Originally published in December 2010

There are big-name companions of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) like Salmān al-Fārisi, Bilāl, Abu Bakr and `Umar radi allahu `anhum (may Allah be pleased with them) whom we’ve heard so much about. Their journeys to Islam, and how they sacrificed for the sake of the truth brings smiles to our faces, or sometimes brings us to tears – and always make us feel connected to our Islamic heritage. There are other companions whom we don’t hear about as often, but their lives are also filled with struggles and exemplary behavior that deserves our attention.

One of these lesser-known companions is Sa`īd ibn `Amir al-Jumahy. His story is translated below, with some modification, from the book Suwar Min Hayāt Al-Sahābah (Glimpses from the Lives of the Companions) by Dr. `Abd al-Rahmān Ra’fat Al-Bāsha. I hope you find his story as moving and inspiring as I have, and may it resonate deeply in your heart, mind and soul.

Sa`īd’s story begins when he was a young boy living in Makkah. It was his fate to witness something that would haunt him forever, yet transform his life completely.

He was among thousands of people invited to watch the killing of Khubayb ibn `Adiy, a companion of the Prophet ﷺ, whom the Quraysh had captured. Sa`īd had a tall stature and strong build, so he managed to push through to the frontlines and get a close-up view of the Quraysh’s captive. He saw Khubayb weighed down in chains as women and children pushed him into the arena of death. They all wanted to avenge Muhammad ﷺ through killing Khubayb, and also get revenge for their dead in the Battle of Badr.

Sa`īd watched as they brought Khubayb up to the cross to be crucified. He heard his calm, firm voice, amidst the screaming women and children, make the request: “If you could let me pray two rak`as (units of prayer) before my death, please do so.” He saw him face the qiblah (direction of prayer), and pray with complete composure and contentment. After his prayer, Khubayb turned to the leaders of Quraysh and said fearlessly: “By Allah, if you hadn’t assumed that I’m elongating my prayer out of fear of death, I would have lengthened my prayer.”

Then, with his own two eyes, Sa`īd saw his people mutilate Khubayb alive. They cut up his body, piece by piece, while having the nerve to challenge Khubayb: “Would you like Muhammad to be in your place and you be saved?” He responded without hesitation: “By Allah, I wouldn’t like that I be secure with my family and children while Muhammad is even pricked with one thorn…”

The spectators were infuriated. They threw their hands up in the air and yelled even louder than before: “Kill him! Kill him!” Sa`īd could see Khubayb looking towards the sky from atop the cross, saying: “Allāhumma-ahsihim `adadā, waqtulhum badadā, wa lā tughādir minhum ahadā (O Allah, count them all, wipe them out, and don’t leave any of them out).” Then he breathed his final breaths, being left with countless cuts and gashes from all the swords and spears that struck him.

Soon afterward, everyone dispersed. The people of Quraysh got caught up in other events and forgot about Khubayb and his death. But this young boy, Sai`d ibn `Amir, never forgot Khubayb for a moment. He would see him in his dreams when he slept, and he would see his image while awake – being mutilated in front of him, and praying those two calm rak`as before he was crucified. He would hear the echo of Khubayb’s voice as he supplicated against the Quraysh, fearing that he would be counted in the supplication and be struck with a thunderbolt, or that a boulder would fall on him from the sky.

Sa`īd learned from Khubayb what he didn’t know before. He learned that the true life is a life of belief and conviction in God, and struggling for the sake of this belief until death. He also learned that deep-rooted imān (faith in God) can give you unimaginable strength. And there’s one more thing he learned: that a man whose companions loved him that much, must be a Messenger receiving Divine help from the heavens.

It was through these realizations that Allah guided Sa`īd to Islam. He wasted no time and stood up in front of a group of people and announced his Islam, and his disassociation from the sins and evil acts of Quraysh, and from their idols and false gods.

