Specific People Who Will Be In Hell
The kuffaar and mushikreen will be in Hell, no doubt about it, but the Qur’an and hadith also mention specific people who will be in the Fire. One of them is the Pharaoh who ruled at the time of Musa (as):
“He [Pharaoh] will go before his people on the Day of Judgement, and will lead them into the Fire..” (11:98)
Also included are the wives of Nuh (as) and Lut (as):
“Allah sets forth for an example to the unbelievers, the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were [respectively] under two of Our righteous slaves, but they were false to their [husbands] and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told: “Enter the Fire, along with those who enter!” (66:10)
Abu Lahab and his wife are also among those mentioned specifically:
“Perish the hands of the Father of Flame [Abu Lahab]! Perish he! No profit to him from all his wealth and all his gains! Burnt soon will he be in a Fire of blazing flames! His wife shall carry the [crackling] wood, as fuel! A twisted rope of palm fibre round her [own] neck!” (111:1-5)
Another of them is ‘Amr ibn ‘Aamir al-Khuzaa’i, whom the Prophet (saw) being disembowelled in Hell (sahih hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari, Muslim, Ahmad); and the one who killed ‘Ammar and plundered his possessions. A report with a Saheeh isnaad quoted in Mu’jam at-Tabaraani from ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas, and his son states that the Prophet (saw) said, “The one who killed ‘Ammaar and plundered his possessions will be in Hell”. (Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4/110, #4170)
The Light of Paradise
al-Qurtubee said, “The scholars said there is no night and day in Paradise, rather they will be in eternal everlasting light. They will know when night comes because curtains or screens will be put up and doors will be closed, and they will know when day comes because the curtains or screens will be taken down and the doors will be opened. This was mentioned by Abul-Faraj ibn al-Jawzee” [al-Qurtubee, at-Tadhkirah, p. 504]
Ibn Katheer in his commentary on the aayah: “And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening. Such is the Paradise, which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our slave who have been al-Muttaqoon [pious and righteous]” [19:62-63] said, “This means something approximate to the times of day and night, it does not mean that there will be a day and night there. They will know the passing of time by the changes in the light” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/471]
On the same subject, Ibn Taymiyyah said, “There is no sun and moon in Paradise, and no day or night, but they will know morning and evening from a light that shines from the direction of the Throne” [Majmu’ Fataawa Shaikh al-Islaam, 4/312]
Those Who Take Their Positions In The Highest Levels
Among those who will occupy the highest levels in Paradise are the shuhaadaa, the best of whom are those who fight in the front ranks and never turn away until they are killed. Ahmad and at-Tabaraani report with a saheeh isnaad from Na’eem ibn Hamar (1) that the Prophet (saw) said, “The best of the Shuhaadaa are those who fight in the first rank, and do not turn their faces away until they are killed. They will have the pleasure of occupying the highest dwellings in Paradise. Your Rabb will smile at them, and whenever your Rabb smiles upon any of His Slaves, that person will not be brought to account”. [Musnad Ahmad, Kitaab az-Zuhd, Baab al-Ihsaan ila al-armila wal-masaakeen wal-yateem 2/2286, hadith no. 2982]
The one who helps widows and the destitute will have the status of a mujaahid in Paradise. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (saw) said, “The one who helps widows and the destitute is like one who fights in jihaad for the sake of Allah (swt).” I [the narrator] think he said, “And he is like the one who stands all night in prayer and never sleeps, and like the one who fasts continually and never breaks his fast”. [Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab az-Zuhd, Baab al-Ihsaan, ila al-armilah wal-miskeen wal-yateem, 2/2286, no. 2982]
The one who sponsors an orphan will be close to the Prophet (saw) in Paradise. Muslim reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said, “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether from his own wealth or from the orphan’s wealth, I and he will be like these two in Paradise,” – and Maalik [the narrator] gestured with his forefinger and middle finger. [Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab az-Zuhd, 2/2286, no. 2982; “lahu aw ghayrihi” – whether from his own wealth or from the orphan’s wealth – means whether he supports him from his own wealth or is a legal guardian over the orphan and the orphan’s wealth]
Allah (swt) will raise the status of parents by the blessing of their children’s du’aa. Ahmad reports from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Allah (swt) will raise the status of His righteous slave in Paradise, and he will say, “O my Rabb, how could I deserve this?” He will say, “Because your child sought forgiveness for you.””
