The Hadeeth of Gabriel
{Islam, Eeman, Ihsan}
Episode 1
Islam
From Umar Bin Al-Khattaab (radiyallaahuanhu) who said:
"One day we were sitting in the company of Allaah's Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) He knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs and said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.
The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allaah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth. He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Eeman (faith).
He (the Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allaah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Prophets, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsaan (perfecting the performance of good deeds).
He (the Prophet peace be upon him) said: That you worship Allaah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the Doom). He (the Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications.
He (the Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings. He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allaah and His Prophet know best.
He (the Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion." [Muslim No.1]
Interpretation of the Hadeeth:
This hadeeth is so great so comprehensive that it included explanations of the entire religion. Therefore the Prophet (peace be upon him) said at the end of the hadeeth:" He was Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion". So the Prophet (peace be upon him) considered what Gabriel (alayhi-ssalaam) explained (al-Islam, al-eemaan and al-Ihsaan) to be the deen.
Al-Islam:
The word "Islam" means "Submission and surrender to Allah." It is not named after a person as in the "Christianity" which was named after Christ, or other religions. Similarly, Islam is not named after a tribe like "Judaism" after the tribe of Judah and "Hinduism" after the Hindus. The Arabic word "Islam" means the submission or surrender of one's will to the will of the only true god worthy of worship, "Allah".
Anyone who does indeed submit to the will of Allah as required by Islam is termed a "Muslim. Calling Islam "Muhammadenism, and its followers "Muhammadins" is misinformed and totally foreign to Muslims, and unrecognized by them. No Muslim has ever called his religion "Muhammadenism", or called himself a "Muhammadin." So Islam in fact is a universal religion. Anyone who embraces it, whatever race, community, country or group he belongs to, is a Muslim.
The pillars of Islam
In this hadeeth the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that Islam is the deeds of jawaarih (extremities" of the body", limbs) which consist of speech and actions.
A) The deed of the tongue
Above that all is the Shahaadah (testimony) "La Ilâha Ill Allah WA Anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah" which is the most important and fundamental principle of truth in Islam and all religions. It is the First Pillar of Islam. And it is the action of the tongue.
The meaning of the Shahaadah
A lot of people, who embrace Islam, and even many of the Muslims by birth do not understand the reality of the meaning of the First fundamental Principle of Islâm;" Lâ Ilâha Ill Allah Wa Anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah" (none has the right to be worshiped but Allah alone and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). Therefore it is essential to explain some of the meanings of this great principle, which has three characteristics:
1- Tauhid-ar-Rububiyyah
The Muslim has to confess with his heart that the Creator (of everything) is Allah; it is that he has to say: "I testify that the Creator of the entire universe including stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, the heavens, and the earth with all its known and unknown forms of life, is Allah. He is the Organizer and Planner of all its affairs. It is He Who gives life and death, and He (i.e. Allah Alone) is the Sustainer and the Giver of Security". And this (confession for the “Oneness of the Lordship of Allah,") is called Tauhid-ar-Rububiyyah.
2-Tauhid-al-Uluhiyyah
The Muslim has also to confess with his heart and say: I testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah Alone," The word "Worship" (Ibaadah) carries a great number of meanings in the Islamic terminology: it conveys that all kinds of worship are meant for Allah Alone and none else, whether it be an angel, Messenger, Prophet 'Isa, Uzair (Ezra), Muhammad, saint, idol, the sun the moon and all other kinds of false deities. So he prays to none but Allah, invokes none but Allah, asks for help from none (unseen) but Allah, swears by none but Allah, offers an animal as sacrifice to none but Allah,…etc.. And that means, - all that Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) order him to do, (in the Qur’ân and in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he must do, and all that Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbid him, he must not do. And this is called (confession for the) "Oneness of the worship of Allah," - Tauhid-al-Uluhiyyah. And that man must worship none but Allah alone.
3) Tauhid-al-Asmaa' Was-Sifat
(Oneness of the Names and Qualities of Allah)
The Muslim has also to confess with his heart and say that: "O Allah! I testify that all the best of names and the most perfect qualities with which You have named or qualified Yourself in Your Book (the Qur’ân) or as Your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has named or qualified You with his statement, I believe that all those (names and qualities) are for You without changing their meanings or neglecting them completely or likening them (giving resemblance) to others." As Allah says:
"There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (42:11).
This noble verse confirms the quality of hearing and quality of sight for Allah without likening them (giving resemblance) to others, and He also says:
"To one whom I have created with Both My Hands," (38.75)
And He also says:
"The Hand of Allah is over their hands." (48.10).
This confirms two Hands for Allah, but there is no similarity for them. Moreover it is also confirmed that both Hands of Allah The Exalted are right sided: It has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that the Messenger of Allaah said:
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Behold! the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside Allah, on the right hand side of the Merciful, Exalted and Glorious. And both Hands of Allah are right sided (The Dispensers of justice are) those who do justice in their rules, in matters relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do. [Muslim No.4493]
Similarly Allah says:
"The Most Beneficent (Allâh) Istawâ (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty)." (20:5).
