1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,139 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:07,139 --> 00:00:11,740 With pens of longing and the ink of love, 3 00:00:11,740 --> 00:00:15,869 we compose lines more precious than gold 4 00:00:15,869 --> 00:00:20,870 describing the Master of Creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: 5 00:00:20,870 --> 00:00:30,890 the Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il). 6 00:00:30,890 --> 00:00:38,740 Chapter on what has been narrated concerning the nighttime conversation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 7 00:00:38,740 --> 00:00:41,740 Al-Samar is conversation by night, 8 00:00:41,740 --> 00:00:44,740 and the linguistic root of samar relates to the color of moonlight, 9 00:00:44,740 --> 00:00:47,740 because they used to converse beneath it. 10 00:00:47,740 --> 00:00:52,990 On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: 11 00:00:52,990 --> 00:00:55,119 Eleven women sat together, 12 00:00:55,119 --> 00:00:58,119 and made a mutual covenant and pledge 13 00:00:58,119 --> 00:01:02,380 that they would conceal nothing of their husbands' news. 14 00:01:02,380 --> 00:01:04,379 The first one said: 15 00:01:04,379 --> 00:01:06,379 "My husband is like the meat of an emaciated camel, 16 00:01:06,379 --> 00:01:09,379 placed upon the summit of a rugged mountain: 17 00:01:09,379 --> 00:01:11,379 it is neither easily accessible that one might climb to it, 18 00:01:11,379 --> 00:01:14,540 nor is it plump that it might be brought down." 19 00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:16,540 The second one said: 20 00:01:16,540 --> 00:01:18,540 "My husband—I will not spread his news abroad, 21 00:01:18,540 --> 00:01:21,540 for I fear that I will leave nothing unsaid; 22 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:25,980 if I mention him, I must mention his prominent knots and hidden flaws." 23 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:27,980 The third one said: 24 00:01:27,980 --> 00:01:29,980 "My husband is a towering lanky man; 25 00:01:29,980 --> 00:01:31,980 if I speak, I am divorced, 26 00:01:31,980 --> 00:01:33,980 and if I remain silent, I am left in suspense." 27 00:01:33,980 --> 00:01:36,299 The fourth one said: 28 00:01:36,299 --> 00:01:38,299 "My husband is like the night of Tihamah: 29 00:01:38,299 --> 00:01:40,299 neither hot nor cold, 30 00:01:40,299 --> 00:01:43,299 bringing neither fear nor weariness." 31 00:01:43,299 --> 00:01:45,590 The fifth one said: 32 00:01:45,590 --> 00:01:48,590 "My husband, when he enters, is a leopard; 33 00:01:48,590 --> 00:01:50,590 when he goes out, he is a lion; 34 00:01:50,590 --> 00:01:52,590 and he never asks about what he had left behind." 35 00:01:52,590 --> 00:01:54,879 The sixth one said: 36 00:01:54,879 --> 00:01:57,879 "My husband, when he eats, devours everything; 37 00:01:57,879 --> 00:01:59,879 when he drinks, drains every drop; 38 00:01:59,879 --> 00:02:01,879 when he lies down, curls up alone; 39 00:02:01,879 --> 00:02:03,879 and he never extends his hand 40 00:02:03,879 --> 00:02:05,879 to know my sorrow." 41 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:08,199 The seventh one said: 42 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:10,199 "My husband is completely impotent— 43 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:12,199 or utterly dense— 44 00:02:12,199 --> 00:02:14,199 wholly inept; 45 00:02:14,199 --> 00:02:16,199 every affliction in the world is found in him: 46 00:02:16,199 --> 00:02:18,199 he would fracture your head or break your bone, 47 00:02:18,199 --> 00:02:20,199 or do both to you together." 48 00:02:20,199 --> 00:02:22,740 The eighth one said: 49 00:02:22,740 --> 00:02:25,740 "My husband's touch is the touch of a hare, 50 00:02:25,740 --> 00:02:28,740 and his scent is the fragrance of wild lavender." 51 00:02:28,740 --> 00:02:31,000 The ninth one said: 52 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,000 "My husband has a lofty pillar, 53 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,000 a long sword-belt, 54 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,000 an abundance of hearth-ashes, 55 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,000 and his house is close to the gathering hall." 56 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,259 The tenth one said: 57 00:02:41,259 --> 00:02:43,259 "My husband is Malik, 58 00:02:43,259 --> 00:02:45,259 and what a man is Malik! 59 00:02:45,259 --> 00:02:47,259 Malik is far better than that; 60 00:02:47,259 --> 00:02:51,259 he possesses camels that have many resting grounds 61 00:02:51,259 --> 00:02:53,259 but few grazing pastures; 62 00:02:53,259 --> 00:02:56,259 whenever they hear the strumming of the lute, 63 00:02:56,259 --> 00:02:59,259 they are certain they are destined to be slaughtered." 64 00:02:59,259 --> 00:03:01,639 The eleventh one said: 65 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,639 "My husband is Abu Zar', 66 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:05,639 and what a man was Abu Zar'! 