THIS NATION IS THE BEST NATION FOR THE PEOPLE

[img]http://aydnajimudeen.mywapblog.com/files/google.jpeg[/img] Allah
ascribed to the nation ( Ummah ) of Muhammad the samecharacteristic
which He ascribed to the Prophet himself in the previous verse when He
said:
[You are the best nation brought forth for the people of the world:you
enjoin right and you forbid wrong, and you believe in Allah.] Qur'an
3/110.
And He said:
[Believing men and believing women are the protecting friends of each
other: they enjoin right and they forbid wrong.] Qur`an 9/71.
In the same vein, Abu Huraira, a companion of the Prophet and narrator
of many hadith used to say:
"You are the best people for the people, you tie them in chains and
shackles and drag them off to paradise."
Allah explains in the above verse that this nation is the best
nationfor the people i.e. the most beneficial to them, the one
doingthem the greatest favor. This is because they constitute the
total good and benefit for the people via their enjoining right and
forbidding wrong both in quality and in quantity, since they enjoin
all that is right and forbid all thatis wrong, and their message is
addressed to all people of the world. Furthermore, they uphold this
institution with jihad (struggle) in the path of Allah with their
lives and their property, and this constitutes thecomplete benefit for
the world.
As for the previous nations, none of them enjoined all people with all
that is right, nor did they prohibit all that is wrong to all people.
Furthermore, they did not make jihad (struggle) in this cause. Some of
them did not takeup armed struggle at all, and those who did, such as
the Jews, their struggle was generally for the purpose of driving
their enemy from their land, or as any oppressed people struggles
against their oppressor, and not for sake of calling the people of the
world to guidance and right, nor to enjoin on them right and to
prohibit to them wrong. Allah narrates the following discussionbetween
Musa (Moses) and his followers:
[O people, enter the sacred land which Allah has written for you, and
do not turn back on your heels to subsequently find yourselvesNote:
The change to pitch (12) and font (1) must be converted manually. in
abject loss. They said: "O Musa, therein is a belligerent people, and
we will not enter it until they come out - if they come out, then we
will enter it." ... They said: "O Musa, we will never enter it as long
as they are in it, so you go, you and your Lord, and fight. We are
going to sit right here.] Qur'an 5/21-24
Allah says in another verse:
[Did you not see the assembly of the sons of Israel after the time of
Musa when they said to a Prophet of theirs: "Raise up for usa king,
that we may fight in the path of Allah." He said: "Would you perhaps
not fight then, if fighting were prescribed for you?" They said: "Why
would we not fight in the path of Allah, andwe have been exiled from
our homes and our children?" Then, when fighting was prescribed
forthem, they turned their backs, all except a few, and Allah is in
full knowledge of the wrong-doers.] Qur'an 2/246
Here we see that those speaking with this prophet cited the reason for
their fighting that theyhad been exiled from their homes and their
children. In spiteof this, most of them failed to live up to their
word, when in fact they were ordered to fight. For this reason, they
were not allowed to keep any spoils of war, and were not allowed to
take female captives as right-hand possessions.
It is well known that the greatestnation of believers before us was
the children of Israel. This has been narrated in the agreed-upon
hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas, that the Prophet (sas) said:
"The previous nations and their prophets were shown to me last night.
A prophet would pass withone man, another with two men,another with a
small group, and another with no one with him. Then, I saw a great
crowd, small mountains filled with people, andI said: "This is my
Ummah!" It was said to me: "These are the sons of Israel, but look
over there." Then I saw a huge crowd which blocked the horizons. It
was said to me: "This is your Ummah, and among them are seventy
thousand who will enter paradise with no account-taking." The
Prophet's listeners dispersed with no further explanation being given.
Then, the companions discussed this issue, saying: "As for us, we were
born in associationism, but have believed in Allah and His Prophet...
but these are our sons. When this speculation of theirs about who the
seventy thousand were reached the Prophet, he said:"They are those who
do not practice cauterization, or use incantations (i.e. believing in
some mystical ability to cure or prevent illness), do not believe in
omens, and who depend fully on their Lord." Ukasha ibn Mihsan stood up
and said: "Am I one of them, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet said:
"Yes". When someone else stood up and said the same thing, the prophet
said"Ukasha has come before you."
From this we understand why the consensus of this ummah is aproof,
i.e. because Allah has informed us that they enjoin all that is right,
and prohibit all that is wrong. If they (i.e. the Muslim Ummah) were
to all agree to allow something forbidden, to drop an obligation, to
forbid something allowed, or to perpetrate any falsehood about Allah
or about His creation, they would be enjoiners of what is wrong,
prohibitors of what is good, and that is surely not of pure speech and
good works. What's more, the verse implies that whatever the ummah has
not enjoined is not right, and whatever it has not prohibited is not
wrong. Since this is the Ummah which enjoins all right, and prohibits
all wrong, it is not possible for the entire Ummah to enjoin something
which is wrongnor to prohibit something which is good.
Just as Allah has informed us thatthis ummah will fulfill this
function, He has also made it a collective obligation ( fardh kifaya )
upon the Muslim Ummah saying:
[Let there be from among you a group which calls to what is good,
enjoins right, and forbids wrong. These are the successful ones.]
It is not the duty of the practitioner of enjoining right and
prohibiting wrong to deliver the message to everyone in the world.
Such was not even required of the Prophets (Peace be upon them), and
this is an auxillary to the prophetic messages. Rather, what is
required is to make it available tothose who seek it. If they, in turn
are negligent in seeking it, though it has been made accessible, then
the responsibilityis upon them, not him. Since enjoining right is a
collective obligation, as the Qur'an clearly indicates, it is not an
obligation upon every single individual Muslim, rather upon them as a
group.
Since jihad is part of the perfection if enjoining right and
prohibiting wrong, it, too, is a collective obligation. As with any
collective obligation, this means that if those sufficient for the
task do not come forward, everyone capable of it to any extent is in
sin to the extent of his capability in that area. This is because its
obligation when it is needed is upon every Muslim to the extent of
his/her ability, as the Prophet (sas) said in the hadith found in
Muslim:
"Whoever of you sees wrong being committed, let him changeit with his
hand (i.e. by force). If he is unable to do that, then withhis tongue,
and if he is unable to do that, then with his heart."
This being the case, it is clear that enjoining right and prohibiting
wrong is one of the greatest good works that we have been ordered to
do.

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How can Tawheed be achieved and what is thepromised reward?

How can a person achieve Tawheed or truebelief in the Oneness of Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah.
You have asked – may Allaah bless you – about an important matter,
which is easy for the onefor whom Allaah makes it easy. We ask Allaah
to make it easy for us and for our Muslim brothers to attain all that
is good.
It should be noted that achieving Tawheed or true belief in the
Oneness of Allaah can only be done by testifying truly that there is
no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
Achieving this is of two degrees, one that is obligatory and one that
is mustahabb.
The obligatory degree is achieved by means of three things:
1- Giving up shirk (association of others with Allaah) in all its
forms, major, minor and concealed.
2- Giving up bid'ah (innovation) in all its forms.
3- Giving up sin in all its forms.
The mustahabb degree is that in which people may vary greatly, and it
means not having anything in the heart of attachment to anything or
anyone other than Allaah, so the heart is focused entirely on Allaah
and pays no attention to anything or anyone else; he speaks only for
the sake of Allaah and his deeds andactions are all for Allaah and all
his thoughts are focused Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.Some
scholars described this degree as: giving upsomething that is
permissible so as to avoid something that is forbidden; that includes
actions of the heart, tongue and physical faculties.
In order to achieve thesetwo degrees, certain things are essential:
1 – Knowledge, otherwise how can one attain Tawheed or true belief in
the Oneness of Allaah and act upon it if he does not know of it or
understand it? Each accountable adult must learn about the Oneness of
Allaah that which will make his beliefs, words and deeds correct, then
anything more than thatis a bonus.
2 – Firm, certain and deeply-rooted belief in that which was
narratedfrom Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted and His Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) of reports and words.
3 – Obedience to the commands of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) by doing that which is enjoined, and
avoiding that whichis forbidden.
The more a person achieves these things, the stronger will be his
Tawheed and the greater will be his reward.
Our Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has
explained to us that the one who attains the highest level of
Tawheedis the one who is promised that he will be with the seventy
thousand who will enterParadise without being brought to account –
weask Allaah of His bounty.
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5705) and Saheeh Muslim (220) it is narrated
that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
nations were shown to me and I saw aProphet with a group of men, a
Prophet with oneor two men, and a Prophet with no one with him. Then a
huge crowd was shown to me,and I thought that they were my ummah, but
it was said to me, 'This is Moosa and his people. But look at the
horizon.' I looked, and there was a huge crowd. Then it was said to
me: 'Look at the other horizon,' and there was (another) huge crowd.
It was said to me: 'This is your ummah, and among them are seventy
thousand who will enterParadise without being called to account or
punished.'"
Then he got up and went into his house, andthe people started
discussing those who would enter Paradise without being called to
account or being punished. Some of them said: Perhaps they are the
ones who accompanied the Messenger of Allaah (S). Some said: Perhaps
they are those who were born in Islam and did not associate anything
with Allaah. And they mentioned several ideas.Then the Messenger of
Allaah (S) came out and said: "What are you discussing?" They told
him, and he said: "They are the ones who did not perform ruqyah or ask
others to do so, and did not believe in omens, and did not use
cautery, and they put their trust in their Lord." 'Ukkaashah ibn
Mihsan stood up and said: Pray to Allaah to make me one of them. He
said: "You will be one of them." Another man stood up and said: Pray
to Allaah to make me one of them. He said: " 'Ukkaashah has beaten you
to it."
The phrase "did not perform ruqyah or ask others to do so" means that
they did not ask others to perform ruqyah for them. Although asking
someone to perform ruqyah is permissible, it is contrary to that which
is better.
The phrase "and did not believe in omens" meansthat they did not
believein omens based on birds or anything else about which people are
superstitious and may give up something that they had decided to do
because of these superstitions. Superstition is haraam and is a form
of minor shirk.
The phrase "and did not use cautery" means that they did not cauterize
with fire to treat sickness, even if it is proven to be of benefit,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
disliked it, and because no one can punish with fire but the Lord of
the fire.
The common thread in these three characteristics is that they "put
their trust in their Lord", i.e., they attained the highest degree of
trust (tawakkul) and they did not pay the slightest attention to the
means, and they did not dependon them, rather they depended on their
Lord alone, may He be glorified.
Tawakkul (trust) is the summary of faith, as Sa'eed ibn Habeeb said,
indeed it is the ultimate aim as Wahb ibn Munabbih (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said.
In question no. 4203 youwill find further discussion of this hadeeth,
so please read it. And Allaah knows bestand is most Wise.
Note: Achieving true Tawheed or belief in theOneness of Allaah
cannotbe achieved by mere wishing or pretending, or by empty claims
that have no real essence, rather it is achieved by means of firm
belief thatis rooted in the heart, byachieving true ihsaan that is
confirmed by a good attitude and righteous deeds. The Muslim must
hasten to make the best of every moment of his life and hasten to do
good deedsand acts of worship; he should ignore the hardship and enjoy
the pain, for that which is with Allaah is precious, for that which is
with Allaah is Paradise.
See: al-Qawl al-Sadeed 'ala Maqaasid Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh 'Abd
al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di(may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 20-23.

