Part of Glimpses from the Lives of the Tabi‘un (the Successors) (series completed)
· Lesson 33 of 37
Pictures from the lives of the followers | D. Abdul Rahman Raafat Al-Basha | Episode (33) | Rafi’ bin Mahran, may God have mercy on him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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The best of generations in terms of their stances and as an example.
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He followed the Messenger, peace be upon him, whether he was striving or speaking.
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Mawaddah Association
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He advanced.
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Vignettes from the lives of the Tabi'un
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By Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha.
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May Allah have mercy upon him.
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Rifa'i ibn Mihran
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May Allah have mercy upon him.
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Rufay' ibn Mihran
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The book of Abu al-'Aliyah
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A prominent figure among the scholars of the Muslims.
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And one of the masterpieces of the reciters and the scholars of hadith.
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He was among the Tabi'un most knowledgeable of the Book of Allah.
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And they were the most knowledgeable among them regarding the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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And they were the most capable among people of understanding the Noble Qur'an.
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And penetrating into its depths.
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And they were the deepest of them in grasping its intended meanings and its secrets.
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So let us begin his life from its very inception.
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His life is rich with magnificent episodes and vivid imagery.
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It is replete with precious exhortations and lessons.
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Rafi' Ibn Mihran was born in the lands of Persia.
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And upon its land, he grew up and flourished.
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And when the Muslims began the conquest of the lands of Persia
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So that they might lead its people out of the darkness and into the light.
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This Rafi' was one of the young enslaved men.
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Those who fell into the compassionate hands of the Muslims.
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And they sought refuge in their virtuous, edifying presence.
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Then, it was not long before he and those with him stood upon the loftiness of Islam.
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And they weighed it against the idol worship they had previously practiced.
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And so they began to enter the religion of Allah in multitudes.
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Then, they turned their attention to the Book of Allah.
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They began to immerse themselves in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He narrated what Rafi' was like and what he eventually became.
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He said
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I, along with a group of my people, were taken captive by the mujahidin.
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Then, it was not long before we found ourselves under the authority of a group of Muslims in Basra.
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It was not long before we believed in Allah.
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And we became deeply attached to memorizing the Book of Allah.
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And among us were those who would pay taxes to their owners.
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And among us are those who dedicate themselves to serving them.
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And I was one of them.
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We used to complete the entire Qur'an every single night.
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This weighed heavily upon us.
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So we began to complete the recitation of the entire Qur'an once every two nights.
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This also weighed heavily upon us.
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So we began to complete the recitation of the entire Qur'an every three days.
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It weighed heavily upon us, given the toil we endured during the day and the sleeplessness we faced throughout the night.
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We then met some of the Companions of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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We complained to them about the hardships we endured from staying awake at night to recite the Book of Allah.
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They said, "Complete it once every Friday."
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So we adopted what they guided us toward.
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And we began to recite the Qur'an during parts of the night.
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And we sleep during another portion of it.
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It did not weigh heavily upon us after that.
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And Rafi' Ibn Mihran was betrothed to a woman from the tribe of Banu Tamim.
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This woman was a lady of great composure and dignity.
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It is brimming with piety and faith.
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He would serve her for part of the day and rest during the other part.
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He mastered reading and writing during his spare time.
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During this time, he acquired a portion of the religious sciences.
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without that detracting in any way from the rights she is owed by him.
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And on one of the days of Friday
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Rafi' performed wudu and perfected it.
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Then he requested permission from his mistress to depart.
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She said, "Where are you heading, Rafi'?"
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He said, "I am seeking the mosque."
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She asked, "Which of the mosques do you intend?"
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He then spoke from the congregational mosque.
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She said, "Let us go."
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Then the two of them proceeded together.
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He entered the mosque along with those who were entering.
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Yet he does not know what you intend.
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No sooner had the mosque become full
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Then the Imam ascended the pulpit.
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Until she took the hand of Rafi' and said,
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Bear witness, O assembly of Muslims.
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I have emancipated this slave of mine, seeking the reward of Allah.
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And seeking His pardon and His pleasure.
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And there is no way for anyone to hold anything against him.
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except for the path of righteousness.
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Then she looked at him and said
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O Allah, I store this with You for a day.
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Wealth will be of no avail therein.
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Nor are there any sons.
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And when the prayer had concluded
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Rafi' departed on his way.
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She, too, set off on her own path.
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From that day on, Rafi' Ibn Mihran was considered a man of high standing.
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to frequent the city of Medina.
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He was thus honored to meet Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.
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This was shortly before his passing.
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Just as he found joy in sitting with the Commander of the Faithful.
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'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
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He recited the Qur'an to him and prayed behind him.
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And just as Abu al-'Aliyah magnified the Book of Allah.
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upon the Book of Allah
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For he has firmly attached himself to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He began to hear his narration from the Tabi'un.