67 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,639 He made my ears swing with ornaments, 68 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,639 filled my upper arms with fat, 69 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,639 and made me feel so cherished 70 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:15,639 that I became delighted with myself; 71 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,639 he found me among owners of a few sheep in a desolate ravine, 72 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:24,639 and brought me among owners of neighing horses, groaning camels, threshers, and purifiers of grain; 73 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,740 in his presence, I speak and am never reproached; 74 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:30,740 I sleep late into the morning, 75 00:03:30,740 --> 00:03:32,740 and drink until my thirst is fully quenched. 76 00:03:32,740 --> 00:03:35,060 As for the mother of Abu Zar'— 77 00:03:35,060 --> 00:03:38,060 what a woman was the mother of Abu Zar'! 78 00:03:38,060 --> 00:03:40,060 Her provisions were vast and bountiful, 79 00:03:40,060 --> 00:03:42,060 and her house was spacious. 80 00:03:42,060 --> 00:03:44,310 As for the son of Abu Zar'— 81 00:03:44,310 --> 00:03:46,310 what a youth was the son of Abu Zar'! 82 00:03:46,310 --> 00:03:49,310 His bed was like a peeled palm branch, 83 00:03:49,310 --> 00:03:52,310 and he could be sated by the foreleg of a four-month-old kid. 84 00:03:52,310 --> 00:03:54,569 As for the daughter of Abu Zar'— 85 00:03:54,569 --> 00:03:56,569 what a daughter was the daughter of Abu Zar'! 86 00:03:56,569 --> 00:03:58,629 She was obedient to her father, 87 00:03:58,629 --> 00:04:00,629 obedient to her mother, 88 00:04:00,629 --> 00:04:02,629 filling out her dress gracefully, 89 00:04:02,629 --> 00:04:04,629 and the envy of her fellow wives. 90 00:04:04,629 --> 00:04:06,789 As for the maidservant of Abu Zar'— 91 00:04:06,789 --> 00:04:09,789 what a maidservant was the maidservant of Abu Zar'! 92 00:04:09,789 --> 00:04:12,789 She did not spread our conversations abroad, 93 00:04:12,789 --> 00:04:16,790 she did not squander our provisions, 94 00:04:16,790 --> 00:04:19,790 nor did she leave our house cluttered with refuse." 95 00:04:19,790 --> 00:04:22,050 She said: 96 00:04:22,050 --> 00:04:25,050 "Abu Zar' went forth when the milk-skins were being churned, 97 00:04:25,050 --> 00:04:30,050 and he met a woman who had two sons like leopards, 98 00:04:30,050 --> 00:04:34,050 playing beneath her waist with two pomegranates; 99 00:04:34,050 --> 00:04:37,240 so he divorced me and married her. 100 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,240 After him, I married a noble chieftain: 101 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,240 he rode a swift steed, 102 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,240 held a Khatti spear, 103 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,240 brought back to me an abundance of grazing livestock, 104 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,240 and gave me a pair of every type of animal, 105 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:52,240 saying: 106 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,240 'Eat, Umm Zar', and provide for your family.' 107 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,500 Yet, if I were to gather everything he gave me, 108 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:03,500 it would not fill the smallest vessel of Abu Zar'." 109 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:06,879 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 110 00:05:06,879 --> 00:05:10,879 "Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to me: 111 00:05:10,879 --> 00:05:17,189 'I am to you as Abu Zar' was to Umm Zar'.'" 112 00:05:17,189 --> 00:05:22,189 This hadith is among the narrations concerning the Prophet's nighttime conversation, peace be upon him, 113 00:05:22,189 --> 00:05:24,189 with some of his wives, 114 00:05:24,189 --> 00:05:26,189 showing warm companionship and kindness. 115 00:05:26,189 --> 00:05:29,189 This is an example of good companionship, cheerful disposition, 116 00:05:29,189 --> 00:05:31,189 and frustrating the designs of Satan. 117 00:05:31,189 --> 00:05:34,189 For pleasant conversation, humorous anecdotes, and entertaining tales 118 00:05:34,189 --> 00:05:37,189 are things through which souls find relaxation, 119 00:05:37,189 --> 00:05:39,189 hearts are comforted, 120 00:05:39,189 --> 00:05:42,189 and mutual affection is fostered; 121 00:05:42,189 --> 00:05:45,189 and all of this is among the objectives of the sacred law. 122 00:05:45,189 --> 00:05:53,259 This lengthy account, narrated by 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, to the Prophet, peace be upon him, 123 00:05:53,259 --> 00:05:58,259 regarding those women and the report each gave of her husband, 124 00:05:58,259 --> 00:06:05,259 while the Prophet, peace be upon him, listened attentively out of gracious companionship and kindness, 125 00:06:05,259 --> 00:06:10,290 mentions that eleven women assembled in a single gathering 126 00:06:10,290 --> 00:06:15,290 and pledged to conceal nothing about their husbands, 127 00:06:15,290 --> 00:06:19,290 whether by way of praise or blame. 128 00:06:19,290 --> 00:06:22,290 Some of them mentioned their husbands with praise, 129 00:06:22,290 --> 00:06:25,290 while others spoke of them with reproach. 130 00:06:25,290 --> 00:06:28,290 The first woman said, describing her husband: 131 00:06:28,290 --> 00:06:31,480 "My husband is like the meat of an emaciated camel"— 132 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,480 meaning that he is like camel meat that is extremely lean and worthless— 133 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,579 "placed upon the summit of a mountain." 