The status of ruling by that which Allaah has revealed in Islam

What is the status of ruling by that which Allaah has revealed in
Islam? Is the one who rules by something otherthan that which Allaah
has revealed a kaafir?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ruling by that which Allaah has revealed is part of Tawheed
al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of the divine Lordship), because it is
implementing the ruling of Allaah as is implied by acceptance of His
Lordship (Ruboobiyyah) and His perfect sovereignty and control. Hence
Allaah calls those who are followed in a manner contrary to what He
has revealed arbaab (lords) of their followers. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be
their lords [arbaab] besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which
they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without
being ordered by Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah,
son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded
[in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but
One Ilaah (God — Allaah) Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to
be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He)
from having the partners they associate (with Him)"
[al-Tawbah 9:31]
Allaah calls those who are followed "lords" because they are appointed
as lawgivers along with Allaah, and He calls the followers "slaves"
because they submit to them and obeythem in going against the ruling
of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
'Adiyy ibn Haatim said tothe Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him): "But they do not worship them." The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Nay, they forbid to
them that which is permissible andthey permit to them thatwhich is
forbidden, and they follow them; that is how they worship them."
Once you understand this, you should realize that with regard to the
one who does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed and wants
rulings to be referred to someone other than Allaah and His Messenger,
there are verses which state that he has no faith, and verses which
state that he is a kaafir, zaalim (wrongdoer) and faasiq (rebellious
evildoer).
As for the first category (i.e. the verses which state that he has no faith):
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Have you not seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in
that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down
before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to
the Taaghoot (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject
them. But Shaytaan (Satan) wishes to lead them far astray.
61. And when it is said tothem: 'Come to what Allaah has sent down and
to the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم),' you (Muhammad صلى
الله عليه وسلم) see the hypocrites turn away from you (Muhammad صلى
الله عليه وسلم)with aversion.
62. How then, when a catastrophe befalls thembecause of what their
hands have sent forth, they come to you swearing by Allaah, 'We meant
no more than goodwill and conciliation!'
63. They (hypocrites) arethose of whom Allaah knows what is in their
hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish
them, and speak to them an effective word (i.e. to believe in Allaah,
worship Him, obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their
innerselves.
64. We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allaah's Leave. If they
(hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you
(Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and begged Allaah's forgiveness, and the
Messenger had begged forgiveness for them, indeed, they would
havefound Allaah All-Forgiving (One Who forgives and accepts
repentance), Most Merciful.
65. But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you
(O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) judge in alldisputes between them, and
find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept
(them) with full submission"
[al-Nisa' 4:60-65]
Allaah ascribes to these people who claim to have faith when they are
hypocrites several characteristics:
1.
They want to refer for judgement to al-taaghoot, which is everything
that goes against the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), because going against the ruling of
Allaah and His Messenger is tughyanand transgression against the
ruling of the One to Whom belongs judgement and all thingsreturn to
Him, namely Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the
Lord of the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!" [al-A'raaf
7:54].
2.
If they are called to that which Allaah revealed tothe Messenger, they
refuse and turn away.
3.
If a calamity befalls thembecause of what their hands sent forth, such
asbeing exposed for their wrongdoing, they come swearing that they
only meant good will and conciliation, as in the case of those who
reject the rule of Islam today and govern according tolaws that go
against it, claiming that this is good and suited to modern
circumstances.
Then Allaah warns these people who claim to be believers but who bear
these characteristics thatHe knows what is in their hearts and what
they are concealing of things that are different from what they say.
And He commands His Prophet to admonish them and speak to them an
effective word. Then He explains the wisdom behind sending the
Messenger to be the onlyone who to be obeyed and followed, and no one
else, no matter how strong their ideas and how vast their
understanding. Then Allaah swears by His Lordship to His Messenger,
which is the most special kind of Lordship and which points to the
truth of His message, confirming that faith cannot be valid except
with three things:
1.
Referral for judgement in all disputes must be made to the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
2.
They should open their hearts to his judgement and there should be no
objection or resistance to it in their hearts.
3.
There must be full submission and acceptance of his ruling and it must
be implemented with no hesitation or deviance.
As for the second category (verse which say that he is a kaafir,
zaalim and faasiq):
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaahhas revealed, such are the
Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers — of a lesser degree as they do not act
on Allaah's Laws)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:44]
"And whosoever does not judge by that which Allaah has revealed,
suchare the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers — of a lesser
degree)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:45]
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaahhas revealed (then) such
(people) are the Faasiqoon [the rebellious i.e. disobedient (of a
lesser degree)] to Allaah"
[al-Maa'idah 5:47].
Can these three characteristics be applied to one person, i.e., is the
one who does not rule by what Allaah has revealed a kaafir, zaalim and
faasiq? Because Allaah has described the kaafirs as being wrongdoers
and evildoers, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "And it is
the disbelievers who are theZaalimoon (wrongdoers)" [al-Baqarah 2:254]
and "Certainly they disbelieved in Allaah andHis Messenger, and died
while they were Faasiqoon (rebellious, —disobedient to Allaah and His
Messenger صلىالله عليه وسلم)" [al-Tawbah 9:84], so every kaafir is a
wrongdoer and evildoer– or do these characteristics apply to those
described only insofar as they do not rule by that which Allaahhas
revealed? The latter is more likely in my view, and Allaah knows best.
We say: The one who does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed
because he regards it as insignificant, or he looksdown on it, or he
believes that something else is better and more beneficial to people,
is a kaafir in the sense of being beyond the pale of Islam. Among
these are those who promulgate for the people legislation that goes
against Islamic lawsto be a way by which people live. They only
promulgated that legislation which goes against Islamic laws because
they believe that it is better for people, because it is wellknown on
the basis of common sense [?] that people do not turn awayfrom one way
to another way that is different unless they believe that the one
theyturned to is better and that the one they turnedaway from is
lacking.
If a person does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed, but he
does not regard it as insignificant, look down on it or believe that
something else is better than it and more beneficial for people,
rather he rules by something else by way of wronging those who are
under his rule and out of vengeance and soon, then he is a wrongdoer
but he is not a kaafir, and the level of his wrongdoing varies
according to the alternative by which he rules and the means of
ruling.
If a person does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed, but he
does not regard it as insignificant, look down on it or believe that
something else is better than it and more beneficial for people,
rather he rules by something else so as to fulfill the wish of those
who are ruled, or because of a bribe or forsome other worldly reason,
then he is a faasiq (rebellious evildoer) but he is not a kaafir, and
the level of his wrongdoing varies according to the alternative by
which he rules and the means of ruling.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
concerning those who take their rabbis and monks as lords instead of
Allaah that they are oftwo types:
1.
Those who know that they changed the religion of Allaah and they
follow them in those changes, and believe in the permissibility of
what was forbidden and the prohibition of what Allaah has permitted,
following their leaders, even though they know that they have gone
against the religion of the Messengers. This is kufr and Allaah and
His Messenger regard it as shirk.
2.
Those who believe in thepermissibility of what was forbidden and the
prohibition of what Allaah has permitted, butthey obeyed them in
disobeying Allaah, as theMuslim does when he commits sins that he
believes are sins. They come under the same ruling as other sinners.
End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Fataawa al-'Aqeedah (p. 208-212).

