The Matter of Ibn Sayyaad (Hadith No. 1136)

Bismillah.

Ibn Sayyaad’s name was Saafi, or ‘Abd-Allaah, ibn (the son of) Sayyaad or Saa’id.

He was one of the Jews of Madeenah, and it was said that he was one of the Ansaar. He was a child at the time when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah. It was also said that he became Muslim.

Ibn Sayyaad was a dajjaal (a liar), and he used to tell fortunes, sometimes what he said came true, and sometimes it did not. He became famous among the people, and it was rumored that he was the Dajjaal. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to find out about him, so he used to go to him secretly, without revealing his identity to him, hoping to hear something from him. He also asked him some questions directly, to find out what he really was. He outlived the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he was lost on the day of al-Harrah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 437:

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

‘Umar set out along with the Prophet (p.b.u.h) with a group of people to Ibn Saiyad till they saw him playing with the boys near the hillocks of Bani Mughala. Ibn Saiyad at that time was nearing his puberty and did not notice (us) until the Prophet stroked him with his hand and said to him, “Do you testify that I am Allah’s Apostle?” Ibn Saiyad looked at him and said, “I testify that you are the Messenger of illiterates.” Then Ibn Saiyad asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h), “Do you testify that I am Allah’s Apostle?” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) refuted it and said, “I believe in Allah and His Apostles.” Then he said (to Ibn Saiyad), “What do you think?” Ibn Saiyad answered, “True people and liars visit me.” The Prophet said, “You have been confused as to this matter.” Then the Prophet said to him, “I have kept something (in my mind) for you, (can you tell me that?)” Ibn Saiyad said, “It is Al-Dukh (the smoke).” (2) The Prophet said, “Let you be in ignominy. You cannot cross your limits.” On that ‘Umar, said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “If he is he (i.e. Dajjal), then you cannot over-power him, and if he is not, then there is no use of murdering him.” (Ibn ‘Umar added): Later on Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) once again went along with Ubai bin Ka’b to the date-palm trees (garden) where Ibn Saiyad was staying. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) wanted to hear something from Ibn Saiyad before Ibn Saiyad could see him, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h) saw him lying covered with a sheet and from where his murmurs were heard. Ibn Saiyad’s mother saw Allah’s Apostle while he was hiding himself behind the trunks of the date-palm trees. She addressed Ibn Saiyad, “O Saf ! (and this was the name of Ibn Saiyad) Here is Muhammad.” And with that Ibn Saiyad got up. The Prophet said, “Had this woman left him (Had she not disturbed him), then Ibn Saiyad would have revealed the reality of his case.

There are other narrations as well, where Ibn Sayyaad interacted with the Companions. Some denote that he was the Dajjaal, and some prove otherwise. He himself used to deny it when people accused him of being the Dajjaal, saying that he didn’t have the traits of Dajjaal as described by the Prophet (SAW).
But he was definitely a liar. Once, when he was alone with Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri (RA), he almost convinced him of his innocence. But what he said in the end made Abu Sa`eed (RA) realize that he was lying.

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:

We went out for Hajj or ‘Umrah, and Ibn Saa’id was with us. We stopped at a place to camp, and the people separated and I was left with him (Ibn Saa’id). I felt very nervous and afraid of him, because of what had been said about him. He brought his luggage and put it with mine. I said, ‘It is very hot – why don’t you put your things under that tree?’ So he did that. Then some sheep appeared before us, and he went and brought a large vessel (of milk) and said, ‘Drink, O Abu Sa’eed.’ I said, ‘It is too hot, and the milk is hot.’ In fact (the only thing wrong was) that I did not want to drink from his hand, or take anything from his hand. He said, ‘Abu Sa’eed, I have been thinking that I should take a rope and suspend it from a tree, and hang myself, because of what people are saying about me. O Abu Sa’eed, does anyone know more about hadeeth than you Ansaar? Are you not one of the most knowledgeable of people about the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that the Dajjaal is a kaafir, and I am a Muslim? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he would be sterile, with no children, and I have left my child behind in Madeenah? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he will never enter Madeenah or Makkah, but I have left Madeenah and am headed for Makkah?’ … I was about to accept his excuses, then he said, ‘But, by Allaah, I know who the Dajjaal is, where he was born and where he is now. [bro, nobody knows about Dajjal and his whereabouts except Allah!]’ I said to him, ‘May you perish for the rest of the day!’
(Narrated by Muslim, no. 5211).