134 00:06:37,579 --> 00:06:40,579 And this mountain is not smooth or easy to climb, 135 00:06:40,579 --> 00:06:43,579 because it is filled with rugged rocks; 136 00:06:43,579 --> 00:06:46,579 nor is the meat fat and desirable so that it would be carried down— 137 00:06:46,579 --> 00:06:49,579 that is, worth enduring hardship to retrieve. 138 00:06:49,579 --> 00:06:51,579 She is completely dissatisfied, 139 00:06:51,579 --> 00:06:54,579 seeing him as unworthy of any exertion to reach; 140 00:06:54,579 --> 00:06:57,579 she is thoroughly displeased with her husband 141 00:06:57,579 --> 00:07:00,579 due to his ill character and harsh disposition. 142 00:07:00,579 --> 00:07:03,579 She likens him to camel meat 143 00:07:03,579 --> 00:07:05,579 that the soul naturally finds unappetizing, 144 00:07:05,579 --> 00:07:09,610 and she likens his poor temperament to a rugged mountain: 145 00:07:09,610 --> 00:07:14,610 would that he were at least accessible despite his worthlessness! 146 00:07:14,610 --> 00:07:17,610 Rather, he is atop a mountain whose ascent is treacherous, 147 00:07:17,610 --> 00:07:19,610 and at the same time, 148 00:07:19,610 --> 00:07:23,610 he is not worth enduring hardships 149 00:07:23,610 --> 00:07:25,610 in order to attain him. 150 00:07:25,610 --> 00:07:29,759 The second woman said: 151 00:07:29,759 --> 00:07:31,759 "My husband—I will not spread his news abroad"— 152 00:07:31,759 --> 00:07:35,759 meaning: I will not disclose or broadcast his traits and affairs; 153 00:07:35,759 --> 00:07:38,759 "for I fear that I will leave nothing unsaid"— 154 00:07:38,759 --> 00:07:42,759 meaning: I fear that if I begin describing him, 155 00:07:42,759 --> 00:07:45,759 I will be unable to stop until I have laid bare every single thing, 156 00:07:45,759 --> 00:07:47,759 because of how extensive and numerous they are, 157 00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:50,759 referring to the abundance of his defects and vices; 158 00:07:50,759 --> 00:07:53,759 thus I could never finish detailing them: 159 00:07:53,759 --> 00:07:57,819 "if I mention him, I must mention his prominent knots and hidden flaws." 160 00:07:57,819 --> 00:08:01,819 The original meaning of 'ajar refers to the swelling of veins in the neck, 161 00:08:01,819 --> 00:08:04,819 while bajar refers to the protrusion of the navel; 162 00:08:04,819 --> 00:08:09,819 so it is as if she said he possesses both visible and hidden faults: 163 00:08:09,819 --> 00:08:12,819 she used 'ajar as a metaphor for the apparent defects, 164 00:08:12,819 --> 00:08:15,819 which are like bulging veins, 165 00:08:15,819 --> 00:08:19,819 while he also has hidden faults known only to a wife, 166 00:08:19,819 --> 00:08:21,819 which she symbolized by bajar, 167 00:08:21,819 --> 00:08:24,819 representing a protruding navel. 168 00:08:24,819 --> 00:08:28,720 The third woman said: 169 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:30,720 "My husband is a towering lanky man"— 170 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,720 he is excessively tall, 171 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:33,720 and the intended meaning 172 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,720 is that he has nothing going for him except sheer height devoid of benefit; 173 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,720 "if I speak, I am divorced, 174 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,720 and if I remain silent, I am left in suspense"— 175 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:46,720 meaning that if she speaks out and he hears of it, 176 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:48,720 he will divorce her, 177 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:50,720 but if she stays silent about his defects, 178 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,720 she remains with him like a woman left in limbo: 179 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,720 neither enjoying the rights of a wife nor granted the freedom of a divorcee. 180 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:01,100 The fourth woman said: 181 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:03,100 "My husband is like the night of Tihamah"— 182 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:06,100 meaning that there is no harm in him, 183 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:10,100 but rather comfort and pleasant living, just like a night in Tihamah: 184 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:12,100 delightful and temperate, 185 00:09:12,100 --> 00:09:16,100 having neither excessive heat nor biting cold; 186 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:17,100 and Tihamah 187 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:22,100 is the coastal plain along the Red Sea on the Arabian peninsula; 188 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:25,100 "bringing neither fear nor weariness"— 189 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:28,100 meaning: I do not fear him due to his noble character, 190 00:09:28,100 --> 00:09:33,100 nor does he tire of me or find me burdensome so as to weary of my company; 191 00:09:33,100 --> 00:09:35,100 nor is he ill-mannered 192 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:37,100 such that I would grow