأغنياء ودولة لهم

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5. One major cause of corruption that leads to perpetuation of wealth within the hands of the few is avarice and hoarding. Those who have more, want even more, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لو كان لابن آدم واد من مال لابتغى إليه ثانيا ، و لو كان له واديان لابتغى لهما ثالثا

“If the son of Adam possessed a valley of gold, he would want to have two valleys, and if he had two valleys as such, he would want to have third…” [Agreed upon]

Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said:

وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم

“And let not those who hoard (covetously withhold) of that which Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty (i.e. wealth) think that it is good for them…” [Aal-Imran, 180]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لا يحتكر إلا خاطئ

“No one hoards but one who is in error.” [Saheeh Muslim, 1605 and others]

Thus hoarding is regarded as haram because of the difficulty and harm it causes people when they are in need of the item (and upon which zakat has neither been paid). Imam Shafi’i said that: “The haram applies to the monopoly of foodstuffs and other (specific) items when there is not enough amount of it.” And about “one who is in error”, Imam Nawawi said in his Sharh, that it “means one who is disobedient and a sinner, and this hadeeth clearly indicates that hoarding is haram.”

6. Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said about those who devour wealth in falsehood and hoard wealth:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“O you who believe. Verily, there are many of the rabbis and the monks who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them) from the Way of Allah. And those who hoard up gold and silver * and spend them not in the Way of Allah, announce unto them a painful torment.” [At-Tawbah, 34]

* i.e. ‘Al-Kanz’, which is wealth, the Zakat of which has not been paid – thus not utilised in causes that alleviate hardship and poverty.

Commenting on ‘devouring the wealth of mankind in falsehood’, Al-Baghawi said that it includes taking bribes for decisions and judgements made in their favour. In his magnificent ‘At-Tahreer wat-Tanweer‘, Ibn Ashoor said that this Ayah is making Muslims aware of the short-comings of the ‘People of the Book’ and for them to be held in contempt for their errors, negligence and violation of other people’s wealth and using it unjustly… That their falsehood included changing religious rulings and influencing judiciary to approve their whims and seek justification for the people. Giving the legitimate owner of wealth (or to whom rights are due), no recourse to law, (and in some cases) including the denial of inheritance, denial of what is due to orphans and denial of endowments and charity. Their general reluctance to follow the true religion and to lure of people away from it by misleading them through their crooked methods and customs etc,

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7. Another major practise that leads from avarice and hoarding, is monopolising of trade and wealth. It is a sin that perpetuates return of profit to the self in exclusion of other people who are not allowed to partake or benefit as it “becomes a fortune used by the rich” among them. The wealth remains a monopoly of the rich and becomes a curse for them, while the losing party gets burdened by hardships (as the monopolisers refuse to pay zakat either, which would otherwise be utilised in causes that alleviate hardship and poverty).

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said:

الجالب مرزوق، و المحتكر ملعون

“The one who acquires (fairly) is prosperous, and the one who monopolises is cursed.” [Sunan Ibn Majah, 2144; Darimi, Al-Hakim, Bayhaqi and others - Graded as da'eef by majority (see also 'Al-Jaami' as-Sagheer', 3610)]

And there are many other narrations relating to the evils of monopoly practises; see Musnad Ahmad, 4742, ‘Fath al-Bari’, 4/408 and subsequent examples in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood’ 3448 (where the author brings statements and explanation of scholars on the topic), ‘Silsilat as-Saheehah’, 3362 and more… See also – article on monopoly in Islam

8. Sh. Ibraheem bin al-Huqayl has a commentary on unjust market practises and Islam’s solution – here

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And Allaah is the source of guidance.

