by Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
Many hadith describe the status of two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, and describe the high position in Paradise which He has promised them and the great honour which He will bestow upon them on the Day when mankind is resurrected to meet the Rabb (Lord) of the Worlds: Among them is the hadith which describes the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:
1, a just leader;
2, a youth who grows up worshipping Allah;
3, a person who is deeply attached to the masjid;
4, two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, meeting for His sake and parting for His sake;
5, a man who is called by a beautiful woman and says, I fear Allah;
6, a person who gives charity in secret such that their left hand does not know what their right hand is doing;
7, a person who remembers Allah when they are alone and their eyes fill with tears." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The two who love one another for the sake of Allah are clearly shown to be among those whom Allah will shelter with His shade and upon whom He will shower His mercy and kindness. What a great honour! It is enough honour for those who love one another for the sake of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta`ala) that their Almighty Rabb will greet them on the Day of Resurrection and say to them:
"Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the Day when there is no shade but Mine." (Muslim)
Such is the magnificent honour and tremendous reward that will be bestowed upon those who truly loved one another for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala), on that awesome Day.
Love for the sake of Allah, and not for the sake of anything else in this life which is filled with greed, desires and interests, is very difficult, and none can attain it except the one who is pure of heart, for whom this world is as nothing compared to the pleasure of Allah. It is not surprising that Allah should give them a status and blessing which is commensurate with their position in this world, above whose concerns they have risen. We find proof of this in the hadith of Mu'adh who said that the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Allah said: 'Those who love one another for My glory, will have minbars of light, and the Prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith]
Allah gives to those who love one another for His sake a gift which is even greater than this status and blessing: that is His precious love which is very difficult to attain. This is proven by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) in which the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"A man went to visit a brother of his in another village. Allah sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where do you intend to go?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any favour (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No. I just love him for the sake of Allah.' The angel told him, I am a messenger to you from Allah, sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother for His sake."' (Muslim)
What a great love, that raises a man to a position where Allah loves him and is pleased with him!
The teaching of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) states that the better of two people who love one another for the sake of Allah is the one who loves the other more. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"No two people love one another, but the better of them is the one whose love the other more." [Reported by Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad]
Islam goes even further in spreading love in the rightly guided Muslim society by telling the Muslim that if he loves his brother, he should tell him. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him." [Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a sahih hadith]
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) understood the impact of this strong, pure love in building societies and nations, so he never let any occasion pass without advocating this love and commanding the Muslims to announce their love for one another, in order to open hearts and spread love and purity among the ranks of the Ummah.
Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) said that a man was with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), when another man passed by. The first man said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I truly love this man." The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked him, "Have you let him know that?" He said, "No." The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Tell him." He caught up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of Allah," and the man said, "May Allah love you who loves me for His sake." [Reported by Abu Dawud, with a sahih isnad]
Mu'adh(radhiallahu `anhu) began to spread this pure love among the Muslims throughout the Muslim lands, telling them what he had heard from the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) about the great reward that Allah had prepared for those who loved one another for His sake, and about His great love for them. In al-Muwatta', Imam Malik(rahmatullahi alaiyh) gives a report with a sahih isnad from Abu Idris al-Khulani who said:
"I entered the masjid of Damascus, where I saw a young man who had a bright smile, and I saw the people gathered around him. When they disagreed on some matter, they referred it to him, and accepted his opinion. I asked who he was, and they told me, 'This is Mu'adh ibn Jabal (radhiallahu `anhu)." Early the next day, I went to the mosque but I found that he had arrived even earlier than I. He was praying, so I waited until he had finished, then I approached him from in front, greeted him and said, 'By Allah I love you.' He said, 'For the sake of Allah?' I said, 'For the sake of Allah'. He repeated his question, 'For the sake of Allah?' and I said, 'For the sake of Allah.' So he took hold of my collar and pulled me towards him and said, 'I have good news for you. I heard the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) say: "Allah Almighty says: 'My love is granted to those who love one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and who spend on one another for My sake.'"'
Assalamu Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteWhen we have the intention to perform a good deed we should be cautious that it is not cancelled by error.
For example, the content of this blog has been posted in such a way as to leave a reader with the misguided impression that it was perhaps self-composed.
Taking the sample sentence: "Among them is the hadith which describes the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His:" and running it through Yahoo search, it was quite simple to find various sources from which the article posted could be found (which is how I came across your blog), and in each instance, the name of the author is readily available.
Not only is the article's authorship readily available...the article is also copyrighted material as one can learn here:
http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=562.
The Status Of Two Who Love One Another For The Sake Of Allah
Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
The Ideal Muslim
© 1999 IIPH
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us all. Ameen.
Ma'Salaama.
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Here is something I put together:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatuallahi wa Barakatuhu.