weary of living with him. 193 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:41,250 The fifth woman said: 194 00:09:41,250 --> 00:09:43,250 "My husband, when he enters, is a leopard; 195 00:09:43,250 --> 00:09:45,250 when he goes out, he is a lion"— 196 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:48,250 meaning that whenever he enters the house, 197 00:09:48,250 --> 00:09:51,250 he is like a leopard in sleeping often, 198 00:09:51,250 --> 00:09:53,250 intending that he sleeps soundly 199 00:09:53,250 --> 00:09:57,250 and he overlooks domestic shortcomings that I am bound to rectify, 200 00:09:57,250 --> 00:10:03,250 or he turns a blind eye to monitoring what has gone from his goods and wealth in his home and what remains, 201 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:07,250 never holding her to account for little or much. 202 00:10:07,250 --> 00:10:09,250 And whenever he is outside the home, 203 00:10:09,250 --> 00:10:14,250 he is like a lion in his courage, strength, and fierce resolve. 204 00:10:14,250 --> 00:10:17,250 She means that he is gentle with her, 205 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:22,250 while being brave, formidable, and fierce outside the home. 206 00:10:22,250 --> 00:10:24,250 "And he never asks about what he entrusted"— 207 00:10:24,250 --> 00:10:31,250 meaning he does not question her about the wealth and provisions he left at home, out of his absolute generosity. 208 00:10:31,250 --> 00:10:35,299 And the sixth woman said: 209 00:10:35,299 --> 00:10:37,299 "My husband, when he eats, devours everything indiscriminately"— 210 00:10:37,299 --> 00:10:40,299 meaning that he eats gluttonously, 211 00:10:40,299 --> 00:10:43,299 leaving nothing of the food behind. 212 00:10:43,299 --> 00:10:45,299 For 'devouring indiscriminately' regarding food 213 00:10:45,299 --> 00:10:48,299 means eating excessively while mixing all kinds of dishes together 214 00:10:48,299 --> 00:10:51,299 until nothing of them remains. 215 00:10:51,299 --> 00:10:53,299 "And when he drinks, he drains it to the last drop"— 216 00:10:53,299 --> 00:10:56,299 meaning he is one who leaves nothing in the vessel. 217 00:10:56,299 --> 00:11:00,299 The term *ishtifāf* (draining completely) is derived from *shufāfah*, 218 00:11:00,299 --> 00:11:03,299 which refers to whatever dregs remain in the vessel of a drink. 219 00:11:03,299 --> 00:11:05,299 "And when he sleeps, he wraps himself up alone"— 220 00:11:05,299 --> 00:11:11,299 meaning he rolls himself up in his garments alone in a corner of the house, withdrawing completely from her, 221 00:11:11,299 --> 00:11:14,299 leaving her dejected because of that. 222 00:11:14,299 --> 00:11:17,299 "And he does not insert his palm to feel my grief"— 223 00:11:17,299 --> 00:11:20,299 meaning he does not slip his hand beneath my garment 224 00:11:20,299 --> 00:11:23,299 to sense the sorrow that I feel, 225 00:11:23,299 --> 00:11:26,299 and that is due to his total lack of care and closeness to her; 226 00:11:26,299 --> 00:11:31,299 for he neither touches her, nor treats her gently, nor converses with her at night, 227 00:11:31,299 --> 00:11:33,299 nor does he fulfill her marital desire, 228 00:11:33,299 --> 00:11:36,299 nor can she confide her anguish and grief to him. 229 00:11:36,299 --> 00:11:40,370 Thus, in her censure of him, she combined meanness and miserliness, 230 00:11:40,370 --> 00:11:43,370 poor companionship toward his family, 231 00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:46,370 and a lack of desire for intimacy, 232 00:11:46,370 --> 00:11:49,370 alongside immense gluttony for food and drink; 233 00:11:49,370 --> 00:11:52,370 and this was the ultimate form of disparagement among the Arabs. 234 00:11:52,370 --> 00:11:56,169 And the seventh woman said: 235 00:11:56,169 --> 00:11:59,169 "My husband is *ghayāyā'*"— 236 00:11:59,169 --> 00:12:02,169 meaning he is obscured by deep ignorance, 237 00:12:02,169 --> 00:12:05,169 derived from *al-ghayy*, which signifies ruin and frustration; 238 00:12:05,169 --> 00:12:08,169 or she said *'ayāyā'*, 239 00:12:08,169 --> 00:12:11,169 derived from *al-'iyy*, which means impotence and utter incapacity. 240 00:12:11,169 --> 00:12:13,169 It is also said that it means an impotent man 241 00:12:13,169 --> 00:12:16,169 who is unable to engage in sexual intercourse with women 242 00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:19,169 and is utterly incapable of it; 243 00:12:19,169 --> 00:12:21,169 or it means the foolish, dim-witted one; 244 00:12:21,169 --> 00:12:24,169 and it is said to mean the one who is incapable of speaking, 245 00:12:24,169 --> 00:12:27,169 such that his lips remain locked together. 246 00:12:27,169 --> 00:12:29,259 "Every ailment belongs to him"— 247 00:12:29,259 --> 00:12:32,259 meaning every ailment dispersed throughout mankind, 248 00:12:32,259 --> 00:12:34,259 that is, every shortcoming, 249 00:12:34,259 --> 00:12:36,259 has gathered in him. 250 00:12:36,259 --> 00:12:38,360 "He would fracture your skull, or break your bones, 251 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,360 or inflict both upon you"— 252 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,360 meaning that if she were to joke with him, 253 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,360 he would fracture her head; 254 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,360 and if she angered him, 255 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,360 he would break one of her limbs, 256 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,360 or lacerate her skin, 257 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,360 or combine all of that: 258 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,360 beating, wounding, 259 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,360 fracturing a bone, and hurtful speech. 