Sa`īd migrated to Madinah and accompanied the Prophet ﷺ; he witnessed the Battle of Khaybar with him and other battles after that. When the beloved Messenger ﷺ passed away, Sa`īd was at the disposal of Abu Bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) during their caliphates, and he lived a life that was uniquely exemplary to the believers. Both successors of the Prophet ﷺ knew of Sa`īd’s honesty and God-consciousness, and they would take his advice, and listen intently to his words. On one occasion, during the beginning of `Umar’s caliphate, Sa`īd came to `Umar and said,

“O `Umar, I advise you to fear Allah in dealing with people, and not to fear the people over Allah. Don’t let your words contradict your actions, for the best of speech is that which the actions attest to…

O `Umar, never lose sight of those whom Allah has given you responsibility over, from the Muslims near and far. Love for them what you love for yourself and your family, and hate for them what you would hate for yourself and your family. Tread through the challenges to reach the truth, and by Allah, don’t fear the blame of the blamers.”

“Who can handle all this Sa`īd?!” `Umar asked passionately.

“Someone like you whom Allah has given leadership over the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ, and whom no one stands between him and Allah.”

At that point, `Umar sought Sa`īd’s assistance. He said, “Sa`īd, I am making you a governor of Hims ((Hims is a city in present-day Syria)) .” Sa`īd replied, “O `Umar, I beg you by Allah, don’t put me through this trial.”

`Umar got angry and said, “Woe to you… you put this matter (i.e. the caliphate) around my neck and then you abandon me! By Allah, I won’t let you go.” So `Umar appointed Sa`īd as the governor of Hims, and asked, “Shall we pay you?” Sa`īd quickly refused: “And what would I do with it, O Amir al-Mu’minīn?! ((Leader of the Believers))  My right from the Treasury already surpasses my needs.” Then `Umar left Sa`īd to govern Hims.

After a short time, a group of people from Hims, whom `Umar trusted, passed through town. He asked them to write down the names of their poor people so he can get their needs met. They gave him a list, and lo and behold, one of the names was Sa`īd ibn `Amir.

Shocked, `Umar said: “Who is Sa`īd ibn `Amir?!”

They said, “He is our Amir.” ((Leader))

“Your Amir is poor?!” `Umar asked with astonishment.

They affirmed, “Yes, and by Allah, days would pass by and no light (i.e. fire for cooking) would be lit in his home.”

On hearing this, `Umar wept until his beard became wet with tears. He took 1,000 dinars and put them in a sack, instructing the people of Hims: “Send him my salaam and tell him that Amir al-Mu’minīn sent you this money to assist you in fulfilling your needs.”

The delegation brought the money to Sa`īd. He opened the sack and found money in it, but immediately pushed it away, saying, “Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi raji`ūn (to Allah we belong and to Him is our return)” as if a catastrophe had befallen him.

Startled, his wife asked: “What is wrong Sa`īd…? Did Amir al-Mu’minīn pass away?!”

“No, worse than that,” said Sa`īd.

“Have the Muslims been struck by a calamity?!”

“No, worse than that.”

“And what can be worse than that?!”

“The dunya (material world) has come to destroy my (outcome for the) hereafter, and the fitnah (trial) has entered my home.”

Not knowing anything about the money, she said easily: “Get rid of it.”

“Will you help me in doing so?”

“Yes,” she replied.

So they both rationed the dinars into sacks, and distributed them to the poor Muslims in Hims.

It wasn’t long before `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to al-Shām to check up on its affairs. Hims at the time was known as Al-Kuwayfa (the smaller Kūfa) because it was similar to Kūfa in that its people used to complain from their leaders like the people of Kūfa. When `Umar went to Hims, the people greeted him, and he asked them, “How do you find your Amir?”

They immediately complained about him and brought up four issues – each one being worse than the previous one. `Umar said: “I brought them together (Sa`īd and his people), and prayed to Allah that He doesn’t disappoint me in (Sa`īd) because I had a great deal of trust in him.”

When they were all before him, he asked again, “What are your complaints about your Amir?”

They replied, “He doesn’t come out to us until late morning.”

“What do you have to say about this Sa`īd?” `Umar asked.

He remained quiet for a bit, then said: “By Allah, I would hate to say this, but now I have to; my family has no servant, so I wake up every morning and knead the dough for them. Then I rest a little until it rises. Then, I bake it for them. Then I make ablution, and go out to meet the people.

“And what other complaint do you have about him?” `Umar asked.

“He doesn’t respond to anyone who calls for him at night,” they said.

“What do you have to say about this Sa`īd?” `Umar asked again.

He replied, “By Allah, I would hate to mention this too… I have devoted the day to (serving) them and the night to (worshipping) Allah, the Glorious and Almighty.”