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Shaykh Abul-Hassan Ash-Shadhili (R.A)

Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili was born inthe north of Morocco in
1175 into a family of peasant labourers. For his education he went
tothe Qarawiyyin University in Fes, where he met some scholars who
introduced him to the sciences of Islamic Law. He also traveled to
many countries. In Iraq he met a great Sufi called Wasiti who told him
to return to his country where he could find Moulay Abdas-Salamibn
Mashish, the great Moroccan spiritual master. He did so, and became
the close follower of this spiritual master who initiated him in the
way of remembrance of Allah and enlightenment. When he met Moulay
Abdas-Salam after ritually washing himself, he said, 'O Allah, I have
been washed of my knowledge and action so that I do not possess
knowledge or action except what comes to me from this Shaykh.'
Shaykha Abu'l-Hassan ash-Shadhili travelled from Morocco to Spain and
finally settled down in Alexandria. Later on inlife, when asked who
hisspiritual master was, he used to reply, 'I used to be the close
follower of Moulay Abdas-Salam ibn Mashish, but I am no more the close
follower of any human master.' Shaykh Abu'l-Abbas al-Mursi (d. 1288),
who succeeded Shaykh ash-Shadhili as the next spiritual master of the
Order, was asked about the knowledge of his spiritual master and
replied, 'He gave me forty sciences. He was anocean without a shore.'
Shaykh ash-Shadhili had hundreds of close followers in both Alexandria
and Cairo, not only from among thecommon people but alsofrom among the
ruling classes. He taught his close followers to lead a life of
contemplation and remembrance of Allah while performing the normal
everyday activities of the world. He disliked initiating anywould-be
follower unless that person already had a profession. His admonition
to his close followers was to apply the teachings of Islam in their
own lives in the world and to transform their existence.
Shaykh Abu'l-Hassan Ash-Shadhili died in the south of Egypt near the
Red Sea while he was onhis way to the pilgrimage in Mecca in 1258. His
shrine, which appears to be nowhere, in the middle of the desert,
stands to the present day and is highlyvenerated. Near his tomb are
two wells, one containing bitter water, the other containing sweet
water. He was an interspace between two seas, the sea of the outerlaw
and the sea of the inner reality. The Shadhili Order derives itsname
form him. He said:
"O Allah, you have sentenced the people to abasement until they become
mighty, and Youhave sentenced them to loss until they find. The one
who has no abasement becomes the one who has no might, and the one who
has no loss becomes the one who has no finding. The one who lays claim
to finding without abasement is deluded. The one who lays claim to
finding without loss isa liar."

HADRAT FARIDUDDIN GANJ-E-SHAKAR (R.A)

