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Gog & Magog (Hadith No. 2965 – 2967)
Bismillah.
Chapter: The story of Gog and Magog
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 565 :
Narrated by Zainab bint Jahsh (radiallaahu `anhaa)
That the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) once came to her in a state of fear and said, “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. Woe unto the Arabs from a danger that has come near. An opening has been made in the wall of Gog and Magog like this”, making a circle with his thumb and index finger. Zainab bint Jahsh (radiallaahu `anhaa) said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Shall we be destroyed even though there are pious persons among us?” He said, “Yes, when the evil person will increase.”
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 566 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Allah has made an opening in the wall of the Gog and Magog (people) like this, and he made with his hand (with the help of his fingers).
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 567 :
Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection), ‘O Adam.’ Adam will reply, ‘Labbaik wa Sa’daik’, and all the good is in Your Hand.’ Allah will say: ‘Bring out the people of the fire.’ Adam will say: ‘O Allah! How many are the people of the Fire?’ Allah will reply: ‘From every one thousand, take out nine-hundred-and ninety-nine.’ At that time children will become hoary headed, every pregnant female will have a miscarriage, and one will see mankind as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah.” The companions of the Prophet asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who is that (excepted) one?” He said, “Rejoice with glad tidings; one person will be from you and one-thousand will be from Gog and Magog.” The Prophet further said, “By Him in Whose Hands my life is, hope that you will be one-fourth of the people of Paradise.” We shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” He added, “I hope that you will be one-third of the people of Paradise.” We shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” He said, “I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise.” We shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” He further said, “You (Muslims) (compared with non Muslims) are like a black hair in the skin of a white ox or like a white hair in the skin of a black ox (i.e. your number is very small as compared with theirs).”
Allah has mentioned the story of Gog and Magog in the Quran along with that of Dhul Qarnayn.
ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لاَّ يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً قَالُواْ يذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً عَلَى أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُواْ حَتَّى إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَاراً قَالَ آتُونِى أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراً
“Then he followed (another) way. Until, when he reached between two mountains, he found before them a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: “O Dhul-Qarnayn! Verily, Ya’juj and Ma’juj are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?” He said: “That in which my Lord had established me is better. So help me with strength, I will erect between you and them a barrier. Bring me sheets of iron.” Then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: “Blow [with bellows]!” then when he had made them (red as) fire, he said: “Bring me molten copper to pour over them.” [Al-Kahf: 92-96]
Read Ibn Kathir’s commentary on these verses here.
Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj (Gog and Magog) are two disbelieving tribes from among the sons of Adam. They have wide faces and small eyes. They used to spread mischief on earth, so Allaah gave Dhu’l-Qarnayn the power to build a barrier to detain them. They will keep on digging at it until Allaah gives them permission to come out at the end of time, after ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) has killed the Dajjaal. They will emerge in huge numbers and will drink up the lake of Tiberias (in Palestine). They will spread mischief on earth and no one will be able to resist them. ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) and the believers with him will take refuge in Mount Toor until Allaah destroys Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj by sending worms that will eat their necks. Then Allaah will send rain to wash away their bodies into the sea and cleanse the earth of their stench.
Source: IslamQA
Being Lenient with Neighbors (Hadith No. 2140)
Bismillah.
Volume 3, Book 43, Number 643:
Narrated Al-Araj:
Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, ‘No-one should prevent his neighbor from fixing a wooden peg in his wall.” Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu) said (to his companions), “Why do I find you averse to it? By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you.”
There are two sides to the way we can understand the rights of neighbors in Islam. One, showing kindness on your part, sharing with them and visiting them etc. Two, if you get disturbed or annoyed because of them, you be lenient and forgiving, overlook and move on. So if they’re remodeling the house next door, try ear plugs instead of cursing them r the like. :)
Islam warns against annoying one’s neighbors or treating them badly. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that this would lead to being deprived of Paradise: “He will not enter Paradise from whose harm his neighbor is not safe.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by Muslim, 64).
Having said all that, I sometimes wonder how selfish we are. In this fast-paced world, we are so swamped with work and deadlines and our own lives that we don’t even know who lives next door! We don’t even know their names, visiting them when they’re sick is out of the question. Isn’t village life better than this, where neighbors are like family? They can walk in whenever they feel like because there are people to welcome them and treat them as guests. Now that is the cool kind of neighborhood.
Allah Honors His Slaves Whenever and However He Wills (Hadith No. 1173)
Bismillah.
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 474:
Narrated ‘Urwa:
When the wall fell on them (i.e. graves) during the caliphate of Al-Walid bin ‘Abdul Malik, the people started repairing it, and a foot appeared to them. The people got scared and thought that it was the foot of the Prophet. No-one could be found who could tell them about it till I (‘Urwa) said to them, “By Allah, this is not the foot of the Prophet but it is the foot of Umar.”
Aisha narrated that she made a will to ‘Abdullah bin Zubair, “Do not bury me with them (the Prophet and his two companions) but bury me with my companions (wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ) in Al-Baqi as I would not like to be looked upon as better than I really am (by being buried near the Prophet).”
