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Who Enjoys God’s Shelter

When life on earth ends and the Day of Resurrection arrives, all mankind will be resurrected. They come hurriedly out of their graves to stand in an open expanse. No one looks at another, because they are all preoccupied with their own destiny. The sun is brought near and the heat is enormous. They suffer the heat according to their own deeds. Some of them will be so profusely sweating that their sweat reaches as high as their knees, or even higher. Yet seven types of people are immune from that heat. Who are these?

Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “Seven types shall enjoy God’s shelter on the Day when there is no shelter other than what He provides: a just ruler, a young man who is brought up as a committed worshipper, a man whose heart always inclines toward mosques, two friends whose friendship is for God’s service: it is uppermost in their minds when they meet and when they part, a man who resists seduction by a woman of power and beauty saying to her, “I fear God,” a man who gives something to charity in secret so as his left hand would not know what his right hand has given away, and a man who remembers God when alone and his eyes are tearful.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).

We must first of all make clear that whatever applies to men in this Hadith also applies to women. When we read this Hadith carefully, we realize that it speaks of people who are true believers and whose faith is so strong that they are able to put it ahead of all other considerations. Let us briefly look at each one of the seven.

There is no doubt that any ruler will be hard pressed to maintain justice in all situations and all types of dispute. Therefore, a ruler who makes ensuring justice his priority needs to put up very hard effort not to err against justice. This ensures for him God’s protection on the Day of Judgment.

Scholars explain that although the Prophet mentions rulers in this Hadith, this type includes anyone who is in a position of authority over others and maintains justice between them. Thus it includes every head of a department who supervises a number of employees, an army officer who commands a number of soldiers, a company owner or director who ensures justice among his staff, etc. In fact it also includes a teacher who does not favor certain students over others and a parent who has several children and treats them equally. The Prophet says: “The just will be with God, sitting on desks of light, to the right of the Lord of Grace. These are the ones who maintain justice in their rulings, and within their families, and with whoever is under their authority.” (Related by Muslim).

The just ruler is specifically stated here because his rules affect a large number of people. When he maintains justice and makes it uppermost among his concerns all his people will benefit.

Young people are often tempted by their strong desires and flowing energy. They find it hard to resist tempting situations. Therefore, when a young person goes through youth, adolescence and early adulthood attending to his worship, preferring always to remain obedient to God, he deserves reward of the richest type. His resistance of temptation indicates that he is truly God-fearing. The Prophet says in another Hadith: “God is particularly pleased with a young person who does not give in to desire.” Hence, such young people are included in the seven categories enjoying God’s favor.

– By Adil Salahi

The Holy Prophet Muhammed Salalaahu Alaihi wasallam: The Earth Has Been Made For Me

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331:

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah: The Prophet said, “I have been given five things which were not given to anyone else before me.

1. Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey.

2. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.

3. The booty has been made Halal (lawful) for me yet it was not lawful for anyone else before me.

4. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).

5. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331:

Had the Holy Prophet Muhammed Salalaahu Alaihi wasallam not been there niether Adam , not the sky nor the earth would have been created , everything was created for him , even all humanity , all animals , all birds , every microorganism living on the planet,

The Universe has been created for him , He was the first of all creations

Mistreatment Of Parents: The Second Major Sin In Islam

Reflecting on the Quranic instructions and prohibitions, a Muslim will get convinced with the fact that it is his duty to keep himself away form all sins, minor and major. This emanates from the fact that it is a Muslim’s first priority to gain Allah’s pleasure by doing what He likes and steering clear of what He dislikes, irrespective of the gravity or the simplicity of the sin.