Ibn Katheer said, “This is a saheeh isnaad although none of the authors of the six books reported it. But there is a corroborating report in Saheeh Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (ra), according to which the Prophet (saw) said, “When a son of Aadam dies his good works come to an end, except for three: Sadaqah Jaariyah [ongoing charity], beneficial knowledge [that he discovered or propogated], and a righteous son who will pray for him.” [Ibn Katheer, an-Nihaayah, 2/340]
Barkat-e-Madina Tayyaba
Building Successful Relationships
1. Correct the relationship between yourself and Allah and Allah will then correct the relationship between yourself and others.
2. Studies have proved that every individual has his own unique pattern of understanding and that patterns are usually one of the following:
• A visual pattern, i.e. one looks at the world and deals with it from a physical point of view.
• A hearing pattern, i.e. one looks at the world and deals with it based on the words that one hears (one better understands by hearing).
• An emotion-based pattern, i.e. one looks at the world through one’s emotions and inner feelings.
If you succeed in understanding how a particular individual perceives things (i.e., which pattern one emphasizes), then you can more easily achieve harmony and understanding between the two of you, as well as achieve confidence in your relationship.
3. Put yourself in the place of others and let them hear from you what you like to hear from them, and behave with them the way you like them to behave with you.
4. Always keep smiling, especially during difficult situations and incidents.
5. Keep your calm and self control when provoked.
6. Always be sensitive to feelings of others, their rights and their needs.
7. Choose your words carefully, especially during the first encounter. Be cheerful when speaking and beware of dull facial expressions and tough looks even if your words are very nice.
8. When the atmosphere is not appropriate to talk about a particular subject, then it is better to end the talk about that subject in a courteous way and postpone it to a more appropriate time.
9. Decorate your talk with jokes and proverbs without making this overwhelming in your talk, and tell only the truth. This will induce an interactive discussion.
10. Give away gifts even if small ones and rush to help others even if in little ways, because these are means of winning hearts and of building relationships. It is related in Adab Al-Mufrad of Al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Give gifts as it will create love amongst you.”
11. Spread Salaam (Islamic greeting) and reply to a greeting with a better one. This is a key to winning others’ hearts, so be eager to own this key.
12. Keep your promises and be truthful in your talk. This will make others love you even when you cannot accomplish what they want.
13. Be generous within your means. Even whatever little that you may give will put you in a high position in the hearts of people. No one can win the hearts of others while he is described as stingy and not generous.
14. Be simple and spontaneous in dealing with others. Being organized in your life will make you win others’ respect, even that of your enemies.
15. Be clean in your body, mouth and clothing, be stylish without exaggeration, and put on a nice fragrance. All these will make others that are dealing with you more comfortable, instead of making them avoid you.
16. These principles can be applied under all circumstances and in all roles – at work, at home, with our husband or wife, our parents, our children, our friends, or strangers.
– Translated from an unknown Arabic author by Zayed Centre for New Muslims, UAE
Making The First Approach By Lady Khadija
When Lady Khadijah received Maysarah’s report of how Muhammad (peace be upon him) conducted her business on the trip to Syria, she realized that she discovered the ideal person to entrust with her business. She was a wealthy widow, with two young children from two marriages. Since business in Makkah was largely an international affairs, depending on the two annual trips, to Syria in summer and Yemen in winter, she had to rely on agents who traveled with the trade caravans on her behalf. Unless her agent was a model of honesty, this could be a risky adventure. Maysarah, however, had much to tell her about Muhammad’s honesty and affable manners that earned him the good will of his fellow travelers and facilitated good deals in both selling and buying. Moreover, Muhammad (peace be upon him) ensured that she made handsome profit.
Her thoughts began to concentrate on how to develop this relationship. Belonging to a very distinguished family in her clan, a pretty and wealthy woman like Khadijah had no shortage of suitors. She realized, however, that many of her suitors were attracted by her wealth. Now that she has had this business experience with Muhammad, a young man of refined manners and the noblest descent, she thought that she must do something to ensure the best of this association. The more she thought over the matter, one idea became more and more attractive to her: marriage.
We must not imagine that this thought was based only on brief encounters before and after the trip undertaken by Muhammad on Khadijah’s behalf. She could not have entrusted him with her business trip without having thoroughly interviewed him. There must have been several meetings between them before the trip, so that he would have a detailed brief of his mission. On his return, they must have had several meetings to settle accounts. Thus Khadijah made her mind on the basis of a good knowledge of the man she wanted to marry.
Khadijah realized that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in no position to make the first move. He had no money of his own, apart from what she paid him for his agency. As such, he was unlikely to think of marriage for sometime to come. It was up to her to bring about such a marriage if she really wanted it. In the Arabian society, however, it was necessary for her to assign the task of approaching Muhammad to a tactful person.
