421 "Their reckoning draweth closer and closer to mankind. (The Day of Resurrection is rapidly drawing closer to mankind ) r while they turn away in heedlessness (are least prepared for their reckoning)". ( al-Ambiyaa ; 1) A few Rukus later, there is another Verse on the subject: And we set a just balance for the Day of Resurrection , so that no soul is wronged in aught. Though it (good or bad deed) be of the weight of a grain of mustard seed , We will bring it to account. And We suffice, for reckoners. ( al-Ambiyaa : 47) And in Surah ar-Ra‘d, Allah Ta'ala says: For those who respond to the call of their Rabb (fulfil His Commandments) is bliss (in Jannah); but those who do not respond to Him (do not obey Him), even if they had (on the Day of Resurrection) all that is on the earth and as much more , (in vain) would they proffer it as ransom (to buy their release from the punishment). For them will be a woeful Reckoning. (ar-Ra'd 18) There are quite a number of Verses in the Holy Qur'an which contain admonitions regarding the Reckoning to be made on the Day of Resurrection, the severity, the grievousness and the extreme significance of that Day. ‘Aishah Radhiallaho anha narrates that once Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, the one who undergoes Reckoning will be ruined (because it will be difficult to render a perfect account of all the deeds).' She then asked whether Allah Ta'ala had not said (in Surah al-Inshiqaaq), ‘He will receive an easy Reckoning,' to which Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam replied, ‘That (the Reckoning mentioned in the Surah) is just a passing review of the deeds, but those who are subjected to a close examination will perish.' 422 FAZA'IL-E-SADAQAAT - PART TWO In another Hadith, ‘Aishah Radhiallaho anha relates that Rasul- ullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam used to say, in the course of his prayers: ‘O Allah! grant me an easy Reckoning!, She asked, ‘O Rasulullah what is an easy Reckoning, to which he replied:" That one's book of Deeds would be presented and Allah Ta'ala would say: T for give you’. As for him who is examined closely, he will surely perish". Abu Hurair&h Radhiallah anho reports Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam as saying: "Whosoever possesses three character- istics will receive an easy Reckoning, Allah Taala will bless him and grant him entry into Jannah. Those three characteristics are: bestowing favours upon those who are not kind to you, forgiving those who do you wrong and joining ties of relationship with those who sever relations with you. (Durre-Manthur) It has been narrated in another Hadith that Rasulullh Sallal- laho alaihe wasallam once said: "To everyone of you, Allah Ta‘ala will speak in such a way that there will be no interpreter between you and Allah Ta'ala, nor any concealing veil. He will look to his left and right and see nothing but the deeds( good or bad) he had done in the worldly life; and he will look in front and see nothing but blazing fire of Jahannam. So, protect yourselves from the fire of Jahannam by means of Sadaqah (which is the best protection against the fire of Jahannam), even though it should be with a half date". In still another Hadith, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam is reported to have said: "Jannah was shown to me and I saw that those on exalted stations in Jannah were the poor ones among the ‘Muhryireen’ (the emigrants). There were very few wealthy persons and very few women among the inhabitants in Jannah. I was told that the rich were still going through their accounts at the gates of Jannah, and the womenfolk had been held back owing to their love for gold and silver". A Hadith narrates:stood at the doors of Jannah and I saw that the majority of those who entered it were the poor ones, the rich being engaged in reckoning. And I stood at the gates of Jahannam and I saw that the majority of those who entered it were the women folk It occurs in another Hadith, that: There are two things which a man fears, but both of them are good for him: he fears death, though death is his protection against trials kind temptations; and he fears decrease in 'wealth, though the less he possesses the lighter the Reckoning (on the Day of Resurrection). (Targheeb) CH. VI: AHADITH - THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 423 It has been narrated in a Hadith that once Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam was sitting in company with his Sahabah when he said, 'Last night Jannah was shown to me and I saw your ranks in it; he turned to Abu Bakr Siddiq, Radhiallaho anho and said 'I saw a person who, to whichever gate of Jannah he went, was welcomed with greetings of ‘Marhabaa’, 'Marhabaa!’ (most welcome) .(For each virtuous deed, there is a particular gate in Jannah and the invitation to enter by any gate indicates that he possessed all the virtues par excellence). Salman Radhiallaho anho submitted, ‘O Rasulullah, such a one must be a very virtuous person, exalted above others (in spiritual stature).’ Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, 'It was Abu Bakr’ Radhiallaho anho ; then he turned to Umar Radhiallaho anho and said, 1 saw a palace in Jannah, built with a single brilliant white pearl inlaid with rubies. I asked whose palace it was and I was told that it belonged to a young man of the Quraish tribe. I thought that such a brilliant and magnificient palace must be mine, because I am the Leader of all Rasuls; I was just going to enter the palace when I was told that it belonged to Umar!’ Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam then told them about the ranks in Jannah attained variously by Uthman, Ali and many other Sahabah Radhiallaho anhum . After this, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam turned to Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf Radhiallaho anho and said, 'Of all my Sahabah, you came to join me after much delay and I felt afraid that you might have been undone. When you did come at last, I saw that you were all wet with perspiration. When I asked you why it had taken you so long, you said that you had been busy rendering an account of your numerous belongings. You were questioned as to how you had procured your wealth and how you spent it.’ Hearing this, Abdur Rahman Radhiallaho anho burst into tears and said ‘O Rasulullah , last night I received a caravan of a hundred camels loaded with merchandise. I give all these goods as 'Sadaqah' for distribution among the orphans and poor people of Madinah Munawwarah. I hope that by virtue of this Sadaqah, Allah Ta'ala will grant me a lenient Reckoning? (Targheeb) According to another Hadith, once Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said to Abdur Rahman Ibne 'Auf , 'Abdur Rahman, you are one of the wealthy persons of my Ummah and you will go to Jannah, crawling on your knees (you will not be able to walk straight). Advance loan to Allah Ta'ala, so that you could walk easily ."Abdur 424 FAZA VL-E-SADAQAAT - PART TWO Rahman Radhiallaho anho said, O Rasulullah what should I lend to my Rabb?’ Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam replied, 'Give all your wealth as Sadaqah At this, Abdur Rahman Radhiallaho anho got up from his seat and went out to fetch all his fortune and present it to Rasulullah who, when he was gone, sent a messenger after him who called him back. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam then said to him, * Jibrael Alaihissalam just came to me with the message that I should advise you to entertain your guests, to feed the poor, to grant the wishes of those who ask your favours and to start with your own relatives. These acts of generosity will suffice to purify you. 1 (Haakim) Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf Radhiallaho anho was one of the highly esteemed Sahabah and a man of great merits: he is one of the ‘Asharah Mubassharah’ (The ten fortunate ones whom Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam gave the glad tidings of Jannah in their lifetime). Besides, he was one of the six eminent Sahabah to whom Umar Radhiallaho anho had, before his martyrdom, assigned the responsibility of choosing his successor, remarking on this occasion, "These are the Sahabah with whom Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam was pleased when he passed away". What is more, it was Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf Radhiallaho anho whose opinion was finally accepted by all the other members and, consequently, Uthman Radhiallaho anho was chosen as the third Khalifah of the Muslims. He is counted among the ‘Saabiqoon-al-Awwaloon’ (The vanguard of Islam, the first entrants into the Faith) and Allah Ta‘ala speak highly of these favoured ones, thus: The vanguard of Islam, the first to lead the way, of the Muhqjireen (the emigrants from Makkah) and the Ansaar (The Muslims of Medinah who welcomed the emigrants and helped them with their wealth and defended them with their lives) and also those who follow them in good deeds. Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. For them has He prepared gardens underneath which river flow wherein they will abide for ever. This is the supreme triumph (at-Taubah-100) CH VI: AHADITH - THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 425 Abdur Rahman fane Auf Radhiailaho anho performed Hijra twice. He participated in the Ghazwh of Badr (Battle of Badr) and all the other expeditions led by Rasulullah Sallcdlaho alaihe wasallam ; even during the times of Rasulullah, he was esteemed as a man of learning and a man of ‘Fatwah’ (a legist capable of giving verdicts on matters relating to Islamic Law). In some important matters, Umar Radhiailaho anho accepted and acted upon his advice. Once Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam was on a journey when he offered Salaat’ as a ‘Muqtadee’ (one who is led in prayers). It so happened that Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam had gone away to relieve himself