14:7

Whilst people change their lives positively we remain unchanged because we believed some hearsay & were kept away by Satan.

Take the good from others & discount the rest. You’ll be surprised how much you benefit even from those you least expected to benefit from.

It is only the clean heart, that is in constant search for the truth, that benefits the most.

Mufti Ismail Menk

If we ponder upon our lives we will find that we do not suffice with only the bare necessities required to make ends meet. We toil and sweat to attain the luxuries as well.

From our house to our car, everything has to be up to date and well ornamented. Despite our worldly existence being transitory we strive to attain everything of the best quality.

Yet when it comes to deen, we suffice with the minimum required and do only those actions which are necessary and compulsory.

We completely discard and abandon those desirable actions which help beautify and fortify a person’s Iman and spirituality.

by Anas Patel

“Do not let Julaybib (RA) enter among you. If he does, I shall certainly do something terrible to him.”

Was there any hope for Julaybib (RA) to be treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope for him to find emotional satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope for him to enjoy the relationships that others take for granted? And in the new society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet (SAW), was he so insignificant as to be overlooked in the preoccupation with the great affairs of state and in the supreme issues of life and survival which constantly engaged the attention of the Prophet (SAW)? Just as he was aware of the great issues of life and destiny, the Prophet (SAW), who is mercy for all humanity, was also aware of the needs and feelings of his most humble companions.

With Julaybib (RA) in mind, the Prophet (SAW) went to one of the Ansar and said: I want to have your daughter married.

“How wonderful and blessed, O Messenger of Allah, and what a delight to the eye (this would be),” replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and happiness.

I do not want her for myself, added the Prophet (SAW).

“Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?” asked the man, obviously somewhat let down.

The Ansari must have been too shocked to give his own reaction so he replied: “I will consult with her mother.”

And off he went to his wife. “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) wants to have your daughter married”, he told his wife.

She was thrilled. “What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye (this would be),” she said.

“He does not want to marry her himself, but he wants to marry her to Julaybib (RA),” he added.

She was flabbergasted! “To Julaybib (RA)? No, never to Julaybib (RA)! No, by the Living Allah, we shall not marry (her) to him.” she protested. As the Ansari was about to return to the Prophet (SAW) to inform him of what his wife had said, the daughter, who had heard her mother’s protestations, asked: “Who has asked to marry me?”

Her mother told her of the Prophet’ (SAW)s request to marry her to Julaybib (RA).When she heard that the request had come from the Prophet (SAW), and that her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea, she was greatly perturbed and said: “Do you refuse the request of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala? Send me to him, for he shall certainly not bring ruin to me.”

This was the reply of a truly great person who had a clear understanding of what was required of her as a Muslim. What greater satisfaction and fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding willingly to the requests and commands of the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala! Truly, this companion of the Prophet (SAW), even though we do not know her name, set an example for all of us to obey the Quranic command:

Whenever Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, it is not for a believing man or woman to claim freedom of choice in so far as this matter is concerned. And he who disobeys Allah and His Messenger has, most obviously, gone astray. [Al-Ahzab 33:36]

This was revealed in connection with the marriage of Zaynab bint Jahsh and Zayd bin Harithah, which was arranged by the Prophet (SAW) to show the egalitarian spirit of Islam. Zaynab (RA), at first, was highly offended at the thought of marrying Zayd (RA), a former slave, and refused to marry him. The Prophet (SAW) prevailed upon them both and they were married. The marriage however ended in divorce and Zaynab was eventually married to the Prophet (SAW) himself.

It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to her parents and said: “I am satisfied, and submit myself to whatever Allah’s Messenger (SAW) deems good for me.”

The Prophet (SAW) heard of her reaction and prayed for her: `O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not her life one of toil and trouble.’

It is said that among the Ansar, there was not a more eligible bride than her. She was married by the Prophet (SAW) to Julaybib (RA), and they lived together until he was killed. He went on an expedition with the Prophet (SAW), and an encounter with some mushrikin ensued. When the battle was over, the Prophet (SAW) asked his companions: Have you lost anyone? They named their relatives or close friends who were killed. Another group answered that they had lost no close relative whereupon the Prophet said: But I have lost Julaybib (RA). Search for him in the battlefield.

They searched and found him beside seven mushrikin whom he had struck before meeting his end. The Prophet stood up and went to the spot where Julaybib ,his short and deformed companion, lay. The Prophet of Allah stood over him and said: He killed seven and then was killed? This man is of me and I am of him. He repeated this two or three times. The Prophet then took him in his arms and it is said that he had no better bed besides the forearms of the Messenger of Allah.

