Reflections on 'Rinsing' Guys and Glamour Models

Bismillahir rahmanir raheem.

A few days ago, news reached me of a TV programme that was broadcasted in relation to a few supermodels who have used their appearances and sex appeal to draw some benefits and gifts from the opposite gender. At first, I didn't pay that much attention to it but over the last few days, I have noticed that it has sparked such uproar, that many people have written about it. In fact, such was the uproar, that it sparked a Twitter storm causing 50,000 tweets.  After reading through some of these articles (which contained tweets and public comments), I viewed a couple of short clips of the episode and it truly upset me and made a deep impact upon my heart.

After reading much feedback and trying to grasp many of the new concepts, there were three areas I recognised as being important to address; 1. Women and their role models 2. Men and how lowly they can become 3. Hayaa (modesty)

In brief, let me just summarise the issue; the theme of this documentary highlights the lives of various glamour models who are apparently extremely successful but they do not have any such profession. As a result, they use their beauty to entice rich (or reasonably rich) men who then in turn give them money and buy them extremely expensive gifts. This is not to say that the problem in its entirety lies with the women, men who welcome the idea of spending thousands on women who do not even care for them deserve to be hit with the harsh clap of reality; but more on that later.

My first area of worry was in relation to our own respected and dear sisters in Islam. Despite many women (whom I applaud) condemning the models in the documentary,  I noticed how some women were writing messages of support after watching these models rake money in. Many went to the extent of saying that such action was justified and quite beneficial. As a Muslim, let alone a Muslima, such actions are quite simply far from our religion. How can it bring a person happiness, to hoard wealth in a fashion which is against morality and free from any ethics? It does not even need a Muslim to highlight that such behaviour is wrong, many non Muslims are correctly condemning such doings on social networking websites. 

Thus, it's necessary to disregard such glamour models and looks for some role models for all that glitters is not gold. When you take away the glitz and the thrill of what these women are doing and you lay their purpose out, it is quite simply abhorrent.  How can it be acceptable, to not work for the money you gain but to take it from the hand of a person who is vulnerable due to his desires? Alhamdulillah, our deen has taught us from the very beginning to be people of pioneering nature who are not reliant on the money of others. Such people who exert their limbs in noble work, utilise their capacity in all fields and be dignified in their search for wealth. This was taught to us by our beloved Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam. In a narration related by Abu Dawud, a man came to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam and he had nothing in his possession except a piece of cloth (half of which was to be worn and the other half was to be used as a spread) and a bowl. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam told him to bring both possessions to him; consequently, they were brought and the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam auctioned them off for 2 dirhams (silver coins). He gave the man the two coins and told him to spend one upon the sustenance of his family and the other coin should be used to purchase an axe. In fact, the axe was brought to Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam and he fixed the handle; he then commanded the man that he should go and gather firewood (by utilising the axe) and should not return until 2 weeks later. When the man returned, he had accumulated 10 silver coins. It was at this juncture that the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “This is better for you than the (act of) begging should come as a blemish on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay. (i.e. extremely dire circumstances)”.

Having understood this hadith, it is important to highlight the work ethic that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam would inculcate within the Companions. Respect for a person is when that person acquires sustenance in a respectable and dignified manner. What respect is there in a person who hoards money by using their sexual prowess as a means of asking men for gifts? A person may achieve their goal and gain quite a bit from lustful men but where is the taste of prosperity in their wealth? It is free from any blessing, free from any satisfaction, free from any dignity.

Thus it is important to urge our sisters to be such women, who study hard throughout their youth and become women who are intellectually astute, morally sound and highly modest. When such characteristics are found within a woman, she is not in need of stooping to such lows.

The second advice is in relation to my dear Muslim brothers; we have become too weak in relation to our desire for the opposite gender. There are many who are all too willing to give time, wealth and affection to women who are not even halal for them. Many Muslim men are spending their money on women whom they have never met; their only source of interaction with these glamour models etc has been through adult entertainment sources. In an attempt to win the admiration of these women, many men are emptying out their wallets in buying gifts which would be more rewarding for them had they spent their wealth on their family members instead. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, "When a Muslim spends on his family in anticipation of a reward, it is sadaqa for him." (Al Adabul Mufrad) I.e. when a man spends on his family members, he is rewarded immensely. Furthermore, in this documentary, men were spending thousands on these women; Allahu Akbar! There are people in this world who are in extreme need, they are literally walking on the banks of destruction and they have no person to feed them. Yet, we would rather give money to women who are quite simply ‘users’ (matlab parast) as opposed to the millions who are dying of hunger. 

Our priorities in life must be sorted out. On the Day of Qiyamah, the feet of a person will not move until he has answered 5 questions; two of which are: Where did you acquire your wealth? Where did you spend your wealth? Every single person will have to answer for every single penny he spent, what will be the state of that person who did not care for his zakah but was enthusiastic upon spending his wealth in shameful places? What answer will he give to Allah? Thus, it is important for us to build this fear within us.

Lastly, in relation to a man, we need to stop being ‘suckers’ for everything that tickles our fancy. We have to build up our defences, it shouldn’t be the case that a pretty woman batters her eyelashes and we feel the need to rescue the damsel in distress. There is a need to become prudent in such matters and ignore that which is of no benefit. When a person becomes desperate in regards to the other gender, he loses his respect in the eyes of people.

Finally, I wanted to mention the topic of modesty. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has said that Hayaa (modesty) is a branch of faith. In another place he has said, “Every nation has a trait and the trait of my nation is modesty” (Muwatta). He has also said, “Vulgarity does not exist in something except that it makes it repulsive and modesty does not exist in something except that it beautifies it.”  In fact, even men are given the example of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam who was described as being more bashful than a veiled virgin within her quarters.

