WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.139 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:07.139 --> 00:00:11.740 With pens of longing and the ink of love, 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:15.869 we compose lines more precious than gold 00:00:15.869 --> 00:00:20.870 describing the Master of Creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: 00:00:20.870 --> 00:00:30.890 the Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il). 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. 00:00:38.740 --> 00:00:41.740 Al-Samar is conversation by night, 00:00:41.740 --> 00:00:44.740 and the linguistic root of samar relates to the color of moonlight, 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:47.740 because they used to converse beneath it. 00:00:47.740 --> 00:00:52.990 On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: 00:00:52.990 --> 00:00:55.119 Eleven women sat together, 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:58.119 and made a mutual covenant and pledge 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:02.380 that they would conceal nothing of their husbands' news. 00:01:02.380 --> 00:01:04.379 The first one said: 00:01:04.379 --> 00:01:06.379 "My husband is like the meat of an emaciated camel, 00:01:06.379 --> 00:01:09.379 placed upon the summit of a rugged mountain: 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:11.379 it is neither easily accessible that one might climb to it, 00:01:11.379 --> 00:01:14.540 nor is it plump that it might be brought down." 00:01:14.540 --> 00:01:16.540 The second one said: 00:01:16.540 --> 00:01:18.540 "My husband—I will not spread his news abroad, 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:21.540 for I fear that I will leave nothing unsaid; 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:25.980 if I mention him, I must mention his prominent knots and hidden flaws." 00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:27.980 The third one said: 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:29.980 "My husband is a towering lanky man; 00:01:29.980 --> 00:01:31.980 if I speak, I am divorced, 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:33.980 and if I remain silent, I am left in suspense." 00:01:33.980 --> 00:01:36.299 The fourth one said: 00:01:36.299 --> 00:01:38.299 "My husband is like the night of Tihamah: 00:01:38.299 --> 00:01:40.299 neither hot nor cold, 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:43.299 bringing neither fear nor weariness." 00:01:43.299 --> 00:01:45.590 The fifth one said: 00:01:45.590 --> 00:01:48.590 "My husband, when he enters, is a leopard; 00:01:48.590 --> 00:01:50.590 when he goes out, he is a lion; 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:52.590 and he never asks about what he had left behind." 00:01:52.590 --> 00:01:54.879 The sixth one said: 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:57.879 "My husband, when he eats, devours everything; 00:01:57.879 --> 00:01:59.879 when he drinks, drains every drop; 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:01.879 when he lies down, curls up alone; 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:03.879 and he never extends his hand 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:05.879 to know my sorrow." 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:08.199 The seventh one said: 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:10.199 "My husband is completely impotent— 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:12.199 or utterly dense— 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.199 wholly inept; 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:16.199 every affliction in the world is found in him: 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:18.199 he would fracture your head or break your bone, 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:20.199 or do both to you together." 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:22.740 The eighth one said: 00:02:22.740 --> 00:02:25.740 "My husband's touch is the touch of a hare, 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:28.740 and his scent is the fragrance of wild lavender." 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:31.000 The ninth one said: 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.000 "My husband has a lofty pillar, 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.000 a long sword-belt, 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.000 an abundance of hearth-ashes, 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.000 and his house is close to the gathering hall." 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:41.259 The tenth one said: 00:02:41.259 --> 00:02:43.259 "My husband is Malik, 00:02:43.259 --> 00:02:45.259 and what a man is Malik! 00:02:45.259 --> 00:02:47.259 Malik is far better than that; 00:02:47.259 --> 00:02:51.259 he possesses camels that have many resting grounds 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:53.259 but few grazing pastures; 00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:56.259 whenever they hear the strumming of the lute, 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:59.259 they are certain they are destined to be slaughtered." 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:01.639 The eleventh one said: 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:03.639 "My husband is Abu Zar', 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:05.639 and what a man was Abu Zar'! 