“And what other complaint do you have about him?” `Umar said.

They said, “There is one day out of every month where he doesn’t come out at all.”

“And what is this Sa`īd?” `Umar asked.

Sa`īd said, “I don’t have a servant, O Amir al-Mu’minīn, and I don’t have any clothing except what’s on me now. So, I wash it once a month and wait (at home) for it to dry, and then I go out to the people at the end of the day.”

“And what is your last complaint about him?” `Umar asked.

They said, “From time to time he loses consciousness, and becomes unaware of those he is sitting with.”

“And what is this Sa`īd?!” `Umar exclaimed.

Sa`īd said, “I witnessed the killing of Khubayb ibn `Adiy while I was a mushrik. And I saw the Quraysh mutilate and cut up his body while asking him: ‘Would you like Muhammad to be in your place and you to be saved?’ But, Khubayb responded: ‘By Allah, I would not like that I be secure with my family and children while Muhammad ﷺ is even pricked with one thorn…’

And by Allah, there is not one day that I remember this and how I didn’t help him except that I think Allah will not forgive me for it; and that is when I lose consciousness.”

At this point, `Umar exclaimed, “Praise be to Allah Who did not disappoint me in him!”

Then he sent Sa`īd another 1,000 dinars to help him with his needs. When Sa`īd’s wife saw the money, she said,

“Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) that we no longer have to depend on your service. Go buy us food, and bring us a servant.”

Sa`īd told her, “Are you interested in something better?”

“What would that be?” she asked.

“We give it to the One who sent it to us, while we are in great need of it.”

“And how is that?”

“We loan it to Allah as a goodly loan.” (Qur’an, 64:17)

“Yes,” she agreed, “and may you be rewarded good (for this),” she said.

Sa`īd didn’t get up from his place until he took all 1,000 dinars and divided them up in sacks again. He told someone from his family, “Take them to the widow of this person, and to all these orphans, and to the needy of that family, and to the poor of such and such families.”

This was the simple, humble, devout life of Sa`īd ibn `Amir, who always preferred others over himself, even though he was in desperate privation.

May Allah be pleased with Sa`īd, and Khubayb, and all the companions. And may He purify our hearts, and grant us the strength and courage to follow in the footsteps of the righteous.

But Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Kahf (Chapter of the Cave):

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ

“Say ‘I am only a man like you, to whom it has been revealed that your god is one God,’” (18:110).

The Prophet ﷺ was not an angel, nor a demigod, nor a jinn. He was a human being, a son of Adam `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him)—granted the best of the children of Adam (as), but still human. This means that aside from the miracles facilitated to him by Allah (swt), and the revelations he received through God’s angel Jibreel (as), what he did and the way he behaved and lived his life were something a human can do. It was not supernatural!

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al Anbiya’ (Chapter of the Prophets):

قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَلَائِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلَكًا رَسُولًا

“Say ‘If there were upon the earth angels walking securely, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel [as a] messenger.’” (Qur’an 17:95)

If Allah (swt) had sent an angel for us to follow, how could we do so? Instead, all the prophets and messengers of Allah (swt) are humans, but humans who truly lived, practiced and breathed the message of Allah (swt). `A’isha radi Allahu `anhaa (may God be pleased with her) said of the Prophet ﷺ: “His manners were the Qur’an.” If we want to understand our religion, we must understand the way the Prophet ﷺ lived his life and understand why we should emulate him and practice his sunnah (tradition).

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Ahzab (Chapter of the Combined Forces):

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (Qur’an 33:21)

We need to get to know the Prophet’s ﷺ personality better by reading his seerah (biography) and by studying his sunnah, and then by putting into practice all of his good qualities.

It is no secret that Islam is being attacked. Whether from within, by people who commit atrocities in the name of Islam such as ISIS and Al-Qa’idah, or from outside by the rising tide of Islamophobia and the subtle, and not-so-subtle, attacks on and mockery of Islam and Muslims. Our religion has been hijacked by a statistically insignificant minority who share nothing with the teachings of our faith other than a name. Their evil actions give reason and excuse for people of ill intent to try to smear this beautiful religion, using the actions of this minority as an excuse to attack Muslims and create a tremendous fitnah (trial) for us all. It is shaking the weak-hearted to the core and confusing those of us who, all of a sudden, find ourselves in the midst of a very disorienting storm.