Modesty is quite simply that thing which prevents a person from doing anything hideous. He is constantly shy and is afraid what people might think. Moreover, he is most shy of Allah Ta’ala. As a result, he shies away; take the example of a pious person, when all of his friends are going to a club, he rejects because his modesty stops him from entering such places. Thus, the more we increase in our modesty, the greater we become in distinguishing immoral activities from moral deeds. This is a characteristic which should be in us all (men and women) but it seems extremely distant from such women who are involved in ‘rinsing’ activities. The likes of Asmaa bint Abi Bakr radiallahu anhumaa was such that one day she was carrying a huge weight of harvest on her shoulders towards her house which was at a distance. The Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam passed by with a group of men; the Prophet Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam was her brother in law and offered to take her home by sitting her on his horse but she refused the offer and said, “I am shy that I travel amongst the men”. Such women are models, the great role models to have ever walked the earth.

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to recognise that which is the Haqq as Haqq and then bless us with the ability to follow it. And may He give us the ability to recognise that which is false as false and bless us with the ability to stay away from it. May He, out of His kindness, endow us with the characteristics of our beloved Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam, and beautify us with the characteristic of modesty. Ameen.

Don't Be A 'Quitter'

Different people are affected mentally by different things. Different situations bring out different characteristics from within a person. Sometimes people are presented with a task which they are not comfortable with but they still dig deep (make huge efforts) in order to complete it. On the other hand there are other people who maintain a ‘give up’ mentality; and that is when a difficult situation is presented before them, they immediately feel it is impossible and beyond the boundaries of reality. As a result, they quit at the first hurdle and decide not to push themselves towards the attainment of their goals. This mentality can be simply put as, “When the going gets tough... I quit.”

As Muslims, when we do not understand how to do something our mentality should not be ‘I quit’. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Companions radiallahu anhum were presented with the severest of tasks. They were presented with tasks of huge magnitude but they did not carry this ‘I quit’ perception in their pockets. Rather, they had unerring fortitude and belief that they will complete their goals. Had they quit at the first hurdle, then how would this deen come to us? Likewise, it is seen over the period of history that the religion of Allah ‘azza wa jal has not been carried by people who had low self esteem and will power. Rather Allah Ta’ala has specifically chosen special souls to do the service of His religion because of their resolute nature. The greatest honour a person can have in this world is to serve this faith we have been gifted with in whatever way possible; whether it be that a person becomes a doctor and helps humanity or that he becomes a scholar and guides people towards the straight path, the basis of our existence is to serve the deen and this can only be done by men and women of strong, resolute, pioneering character.

When a person is presented a task which is outside of his ‘comfort zone’ he immediately begins to think about all his weaknesses. For example, sometimes a person may be asked to read a book out aloud to his class as part of class reading. As soon as this task has been delegated to him, he immediately begins a conversation within his own self along the lines of, “What if I make a mistake? People will laugh at me and think that I am stupid. Some of these English words are looking really big, what if I say it funny and people giggle?” These types of thought are all fuelling and whisperings from shaytaan khabees and should be ignored (say a’uzoo billahi min ash shaytaanir rajeem). When a person begins to think too much about a specific task, he makes it more complex than it really is. One dear friend of mine once advised me to make big things appear to be small so that the pressure is also reduced.

If we are struggling to perform a certain task than our state should not be that we hold our hands up and say, “I can’t do this!” Rather we should look at the task and say, “I do not have the knowledge on how to do this properly just yet but I will learn very quickly and then attempt to do this again.” It is very important to be optimistic at all times as opposed to being pessimistic and negative. When a person is optimistic and hopeful, he begins to brim with confidence and self belief. This will aid him hugely in completing his difficult task as he has already won half the battle which is within his mind. If our condition is such that we begin shaking at the mere possibility of each task then we will run away from it for as long as we live and we will never gain the experience to overcome our ‘teething troubles’ so as to speak.

Sometimes, to produce a resolute and stalwart characteristics within oneself is really hard, especially if the person is a soft person by nature. In situations such as these, my humble advice would be to use my ‘goli maro bhai’ (fire a bullet to the world) method. A person should not think too much and work by the spur of the moment. It is like when we get an injection from the nurse. We look at the needle and begin to get so scared. Sometimes people begin to cry just by seeing the needle that Allah bachai, this nurse is going to do my zabah (sacrifice)! Then when the time comes we know we can’t get away from it so we close our eyes and hope for the best but as soon as the needle comes in and out, the first words we say are, “That didn’t hurt you know.” This is spur of the moment ‘goli maro’ theory.

May Allah Ta’ala give us all the ability to strengthen our resolve and be from those people who achieve our ambitions. May He take great service of deen from us. Ameen.

Takabbur (Arrogance) - A common Disease

With the name of Allah, the All Merciful, the Very Merciful...

The Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) said in an authentic hadith,"Whosoever has an atoms weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Jannah." One of the signs of arrogance is denying the truth. Denying the oneness of Allah is amongst the biggest signs of arrogance. Nowadays, many are so blinded by this world that they think that this world is everything but the thing that they don't realise is that a day will surely come where we will stand in front of the One who created us and we will be asked as to our actions. Allah says in Surah Yaseen,"Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed male and female discharge semen drops).Yet behold! He (stand forth) as an open opponent."

The problem in society is that every one thinks they are better than every one else but in reality, this is far from the truth. We can never claim to be better than anyone else as we do not know our position infront of Allah. Allah will not at how 'good-looking' we are or how strong we are or how rich we are and surely, Allah doesn't look at your status amongst your fellow human being but Allah looks at your piety and good deeds. We see that nowadays it's a common problem that affects the youth mostly. Some people think that because we are driving the best cars, we naturally are better than anyone else. Stop! Think about it, will your car be able to outrun death or the punishment of Allah? Will your car save you on the Day of Qiyamah? Some people think, "I have big biceps, Iam better than everyone else!" But know my brother and sister, the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said in a hadith,"The strong man is not the one is who is good at wrestling but strong man is he who controls himself in a fit of rage". It easier to knock some one out than to forgive someone, surely forgiveness is a very good attribute to have. You might be pushing 100kg in the gym but when it comes to Fajr prayer, are you able to lift that blanket that weighs less that 1kg off you? If you can't then that says everything. A strong person must have the abilty to fight his Nafs, he must be able to fight shaytaan, and he will only be able to do all this by seeking the help of Allah. We need to realise that we need Allah in everything. So why do we have to be arrogant when we are entirely dependent on Allah?