The Reverend Pir of Hadrat Qutab Jamal
Shaikh Fariduddin was born in 569/1173-74 or 571/1175-76. His father
was a scholar, but it was his lengthy an exceedingly pious woman, who
prayed nightly at lengthy vigils, who exerted the greaterinfluence on
the future sufi saint. One story regarding the spiritual power of Baba
Farid's mother related is that a thief, entering the houseglanced at
the playing woman and was instantly blinded. The thief implored the
Swhaikh's mother to restore his eyesight. She did so, and the
blindnesswas removed. The following day, the thief returned with his
family to the Shailkh's house and was converted to Islam.
His mother's influence helped to promote an extreme asceticism in
Shaikh farid. Unconcerned with food or clothing, he was constantly
occupied withmeditation in a place behind the mosque at Khtwal. The
townsfolk came to believe he was deranged, and they spoke so to Shaikh
Jalau'd-Din Tabrizi of Baba Farid and what to them were his strange
habits.
When Jalalu'd-Din Tabrizi went to see BabaFarid he had only torn
clothing to wear so he had great difficulty in presenting himself
respectably to his distinguished visitor. Jalalu'd-Din had with him a
pomegranate, andbroke it, offering it to Baba Farid. As the Baba was
fasting he refused to eat it, but after his guest had left he picked
up a seed and in the evening ate that. Instantly his heart was
illuminated and he lamented no having eaten the whole fruit. However
in Dehli KhwajaQubu'd Din consoled the Baba saying that in pomegranate
there was only one seed endowed with spiritual blessings and that he
had had it.
At the age of eighteen, Baba Farid settled in Multan to undertake
further studies and joined a seminary at the mosque of Maulana
Minhaju'd-Din Tirmizi. There he met Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar Kaki
and asked to become his disciple. According to Jamali, Baba Farid was
initiated into silsila by the Khwajaat Multan and was advised to
complete his education there. Shortly afterwards the Khwaja left for
Delhi. Jamali addsthat the Baba then visited Qandhar to acquire
further knowledge, but it is more likely that Baba Farid reached Delhi
shortly after the Khwaja arrival and was initiated into the
distinguished group of Sufis residing in the Khwaja's jama'at khana.
Baba Farid lived in a small cell near the jama'at-khana and, under
guidance, performed severe asceticexercises. His austerities so
impressed Khwaja Mu'inu'd-Din during his visit to Delhi, that he took
a special interest in Baba Farid, prophesied his later fame and asked
Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din to join him in prayer for hisdisciple's future
greatness.
The severities practiced by the Baba in his Delhi cell failed to
satisfy him and he asked his master if he could perform a chilla which
involved spiritual exercises and fasting for forty days. The Khwaja
finally permitted him to perform a chilla-I ma'kus(inverted chilla).
Ignorant of the details he asked Bdru'd-Din Ghaznawi to obtain them
from the Khwaja who replied that it required a man to tie a rope
around his feet andremain suspended in a well, head down, for forty
days and nights, while both fasting and praying. The Baba founda
lonely mosque in Uch and, talking the mu'azzin into his confidence
performed the chilla-ima'kus.
The reason why the Shaikh came to be known as Ganj-I Shakar (Store of
Sugar) is described in different stories in various hagiological
works. A more popular version is that, overpowered by incessant
fasting for three days, the Baba placed some pebbles in his mouth.
These immediately changed into sugar. Baba Farid, believing that this
had been the work of the devil, spat them out. At midnight, again
overcome by hunger, he repeated his actions, thestones became sugar
and he refused to eat them. Finally, overpowered by extreme hunger he
ate some pebbles which hadbecome sugar so that he could continue
praying. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din approved his action, telling him that
whatever was received from the unseen world must necessarily be good.
After the Baba's fame in Delhi became an obstacle to prayer and
meditation, he left for Hansi in the Hisar district. He was therefore
absent from Delhi at the time of the Khwaja's death, arriving five
days after the event.In accordance with the khwaja's will, Qazi
Hamidu'd-Din Nagauri gave Baba Farid relics from the Khwaja including
his khirqa, turban, stick and wooden sandals. Although this implied
that the Baba was the Khwaja's successors in Delhi, the Baba's
asceticism and total withdrawal from the world precluded any conflict
with Shaikh Badru'd-Din who had also been extremely close to the
khwaja and who wished to be his spiritual successor in Delhi.
First going to Hansi, the Baba finally settled at Ajodhan, where the
remained from about 1236 until his death on 5Muharram 664/17 October
1265. His long stay on th Stalaj, along one of the main routes from
Multan to Lahore and Delhi, was a spiritually rewarding experience.
Although he selected a lonely place toreside, Baba Farid was harassed
by local officersof the Qazi of Ajodhan and by the rudeness of the
people of the town. This was prompted mainly by the Qazi's hostility
towards the sufimovement.
Through an example of sanctity and austerity, Baba Farid sought to
reform the Muslims in Punjab.
Shaikh Faridu'd-Din livednear the Jaml' mosque, in a small house of
mud walls covered with a thatched roof. He had strictly forbidden the
useof burnt bricks for the building which, according to Chishti
tradition, were not simple enough for an ascetic's dwelling. The door
remained open until midnight as a welcome to visitors. Among his few
possessions, the Baba had a small rug which heused by night as a
blanket, but which hardly covered him. During the day it was used as a
sitting rug. Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din's stick rested behind his head as a
pillow. His food consisted of wild fruit and millet bread. Abstaining
from nourishment during the day, in the evening he broke his fast by
taking sherbet. A bowl of it would be brought to theBaba and often
mixed with dried grapes. Of this he drank never more than half,
dividing the rest among his visitors. After prayers, two pieces of
bread smeared with ghee weretaken to Baba Farid. One was given away,
the other he himself ate, sharing it with his favourite disciples.
The jama'at-khana consisted only of a thatched hall, used for communal
living and a separate cell was for the Shaikh's meditation.
The jama'at-khana contained not a single piece of furniture, every
member sat and slept onthe floor. On special occasions a bed was
provided for a new visitor. The Shaikh, followed the same practices as
his disciples. Once when ill and forcedto rest on the bed he
apologized profusely to those sitting on the floor.
The establishment was run by Baba's chief disciples. Fuel and wild
berries, which were then boiled, were collected from the forests. In
the early yearsof his stay at Ajodhan a zanbil (a basket made of palm
leaves hung round the neck) was carried by some members of the
jama'at-khana twice a day to the town and the offerings placed in it
were shared by everyone. The Baba also preferred to eat bread from the
zanbil, perhaps to be more fully integrated into the life of all
members of his jama'at-khana. Other Chishti Shaikhs, including his own
teachers, had permitted the borrowing of small amounts of money for
household needs, but the Baba strictly forbadethis practice. Anything
received as futuh if not used immediately was kept no longer than a
day and was distributed to the needy. To a sufi a new day ushered in
newhope in God, and a concern for future needswas seen as totally
opposed to a complete trust in Him.
The jama'at-khana, situated on a main route, attracted many visitors.
These included scholars, merchants, government servants, artisans,
Sufis and qalandars, in short, men from all classes and sections of
society. Some, disillusioned with a life of affluence and comfort,
became permanent members, others stayed for short periods to seek the
Baba's blessing and experience a spiritual rejuvenation. Some of his
eminent disciples who lived in other areas also visited the
jama'at-khana, but one such visitor, Maulana Badru'd-Din Ishaq, stayed
and became a steward of thejama'at-khana. Prestigious guests, and many
other people who came to the Shaikh werehumble. A large number
requested ta'wiz (amulets) and the demand for amulets became to
fulfill all requests, so often they would be written instead by
Maulana Ishaq.
The jama'at-khana received visitors who were often less than polite
and considerate to its inmates.
To Baba Farid, Sufism was a strenuous exerciseleading one to a pious
life within the society in which one lived. It demanded humility,
modesty , patience, fortitude and a cleansing of the heart from all
conceit. Self-abnegation involved careful concernfor any offence to
another, and in the event of such a situation,sincere and copious
apologies were demanded.
Baba Farid was him self a scholar and wrote excellent poetry in
Arabic, Persian and the local Hindawi dialect. He recited the Qur'an
perfectly, popularized the study of the 'Awarifu'l-M'aarif and
lectured on the subtle philosophy of the Lawa'ih of Qazi Hamidu'd-Din
Nagauri. Nevertheless, he did not pride himself on his intellectual
achievements and felt a genuine sense of humility. He encouraged
education in his disciplesand considered the 'ulama' to be nobler than
the common people, though he disliked their self-satisfied
indifference to others. The faqirs, he asserted, were superior to the
'ulama' and occupied the same place among them as the full moon
amongst a sonstellation of stars.
Baba Farid illustrated the difference between Shari's, Tariqa and
Haqiqa by using the zakat, an obligatory payment for all Muslims, as
an illustration. The zakat of Sharia'a was five dirhams our of 200,
the zakat of Tariqa omvolved the payment of 195 dirhams out of 200 and
the retention of only five dirhams and the zakat of Haqiqa entailed
the payment of everything, retaining nothing.
Five hundred aphorisms of Baba Farid were collected, of which the
following, selected by Amir Khwurd, give some insight into the Baba's
broadly based, humanitarian teachings.
1. Pray to God alone for everyone else takes away but He gives.
Whatever He gives cannot be taken away by anyone else.
2. Escaping from the carnal self should be deemed as a means of reaching God.
3. Do not satisfy the demands of the carnal self for its demands know no limit.
4. Do not regard the ignorant as amongst the living.
5. Avoid the ignorant who pose a though they were wise.
6. Do not utter a truth which resembles a lie.
7. Do not sell what people do not wish to buy.
8. Do not worry about position and wealth.
9. Do not eat every body's bread, but give bread to everybody.
10. Never forget death atany place.
11. Do not make a statement based on supposition.
12. Treat a calamity as the consequence of greed.
13. Do not boast of having committed a sin.
14. Do not make the heart a plaything of the devil.
15. Keep your internal self better than the external one.
16. Do not try to adorn yourself.
17. Do not lower yourselfin order to secure a position.
18. Do not borrow eitherfrom the helpless or from the upstart.
19. Protect the honour of old families.
20. Strive to obtain freshgrace everyday.
21. As far as possible prevent women for developing the habit of using
abusive language.
22. Consider good healtha divine blessing.
23. Be grateful but do not compel others to be grateful to you.
24. While doing good to others think that you arehelping yourself.
25. Give up immediately that which your heart finds evil.
26. Do not retain a slave who wishes to be sold.
27. Seek a pretext to perform a good work.
28. Always keep the doors of peace open in awar.
29. Consider levity and harshness signs of weakness.
30. Do not consider yourself safe from the enemy however conciliatory
he might appear.
31. Fear the man who fears you.
32. Do not rely on your own strength.
33. Self-restraint is neveras imperative as it is at the time of sexual desire.
34. Do not forget religion in the company of state dignitaries.
35. Glory and honour depend upon equity andjustice.
36. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
37. Do not consider anything a substitute forreligion.
38. There is no compensation for the (loss) of time.
39. Be magnanimous to the righteous.
40. Be arrogant to the stubborn.
41. Do not be extravagant in entertaining guests.
Make wisdom and solitude your 42. (main) provision.
43. Do not flee from calamity sent to you by God.
44. Consider the dervish who seeks riches as covetous.
45. entrust the government to the care of a God-fearing visor.
46. Annihilate the enemyby discussion and captivate the heart of
friends by hospitality.
47. Consider worldliness as unforeseen calamity.
48. Seek out your faults.
49. Acquire wealth honestly in order to be able to retain it.
50. Acquire knowledge through humility.
51. Do not be concerned by the bitter words of enemies.
52. Do not flee from the enemy.
53. If you wish to avoid disgrace, do not beg.
54. if you wish to make the whole world your enemy, be arrogant.
55. Keep your good and bad points secret.
56. Protect religion through knowledge.
57. If you wish to be great be humble.
58. If you want satisfaction, do not be jealous.
59. Accept affliction as a gift.
60. Try to become immortal by obliteratingyour carnal self.
The above sayings are profound, but the inner nature of the Baba's
mystical consciousness isbest expressed in the following verses which
he often recited while praying in solitude:
'I pray to live only for the sake of loving Thee,
I wish to become dustand dwell eternally under
Thy feet.
My principal expectation from both worlds in that,
I should die and live for Thee.'
According to the Shaikh, the initiation of a disciple should be
performed personally byhis preceptor. He was opposed to the
initiationcustoms involving head shaving rituals at the tombs of sufi
saints. When one of his own sons performed such a ceremony at the foot
of Khwaja Qutbu'd-Din Bakhtiyar's tomb, his father remarked that such
an initiation was invalid. True initiations involved the disciple
holding the Shaikh's hand, while it was usual for his Pir to offer
blessings and prayers forthe disciple's welfare.
Hadrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakkar died on 5th of Muharram 664 A.H.
corresponding to 17 October 1265 C.E. He was buried in Pak Pattan (135
miles off Lahore).

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Happiness came alone

This is my story. About the love that came alone.
Three years ago I was 23 years old and very unhappy. I had just left a
rich, non-committed manwho wanted to marry meand gave me everything
Ineeded.
But one day, April 1 it was and just like in a joke I left him. There
was a reason and quite a serious one. He wanted to own me. Leaving him
meant losing my job (because I worked for him), my love, my comfort
and money.
Another man helped me leave him; he was the third man in my life. I
was madly in love with him. I simply adored him.Two months after we
began dating, his ex-girlfriend called him and told him she was
pregnant. He went crazy. He began behaving weird. He didn't know what
to do. Go to her or stay with me. At the end, he left me.
I cried myself out. For months and maybe years.
I started dating other men and hurting them. For only a year I went to
bed with 5 men and left them in the worst possible way. I made them
cry and beg me.
I felt nothing. I was the cruelest being in the world. My heart was
broken and I found no meaning of life. But at a certain point I calmed
down. I forgot the man that left me. He married that woman he left me
for. I lost him forever andI knew I needed to move forward and to go
back to normal, to somehow save my soul.
Weird enough after this so called balance, Paco appeared. I was at a
bar and he approached and started talking to me. We spent our time
together until 4 am and we couldn't get enough of each other. It was
hard atthe beginning. He had just been abandoned by a woman he was 5
years with. So he was being mean to me. But I knew best what he felt
and waited for the moment he would reach that calmness that I felt and
everything will be perfect. Yes, I waited for him to go through that
same hell I did, through the same agony for the unrequited love and I
don't feel sorry about it. Because now I have next to me the man I can
rely on totally. I love him and I cannot imagine my life without him.
We have our wedding planned in 3 months time, exactly two years after
we met. And I think that happiness comes alone tous, without looking
or crying for it. The only thing we need is to be at peace with
ourselves.
More stories from "Love"
Undefined ...
I have my best friend whom i met 3 years back.We were just facebook
friends but i dont kn...