Coming to the question on which major sin stands in next to polytheism, in terms of its gravity, we may as well infer that from the order adopted by the Quran when dictating the duties of every Muslim. In the Quran immediately after the duty of worshiping Allah comes the duty of showing dutifulness to one s parents: And your Lord has decreed, that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. (Al-Isra : 23)

It is well-known that Islam urges every Muslim to be dutiful to his parents, extending to them the kindest treatment possible. Failing to treat one’s parents kindly makes one guilty of disobedience to those parents as well as to Allah, and this may deprive one of a chance of being admitted to Paradise. So it goes without saying that disobedience to parents or mistreating them is the second major sin after polytheism. The first commandment in Islam as revealed to all prophets is to worship Allah and the second is to treat one’s parents kindly. Accordingly, the first major sin is Shirk (association of partners with Allah), and the second major sin is mistreating one’s parents.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Shall I tell you of the three most heinous sins? He repeated this question three times and then said, They are: to associate partners with Allah, to mistreat one’s parents, and to bear false testimony. In another tradition, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, One who mistreats his parents cannot hope to enter Paradise. He also said, The pleasure of Allah is in the pleasure of one’s parents and the wrath of Allah is in the wrath of one’s parents.

Fear Allah, Be Truthful, Of The Truthful, With The Truthful

[ALLAH’S Quran – 9:119] “O Ye who believe! fear Allah, and be with the truthful.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #73, Hadith #116] “Narrated ‘Abdullah: The Prophet said, “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar.”

[Muslim, Book #032, Hadith #6309] “Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth and endeavors to tell the truth is eventually recorded as truthful with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling of a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavors to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah.”

[Malik’s Muwatta, Book #56, Hadith #56.7.16] “Malik related to me that he heard that Abdullah ibn Masud used to say, “You must tell the truth, truthfulness leads to right action. Right action leads to the Garden. Beware of lying. Lying leads to corruption, and corruption leads to the Fire. Don’t you see that it is said, ‘He speaks the truth and acts rightly,’ and, ‘He lies and is corrupt.”

[Malik’s Muwatta, Book #56, Hadith #56.7.17] “Malik related to me that he heard that someone said to Luqman, “What has brought you to what we see?” meaning his high rank. Luqman said, “truthful speech, fulfilling the trust, and leaving what does not concern me.”

The Sun And The Moon, Allah’s Signs

[ALLAH’S Quran – 41:37] “And of HIS Signs are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before ALLAH, Who created them, if it is HIM Whom you really worship.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #18, Hadith#170] “Narrated Abu Bakra: In the life-time of the Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) the sun eclipsed and he went out dragging his clothes till he reached the Mosque. The people gathered around him and he led them and offered two Rakat. When the sun (eclipse) cleared, he said, “The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse because of the death of someone, and so when an eclipse occurs, pray and invoke Allah till the eclipse is over.” It happened that a son of the Prophet called Ibrahim died on that day and the people were talking about that (saying that the eclipse was caused by his death).”

Procrastination And Laziness

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “During your sleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of your Decks. He breathes the following into them, ‘The night is long so keep on sleeping.’ If the person wakes and praises Allah, then one of the knots is unfastened. And if he performs ablution, the second knot is unfastened. When he prays, all of the knots are unfastened. After that he will be energetic and happy in the morning. Otherwise he would get up listless and grouchy.”
Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari

Al-Bukhari also records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who sleeps until the morning comes, that is, after the time of the dawn prayer. He said, “That is a man whom Satan has urinated into his two ears.”

Procrastination and Laziness are two of Satan’s strongest strategies to stop us from performing good deeds. It is necessary for the wise person to take matters into his/her own hand and act upon his/her energy. The wise person finds the time to do things and does not procrastinate and turns away from just dreaming.

[Compiled from Satan Hinders the Slave from Acting by Means of Procrastination and Laziness]

Great Muslims: Mu’adh Bin Jabal

MU’ADH Bin Jabal was a young man growing up in Yathrib as the light of guidance and truth began to spread over the Arabian Peninsula.