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Those whom he used to meet in Basra.
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Yet, it was not long before his ambition grew.
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For that which is more firmly established than this.
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He began to travel to Medina from time to time.
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So that he might hear it directly from the mouths of the Companions of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, themselves
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So that there remains no barrier between him and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Except for one person, who is the Companion.
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He took [his knowledge] from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him.
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And Ubayy ibn Ka'b
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And Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him.
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And Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.
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And ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
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And others, and others still.
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May Allah be pleased with them all.
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Abu al-'Aliyah did not limit himself to that.
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Regarding the narrators of hadith in Medina.
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He was merely seeking a hadith.
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The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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In every place.
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So, if a man is described to him as possessing knowledge
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They traveled great distances to reach him, urging their camels onward.
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No matter how far away his home may be.
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Distant in abode.
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Once it reaches him
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He hastened and prayed behind him.
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If he finds that he does not perform his prayer properly.
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Perfect your mastery.
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And he does not fulfill its due right in the most complete manner.
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He turned away from him and said to himself
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Indeed, the one who is negligent regarding their prayer
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He would be far more negligent regarding other matters.
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Then he takes up his staff.
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And he returns from whence he came.
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Abu al-'Aliyah had reached such a station.
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A station of high standing in knowledge.
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He surpassed all of his peers in that regard.
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Among these instances is that one of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with him, said
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I saw Abu al-'Aliyah performing wudu.
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And water was dripping from his face and his hands.
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And purity shines forth.
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upon every one of his limbs
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So I greeted him and said
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“They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.” (2:222)
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And He loves those who purify themselves.
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He said, "O my brother."
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The purified ones are not [merely those who perform ablution].
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Those who purify themselves with water from filth.
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Rather, they are the ones who purify themselves.
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through piety against sins.
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So I reflected upon what he had said.
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And I realized that he was correct and I was mistaken.
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And I said, "May Allah reward you with goodness."
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And may He increase you in knowledge and understanding.
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And indeed, he opened the high gates to the presence of...
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People are in pursuit of knowledge.
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And he began to delineate for them the paths.
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Attaining Him.
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And he said
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Discipline your souls to receive knowledge.
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And ask about him frequently.
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And know that knowledge does not lower its wings for anyone.
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For the arrogant or the haughty.
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For the modest person does not ask, due to their modesty.
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The arrogant person does not ask, due to their arrogance.
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He used to urge his students to learn the Qur'an and uphold it.
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And holding fast to what has come down within it.
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regarding what the fabricators claim.
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He then says
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Learn the Qur'an.
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Once you have learned it.
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So do not turn away from it.
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And you must adhere to the straight path.
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For it is indeed Islam.
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And I warn you against these vain desires.
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For it sows enmity and hatred among you.
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And do not deviate from the path that they were upon.
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The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Before they dispersed.
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They then conveyed that to al-Hasan al-Basri.
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He then said
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Abu al-'Aliyah has indeed counseled you, and by Allah, he has spoken the truth to you.
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Just as he used to map out the path for students of knowledge.
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The optimal method for memorizing the Qur'an.
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He then says
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Learn the Qur'an five verses at a time.
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Five verses.
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For it is easier for your minds to grasp.
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And I am better able to help you understand.
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For Jibril, peace be upon him,
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It used to descend upon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Five verses at a time, five verses at a time.
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Abu al-'Aliyah was not merely a teacher.
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It was also intended as a directive.
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This is because he used to fill the minds of his students.
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through beneficial knowledge.
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He nourishes their hearts with beautiful exhortation.
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He often combines both matters together.
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Among these is His statement to them:
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"Allah has decreed upon Himself
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that whoever believes in Him, He will guide him."
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The confirmation of this is His statement, may He be glorified and exalted:
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﴾And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart.﴿
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And that whoever relies upon Him, He will suffice him.
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The confirmation of this is His statement, may He be blessed and exalted:
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“And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whosoever putteth his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Lo! Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah hath set a measure for all things.” (65:3)
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And that whoever lends to Him, He will reward him.
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The confirmation of this is His statement, may His word be exalted:
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﴾Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?﴿
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He will multiply it for him many times over.
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And that whoever calls upon Him, He will answer him.
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The confirmation of this is His statement, may His word be exalted:
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﴾And when My servants ask you concerning Me...﴿
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“And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.” (2:186)
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He used to say to his students:
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"Perform acts of obedience and draw near to the obedient for the sake of their obedience."
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"Avoid disobedience and show enmity toward the disobedient for the sake of their disobedience."
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"Then, entrust the affair of the disobedient to Allah."
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"For if He wills, He will punish them, and if He wills, He will forgive them."
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"And if you hear a man elevating his own status, saying:"
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"'I love for the sake of Allah and I hate for the sake of Allah,'"
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"'I prefer such-and-such to please Allah,'"
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"'And I turn away from such-and-such out of fear of Allah,'"
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"Do not rely upon him."
