Month: December 2021

Hadith ~ Extreme thirst

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: “While a man was walking on his way he became extremely thirsty. He found a well, he went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog which was panting out of thirst. His tongue was lolling out and he was eating moist earth from extreme thirst. The man thought to himself: ‘This dog is extremely thirsty as I was.’ So he descended into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and holding it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins”. The Companions asked: “Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to the animals also?” The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: “A reward is given in connection with every living creature”. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

In the narration of Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (SAWS) is reported to have said: “Allah forgave him in appreciation of this act and admitted him to Jannah”.

Another narration says: “Once a dog was going round the well and was about to die out of thirst. A prostitute of Banu Israel happened to see it. So she took off her leather sock and lowered it into the well. She drew out some water and gave the dog to drink. She was forgiven on account of her action”.

Commentary: This was the reward for helping an animal. Imagine the reward for helping a human? Allah Alim.

SAWS: May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous)
By Imam An Nawawi
Chapter 13, Page 46, No 126

Ayaat 64-82 ~ Al-Kahf (The Cave)

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

64. [Mûsa (Moses)] said: “That is what we have been seeking.” So they went back retracing their footsteps.

65. Then they found one of Our slaves, unto whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.

66. Mûsa (Moses) said to him (Khidr) “May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allâh)?”

67. He (Khidr) said: “Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me!

68. “And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?”

69. Mûsa (Moses) said: “If Allâh will, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.”

70. He (Khidr) said: “Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you.”

71. So they both proceeded, till, when they embarked the ship, he (Khidr) scuttled it. Mûsa (Moses) said: “Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have committed a thing “Imra” (a Munkar – evil, bad, dreadful thing).”

72. He (Khidr) said: “Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?”

73. [Mûsa (Moses)] said: “Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair (with you).”

74. Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Mûsa (Moses) said: “Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing “Nukra” (a great Munkar – prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!”

75. (Khidr) said: “Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?”

76. [Mûsa (Moses)] said: “If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.”

77. Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. [Mûsa (Moses)] said: If you had wished, surely, you could have taken wages for it!”

78. (Khidr) said: “This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience.

79. “As for the ship, it belonged to Masâkîn (poor people) working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king after them who seized every ship by force.

80. “And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief.

81. “So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.

82. “And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) over which you could not hold patience.”

Sura 18. Al-Kahf (The Cave)

*Note: You can listen to a very good explanation of this story (I learned a lot) in three audio lectures series, the voyage of Musa (peace be upon him) here and Sura Kahf 80-81 a deeper look here and finally Sourate Kahf 82 a deeper look here.

Commentary ~ Charity And Sickness

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

In 1408, the newspaper al-Muslimun (issue number 181, dated Dhul-Hijjah 8, 1408 (July 21st, 1988)) related the following story: It is a real life story whose hero a Syrian doctor who was afflicted with cancer and who remedied it with charity. Dr. ‘Isa Marzuqi relates that he was afflicted with cancer, a fact that is attested by the most eminent of doctors in Damascus; the amazing thing is that he was cured through charity. After many of his colleagues lost hope of his cure, the said Doctor returned to the hospital to assume his duties. The doctor’s fiancée had refused to break off their marriage because of the sickness, and instead decided to wait patiently until he died. but instead of that happening he was saved. He later provided authenticated certificates from many eminent doctors that he had cancer in his left armpit; they also attested to the fact that later on, no traces of that cancer remained. In fact, the first doctor who diagnosed him said that at first, he had expected him to die after only a few days. Dr. ‘Isa Marzuqi later said that he applied the words of Allah’s Messenger (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection):

“Remedy your sick ones with charity.”

With that statement he still had hope, and so when he found out about a house whose breadwinner had died many years before, he decided to give them all the wealth he had, even though it was only a small amount. He sent the money to the poor family through a friend of his, asking him to tell them that the money was from a man afflicted with a death threatening sickness and that he was seeking a cure by giving charity, hoping from help from Allah. The story ended with his cure, which perplexed many of the most skilled doctors in Syria. He later said that he chose that cure because he wanted to follow the way of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH). He also said however, that he did not leave off treatment through normal medical methods; he believed in the Divine Preordainment, but that belief does not mean that one should turn away from doctors, nor does it mean that one should not take the appropriate tangible steps that are needed to achieve a desired goal.

Gems and Jewels
Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Publisher: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam
ISBN: 9960-897-59-1
Page 155

Hadith ~ The strong believer

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Narrated Abu-Huraira (May Allah be satisfied with him): Allah’s Messenger (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: “The strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, and all of them have goodness. Be keen on what benefits you and seek help in Allah, and do not give up. If anything afflicts you do not say: “If I had done such and such thing, such and such would have happened,” but say: “Allah decrees, and what Allah wills comes to pass.” For, (the utterance) “If I had done such and such,” provides an opening for Satan to creep stealthily.” (Muslim)

Riyaadiss-Saliheen (The Meadows of the Righteous) (Abridged)
By Imam An Nawawi Vol. (1)
Publisher: Dar Al-Manarah
ISBN: 977.6005.23.3
Chapter 11, Page 197, Number 76

Ayaat 45-51 ~ Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Listen to Recitation

45. (Remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word [“Be!” – and he was! i.e. ‘Iesa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah ‘Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh.”

46. “He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous.”

47. She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.” He said: “So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” and it is.

48. And He (Allâh) will teach him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] the Book and Al-Hikmah (i.e. the Sunnah, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).

49. And will make him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allâh’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allâh’s Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.

50. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taurât (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear Allâh and obey me.

51. Truly! Allâh is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path.

Sura 3. Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)

*Note: You can listen to the true account of Prophet Isa’s (Jesus’s) life (peace be upon him) in two audio lectures series, lives of the Prophets and life of Issa here and an ebook by Ibn Kathir here.