History (703)
The Demise of Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) – Part Seven
Written by user2Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) passed away in the month of Rajab in the year 261 AH. At the time of his demise, he was either 55 or 57 years old (based on the two different reports regarding the year in which he was born).
Regarding the cause of the demise of Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah), Ahmed bin Salamah has reported the following incident:
On one occasion, Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) held a gathering to discuss Hadith. Thereafter, while they were discussing Hadith, a certain person quoted a Hadith which Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) did not have knowledge of. This filled Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) with concern and he thus wished to locate the Hadith.
Ahd-e-Alast - Nabi Aadam (‘alaihis salaam) – Part Eight
Written by user2In the Qur’aan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala says:
وَ اِذۡ اَخَذَ رَبُّکَ مِنۡۢ بَنِیۡۤ اٰدَمَ مِنۡ ظُہُوۡرِہِمۡ ذُرِّیَّتَہُمۡ وَ اَشۡہَدَہُمۡ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ ۚ اَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّکُمۡ ؕ قَالُوۡا بَلٰی ۚۛ شَہِدۡنَا ۚۛ اَنۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡا یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ اِنَّا کُنَّا عَنۡ ہٰذَا غٰفِلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۷۲﴾ۙ
And (mention the time) when your Rabb took out from the children of Nabi Adam (‘alaihis salaam) - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify about themselves, (saying to them), “Am I not your Rabb?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” (This is) lest you should say on the Day of Qiyaamah, “Indeed, we were unaware regarding this.” (Surah A’raaf v. 172)
Grief Over the Demise of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) – Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – Part Thirty Four
Written by user2Every believer has love in his heart for Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and love for Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is among the dictates and demands of imaan. However, from the entire ummah, the people who had the greatest and deepest love for Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) were the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum).
Hence, they were prepared to sacrifice their wealth, homes and even their lives for the sake of Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Such was their love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that they could tolerate being tortured and killed, but they could not tolerate even a thorn pricking the blessed body of Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
When this was the extent of their love for Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), then one can well imagine the extent of the grief and sorrow which they experienced over his demise and departure from this world!
The Barakah of Hazrat Urwah Baariqi (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
Written by user2Hazrat Urwah Baariqi (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was a Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Among the unique aspects of his life is that he was the first Qadhi to be appointed over the city of Kufah by none other than Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). (Tahzeeb-ul-Kamaal 20/6)
Among the Ahaadith which he reports from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is the Hadith pertaining to jihaad. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Goodness is tied to the forelock of horses until the Day of Qiyaamah – (the goodness of earning immense) reward and booty.” (Saheeh Bukhaari #2852)
On arriving in Bayt-ul-Maqdis, Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) dismounted from the buraaq. Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then tied the buraaq to the iron ring on which all the previous Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) would tie their conveyances (when they would come to Musjid-ul-Aqsa). According to some narrations, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) made a hole in a stone using his finger and then tied the buraaq.
It is possible to reconcile between these two narrations by saying that both Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) had tied the buraaq together. As far as Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) making the hole in the stone is concerned, then it is possible that through time passing, the iron ring had been covered with sand and had become stone. Hence, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) used his finger to remove the stone and uncover it the iron ring so that the buraaq could be tied to it.
Abdus Salaam bin Abil Qaasim Saqali (rahimahullah) says that a certain person narrated to him his personal experience saying:
Once, I was in the blessed city of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and since I did not have anything to eat, my body became very weak. Finally, I went to the Rowdhah Mubaarak and said, “O the Master of all the people who came before you and those who will come after you! I am a man from Egypt who has been residing close to you for five months. I am now very weak due to hunger. I beg Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa, and I ask you, O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), to please arrange someone for me who will either feed me, or assist me to travel back to my home.”
The Hadith has strongly prohibited one from getting involved in fortune telling or trying to predict the future through stars. To believe that the stars coming in a certain formation leads to a certain event taking place, or trying to predict the future through looking at stars (e.g. referring to zodiac signs, horoscopes, etc.) is haraam and an act of disbelief.
There are severe warnings in the Hadith for those who get involved in these major sins. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who has relations with his wife while she is in the state of haidh, or has relations with her from the anal passage, or he goes to a fortune teller, then he has certainly rejected that which has been revealed upon Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). (Sunan Tirmizi #135)
Benefiting from Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) – Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) – Part Five
Written by user2Allah Ta‘ala had blessed Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) with many illustrious Ustaads, the likes of Imaam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahimahullah), Ishaaq bin Raahwayh (rahimahullah), Abdullah bin Maslamah Qa’nabi (rahimahullah), Qutaibah bin Sa’eed (rahimahullah),Yahya bin Ma’een (rahimahullah), Abu Zur’ah (rahimahullah), etc. (Siyar A’laamin Nubalaa 12/561)
The Muhadditheen explain that from all the ustaads whom Imaam Muslim (rahimahullah) had benefited from, it was Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) who had played a significant role in molding him into the great Imaam that he became. Hence, the illustrious Muhaddith, Imaam Daaraqutni (rahimahullah), says, “If it was not for Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah), Imaam Muslim would have not treaded the path of Hadith.” (Sharh-u-Sharh-i-Nuhkbatil Fikar pg. 280)
The Amazing Scenes Witnessed During the Journey of Israa and Mi’raaj – Part Three
Written by user2During the journey of Israa and Mi’raaj, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) passed by a group of people who had two pots before them. One pot was filled with cooked meat, while the other was filled with meat that was raw and rotten. These people were eating the raw and rotten meat and were leaving the cooked meat. When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) as to who these people were, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) said, “These are the men from your ummah who had pure and halaal wives, but they would spend the night with adulteresses and unchaste women and remain with them until the morning. They are also the women of your ummah who had pure and halaal husbands, but they would leave their pure husbands and spend the night with adulterers and unchaste men.”