260 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,029 And the eighth woman said: 261 00:13:02,029 --> 00:13:05,029 "My husband's touch is as soft as the touch of a hare, 262 00:13:05,029 --> 00:13:07,100 and his scent is as fragrant as the scent of *zarnab*." 263 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,100 She described him as having smooth skin, 264 00:13:10,100 --> 00:13:12,100 like the softness of a hare's fur. 265 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:16,100 It is also said that her words "the touch of a hare" 266 00:13:16,100 --> 00:13:19,100 signify a gentle demeanor and noble character, 267 00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:21,100 and that he possesses a pleasant sweat 268 00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:24,100 due to his cleanliness and use of perfume. 269 00:13:24,100 --> 00:13:26,100 And *zarnab* is a type of perfume, 270 00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:30,440 or a sweet-smelling plant. 271 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,440 And the ninth woman said: 272 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,440 "My husband has a tall tent-pole"— 273 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,440 which is the central pole used to support the tent, 274 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,440 meaning that the abode he dwells in 275 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,440 has high pillars, 276 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,440 so that guests and those in need can easily see it. 277 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,440 It is also said that she intended by "a tall tent-pole" 278 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,440 to describe his nobility and exalted renown; 279 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,440 that is, his household has prestigious lineage. 280 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:00,470 "Long is his sword-belt"—meaning he is tall in stature; 281 00:14:00,470 --> 00:14:02,470 "vast is his ash-heap"— 282 00:14:02,470 --> 00:14:04,470 because his fire is never extinguished, 283 00:14:04,470 --> 00:14:06,470 so that guests may be guided by it, 284 00:14:06,470 --> 00:14:09,470 and thus its ashes become abundant; 285 00:14:09,470 --> 00:14:11,470 and this indicates his boundless generosity. 286 00:14:11,470 --> 00:14:14,470 "His house is close to the assembly hall"— 287 00:14:14,470 --> 00:14:17,470 and *al-nādī* is the gathering place of the people, 288 00:14:17,470 --> 00:14:20,470 meaning that whenever his people consult one another on a matter, 289 00:14:20,470 --> 00:14:22,470 they rely upon his counsel. 290 00:14:22,470 --> 00:14:23,470 And it is said: 291 00:14:23,470 --> 00:14:26,470 she described him as possessing generosity and leadership, 292 00:14:26,470 --> 00:14:29,470 for no one resides close to the assembly hall 293 00:14:29,470 --> 00:14:31,470 except someone who possesses such qualities, 294 00:14:31,470 --> 00:14:34,470 because guests head straight for the assembly hall, 295 00:14:34,470 --> 00:14:36,470 and because those sitting in the assembly 296 00:14:36,470 --> 00:14:38,470 obtain whatever provisions they need 297 00:14:38,470 --> 00:14:42,470 for their gathering from a house nearby, 298 00:14:42,470 --> 00:14:45,470 whereas the ignoble stay far away from the assembly. 299 00:14:47,210 --> 00:14:49,210 And the tenth woman said: 300 00:14:49,210 --> 00:14:51,210 "My husband is Mālik, 301 00:14:51,210 --> 00:14:53,210 and what a man is Mālik! 302 00:14:53,210 --> 00:14:55,210 Mālik is far better than that!" 303 00:14:55,210 --> 00:14:58,210 And this is an exaltation of her husband; 304 00:14:58,210 --> 00:15:00,210 his name was Mālik, 305 00:15:00,210 --> 00:15:04,210 and he is far greater than any praise she could describe him with. 306 00:15:04,210 --> 00:15:07,210 "He possesses camels that often kneel around the camp, 307 00:15:07,210 --> 00:15:10,210 meaning he owns camels that mostly stay in their resting places, 308 00:15:10,210 --> 00:15:12,210 which is the place where they kneel, 309 00:15:12,210 --> 00:15:15,210 "and seldom go out to pasture"— 310 00:15:15,210 --> 00:15:19,210 meaning he does not send many of them out to graze, 311 00:15:19,210 --> 00:15:21,210 because he is always prepared for guests, 312 00:15:21,210 --> 00:15:25,210 so that he can slaughter from them for them whenever they arrive, 313 00:15:25,210 --> 00:15:28,210 and this proves his generosity. 