Part of Riyad as-Salihin — Gardens of the Righteous (series completed)
· Lesson 57 of 190
Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (67) | Chapter on the virtue of asceticism in this world (1)
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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Riyad al-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)
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From the Words of the Master of the Messengers,
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Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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Chapter: The Virtue of Renunciation of the World (Zuhd),
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The Encouragement to Make Do with Little of It,
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And the Virtue of Poverty.
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Allah Almighty said:
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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"...which We send down from the sky,
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and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it..."
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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"...and is adorned..."
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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"...We make it a reaped harvest,
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as if it had not flourished yesterday."
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“The similitude of the life of the world is only as water which We send down from the sky, then the earth's growth of that which men and cattle eat mingleth with it till, when the earth hath taken on her ornaments and is embellished, and her people deem that they are masters of her, Our commandment cometh by night or by day and We make it as reaped corn as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do we expound the revelations for people who reflect.” (10:24)
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And Allah Almighty said:
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“And coin for them the similitude of the life of the world as water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingleth with it and then becometh dry twigs that the winds scatter. Allah is able to do all things.” (18:45)
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"...like water which We send down from the sky,
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and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it..."
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“And coin for them the similitude of the life of the world as water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingleth with it and then becometh dry twigs that the winds scatter. Allah is able to do all things.” (18:45)
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“And coin for them the similitude of the life of the world as water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingleth with it and then becometh dry twigs that the winds scatter. Allah is able to do all things.” (18:45)
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“Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of the world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord's sight for reward, and better in respect of hope.” (18:46)
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"And the enduring good deeds
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are better with your Lord for reward
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and better for hope."
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And Allah Almighty said:
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And Allah Almighty said:
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“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)
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“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)
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“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)
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"...then it withers, and you see it turned yellow;
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then it becomes debris..."
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“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)
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“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)
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"...and the worldly life is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion."
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And Allah Almighty said:
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“Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.” (3:14)
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“Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.” (3:14)
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“Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.” (3:14)
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“Beautified for mankind is love of the joys (that come) from women and offspring; and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and horses branded (with their mark), and cattle and land. That is comfort of the life of the world. Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode.” (3:14)
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And Allah Almighty said:
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“O mankind! Lo! the promise of Allah is true. So let not the life of the world beguile you, and let not the (avowed) beguiler beguile you with regard to Allah.” (35:5)
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"So let not worldly life delude you,
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and let not the Deceiver deceive you concerning Allah."
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And Allah Almighty said:
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"Competition in worldly increase diverts you, until you visit the graveyards.
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No! You are going to know.
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“Nay, but ye will come to know!” (102:4)
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No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty."
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And Allah Almighty said:
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“This life of the world is but a pastime and a game. Lo! the home of the Hereafter - that is Life, if they but knew.” (29:64)
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“This life of the world is but a pastime and a game. Lo! the home of the Hereafter - that is Life, if they but knew.” (29:64)
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"...if they only knew."
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The Qur'anic verses in this chapter are numerous and well known,
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and as for the hadiths, they are too many to be fully enumerated;
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we shall therefore point to a selection of them to indicate the rest.
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On the authority of 'Amr ibn 'Awf al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him):
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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dispatched Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him) to Bahrain
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to collect its jizyah.
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He returned with wealth from Bahrain,
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and the Ansar heard of the arrival of Abu 'Ubaydah.
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So they gathered for the dawn prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
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When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished praying,
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he turned to leave,
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and they presented themselves before him.
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The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) smiled when he saw them,
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and then said:
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"I suppose you have heard that Abu 'Ubaydah has arrived with something from Bahrain?"
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They replied, "Yes, indeed, O Messenger of Allah."
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He said:
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"Rejoice, and hope for what will bring you joy!
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For by Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you,
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but rather I fear that the world will be spread out before you in abundance,
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just as it was spread out before those who came before you,
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and that you will compete for it just as they competed for it,
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and that it will ruin you just as it ruined them."
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Agreed upon [by al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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"Dispatched" (ba'atha) means: sent.
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"Its jizyah" (bi-jizyatiha)
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refers to the jizyah of its inhabitants,
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most of whom were Zoroastrians.
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"They gathered" (wāfaw)
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means they assembled and attended the dawn prayer in the Prophet's Mosque.
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"They presented themselves before him" (fa-ta'arradū lahu)
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means they deliberately placed themselves in his view to subtly signal their need.
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"Hope" (ammilū)
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is an encouragement giving them glad tidings that their needs would be met.
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"Spread out" (tubsat)
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means: expanded in abundance.
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"You will compete for it" (fa-tanāfasūhā)
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is derived from competition (munāfasah),
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which is the intense desire for a thing, the wish to possess it exclusively,
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and rivalry to outdo others in acquiring it.
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"And it will ruin you" (fa-tuhlikakum)
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means: it will cause you to lose your religion.
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Lessons drawn from the hadith:
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Warning those who are granted the splendor of worldly life against its evil end and destructive trial,
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so that one does not become complacent with its outward allure.
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Competing for worldly gain drags a person into the corruption of both their worldly life and their religion.
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This is because wealth is instinctively desirable,
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so the soul finds pleasure in pursuing it,
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takes delight in enjoying it,
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and this in turn breeds mutual enmity that prompts fighting,
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which ultimately leads to ruin.