We can see from the examples of the Sahabas (may Allah be pleased with them) that they were the strongest men that walked upon the face of this world but yet they were always humble.We see some brothers and sometimes sisters too, they walk around as if they are mountains! Allah says in the Qur'an, "Do not walk on the earth in haughty style. You can neither tear the earth apart, nor can you match the mountains in height." So if a person cannot match this, how dare he walk with such arrogance? My brother and sisters arrogance is a sign of ignorance, because Allah looks not at how strong you are or how beautiful you are, or how rich you are; rather Allah looks at what is in your heart, Allah looks at your good deeds and your piety.

Arrogance is a disease my brothers and sisters, do we want Jannah or not? If yes then get rid of arrongance from your heart because a good Muslim is always humble no matter how strong, or how rich he is. He is always humble because he realises that his wealth, his strenghth will not help him when he will be in his grave, when the angels will ask him, "Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is the Prophet?" We think that these answers are easy now but know my brothers and sisters that if you didn't live your life in the obedience of Allah, you will not be able to answers these three questions. We must make dua that Allah protects us from this disease, because for sure it will destroy our herefafter. If we have one atoms weight of arrogance in our heart, we will not enter Jannah, a true believer realises that he is nothing but a creation that has been created from a drop of semen... is this really something to boast about?

I make dua that Allah makes these few words a means of guidance for all of us and I make dua that Allah protects us from arrongance. Ameen.

True Success - Nothing Comes Easy

With the name of ALLAH the All Merciful, the Very Merciful,

What is real success? How do you define real success? When the prophet Muhammad (PEACE BE UPON HIM) started his work of dawaah, his first message was, "Say there is no god but ALLAH and you shall succeed." My brothers and sisters this life is only for a few days and we must realise this fact as soon as possible. Why? Because ALLAH says in the Quran ,"Every soul shall taste death". We don't know when we will breathe our last breath,we are getting so invloved in the wordly matters that we are forgetting about our death, we hear people nowadays saying, "We have one life only so lets enjoy it!" but we should know the real purpose of this life which is to worship our lord ALLAH. If we want to be amongst those who will get the glad tidings of Jannah then the change has to come now. Obey your Lord and follow His commandss. Of course we can have our inspiration of being a doctor , lawyer etc but the real goal is to worship ALLAH.

On the day of Qiyamah when ALLAH will ask us, "I gave you this life, what did you do with it?" "hat will be our answer? Well my brothers and sisters if we lived our life obeying ALLAH's rules and we followed the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) then by ALLAH's mercy on us we will be given the glad tidings of Jannah, this is the real success - attaining Jannah. But unfortunatetly we see nowadays that we are forgetting where the real success lies and the beauty of this world has made us blind. In reality this world is nothing to compare to the beauty of the Paradise.

We should fight our nafs and fight shaytaan! We should know that nothing comes easy, we can't expect to get rewarded by just sitting down, we should work hard , go through trials in order to attain succes. We can see from the story of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Sahabas (May ALLAH be pleased with them) they went through a lot of trials. We can see from the story of the family of Yassir (May ALLAH be pleased with them) that they went through a lot and when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) saw the persecution that the family of Yassir (May ALLAH be pleased with them.)was going through he said to them" Be patient O family of Yassir! For you have an appointment in Jannah." The wife of Yassir , Summaiya(May ALLAH be please with her) was the first woman to die for the cause of ISLAM. People gave their life for this deen , they knew that this life is nothing compare to the life of the hereafter, they understood, that true success lies in the obedience of ALLAH and following the sunnah of the Prophet(Peace be upon him). Today we see that there are lot of facilities to learn about this beautiful deen of Islam, we should grab these opportunities and learn about Islam. Islam has come to us on a plate, we didnt have to shed blood for this deen.

My brothers and sisters know that one day we will meet our Lord, we need to prepare for our meeting with ALLAH. This life is a test, if we pass this test then Inshallah by ALLAH's mercy on us we will get the best reward which is Jannah. Indeed we will have to face trials in order to enter Jannah and by having full trust in ALLAH in times of difficulties and knowing that only ALLAH can help us is a great method to succeed. ALLAH says in the QURAN,"And surely Paradise- it is the goal" (an-Naziat 79:41 ), "Indeed the next abode-it is truly the life"(al-Ankabut 29:64). We see from the two verses that our goal should be attaining Jannah and that the real life is the life of the hereafter. ALLAH also testifies in Surah Asr,"By the time, Verily! Man is in loss, Except for those who believe(Islamic monotheism) and do righteous deeds, and recomend one another to the truth and recomend one another to patience".

My brother and sister we should realise that true success lies in the obedience of ALLAH and following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). We should grab every small opportunity we get to do good deeds. Why? Because on the Day of Qiyamah only your good deeds will be able to help you, your family, your wealth and your status amongst mankind won't come to avail on this day - the day when there is no shelter and good deeds are your only helper. We need to ask ALLAH to guide on the path of Imaan and make us realise as soon as possible where true success lies .


May ALLAH guide all of us along the straight path and make us amongst the dwellers of Jannah.

AMEEN

Remember me in your duas

"When one of you loves his brother, he should tell him so..."

The following is an extract from the Jumm'ah Bayaan at London Metropolitan University:

And so we begin today. What I want to talk about today is love for one another because sometimes I see friction in the prayer room. Maybe this is because we think, “He doesn’t look like me, he isn’t doing things that I follow. Why does he do this? Why not like this?” And then these very same people may perhaps show bad characteristics towards one another. This truly creates really bad feelings towards one another. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“When one of you loves his brother, he should tell him so.”

He should tell him! He should not keep it inside that, “I am a big man! I am hard! I don’t want to tell anybody I love them as it may decrease from my manhood! I want to be macho! I don’t want to show any softness inside of me, this must be only directed towards my wife.” No, this is completely wrong! Bringing an aura of love is from the characteristics of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam! When he would see the Sahabah radiallahu anhum, he would show them huge amounts of compassion. Today my brothers and sisters, we have gone far away from this. We feel love is only dependant on those people whom we can share intimacy with and not those people who we are brothers with, and this is why the Muslim Ummat is suffering right now because we don’t understand that we should love one another.