Fear and Truth

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

“O you who believe. Fear Allaah and always speak the truth.” [Al-Ahzab, 70]

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Here Allaah is Commanding those who believe to:

1. Fear Him: There are numerous Ayaat exhorting Muslims to fear Allaah; this reflects to the happiness and contentment one will find in fearing Allaah as He should be feared. It is a key to stopping people from committing sin and other actions that are disapproved of. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Fear Allaah wherever you are and follow up an evil deed with a good one for it will wipe it…” [Tirmidhi, 5083] and the effects and reward of this fear is beyond measure. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “For him who fears Allah He will appoint a way out and He will give him provision from an unimagined source.” [Tirmidhi, 5306]

2. Always speak the truth: About this, Ibn Katheer said that it means: “To speak in a straightforward manner, with no crookedness or distortion. He (Allaah) promises them that if they do that, He will reward them by making their deeds righteous, i.e., enabling them to do righteous deeds, and He will forgive them their past sins. With regard to whatever sins they may commit in the future, He will inspire them to repent from them.”

Imam Qurtubi said in his Tafseer:

وقال عكرمة وابن عباس أيضا : القول السداد لا إله إلا الله وقيل : هو الذي يوافق ظاهره باطنه . وقيل : هو ما أريد به وجه الله دون غيره . وقيل : هو الإصلاح بين المتشاجرين .
وهو مأخوذ من تسديد السهم ليصاب به الغرض . والقول السداد يعم الخيرات ، فهو عام في جميع ما ذكر وغير ذلك
وظاهر الآية يعطي أنه إنما أشار إلى ما يكون خلافا للأذى الذي قيل في جهة الرسول وجهة المؤمنين .
ثم وعد جل وعز بأنه يجازي على القول السداد بإصلاح الأعمال وغفران الذنوب ; وحسبك بذلك درجة ورفعة ومنزلة

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And once the believer continues to safeguard the above two commands, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى then Says in the very next Ayah:

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

“He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement.” [Al-Ahzab, 71]

Here Allaah has linked salvation to the keeping of the believers’ duty to Allaah by observing the two conditions mentioned in the previous Ayah. This is because those conditions will enable the believer to do righteous actions due to his consciousness of Allaah and what this demands from him in terms of fearing Allaah and being obedient to Him. This will then in turn, lead to the strengthening of his faith and thus, he will never hide the truth nor shy away from speaking the truth no matter where he is or with whom he is.

The end result of righteous actions based on such taqwah is that Allaah will forgive the sins of the believers and save them from the Hell-fire and admit them to Paradise. This is the “great achievement” that is mentioned at the end of the Ayah; and salvation can never be attained except by obeying Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم

Imam At-Tabari said in his Tafseer:

يقول – تعالى ذكره – للمؤمنين : اتقوا الله وقولوا السداد من القول يوفقكم لصالح الأعمال ، فيصلح أعمالكم
ويعف لكم عن ذنوبكم ، فلا يعاقبكم عليها ( ومن يطع الله ورسوله ) فيعمل بما أمره به وينته عما نهاه ويقل السديد
فقد ظفر بالكرامة العظمى من الله

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And Allaah alone is the source of success.

سلسلة تأملات قرآنية

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه ومن تبع هداه وبعد

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Ta’ammulat Qur’aniyyah:

Tafseer series of shaykh Salih al-Maghamisi حفظه الله تعالى

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Surat al-Rahman:

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For other Surat in the series, they are available for download  from here

Helping and Forsaking

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said in the Qur’an when exhorting His Creation to Tawwakul:

إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۗ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“If Allaah Helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allaah (alone), let believers put their trust.” [Aal-Imraan: 160]

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1. Allaamah ‘Abd Al-Rahman as-Sa’di رحمه الله تعالى commented in his Tafseer:

أي: إن يمددكم الله بنصره ومعونته ( فلا غالب لكم ) فلو اجتمع عليكم من في أقطارها وما عندهم من العدد والعُدد، لأن الله لا مغالب له، وقد قهر العباد وأخذ بنواصيهم، فلا تتحرك دابة إلا بإذنه، ولا تسكن إلا بإذنه

وإن يخذلكم – ويكلكم إلى أنفسكم ( فمن ذا الذي ينصركم من بعده ) فلا بد أن تنخذلوا ولو أعانكم جميع الخلق

وفي ضمن ذلك الأمر بالاستنصار بالله والاعتماد عليه، والبراءة من الحول والقوة، ولهذا قال: وعلى الله فليتوكل المؤمنون تقديم المعمول يؤذن بالحصر، أي: على الله توكلوا لا على غيره، لأنه قد علم أنه هو الناصر وحده، فالاعتماد عليه توحيد محصل للمقصود، والاعتماد على غيره شرك غير نافع لصاحبه، بل ضار

“Meaning, if Allaah supports you with His Help and Assistance (none can overcome you) even if whoever is in the lands have gathered against you with whatever number and equipments they have, because there is none who can overcome Allaah, and He has subjected the slaves and taken hold of their forelocks, so no creature moves except by His permission, nor does it survive except by His permission.