when the Sahabah, with common consent, chose Abdur Rahman Radhiailaho anho as their Imaam. When Rasulullah came back, one Rak’at had already been comple- ted, so Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam joined the congregation (Jama 4 at) and offered his Salaat as a Muqtadee. During the first year of his Caliphate, Umar Radhiailaho anho deputed him as Amir-ul-Hajj on his behalf. (I sabah) In short, despite his numerous merits and virtues, Abdur Rahman bin Auf lagged behind the other Sahabah Radhiailaho anhum , of his rank, owing to his excessive riches. All this fortune had been bestowed upon him by Allah Ta'ala, as a special favour and a kind reward; for, the Traditions relate that he was very poor in the early period of his life. During the early years after Hirah, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam established fraternity’ among the Muhajireen and the Ansaar, so that the Ansar should help the poor ones among the Muhajireen especially on the grounds of this sacred bondage. Rasulullah established the bond of brotherhood between Abdur Rahman fane'Auf and Sa'd bin Ar-Rabi Ansaari. Sa'd Radhiailaho anho said to him. "By the Grace of Allah Ta'ala, I am the wealthiest person in Madinah Munawwarah. I give you half of my entire property. Be- sides, I have two wives. I shall divorce anyone of them, you like, and you can marry her after the expiry of the ‘Iddat’ (mandatory period of waiting, during which a woman may not remarry)”. But Abdur Rahman Radhiailaho anho , prompted by this magnanimity, replied ‘May Allah bless you in your family and your property. I do not want any of these, just show me the way to the market.’ Then he went to the market' and started doing business. In the evening he had made some profit of condensed dry yogurt and butter oil. In this way, he was gradually able to save up sufficient money and got married after a few days. (Bukhari) 426 FAZA ’IL-E-SADAQAAT - PART TWO Then a time came when Rasul ullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam exhorted his Sahabah to give Sadaqah, and Abdur Rahman Radhallaho anho presented half of his property as Sadaqah. We can have an idea of the extent of his fortune from the foregoing Hadith, which says that he offered hundred camel loads of merchandise as Sadaqah; and this was just a contingent of his merchandise from Egypt alone. On another occasion, he gave forty thousand Dinars in Sadaqah. On still another occasion, he contributed five hundred horses and five hundred camels for Jihaad and emancipated thirty thousand slaves. Another version of the Hadith says that he emancipated thirty thousand families of slaves. Who knows how many men, women and children there might have been in each such family! (Mustadrak) Once he sold an estate for forty thousand Dinaars and distributed the entire amount among the destitute, the Muhajireen his own relatives and the Azwafy-e-Mutahhraat; i.e. the wives of Rasulullah. (Mustadrak)- On his death-bed, Abdur Rehman Radhiallaho anho made a will, leaving four hundred Dinaars as a legacy to each one of those Sahabah Radhiallaho anhum who had participated in Badr. There were one hundred participants of Badr living at that time. (Isaabah). He also willed that a garden of his be presented as a gift to the wives of Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam y which was sold for forty thousand Dinaar, With regard to the expenditure on personal needs, a Tradition says that once he took a bath and sat for dinner and a bowl of Thareed’ (bread crumbled and mixed with soup, with pieces of meat in it) was brought to him. Seeing this, he began to weep. Someone asked him what made him weep. He replied, ‘Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam passed away from this world and he did not have enough barley bread to satisfy his hunger. This prosperity that we witness now does not augur well for us (extracted from Isaabah). He meant to say that, if this prosperity had been beneficial for our soul and our ultimate good, it should have been granted to Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam. As all these worldly pleasures were not granted to Rasulullah, they do not seem to be beneficial for us. The least is that a man will have to face Reckoning for his worldly goods. The fifth question to be asked on the Day of Resurrection (according to the Hadith quoted above) will be how far did one practice the knowledge bestowed by Allah Ta'ala on a person. Ignorance about a crime is no excuse and ignorance of law is not accepted as a valid excuse in any court of law. For, it is one’s duty to CH. VI AHADITH - THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 427 have knowledge of the law. And, ignorance of the Commandments of Allah Ta'ala is in itself a crime and a sin. Therefore, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, "The search for (religious) knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim*. Obviously, committing a crime knowingly, in sheer defiance of law, is a far more grievous offence. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, "Keep giving good counsel to one another in the light of the knowledge you possess. For, dishonesty in matters relating to knowledge is worse than dishonesty in financial matters and you will have to account for your knowledge". There are numerous Ahadith to the effect that: Whosoever is asked about something he knows and conceals it, a bridle of fire will be thrust into his mouth on the Day of Resurrection. Once, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam delivered a sermon, in the course of which he praised certain tribes. He then said 'What is the matter with the people who do not instruct their neighbouring tribes in Deen, nor give them good counsel; they do not inculcate in them a proper understanding of ‘Deen*, nor persuade them to do good deeds; nor do they forbid them to do evil deeds? And why is it that some people do not wish to learn (religious) knowledge from their neighbouring tribes, nor do they desire to have a proper understanding, nor do they take counsel from their neighbours. Let those (who are learned) instruct their neighbours in 'Deen,* admonish them and inculcate in them a proper understanding of Deen and let those (who are ignorant) learn all these things from the learned ones. I swear by Allah, if they failed to do so, they would be punished severely even in this world (in addition to the punishment in the Hereafter)*. Saying this, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam got down, from the pulpit. People began to talk about the tribes which he meant. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said that b; was referring to the Asharites (people of the al-Ash'ari tribes) who were possessed of knowledge and a proper understanding of ‘Deen*, while the tribes living in their neighbourhood were ignorant of religious knowledge. When the news reached the Ash'arites, they came to Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam and submitted, "O Rasulullah! we have come to know that you praised certain people but you said such things about us". Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam repeated his words before them: ‘Let them instruct their neighbours in ‘Deen* admonish them, and inculcate in them a proper understanding of 428 FAZA IL-E-SADAQAAT - PART TWO Deen, persuade them to do good deeds and forbid them to do evil deeds; and let the others learn all these things from the learned ones. If they failed to do so, I should punish them severely even in this world*. They submitted, O Rasulullah! How should we inculcate an understanding of ‘Deen* in their minds?* Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam again repeated the same words. The tribesmen asked the same question a third time and Rasulullah reiterated the same admonition. Then they submitted, "O Rasulullah, grant us respite for a year”, so he granted them a year’s time for the education of their neighbours. (Targheeb & Mqjma‘-uz-Zawaid) This Hadith, containing the severe admonition of Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam , clearly indicates that it is incumbent upon those who possess knowledge and understanding of ‘Deen* to educate the ignorant people living in their neighbourhood. It does not absolve them of their responsibility to presume that those who really want it will acquire knowledge, of themselves. True, the ignorant will be questioned about their negligence in learning ‘Deen*, which is a sin by itself. But it is also the responsibility of those who know to instruct the ignorant in ‘Deen*. They should, therefore, make efforts and adopt proper means for the religious education of the people. In doing so, they will be making a practical use of their knowledge. For, man’s practice of his own knowledge partly consists of his imparting it to others. Of the invocations (Du‘aas) of Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam , which have been transmitted through many different chains of narration, the one is quite well-known: ‘O Allah! I seek your protection against knowledge that profiteth not*. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam once said: "On the Day of Resurrection a person will be thrown into Jahannam and his entrails will come out of the his body. He will go round his entrails as an ass goes round while turning a mill. The inhabitants of Jahannam will assemble around him and ask him, "What has happened to you? You used to command us to do good deeds and were forbidding the evil deeds." He will say, "I enjoined you to do good deeds, but did not practise them myself. In another Hadith, Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam is reported to have said: "On the night of Miraaj (the Ascension), I saw a group of men whose lips were being clipped with scissors of Fire. CH. VI: AHADJTH • THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 429 On asking who they were, Jibrael Alaihissalam told me that they were those preachers of my Ummah who commanded others to do good