Nufaysah bint Munyah, a close friend of Khadijah met Muhammad and said to him: “Muhammad, what is keeping you from getting married?” He answered: “I do not have enough to meet the expenses of marriage.” She said: “What if you are not called upon to meet such expenses? What would you say to a woman of beauty, wealth and position who is willing to marry you? Would you marry her?” He said: “Who is that woman?’ She answered: ‘Khadijah.” He asked: “Who can arrange such a marriage for me?” She said: “Leave that to me.” His response was: “I will do it, willingly.”
By: Adil Salahi
Virtue Of The People Of Badr
People came to the door of Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Among them were Suhail Bin ‘Amr, Abu Sufyan Bin Harb and other chiefs of Quraish.
Umar went to let the people in and he began by giving permission to the people of Badr first (i.e. those who participated in the Battle of Badr), to the likes of Suhaib, Bilal and others from Ahl Al-Badr.
By Allah, Umar himself was a Badri, and he loved them and advised others regarding them. So Abu Sufyan said, “I have never seen the like of today before! He gives permission to slaves like these while we sit here and he does not even look at us?!”
So, Suhail Bin Amr (who himself was a notable among Quraish) said, “O people, by Allah, I can see what has come over your faces. If you are angry, then only be angry over your own selves.
The people were called (to Islam) and you were also called, they hastened to respond but you were slow. By Allah, what they have preceded you in of virtue, in matters that you don’t know, is more of a loss than your competition here in front of this door.”
Then he said, “O people, these people have succeeded you in what you can see, and so by Allah, there is no way for you to attain what they have succeeded you in.
Look to this matter of Jihad and adhere to it so that perhaps you may be granted martyrdom.” Then (Suhail) took hold of his garment and went off to Al-Sham (Greater Syria).
Al-Hasan said, “By Allah he was truthful. Allah will never allow a slave who hastens to Him, to be equal to a slave who is slow.” (Abdullah Bin Mubarak, Kitab Al-Jihad, no. 100, pg. 32)
Sayeda Khadija tul Kubra
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): Taking Care Of The Weak
Long before he started to receive his revelations, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known for his noble characteristics. One of the most important of these was that he always cared for the weaker elements in society. In Arabia, where a tribal society flourished, the most vulnerable sections of the society were slaves and women. Muhammad looked after both, extending to them exemplary treatment. Perhaps the best example to illustrate this is the way he treated Zayd ibn Harithah, a young lad who was taken captive in a raid mounted by a tribe hostile to his tribe. According to the universal custom at the time, captives became slaves. Zayd was sold as a slave by his captors. He was then re-sold and brought to Makkah by an uncle of Khadijah, the Prophet’s first wife. On arrival in Makkah her uncle showed her the slaves he brought with him and told her to choose one as a gift. She took Zayd and gave him to her husband.
Zayd’s family continued to search for him until they learnt that he was in Makkah. His father and uncle traveled there and met Muhammad, requesting him to sell Zayd to them and to be kind when naming his price. Realizing that his interlocutors were Zayd’s own family, Muhammad felt for them. He, however, had a better offer for them. He told them that he would give Zayd a choice to go with them or to stay with him. If Zayd chose them, Muhammad would not ask them to pay any price. He would let them take him free of charge. But if Zayd chose to stay with him, he would not let anyone take him away, not even his own father. Both were very satisfied with this offer, feeling that when Zayd would be given the choice, he would not hesitate to choose to be free.
Zayd was duly called in, and he confirmed that the two men were his own father and uncle. Muhammad then told him of the offer he made to them, asking him to choose whether to go with them or to stay with him. Zayd unhesitatingly chose to remain with Muhammad. Stunned, his father asked him to explain why he would make such a choice. Zayd said: “I have seen from this man enough to make me prefer to stay with him to any other situation.”
At this point, Muhammad realized that the two men needed reassurance. He therefore took them, along with Zayd, to the Kaabah and declared to the nobles of Makkah gathering there that he had adopted Zayd as his own son. This was a relief to Zayd’s father and uncle who returned home realizing that Zayd would not come to any harm as long as he stayed with Muhammad. He was no longer a slave.
In order to appreciate the full significance of the affair, we need to remember that this took place several years before Muhammad was given his mission. Slaves were always maltreated, in all societies. Only under Islam slaves came to be treated like ordinary human beings, enjoying clearly defined rights. Prior to Islam, a slave could be tortured and killed by his master, without anyone even raising a question. To adopt a slave as one’s own son was unheard of. The fact that Zayd chose to stay with Muhammad, in preference to joining his own family and tribe, tells us much about the treatment he received from him. It was not surprising, therefore, that when Muhammad received his message; Zayd was the first man to declare his belief in Islam.
– By Adil Salahi