Now how should we love one another? By smiling at one another, by passing the salaam to one another, by meeting one another with an embrace and by this love will increase as you will always remember a person who shows these characteristics towards you! Maybe a person continually sees another Muslim and he continually passes salaam, maybe one day they will actually sit and talk and create a great friendship with each other. This has happened in the past. And if we are to act upon the hadith we are discussing right now, then we should tell each other, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.” This is also hugely beneficial and we really disregard it. Just by saying this statement, it can remove a lot of bitterness which we direct to other people.

Mujahid rahimahullah who was a very big scholar mentions that he met some of the companions of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. And one sahabi tapped him from behind on his shoulder and said, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala!” and Mujahid said, “May the One for whom you love me, love you too.” And this Sahabi said, “Had I not heard the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam say, “when you love your brother you should tell him so” I would not have told you this.” And because of this Mujahid rahimahullah became happy and he too showed izhaar of his gratitude.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “No two people love each other but the better of those people is the one who is more in his love for his friend.” For example, I love our brother Ilyas for the sake of Allah Ta’ala but he might love me more, this means he is better than me. This is what the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam showed to the people, a lot of love and mercy. It is mentioned by Hazrat Anas radiallahu anhu,

“The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was the most beautiful of the people, the most generous of the people, the most courageous of the people.”

And there is a reason to this, once in Madina late at night the people heard a big sound. They got scared as they thought the enemies of Islam were preparing a surprise attack at night while they were not prepared. In a state of huge terror, they made their way to the sound to see what had happened. But when they arrived, they had found that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was already there on his horse with a sword in his hand! Subhanallah! What a sight this was to behold. He was prepared to take an entire army with by himself for his people! And he ushered them back to their homes telling them not to worry as he had checked the area! Allahu Akbar! How many of us have this type of aura around us that we give comfort to those people whom we socialise with? My brothers, rather than dispelling the worries of our brothers, we like to instil fear into them. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was a person who called everyone towards him, he did not push anyone away. Hazrat Amr ibn al-Aas radiallahu anhu relates,

“The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam gave attention, spoke and showed love to the worst person of a nation so that, the person may feel he is being given special attention. He used to give me such attentions and spoke to me also in a manner that I began to feel that I was the best among the community.”

One hadith that I will speak of very quickly,

“When a person loves his brother for the sake of Allah Ta’ala and he says, “I love you for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.” Then Allah Ta’ala enters both of them into Jannah. The person who loves his brother for the sake of Allah Ta’ala, Allah Ta’ala elevates that persons rank.”

So you should tell your brothers that you love them for the sake of Allah Ta’ala. I’ll be the first to open up and drop the macho look! I love you all for the sake of Allah Ta’ala!

One Umrah Everyday in Ramadhan

The following has been translated from our most dear, Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Motala's (damat barakatuhum) Ita'at e Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam. It is Hazrat's account of his time spent with his respected sheikh, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh.

The Umrah’s that were performed in Ramadhan Mubarak

To perform Umrah in Ramadhan has been emphasised by the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam. Huzoor e Aqdas salallahu alayhi wa salam has stated,

“To do Umrah in Ramadhan is the equivalent of doing Hajj with me.”

Whenever Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh would acquire Ramadhan in Makkah Mukkaramah, he would perform one Umrah everyday in order to act upon this Sunnat and to acquire its virtue. When he was in his youth, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh himself relates,

“After Tarawih, we would remove our clothes, tie our Ihram and rush to Tan’eem (which is a Meeqat) and then we would rush back. After we finished doing Tawaaf and Sa’ee etc we would eat our Sehri and then go to sleep. During the whole of Ramadhan, this was our daily practice.”

In the third year of his stay in Makkah Mukkaramah, everyday visitors would come to meet him and when he would be free from them, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh would tie his Ihram and then would proceed to Tan’eem in the car of Malak Sahib. There would be approximately 30 to 40 people with Hazrat and there would be three cars too.

When Hazrat would go to Masjid e Aishah (radiallahu anha) where the Ihram is tied, he would go to a sandy turf situated behind the masjid. He would then say, “This is the place where Hazrat Aishah’s radiallahu anha camel sat!” and he would begin to pray nafl prayers on this sand without having laid a prayer mat beforehand.

And just like this, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh came to the sandy turf again the next day and as he was about to begin his nafl prayer, a person (from amongst them) requested a prayer mat to pray on. When the voice of this man had reached Hazrat’s ears, Hazrat said angrily, “Who is it that wants a cloth?! Lift me up! We will go inside the masjid to pray our nafl!” After this, Hazrat Sheikh rahmatullahi alayh would perform his prayers inside the masjid. Thereafter, the opportunity to pray on the sandy turf never came.

This is what is known as the complete following of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Sahabah radiallahu anhu. May Allah, exalted be He, give us a portion of this too. Ameen.

Who Was...? #1 Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah radiallahu anhu

Sahabah radiallahu anhum Series

A sad reality - Many have neglected the rights of the Sahabah radiallahu anhum. The in depth personalities and spiritual states of those men and women who once roamed around the world with the proclaimed banner of “The Best of Nations” above their heads have become mere historical figures. Our own ignorance towards their existence has left us falling into a bottomless pit of darkness; as without them, we have no role model to kindle the fire of inspiration. Thus, our life becomes void of a guiding light and a template. Without the Sahabah radiallahu anhum, none would know how to love Allah Ta’ala or Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. We would plummet into a type of ignorance that would have no bounds. It is for this reason, I have decided to write succinct biographies in relation to these wonderful people radiallahu anhum. I will write on those companions who have undeservedly been forgotten by many. Many are aware of the Khulafa e Raashideen and the Ummuhaatul Mu’mineen but not many know of others whose sacrifices we would never be able to equal, even if we try our entire lives. And so I begin with a Sahabi who was colossus in his Islam.

May Allah Ta’ala shower endless blessings upon the Sahabah radiallahu anhum and count us with them on the Day of Qiyamah. Ameen.

رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ‌ۚ
“Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.”