Our parting

I want to tell you the story of our parting.
Not about the parting when you are abandoned and you think nothing
else matters anymore.
I am living in another country for quite some time now, but home is
always where the heart is, so every summer I pack my bags and leave
for my favorite country. Last summer was different.
I felt grown-up and wise,attractive and a woman who left the child
years behind. I wasn't ready to allow yet another love disappointment
and unrequited love, as I did last summer. I decided to fill up my
vacation with friends, parties, discos and short flirts. But I was
only thinking I could do that. To my surprise I metthe love of my
life. Mutual friends introduced us.
For a long time I was wondering what to do, shall I love him, shall I
try to avoid him and get rid of my thoughts about him...? I like him,
Ch. wonmy trust. Made me feel like a princess. I fell madly in love.
I felt him so close. We spent all our time together. We went to bars,
parties, discos….We shared everything, we talked of life, we
laughed….I felt he was not only my boyfriend but my closest friend as
well! He was so tender, we had amazing nights together, passionate
kisses, he gave me a love so crystal clear that only time could stand
in its way.
Before I knew it summer was over and I had to go back.
The last couple of days I felt confused and insecure.
I didn't know what would happen with my life. I didn't know what to
say, or to plan…..It wasthe same with Ch.
Our last two dinners were silent.
We sat and watched and sighed. I tried to start a conversation, to
seem light-hearted, as I usually am, but it wasn't possible.
I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, wanted to say that I
can'tlet this end so suddenly, but I lacked the words.
Something wouldn't let me say it. I was asking myself "What if he abandons meа"?
During my last night withhim I cried a lot. We spent it alone. It was
all so romantic. He gave me a gift that touched me and I knew he cared
about me.
And then he said: "My dear, I will be waiting foryou"! Suddenly all my
being lit up and shined. He walked with me to theentrance.
My heart ached when I turned and saw the man of my dreams leave.
But I knew we will be together again next summer.
This was not parting as the one everyone has feltat least once in
life; the one that hurts so much because you realize you are not loved
any more. This was a parting that might even wake up an even bigger
love. Some of you might say that relationships like these are
impossible, because itis hard to wait and love someone and be so far
away. I thought the samething before it all happened to me.
I spoke to Ch. Today. Within two weeks we will be together again!:)
He sounded so happy!
I love you, sweetheart!

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Asmaa bint Abu Bakr - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Asmaa bint Abu Bakr belonged to a distinguished Muslim family.Her
father, Abu Bakr, was a closefriend of the Prophet and the first
Khalifah after his death. Her halfsister, Aishah, was a wife of the
Prophet and one of the Ummahat al-Mumineen. Her husband, Zubayr ibn
al-Awwam, was one of the special personal aides of the Prophet. Her
son, Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, became well known for his
incorruptibility and his unswerving devotion to Truth.
Asma a herself was one of the first persons to accept Islam. Only
about seventeen persons including both men and women became Muslims
before her. She was later given the nickname Dhat an-Nitaqayn (the One
with the Two Waistbands) because ofan incident connected with the
departure of the Prophet and her father from Makkah on the historic
hijrah to Madinah.
Asma a was one of the few persons who knew of the Prophet's plan to
leave for Madinah. The utmost secrecy had to be maintained because
ofthe Quraysh plans to murder theProphet. On the night of their
departure, Asmaa was the one who prepared a bag of food and a water
container for their journey. She did not find anything though with
which to tie the containers and decided to use her waistband or nitaq.
Abu Bakr suggested that she tear it into two. This she did andthe
Prophet commended her action. From then on she became known as "the
One withthe Two Waistbands".
When the final emigration from Makkah to Madinah took place soon aster
the departure of the Prophet, Asmaa was pregnant. She did not let her
pregnancy or the prospect of a long and arduous journey deter her from
leaving. As soon as she reached Quba on the outskirts of Madinah, she
gave birth to a son,Abdullah. The Muslims shouted Allahu Akbar (God is
the Greatest) and Laa ilaaha illa Allah(There is no God but Allah) in
happiness and thanksgiving because this was the first child to be born
to the muhajireen in Madinah.
Asma a became known from hertine and noble qualities and for the
keenness of her intelligence. She was an extremely generous person.
Her son Abdullah once said of her, "I have not seen twowomen more
generous than my aunt Aishah and my mother Asmaa. But their generosity
was expressed in different ways. My aunt would accumulate one thing
after another until she hadgathered what she felt was sufficient and
then distributed itall to those in need. My mother, on the other hand,
would not keep anything even for the morrow."
Asma's presence of mind in difficult circumstances was remarkable.
When her father let Makkah, he took all his wealth, amounting to some
six thousand dirhams, with him anddid not leave any for his family.
When Abu Bakr's father, Abu Quhafah (he was still a mushrik) heard of
his departure he went to his house and said to Asmaa:
"I understand that he has left you bereft of money after he himself
has abandoned you."
"No, grandfather," replied Asmaa, "in fact he has left us much money."
She took some pebbles and put them in a small recess in the wall where
they used to put money. She threw a cloth over the heap and took
thehand of her grandfather--he wasblind--and said, "See how much money
he has left us".
Through this stratagem, Asmaa wanted to allay the fears of the old man
and to forestall him from giving them anything of hisown wealth. This
was because she disliked receiving any assistance from a mushrikeen if
it was her own grandfather.
She had a similar attitude to her mother and was not inclined to
compromise her honor and her faith. Her mother, Qutaylah, oncecame to
visit her in Madinah. Shewas not a Muslim and was divorced from her
father in pre-Islamic times. Her mother brought her gifts of raisins,
clarified butter and qaraz (pods of a species of sant tree). Asma at
first refused to admit her intoher house or accept the gifts. She sent
someone to Aishah to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, about her
attitude to her mother and he replied that she should certainly admit
her to herhouse and accept the gifts. On this occasion, the following
revelation came to the Prophet:
"God forbids you not, with regard to those who do not fight you
because of your faith nor drive you out of your homes,from dealing
kindly and justly with them. God loves those whoare just. God only
forbids you with regard to those who fight you for your Faith, and
drive you from your homes, and support others in driving you out, from
turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to
them (in these circumstances) that do wrong." (Surah al-Mumtahanah 6O:
8-9).
For Asmaa and indeed for many other Muslims, life in Madinah was
rather difficult at first. Her husband was quite poor and his only
major possession to begin with was a horse he had bought. Asma a
herself described these early days:
"I used to provide fodder for thehorse, give it water and groom it. I
would grind grain and make dough but I could not bake well.The women
of the Ansar used tobake for me. They were truly good women. I used to
carry thegrain on my head from az-Zubayr's plot which the Prophet had
allocated to him to cultivate. It was about three farsakh (about eight
kilo meters)from the town's center. One day I was on the road carrying
the grain on my head when I met the Prophet and a group of Sahabah. He
called out to me and stopped his camel so that I could ride behind
him. I felt embarrassed to travel with the Prophet and also remembered
az-Zubayr's jealousy, he was the most jealous of men. The Prophet
realized that I was embarrassed and rode on."
Later, Asmaa related to az-Zubayr exactly what had happened and he
said, "By God, that you should have to carry grain is far more
distressing to me than your riding with (the Prophet)".
Asma a obviously then was a person of great sensitivity and devotion.
She and her husband worked extremely hard togetheruntil their
situation of poverty gradually changed. At times, however, az-Zubayr
treated her harshly. Once she went to her father and complained to him
about this. His reply to her was: 'My daughter, have sabr for if a
woman has a righteous husbandand he dies and she does not marry after
him, they will be brought together again in Paradise."
Az-Zubayr eventually became one of the richest men among the Sahabah
but Asmaa did not allow this to corrupt her principles. Her son,
al-Mundhir once sent her an elegant dress from Iraq made of fine and
costly material. Asmaa by this time was blind. She felt the material
and said, "It's awful. Take it back to him".
Al-Mundhir was upset and said,"Mother, it was not transparent."
"It may not be transparent," sheretorted, "but it is too tight fitting
and shows the contours of the body."
Al-Mundhir bought another dress that met with her approval and she accepted it.
If the above incidents and aspects of Asmaas life may easilybe
forgotten, then her final meeting with her son, Abdullah, must remain
one of the most unforgettable moments in early Muslim history. At that
meeting she demonstrated the keenness of her intelligence, her
resoluteness and the strength ofher faith.
Abdullah was in the running for the Caliphate after the death of Yazid
ibn Muawiyah. The Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, Khurasan and much of Syria were
favorable to him and acknowledged him as the Caliph. The Ummayyads
howevercontinued to contest the Caliphate and to field a massive army
under the command of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi. Relentless
battles were fought between the two sides during which Abdullah ibn
az-Zubayr displayed great acts of courage and heroism. Many of his
supporters however could not withstand the continuous strain of battle
and gradually began to desert him. Finally he sought refuge in the
Sacred Mosque at Makkah. It was then that he went to his mother, now
an old blind woman, and said:
"Peace be on you, Mother, and the mercy and blessings of God.""Unto
you be peace, Abdullah," she replied. "What is it that brings you here
at this hour while boulders from Hajjaj's catapults are raining down
on your soldiers in the Haram and shaking the houses of Makkah?"
"I came to seek your advice," he said.
"To seek my advice?" she asked in astonishment. "About what?"
"The people have deserted me out of fear of Hajjaj or being tempted by
what he has to offer. Even my children and my family have left me.
There is onlya small group of men with me now and however strong and
steadfast they are they can only resist for an hour or two more.
Messengers of the Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads) are now negotiating with
me, offering to give me whatever worldly possessions I want, should I
lay down my arms and swear allegiance to Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. What
do you think?"
Raising her voice, she replied:"It's your affair, Abdullah, and you
know yourself better. If however you think that you are right and that
you are standing up for the Truth, then persevere and fight on as your
companionswho were killed under your flag had shown perseverance. If
however you desire the world, what a miserable wretch you are. You
would have destroyed yourself and you would have destroyed your men."
"But I will be killed today, there is no doubt about it."
"That is better for you than that you should surrender yourself
toHajjaj voluntarily and that some minions of Banu Umayyah should play
with your head."
"I do not fear death. I am only afraid that they will mutilate me."
"There is nothing after death that man should be afraid of. Skinning
does not cause any pain to the slaughtered sheep."
Abdullah's face beamed as he said: "What a blessed mother! Blessed be
your noble qualities! Ihave come to you at this hour tohear what I
have heard. God knows that I have not weakenedor despaired. He is
witness over me that I have not stood up for what I have out of love
for this world and its attractions but only out of anger for the sake
of God. His limits have been transgressed. Here am I, going to what is
pleasing to you. So if Iam killed, do not grieve for me and commend me
to God."
"I shall grieve for you," said the aging but resolute Asmaa, "only if
you are killed in a vain and unjust cause."
"Be assured that your son has not supported an unjust cause, nor
committed any detestable deed, nor done any injustice to aMuslim or a
Dhimmi and that there is nothing better in his sight than the pleasure
of God, the Mighty, the Great. I do not say this to exonerate myself.
God knows that I have only said it to make your heart firm and
steadfast. "
"Praise be to God who has madeyou act according to what He likes and
according to what I like. Come close to me, my son, that I may smell
and feel your body for this might be the last meeting with you."
Abdullah knelt before her. She hugged him and smothered his head, his
face and his neck with kisses. Her hands began to squeeze his body
when suddenlyshe withdrew them and asked:
"What is this you are wearing, Abdullah?"
"This is my armor plate."
"This, my son, is not the dress ofone who desires martyrdom. Take it
off. That will make your movements lighter and quicker. Wear instead
the sirwal (a long under garment) so that if you are killed your awrah
will not be exposed.
Abdullah took off his armor plate and put on the sirwal. As he left
for the Haram to join the fighting he said: "My mother, don't deprive
me of your dua (prayer)."
Raising her hands to heaven, sheprayed: "O Lord, have mercy on his
staying up for long hours and his loud crying in the darkness of the
night while people slept... "O Lord, have mercy on his hunger and his
thirst on his Journeys from Madinah and Makkah while he fasted... "O
Lord, bless his righteousness to his mother andhis father... "O Lord,
I commend him to Your cause and I am pleased with whatever You decree
for him. And grant me forhis sake the reward of those who are patient
and who persevere."
By sunset, Abdullah was dead. Just over ten days later, his mother
joined him. She was a hundred years old. Age had not made her infirm
nor blunted thekeenness of her mind.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Ch 14: A Complete Change