Is this something new, or has it happened before? Let us take a quick look back at a couple of major events in our Prophet’s ﷺ life.

In the tenth year of prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ went to Al-Tayef, which is about 60 miles from Mecca. He travelled by foot, both ways, and in his company was his servant Zayd Bin Harithah (ra). Every time they stopped by a village or town, he would invite its people to Islam and none would answer his invitation. When he arrived at Al-Tayef he sought out three brothers who were prominent figures of the tribe of Thaqeef. He sat with them and invited them to Allah (swt) and to aid Islam. One of the brothers said to him, “I will rip the cloth off the Ka’abah if God sent you,” while the other said, “Did God not find anyone better than you?” and the third said, “By God I will never speak to you, for if you are a prophet then you are dangerous to engage in conversation and if you are lying then I should not be speaking to someone like you.” So the Prophet ﷺ left them and said, “Then please do not tell others about me.” (The Sealed Nectar, p148)

The Prophet ﷺ stayed with the people of Al-Tayef for ten days and he did not leave any of their honorable or respected figures without speaking to them about Islam. They all told him to leave their land and kicked him out. They also egged the lowly ones from among them, and their slaves, to yell and curse at the Prophet ﷺ and Zayd (ra) as they were leaving. People gathered and formed two lines and, along with cursing and yelling, threw pebbles and rocks at them until the heels of Prophet ﷺ bled. Zayd (ra) was trying to protect the Prophet ﷺ with his own body, was hit in the head, and bled. People continued to abuse them until three miles later, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companion got to a vineyard and they rested under the shade of its plants.

The Prophet ﷺ himself was humiliated, hurt and broken-hearted. What did he do?

Imam Bukhari reports that `A’isha (ra) asked the Prophet ﷺ if he had experienced a day that was harder on him than the day of the Battle of Uhud. The Prophet ﷺ replied that he had seen his fair share from her people, but the worst was when he went to Al-Tayef to invite its people to Islam. He said, “…then I left, saddened and downtrodden, until I realized that I had arrived at Qarn Al-Thaalib. While there, a cloud cast its shadow upon me. I looked up and the Angel Jibreel was on it, and he said, ‘God has heard what the people said to you and how they responded and He has sent the angel of the mountains with me to command him with whatever you may please.’ At that, moment the angel of the mountains called the Prophet and asked, ‘O Muhammad, you shall have whatever you please. If you so desire, I can close the two mountains on them.’ [The people of Al-Tayef lived between two mountains.] The Prophet replied, ‘But I wish that God would send from among them people who would worship Him alone and not associate any in worship with Him.’”

This is why Allah (swt) says about the Prophet ﷺ in Surat Al-Anbiya’:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (21:107)

He was the most merciful person. Allah (swt) called him “a mercy to the worlds”. He was merciful to his family, followers, friends, even enemies. He was merciful to young and old, to humans and to animals. Those who persecuted him in Makkah and killed his relatives and his followers, when they were defeated in battles and brought to him as captives, were forgiven by him. He asked them, “What do you think I am to do to you today?” and they replied, “Nothing but good, a generous brother the son of a generous brother.” He replied, “I shall say to you what Yusuf (as) said to his brothers: ‘No blame on you today.’”

He did not ever take revenge or retaliate. He was the most forgiving person. His concern was that the message of Allah (swt) made it through to hardened hearts. Yet we say, “He was a prophet akhi, how am I to compare myself to him?”

Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Baqarah (Chapter of the Cow):

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُمْ مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ ۖ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” (Qur’an 2:214)

We are living in difficult times and many questions surround us.

How do we counter sick-hearted people who want to turn our children into murderers under the false guise of Islam?

How do we answer Islamophobia?

How do we answer our children’s questions about a distorted image of Islam?

How do we uphold the Prophet’s ﷺ honor?

By learning and understanding the life he lived. The morals he exemplified. The actions he took. By building ourselves in the same methodical way he built his followers. You start with faith and solidify it in your heart. Then you apply the beauty of that faith to all of your actions.

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’” (Qur’an 3:31)

To follow him, we must understand him.

The time is now for us to focus on what is most important.

It is not the environment you live in. The Prophet ﷺ grew up in a time where people circumambulated the Ka`bah naked and worshipped idols.

