Part of Lives of the Salaf — the Pious Predecessors (series completed)
· Lesson 64 of 72
A summary of the life of the Salaf between words and deeds | Episode (64) | The benefits of obedience and the harms of sin
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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The lives of the salaf (early generations) between word and deed:
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The benefits of obedience and righteous deeds,
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and the guidance of the salaf regarding that.
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Allah's love for the obedient servant,
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making people love him,
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and easing his affairs.
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Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
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"When a servant acts in obedience to Allah,
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Allah loves him,
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and endears him to His creation;
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but when he acts in disobedience to Allah,
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Allah hates him,
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and makes His creation hate him."
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Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said regarding the words of Allah Almighty:
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"And their father had been righteous,"
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"They were preserved on account of their father's righteousness,
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though no righteousness of their own was mentioned."
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A man said to al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, "Advise me."
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He said, "Exalt the command of Allah,
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and Allah will exalt you."
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Yahya ibn Mu'adh, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"In proportion to your fear of Allah,
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the creation will hold you in awe;
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in proportion to your love for Allah,
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the creation will love you;
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and in proportion to your preoccupation with Allah,
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the creation will be occupied with your needs."
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Haram ibn Hayyan and Muhammad ibn Wasi', may Allah have mercy on them, said:
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"No servant turns with his heart towards Allah,
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except that Allah turns the hearts of the believers towards him,
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until He grants him their affection."
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On the authority of Ka'b al-Ahbar, may Allah have mercy on him, who said:
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"Praise is never firmly established for a servant on earth,
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until it has been established in heaven."
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And he, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"If you wish to know a servant's standing with his Lord,
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look at the good praise that follows him."
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Bishr ibn al-Harith, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked:
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"How did your affair begin?"
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He said:
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"I was an unscrupulous rogue—
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that is, a clever thief skilled in robbery.
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One day, I was walking along,
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when I came across a piece of parchment in the road.
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I picked it up, and upon it was written:
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'In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.'
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So I wiped it clean and put it in my pocket.
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I had only two dirhams, possessing nothing else.
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I went to the perfumers
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and bought with them some *ghaliyah*—
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which is a type of perfume
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composed of musk, ambergris,
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oud, and aromatic oils—
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and I scented the parchment with it.
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That night, I went to sleep,
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and in a dream, I saw someone saying to me:
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'O Bishr ibn al-Harith!
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You lifted Our Name from the road and perfumed it;
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I shall surely make your name fragrant in this world and the Hereafter.'
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And after that, what happened happened."
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Ibrahim al-Khawwas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"In proportion to how much a believer exalts the command of Allah,
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Allah clothes him in His honor
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and establishes honor for him in the hearts of the believers."
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That is the meaning of the words of the Exalted:
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“They say: Surely, if we return to Al-Madinah the mightier will soon drive out the weaker; when might belongeth to Allah and to His messenger and to the believers; but the hypocrites know not.” (63:8)
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Delight, spiritual intimacy, and expansion of the breast.
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Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"The people of this world have departed from it
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without tasting the finest thing in it."
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They asked, "And what is that?"
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He said:
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"Knowing Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
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On the authority of al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, who said:
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"Seek sweetness in prayer, in the Qur'an, and in remembrance.
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If you find it, then proceed and rejoice;
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but if you do not find it,
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then know that the door is shut."
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One of the salaf, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Allah grants the servant the sweetness of remembering Him;
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so if he rejoices in it and shows gratitude,
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He comforts him with His closeness;
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but if he falls short in gratitude,
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He allows the remembrance to run upon his tongue
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while stripping him of its sweetness."
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Ibrahim ibn Ad-ham, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"If the kings and the sons of kings knew
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the bliss and joy we experience,
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they would surely fight us for it with swords
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all the days of our lives, over that which we possess
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of delightful living and little toil."
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Muslim ibn Yasar, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Those who experience delight have never relished anything
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like seclusion in intimate converse with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
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One of the salaf, may Allah have mercy on him, said regarding the words of Allah Almighty:
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"We will surely cause him to live a good life,"
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He said:
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"We will grant him obedience whose delight he experiences in his heart."
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When Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, arrived
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at the gate of the prison,
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a man said to him,
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"O my master, this is the station of patience."
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He replied:
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"Rather, this is the station of praise and gratitude!
