Does Work Keep You Busy? (Hadith No. 1772)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 34, Number 277:

Narrated ‘Ubai bin ‘Umar:

Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) asked Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) to admit him but he was not admitted as ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) was busy, so Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) went back. When ‘Umar finished his job he said, “Didn’t I hear the voice of ‘Abdullah bin Qais (radiallaahu `anhu)? Let him come in.” ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) was told that he had left. So, he sent for him and on his arrival, he (Abu Musa) said, “We were ordered to do so (i.e. to leave if not admitted after asking permission thrice). ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) told him, “Bring witness in proof of your statement.” Abu Musa (radiallaahu `anhu) went to the Ansar’s meeting places and asked them. They said, “None amongst us will give this witness except the youngest of us, Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu). Abu Musa then took Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu) (to ‘Umar) and ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) said, surprisingly, “Has this order of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) been hidden from me?” (Then he added), “I used to be busy trading in markets.”

Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) admitted that he was unaware of that statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) because his trade used to keep him busy. He didn’t have enough time to spend in the company of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and increase his knowledge like some other Companions did, for example Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu).

Isn’t this the case with many of us today? Something or the other keeps us away from increasing our knowledge about Islam, be it studies, work or whatever else. While it’s not wrong to be busy with this stuff, one must try their level best to take out time for Deen as well. Depending on your situation and circumstances, you MUST be involved in some sort of Islamic classes or courses. If weekdays are busy, join weekend classes. If commuting is an issue, study online. There are a lot of options nowadays and you know you don’t have an excuse to not study Islam anymore. Take action now. Yes, Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) didn’t have as much knowledge of the Hadith as Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu) so to speak, but he didn’t become the second caliph for no reason. Get it?

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Literature

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

السلام علیکم ورحمته اللہ وبرکاته

Inshaa’Allaah in this post and the upcoming one I’ll discuss about the most authentic books and sources of hadeeth, just a little introduction about the hard work of the authors, who dedicated their whole lives for the noble `ilm (knowledge). May Allaah be pleased with them. Aameen.

The early sources of hadeeth fall into three distinct groups.

• Firstly, there were books on Maghaazee (almost synonymous with Seerah) – such as those of Ibn Is’haaq and others – in which hadeeths of a historical nature are to be found.
• Secondly, there were books on Fiqh, such as the Muwatta’ of Imaam Maalik and Kitaab al-Umm of Imaam al-Shaafi‘ee, which contain a large number of legal hadeeths, cited in the context of legal discussions and mingled with rulings and practices of the Companions and their students.
•  Finally, there are works that are strictly collections of Hadeeth such as Saheeh al-Bukhari.

Today Inshaa’Allaah I will discuss about Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik..

 The Muwatta’ of Imam Maalik:

Maalik ibn Anas ibn ‘Aamir, was born in Madeenah in the year 717 CE. His grandfather, ‘Aamir, was among the major Sahaabah of Madeenah. Maalik May Allaah be pleased with him studied Hadeeth under Az-Zuhree May Allaah be pleased with him who was the greatest hadeeth scholar of his time. as well as under the great hadeeth narrator, Naafi‘, the freed slave of the  Sahabee ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar Radiyallaah’anhu. Maalik’s May Allaah be pleased with him only journeys outside of Madeenah were for Hajj, and thus he largely limited himself to the knowledge available in Madeenah. Imaam Maalik continued to teach hadeeth in Madeenah over a period of forty years and he managed to compile a book containing hadeeths of the Prophet Sallallaahu’alayhi wa salaam and rulings of the Sahaabah and their successors which he named Al-Muwatta’ (the Beaten Path). Abbaasid caliph, Aboo Ja‘far al-Mansoor (754-755 CE) who wanted a comprehensive code of law based on the Prophet’s Sallallaahu’alayhi wa salaam’s Sunnah which could be applied uniformly throughout his realm. But, on its completion, Imaam Maalik refused to have it forced on the people pointing out that the Sahaabah had scattered throughout the Islamic empire and had taken with them other parts of the Sunnah which also had to be considered in any laws imposed throughout the state. Caliph Haaroon ar-Rasheed (768-809 CE) also made the same request of the Imaam, but he was also turned down. Imaam Maalik died in the city of his birth in the year 801CE at the venerable age of 83.

Respect for Hadeeth:

Ma’n b. ‘Îsa Al-Qazzâz reports:

Whenever Maalik bin ‘Anas  Allaah have mercy on him – would sit to narrate hadeeth he would bath and perfume himself. If anyone raised his voice in the gathering [Imam Maalik] would reprimand him and say, “Lower your voice, for Allah tabâraka wa ta’âlâ said:

O Believers! Do not raise your voices over that of the Prophet [Sûrah Al-Hujarât: 2]

Whoever raises his voice over the sound of the hadeeth of Allah’s Messenger Sallallaahu’alayhi wa salaam then it is as if he is raising his voice over that of the Prophet Sallallaahu’alayhi wa salaam”

Mashaa’Allaah. :)

Nasr b. Ibrâhîm Al-Maqdisî in Mukhtasar Al-Hujjah ‘alâ Târik Al-Mahajjah Vol.1 p121.

Lastly I just want to share one of my favorite quote of Imaam Maalik may Allaah be pleased with him:

:

May Allaah Subhanahu wa ta’laa give us Hidayah and guide us to the path of the righteous people. Aameen.

Assalaamu’alaykum.

The Travel of One Companion to Egypt to Obtain One Hadeeth

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

السلام علیکم ورحمتہ اللہ و برکاتہ

A man travelled to Egypt just for one Hadeeth and he did not stop his jorney to settle down, until he returned back to his home. (The Hadeeth was);

Whoever concealed (the fault of) his brother in this world, Allaah will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgement.

[Taken from the Book Of Knowledge By Imaam Abu Khaithama]

While reading this I was thinking that Wallaah! This was the true passion of those righteous people (May Allaah Be Pleased With Them). The passion of seeking the Noble Knowledge (العلم), their love for Islaam and because of this love they strive hard, covered the distance of miles in search for one Hadeeth or Tafseer of one Ayaah or a talk of wisdom.

Just think for a minute that though today we have the resources, we have access, just with one click (tuk tuk) we can search, read, learn etc. But still.. Why?? What we are lacking?? Why are we not at that level??

(افلا تتفکرون) Do tadabbur and tafakkur and Inshaa’Allaah you’ll get the answer.

 

May Allaah Subhanahu wa ta`alaa increase and strengthen our Imaan. Aameen.

السلام علیکم

The Khutbah ‘Scene’ (Ahadith 741 – 742)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Hadith no. 740 is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 741:

Narrated Ibn Umar:

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to deliver the Khutba while standing and then he would sit, then stand again as you do now-a-days.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 742:

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

One day the Prophet sat on the pulpit and we sat around him.

So that’s how it was back then. Circles. Halaqaat. One person speaking and others sitting ‘around’ him. And the khateeb (one who is delivering the sermon) would sometimes sit in the middle, to give his legs some rest, or maybe just to be at the eye level of his audience.

Alhamdulillah, we do have halaqaat of `Ilm these days as well. May Allah increase our knowledge and help us acquire it the way the best of people did. Prophet (SAW) did not have all the teaching methods and resources back then. He did not have access to multimedia or even electricity, really. All he and his students had was Imaan and Ikhlaas. Those students of a completely ‘unprofessional’  institute later on changed the face of this Earth. Precisely, those people.

And here’s an interesting video:

Wassalam.

Learn! (Hadith No. 738)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

Repeats: Ahadith 736 – 737.

Volume 2, Book 13, Number 738:

Narrated Abu Hazim bin Dinar:

Some people went to Sahl bin Sad As-Sa’idi and told him that they had different opinions regarding the wood of the pulpit. They asked him about it and he said, “By Allah, I know of what wood the pulpit was made, and no doubt I saw it on thy very first day when Allah’s Apostle I took his seat on it. Allah’s Apostle sent for such and such an Ansari woman (and Sahl mentioned her name) and said to her, ‘Order your slave-carpenter to prepare for me some pieces of wood (i.e. pulpit) on which I may sit at the time of addressing the people.’ So she ordered her slave-carpenter and he made it from the tamarisk of the forest and brought it (to the woman). The woman sent that (pulpit) to Allah’s Apostle who ordered it to be placed here. Then I saw Allah’s Apostle praying on it and then bowed on it. Then he stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground near the foot of the pulpit and again ascended the pulpit. After finishing the prayer he faced the people and said, ‘I have done this so that you may follow me and learn the way I pray.’ “

Related post here.

I have done this so that you may follow me and learn the way I pray.

Understanding these words properly can suffice us inshaAllah. ^
What did Prophet (SAW) do but to teach us the right way to go about things? His life was a mission – to teach, to deliver the message. So learn. Learn. Learn! Learn from the Prophet (SAW). Learn from those who follow him. Learn from those who love him. Learn about him, his life, his mission, his journey, his everything.
`Ilm – giving or taking – is noble, bro. It honors a person. This is what made Adam (AS) the ‘best of creation’. Because this is how Allah (SWT) sort of defended him in this incident:

And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”

And He taught Adam the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.”

They said, “Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.”

He said, “O Adam, inform them of their names.” And when he had informed them of their names, He said, “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.”

[Surah al-Baqarah: 30-33]

And this is why the angels were made to bow down (in honor) before him. This `Ilm. So learn, will you?

P.S. ‘learning’ and ‘gathering information’ are two different things. Look it up. :)

Wassalam.