00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:08.639 He made my ears swing with ornaments, 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:11.639 filled my upper arms with fat, 00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:13.639 and made me feel so cherished 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:15.639 that I became delighted with myself; 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:18.639 he found me among owners of a few sheep in a desolate ravine, 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:24.639 and brought me among owners of neighing horses, groaning camels, threshers, and purifiers of grain; 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.740 in his presence, I speak and am never reproached; 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:30.740 I sleep late into the morning, 00:03:30.740 --> 00:03:32.740 and drink until my thirst is fully quenched. 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:35.060 As for the mother of Abu Zar'— 00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:38.060 what a woman was the mother of Abu Zar'! 00:03:38.060 --> 00:03:40.060 Her provisions were vast and bountiful, 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:42.060 and her house was spacious. 00:03:42.060 --> 00:03:44.310 As for the son of Abu Zar'— 00:03:44.310 --> 00:03:46.310 what a youth was the son of Abu Zar'! 00:03:46.310 --> 00:03:49.310 His bed was like a peeled palm branch, 00:03:49.310 --> 00:03:52.310 and he could be sated by the foreleg of a four-month-old kid. 00:03:52.310 --> 00:03:54.569 As for the daughter of Abu Zar'— 00:03:54.569 --> 00:03:56.569 what a daughter was the daughter of Abu Zar'! 00:03:56.569 --> 00:03:58.629 She was obedient to her father, 00:03:58.629 --> 00:04:00.629 obedient to her mother, 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:02.629 filling out her dress gracefully, 00:04:02.629 --> 00:04:04.629 and the envy of her fellow wives. 00:04:04.629 --> 00:04:06.789 As for the maidservant of Abu Zar'— 00:04:06.789 --> 00:04:09.789 what a maidservant was the maidservant of Abu Zar'! 00:04:09.789 --> 00:04:12.789 She did not spread our conversations abroad, 00:04:12.789 --> 00:04:16.790 she did not squander our provisions, 00:04:16.790 --> 00:04:19.790 nor did she leave our house cluttered with refuse." 00:04:19.790 --> 00:04:22.050 She said: 00:04:22.050 --> 00:04:25.050 "Abu Zar' went forth when the milk-skins were being churned, 00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:30.050 and he met a woman who had two sons like leopards, 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:34.050 playing beneath her waist with two pomegranates; 00:04:34.050 --> 00:04:37.240 so he divorced me and married her. 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:40.240 After him, I married a noble chieftain: 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:42.240 he rode a swift steed, 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:44.240 held a Khatti spear, 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:47.240 brought back to me an abundance of grazing livestock, 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:51.240 and gave me a pair of every type of animal, 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:52.240 saying: 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:56.240 'Eat, Umm Zar', and provide for your family.' 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:59.500 Yet, if I were to gather everything he gave me, 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:03.500 it would not fill the smallest vessel of Abu Zar'." 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:06.879 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:10.879 "Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to me: 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:17.189 'I am to you as Abu Zar' was to Umm Zar'.'" 00:05:17.189 --> 00:05:22.189 This hadith is among the narrations concerning the Prophet's nighttime conversation, peace be upon him, 00:05:22.189 --> 00:05:24.189 with some of his wives, 00:05:24.189 --> 00:05:26.189 showing warm companionship and kindness. 00:05:26.189 --> 00:05:29.189 This is an example of good companionship, cheerful disposition, 00:05:29.189 --> 00:05:31.189 and frustrating the designs of Satan. 00:05:31.189 --> 00:05:34.189 For pleasant conversation, humorous anecdotes, and entertaining tales 00:05:34.189 --> 00:05:37.189 are things through which souls find relaxation, 00:05:37.189 --> 00:05:39.189 hearts are comforted, 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:42.189 and mutual affection is fostered; 00:05:42.189 --> 00:05:45.189 and all of this is among the objectives of the sacred law. 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, 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:58.259 regarding those women and the report each gave of her husband, 00:05:58.259 --> 00:06:05.259 while the Prophet, peace be upon him, listened attentively out of gracious companionship and kindness, 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:10.290 mentions that eleven women assembled in a single gathering 00:06:10.290 --> 00:06:15.290 and pledged to conceal nothing about their husbands, 00:06:15.290 --> 00:06:19.290 whether by way of praise or blame. 00:06:19.290 --> 00:06:22.290 Some of them mentioned their husbands with praise, 00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:25.290 while others spoke of them with reproach. 