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By Allah, there has descended upon my heart
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such joy and happiness
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that if it were distributed among the people of the Levant and Egypt,
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it would exceed their capacity.
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And if I had gold in this place
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and spent it all,
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I would not have fulfilled even a tenth of this blessing in which I find myself."
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Humility during obedience,
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and false pride during sins.
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'Awn ibn 'Abdullah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"They used to say:
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'Humble yourselves when in obedience,
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and avoid pride when in disobedience.'"
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The harmful effects of disobedience:
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the sinister consequence of sin and its aftermath.
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Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
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"Indeed, I consider that a person forgets knowledge he once acquired
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because of a sin he committed."
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And he (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
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"Whenever fornication and usury become prevalent in a town,
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its destruction has been decreed."
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On the authority of Jubayr ibn Nufayr, who said:
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"When Cyprus was conquered,
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its people were separated from one another,
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and they began weeping to one another.
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Then I saw Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him)
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sitting alone, weeping.
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So I said:
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'O Abu al-Darda',
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what makes you weep on a day wherein Allah has granted honor to Islam and its people?'
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He said:
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'Woe to you, O Jubayr!
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How insignificant creatures become to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
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when they abandon His command!
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While they were once a dominant, triumphant nation possessing sovereignty,
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they abandoned the command of Allah,
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and so you see them as you see them now.'"
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On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
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"Whoever incurs the wrath of people for the pleasure of Allah,
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Allah will suffice him against the people;
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and whoever seeks the pleasure of people through the wrath of Allah,
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Allah will leave him in the hands of the people."
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On the authority of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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"No people belittle the right of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
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except that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, sends against them
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those who will belittle their rights."
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On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
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"O committer of sin,
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do not feel secure from its evil outcome!
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For what accompanies the sin is greater than the sin itself when you commit it:
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your lack of shame before the angels on your right and left while committing the sin
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is greater than the sin you committed;
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your laughing while not knowing what Allah will do with you
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is greater than the sin;
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your joy over the sin when you accomplish it is greater than the sin;
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your grief over the sin when it eludes you
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is greater than the sin when you attain it;
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and your fear of the wind when it moves your door's curtain while you are sinning,
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while your heart is not shaken by Allah's gaze upon you,
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is greater than the sin when you commit it."
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'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"When you see a person do a good deed, know that it has sisters with him;
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and when you see him do an evil deed, know that it has sisters with him.
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For indeed, a good deed indicates its sister,
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and an evil deed indicates its sister."
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Abu Hazim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"No servant improves what is between himself and Allah,
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except that Allah improves what is between him and the servants;
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and no one corrupts what is between himself and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
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except that his relations with the servants are corrupted.
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Courting the favor of One Face is far easier than courting all faces:
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for if you please this Single Face, all faces will incline toward you;
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but if you corrupt what is between you and Him, all faces will detest you."
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He, may Allah have mercy on him, also said:
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"If you see Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, continuously bestowing His blessings upon you while you are disobeying Him, beware!"
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Wuhayb ibn al-Ward, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked:
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"Does one who disobeys Allah taste the sweetness of worship?"
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He said, "No, nor even the one who intends to disobey."
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A young man said to al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"The night prayer has exhausted me, and I am unable to stand."
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He replied, "Your sins have shackled you."
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Sulayman al-Taymi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"A good deed is light in the heart and strength in action,
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while an evil deed is darkness in the heart and weakness in action."
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Abu Sulayman al-Darani, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Those who disobeyed Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, only did so because of their insignificance to Him;
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for had they been noble in His sight, He would have protected them from disobeying Him."
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'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Do not be deceived by Allah Almighty delaying His punishment from you;
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for only he who fears missing his chance acts in haste."
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Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"By Allah, trial and tribulation is nothing but a punishment from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, befalling the people."
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On the authority of Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, who said:
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"No servant has been struck with a punishment greater than hardness of the heart."
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He also said, may Allah have mercy on him:
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"Indeed, Allah Almighty has punishments,
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so look for them within yourselves, in your hearts and your bodies,
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such as hardship in livelihood, weakness in worship,
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and discontentment with one's provision."
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What has been said regarding sins and warning against them,
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and the virtue of those who avoid them.
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Salman al-Farsi, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
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"If you commit a sin in secret,
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perform a good deed in secret;
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and if you commit a sin in public,
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perform a good deed in public,
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so that this may counterbalance that."