His name and lineage:

His real name was Aamir ibn Abdullah ibn al Jarrah ibn Hilal ibn Uhaib ibn Dabbah ibn al Harith ibn Fihr ibn Malik. His lineage meets with the Prophet’s salallahu alayhi wa salam with their ancestor Fihr.

Prior to Islam, he was called by his name ‘Aamir’. However, he was soon given the nickname Abu Ubaydah.

Among his other nicknames is ‘Ameenul Ummah - The Trustworthy of the Ummah’. This was given to him by Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam.

His Features:

He was tall, slender and he had a sparse beard. He was handsome, pleasent and bright, sharp eyes. He had no front teeth (which were lost in Uhud) and he dyed his hair with henna and Katm (a reddish black dye). He was extremely soft in his speech.

His Reversion:

Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was of those who had responded to Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam immediately. He was one of the first 10 to accept Islam and thereafter, sustain much persecution during the early days. He was one of the five who reverted to Islam in a single day at the hands of Hazrat Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu.

Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu thereafter became an exemplary model to the Muslims for his piety, good characters, strength of belief and firmness in being truthful.

His Emigration:

During a period enormous hardships for Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and the Sahabah radiallahu anhum, the Muslims became extremely weak due to the constant persecution. They were resigned to eating bones and leaves. When Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam saw the severe state of the Muslims, he sent them to Abyssinia. Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu felt it improper to leave Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam alone to face the enemies of Islam and thus remained in Makkah with him. Thereafter, when the people made emigration to Madinah, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was with them.

Episodes from his life:

1. The title given to Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was one of a huge rank. This was due to an affair that rose up between the rulers of Najran. To settle this affair, the people of Najran requested a just man and so Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said to them, ‘Come tomorrow and I will send the strong and trustworthy with you.”Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu states,

“I never liked authority except on that day when I hoped to be the one worthy of that title. So, I went to perform Zuhr early. When Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam completed his prayer, he turned to the right and to the left, and I wanted him to see me but he only looked at the people. When he saw Abu Ubaydah, he called him. Then he said, ‘Go with them, and judge between them with justice.’ So, Abu Ubaydah won the title.”

2. After the death of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam, the Muslims were discussing who would then take on the leadership of the Muslims. Hazrat Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu was in favour of Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu for he said,

“I have heard the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam say: Every nation has an Ameen (the most trustworthy, honest man), and the Ameen of this nation is Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah.”

3. On another occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu would send people to have their questions answered by Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu due to his vast knowledge. He would say,

“Go to Abu Ubaydah, the one who is good hearted and lenient. The one who when he is oppressed, does not oppress; when he is treated harshly, he pardons; when he is severed, he joins; and he is merciful to the believers and hard to the unbelievers.”

4. Those who become firm in matters of religion due to the establishment of pure belief, love of Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam suddenly find the world less important. Thereafter, the believer loves for the sake of Allah Ta’ala and hates for the sake of Allah Ta’ala. He gives in the way of Allah Ta’ala and withholds for the sake of Allah Ta’ala. Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was a prime example of this. The following narration is taken from Hayaatus Sahabah:

Hazrat ibn Showdhab reports that the father of Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu kept confronting him during the Battle of Badr and Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu continued avoiding him. However, when his father’s confrontation became too persistent, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu severed his father’s head from his body. It was then Allah Ta’ala revealed

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوۡمً۬ا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنۡ حَآدَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَلَوۡ ڪَانُوٓاْ ءَابَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنَهُمۡ أَوۡ عَشِيرَتَہُمۡ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ڪَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِہِمُ ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ۬ مِّنۡهُ‌ۖ وَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا‌ۚ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ حِزۡبُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزۡبَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

“You will not find those who believe in Allah and in the Hereafter having friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they may be their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their clan. They are such that Allah has inscribed faith on their hearts, and has supported them with a spirit from Him. He will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, in which they will live forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah. Those are the party of Allah. Be assured that it is (the members of) the party of Allah that are the successful.” Surah Mujaadalah 58:22

5. Once, Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu sent to Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu 40,000 dinar and 4,000 dirham with a servant messenger and told the messenger to see what Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu would do with the wealth. Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu distributed the whole amount among the poor and he sent a similar amount to be distributed except for a little amount for his wife. When Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu was told about that he said, “Praise be to Allah who preserved for Islam men like this man.”

His Piety:

Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was known for his piety and his asceticism. He understood very clearly the statement of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam in which he said, “The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.” As a result, he had no desire to gain worldly possessions.

Urwah ibn az Zubair radiallahu anhu said: When Umar ibn al Khattab radiallahu anhu returned from Syria, the public figures and commanders went out to received him. Umar radiallahu anhu said, “Where is my brother?” It was said, “Who?” He said, “Abu Ubaydah.” They said, “He will soon come.” When Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu came, Umar radiallahu embraced him, then he went to his house. Umar radiallahu anhu saw nothing in his house except for his sword, armour and saddle. Umar radiallahu anhu said, “Why didn’t you possess what your friends possessed?” Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu said, “This is sufficient to help me reach my destination.”

His humility:

After the death of Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu. Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu gained authority and removed Khalid ibn al Waleed radiallahu anhu as the leader of the army. He gave the leadership to Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu through a letter which read,

“I have appointed you over Syria and made you commander of the Muslims. Khalid is dismissed. Wassalam”

During the conquest of Damascus, the Muslims had besieged a fort. Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid radiallahu anhu and a part of the army were stationed at the back entrance of the fortand Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was stationed at the front gate. The siege lasted a while and Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu did not know that he had been dismissed as Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was too humble to tell him. And so, Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu and co planned a night raid which proved to be successful. They scaled the walls of the fort and got into the town, thereupon they began to wreak havoc with their swords. On the other side of the settlement, the leaders and commanders were unaware of this and began consulting one another as to what they should do. They resolved to go speak to Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu for they knew his heart to be soft, they would enter a pact with the Muslims. And so they approached him in this state that they were unaware of what was happening inside. They made a pact and brought Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu into the city. Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was walking with the priests in a very peaceful manner having agreed good terms for the Muslims whilst Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid radiallahu anhu stormed through the city until they both came face to face in the centre. Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid radiallahu anhu found out that Hazrat Ab Ubaydah radiallahu anhu had entered a pact with the disbelievers, he was greatly displeased as the entering of the pact can only be done by the leader of the Muslim Army (which he still thought he was). A feud broke out at that moment in which Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was being reprimanded for making a pact without the consultation or approval of the leader. His humility was such that even though he was the leader in reality, he did not say anything lest it may demoralise Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid radiallahu anhu. He would have been full and well in his right to show them the letter of Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu yet his humility was such that he did not want to embarrass his brother and so, he took some light criticism.

Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu did not know anything about this until 20 nights later when Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu found out about Hazrat Abu Ubaydah’s radiallahu anhu humility. So Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu sent a letter directly to Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu telling him about his removal. He (Hazrat Khalid radiallah anhu) said to Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu,

“May Allah show you mercy! The letter of the Commander of the Faithful making you the leader of the army reached you, and while the power was yours, you performed prayer behind me?!”

Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu said, “May Allah forgive you. It was I who did not inform you of this and I was not to interrupt your mission until you completed it. I do not care for worldly power or worldly delights. You will see one day that we are but brothers who must adhere to the Commandments of Allah Ta’ala.”

Even soon after, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was too shy to command Hazrat Khalid ibn Walid radiallahu anhu and even said on one occasion, “O Abu Sulayman (this is the nickname of Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu), I was shy to order you..” Hazrat Khalid radiallahu anhu gave a breathtaking response. He said,

“By Allah! Were a small child to order me, I would obey! That being the case, how can I oppose you when your Faith is older than mine and you preceded me in Islam along with those who preceded. You hastened to bringing Faith along with those who hastened. How can it be possible for me to reach you or attain your loft status with all that to your credit and with Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam naming you as, “The Trustworthy One?” I make you my witness that I have given my life in the Path of Allah and will never oppose you, nor will I ever accept a command post again.”

The love Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam had for him:

On the authority of Shaqiq who said: I asked Aishah radiallahu anha, “Who among the companions of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was most beloved to him?” She said, “Abu Bakr.” I asked, “Who then?” She said, “Umar.” I asked, “Who then?” She said, “Abu Ubaydah.” I said, “Who then?” She kept silent.

The love of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam for Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was not only down to his huge sacrifices for the deen but for his great manners. As the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam once said, “The best of you are those who have the best manners.” And so the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“There is only one from my companions that if I wanted to blame any them for a mistake, I could not do so to Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah.”

On another occasions he salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “How excellent Abu Ubaydah is!”

It is for this reason on the battle of Uhud, when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam was in a very constraint situation did Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu come to his aid. The Sahabah radiallahu anhum were all dispersed and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and two rings from the chainmail (the armour of the face) were embedded into the blessed face of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. Hazrat Abu Bakr radiallahu anhu tried to take them out but was not able to do so, thereafter Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu bited into the chainmail and pulled it out with his teeth. He had the blood of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam in his mouth which he then swallowed. Upon this, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam remarked, “The one whose blood is mixed with mine will not enter Jahannam.” In this effort, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah’s radiallahu anhu front two teeth fell out but the Sahabah radiallahu anhu mention that when he would smile, he would be the envy of the people.

His Fear of Allah Ta’ala:

He would advise the soldiers under his command, “Take note, how many people clean their garments yet stain their religion? And how many people dignify themselves yet disgrace their religion. Wipe out evil deeds by performing good ones. For if anyone commits an evil deed larger than the distance between heaven and earth, the one good deed might overpower his evil one!”

His passing away:

Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu and his soldiers were marching through Syria and surrounding lands whey they were inflicted by a plague. Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu felt upset as he knew Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu was ill and immediately requested him to come back to Madinah Munawwarah. Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu knew that his death was approaching and wrote a letter to Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu saying,

“I have known the need of the Ameerul Mu’mineen, he wants to keep alive that which is perishable.” Then he wrote: “Indeed, I have come to know your need for me, so set aside your desire. O Ameerul Mu’mineen, because I am among the Muslim army, and I will not put myself before them.”

When his death became imminent, he said,

“Give my greetings to the Ameerul Mu’mineen and tell him that I have fulfilled my obligations.”

Some days later, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu passed away in Jordan. He had died at the age of 58. Prior to his death he gave his parting words to the Ummat of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. He said,

“I leave you some advice. If you accept it, you will live a good life. Establish prayer, observe fasting in the month of Ramadhan, give in charity, perform Hajj, perform Umrah and advise each other. Advise your rulers and do not defame them. Let not the delights of life destroy you because if a person lives for 1000 years, certainly he will face what I am facing (death). Allah Ta’ala has preordained death on the sons of Adam, so everyone must die. Thus, the most prudent among you are those who will be obedient to the Lord, and he who works diligently for the day of Qiyamah. Assalamu Alaykum.”

Moments after, Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu breathed his last. 'To Allah we belong and to Him we return.'

Hazrat Mu’adh ibn Jabal radiallahu anhu who was present spoke to the people and said,

“Indeed, you have been afflicted with the death of a man, by Allah, I have never seen a slave of Allah with a more pure heart, further away from idle talk and more ardent in giving advice to people than him. So, pray unto Allah Ta’ala to shower His mercy on him.”

Hazrat Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Amr ibn al Aas and ad Dahak ibn Qays radiallahu anhum lowered him into his grave. After they covered him with sand, Mua’adh radiallahu anhu said,

“O Abu Ubaydah! Indeed I will appreciate you all my life uttering no falsehood, since uttering falsehood against you incurs Allah’s wrath. By Allah, I have come to know about one who mentions Allah much. One of those who walk on the earth in humility and when the foolish address them, they reply back with mild words. One of those when they spend, they are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but they hold a medium between the two extremes. By Allah, you were one of the humble among the true believers who show mercy to the orphans and the poor and detest the traitors and the haughty!”

O Allah shower upon Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu perpetual blessings, water the grave of Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu with Your unique mercy. O Allah, it is your beloved Rasul salallahu alayhi wa salam who said, “Man will be with those whom he loves.” So raise me with these people hand in hand and all those who bare love for these exceptional souls. O Allah, embed into us these distinguished characteristics and make of us and from our offspring the likes of Hazrat Abu Ubaydah radiallahu anhu and reunite us with those upon who Your favour is in the Hereafter. Ameen.