314 00:15:28,210 --> 00:15:30,240 "Whenever they hear the sound of the lute, 315 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,240 they are certain that they are doomed"— 316 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,340 meaning whenever the camels hear the sound of the lute, 317 00:15:36,340 --> 00:15:39,340 played out of his joy at the arrival of guests, 318 00:15:39,340 --> 00:15:42,340 the camels know that they are destined for slaughter, 319 00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:44,340 and will be butchered to feed them. 320 00:15:44,340 --> 00:15:45,370 And the *mizhar* 321 00:15:45,370 --> 00:15:49,370 is an instrument of music and entertainment; 322 00:15:49,370 --> 00:15:54,370 she meant that her husband had accustomed his camels that whenever guests arrived, 323 00:15:54,370 --> 00:15:56,370 he would welcome them with musical instruments 324 00:15:56,370 --> 00:15:59,370 and slaughter from those camels for them. 325 00:15:59,370 --> 00:16:03,200 And the eleventh woman said— 326 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,200 and she is Umm Zar' 327 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,200 'Ātikah bint Ukaymil ibn Sā'idah al-Yamāniyyah: 328 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,200 "My husband is Abū Zar', 329 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,200 meaning his kunyah was Abū Zar', 330 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,200 "and what a man is Abū Zar'! 331 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,200 She intended by this to glorify him. 332 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,200 "He adorned my ears with swinging ornaments"— 333 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,200 meaning he filled my ears with jewelry, 334 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,200 "and filled the fat of my upper arms"— 335 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,200 and the upper arm (*'adud*) is what lies between the elbow and the shoulder, 336 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:37,200 and the meaning is: he fattened me and filled my body with fat and flesh through abundant food; 337 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,200 she did not mean the upper arms exclusively, 338 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,200 but rather, when they grow plump, the rest of the body grows plump as well. 339 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,200 And she said: 340 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,200 "He brought me delight, and so I felt delighted with myself"— 341 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,200 meaning he honored me in my own eyes, 342 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,230 so I became noble in my own estimation. 343 00:16:52,230 --> 00:16:55,299 "He found me among people of a few sheep in Shiqq"— 344 00:16:55,299 --> 00:16:58,299 meaning that her family were mere owners of sheep, 345 00:16:58,299 --> 00:17:01,299 possessing neither camels nor horses, 346 00:17:01,299 --> 00:17:03,299 so they were not wealthy, 347 00:17:03,299 --> 00:17:06,299 for the Arabs did not hold owners of sheep in high regard, 348 00:17:06,299 --> 00:17:10,420 but rather regarded owners of horses and camels; 349 00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:14,420 and they lived in a place named Shiqq, 350 00:17:14,420 --> 00:17:16,420 or the intended meaning is a narrow mountain ravine, 351 00:17:16,420 --> 00:17:19,420 due to their small numbers and the meager size of their flock, 352 00:17:19,420 --> 00:17:22,420 for *shiqq al-jabal* means the side of a mountain; 353 00:17:22,420 --> 00:17:28,420 and it is also said to mean: he found me in hardship, severe distress, and strain of life. 354 00:17:28,420 --> 00:17:29,519 She said: 355 00:17:29,519 --> 00:17:33,519 "Then he placed me among owners of neighing horses and murmuring camels"— 356 00:17:33,519 --> 00:17:35,519 *ṣahīl* is the neighing of horses, 357 00:17:35,519 --> 00:17:38,519 and *aṭīṭ* is the sound of camels, 358 00:17:38,519 --> 00:17:43,519 and the meaning is: he placed her among the owners of horses and camels, 359 00:17:43,519 --> 00:17:44,519 and her words: 360 00:17:44,519 --> 00:17:46,519 "and threshers and grain-purifiers"— 361 00:17:46,519 --> 00:17:50,519 meaning threshing the crop so that the grain emerges from the ears, 362 00:17:50,519 --> 00:17:52,519 and purifying the food, 363 00:17:52,519 --> 00:17:56,519 by removing the chaff and the like that is mixed with it; 364 00:17:56,519 --> 00:17:57,519 and the meaning is 365 00:17:57,519 --> 00:18:00,519 that he transferred her from the hardship and toil of life 366 00:18:00,519 --> 00:18:05,680 to vast wealth consisting of horses, camels, and fertile crops. 367 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:06,680 And her words: 368 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,680 "So in his presence, I speak and am never rebuked"— 369 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,680 meaning my words are never deemed ugly, nor are they rejected; 370 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,740 "and I sleep into the morning"— 371 00:18:15,740 --> 00:18:17,740 meaning I sleep until late morning, 372 00:18:17,740 --> 00:18:23,779 because she had servants who carried out the household chores for her; 373 00:18:23,779 --> 00:18:25,779 "and I drink until I leave off drinking"— 374 00:18:25,779 --> 00:18:29,779 meaning I drink until I abandon the drink out of total quench, 375 00:18:29,779 --> 00:18:31,779 with nothing interrupting my drink. 376 00:18:31,779 --> 00:18:37,380 Then the woman praised the mother of her husband, Abū Zar', 377 00:18:37,380 --> 00:18:38,380 saying: 378 00:18:38,380 --> 00:18:39,380 "The mother of Abū Zar', 379 00:18:39,380 --> 00:18:41,380 and what a woman is the mother of Abū Zar'! 