There are two narrations in this regard:
Onne from Hisham bin `Urwah who narrated from his father:
كان الناس يصلون إلى القبر فأمر به عمر بن عبد العزيز فرفع حتى لا يصلي إليه أحد ، فلما هدم بدت قدم بساق وركبة ، ففزع عمر بن عبد العزيز ، فأتاه عروة ، فقال : هذا ساق عمر وركبته…الخ
When the wall of the quarter of Prophet (SAW) fell, people started praying towards it so Omar bin Abdul Aziz (RA) ordered it to be rebuilt to an extent that no one could pray towards it. When it was demolished, shin and the knee became apparent. Omar bin Abdul Aziz started crying then came Urwah to him and said: this is the shin and knee of Omar (RA). End quote.
In the same way there is another narration:
وروى الآجري من طريق مالك بن مغول ، عن رجاء بن حيوة ، قال : كتب الوليد بن عبد الملك إلى عمر بن عبد العزيز – وكان قد اشترى حجر أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم – أن اهدمها ووسع بها المسجد ، فقعد عمر في ناحية ، ثم أمر بهدمها ، فما رأيته باكيا أكثر من يومئذ . ثم بناه كما أراد . فلما أن بنى البيت على القبر وهدم البيت الأول ظهرت القبور الثلاثة ، وكان الرمل الذي عليها قد انهار ، ففزع عمر بن عبد العزيز ، وأراد أن يقوم فيسويها بنفسه ، فقلت له : أصلحك الله ، إنك إن قمت قام الناس معك ، فلو أمرت رجلا أن يصلحها ، ورجوت أنه يأمرني بذلك ، فقال : يا مزاحم – يعني مولاه – قم فأصلحها
And it is narrated by Al-Aajiri from the chain of Malik bin Mighwal, who narrated from Rajaa bin Hayawah, who said: Walid bin Abdul Malik wrote to Umar bin Abdul Aziz who bought the quarter of Prophet’s wives in order to demolish it and extend the premises of Masjid, so Umar bin Abdul Aziz stood on one side and ordered for its fall and from that day onward I never saw Umar crying more than what he cried at that time. Then he built as it was planned. When (after extending) the house was being rebuilt, three graves became apparent and the sand on them was crumpled (graves were cracked) so Omar bin Abdul Aziz started crying and then he thought of repairing and leveling it himself, he said to him: May Allah reform you, if you stand, people will stand with you, if you had ordered a man would have done it, and I hoped that he would order me to do so. He said: O friend! Stand and reform it!
Anyway, this incident is taken as proof that bodies of martyrs don’t get degenerated by the soil. But it is better not to say this because the preferred opinion in this regard is we can’t say anything for sure because there is no evidence for such claim. There are many contrary situations witnessed as well. Moreover, it is not necessary that the body was saved because it was of Omar (RA) who was martyred and not Abu Bakr (RA)’s who wasn’t.
When there is no evidence for distinguishing between martyrs and other Muslims then it would fall under the general principle:
كل ابن آدم يأكله التراب إلا عجب الذنب منه خلق وفيه يركب *
أخرجه البخاري والنسائي وأبو داود وابن ماجه وأحمد في المسند ومالك في الموطأ
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: “The earth would consume every son of Adam except his spinal chord from which his body would be reconstituted (on the Day of Resurrection)“. Narrated by Bukhari, an-Nasai, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ahmad in his Musnad and Malik in Muwatta.
Hence, Allah preserves the bodies of His beloved people whenever He wills and whomever He wills, whether he is a martyr or not.
The bodies of Prophets would be considered as an exception as there is an evidence for the exception. Allahu A`lam [Allah knows best].
As for the second part, Aishah (RA) gave up her position (near the Prophet [SAW]) where she wanted to be buried, because Umar (RA) had asked her if he could be buried there. She preferred him over herself saying that “I would not like to be looked upon as better than I really am”. SubhanAllah. [More on this tomorrow inshaAllah.]
Wassalam.
Like Bricks of a Wall (Hadith No. 468)
Salam,
Bismillah.
Narrated Abu Musa:
The Prophet said, “A faithful believer to a faithful believer is like the bricks of a wall, enforcing each other.” While (saying that) the Prophet clasped his hands, by interlacing his fingers.
We’re supposed to be like those bricks ^. Each one of them has its own special place, and each one of them is significant in its own way. Even if one of them falls out of its place, the wall will lose its strength. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood.” [Al-Hujurat 49:10]
Further:
“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin the ma`roof (all of Islam), and forbid the munkar (all that is evil; kufr): they observe regular prayers, pay Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise.” [9:71]
Allah’s Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, forsake him, or despise him.”
“It is sufficient evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother. The life, wealth, and honor of a Muslim are inviolable by another Muslim.” [Sahih Muslim]
It is related by Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet said,
“There are five claims of a Muslim upon a Muslim: to return his greetings when he greets; to visit him when he falls ill; to attend his funeral; to accept his invitation to a meal and to pray for him, when he sneezes, by saying ‘yarhamukallah’ (May the mercy of Allah be on you).”
Anas (ra) reports that Rasulullah (s) once said:
“I swear by the Holy Being in whose power my life is, any one of you cannot be a true believer unless he desires for his fellow-brother what he desires for himself.”
“Brotherhood is synonymous with Islam. It is a force for good, a purveyor of peace and justice for everyone. It provides stability in a quarrelsome world. To the downtrodden and oppressed everywhere in the past, it provided freedom. When it was powerful, it even saved the Jews and Christians in Palestine and Spain from each other.” -Z.B. Asghar
So much for the past. What about the present? Do we understand the noble concept of Islamic brotherhood? Do we practice it? Do we belong to it?
Wassalam.
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