00:06:25.290 --> 00:06:28.290 The first woman said, describing her husband: 00:06:28.290 --> 00:06:31.480 "My husband is like the meat of an emaciated camel"— 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:35.480 meaning that he is like camel meat that is extremely lean and worthless— 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:37.579 "placed upon the summit of a mountain." 00:06:37.579 --> 00:06:40.579 And this mountain is not smooth or easy to climb, 00:06:40.579 --> 00:06:43.579 because it is filled with rugged rocks; 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:46.579 nor is the meat fat and desirable so that it would be carried down— 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:49.579 that is, worth enduring hardship to retrieve. 00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:51.579 She is completely dissatisfied, 00:06:51.579 --> 00:06:54.579 seeing him as unworthy of any exertion to reach; 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:57.579 she is thoroughly displeased with her husband 00:06:57.579 --> 00:07:00.579 due to his ill character and harsh disposition. 00:07:00.579 --> 00:07:03.579 She likens him to camel meat 00:07:03.579 --> 00:07:05.579 that the soul naturally finds unappetizing, 00:07:05.579 --> 00:07:09.610 and she likens his poor temperament to a rugged mountain: 00:07:09.610 --> 00:07:14.610 would that he were at least accessible despite his worthlessness! 00:07:14.610 --> 00:07:17.610 Rather, he is atop a mountain whose ascent is treacherous, 00:07:17.610 --> 00:07:19.610 and at the same time, 00:07:19.610 --> 00:07:23.610 he is not worth enduring hardships 00:07:23.610 --> 00:07:25.610 in order to attain him. 00:07:25.610 --> 00:07:29.759 The second woman said: 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:31.759 "My husband—I will not spread his news abroad"— 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:35.759 meaning: I will not disclose or broadcast his traits and affairs; 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:38.759 "for I fear that I will leave nothing unsaid"— 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.759 meaning: I fear that if I begin describing him, 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:45.759 I will be unable to stop until I have laid bare every single thing, 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:47.759 because of how extensive and numerous they are, 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:50.759 referring to the abundance of his defects and vices; 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.759 thus I could never finish detailing them: 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.819 "if I mention him, I must mention his prominent knots and hidden flaws." 00:07:57.819 --> 00:08:01.819 The original meaning of 'ajar refers to the swelling of veins in the neck, 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:04.819 while bajar refers to the protrusion of the navel; 00:08:04.819 --> 00:08:09.819 so it is as if she said he possesses both visible and hidden faults: 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:12.819 she used 'ajar as a metaphor for the apparent defects, 00:08:12.819 --> 00:08:15.819 which are like bulging veins, 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:19.819 while he also has hidden faults known only to a wife, 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:21.819 which she symbolized by bajar, 00:08:21.819 --> 00:08:24.819 representing a protruding navel. 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:28.720 The third woman said: 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.720 "My husband is a towering lanky man"— 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:32.720 he is excessively tall, 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:33.720 and the intended meaning 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:37.720 is that he has nothing going for him except sheer height devoid of benefit; 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:39.720 "if I speak, I am divorced, 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:41.720 and if I remain silent, I am left in suspense"— 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:46.720 meaning that if she speaks out and he hears of it, 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:48.720 he will divorce her, 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:50.720 but if she stays silent about his defects, 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.720 she remains with him like a woman left in limbo: 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.720 neither enjoying the rights of a wife nor granted the freedom of a divorcee. 00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:01.100 The fourth woman said: 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:03.100 "My husband is like the night of Tihamah"— 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:06.100 meaning that there is no harm in him, 00:09:06.100 --> 00:09:10.100 but rather comfort and pleasant living, just like a night in Tihamah: 00:09:10.100 --> 00:09:12.100 delightful and temperate, 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:16.100 having neither excessive heat nor biting cold; 00:09:16.100 --> 00:09:17.100 and Tihamah 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:22.100 is the coastal plain along the Red Sea on the Arabian peninsula; 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:25.100 "bringing neither fear nor weariness"— 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:28.100 meaning: I do not fear him due to his noble character, 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; 00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:35.100 nor is he ill-mannered 00:09:35.100 --> 00:09:37.100 such that I would grow weary of living with him. 