According to another report, Ibn Sayyaad said: “By Allaah, I know where he is now and I know his father and mother.” It was said to him, “Would you not be happy to be that man?” He said, “If it were offered to me, I would not refuse.” (Narrated by Muslim, 521)

Scholars have differed greatly regarding Ibn Sayyaad. Some said he was the Dajjaal and others said he was not. But it’s safe to say that Ibn Sayyaad was one of the dajjaals or liars, but he was not the greater Dajjaal. And Allaah knows best.

Read more on the topic here.

Wassalam.

Patience –> Paradise (Ahadith 1039 – 1042)

 

Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 340:

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet said, “A Muslim whose three children die before the age of puberty will be granted Paradise by Allah due to his mercy for them.”

This encourages patience on the death of children. Don’t get wrong ideas.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 341:

Narrated Abu Sa’id:

The women requested the Prophet, “Please fix a day for us.” So the Prophet preached to them and said, “A woman whose three children died would be screened from the Hell Fire by them,” Hearing that, a woman asked, “If two died?” The Prophet replied, “Even two (would screen her from the (Hell) Fire. ”
And Abu Huraira added, “Those children should be below the age of puberty.”

Patience is the main factor. Number doesn’t matter.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 342:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “No Muslim whose three children died will go to the Fire except for Allah’s oath (i.e. everyone has to pass over the bridge above the lake of fire).”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 343:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet passed by a woman who was sitting and weeping beside a grave and said to her, “Fear Allah and be patient.”

In other narrations, we get to know that this woman was not just weeping, she was wailing and doing the ritualistic mourning (which is discouraged in Islam). So Prophet (SAW) asked her to be patient.
Does being patient mean we can’t cry on someone’s death? Does it mean we can’t be sad? Absolutely not. We CAN cry and we CAN be sad. BUT, we should look at the way Prophet (SAW) mourned his children’s deaths. He lost almost all his children during his lifetime. Did he ever utter words of ungratefulness or let the sadness overtake him? What did he do?

Narrated by Anas bin Malik :

We went with Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) to the blacksmith Abu Saif, and he was the husband of the wet-nurse of Ibrahim (the son of the Prophet).

Allah’s Apostle took Ibrahim and kissed him and smelled him and later we entered Abu Saif’s house and at that time Ibrahim was in his last breaths, and the eyes of Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) started shedding tears.

‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf said, “O Allah’s Apostle, even you are weeping!”

He said, “O Ibn ‘Auf, this is mercy.”

Then he wept more and said, “The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim ! Indeed we are grieved by your separation.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Book #23, Hadith #390)

Read more on the death of Prophet (SAW)’s son here and here.

Wassalam.

 

Freedom ensnared

I see a boy running in the open field,
A smile of joy playing on his lips.
His chubby cheeks are a blooming pink,
As he licks berry-stains off his finger-tips.

So he keeps running, on and on,
Amidst the trees and flowers that bloom.
Only the sight of this beautiful child
Can dispel the shadows of impending gloom.

He bounds with delight, from here to there,
Not a care in the world, nor a tear in his eye.
When he sees the birds, he laughs in mirth,
They chirp in reply before flying high.

But wait! There’s something else I see
A trap it is, set just beyond a rock.
I try to cry out but it is too late,
The boy is already jumping off the rock!

And then I hear a cry of despair
Which escapes the lips of the innocent child.
I just stare at him, tears in eyes,
Oh, how I wish I could help the poor child!

The cries die away as I emerge from my dream,
Then dawns on me the meaning of it.
Freedom is a beautiful gift from God,
Look at the suffering and learn to cherish it!

One for the Mother (Ahadith 675-678)

Salam,
Bismillah.

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 675:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abi Qatada:

My father said, “The Prophet said, ‘When I stand for prayer, I intend to prolong it but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut it short, as I dislike to trouble the child’s mother.’ “

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 676:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child’s mother to trial.

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 677:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

The Prophet said, “When I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother’s passions.”

Hadith no. 678 as above.

When a child cries, what happens to a mother? I can hardly imagine, but observation is my teacher. Mothers can’t bear their child crying. They’ll do everything to stop their pain.
When the mother is praying and the child starts crying, the mother will be distracted from prayer. To make it easy for her, Prophet (SAW) used to shorten the prayer. The whole congregation got affected, only to facilitate a mother. And you say women don’t have rights in Islam? Pshh!

Wassalam.