One day Mirano, Mertha and Hanana went to the head priest and told him
that as Isabella was their classmate and was also amenable to their
advice,so if they were permittedto talk to her they might be able to
bring her backto the Christian fold. This last chance of
persuasionmight be given them andthey had ninety-nine per cent hope
that they would succeed. Holy father, they said : Isabellais a piece
of our heart and we will not spare any effort to
persuade her. So let us go to the monastery and talk to her.
Head priest: Let that accursed girl go to hell. She has become very
hard-hearted and Lord Jesus Christ has cut her off. I am afraid she
may not lead astray even you.
Mirano; Well, there is no harm in making a last effort of persuasion.
If she comes round, well and good, otherwise youmay give her whatever
punishment you like.
Head priest: Very well, I give you permission to go to the monastery
on condition that you should talk in the presence of two monks so that
the accursed may not misguide you, and you may not be influenced by
her apostasy. Now go and tomorrow evening you may go to the
monastery.I am writing to the monk for it today.
After getting permission Mirano, Mertha and Hanana returned pleasedand
began to make preparations to leave their homes for ever, as the plan
they had conceived was such that they would also have to leave their
homes along with Isabella. Anyway they prepared for their permanent
departure with great care and precaution and before the time of their
leaving for the monastery they informed Ziad b. Umar and Umar Lahmi
asking for their help in that enterprise.
After all preparations hadbeen made the three friends came out of
their houses and met at an appointed place and at the time given by
the head priest they started for the monastery. The head priest had
written to the manager of the monastery that these friends of Isabella
were going to make a last effort to reconvert Isabella at a specified
time and they should be allowed to enter the monastery and given
necessary help. Maybe bypersuasion of her friendsIsabella might see
the light. So when these girlsreached the monastery the monks and nuns
welcomed them cordiallyand thought that to give guidance to Isabella
Jesus Christ had sent his Virgin Mother in the formof these girls and
that the help of all saints was with them. Entering the monastery the
three girlssat down before the statue of Virgin Mary anda group of
monks surrounded them.
A nun (to Mirano): Blessing of the Lord JesusChrist may be with you
and God may give you success in your mission. You know that some devil
has misguided this unlucky girl, Isabella. How good and learned was
the girl! May God destroy the devil, what pious people he has seduced!
Another nun: Virgin Mary's shadow be over you. By the Deliverer,
youwill certainly succeed in your mission. Your beautiful faces assure
your success. If Lord JesusChrist's grace again supports Isabella it
will be a great feat of yours. The news has spread all over Cordova
and all Christians have been humbled.
Third nun: By God, just last night I saw girls of your features in my
dream who were sitting in the lap of Virgin Mary and on the other side
Lord Jesus Christ was indicating by gestures that the honour of the
church will be established through these girls. When the monks heard
of this dream they cried: It is these girls.
Chief monk: Isabella is locked up in the underground chamber and her
hands and feet are chained. The accursed girl is so hard-hearted that
the severer the punishment, the more she applauds Islam and in this
condition she does not hesitate even to preach to us. Now when do you
propose to go to her?
Mirano: Our idea is to talkto her calmly and explainto her the truth
of Christian creed, but on condition that except one or two monks none
others should be with us.Now that the sun is about to set, after three
hours of the night you may bring her here so that we may induce her to
pray and practise austerities. Possibly therewill be no need
thereafter to persuade her and by the blessing of Virgin Mary
(pointing to the statue) her heart will be opened for the crucified
God.
Chief monk: Whatever you order we are ready to carry out. I am
directing all the monks not to interfere in your prayers and keep away
from you.
Mirano : Thank you very much, but first let us meet Isabella in the
underground chamber and after some usual talkexclusively on personal
matters bring her here. (Pointing to the statue ofVirgin Mary) Look,
the Mother of our Lord is quite ready to take Isabella in her arms and
it is hoped that Isabella will not refuse to go to her arms.
Thereafter the monk and the three girls went towards the underground
chamber, the lock was opened and all were lost in darkness.
Hanana: Oho ! How dark !
Monk: I am lighting the lamp. You just go a little ahead, but be
careful not to stumble for many skeletons are scattered all over here.
The monk lighted the lamp. When Isabella saw her three friends she
wasoverjoyed. While Mirano, Mertha and Hanana had not yet seen her,
Isabella loudly called the Muslim salutation of peace.
Monk: O unlucky accursedgirl! Just yesterday you got so much beating
for it, yet you do not take lesson and reform yourself.
All the girls suddenly laughed on hearing the call of Muslim
salutation of peace, but when they came nearer their eyes became wet
on seeing Isabella bound in chains.
Mirano: How do you do, Isabella? How is life here?Did you realise what
is the punishment of rejecting the truth?
Isabella (smiling): You areright, sister, for the sake of truth people
have even gone to the gallows.
Mirano: We have not come here to discuss with you but to adopt your creed.
On this all the girls laughed loudly and the two monks also could
notsuppress their laughter.
Mirano: Isabella, after all how long you will continue to remain in
thegrip of satan? Just see how the Christians all over Cordova are
perturbed on your apostasy!
Isabella: There is no other way of protection from satan except by
accepting Islam. It is only this strong fort from the cover of which
man can successfully confront all satanic powers. It is a vain thought
that only bybecoming a Christian onecan save oneself from thegrip of
satan. You have read the Bible and should know that even holy
Disciples could not escape satan's grip and even Jesus Christ called
some of his Disciples satan. When these Disciples who, according to
you, were trained under the direct supervision of Jesus Christ, could
not escape from satan's strong hold, how can Christians of today save
themselves from satan? But the Quran says that satan cannot even touch
the devoted servants of Allah.
Mirano: You have again started the same discussion in which you have
been defeated by the priests (laughing) and by God's grace we have
emerged successful.So you should stop this religious discussion and
just look to your tortures.O Isabella! It is God's punishment to you
that now, being the daughterof the head priest of Cordova, you sleep
on the bed of thorns and your hands and feet are chained. For God's
sake, take pity on yourself.
Isabella: If truth could be given up to avoid troubles, then early
Christian martyrs would not have tasted martyrdom. If troubles come
only on untruth, then most of the Christians who were the pride of the
church would be counted to be on the wrong. In fact, your talk has
tortured memore than what I suffer on the bed of thorns and grip of
chains. Did you come here to give me torture over torture?
Mirano (to the monk): Isabella can never be defeated by discussion.
Her only remedy is that tonight we include her inour prayer and
devotion before the idol of Virgin Mary. You will see that this very
night she will becompletely transformed and her heart will be turned
towards crucified Christ.
Monk : May Lord Jesus accomplish this, but apparently Isabella's
turning to the truth seems to be very difficult.
Mirano: It is the rule that one who is more hard-hearted will come to
the faith more with reality. Just see how unbending the enemy of the
Lord Saint Paul was and what tortures the believers suffered at his
hands, but this very SaintPaul became the pillar of Christianity and
was the greatest recipient of Lord's grace.
Monk: You are right. May Lord Christ may do the same for Isabella and
shealso joins our fold !
Mirano: Well, now we should go from hers and prepare for the prayer in
the same large room. (To the monk See, after three hours of the night
you should bring Isabellato our room and also depute a nun to be with
us to keep a watch over Isabella.
Monk: Very well. Isabella will be brought to you at the appointed time.
Mirano: Can you or any other monk also take the trouble of remaining
with us for the night ?
Monk: Most surely. But you know that all the night we are engaged in
prayer and remembranceof God.
Mirano: Well, just as you like, and there is no needeither. But at the
time of the morning talk as arranged, you will be with us.
Monk: In the morning not only myself but othermonks also will listen
to your talk.
Mertha: If Lord Jesus wills, the object will be gained during the
night and there will be no need of any talk.
Mertha said this in a tonethat, except the monk, allothers understood
its implication.
Thereafter Mertha, Hanana and Mirano along with the monk came out of
the underground chamber and reached the large room of the monastery.
The monk locked the underground chamber. After dinner and toilet
Mirano, Mertha and Hanana took another round of the monastery and
talked to monks and nuns who began preparations for the night vigil.
These girls returned to their room. The purpose of the roundof the
monastery and talk to monks and nuns was to find out a nun who was the
greatest devotee and they found out a nun of this type and also the
time of the night when she used to engage herself in prayer.Now three
hours of the night were about to pass and these girls were talking
quietly. At last thedoor of the large room opened and the same chief
monk entered when the girls stood up to pay him respect as he was
chief of the monks. The monk informed the girls that Isabella was
being taken out of the underground chamber and brought to them as
arranged and soon a nunwould also be sent to them.
Mirano: Please send here the nun who is most devoted to prayer in the
night and is also saintly. Is there any such nun in the monastery?
Monk: All the nuns that are here are devotees and practise all kinds
of austerities for the sake ofLord Jesus, but there is one among them
whose name is Arkia who is the most pious devotee, recipient of Divine
revelations and performer of miracles . About her family it is enough
to say that she is a Princess of France and has given up her riches
and royalty for the sake of Virgin Mary.
Mirano: So our object is gained. We needed such a nun who could
influence Isabella with her spirituality. Does she also perform
miracles?
Monk: Her miracles are known far and wide. Have you never heard about
it ? You may just take this that she drinks the cup of poison and is
not at all affected. Once avery dangerous and poisonous snake
enteredthe monastery and fell at the feet of Arkia. This I saw myself.
Mirano: God's name be glorified! The work is done. Now, you please go
and send Isabella to us.

