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The Incident of the People of the Elephants - Part One
Written by user2Fifty or fifty five days before the birth of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), the incident of the people of the elephants occurred, which is well known and recorded in the kitaabs of history and Seerat. The Holy Qur’aan also devotes a specific Surah to this particular incident. A comprehensive account of this incident is recorded in the kitaabs of Tafseer. Below follows a summary of this incident:
Abrahah was the governor of Yemen, appointed by Najaashi (Negus), the emperor of Abyssinia. When he noticed all the Arabs travelling to Makkah Mukarramah to perform Tawaaf of the Baitullah, he decided to erect a magnificent, highly decorated structure in the name of Christianity so that the Arabs would abandon the simple Ka‘bah and make Tawaaf of his fake Ka‘bah. He therefore erected a beautiful church in the capital city of San‘aa.
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/46)
The Khalifah, Mutawakkil, succeeded the Khalifah, Waathiq, in 232 A.H. He held Imaam Ahmed in high esteem, but Imaam Ahmed remained cautious since he regarded the favors of the king as a temptation towards evil. Once, Mutawakkil sent him a bag of ten thousand dirhams and about two hundred dinaars. It was emphasized that he should accept it, lest the king be offended if the gift was refused. Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) did not even look at it. At the time of Maghrib, he called his son, Saalih, and said, “Keep this by you.”
Before dawn the next morning, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) called for his son who immediately came. He said to him, “I have not slept last night”, and began to weep. He continued, “All my life, I remained safe from the rulers and kings. Now, in old age, I am being tested with them. I have decided to distribute this wealth in the morning.” That morning, he continued distributing the money to the various factions of the poor and needy until the entire amount was spent. He thereafter even gave the bag away to a destitute person. His son says, “We were experiencing such poverty (at the time) which only Allah Ta‘ala knew.”
(Sifatus Safwah 486/1)
Glad Tidings of Martyrdom
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was once on Mount Hiraa when it began to shake. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed the mountain saying, “Be still, O Hiraa! For only a Nabi, a siddeeq, and a martyr stands upon you.” When this incident transpired, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was on the mountain with Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Uthmaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Talhah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat Sa’d bin abi Waqqaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) .
(Saheeh Muslim #2417)
‘Allaamah Subki (rahimahullah) mentions that on one occasion, Imaam Shaafi‘ee explained a mas’alah to Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan Al-Muraadi thirty nine times, yet he still did not understand it. Rabee’ then woke up and left the gathering out of shame. After the lesson, Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) called him in seclusion and again explained the mas’alah to him, with extreme love and affection, just as he had explained it during the thirty nine times. On the fortieth time, Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan understood it.
(Ma‘aalim-ul-Irshaadiyah pg 77)
Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan (rahimahullah) says that his ustaadh, Imaam Shafi‘ee (rahimahullah), would say to him out of love and affection, “If I could transform ‘Ilm (knowledge of Deen) into food and feed it to you, I would do so.”
(Ma’aalimul Irshaadiya pg. 78)
Hazrat ‘Abdullah once set out on a trade journey with a caravan bound for Syria. During the journey, he stopped in Madinah Munawwarah due to ill health. The moment the caravan arrived in Makkah Mukarramah, ‘Abdul Muttalib enquired as to the whereabouts of ‘Abdullah. The travellers informed him that on account of ill health, ‘Abdullah had decided to stop over at his maternal ancestor’s family, the Banu Najjaar, in Madinah Munawwarah. ‘Abdul Muttalib immediately dispatched his eldest son, Haarith, to Madinah Munawwarah. On reaching Madinah Munawwarah, he discovered that ‘Abdullah had already departed from this world. He had remained sick for almost a month after which he passed away and he was buried in the house of Naabighah in Madinah Munawwarah.
Hazrat ibn ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) says:
As ‘Abdul Muttalib set out with his son, ‘Abdullah, to perform the nikaah, they passed by a Jewish woman by the name of Faatimah bint Murr who was well-versed with the Towraat and Injeel. When her gaze fell on the light of Nubuwwat radiating from ‘Abdullah’s face, she beckoned him to come up to her and pleaded saying, “I will compensate you with a hundred camels (for being illicitly intimate with me).” Hazrat ‘Abdullah responded with the following couplet:
أما الحرام فالممات دونه والحل لا حل فأستبينه
فكيف بالأمر الذي تبغينه إن الكريم يحمي عرضه ودينه
Death is far easier than perpetrating a Haraam act, and as for a Halaal act, without it being Halaal for me, how can I consider doing it?