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:41.250 The fifth woman said: 00:09:41.250 --> 00:09:43.250 "My husband, when he enters, is a leopard; 00:09:43.250 --> 00:09:45.250 when he goes out, he is a lion"— 00:09:45.250 --> 00:09:48.250 meaning that whenever he enters the house, 00:09:48.250 --> 00:09:51.250 he is like a leopard in sleeping often, 00:09:51.250 --> 00:09:53.250 intending that he sleeps soundly 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:57.250 and he overlooks domestic shortcomings that I am bound to rectify, 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, 00:10:03.250 --> 00:10:07.250 never holding her to account for little or much. 00:10:07.250 --> 00:10:09.250 And whenever he is outside the home, 00:10:09.250 --> 00:10:14.250 he is like a lion in his courage, strength, and fierce resolve. 00:10:14.250 --> 00:10:17.250 She means that he is gentle with her, 00:10:17.250 --> 00:10:22.250 while being brave, formidable, and fierce outside the home. 00:10:22.250 --> 00:10:24.250 "And he never asks about what he entrusted"— 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. 00:10:31.250 --> 00:10:35.299 And the sixth woman said: 00:10:35.299 --> 00:10:37.299 "My husband, when he eats, devours everything indiscriminately"— 00:10:37.299 --> 00:10:40.299 meaning that he eats gluttonously, 00:10:40.299 --> 00:10:43.299 leaving nothing of the food behind. 00:10:43.299 --> 00:10:45.299 For 'devouring indiscriminately' regarding food 00:10:45.299 --> 00:10:48.299 means eating excessively while mixing all kinds of dishes together 00:10:48.299 --> 00:10:51.299 until nothing of them remains. 00:10:51.299 --> 00:10:53.299 "And when he drinks, he drains it to the last drop"— 00:10:53.299 --> 00:10:56.299 meaning he is one who leaves nothing in the vessel. 00:10:56.299 --> 00:11:00.299 The term *ishtifāf* (draining completely) is derived from *shufāfah*, 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:03.299 which refers to whatever dregs remain in the vessel of a drink. 00:11:03.299 --> 00:11:05.299 "And when he sleeps, he wraps himself up alone"— 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, 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:14.299 leaving her dejected because of that. 00:11:14.299 --> 00:11:17.299 "And he does not insert his palm to feel my grief"— 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:20.299 meaning he does not slip his hand beneath my garment 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:23.299 to sense the sorrow that I feel, 00:11:23.299 --> 00:11:26.299 and that is due to his total lack of care and closeness to her; 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:31.299 for he neither touches her, nor treats her gently, nor converses with her at night, 00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:33.299 nor does he fulfill her marital desire, 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:36.299 nor can she confide her anguish and grief to him. 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:40.370 Thus, in her censure of him, she combined meanness and miserliness, 00:11:40.370 --> 00:11:43.370 poor companionship toward his family, 00:11:43.370 --> 00:11:46.370 and a lack of desire for intimacy, 00:11:46.370 --> 00:11:49.370 alongside immense gluttony for food and drink; 00:11:49.370 --> 00:11:52.370 and this was the ultimate form of disparagement among the Arabs. 00:11:52.370 --> 00:11:56.169 And the seventh woman said: 00:11:56.169 --> 00:11:59.169 "My husband is *ghayāyā'*"— 00:11:59.169 --> 00:12:02.169 meaning he is obscured by deep ignorance, 00:12:02.169 --> 00:12:05.169 derived from *al-ghayy*, which signifies ruin and frustration; 00:12:05.169 --> 00:12:08.169 or she said *'ayāyā'*, 00:12:08.169 --> 00:12:11.169 derived from *al-'iyy*, which means impotence and utter incapacity. 00:12:11.169 --> 00:12:13.169 It is also said that it means an impotent man 00:12:13.169 --> 00:12:16.169 who is unable to engage in sexual intercourse with women 00:12:16.169 --> 00:12:19.169 and is utterly incapable of it; 00:12:19.169 --> 00:12:21.169 or it means the foolish, dim-witted one; 00:12:21.169 --> 00:12:24.169 and it is said to mean the one who is incapable of speaking, 00:12:24.169 --> 00:12:27.169 such that his lips remain locked together. 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:29.259 "Every ailment belongs to him"— 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:32.259 meaning every ailment dispersed throughout mankind, 00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:34.259 that is, every shortcoming, 00:12:34.259 --> 00:12:36.259 has gathered in him. 00:12:36.259 --> 00:12:38.360 "He would fracture your skull, or break your bones, 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:40.360 or inflict both upon you"— 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.360 meaning that if she were to joke with him, 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:45.360 he would fracture her head; 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:47.360 and if she angered him, 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:49.360 he would break one of her limbs, 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:51.360 or lacerate her skin, 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:53.360 or combine all of that: 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.360 beating, wounding, 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:58.360 fracturing a bone, and hurtful speech. 