Ibnul Jalaa (rahimahullah) mentions the following:
On one occasion, I entered the blessed city of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). At that time, I was undergoing severe hunger. In that state, I proceeded to the blessed grave of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). After conveying my salaam, I addressed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and said, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I am your guest!” I thereafter fell asleep.
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The Special Du‘aa of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – Part Thirty Two
Written by user2Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports:
On one occasion, I fell sick, and while I was sick, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came to visit me. When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) entered my home, I was lying down. Seeing me lying down, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came close to my side and then took his clothing and used it to cover me. Thereafter, on seeing my weakness, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) stood, went to the musjid and performed some nafl salaah to beseech Allah Ta‘ala to bless me with shifaa.
The Amazing Scenes Witnessed During the Journey of Mi’raaj – Part Two
Written by user2While on the journey of Mi’raaj, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) passed by a group of people with copper fingernails. They were using their copper nails to scrape and peel off the skin from their faces and chests. When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) enquired from Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) regarding who these people were, Hazrat Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam) replied, “These are the people who used to consume the flesh of others.” In other words, they are those people who would backbite others and attack their honor.
The Du‘aa of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
Written by user2Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was a Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He was initially a slave, but Hazrat Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) purchased him and set him free.
Sa’eed bin Jumhaan reports that Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said:
I was the slave of Hazrat Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha). One day, she addressed me saying, “I set you free on the condition that you remain in the service of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) so long as you live.” I responded saying, “Even if you did not stipulate this as a condition, I will never leave the side of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) so long as I am alive.” Hazrat Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) thereafter granted me my freedom. (Sunan Abu Dawood #3932)
“Safeenah” in Arabic means “ship”. This was not the name of this Sahaabi, rather his name was Mahraan. Allaamah Nawawi (rahimahullah) has mentioned that there are various views regarding his name, but the most famous view of the Muhadditheen is that his name was Mahraan. The name Safeenah was given to this Sahaabi by Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). (Sharhuz Zurqaani 4/528)
Receiving the Name Safeenah
On one occasion, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was traveling with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). During the journey, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw a Sahaabi who was struggling to carry his luggage and equipment. Seeing him in difficulty, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately offered to assist him carry some of his luggage.
After a little while, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw another Sahaabi who was struggling with his luggage and assisted him as well. In this manner, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) began assisting many Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to carry their luggage. Some of the Sahaabah gave him their swords, while others gave him their shields, spears or other similar equipment to carry. Eventually, out of his eagerness to be of benefit to others and assist them, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was carrying a large amount of luggage.
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saw the large amount of luggage that he was carrying, and the manner in which he was assisting others, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was extremely pleased with him and addressed him saying, “You are Safeenah (the ship that carries a large load).” (Musnad Ahmed #21922 and Musnad Ishaaq 4/163)
In reality, it was only through the blessing of the du‘aa which Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) made for him that he was able to carry this large load. In the narration of Musnad Ahmed, it is reported that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “Spread out your shawl.” He thus spread out his shawl and then placed the luggage he was carrying in his shawl. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then said to him, “Now carry the luggage, for you are Safeenah.””
Through the miracle of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was able to carry the luggage of all the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) without feeling any burden or experiencing any difficulty. He says, “On that day, if I had to carry an entire camel’s load, or even the load of two, three, four, five, six or even seven camels, I would not have found it to be heavy, except that some of the goods would fall (due to the luggage on the top being uneven).” (Musnad Ahmed #21928, Dalaa’il-un-Nubuwwah 6/47 and Mustadrak Haakim #6548)
His Deep Love and Devotion for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) possessed such deep love and devotion for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that he wished to remain with him until the end of his life. Similarly, he wished that people do not call him by his original name, but call him by the name Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had given him.
It is reported that when any person would ask Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) regarding his original name, he would say, “I do not wish to tell you my original name. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) gave me the name Safeenah, so I do not wish to be called by any other name.” (Usdul Ghaabah 2/503 and Isaabah 3/111)
The Lion Assisting Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)
It is reported that on one occasion, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was traveling with the Muslim army in the land of Rome when he was either taken prisoner or was separated from the army and got lost. Thereafter, he set out in search of the army, and while traveling, he suddenly encountered a lion. On seeing the lion, Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) addressed it and said, “O lion! I am the freed slave of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I was separated from the army and am searching for them!”
The lion then came forward, wagging its tail, until it stood next to Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). As he walked, it accompanied him and began to protect him. Whenever the lion heard a sound, it went towards it (to ensure that it was not some danger or threat). Thereafter, it would return to the side of Hazrat Safeenah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).
In this manner, the lion continued to accompany and protect him until he reached the army. On reaching the army, the lion left him and departed. (Musannaf Abd-ur-Razaaq #21468)
Who is the True Faqeeh? – Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – Part Thirty One
Written by user2Hazrat Aasim bin Dhamrah (rahimahullah) reports:
On one occasion, Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) addressed us saying, “Shall I inform you regarding the one who is regarded as a true Faqeeh? The true Faqeeh is the one who does not cause people to lose hope in the mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, and neither does he give them concession to engage in the disobedience of Allah Ta‘ala. The true Faqeeh does not make people feel secure regarding the punishment of Allah Ta‘ala, and he does not leave the Qur’aan Majeed for anything else besides it (i.e. he holds onto the teachings of the Qur’aan Majeed at all times).”