(and if He forsakes you) and entrusts you to yourselves, (who is there after Him that can help you?) for indeed you will certainly be helpless even if all of the creation were to help you.

And included in this is the command to seek help from Allaah, and to rely on Him and not on the power (of the creation); and this is why (Allaah) said: (And in Allaah let the believers put their trust), meaning: put your trust in Allaah and not in anyone other than Him, because it is known that He alone is the Helper…”

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Complete Tafseer as-Sa’di can be found here:

Online

Download

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2. He رحمه الله تعالى also said in ‘Al-Fawakih Ash-Shahiyyah’, p. 21:

“Surely, all matters occur and are led to success by Allaah’s Help Alone and the slave has no choice or recourse, except by trusting and relying on Him. Certainly, whatever Allaah wills occurs and whatever He does not will never occurs. The slaves cannot change their condition from one stage to another, except by Allaah’s Will. The slaves have no power or strength to worship Allaah except through His Help, nor can they resist evil and sin except when Allaah grants them immunity All types and parts of sustenance and provisions can be earned and perfected by trusting in Allaah Alone.”

And Guidance is from Allaah alone.

Granting and Preventing

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Said in the Noble Qur’an:

مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

“Whatever Allaah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it; and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” [Faatir: 2]

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He سبحانه و تعالى also Said:

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

“And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He, and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He wills…” [Yunus: 107]

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The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

اللْهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ

“…O Allaah! There is none to prevent what You give, and none to give what You prevent…”  [Saheeh al-Bukhari, 6241]

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1. Shaykh al-Fawzaan حفظه الله تعالى commented:

“So if Allaah gives, there is no one who can prevent what He gives. Ever. And if He prevents, then no one can give what He prevents. If Allaah prevents someone from something, no one will be able to give it to him. Ever.  Don’t praise the people for what Allaah has given you and don’t blame them for what Allaah hasn’t given you, because the One who gives and the One who prevents is Allaah  جلاوعلاء – And that which is given or prevented through the slaves (of Allaah) only happens by the Command of Allaah سبحانه و تعالى - So if this is the case, then it is obligatory for the hearts and wishes to be attached to Allaah عزوجل and for the person to not be angry with the creation if what he wanted did not happen.Rather, he should know that (whatever happened) is from Allaah جلاوعلاء – He is the One who prevented it from him. Furthermore, he doesn’t know what would be beneficial; the benefit may be in preventing him from that. Allaah knows and you do not know.”

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2. Shaykh al-’Uthaymeen رحمه الله تعالى commented:

“So that which Allaah has decreed to reach you, no one can ever prevent it. And that which Allaah عزوجل Prevents, it is not possible for anyone to give it to you. No matter what means you take that would bring this thing that you want. Indeed it cannot come to you as long as Allaah has prevented it; so if a person believes in these two sentences – and believing in them is obligatory – then indeed he will depend on Allaah with regard to his provision, repelling the harm and bringing the benefit. And he will always be relying on his Rabb and believing that He سبحانه و تعالى will suffice him.”

Taken from: ‘Sharh Buloogh al-Maraam’, Kitaab is-Salaah‘, tape no. 15/4 and no. 29/6 – Found here and here

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3. In a short Q&A session, bn Baaz رحمه الله تعالى gave a nice response as to what the meaning of the hadeeth entails – Found Here

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May Allaah strengthen our Tawwakul upon Him alone.

Desiring reform

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه ومن تبع هداه وبعد

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In the Qur’an, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Mentions the statement of Shu’ayb عليه السلام to his people:

إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ۚ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ

“…I only desire reform to the best of my power. And Tawfeeq cannot come except from Allaah, in Him I trust and unto Him I repent.”  [Surah Hud: 88]

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1. Reform within any society must begin with one’s own self. This reform will eventually reflect on the society one lives in and give one the moral right to seek the same correction from others.