There are times that like to re-circulate material from a post that has been made here and there, or from information found in books or from internet resources, however, I endeavor to hold myself to the moral obligation of being responsible in this regard by either (1) seeking permission from the person originally submitting the material, and/or (2) providing a reference within the post to the source of the information (generally by providing a link to the web page where it came from, or by including the author's name or both). Where possible, I may even sometimes run an extra search on the name of the author to see if there is any biographical information available that might also be included at the end or beginning of a post so as to allow others to have some idea about the person who has written the forwarded material. By following these self-imposed rules, it is my hope that by taking responsibility for these tasks, insha'Allah both myself and the potential reader are protected from any unintended harm.
In an attempt to further emphasize the importance of taking a few moments to perform these minor tasks, maybe the explanation below will help us to understand the importance of substantiating or crediting our posts either, (1) to it's original author or publisher, or (2) by providing a referring link to the source of the information.
It is my belief that as Muslims, we are obliged, not only to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and ourselves, but to the rest of the world, to uphold a higher moral standard of conduct, as representatives of Islam.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has provided guidance for us in the Qur'an, Sunnah and Hadith, and we should do our best to make sure our sisters and brothers are rightly guided, but we must also be responsible in our guidance, because many times the materials we provide to one another are forwarded, and sometimes even read by non-Muslims (May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide them to the Truth. Ameen).
I am not a scholar, and I do not think a single one of us would dare refer to ourselves as scholars, so it is important that we clarify from whence our information comes, and to also give proper credit to those who have provided material for us, and to those who have taken the time to study and research and compile the information that we learn from.
If we do not offer credit where credit is due, we risk leaving the impression of being one who plagiarizes someone else's work; May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive our imperfections. Ameen.
So, in order to protect ourselves from falling into unintentional error, we might remember that, "The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most God-conscious." (49:13)
If we practice and fine tune our God-consciousness, insha'Allah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will guide and protect us in our efforts to perfect our deen, with the hope of finding the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with our good deeds.
Humility, modesty, control of passions and desires, truthfulness, integrity, patience, steadfastness, and fulfilling one's promises are moral values which are emphasized again and again in the Quran.
In a way which summarizes the moral behavior of a Muslim, the Prophet (PBUH) said*:
"My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right."
Yes, documenting the source or author of a publication by specific reference or link might require a little extra effort on our parts, but in the grand scheme of things, is it not in the quest of seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the hope of reward that we perform good deeds?
"And if any strive (with might and main), they do so for their own souls: for Allah is free of all needs from all creation. Those who believe and work righteous deed(s), from them shall We blot out all misdeed(s) they have committed, and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds." (Qur'an 29:6-7)
Ibn 'Abbas(t) narrated that Allah's Messenger said: "There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.." (Al-Bukhari Vol. 8 Hadith 421)
"Say: 'Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds.'" (Qur'an 6:162)
Some may ask, why should I care about this topic today? To which I would offer the following:
Abu Musa (t) narrated that Allah’s Messenger as saying: "A believer is like a brick for another believer, the one supporting the other." (Muslim Vol. 4 Hadith 6257; Al-Bukhari Vol. 3 Hadith 626)
Anas Bin Malik(t) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "None of you will have faith till he likes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself." (Al-Bukhari Vol. 1 Hadith 12)
"But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness - We shall soon admit them to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, - to dwell therein forever. Allah's promise is the truth, and whose word can be truer than Allah's?" (Qur'an 4:122)
'To those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, has Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward." (Qur'an 5:9)
"And he who brings the Truth and he who confirms (and supports) it—such are the men who do right. They shall have all that they wish for, with their Rabb (Sustainer). Such is the reward of those who do good: so that Allah will remit from them (even) the worst in their deeds and give them their reward according to the best of what they have done." (Qur'an 39:33-35)
Abu Hurairah (t) narrated that Allah’s Messenger said: "Whoever guides somebody to what is good will have a reward similar to the rewards of the doer of that good deed to whom he has guided to it." (Muslim Vol. 4 Hadith 6470, Abu Daud and Tirmidhi)
"Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that Day have joy in all that they do. They and their associates will be in pleasant shade, reclining on raised couches; (every) fruit will be there for them; they shall have whatever they call for; 'Peace!' - a Word (of salutation) from a Rabb (Sustainer) Most Merciful." (Qur'an 36:55-58)
I pray that we will each consider this as a matter of utmost importance for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide and protect us all from harm. Ameen.
Ma'Salaama,
~Aishah
Alexandria, Egypt
www.sisteraishah.com
http://aishahsjourney.blogspot.com
*excerpted from, "The Moral System of Islam" III&E Brochure Series; No. 6, (published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E)) as found on the website of the Muslim Student Association for the University of Southern California (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA).