Parents – The Best of Jihad (Hadith No. 2644)

Bismillah.

Ahadith 2642 – 2643 (below) are repeats. Read the related post here.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 246 :
Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu)
Umar bin Al-Khattab (radiallaahu `anhu) gave a horse to be ridden in Allah’s Cause and then he found it being sold. He intended to purchase it. So, he consulted Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) who said, “Don’t buy it and don’t take back your gift of charity.”

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 247 :
Narrated by Aslam
I heard ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (radiallaahu `anhu) saying, “I gave a horse to be ridden in Allah’s Cause and the person who got it intended to sell it or neglected it. So, I wanted to buy it as I thought he would sell it cheap. I consulted the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) who said, “Do not buy it even if for one Dirham, because he who takes back his gift is like a dog swallowing its vomit.”

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 248 :
Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (radiallaahu `anhu)
A man came to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) asking his permission to take part in Jihad. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) asked him, “Are your parents alive?” He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to him, “Then exert yourself in their service.”

Many things can be said about this, evidences brought from Quran and Sunnah to prove further importance of this hadith.. but I’ll mention here a story or two of the sahabah and their way of honoring and serving their parents. We hope and wish to be as dutiful as they were. May Allah make us more like them in all aspects of the deen.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Dinaar from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man from among the Bedouins met him on the road to Makkah. ‘Abd-Allaah greeted him with salaam, seated him on the donkey that he was riding and gave him a turban that he had been wearing on his head. Ibn Dinar said: We said to him: May Allaah guide you, they are just Bedouins and they would be content with little. ‘Abd-Allaah said: The father of this man was a friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The best act of kindness is for the son to uphold ties (of friendship) with those who were his father’s friends.” Narrated by Muslim, 2552.

According to another report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar: when he went out to Makkah, he had a donkey which he would ride when he got tired of riding his camel, and a turban which he tied around his head. One day whilst he was riding that donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. He said: Are you not So and so, the son of So and so? He said: Yes. He gave him the donkey that he was riding and said: Ride it. And he gave him the turban that he had been wearing on his head, and he said: Tie it around your head. Some of his companions said: May Allaah forgive you, you have given this Bedouin a donkey that you used to ride when you got tired of riding your camel and a turban that you used to wear on your head. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The best act of kind of kindness is for a man to honour his father’s friend after he has died,” and (this man’s) father was a friend of ‘Umar.

Abu Hurayrah was appointed in charge of Madeenah by Marwaan. He lived in Dhu’l-Hulayfah (approximately ten kilometers from Madeenah) and his mother lived in one house and he lived in another. When he wanted to go out he would stand at her door, and say: Peace be upon you, O my mother, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. And she would say: And upon you, O my son, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. And he would say: May Allaah have mercy on you, as you brought me up when I was young. And she would say: May Allaah have mercy on you as you took care of me when I grew old. Then when he wanted to come in, he would do likewise.

[Taken from IslamQA]

Most of us, if not all, have parents alive today whom we take for granted. We think they’ll always be there to listen to our rants and tantrums, give in to our wishes sacrificing their own and make life better for us in every way possible. What we fail to do is imagine a world without them, to realize that there’ll come a time when they won’t be there anymore.. their comforting voice, their soothing touch and their reassuring presence – all gone. Yes, we’ll probably live to see that day when they’ll breathe their last. We might even be there holding their hand at that moment feeling devastated but unable to do anything about it. We fail to imagine all that and so we fail to serve our parents to the fullest while they’re alive and with us. We fail to honor them and to be dutiful to them as they deserve to be honored and obeyed. And hence we fail to succeed in the best of all jihads: parents.

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At Your Service! (Hadith No. 2533)

Bismillah.

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 138 :
Narrated by Anas (radiallaahu `anhu)
I was in the company of Jarir bin ‘Abdullah (radiallaahu `anhu) on a journey and he used to serve me though he was older than I. Jarir (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “I saw the Ansar doing a thing (i.e. showing great reverence to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)) for which I have vowed that whenever I meet any of them, I will serve him.”

When we talk about respect, there are certain norms in the society, for example, things like age, rank and status earn you respect. So the older a person is, the more his respect, and the higher one’s position is, the more he’s looked up to. Part of this respect is to be of service to such people. If your grandparents are visiting, you do their chores, your superior needs help with something, you do it before he has to ask, and the like. But what if roles were reversed? Elders serving the younger ones.. how awkward would that be? It was awkward for Anas (radiallaahu `anhu) that’s why he mentioned the age part. But Jarir (radiallaahu `anhu) was doing it because of his oath, for he felt no shame in serving a younger one, in bringing him water to drink or helping him make wudu by pouring water for him etc. To him, Ansaar were all the same.