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Good deeds appear in the form of a man in the grave

How sound is this hadeeth?
"When a person dies, whilst his relatives are busy with his funeral
rites, a very handsome man stands at the head of the deceased and when
the body is shrouded, that man comes in between the shroud and chest
of the deceased, and after the burial, the people go back to their
homes and the two angels Munkar and Nakeer come to the grave and they
try to separate this handsome man from the deceased so that they will
be able to question the deceased about his faith.But the good-looking
man says: 'He is my friend, he is my friend, and I will never leave
him without interveningunder any circumstances. If you areappointed to
question him, then do as you are commanded, but as for me, I can never
leave him until I admit him to Paradise.' Then the handsome man turns
to the deceased and says tohim: 'I am the Qur'aan that you used to
recite ina loud voice sometimes and in a low voice sometimes. Do not
worry. After the questioning of Munkar and Nakeer, there will be no
sorrow after this day.' When the questioning ends, the handsome man
and the angels prepare a bed of silk filled with musk for the deceased
in Paradise.".
Praise be to Allaah.
What is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah about one's good deeds takinga
physical form and appearing in the form ofa handsome man in the grave,
including the deed of reciting the HolyQur'aan, is as follows:
1-
It was narrated from al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said:
"When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the
Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces
like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They
bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise…"
until he said,describing the state of the believer in the grave:
"Then a voice calls out from heaven, 'My slave has spoken the truth,
so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothehim from Paradise,
and open for him a gate to Paradise.' Then there comes to him some of
itsfragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then
there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes,
and a good fragrance, who says, 'Receive the glad tidings that will
bring you joy this day.' He says, 'Who are you? Your face is a face
whichbrings glad tidings.' He says, 'I am your righteous deeds.' He
says, 'O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may returnto my family and my
wealth.'"
Narrated by Ahmad (4/362); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam
al-Janaa'iz (156).
2-
It was narrated that Buraydah (may Allaah bepleased with him) said: I
heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say:
"The Qur'aan will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when
his grave is opened for him, in the form of a pale man. It will say to
him, 'Do you recognize me?' He will say: 'I do not recognize you.' It
will say: 'I am your companion the Qur'aan, who kept you thirsty on
hot days and kept you awake at night.Every merchant benefits from his
business and today you will benefit from your good deeds.' He will be
given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and there
will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, and hisparents will be
clothed with priceless garments the like of which have never been seen
in this world. They will say: 'Why have we been clothed with this?' It
will be said: 'Because your son used to recite Qur'aan.' Then it will
be said to him: 'Recite and ascend in the degrees of Paradise,' and he
will continue to ascend so long as he recites, either at a fast pace
or a slow pace ."
Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad (394) and Ibn Maajah in al-Sunan
(3781); classed as hasan by al-Busayri in al-Zawaa'id and by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2829).
Al-Suyooti said in his commentary on the hadeeth (2/1242):
"In the form of a pale man". Al-Suyooti said: This is the one whose
colour has changed. It is as if he comes in this form so as to
resemble his companion in this world, or to draw attention to the fact
thatjust as his colour changed in this world because of staying up at
night to read Qur'aan, the Qur'aan will appear in a similar form
becauseof its striving on the Day of Resurrection until its companion
attains the ultimate goal in the Hereafter. End quote.
I have not found anything in the saheeh Sunnah to suggest that aman's
righteous deeds will appear in the form of a man in the grave except
in these two hadeeths.
As for the hadeeth whichyou quoted, it is not narrated in any of the
reliable books of Sunnah, and we have not found it with any isnaad,
saheeh (sound) or da'eef (weak). Rather it is something that appears
in some chat rooms or on some sites with no proof. Perhaps some
ignorant person wrote it himself then attributed it to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), to encouragethe people to
respect theQur'aan and pay attention to it, but these people do not
know thattelling lies about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) is one of the worst of sins that doom a person to the
Fire of Hell, and the good intention does not remove the burden of sin
for those who tell liesand fabricate ahaadeethas if the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said them. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Telling lies about me is not
like telling lies about anyoneelse. Whoever tells a lie about me
deliberately, let him take his place in Hell." Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(1291) and Muslim (4).
And Allaah knows best.