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And it is narrated that 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
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"Whoever wishes to outstrip the diligent, hardworking worshipper,
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let him restrain himself from sins,
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for you will never meet Allah with anything better for you than having few sins."
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Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked
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about a man who strives hard in good deeds
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but commits sins,
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versus a man who does not strive as hard but does not commit sins;
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he replied: "Safety is dearer to me."
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Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated:
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"I passed by a ruin with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both,
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and he said: 'O Mujahid,
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call out to it: 'O ruin!
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Where are your dwellers?'"
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He said: "So I called out,
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and Ibn 'Umar said:
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'They have departed, and only their deeds remain.'"
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Whenever Abu Muslim al-Khawlani, may Allah have mercy on him, came upon a ruin,
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he would stand before it and say:
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"O ruin, where are your dwellers?
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They have departed, and only their deeds remain.
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The desire has ended, yet the sin remains.
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O son of Adam,
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refraining from sin is far easier than seeking repentance."
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One of the salaf (early generations) said:
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"To forgo a tiny fraction of a dirham from what Allah dislikes
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is dearer to me than performing five hundred pilgrimages."
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Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Worshippers have never worshipped Allah with anything greater than abstaining from what He forbade them."
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Sahl ibn 'Abdullah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"A person does not become the beloved of Allah merely by performing acts of obedience;
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rather, he becomes the beloved of Allah by abstaining from what Allah has forbidden.
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None strictly avoids sins except a truthful, close friend of Allah (siddiq),
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whereas righteous deeds
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are performed by both the righteous and the wicked."
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'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Indeed, Allah does not punish the general public for the sin of the few;
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but when evil is committed openly,
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they all become deserving of punishment."
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Bilal ibn Sa'd, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Do not look at the smallness of the sin,
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but look at the greatness of the One whom you have disobeyed."
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'Ali ibn Khashram said:
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"I never saw a book in the hands of Waki' ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah have mercy on him;
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it was entirely from his memory.
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So I asked him about remedies for strengthening memory,
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and he said: 'If I teach you the remedy, will you apply it?'
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I replied: 'Yes, by Allah!'
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He said: 'Abandoning sins;
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I have never tested anything like it for improving memory.'"
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Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"I complained to Waki' about the weakness of my memory,
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so he guided me to abandon sins,
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and he informed me that knowledge is a light,
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and the light of Allah is not bestowed upon a sinner."
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The attitude of the salaf (early generations) toward sin and the sinner:
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There was a man of good standing
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who committed a sin,
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so his companions shunned him and cast him out.
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When news of this reached Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, may Allah have mercy on him,
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he said: "Go after him, admonish him,
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and do not abandon him."
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One of the salaf (early generations), may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Whoever looks at the creation through his own ego
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will have prolonged disputes with them,
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but whoever looks at them through the decree of Allah
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will find excuses for their state
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and will cease to preoccupy himself with them."
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The vizier Ibn Hubayrah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"Were it not for tyrannical injustice,
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the martyr would not have attained martyrdom;
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and were it not for the sinners,
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the steadfastness of the one commanding good would not become manifest.
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And had the criminals been weak, they would have been easily subdued,
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and that profound purpose would not have been achieved."
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Concealing the faults of the sinner and not publicizing his sin:
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Shurahbil ibn al-Simt was in command of an army,
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and he said:
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"You have entered a land with women and wine,
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so whoever among you has committed an offence requiring a prescribed legal penalty (hadd),
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let him come to us so that we may purify him."
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When that reached 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him,
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he wrote to him: "Woe to you!
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Do you command a people whose sins Allah has concealed
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to tear away the veil of Allah that was over them?"
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And it is narrated from Tariq ibn Shihab, may Allah have mercy on him,
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that a man asked to marry a daughter of a person,
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and she had previously committed a transgression;
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so the father came to 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
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and mentioned that to him.
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'Umar asked:
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"What have you seen from her?"
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He said:
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"I have seen nothing from her but good."
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He said:
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"Then marry her off and do not disclose her past."
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One of the salaf (early generations), may Allah have mercy on him, said:
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"It used to be said:
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'Whoever hears of an immoral act and spreads it
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is just like the one who initiated it.'"
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The lives of the salaf (early generations):
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between words and deeds.