I’m trying to think if I consider it beneath me to serve younger people or not. What about you?

Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) in Torah (Hadith No. 1830)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 34, Number 335 :
Narrated by Ata bin Yasar
I met Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (radiallaahu `anhu) and asked him, “Tell me about the description of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) which is mentioned in Torah (i.e. Old Testament.”) He replied, ‘Yes. By Allah, he is described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran as follows: “O Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)! We have sent you as a witness (for Allah’s True religion), and a giver of glad tidings (to the faithful believers), And a warner (to the unbelievers), and guardian of the illiterates. You are My slave and My messenger (i.e. Apostle). I have named you “Al-Mutawakkil” (who depends upon Allah). You are neither discourteous, harsh, nor a noise-maker in the markets. And you do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness. Allah will not let him (the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)) die till he makes straight the crooked people by making them say: “None has the right to be worshiped but Allah,” with which will be opened blind eyes and deaf ears and enveloped hearts.”

Ibn Kathir mentions this Hadith under the following ayah in his tafsir:

﴿الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَـهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَـتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَـئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالاٌّغْلَـلَ الَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُواْ النُّورَ الَّذِى أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴾

“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written of with them in the Tawrah and the Injil, — he commands them to do good; and forbids them from evil; he makes lawful for them the good things, and forbids them from the evil things, he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the fetters that were upon them. So those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.” [7:157]

He comments:

﴿الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ﴾

(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil,) This is the description of the Prophet Muhammad in the Books of the Prophets. They delivered the good news of his advent to their nations and commanded them to follow him. His descriptions were still apparent in their Books, as the rabbis and the priests well know. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sakhr Al-`Uqayli said that a bedouin man said to him, “I brought a milk-producing camel to Al-Madinah during the life time of Allah’s Messenger. After I sold it, I said to myself, `I will meet that man (Muhammad) and hear from him.’ So I passed by him while he was walking between Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I followed them until they went by a Jewish man, who was reading from an open copy of the Tawrah. He was mourning a son of his who was dying and who was one of the most handsome boys. The Messenger of Allah asked him (the father),

«أَنْشُدُكَ بِالَّذِي أَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ هَلْ تَجِدُ فِي كِتَابِكَ هَذَا صِفَتِي وَمَخْرَجِي؟»

(I ask you by He Who has sent down the Tawrah, do you not find the description of me and my advent in your Book) He nodded his head in the negative. His son said, `Rather, yes, by He Who has sent down the Tawrah! We find the description of you and your advent in our Book. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. ‘ The Prophet said (to the Companions),

«أَقِيمُوا الْيَهُودِيَّ عَنْ أَخِيكُم»

(Stop the Jew (the father) from (taking care of) your brother (in Islam).) The Prophet then personally took care of the son’s funeral and led the funeral prayer on him.”’ This Hadith is sound and is supported by a similar Hadith in the Sahih narrated from Anas. Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Muthanna said that `Ata’ bin Yasar said, “I met `Abdullah bin `Amr and asked him, `Tell me about the description of Allah’s Messenger in the Tawrah.’ He said, `Yes, by Allah! He is described in the Tawrah, just as he is described in the Qur’an,

﴿يأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذِيراً ﴾

(O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner.) ﴿33:45﴾ as a safe refuge for the unlettered ones. `You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you `Al-Mutawakkil’ (who trusts in Allah), not hard or harsh.’ Neither uttering foul speech in the markets nor returning evil deed with one in kind. Rather, he forgives and forgoes. Allah will not end his life until He straightens through him the crooked religion, so that they might proclaim, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.’ He will open through him sealed hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes.”’ `Ata’ then said, “I also met Ka`b and asked him the same question, and his answer did not differ from `Abdullah’s answer, even concerning one letter. ” Al-Bukhari recorded it from `Abdullah bin `Amr. It was also recorded by Al-Bukhari ﴿up to the word﴾ forgoes. And he mentioned the narration of `Abdullah bin `Amr then he said; “It was common in the speech of our Salaf that they describe the Books of the People of the Two Scriptures as the Tawrah, as some Hadiths concur. Allah knows best.

Question: Why did Imam Bukhari bring this Hadith in the Book of Sales and Trade?
Answer: The phrase “nor a noise-maker in the markets” suggests that it is disliked to raise voices in the market.

SubhanAllah, the intricacy of Imam Bukhari!