In the first part of the above ayah, Shu’ayb عليه السلام tells his people

وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ

“I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you”

Ibn Katheer explains that: “He is saying, ‘I do not forbid you all from something while I do it myself.”’

2. As-Sa’di wrote in his Tafseer that “…I only desire reform to the best of my power…’ means that Shu’ayb is saying:

ليس لي من المقاصد إلا أن تصلح أحوالكم، وتستقيم منافعكم، وليس لي من المقاصد الخاصة لي وحدي، شيء بحسب استطاعتي

“I do not have (any other) reason except reforming your conditions (by which you will gain) uprightness and benefits. I do not have any reason for (benefiting) myself…”

3. One’s intentions must be noble and upright (and sincerely for the sake of Allaah) and serve the purpose of the conditions one wants to change. There must be a higher goal and aim that benefits everyone and not just the person alone. Following the Sunnah of Prophet’s and Messengers in the reform of societies is crucial.

4. Regarding not ‘walking the talk’, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.” [As-Saff: 2-3]

5. Dr. Khalid al-Hulaybi wrote: “Rarely do people live up to everything that they say. It is part of our human condition. Some of us almost always follow through with what we say, so that there is almost never a discrepancy between our words and deeds. Some of us act before we speak. Some of us speak readily, then drag our feet when getting around to doing what we say we are going to do – but ultimately get it done. There are those of us who mean what they say, sincerely, but never get around to doing it. Then there are those who nobody should bother waiting for them to do anything, because they never seriously mean to do what they say…” [see: http://en.islamtoday.net]

6. Ibn Uthaymeen said when speaking of the ‘dilemma facing the youth’: “Life is totally a submission to specified (Shari’) limits so that everything progresses according to it’s intended aim. This subjugation is for the order of society, e.g. submission which is necessary for the reformation of society and the prevention of anarchy.”

He رحمه الله تعالى also said: “Many people nowadays are acquiring theoretical knowledge in religious matters whilst no importance is attached to reforming and improving the people nor their education…” [Kitab al-ilm, p.33] – Meaning that the (Islamic) knowledge that is being gained is merely for mental exercises and does not translate into positive action on the ground.

7. Correcting the affairs (of one’s own self and others) is of different levels and should be within the means of the person and as much as one is able. One’s capacity is taken into account in fulfilling obligations and a Muslim is encouraged to do good actions based on his/her ability. Ash-Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan حفظه الله تعالى has provided some guidelines and necessities in the reformation of society (read here: Factors in reforming society)

8. Sh. Dedew Shanqeeti has a muhadara addressing community-based reform and means of achieving it – see here

8. A nice khutbah on this topic by Dr. Muhammad al-Arifi – found here

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And Allaah’s Help is sought in rectifying the affairs of the Ummah.

Darkness and Light

الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله وسلم على رسول الله وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن اهتدى بهديه إلى يوم الدين أما بعد

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Allaah سبحانه و تعالى Says in the Qur’an:

يُخْرِجُهُم مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إلَى النُّورِ

“…To remove them from the darkness into the light.”

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The word “the light” النُّورِ (an-Noor) is singular while the word “darkness” الظُّلُمَاتِ (ath-Dhulumaat) is plural. Why is that?

- The plural word for “darkness” ظُّلُمَاتِ (the singular is ظُلْمَة) conveys all of the various forms of deviance and disbelief, so all of this is conveyed in the plural word “darkness”.

- The singular word “the light” (the plural is أنْوَار) is made singular because the truth is (always) one and is never rendered plural.

Therefore this is why Allah Most High did not say:

يُخْرِجُهُم مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إلَى الأنْوَارِ

.

Source: An-Nahw fi Thilaal il-Quraan il-Kareem (Arabic Grammar in the Shade of the Noble Qur’an) by ‘Azeezah Yoonus Basheer, page 23.

Taken from: http://www.theajaaroomiyyahblog.blogspot.com