The Prophet then dug for him a grave, and himself placed him in it. The Prophet of Allah (SAW) did not wash him, for the one slain in the Way of Allah is not washed before burial. Julaybib (RA) and his wife are not among the companions of the Prophet whose deeds of obedience and valor are well known. The little that is known about them demonstrates how the meek and the humble were given hope and dignity by the Prophet (SAW) – where once there was only despair and self-debasement.

The attitude of the unknown and unnamed Ansari girl, who readily agreed to be the wife of a physically unattractive man, reflected a profound understanding of Islam. It reflected the effacement of personal desires and preferences, even when she could have counted on the support of her parents. It reflected a total disregard for social norms and pressures. It reflected, above all, a ready and unshakable confidence in the wisdom and authority of the Prophet in submitting herself to whatever he deemed good. This is indeed the attitude of the true believer.

In Julaybib (RA) there is the example of a person who was regarded as a social outcast because of his mere appearance. Given confidence by his faith in Allah, the Glorious, and encouragement by the noble Prophet (SAW), he was able to perform great acts of courage and was blessed by the most virtuous death a believer could ever hope for – death fighting in the Way of Allah, the Supreme. This led to the commendation which should be the desire of every believer: the commendation of the Prophet of Allah (SAW) : He is of me, and I am of him.

Shaykh Mufti Shabbir Ahmad

She received learning of Hadith and studied other branches of knowledge under the guidance of the reputed scholars like Abu ‘Abdullah Hasan ibn Ahmad Nomani, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad-As-Shashi, Ahmad ibn Abdul Qadir ibn Yusuf and Abu-Al-Husayni. Shuhdah commanded great name in the studies of Hadith and the seekers of learning came from distant places and took it a pride if they were allowed to join her session of Dars. Many scholars of great fame were said to be regular audience of her Dars and would acquire authority from her to report the Ahadith on behalf of her. She not only exhibited her erudition in study of Hadith but also would make scholarly speeches on history, linguistics and literature, leaving lasting impression on heart and soul of the audience. She came to acquire the title of Fakhr-un-Nisa (Pride of the Women) for her erudition, calligraphic art and highly acclaimed oratory.

Her husband died after forty years of marriage. She endured the great shock with courage and patience and occupied herself with learning and educating. The Caliph Al-Muqtadi Bi-amr-Allah granted her a large estate to enhance the scope of her scholarly activities. She, with the help of new fortunes established a grand Darsgah on the banks of river Tigris where hundreds of students had had their studies. Its all expenses were borne by Shuhdah herself. Shuhdah retained her loyalty to the virtuous job of brightening the world with the light of knowledge till the last moment.

She died in 574H at the age of more than 90. Her funeral prayer was said at Jama’e Al-Qasr in Baghdad. Thousands of sorrowful people including the scholars, students and the state dignitaries participated in her funeral proceedings. The noted Muhaddith, ibn Jawzi says, “Shuhdah was a pious and devoted lady.”

(ibn Khallikan, Sved Amir Ali)

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!”

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn’t have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by–still nothing in Ling’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful–in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try.”

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the emperor. “Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!” All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!” Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

If you plant honesty, You will reap trust
If you plant goodness, You will reap friends
If you plant humility, You will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory
If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony
If you plant hard work, You will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation
If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy
If you plant patience, You will reap improvements
If you plant faith, You will reap miracles
But
If you plant dishonesty, You will reap distrust
If you plant selfishness, You will reap loneliness
If you plant pride, You will reap destruction
If you plant envy, You will reap trouble
If you plant laziness, You will reap stagnation
If you plant bitterness, You will reap isolation
If you plant greed, You will reap loss
If you plant gossip, You will reap enemies
If you plant worries, You will reap wrinkles
If you plant sin, You will reap guilt

So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap tomorrow,The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better,your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits,Or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

Commentary

It shows that the face that gets wet, at any time, with tears shed in response to the fear of the Lord will remain protected from the Fire of Hell.

As we have explained earlier, when the happy tidings of protection against the Fire of Hell are given in a Tradition, as a result of performing a virtuous deed, it, generally, means that it is the characteristic attribute of that deed, and God will keep him safe from the infernal Fire who will carry it out provided that he is not guilty of a mortal sin which calls for the punishment of Fire, or if he has ever committed a sin entailing damnation, he has offered sincere repentance for it and resolved not to do it again.

It must not be taken for an attempt at explaining away a difficulty but even in our common parlance such a condition is supposed to be implied with a promise or assurance of that kind.

Source: Al Islam