The above article has been extracted from ‘Ad Dharru Ath Thamaneeyatu Taraajimu Al Asharatul Al Mubasharatu bil Jannah, Futuhusham, Seeratus Sahabah and Hayatus Sahabah’

Next: Dirar ibn al Azwar radiallahu anhu and Khaula bint al Azwar radiallahu anha

Episodes from the life of Khalid bin Walid radiallahu anhu

Here are some episodes from the life of Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu):

Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) is known as the sword of ALLAH. The Prophet Muhammad(Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) said to Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) that "You are one of the swords of ALLAH and ALLAH has drawn you out for battle against the enemies of ALLAH."

Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) was one of the strongest and bravest men ever to walk on this earth. He was scared of nobody as the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) made a special dua so that Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) would not to be scared of anyone. And so the Sword of ALLAH said, "Since the day that the Prophet Muhammad(Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) made that dua, I was not scared of any person."

When Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) died, Umar (radiallahu anhu) said, "Women won't be able to bear the like of Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) again."

Once in a battle Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) went to the general of the opposing army and gave three options. He (radiallahu anhu) told the opposing general, "Accept Islam. If you do not accept islam then you will have to pay the jizya (tax) and if you refuse these two options then I have a group of people with me that love DEATH the way you love life." One of the biggest strengths of Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) was this that he was able to demoralise armies.

Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anh) broke 8 swords in the battle of Yarmuk. These were the swords belonging to Khalid (radiallahu anhu). As for Khalid (radiallahu anhu) he could never have been broken as he was the Sword of ALLAH. On his death bed, Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) was talking to his friend and he told him, "Do you see a size of a hand span on my body where there is not a wound?" His freind looked and said, "No." And then Khalid bin Walid (radiallahu anhu) said, "I fought numerous battle and now you see me dying on my bed, I wanted to die as a shahid(martyr) but now I am dying on my bed." Then his friend said to him, "You could never have died in the battle field." And then Khalid (radiallahu anhu) asked as to why, then his friend told him, "When the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) named you the sword of ALLAH, you are the sword of Allah and if you died in the battle field then people would say that an unbeliever has broken the sword of Allah, and this could never have happened."

When the sword of ALLAH passed away, people were crying and Umar (radiallahu anhu) had strict orders that no one should cry when a believer dies as they are destined for Jannah anyway. A man went to Umar (radiallahu anhu) and told him "O Amir ul Mumineen! People are crying over the death of Khalid!" Then Umar told him, "May your mother loose you for on the like of Khalid bin WALID (radiallahu anhu), those who cry should be allowed to cry." This shows the importance that this great sahabi had in Islam.

Khalid bin WALID (radiallahu anhu) mothers said on the death of her son, "You are better than a million as long as men fall infront of of you on their faces, and you are braver than a tiger and as for your generousity - you are more generous than that stream which comes down from a mountain." And Umar (radiallahu anhu) said, "The mother of KHALID BIN WALID (radiallahu anhu) has spoken the truth."

Khalid bin walid (radiallahu anhu) was truly better that a million. He was that general that never lost a battle and he was that man that would not rest and would not allowed those around him to rest. We can see how brave this mujahid was, there will not be anyone like him again. May Allah Ta'ala make us all the protectors of His deen. Ameen.

Love Itself Will Teach You The Etiquettes of Love

Muhabbat (love) cannot be learnt just like that, nor can it be taught just like that. Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh used to say,

“When I was very young, a child... I used to hear my father (Hazrat Maulana Yahya rahmatullahi alayh) recite poetry. And I used to learn this poetry by heart. I did not understand the deeper meanings of this poetry until when I was older. One of the poems that I had learnt from him were as follows:

محبت ﺗﺟﻬ كو خود ﺁداب محبت سكهاتى ہے

“Love itself will teach you the etiquettes of loving someone.”

Meaning, when a person loves another person to a deep extent, he constantly thinks of ways to show great etiquettes to that special someone. If you search for these etiquettes in a book, you will find some but better than this is true love. If your love for a person is true, it itself will teach you the mannerisms of how to love a person. It was Hazrat Sheikh’s habit to narrate stories during i’tikaaf time in Ramadhan and so in this particular time, he continued to narrate his own experiences in relation to the above poem. He relates that the great ‘Alim Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri rahmatullahi alayh would travel a lot and on his journeys, he would often stop off at Saharanpur where Hazrat Sheikh used to live. And he would stay there for a short period. Once there was a Tableeghi Ijtima and Hazrat Raipuri was arriving at the same time. As the ijtima finished all the great ulama went to the train station to meet Hazrat Raipuri so that they could be in his service. The first thing that Hazrat Sheikh asked him was,

“What is your plan? (i.e. how long do you intend to stay at my house in Saharanpur?)

Hazrat Raipuri said,

“I will stay for today and tomorrow. The third day is up to you, whatever you want me to do, I will do.”

Despite being senior to Hazrat Sheikh and also a man of great ‘ilm, Hazrat Sheikh refused him the request and said,

“No. Not one, two or three days... leave tomorrow. And not just (any time) tomorrow but as soon as the Fajr Adhan goes, you read your Jamaat with your own people and leave. You do not have permission to stay at my house any longer than that.”

Hazrat Raipuri was absolutely bewildered and shocked at this response! He said,

“Give me permission, I have been travelling for so long! I need rest!”

And Hazrat Sheikh said,

“No. Infact, you cannot stay half an hour after the Fajr Adhan, you must leave. You have no permission from me. I will prepare your breakfast and tea and then you go.”

So this is what had happened and when it was Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri’s time to depart and go back to Raipur, Hazrat Sheikh came to him. He explained his actions and said,

“The reason I done such is because my house is no luxurious place. I live a very simple life. You are travelling and you are going to find no luxury or rest here because my house cannot provide it. You are better off going back to Raipur. And my intention behind this all is so that you get rest. And of course I want you to stay but this is what I was thinking and I could not let you stay any longer than that one night.”