380 00:18:41,380 --> 00:18:43,380 Her storage bags are enormous"— 381 00:18:43,380 --> 00:18:48,380 *'ukūm* are the large containers in which provisions and goods are gathered, 382 00:18:48,380 --> 00:18:50,380 and *radāḥ* means vast and full, 383 00:18:50,380 --> 00:18:53,380 "and her house is spacious"— 384 00:18:53,380 --> 00:18:56,380 meaning her home is vast and large. 385 00:18:56,380 --> 00:18:59,900 Then she praised the son of Abū Zar', 386 00:18:59,900 --> 00:19:00,900 saying: 387 00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:03,900 "His sleeping place is like a stripped palm branch"— 388 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:07,900 meaning his bed is slender like a peeled palm frond, 389 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:12,900 intending that his physique resembles a drawn sword in its slender elegance and light frame; 390 00:19:12,900 --> 00:19:13,900 and she says: 391 00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:16,900 "and the arm of a four-month-old kid satisfies his hunger"— 392 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:21,900 and *al-jafrah* is a young female goat that has reached four months of age, 393 00:19:21,900 --> 00:19:22,900 and her intended meaning 394 00:19:22,900 --> 00:19:24,900 is that he eats very little, 395 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:27,900 and the Arabs praise this quality. 396 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:31,819 Then the woman praised the daughter of Abū Zar', 397 00:19:31,819 --> 00:19:32,819 She said: 398 00:19:32,819 --> 00:19:35,819 "Obedient to her father and obedient to her mother," 399 00:19:36,819 --> 00:19:39,819 meaning she is dutiful to both her parents, 400 00:19:39,819 --> 00:19:41,819 never disobeying their command; 401 00:19:41,819 --> 00:19:43,819 "and filling her garment," 402 00:19:43,819 --> 00:19:46,819 meaning she fills out her dress due to her plumpness; 403 00:19:46,819 --> 00:19:48,819 "and the envy of her female neighbor," 404 00:19:48,819 --> 00:19:50,819 meaning she arouses the jealousy of her co-wife 405 00:19:50,819 --> 00:19:54,819 because of her beauty, good manners, and chastity. 406 00:19:54,819 --> 00:19:58,369 Then she praised the maidservant of Abu Zar', 407 00:19:58,369 --> 00:19:59,369 saying: 408 00:19:59,369 --> 00:20:02,369 "She does not spread our secrets abroad," 409 00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:07,369 meaning she does not broadcast or disclose their private talk and secrets; 410 00:20:07,369 --> 00:20:10,369 "nor does she squander our provisions," 411 00:20:10,369 --> 00:20:12,369 meaning she does not ruin their food, 412 00:20:12,369 --> 00:20:15,369 nor does she scatter it or carry it off— 413 00:20:15,369 --> 00:20:18,369 the intent being to describe her trustworthiness; 414 00:20:18,369 --> 00:20:21,369 "nor does she leave our house full of nests," 415 00:20:21,369 --> 00:20:26,369 meaning she does not leave rubbish scattered about the house like birds' nests, 416 00:20:26,369 --> 00:20:29,369 but rather keeps the house in order, 417 00:20:29,369 --> 00:20:33,140 taking meticulous care of its cleanliness. 418 00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:38,140 Then Umm Zar' mentioned the change that occurred in her life with Abu Zar' 419 00:20:38,140 --> 00:20:41,140 when he saw another woman, 420 00:20:41,140 --> 00:20:44,140 married her, and divorced Umm Zar'. 421 00:20:44,140 --> 00:20:45,140 She said: 422 00:20:45,140 --> 00:20:49,140 "Abu Zar' went out when the milk-skins were being churned"— 423 00:20:49,140 --> 00:20:52,140 and the *awtāb* are milk vessels 424 00:20:52,140 --> 00:20:54,140 that are shaken to extract butter, 425 00:20:54,140 --> 00:20:57,140 by which she meant that the time he went out 426 00:20:57,140 --> 00:21:00,140 was during a season of plenty and the finest of spring. 427 00:21:00,140 --> 00:21:02,170 She said: 428 00:21:02,170 --> 00:21:06,170 "He met a woman who had two sons like two cheetahs with her." 429 00:21:06,170 --> 00:21:09,200 The reason she described the fine quality of her two sons 430 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,200 was to point out why Abu Zar' chose to marry her, 431 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,200 for the Arabs were eager for their children to come 432 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:20,200 from noble women of excellent physical and moral constitution. 433 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,299 And her saying: 434 00:21:22,299 --> 00:21:25,299 "Playing beneath her waist with two pomegranates," 435 00:21:25,299 --> 00:21:28,299 meaning they were moving about below her waist 436 00:21:28,299 --> 00:21:31,299 and playing with the woman's small breasts, 437 00:21:31,299 --> 00:21:35,299 which resembled two pomegranates in their beauty. 