It is not the lack of a full-time Islamic school that makes our children grow up detached from this religion.

It is not that we do not have an imam (religious leader). We have the example of a great imam, may Allah (swt) bless him and his family, but even though we have him, he is not going to raise our children for us.

The responsibility lies with us. We are the ones responsible for understanding our faith and raising our kids to be proud of, and to fully embrace and practice, their Muslim identity.

Allah (swt) says in Surat Muhammad:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

“So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allah knows of your movement and your resting place.” (Qur’an 47:19)

We are told to ‘know’ before we are told to ask for forgiveness. The most telling evidence that we must have knowledge first before we take action is that the first verse of the Qur’an to be revealed was:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

“Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” (Qur’an 96:1)

Reading is the key to knowledge. Islam started with knowledge and learning before action, and therefore it is incumbent upon each one of us to learn our deen (religion). Learn and know what is obligated upon you for the sake of Allah (swt), for your own sake, for your family’s sake, your neighbors, your community, your society and humanity as a whole.

Knowledge is a fardh (obligation) on every Muslim. This obligation is two kinds. One is what is known in Islam as fard kifayah, or an obligation that is fulfilled if a sufficient number of Muslims within a community perform it. For example, not every Muslim needs to be a scholar of Islam, or an expert in hadith (traditions of the Prophet ﷺ) or tafseer (exegesis of the Qur’an). It is an obligatory knowledge, but if a sufficient number of people possess it, then the sin of not performing the obligation is lifted from the rest of the Muslims. This is true for all kinds of knowledge, not only Islamic or religious knowledge. This means that not everyone needs to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer; rather, a sufficient number of people should have that knowledge, helping their societies become self-sufficient rather than needing to import expertise.

The second form of knowledge is that which is fard `ayn, or obligatory on each and every Muslim. Every Muslim must learn of their religion that which corrects, strengthens and improves their faith.

The best way to fight Islamophobia is to understand and practice our Islam: to engage people as a Muslim and to live our lives as Muslims. Therefore, wearing the hijab is fighting Islamophobia. Resisting lusts and temptations is fighting Islamophobia. Understanding Islam is fighting Islamophobia.

Originally published in December 2011.

The Day of `Āshūrā’ means different things to different Muslims. To some it is a day of fasting to commemorate a day when Moses and the Children of Israel were rescued. To some it is a woeful day of lament wherein al-Ḥusayn ibn `Alī, the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ (peace be upon him), laid down his life in defiance against tyranny. To many –arguably most– it is both.

Yet, scholars have often speculated what fast the Jews were observing on the 10th of Muḥarram circa 622CE as recorded in our Ḥadith literature. Was it Pesach (Passover), Yom Kippur, or perhaps a lesser fast like Asher b’Tevet?

It is narrated in Imām Bukhārī’s Ṣaḥīḥ:

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قدم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم المدينة، فرأى اليهود تصوم يوم عاشوراء، فقال: (ما هذا). قالوا: هذا يوم صالح، هذا يوم نجى الله بني إسرائيل من عدوهم، فصامه موسى. قال: (فأنا أحق بموسى منكم) فصامه وأمر بصيامه

“Ibn `Abbās (رضي الله عنهما – May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet ﷺ entered Medina and observed the Jews fasting on the Day of `Āshūrā’ (10th of Muḥarram). He asked, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘This is a righteous day. It is the day that God saved the Children of Israel from their adversary, so Moses fasted.’ The Prophet said, ‘I have a right to Moses greater than theirs.’ Thus, he fasted and ordained fasting for that day.”

There is little need for speculation when today one can calculate and corroborate Hijrī and Hebraic dates. Muḥarram in 622CE was the month of Av in the Jewish calendar. Specifically, the 10th of Muḥarram was the 9th of Av, better known to Jews as Tish`a b’Av (תִּשֽׁעָ בְּאָב). One may calculate the Gregorian date of the 10th of Muḥarram 1 Anno Hejirae, then convert that Gregorian date to a Hebraic date, being mindful of the sunset, resulting in the 9th of Av, 4382.