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:02.029 And the eighth woman said: 00:13:02.029 --> 00:13:05.029 "My husband's touch is as soft as the touch of a hare, 00:13:05.029 --> 00:13:07.100 and his scent is as fragrant as the scent of *zarnab*." 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:10.100 She described him as having smooth skin, 00:13:10.100 --> 00:13:12.100 like the softness of a hare's fur. 00:13:12.100 --> 00:13:16.100 It is also said that her words "the touch of a hare" 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:19.100 signify a gentle demeanor and noble character, 00:13:19.100 --> 00:13:21.100 and that he possesses a pleasant sweat 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:24.100 due to his cleanliness and use of perfume. 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:26.100 And *zarnab* is a type of perfume, 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:30.440 or a sweet-smelling plant. 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:32.440 And the ninth woman said: 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:35.440 "My husband has a tall tent-pole"— 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.440 which is the central pole used to support the tent, 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:41.440 meaning that the abode he dwells in 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:43.440 has high pillars, 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:46.440 so that guests and those in need can easily see it. 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:49.440 It is also said that she intended by "a tall tent-pole" 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:53.440 to describe his nobility and exalted renown; 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.440 that is, his household has prestigious lineage. 00:13:56.440 --> 00:14:00.470 "Long is his sword-belt"—meaning he is tall in stature; 00:14:00.470 --> 00:14:02.470 "vast is his ash-heap"— 00:14:02.470 --> 00:14:04.470 because his fire is never extinguished, 00:14:04.470 --> 00:14:06.470 so that guests may be guided by it, 00:14:06.470 --> 00:14:09.470 and thus its ashes become abundant; 00:14:09.470 --> 00:14:11.470 and this indicates his boundless generosity. 00:14:11.470 --> 00:14:14.470 "His house is close to the assembly hall"— 00:14:14.470 --> 00:14:17.470 and *al-nādī* is the gathering place of the people, 00:14:17.470 --> 00:14:20.470 meaning that whenever his people consult one another on a matter, 00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:22.470 they rely upon his counsel. 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:23.470 And it is said: 00:14:23.470 --> 00:14:26.470 she described him as possessing generosity and leadership, 00:14:26.470 --> 00:14:29.470 for no one resides close to the assembly hall 00:14:29.470 --> 00:14:31.470 except someone who possesses such qualities, 00:14:31.470 --> 00:14:34.470 because guests head straight for the assembly hall, 00:14:34.470 --> 00:14:36.470 and because those sitting in the assembly 00:14:36.470 --> 00:14:38.470 obtain whatever provisions they need 00:14:38.470 --> 00:14:42.470 for their gathering from a house nearby, 00:14:42.470 --> 00:14:45.470 whereas the ignoble stay far away from the assembly. 00:14:47.210 --> 00:14:49.210 And the tenth woman said: 00:14:49.210 --> 00:14:51.210 "My husband is Mālik, 00:14:51.210 --> 00:14:53.210 and what a man is Mālik! 00:14:53.210 --> 00:14:55.210 Mālik is far better than that!" 00:14:55.210 --> 00:14:58.210 And this is an exaltation of her husband; 00:14:58.210 --> 00:15:00.210 his name was Mālik, 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:04.210 and he is far greater than any praise she could describe him with. 00:15:04.210 --> 00:15:07.210 "He possesses camels that often kneel around the camp, 00:15:07.210 --> 00:15:10.210 meaning he owns camels that mostly stay in their resting places, 00:15:10.210 --> 00:15:12.210 which is the place where they kneel, 00:15:12.210 --> 00:15:15.210 "and seldom go out to pasture"— 00:15:15.210 --> 00:15:19.210 meaning he does not send many of them out to graze, 00:15:19.210 --> 00:15:21.210 because he is always prepared for guests, 00:15:21.210 --> 00:15:25.210 so that he can slaughter from them for them whenever they arrive, 00:15:25.210 --> 00:15:28.210 and this proves his generosity. 00:15:28.210 --> 00:15:30.240 "Whenever they hear the sound of the lute, 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.240 they are certain that they are doomed"— 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:36.340 meaning whenever the camels hear the sound of the lute, 00:15:36.340 --> 00:15:39.340 played out of his joy at the arrival of guests, 00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:42.340 the camels know that they are destined for slaughter, 00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:44.340 and will be butchered to feed them. 00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:45.370 And the *mizhar* 00:15:45.370 --> 00:15:49.370 is an instrument of music and entertainment; 00:15:49.370 --> 00:15:54.370 she meant that her husband had accustomed his camels that whenever guests arrived, 00:15:54.370 --> 00:15:56.370 he would welcome them with musical instruments 00:15:56.370 --> 00:15:59.370 and slaughter from those camels for them. 00:15:59.370 --> 00:16:03.200 And the eleventh woman said— 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:05.200 and she is Umm Zar' 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:09.200 'Ātikah bint Ukaymil ibn Sā'idah al-Yamāniyyah: 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:11.200 "My husband is Abū Zar', 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.200 meaning his kunyah was Abū Zar', 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.200 "and what a man is Abū Zar'! 