deeds but did not do so themselves Still another Hadith narrates that Rasulullah Sallallako alaihe wasallam once said: "The Zabaaniyah (the guards of Jahannam) will apprehend the wicked ularaa even before apprehending the nonbelievers. When they say, “How is it that we are being punished even before the non-belivers, they will be told thus, The learned and the ignorant cannot be treated alike (i.e. you committed all these misdeeds, inspite of the fact that you possessed knowledge of ‘Deen’". (Targheeb). The Zabaaniya are the Angles deputed by Allah Ta'ala for casting people into Jahannam. A reference to them occurs in Surah Iqra*. A Hadith has the following narration: Some of the inhabitants of Jannah will visit some in-habitants of Jahannam, and ask them, "What has happened to you that you are here? Indeed we have been granted entry into Jannah by virtue of what we learnt from you”. They will reply, ‘We did not practise ourselves what we preached to others'. Maalik bin Dinar reports on the authority of Hasan Basri Rahmatullah alaihima that Rasulullah Sallallako alaihe wasallam once said: ’’Whoever delivers a sermon will be questioned by Allah Ta'ala on the Day of Resurrection, about the motive behind his sermon (i.e. he will have to explain whether it was meant for gaining worldly advantages- such as wealth, fame, worldly honour and glory, etc.- or for winning the pleasure of Allah Ta'alaY. A student of Maalik Rahmatullah alaihe says that whenever he related this Hadith, he wept bitterly, so that his voice choked with tears. Then he said, "You think that I take pleasure in giving sermons, though I am aware of the fact that, on the Day of Resurrec- tion, I shall have to explain what motivated my sermons". (Targheeb)- Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon every ‘Alim to deliver sermons (as explained in the foregoing pages). For, it is his responsibility to instruct others in religious knowledge, and there are many Ahadith to that effect (like the Tradition concerning the Ash*arites mentioned above). Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho used to say, "What I fear most is that Allah Ta'ala should call me on the Day of Resurrection and I should say. ‘At your service, my Rabb and Sustained Then Allah 430 FAZA IL-ESADAQAAT - PART TWO
Quote
O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins)This Day (The Day of Resurrection) We seal up mouths and the hands speak out and feet bear witness as to what they used to perform. (Yaseen : 65) That is to say, hands will speak out and name the persons wronged and mention the misdeeds committed through them. The feet will bear witness to the immoral gatherings which they attended.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) Allah Ta l ala says, in another context: And (make mention of) the Day when the enemies of Allah Ta'ala will be gathered together unto the fire. They will be driven on in ranks , till , when they reach it (and the reckoning starts) their ears , their eyes and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do. And they will say unto their skins and limbs: Why did you testify against us ?’ They will say Allah hath given us speech ; He Who giveth speech to all things and Who [CH ; VI: AHADITH • THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 417]Who created you and unto Whom you have to return (after death).(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) (Here Allah admonishes His Creature). You were not ashamed of your ears and your eyes and your skins testifying against you. (For f obviously nobody can hide his misdeeds from his own limbs).(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) But you deemed that Allah knew not much of what you did. (You used to say to yourselves , "Do what you will. No one can possibly call you in question *). Your notion that you had of your Rabb (that He is unaware of your deeds) hath ruined you and you find yourselves (this Day) among those who are utterly lost.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) (Ha Mim as-Saqjdah : 19-23) In the Books of Hadith, there are many Traditions on the subject of testimony of the limbs.' A Hadith says: Anas Radhiallaho who narrates that they were once sitting in company with Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam when he smiled and his blessed teeth became visible. He then asked if they knew why he had smiled. They replied that Allah and His Rasul knew best. He then told them that, on the Day of Judgment, a man will say to his Rabb, O Allah! Have you not granted me protection against justice? Allah will reply, ‘certainly’. The man will then say, "I do not trust any outside witness, concerning myself. Allah Suban wa ta ala will reply, ’Well, We shall make you a witness to yourself. His mouth will then be sealed up and the parts of his body will be ordered to speak. They will recount all his deeds and, when he is allowed to speak again, he will say to his limbs, ‘May you be cursed and suffer for it! It was for your sake that I indulged in all these things’. (Mishkaat).