So He rose over the Throne really in a manner that suits His Majesty. And Allah is over His Throne (which is over the water) over the seventh heaven, as the slave-girl pointed towards the heavens, when Allah's Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) asked her as to where Allah is. He only comes down (in a manner that suits His Majesty, not similar in any way to His creatures) over the first (nearest) heaven to us during the last third part of every night and also on the day of Arafah (Hajj, i.e. the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah), as mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him), but He is with us by His Knowledge only, not by His Personal-self (Bi-Dhatihi).
It is not as some people say that Allah is present everywhere - here, there, and even inside the breasts of men! Allah the Exalted sees and hears all that we do or utter. And this is called (confession for the) Tauhid-al-Asmaa' Was-Sifat (Oneness of the Names and Qualities of Allah) and this is the right Belief, the Belief which was followed by the Messengers of Allah {from Nuuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawûd (David, Sulayman (Solomon), 'Isa (Jesus) to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and righteous followers of these Messengers, (peace be upon them).
4) The Testimony that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the seal of Prophets and Messengers of Allah.
The Muslim (or any person wishes to embrace Islam) has also to confess with his heart and say that: "O Allah! I testify that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Your Messenger." That means that none has the right to be followed after Allah, but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as he is the last of His Messengers. As Allah says:
"Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything." (33:40).
"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad gives you, take it and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it." (59:7).
And Allah says:
"
Say (O Muhammad (PBUH) to mankind): 'If you (really, love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’ân and the Sunnah). "(3:31).
As for others than Muhammad (peace be upon him) their statements are to be taken or rejected as to whether these are in accordance with Allah's Book and with the true Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet or not. As the Divine Revelation has stopped after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and it will not resume except at the time of the Descent of Isa (Jesus) and he (i.e. Jesus) will rule with justice according to the Islamic laws, during the last days of the world as it has been mentioned in the authentic Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) .
* The utterance of the Shahaadah
It is essential for the one, who intends to embrace Islam to utter the Shahaadah, like what Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari did when he embraced Islam, he went to Al-Masjid-al-Haram (i.e. the Holy Mosque in Makkah.) and he proclaimed it loudly in front of the Quraish infidels until he was beaten severely.
*The testimony of Jawaarih (limbs, and all other parts and organs of one's body)
It is essential that the limbs testify (abide with its denotations and requirements) to it. So whoever has confessed this (to his Lord), he shall not commit sins like robbing, killing, stealing, illegal sexual intercourse, eating pig meat, drinking alcoholic beverages, taking undue advantage of orphan's property, cheating in trade, bribery and earning money through illegal means, telling lies, backbiting etc., or otherwise the limbs and all the other parts and organs of his body will testify against him that he was a liar in his words which he pledged to Allah. In case he commits the above sins, he should know that it is a sin that obliges him to repent to Allah, and ask His forgiveness, as (his) body (i.e. skin, private parts, hands, tongue, ears, etc.) will testify to the above mentioned crimes (actions) against himself on the Day of Resurrection.
B) The deeds of the Jawaarih
The other four pillars of Islam are:
1 - Offering the five daily prayers (salaah).
2 - Paying Zakat (Obligatory charity due for the poor)
3 - Fasting Ramadan.
4 - Performing pilgrimage (hajj) to the Ka'aba (in Makkah) once in life if able.
There are other deeds which are required in Islam, among them obligatory deeds, like ghuslul-janaabah (purification bath), etc which were mentioned in other narrations. Although he, who testifies the Shahaadah, will become a Muslim, but he will be obliged to fulfill the rest of Islam's characteristics. While if he revokes the Shahaadah, he falls away (apostatizes) from Islam. Has he left performing one of the four pillars (prayer, Zakat, hajj, fasting), or even all of them would he fall away (step out) from Islam, that is a differed over matter by the scholars (very long ago up till now).
The following ahaadeeth proves that all the actions of the jawaarih (extremities) are included within the name of Islam:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet said
:" A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands". Bukhari No. 9
'Abdullah bin 'Amr also narrated:
"A man asked the Prophet, What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good? The Prophet replied, To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know." Bukhari and Muslim
Refraining from muharramaat (prohibited deeds) also included within the name of Islam: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that: the Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him. Malik's Muwatta Book 47, Number 47.1.3: (From Ali ibn Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib)
So Islam is the straight line and the righteous path according to which Allah The Exalted ordered mankind to follow and straighten themselves. And warned them against straying from that line. So he, who commits sins, has gone beyond that line. Allah (ta'aala) says:
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And this is the Path of your Lord (the Qur'ân and Islâm) leading Straight. We have detailed Our Revelations for a people who take heed. (6:126)
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Allâh calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allâh's religion of Islâmic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path. (10:25)
"Daru-ssalaam briefly means Islam"
To be continued...