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:18.200 She intended by this to glorify him. 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:21.200 "He adorned my ears with swinging ornaments"— 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.200 meaning he filled my ears with jewelry, 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:27.200 "and filled the fat of my upper arms"— 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:31.200 and the upper arm (*'adud*) is what lies between the elbow and the shoulder, 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; 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.200 she did not mean the upper arms exclusively, 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:43.200 but rather, when they grow plump, the rest of the body grows plump as well. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:45.200 And she said: 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.200 "He brought me delight, and so I felt delighted with myself"— 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:50.200 meaning he honored me in my own eyes, 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.230 so I became noble in my own estimation. 00:16:52.230 --> 00:16:55.299 "He found me among people of a few sheep in Shiqq"— 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:58.299 meaning that her family were mere owners of sheep, 00:16:58.299 --> 00:17:01.299 possessing neither camels nor horses, 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:03.299 so they were not wealthy, 00:17:03.299 --> 00:17:06.299 for the Arabs did not hold owners of sheep in high regard, 00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:10.420 but rather regarded owners of horses and camels; 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:14.420 and they lived in a place named Shiqq, 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.420 or the intended meaning is a narrow mountain ravine, 00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:19.420 due to their small numbers and the meager size of their flock, 00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:22.420 for *shiqq al-jabal* means the side of a mountain; 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. 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:29.519 She said: 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:33.519 "Then he placed me among owners of neighing horses and murmuring camels"— 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.519 *ṣahīl* is the neighing of horses, 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.519 and *aṭīṭ* is the sound of camels, 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:43.519 and the meaning is: he placed her among the owners of horses and camels, 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.519 and her words: 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:46.519 "and threshers and grain-purifiers"— 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:50.519 meaning threshing the crop so that the grain emerges from the ears, 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:52.519 and purifying the food, 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.519 by removing the chaff and the like that is mixed with it; 00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:57.519 and the meaning is 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:00.519 that he transferred her from the hardship and toil of life 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:05.680 to vast wealth consisting of horses, camels, and fertile crops. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:06.680 And her words: 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:09.680 "So in his presence, I speak and am never rebuked"— 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.680 meaning my words are never deemed ugly, nor are they rejected; 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:15.740 "and I sleep into the morning"— 00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:17.740 meaning I sleep until late morning, 00:18:17.740 --> 00:18:23.779 because she had servants who carried out the household chores for her; 00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:25.779 "and I drink until I leave off drinking"— 00:18:25.779 --> 00:18:29.779 meaning I drink until I abandon the drink out of total quench, 00:18:29.779 --> 00:18:31.779 with nothing interrupting my drink. 00:18:31.779 --> 00:18:37.380 Then the woman praised the mother of her husband, Abū Zar', 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:38.380 saying: 00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:39.380 "The mother of Abū Zar', 00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:41.380 and what a woman is the mother of Abū Zar'! 