(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) (That is to say, it is through the limbs that one derives sensual pleasures from sins but, on that Day, these very limbs will become witnesses against them- selves. The fact is that the parts of the body will also be helpless as, on that Day, all things will be rendered incapable of telling lies.) Another Hadith says that, of all the parts of the body, the first to speak out will be the left thigh, which will disclose what misdeeds it was made to commit All the other limbs will be made to speak after- wards. In short, each part of the body will speak out and recount all the deeds, good or bad, committed by itself.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) That is why Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam , remarked once, in another Hadith, "Recite the Kalimah Allah is beyond all imperfections and (All praise be to Allah) and count them on your fingers for, on the Day of Judgment, the parts of the body will be granted the power to speak and they will have to face questioning”.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) [418 FAZA -E-SADAQAAT - PART TWO] This Hadith means that, when these limbs are given the power of speech and they reveal all the sins, they will also recount the many good deeds performed by them. While the hands bear testimony about misdeeds and acts of violence and disobedience, they will also stand witness to the reciting and counting of sacred Names of Allah Ta'ala and the giving of Sadaqat and participating in other good deeds. The subject is too vast to be treated at full length.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) However, the gist of the matter is that, in youth, one should not be swayed by passions and must guard oneself against wrong-doing, cruelty and other sinful deeds.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) Rasul ullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam says: 'Youth is a kind of madness and women are the snares of the Shaitan. That is to say, in the frenzy of youth, one is easily caught in these snares. We listen to these words in every Friday sermon, as they form part of the ‘Khutabah’. But, intoxicated by the passions of youth, we never think that we shall be questioned about our youth.(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) We are wasting our youthful energy by spending it on sinful deeds or utilizing it for earning worldly wealth, and do not realize that this boon has been granted to us so that we may spend it in performing such good deeds as are beneficial for the Akhirah. Fortunate are those young people who remain constantly absorbed in striving for the cause of Allah Ta ala and keep away from sins! The third question to be asked on the Day of Resurrection (about which the above-mentioned Hadith says that nobody will be allowed to leave his ground until he has answered it), will be about his wealth. He will have to explain whether the sources through which he acquired it were lawful or unlawful. We have touched upon this subject, somewhat briefly, under the preceding Hadith. Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam says: "If a man acquires wealth by unlawful means and gives it in alms (Sadaqah), it will not be acceptable, neither will he be blessed in it ‘if he spends it on his needs; and if he dies, leaving it behind as inheritance, it will be his provision for Jahannam." Another Hadith says: "Flesh (of a man’s body), which has been nourished with food procured by unlawful means, is more fitting for [CH : VI: AHADITH - THE EXCELLENCE OP TAWAKKUL] 419] Jahannam’."(O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) Still another Hadith has been quoted, "If anybody buys a garment for ten Dirhams (silver coins) and among these ten there is one Dirham unlawfully acquired, his Salaat will not be acceptable as long he wears it.* (Mishkaat ) There are numerous Ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho olaihe wasallam which state that: "Do not regard your means of sustenance as something beyond your reach. For, a person will not die until he has received the entire provisions apportioned for him under Divine Decree. So, adopt the best means for earning your livelihood. Procure lawful provisions only, shunning all that is unlawful". It occurs in many Ahadith that a man’s sustenance pursues him in the same way as his hour of death. Just as death is inevitable, similarly, everybody’s provision, decreed for him by Allah Ta'ala , must inevitably reach him. Another Hadith says, "No one, even if he tried, can miss his destined provision, as nobody can escape death". Still another Hadith has it "The sustenance for everyone has been preordained. (O ALLAH! i beg of you for your forgiveness and mercy for my past and present sins) If all mankind and the Jinns were to unite and try to deprive him of his provision, they could not do so." Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam says, in a Hadith: "If you possess four qualities, you should not grieve over missing any worldly benefits: trustworthiness, truthful speech, good habits and pure means of livelihood *. There is another Hadith that narrates: 'Blessed is the man whose livelihood is honestly earned, whose heart is pure, whose outward behavior (observance of rituals, manners’ etc.) is noble, and people are safe from the evil in him. Blessed is the man who acts upon his knowledge, who spends all that exceeds his needs for the cause of Allah Ta'a and who guards his tongue against unnecessary talk.’ It has been narrated in a Hadith that once Sa‘d Radhiallaho anho asked Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam to pray to Allah Ta'ala that He might make him ‘Mustajaab-ud-Da’waat’ (i.e. a pious person whose supplications are fulfilled). Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, 'Make your means of livelihood pure (i.e. do not partake of doubtful things), you will always have your Du'aas (supplications) fulfilled. By Him Who holds the soul of Muhammad in His Hands, a man takes a morsel of Haraam food into his sto- mach. which renders his forty days’ devotion unacceptable to Allah [420 FAZA '-E-SADAQAA T - PART TWO] Ta'ala . And a person befits Jahannam if he has been feeding himself with Haraam food.* There are many more Traditions on the subject cited in Targheeb. Therefore, one should be very cautious with regard to the sources of one’s income. On the face of it, this caution might restrict one’s financial gains. But this seeming loss turns out to be very beneficial in the long run, in as much as one is blessed in one’s honestly earned money and is also protected from ultimate harm. The fourth question to be asked from a person on the Day of Resurrection (as mentioned in the Hadith quoted above) will be about the things on which he spent his wealth. As a matter of fact, the very question forms the subject matter of this book. It behoves a man to spend his wealth for the cause of Allah Ta'ala. And, the loss of hoarding money is two-fold: one does not make use of it for one’s own benefit, and it is left behind as a dead weight. Various other harms of hoarding wealth have been described at the end of chapter two of this book (part one). Obviously, the greater a man’s possessions are, the longer will it take him to go through the Reckoning. And the reckoning is to be made on the Day of Resurrection, which would be a terrible Day; everybody will be frightened out of his wits and will be drenched in sweat, owing to intense heat of the Day; he will be out of his senses as if be is drunk, though he will not be actually drunk. Says Allah Ta'ala regarding that Day: mankind , fear your Rabb. Lo! The earthquake of the Hour (of 'Doom) is a tremendous thing . On the Day when you behold it, every mother giving suck will forget her suckling baby and every pregnant female shall drop her (unformed) load (in terror ); and thou (O Muhammad) will see mankind as drunken , yet they will not (really) be drunken, but the punishment of Allah will be severe (the terror whereof will make them senseless)! (al-Hqjj: 1- 2 ) Allah Ta'ala says in another Ayat: [CH. VI: AHADTH - THE EXCELLENCE OF TAWAKKUL 421] "Their reckoning drawer closer and closer to mankind. (The Day of Resurrection is rapidly drawing closer to mankind ) r while they turn away in heedlessness (are least prepared for their reckoning)". ( al-Ambiyaa ; 1) A few Rukus later, there is another Verse on the subject: And we set a just balance for the Day of Resurrection , so that no soul is wronged in aught. Though it (good or bad deed) be of the weight of a grain of mustard seed , We will bring it to account. And We suffice, for reckeners. ( al-Ambiyaa : 47) And in Surah ar-Ra‘d, Allah Ta'ala says: For those who respond to the call of their Rabb (fulfil His Commandments) is bliss (in Jannah); but those who do not respond to Him (do not obey Him), even if they had (on the Day of Resurrection) all that is on the earth and as much more , (in vain) would they proffer it as ransom (to buy their release from the punishment). For them will be a woeful Reckoning. There are quite a number of Verses in the Holy Qur'an which contain admonitions regarding the Reckoning to be made on the Day of Resurrection, the severity, the grievousness and the extreme significance of that Day. ‘Aishah Radhiallaho anha narrates that once Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam said, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, the one who undergoes Reckoning will be ruined (because it will be difficult to render a perfect account of all the deeds).' She then asked whether Allah Ta'ala had not said (in Surah al-Inshiqaaq), ‘He will receive an easy Reckoning,' to which Rasulullah Sallallaho alaihe wasallam replied, ‘That (the Reckoning mentioned in the Surah) is just a passing review of the deeds, but those who are subjected to a close examination will perish.' 422 
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Bookmarks