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The permissibility of concluding a peace treaty with the People of the Book upon payment of jizyah.
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Zoroastrians are treated in accordance with the Sunnah applied to the People of the Book.
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The tax collector must bring all the collected wealth in full to the leader of the Muslims,
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so that he may disburse it as Allah has commanded.
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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat upon the pulpit,
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and we sat around him.
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He said:
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"Among the things I fear most for you after I am gone
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is that which will be opened for you of the splendor and adornment of this world."
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Agreed upon.
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Lessons drawn from the hadith:
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Attachment to worldly life corrupts one's religion and distracts from the Hereafter.
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The compassion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) for his Ummah,
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his keen concern for their salvation, and his deep mercy toward them.
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A forewarning from the Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning the future condition of his Ummah,
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and the worldly adornments and trials that would be opened up to them.
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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him),
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that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"Verily, this world is sweet and green,
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and Allah Almighty has placed you as successive generations in it,
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to observe how you will act.
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So beware of the world, and beware of women."
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Narrated by Muslim.
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On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
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that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"O Allah, there is no true life except the life of the Hereafter."
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Agreed upon.
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Lessons drawn from the hadith:
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The wise person does not overly rejoice at what pleases him in this world,
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because of its fleeting nature.
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The believer's primary concern is what lies with Allah,
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for that is the enduring realm whose bliss never diminishes,
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and whose inhabitants never die.
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Worldly life is merely a realm of transit to the Hereafter.
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On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
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that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"Three things follow the deceased:
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his family, his wealth, and his deeds.
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Two of them return, and one remains:
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his family and wealth return,
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and his deeds remain."
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Agreed upon.
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On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"The most pampered of the people of the world from among the inhabitants of the Fire will be brought on the Day of Resurrection,
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and he will be dipped a single dip into the Fire.
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Then it will be said:
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'O son of Adam,
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have you ever seen any good?
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Has any bliss ever passed by you?'
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He will reply:
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'No, by Allah, my Lord.'
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And the most miserable of people in the world from among the inhabitants of Paradise will be brought,
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and he will be dipped a single dip into Paradise.
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Then it will be said to him:
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'O son of Adam,
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have you ever seen any misery?
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Has any hardship ever passed by you?'
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He will reply:
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'No, by Allah,
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no misery has ever passed by me,
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nor have I ever seen any hardship.'"
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Narrated by Muslim.
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"The most pampered of the people of the world" (an'am ahl al-dunya)
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means: the one who enjoyed the greatest luxury and ease.
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"Dipped" (yusbagh) means: submerged.
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"Misery" (bu's)
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denotes extreme poverty and hardship.
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Lessons drawn from the hadith:
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The world, with both its bliss and its misery,
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is ephemeral and perishing.
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The people of worldly luxury from among the disbelievers
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are the wretched in the Hereafter.
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Allah Almighty's granting of worldly favors to the corrupt
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is not a sign of His love;
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rather, it is a gradual luring and an early exhaustion of their pleasures,
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so that when they meet Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
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they will have no share in the Hereafter except torment.
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The bliss of Paradise
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makes the people of faith, patience, and certainty forget
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all the hardship and misery of the worldly life.
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On the authority of al-Mustawrid ibn Shaddad (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
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"The worldly life compared to the Hereafter
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is nothing but as when one of you dips his finger into the ocean;
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let him see what it brings back."
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Narrated by Muslim.
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"The ocean" (al-yamm)
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means: the sea.
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"What it brings back" (bima yarji')
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means: with what moisture or drop does it return.
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Lessons drawn from the hadith:
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The worldly life does not deceive a person of intellect;
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it only deludes those who are ignorant,
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for its enjoyment in comparison to the Hereafter is negligible.
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The permissibility of striking tangible parables
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to help grasp abstract meanings.
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On the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
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The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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was passing through the marketplace with people on both sides of him,
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when he walked past a dead, small-eared kid goat.
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He took hold of it by its ear and then said:
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"Which of you would like to have this for a dirham?"
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They said:
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"We would not like to have it for anything;
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what would we do with it?"
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He then said:
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"Would you like it if it were yours for free?"
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They said:
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"By Allah, even if it were alive,
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it would be defective because of its deformed small ears,
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so how much more so when it is dead?"
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He said:
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"By Allah, this worldly life is more insignificant to Allah than this [dead kid] is to you."
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Narrated by Muslim.
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His saying, "both its sides" (kanafatayhi),
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means on either side of it.
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And al-asakk
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means small-eared.
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Al-jady
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is a male young goat,
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while the female is called 'anaq.
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"It was defective"
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means it had a physical blemish.
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"More insignificant to Allah"
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means viler and more contemptible.
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Among the lessons of the hadith:
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The scholars and preachers ought
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to remind people of the worthlessness of the worldly life,
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urge them to be ascetic regarding it,
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and warn them against relying upon it.
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Touching an impure substance without moisture on either side
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does not transmit impurity.
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The proof is his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
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"When the hide is tanned, it is purified."
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The world and everything in it is viler and more contemptible to Allah than this dead kid is to people.
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Striking parables for people using things they comprehend brings the intended meaning closer,
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clarifies the purpose,
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reinforces understanding,
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and makes them realize the true reality of things.