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:43.380 Her storage bags are enormous"— 00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:48.380 *'ukūm* are the large containers in which provisions and goods are gathered, 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:50.380 and *radāḥ* means vast and full, 00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:53.380 "and her house is spacious"— 00:18:53.380 --> 00:18:56.380 meaning her home is vast and large. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:59.900 Then she praised the son of Abū Zar', 00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:00.900 saying: 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:03.900 "His sleeping place is like a stripped palm branch"— 00:19:03.900 --> 00:19:07.900 meaning his bed is slender like a peeled palm frond, 00:19:07.900 --> 00:19:12.900 intending that his physique resembles a drawn sword in its slender elegance and light frame; 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:13.900 and she says: 00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:16.900 "and the arm of a four-month-old kid satisfies his hunger"— 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:21.900 and *al-jafrah* is a young female goat that has reached four months of age, 00:19:21.900 --> 00:19:22.900 and her intended meaning 00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:24.900 is that he eats very little, 00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:27.900 and the Arabs praise this quality. 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:31.819 Then the woman praised the daughter of Abū Zar', 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:32.819 She said: 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:35.819 "Obedient to her father and obedient to her mother," 00:19:36.819 --> 00:19:39.819 meaning she is dutiful to both her parents, 00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:41.819 never disobeying their command; 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:43.819 "and filling her garment," 00:19:43.819 --> 00:19:46.819 meaning she fills out her dress due to her plumpness; 00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:48.819 "and the envy of her female neighbor," 00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:50.819 meaning she arouses the jealousy of her co-wife 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:54.819 because of her beauty, good manners, and chastity. 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:58.369 Then she praised the maidservant of Abu Zar', 00:19:58.369 --> 00:19:59.369 saying: 00:19:59.369 --> 00:20:02.369 "She does not spread our secrets abroad," 00:20:03.369 --> 00:20:07.369 meaning she does not broadcast or disclose their private talk and secrets; 00:20:07.369 --> 00:20:10.369 "nor does she squander our provisions," 00:20:10.369 --> 00:20:12.369 meaning she does not ruin their food, 00:20:12.369 --> 00:20:15.369 nor does she scatter it or carry it off— 00:20:15.369 --> 00:20:18.369 the intent being to describe her trustworthiness; 00:20:18.369 --> 00:20:21.369 "nor does she leave our house full of nests," 00:20:21.369 --> 00:20:26.369 meaning she does not leave rubbish scattered about the house like birds' nests, 00:20:26.369 --> 00:20:29.369 but rather keeps the house in order, 00:20:29.369 --> 00:20:33.140 taking meticulous care of its cleanliness. 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:38.140 Then Umm Zar' mentioned the change that occurred in her life with Abu Zar' 00:20:38.140 --> 00:20:41.140 when he saw another woman, 00:20:41.140 --> 00:20:44.140 married her, and divorced Umm Zar'. 00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:45.140 She said: 00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:49.140 "Abu Zar' went out when the milk-skins were being churned"— 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:52.140 and the *awtāb* are milk vessels 00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:54.140 that are shaken to extract butter, 00:20:54.140 --> 00:20:57.140 by which she meant that the time he went out 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:00.140 was during a season of plenty and the finest of spring. 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:02.170 She said: 00:21:02.170 --> 00:21:06.170 "He met a woman who had two sons like two cheetahs with her." 00:21:06.170 --> 00:21:09.200 The reason she described the fine quality of her two sons 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:13.200 was to point out why Abu Zar' chose to marry her, 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:16.200 for the Arabs were eager for their children to come 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:20.200 from noble women of excellent physical and moral constitution. 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:22.299 And her saying: 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:25.299 "Playing beneath her waist with two pomegranates," 00:21:25.299 --> 00:21:28.299 meaning they were moving about below her waist 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:31.299 and playing with the woman's small breasts, 00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:35.299 which resembled two pomegranates in their beauty. 