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Abu al-'Aliyah was not merely a scholar who practiced his knowledge,
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nor was he only a preacher and guide;
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rather, he was also a mujahid.
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He would spend a portion of his time on the battlefields with the mujahidin,
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or standing guard at the enemy frontiers with those who keep watch.
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He chose to campaign in the east and the west,
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so he fought the Romans in the Levant,
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just as he fought the Persians in Transoxiana.
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He was the first to raise the adhan in those lands.
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When fighting broke out between 'Ali and Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with them both,
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Abu al-'Aliyah had a stance regarding it, which he recounted to us, saying:
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"When what happened between 'Ali and Mu'awiyah occurred,"
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"I was full of vitality and energy."
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"Fighting was more desirable to me than cold water on a scorching day."
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"So I prepared my equipment and went to them."
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"Suddenly, I found myself before two lines whose ends could not be seen."
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"When one side shouted 'Allahu Akbar,' the other side shouted 'Allahu Akbar.'"
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"When one side proclaimed the oneness of Allah, the other side did the same."
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"I turned to myself and said:"
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"'Which of the two groups shall I consider disbelievers and attack?'"
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"'And which shall I consider believers and fight alongside?'"
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"Then I left them both and departed."
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Abu al-'Aliyah remained sorrowful and regretful throughout his life,
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because he did not have the honor of meeting the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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He would try to compensate for that by drawing close to the noble Companions,
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those whose bond with Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was strong.
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He would favor and love them,
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and they would favor and prefer him.
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Among the signs of this is that Anas, the servant of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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gifted him an apple he had in his hand.
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He took it from him and began to kiss it, saying:
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"An apple touched by a hand that touched the hand of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
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"An apple touched by a hand that was honored to touch the hand of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."
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Also, he once entered upon 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas while he was serving as the governor of Basra on behalf of 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib.
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'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas welcomed him most warmly, raised him onto his couch, and seated him to his right.
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There was a group of the notables of Quraysh in the gathering, and they began to wink at and whisper to one another.
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Some said to others, "Do you see how Ibn 'Abbas has raised this former slave onto his couch?"
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Ibn 'Abbas realized what they were whispering about, so he turned to them and said, "Knowledge increases the noble in nobility,"
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"and it elevates the status of its people among men, and seats the formerly enslaved upon couches."
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In one year, Abu al-'Aliyah resolved to engage in jihad for the sake of Allah, so he prepared his provisions and firmly decided to set out with the mujahidin.
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When morning broke, he was surprised by excruciating pain in one of his feet, and the pain continued to intensify hour by hour.
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When the physician visited him, he said, "You are afflicted with gangrene." He asked, "What is gangrene?" He replied, "A disease that consumes the limb it settles in."
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"Then it spreads to what is above it until it consumes the entire body." He then asked his permission to proceed with amputating his leg, and he permitted him, though reluctantly.
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The physician brought his scalpels to cut the flesh and his saws to cut the bone, then said to him, "Do you want us to give you a dose of anesthetic so you do not feel the pain of the cutting and amputation?"
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He replied, "No, there is something better than that." The physician asked, "What is it?" He said, "Bring me a reciter who masters the Book of Allah and have him recite to me what is easy for him of its clear verses."
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"When you see my face redden, my pupils dilate, and my gaze fixed upon the sky, then do with me what you will." They carried out his command and amputated his bone.
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When he regained consciousness, the physician said to him, "It is as if you did not feel the pain of the cutting and amputation." He replied, "The coolness of the love of Allah and the sweetness of what I heard from the Book of Allah distracted me from the heat of the saws."
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Then he took his leg in his hand, looked at it, and said, "If I meet my Lord on the Day of Resurrection and He asks me, 'Have you walked with this for forty years to a forbidden place, or touched with it anything unlawful?' I will say 'No,' and I will be truthful in what I say, if Allah wills."
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Furthermore, the piety of Abu al-'Aliyah, his longing for the Hereafter, and his preparation to meet his Lord reached such a point that he prepared a shroud for himself, and he would wear his shroud once every month before returning it to its place.
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He wrote his will seventeen times while he was healthy and sound, and he would set a deadline for each will; when the time came, he would review it, either amending it, replacing it, or executing it.
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In the month of Shawwal in the year 93 AH, Abu al-'Aliyah passed on to meet his Lord, pure of character, clean of soul, confident in the mercy of his Lord, and longing to meet his Prophet.
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There was no one more knowledgeable of the Qur'an after the Companions than Abu al-'Aliyah, followed by Sa'id Ibn Jubayr and Abu Bakr Ibn Dawud.
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Their mention is exalted.
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They departed and left behind a question in the conscience:
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Is there any star like them that has risen and shone?
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They filled life with pride through their deeds, and the world of the living flourished because of them.