So how is it possible to perpetrate the immoral deed that you are longing for? A man of honour and nobility safeguards his honour and Deen.
Caution in Narrating Hadith from Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)
Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates that he once asked his father, Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “Why do you not narrate the Ahaadeeth of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), as such-and-such Sahaabah (radhiyallahu 'anhum) narrate?” Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “I did not leave Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) after accepting Islam (I am thus able to narrate many Ahaadeeth). However, on one occasion, I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mention something (due to which I fear quoting Ahaadeeth). I heard him (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) say, “The one who deliberately lies against me (fabricates Ahaadeeth and attributes them to me) should prepare his abode in the Hellfire.”
(Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa 3/27)
Hafiz Jalaal-ud-Deen Suyooti (rahimahullah) says that the ‘Ulamaa have mentioned that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had issued glad tidings in favor of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) in the following manner:
“Soon a time will come when people will travel lengthy journeys beating their camels in pursuit of ‘ilm. They will not find anyone as learned as the ‘Aalim of Madinah.”
Naming his Sons after Martyrs:
Hazrat Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) once mentioned:
“Indeed Talhah bin ‘Ubaidillah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) names his sons after the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam), although he knows that that there will be no Nabi after Nabi Muhammed (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). I name my sons after martyrs so that my sons may perhaps also be blessed with martyrdom.”
Shaqeeq bin Ebrahim mentioned:
I was once in the company of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) who was on his way to visit a sick person, when another man was coming towards us in the opposite direction. When he saw Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), he took cover and changed direction. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) shouted out his name and said, “O so and so! Walk in the direction you were walking in. Don’t change your direction now.” When he realized that Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had already seen him, he was overcome with shame and stood still. Upon reaching him, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) asked him the reason for avoiding him. He replied, “I owe you a long overdue amount of ten thousand dirhams which I am unable to pay. I have breached my promise of payment. I was overcome by shame when I saw you coming towards me.”
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The Different Narrations Describing the Demise of Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) – continued
The second narration describing the demise of Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is as follows:
When Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had neared his end, his wife began to cry. “What makes you cry?” he asked her. She replied, “I am crying because there is nobody to help me bury you and I do not have sufficient cloth to enshroud you.” Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded, “Do not cry, for verily I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying to a group of people which included me, “One of you will most definitely pass away in a deserted place. A group of believers will be present by him (at the time of his death).” There is no person from that group except that he has already passed away in a village and a group of believers. I am the one who is passing away in a deserted place. Keep a watch on the road for you will soon see what I mentioned to you regarding the group of believers. Verily, by the oath of Allah, neither do I lie through these words and nor did Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) lie when he mentioned this to me.”
Imaam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahimahullah) never called any of his Asaatizah by their names out of respect for them. Rather, he would refer to them by their titles.
(Aadaabul Muta‘allimeen)
Once, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) was lying down due to some illness. In the middle of the discussion, someone mentioned the name of Ebrahim bin Tahmaan (rahimahullah). On hearing this name, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) immediately sat up out of respect. He thereafter remarked, “It is inappropriate for the names of the elders to be mentioned whilst we are sitting and relaxing.”
(Aadaabul Muta‘allimeen)
Rabee’ (rahimahullah) mentions:
Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) used to divide his night into three portions. The first third was for writing, the second third for Salaah and the last third for rest.
Rabee’ (rahimahullah) also said:
In the month of Ramadhaan, Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) used to complete the recitation of the Qur’aan Majeed sixty times. However, it is not possible to calculate how much of it was accomplished in Salaah.
When ‘Abdul Muttalib finally completed paying the ransom for ‘Abdullah’s life, his next concern was to get him married. He sent a marriage proposal on behalf of ‘Abdullah for the hand of Aaminah, the daughter of Wahb bin ‘Abdu Manaaf of the eminently noble Banu Zuhrah tribe. She was, at that time, under the guardianship of her uncle, Wuhaib bin ‘Abdu Manaaf.
‘Abdul Muttalib also sent a marriage proposal for himself, asking for the hand of Haalah, the daughter of Wuhaib bin ‘Abdu Manaaf, Aaminah’s uncle. Both proposals were accepted and both father and son were married in the same session. Hazrat Hamzah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the son of ‘Abdul Muttalib, was born from her (Haalah). Hazrat Hamzah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was Rasulullah’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) paternal uncle as well as his milk-brother.
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/44)