00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:36.299 She said: 00:21:36.299 --> 00:21:39.299 "So he divorced me and married her." 00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:40.299 Then she says: 00:21:40.299 --> 00:21:43.299 "After him, I married a noble man," 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:47.299 meaning: after Abu Zar', I married a man of high status, 00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:49.299 "who rode a spirited steed," 00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:54.299 meaning he pressed forward in his journey tirelessly and without pause, 00:21:54.299 --> 00:21:56.299 "and took up a Khatti spear," 00:21:56.299 --> 00:21:58.299 the *khattī* being a spear 00:21:58.299 --> 00:22:01.299 attributed to a place in Yemen 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:03.299 from which such spears are brought; 00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:06.390 "and he brought me abundant livestock," 00:22:06.390 --> 00:22:10.390 meaning he brought her a great many camels, 00:22:10.390 --> 00:22:13.390 for *al-thariyy* means an abundance of wealth and the like, 00:22:13.390 --> 00:22:17.390 and from it comes *tharwah*, meaning great wealth; 00:22:17.390 --> 00:22:18.390 and her saying: 00:22:18.390 --> 00:22:22.390 "and gave me a pair of every kind of grazing beast that returned at evening," 00:22:22.390 --> 00:22:25.390 meaning he would give her, from everything 00:22:25.390 --> 00:22:29.390 that returned at dusk—camels, cattle, sheep, and servants—a pair, 00:22:29.390 --> 00:22:31.390 meaning two of each, 00:22:31.390 --> 00:22:34.390 or it is possible she meant by a "pair" 00:22:34.390 --> 00:22:36.390 a category or variety. 00:22:36.390 --> 00:22:37.390 "And he said: 00:22:37.390 --> 00:22:40.390 'Eat, Umm Zar', and provide for your family,'" 00:22:40.390 --> 00:22:45.390 meaning: maintain ties with your kin, treat them well, and be generous to them with food. 00:22:45.390 --> 00:22:47.490 She said: 00:22:47.490 --> 00:22:50.490 "Yet, if I were to gather everything he gave me, 00:22:50.490 --> 00:22:53.490 it would not fill the smallest vessel of Abu Zar'!" 00:22:53.490 --> 00:22:56.490 meaning: all the honors he bestowed upon me 00:22:56.490 --> 00:22:59.490 do not equal anything of the generous treatment of Abu Zar'. 00:22:59.490 --> 00:23:02.490 For she described this second husband of hers 00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:06.490 as possessing intrinsic nobility, wealth, courage, 00:23:06.490 --> 00:23:08.490 virtue, and generosity, 00:23:08.490 --> 00:23:12.490 since he permitted her to consume whatever she wished of his wealth 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:17.490 and gift whatever she wished to her family, out of utmost honor for her; 00:23:17.490 --> 00:23:21.490 yet despite that, he never held the place of Abu Zar' in her heart, 00:23:21.490 --> 00:23:25.490 and his abundance was lesser than the little of Abu Zar', 00:23:25.490 --> 00:23:29.490 notwithstanding Abu Zar's ultimate mistreatment of her in divorcing her. 00:23:29.490 --> 00:23:33.490 Yet her love for him made all other husbands distasteful to her, 00:23:33.490 --> 00:23:35.490 and as it is said: 00:23:35.490 --> 00:23:38.490 "Love belongs only to the first beloved." 00:23:38.490 --> 00:23:44.000 And after the Mother of the Believers, 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrated 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.000 this story to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.000 he said to her: 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:52.000 "I am to you as Abu Zar' was to Umm Zar'." 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.000 And it was added in one narration: 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 "Except that I will not divorce you," 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:01.029 meaning: my conduct with you in generosity and love 00:24:01.029 --> 00:24:05.029 is just as Abu Zar's conduct was toward Umm Zar'. 00:24:05.029 --> 00:24:08.029 This was from his humility (peace be upon him) 00:24:08.029 --> 00:24:10.029 and the excellence of his character; 00:24:10.029 --> 00:24:13.029 otherwise, he (peace be upon him) 00:24:13.029 --> 00:24:15.029 is not to be compared to anyone else; 00:24:15.029 --> 00:24:20.029 rather, he and his praiseworthy traits and character are the ones to be emulated. 00:24:20.029 --> 00:24:22.289 Derived from this hadith is: 00:24:22.289 --> 00:24:26.289 the permissibility of mentioning the virtues of women to men 00:24:26.289 --> 00:24:28.289 when they are unnamed and unknown, 00:24:28.289 --> 00:24:30.289 as opposed to specific, known women. 00:24:30.289 --> 00:24:33.289 In it is also the permissibility of a man informing 00:24:33.289 --> 00:24:35.289 his wife of his love for her. 00:24:35.289 --> 00:24:38.349 In it also is the virtue of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), 00:24:38.349 --> 00:24:41.349 and the vastness of her retention and memory 00:24:41.349 --> 00:24:43.349 despite her young age; 00:24:43.349 --> 00:24:47.349 and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) attentive listening to her 00:24:47.349 --> 00:24:49.349 to console and delight her heart. 00:24:49.349 --> 00:24:51.450 This hadith 00:24:51.450 --> 00:24:53.450 contains numerous points of benefit 00:24:53.450 --> 00:24:55.450 that would take too long to mention here, 00:24:55.450 --> 00:25:00.450 and perhaps we will dedicate a separate series to it, by Allah's leave. 00:25:00.450 --> 00:25:04.789 More of this hadith remains to be discussed, if Allah wills. 00:25:04.789 --> 00:25:06.789 And Allah knows best. 00:25:06.789 --> 00:25:09.789 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, 00:25:09.789 --> 00:25:13.789 and upon his family and all his Companions.