He was a handsome and imposing character with black eyes and curly hair and immediately impressed whoever he met. He was already distinguished for the sharpness of his intelligence among young men of his own age. The young Mu’adh became a Muslim at the hands of Musab Bin Umayr, the daiyah (missionary) whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) had sent to Yathrib before the Hijrah. Mu’adh was among the seventy-two Yathribites who journeyed to Makkah, one year before the Hijrah (immigration), and met the Prophet at in his house and later again in the valley of Mina, outside Makkah, at Aqabah. Here the famous second Aqabah Pledge was made at which the new Muslims of Yathrib, including some women, vowed to support and defend the Prophet at any cost. Mu’adh was among those who enthusiastically clasped the hands of the blessed Prophet then and pledged allegiance to him.

As soon as Mu’adh returned to Madina from Makkah, he and a few others of his age formed a group to remove and destroy idols from the houses of the Mushrikeen (polytheists) in Yathrib. One of the effects of this campaign was that a prominent man of the city, Amr Bin Al-Jumuh, became a Muslim.

When the noble Prophet reached Madinah, Mu’adh Bin Jabal stayed in his company as much as possible. He studied the Qur’an and the laws of Islam until he became one of the most well-versed of all the companions in the religion of Islam.

Wherever Mu’adh went, people would refer to him for legal judgments on matters over which they differed. This is not strange since he was brought up in the school of the Prophet himself and learnt as much as he could from him. He was one of the best pupils of the best teacher. His knowledge bore the stamp of authenticity. The best certificate that he could have received came from the Prophet himself when he said: “The most knowledgeable of my ummah (nation)in matters of Halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful) is Mu’adh Bin Jabal.”

One of the greatest of Mu’adh’s contributions to the Ummah of Muhammad was that he was one of the group of six who collected the Qur’an during the lifetime of the Prophet. Whenever a group of companions met and Mu’adh was among them, they would look at him with awe and respect on account of his knowledge. The Prophet and his two caliphs after him placed this unique gift and power in the service of Islam.

After the conquest of Makkah, the Quraysh embraced Islam en masse. The Prophet immediately saw the need of the new Muslims for teachers to instruct them in the fundamentals of Islam and to make them truly understand the spirit and letter of its laws. He appointed Attab Bin Usay as his deputy in Makkah and he asked Mu’adh Bin Jabal to stay with him and teach people the Qur’an and instruct them in the religion.
Sometime after the Prophet had returned to Madina, messengers of the kings of Yemen came to him announcing that they and the people of Yemen had embraced Islam. They requested that some teachers should be with them to teach Islam to the people. For this task the Prophet commissioned a group of competent Duaat (missionaries) and made Mu’adh Bin Jabal their leader. He then put the following question to Mu’adh:
“According to what will you judge?”
“According to the Book of God,” replied Mu’adh.
“And if you find nothing therein?”
“According to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) of God.”
“And if you find nothing therein?”
“Then I will exert myself (exercise ijtihad) to form my own judgment.”
The Prophet (pbuh) was pleased with this reply and said: “Praise be to God Who has guided the messenger of the Prophet (pbuh) to that which pleases the Prophet (pbuh).”

The Prophet personally bade farewell to this mission of guidance and light and walked for some distance alongside Mu’adh as he rode out of the city. Finally he said to him:
“O Mu’adh, perhaps you shall not meet me again after this year. Perhaps when you return you shall see only my mosque and my grave.” Mu’adh wept. Those with him wept too. A feeling of sadness and desolation overtook him as he parted from his beloved Prophet, peace and blessings of God be on him.

The Prophet(pbuh)’s premonition came true. The eyes of Mu’adh never beheld the Prophet(pbuh) after that moment. The Prophet(pbuh) died before Mu’adh returned from Yemen.

There is no doubt that Mu’adh wept when he returned to Madinah and found there was no longer the blessed company of the Prophet (pbuh).

Mu’adh went to Palestine. There Mu’adh fell ill with an infectious disease. As he was near death, he turned in the direction of the Kabah and repeated this refrain: “Welcome Death, Welcome. A visitor has come after a long absence . . .” And looking up to heaven, he said: “O Lord, You know that I did not desire the world and to prolong my stay in it . . . O Lord, accept my soul with goodness as you would accept a believing soul…”
He then passed away, far from his family and his clan in the service of God.