Then when Hazrat Raipuri went back to Raipur, he called all of his close companions and then he said,

“This is the intention that Hazrat Zakariyya has sent me back with...”

and then he began to make many, many dua’as for him before continuing to say,

“This was such a good intention that now I see the benefit.”

Thereafter, he made a huge number of Du’aas for Hazrat Sheikh and continued to do so. Hazrat Sheikh says,

“Whenever I remember this story it makes me very happy because it seems very harsh but it is because the love I had for him taught me these etiquettes.”

Similarly, there is an incident recorded of Sheikhul Islam, Hazrat Sayed Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani Sahib. Once his teacher, Hazrat Sheikhul Hind Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan Sahib received many guests. There was only one toilet in the house and the visitors were to stay for several days. Every night Hazrat Madani used to clean the toilet and the visitors would find the toilet clean the next morning. Once again, it was not books that taught him this but love itself. His love was so true and sincere for his beloved teacher that it gave him the strength to do even the most impossible of works. Finally, we look into the life of our beloved Rasul e Paak salallahu alayhi wa salam .

Our beloved Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam had a deep and intense love for Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha. He would show her enormous affection right up to the day he left this world. His love for her was so much that he would not let an opportunity slip in which he could show Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha her special place in his heart. When she would sip water from a glass, he would turn that glass and drink from the exact same place where Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha had placed her lips. He was a very caring and loving husband. He would go out with Aishah radiallahu anha, Sahabahs are with him, he would say to the Sahabah – once it so happened, he said to the Sahabah to go ahead and that he would come with Aishah radiallahu anha. The Sahabah then went forward on that journey that they were travelling and then he says to Aishah,

“Aishah! Come on! Let’s race!”

And they start racing and Aishah radiallahu anha wins the race and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is left behind. After a few months or years, similarly, the same incident happens and they have a race again. This time, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam wins and so she was left behind and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam won and he said,

“I have taken my revenge .”

So finally I conclude. True love is the basis of teaching how to love a person. Whether those people or that person is from our families, spouses, friends or teachers etc. A person who nourishes his hearts hunger with haraam love will always be void of conentment and this special connection. True love will teach one etiquettes on how to show compassion, care and happiness. Making one another smile will come without thought and exchanging gifts with one another, cheering one another up, keeping eachother away from harm will be a 'doddle' (inshallah). I love you all for the sake of Allah's pleasure and so I have made the above 'user friendly' and 'easy on the eyes' so that you may enjoy reading it inshallah.

May Allah Ta'ala give us all the ability to love one another in the correct manner. Ameen

Crossword 1: Sahabah radiallahu anhum

Assalamu Alaykum,

I have made a crossword for you to do in your free time! I understand that sometimes it is boring just reading and reading. So now you can interact too! The answers are at the bottom, no cheating or peeping until you give up. Jazakallah

Note: Do not use a marker on your computer screen! If you do, then write bewaqoof on your kopri (forehead) too!

The Sahabah radiallahu anhum

Now it is your job to go and find out the sacrifices these great people made.

Bullying

Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu was once patrolling the streets of Madinah as he usually did. He had his whip in one hand and would scan the vicinity for any evil so that he could sort it out. As he was walking one day, he caught a group of boys who were picking up dates from the ground that had been dropped. He instantly went towards them and they quickly ran away as they were all scared of Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu. Amongst these group of young boys was a boy by the name of Hazrat Sinaan ibn Salamah Hudhali who froze on the spot as Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu approached. He quickly gave Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu his story,

“O Ameerul Mu’mineen! These are the dates that wind has blown off! (i.e. they are not stolen)”

Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu then scanned the young boys appearance and understood that he was speaking the truth. So Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu did not hit him but the young boy then beseeched Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu and said,

“O Ameerul Mu’mineen! The other boys are now ahead of me and they will take away all that I have!”

Such was the characteristics of Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu that he did not approve of any bullying or any oppression even if it was something as small as this and he assured the young boy,

“Never! Walk ahead.”

And like this Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu walked the boy all the way back to his home so that no harm could come to him. How many of us today are such that we bring an aura of protection, compassion and safety to the hearts of people when we are with them?

Renew your Iman

By applying ‘Itr, the body of a person will begin to smell fragrant but after a while, he will realise that the fragrance will die down and may be mixed in with ‘smelly’ substances such as sweat and body odour. Naturally, if he wants to smell nice again then he must reapply his perfume.

In the same way, we will find our Iman the subject of fluctuation. We will leave the house very high in Iman and some days we will come back feeling extremely low, lonely and lost. This is why we have to constantly renew and reapply the Iman in our hearts so that the ‘smelly’ sins won’t take over our life. Thus the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam said,

“Keep on renewing your Iman.”

The Sahaabah radiallahu anhum enquired,

“O Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)! How should we renew our Iman?”

The Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wa salam then stated,

“Recite لا إله إلا الله (there is no god but Allah) very often.”

The Abstinence of S’ad (may Allah be pleased with him)

The Abstinence of S’ad

S’ad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) along with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had to endure torrid times during their stay in Makkah. The conditions that they were living in were extremely severe but they accepted it. Today we find ourselves in many predicaments and we begin to doubt our Creator and forget the verse of the Qur’an in which Allah says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

“O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”

The Sahaabah were an embodiment of this verse, S’ad (may Allah be pleased with him) relates,

“Whenever difficulties came, we accepted it, prepared for it and exercised patience.”

The truth is that the likes of S’ad (may Allah be pleased with him) understood this verse very well as one night he left the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to pass urine. As he began to pass urine, he heard something make a noise as his urine fell upon it. It came to the knowledge of S’ad (may Allah be pleased with him) that it was a piece of camel leather. He instantly picked it up, cleansed it and then toasted it. He then grinded it till it was powder and then swallowed the substance. S’ad (may Allah be pleased with him) himself relates,

“This gave me strength for three days.”

Such was the direness in the situation at times that S’ad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) says,

“I was the first Arab to fire an arrow in the path of Allah. When we used to fight battles with the Messenger of Allah , the only food we had were the leaves of the acacia (right) and lotus (top left) trees. In fact, whenever any of us relieved himself, his droppings resembled those of a goat because it was at all sticky"