Images of the blessings of the grave

Who are pious what happens to them in theirgrave?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The evidence indicates that the believer will be blessed in his grave
untilthe Hour begins, then hewill move by the grace and mercy of
Allaah to the blessings that will never cease or come to an end, which
is the blessing of Paradise. MayAllaah make us among its people.
These are some of the images of the blessings which are bestowed upon
the believer in his grave:
1- His grave is furnished from Paradise for him
2- He is clothed in garments from Paradise.
3- A gate to Paradise isopened for him, and its breezes come to
him, and he smells its fragrance and he feels delight in what he can
see of its blessings.
4- His grave is made wide and spacious for him.
5- He is given the glad tidings of Allaah's pleasure and Paradise.
Hence he longs for the Hour to begin.
It was narrated that al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib said: "We went out with the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for
the funeral of a man from among the Ansaar. We came to the grave and
when (the deceased) was placed in the lahd, the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat down andwe sat around
him, as if there were birds on our heads (i.e., quiet and still). In
his hand he had a stick with which he was scratching the ground. Then
he raised his head and said, "Seek refuge with Allaah from the torment
of the grave", two or three times. Then he said, "When the believing
slave is about to depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there
come down to him from heaven angels with white faces like the sun, and
they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They bring with them
shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise. Then the Angelof
Death comes and sits by his head, and he says,'O good soul, come forth
to forgiveness from Allaah and His pleasure.' Then it comes out easily
like a drop of water from the mouth of a waterskin. When he seizes it,
they do not leave it in his hand for an instant before they take it
and put it in that shroud with that perfume, and there comes from it a
fragrance like the finest musk on the face of the earth. Then they
ascend and they do not pass by any group of angels but they say, 'Who
is this good soul?' and they say,'It is So and so the son ofSo and so,
calling him bythe best names by whichhe was known in this world, until
they reach the lowest heaven. They ask for it to be opened to them and
it is opened,and (the soul) is welcomed and accompanied to the
nextheaven by those who are closest to Allaah, until they reach the
seventh heaven. Then Allaah says: 'Record the book of My slave in
'Illiyoon in the seventh heaven, and return him to the earth, for from
it I created them, to it I will return them and from it Iwill bring
them forth once again.' So his soul is returned to his body and there
come to him two angels who make him sit up and they say to him, 'Who
is your Lord?' He says, 'Allaah.' They say, 'What is your religion?'
He says, 'My religion is Islam.' They say, 'Who is this man who was
sent among you?' He says, 'He is the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).' They say, 'What did you do?' He
says, 'I read the Book of Allaah and I believed in it.' Then a voice
calls out from heaven, 'My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for
him a bed from Paradise and clothehim from Paradise, and open for him
a gate to Paradise.' Then there comes to him some of itsfragrance, and
his grave is made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him
a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance,
who says, 'Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.'
He says, 'Who are you? Your face is a face whichbrings glad tidings.'
He says, 'I am your righteous deeds.' He says, 'O Lord, hasten the
Hour so that I may returnto my family and my wealth.'…"
Narrated by Ahmad, 17803; Abu Dawood, 4753. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz, p. 156
6- He will be happy when he sees what would have been his place in
Hell, which Allaah has replaced for him with a place in Paradise.
Ahmad (10577) narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said: I attended a
funeral with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). TheMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "O people, this ummah will be tested in their graves.
When a man is buried and his friends leave him, an angel with a hammer
in his hand comes and sits by him and asks, 'What do you say about
this man?' If he is a believer, he says, 'I bear witness that there is
no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.' He
says, 'You have spoken the truth.' Then a door to Hell is opened for
him and he says, 'This would have been your place if you had
disbelieved in your Lord, but because you believed, this is
yourplace.' Then a door to Paradise is opened for him and he wants to
go there, but the angel says to him, 'Calm down,' andhis grave is made
wide and spacious for him. But if he is a kaafir or a hypocrite, (the
angel) says to him, 'What do you say about this man?'He says, 'I do
not know, Iheard the people saying something.' The angel says, 'You
did not know and you did not follow those who knew and you were not
guided.' Then a door to Paradise is opened for him and he says, 'This
would havebeen your position if you had believed in yourLord. But
because you disbelieved, Allaah has replaced it for you with this.'
Then a gate to Hell is opened for him, and he strikes him a blow with
the hammer which is heard by all of Allaah's creation apart from the
two races (of mankind and the jinn)." Some of the people said, "O
Messenger of Allaah, there is no one who would have an angel standing
by him holding a hammer but he would dumbfounded." The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah will
keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm."
[Ibraaheem14:27 – interpretation of the meaning]
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in his commentary on Kitaab al-Sunnah
by Ibn Abi 'Aasim, 865
7- He will sleep the sleep of a bridegroom
8- His grave will be illuminated for him
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When the deceased (or he
said: any one of you) is buried, two black and blue angels, one of
whom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer come to him. They say,
'What did you say about this man?' And he says what he used to say,
thathe is the slave of Allaah and His Messenger, 'I bear witness that
there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and
Messenger.' They say, 'We knew that you would say this.' Then his
grave is expanded, seventy cubits wide, and it is filled with light.
He says, 'Let me go back to my family and tell them.' They say, 'Sleep
like a bridegroom whom no one will wake but his most beloved,' until
Allaah raises him up. But if he was a hypocrite he says, 'I heard the
people saying something and I said likewise, I do not know.' So they
say, 'We knew that you would say that.' Then it is said to the earth,
'Squeeze him,' so it squeezes him until his ribs interlock. And he
will remain like that, being tormented, until Allaah raises him up."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1071. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani
in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1391.
With regard to his sleep being likened to the sleep of a bridegroom,
that is because he will be so happy and comfortable. Tuhfat
al-Ahwadhi.
These are some of the blessings that the believer will enjoy in his
grave. We ask Allaah to make us among His people.
And Allaah knows best.

What is the language in which people will be addressed in al-Barzakh?

Many languages are spoken world wide. what will be the language to ask
questions by angles in grave that, everybody can reply?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We have found three opinions concerning thisissue.
1 – That they will be questioned in Syriac.
This was the view of al-Balqeeni, as was narrated from him by
hisstudent al-Suyooti in his essay Sharh al-Sudoor fi Ahwaal al-Mawta
wa'l-Quboor – but he didnot give any reliable evidence for that.
2 – That they will be questioned in Arabic.
This was stated by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Evidence of that may be seen in the apparent meaning of the ahaadeeth,
because they describe what will happen in al-Barzakh in Arabic, and
there is no reason why this should not be true, and Allaah will
inspire everyone who is tested in the grave so that he will understand
this language and answer in it.
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the questioning by the two angels, the apparent meaning
of the saheeh hadeeth is that it will be in Arabic, because it
saysthat they will say to him: "What do you know about this man?" etc.
However it may also be understood as meaning that each person will be
addressed in his own language. End quote.
Al-Imtaa' bi'l-Arba'een al-Mutabaayinatu'l-Samaa' (p. 122).
3 – That he will be questioned in a language that he understands.
This was mentioned by Ibn Hajar as a possibility,as stated above.
This was also stated in fatwas by the Standing Committee, and by
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them).
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (3/450): When a person dies
and is buried, two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his
Prophet and his religion in a language that he understands. Endquote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
One of the scholars said: He will be questioned in Syriac.
Subhaan-Allaah! Syriac is the language of the Christians. It seems –
and Allaah knows best – that this idea was taken from the Christians,
so that they could boast and say, Our language is the language of
questioning in the gravefor everyone who dies.
What appears to be the case is that he will be questioned in whatever
language he understands. If he is an Arab then he will be questioned
in Arabic andif he is a non-Arab then he will be questioned in his own
language. End quote.
Sharh al-'Aqeedah al-Safaareeniyyah (p. 435), Dar al-Watan.
In our opinion it is better to refrain from commenting on that because
there is no saheeh text on this issue,and concerning oneself with
these details is something which will not benefit the questioner in
either religious or worldly terms. It is sufficient for him to believe
that he will be questioned in his grave, and to ask Allaah to help him
to obey Him and to inspire him with the right answers, and to make him
steadfast when he is questioned.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
the following question:
How will the people be addressed on the Day of Resurrection? Will
Allaah address them in Arabic? Is it true that the language of the
people of Hell will be Farsi and that the language of the people of
Paradise will be Arabic?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
It is not known which language the people willspeak on that Day or in
which language they will hear the words of the Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted, because Allaah has not told us anything about
that, and neither has His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). It is not true that Farsi is the language of the people of
Hell or that Arabic is the language of the people of Paradise. We do
not know of any dispute concerning that among the Sahaabah (may Allaah
be pleased with them); rather they all refrained from discussing that,
because discussing such matters is unnecessary talk. But there was a
dispute concerning that among later scholars.
Some people said that they will speak in Arabic, and others said:
Except the people of Hell,who will answer in Farsi,which will be their
language in Hell. Others said: They will be speak in Syriac, because
it is the language of Adam, and from it all other languages stemmed.
Others said: Except the people of Paradise, who will speak Arabic.
None of the proponents of these arguments haveany evidence, whether
based on reason or textual evidence. Rather they are claims that are
devoid of any evidence. Allaah knows best and is Most Wise. End quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa (4/300).
And Allaah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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