438 00:21:35,299 --> 00:21:36,299 She said: 439 00:21:36,299 --> 00:21:39,299 "So he divorced me and married her." 440 00:21:39,299 --> 00:21:40,299 Then she says: 441 00:21:40,299 --> 00:21:43,299 "After him, I married a noble man," 442 00:21:43,299 --> 00:21:47,299 meaning: after Abu Zar', I married a man of high status, 443 00:21:47,299 --> 00:21:49,299 "who rode a spirited steed," 444 00:21:49,299 --> 00:21:54,299 meaning he pressed forward in his journey tirelessly and without pause, 445 00:21:54,299 --> 00:21:56,299 "and took up a Khatti spear," 446 00:21:56,299 --> 00:21:58,299 the *khattī* being a spear 447 00:21:58,299 --> 00:22:01,299 attributed to a place in Yemen 448 00:22:01,299 --> 00:22:03,299 from which such spears are brought; 449 00:22:03,299 --> 00:22:06,390 "and he brought me abundant livestock," 450 00:22:06,390 --> 00:22:10,390 meaning he brought her a great many camels, 451 00:22:10,390 --> 00:22:13,390 for *al-thariyy* means an abundance of wealth and the like, 452 00:22:13,390 --> 00:22:17,390 and from it comes *tharwah*, meaning great wealth; 453 00:22:17,390 --> 00:22:18,390 and her saying: 454 00:22:18,390 --> 00:22:22,390 "and gave me a pair of every kind of grazing beast that returned at evening," 455 00:22:22,390 --> 00:22:25,390 meaning he would give her, from everything 456 00:22:25,390 --> 00:22:29,390 that returned at dusk—camels, cattle, sheep, and servants—a pair, 457 00:22:29,390 --> 00:22:31,390 meaning two of each, 458 00:22:31,390 --> 00:22:34,390 or it is possible she meant by a "pair" 459 00:22:34,390 --> 00:22:36,390 a category or variety. 460 00:22:36,390 --> 00:22:37,390 "And he said: 461 00:22:37,390 --> 00:22:40,390 'Eat, Umm Zar', and provide for your family,'" 462 00:22:40,390 --> 00:22:45,390 meaning: maintain ties with your kin, treat them well, and be generous to them with food. 463 00:22:45,390 --> 00:22:47,490 She said: 464 00:22:47,490 --> 00:22:50,490 "Yet, if I were to gather everything he gave me, 465 00:22:50,490 --> 00:22:53,490 it would not fill the smallest vessel of Abu Zar'!" 466 00:22:53,490 --> 00:22:56,490 meaning: all the honors he bestowed upon me 467 00:22:56,490 --> 00:22:59,490 do not equal anything of the generous treatment of Abu Zar'. 468 00:22:59,490 --> 00:23:02,490 For she described this second husband of hers 469 00:23:02,490 --> 00:23:06,490 as possessing intrinsic nobility, wealth, courage, 470 00:23:06,490 --> 00:23:08,490 virtue, and generosity, 471 00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:12,490 since he permitted her to consume whatever she wished of his wealth 472 00:23:12,490 --> 00:23:17,490 and gift whatever she wished to her family, out of utmost honor for her; 473 00:23:17,490 --> 00:23:21,490 yet despite that, he never held the place of Abu Zar' in her heart, 474 00:23:21,490 --> 00:23:25,490 and his abundance was lesser than the little of Abu Zar', 475 00:23:25,490 --> 00:23:29,490 notwithstanding Abu Zar's ultimate mistreatment of her in divorcing her. 476 00:23:29,490 --> 00:23:33,490 Yet her love for him made all other husbands distasteful to her, 477 00:23:33,490 --> 00:23:35,490 and as it is said: 478 00:23:35,490 --> 00:23:38,490 "Love belongs only to the first beloved." 479 00:23:38,490 --> 00:23:44,000 And after the Mother of the Believers, 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrated 480 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,000 this story to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 481 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000 he said to her: 482 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,000 "I am to you as Abu Zar' was to Umm Zar'." 483 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,000 And it was added in one narration: 484 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:57,000 "Except that I will not divorce you," 485 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,029 meaning: my conduct with you in generosity and love 486 00:24:01,029 --> 00:24:05,029 is just as Abu Zar's conduct was toward Umm Zar'. 487 00:24:05,029 --> 00:24:08,029 This was from his humility (peace be upon him) 488 00:24:08,029 --> 00:24:10,029 and the excellence of his character; 489 00:24:10,029 --> 00:24:13,029 otherwise, he (peace be upon him) 490 00:24:13,029 --> 00:24:15,029 is not to be compared to anyone else; 491 00:24:15,029 --> 00:24:20,029 rather, he and his praiseworthy traits and character are the ones to be emulated. 492 00:24:20,029 --> 00:24:22,289 Derived from this hadith is: 493 00:24:22,289 --> 00:24:26,289 the permissibility of mentioning the virtues of women to men 494 00:24:26,289 --> 00:24:28,289 when they are unnamed and unknown, 495 00:24:28,289 --> 00:24:30,289 as opposed to specific, known women. 496 00:24:30,289 --> 00:24:33,289 In it is also the permissibility of a man informing 497 00:24:33,289 --> 00:24:35,289 his wife of his love for her. 498 00:24:35,289 --> 00:24:38,349 In it also is the virtue of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), 499 00:24:38,349 --> 00:24:41,349 and the vastness of her retention and memory 500 00:24:41,349 --> 00:24:43,349 despite her young age; 501 00:24:43,349 --> 00:24:47,349 and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) attentive listening to her 502 00:24:47,349 --> 00:24:49,349 to console and delight her heart. 503 00:24:49,349 --> 00:24:51,450 This hadith 504 00:24:51,450 --> 00:24:53,450 contains numerous points of benefit 505 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:55,450 that would take too long to mention here, 506 00:24:55,450 --> 00:25:00,450 and perhaps we will dedicate a separate series to it, by Allah's leave. 507 00:25:00,450 --> 00:25:04,789 More of this hadith remains to be discussed, if Allah wills. 508 00:25:04,789 --> 00:25:06,789 And Allah knows best. 509 00:25:06,789 --> 00:25:09,789 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, 510 00:25:09,789 --> 00:25:13,789 and upon his family and all his Companions.