The Jewish exegesis Midrash Rabbah, Eychah, Petichta 33 relates the legend behind the fast of Tish`a b’Av and the holiday of Tu b’Av:

ר’ אבין ור’ יוחנן
אמרי יום שביטל החפר מן מתי מדבר, א”ר יסיף ר’ אבין ור’ יוחנן אמרי יום
שביטל החפר מן מתי מדבר, א”ר לוי כל ערב תשעה באב היה משה מוציא
,כרוז בכל המחנה ואומר צאו לחפור והיו יוצאין וחופרין קברות וישנין בהן
לשחרית היה מוציא כרוז ואומר קומו והפרישו המתים מן החיים והיו עומדים
ומוצאין עצמן חמשה עשר אלף בפרוטרוט /מספר מדויק/ , חסרו שש מאות
אלף, ובשנת הארבעים האחרון עשו כן ומצאו עצמן שלמים. אמרו: דומה
שטעינו בחשבון; וכן בעשור ובאחד עשר ובשנים עשר ושלשה עשר וארבע
עשר, כיון דאיתמלא סיהרא /התמלא הירח/ אמרו דומה שהקב”ה ביטל
.אותה גזירה מעלינו וחזרו ועשאוהו יום טוב

“Rav Abin and Rav Yochanan taught: The 15th of Av is the day upon which the grave digging of the dead stopped. Rav Levi taught: On the eve of the 9th of Av, Moses would announce throughout the camp: Go dig! The people of Israel would go and dig their graves and sleep inside them. When morning came, Moses announced: Let those who live separate themselves from the dead. The live ones would rise, separate themselves from the dead, and count –and each year 15,000 would die. On the 40th year since leaving Egypt they did the same thing. But in the morning –none had died. Perhaps we had miscalculated the date? They thought, and slept in their graves again the following night, on the 10th of Av, and so again on the 11th, and on the 12th, and on the 13th, and on the 14th –When the moon became full on the 15th, they declared: The Holy One, Blessed be He, cancelled the decree. They made this day into a holiday.”

One may wonder about the numerous narrations on the subject which relate a correlation between `Āshūrā’ and the Children of Israel being saved from Pharaoh and Pharaoh being drowned. This suggests a background more similar to Pesach (Passover) which commemorates the Jews liberation from Egypt and its Pharaoh. However, the dates do not coincide between Passover and `Āshūrā’ until over a decade after the Hijra and even then Passover falls on the 18th of Muḥarram, and not the 10th.

It is reported in other narrations that the Tribe of Quraysh would commemorate the Day of `Āshūrā’ as well as the Jews as is also recorded in Imām Bukhārī’s Ṣaḥīḥ:

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كان يوم عاشوراء تصومه قريش في الجاهلية

“`Āisha (رضي الله عنها – May Allah be pleased with her) said: The Quraysh used to fast on the Day of `Āshūrā’ in the times of ignorance (before Islam)…”

Thus, in the various narrations it is possible that the plural verb قالوا, meaning “they said”, could refer to the non-Muslim Arabs of Quraysh just as it could refer to the Jews. What is interesting is the perspective of the following answer:

 هذا يوم نجى الله بني إسرائيل من عدوهم

“This is the day that God saved the Children of Israel from their adversary.”

Of course, it is also possible that a Jew was speaking of his forebears and, hence, referred to their adversary. Yet, it is also possible that this was a Qurayshī who simply related what he thought was the origin of the fast based upon his limited, and likely erroneous, information on Jewish religious practices.

Ultimately, the hardest evidence is the calendar itself which is relatively immutable. If the Jews were, indeed, fasting for Tish`a b’Av –as can plainly be seen by resorting to any Hijri to Hebraic calculator– then this would negate the suspicions of our dear brethren from the Shī`ah that the fast of `Āshūrā’  was created by the Umayyads as a distraction from the martyrdom of our Master al-Ḥusayn (عليه السلام – Peace be upon him). It is remarkable that such chronological accuracy was not only recorded but preserved over the ages and is a testimony to the overall veracity of the Sunnah.

By Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi

www.CambridgeIslamicCollege.org

This Ramadan I had the good fortune to be able to do the retreat in the last 10 days of the month. Throughout those days I recited the Qur’an and reflected on it and many things came to my mind fresh. For example, I read that God will reward a good deed 10 times over or more than that. As for a bad deed, there is only a single punishment the equivalent of that deed. But then when I read more closely, I noticed that God has said that with that punishment there is humiliation (ذلة). At once I understood why there is no need for God to punish a bad deed with more than its equivalent — the sinner is punished in the conscience of his failure to have avoided that bad deed and done some good instead. I also understood afresh the reality that this Qur’an is indeed the word of the One who created man’s nature, who knows the inside and the outside of it, who knows the good it can do and enables that good, and who teaches and guides us on the straight path. There is no sin that does not become a means of good through repentance and seeking forgiveness. And God is ever ready to forgive. In retrospect therefore, but only in retrospect, a sin is itself a good thing if and when, but only if and when, it leads to the virtue of repentance. The Creator is the all-Merciful, and His guidance through the Qur’an and through the teaching of His Messenger is a mercy also.

That being the case, when we turn to the Qur’an and to the teaching of God’s Messenger, we should do so confident that the guidance we find therein is sufficient for us to live our lives in the way that produces good for ourselves and for our communities, here and now, and over the long term, meaning in what we leave behind for the next generations and what we carry forward to the judgment in the hereafter. The Qur’an and the teaching of God’s Messenger are not obstacles, they are not hindrances that we must use our clever wits to find a way around. Our clever wits and our energies are not to be used for that sort of “interpretation.” The Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic traditions) are not burdens that we must strive to throw off, or to lighten in ways that are not already envisaged in the Qur’an and Sunnah (prophetic traditions). In the Qur’an and the teaching of God’s Messenger taken together there are both the general principles and the practical example we need to take good decisions in how we train our consciences and order our affairs. In other religious communities — to a limited extent also among the Shi`a (sect of Muslims) — the believers take to producing images and icons of their first-teacher as a way of focusing respect and reverence. In the mainstream Islamic tradition however, that energy was devoted, instead of building statues or painting icons, into collecting and transmitting a detailed record of what God’s Messenger said and did, what he approved and disapproved. The result of that effort is the great body of prophetic traditions which are the basis of the norms and rules that guide the life of the Muslim individual and the community. In my work on the women scholars of Islam, I have tried to record their dedication as students and teachers in preserving and transmitting that body of traditions. I have found that there is no difference in the degree of obligation, as between men and women, to study and teach that guidance. I have found that there is no difference in the degree of authority that men or women have as teachers of that guidance. I have found that there are very few if any limitations, either in principle or in practice, that distinguish between what men can do in the service of Islam and what women can do in the same service.

The Diploma in History of Female Scholarship in Islam has already begun but people can still sign up for the course. Recordings will be provided for all previously missed session. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.cambridgeislamiccollege.org/course/diploma-in-history-of-female-islamic-scholarship

It is true of every human institution that, over time, the reasons for the founding of that institution, and the energy that went into it, become obscured and weakened in many respects. This has certainly been true of the institutions related to the teaching of Islam. That is why the greatest of Islamic scholars have always emphasized, again and again, over and over, that we must check all derived judgments by reference to the sources. ‘By the sources’ is meant the textual sources of the Qur’an and the prophetic traditions, and to a lesser extent the historical record of the practice of the earliest generations of the Muslim community. Let me give you an example of what happens when, instead of checking with reference to the sources, we simply adhere to rules or habits we have inherited. During my retreat in Ramadan, which I did in my local mosque, sometimes men would come over to me and ask questions. One of the things I was asked was whether it was permissible for women to enter into retreat in a mosque. People became very disturbed, even annoyed, when I said that it was permissible. Some people insisted that it was not. Of course, that was not the time and place to get into an argument with anyone, and so I excused myself and asked to be permitted to return to my silence. However, there are very clear and authenticated traditions from `A’ishah, radiAllahu `anha (may God be pleased with her), and other Companions that confirm that, during the lifetime of God’s Messenger, women were not prevented from entering into retreat in the mosque. So, you see the importance and the necessity of turning to the sources, and therefore the importance and the necessity of preserving, transmitting and referring to the traditions of God’s Messenger.

The differences that there are, and perhaps there will always be, among Muslims can only be resolved in a peaceful way if, as the Qur’an itself clearly commands, we allow the issue in hand to be resolved by the arbitration of God’s Messenger and, in addition to that, we accept that arbitration without rancour, without resentment.

Now, in the time and place that we are living in, it sounds very agreeable to the dominant culture that Muslim women are allowed to do something that Muslim men are allowed to do. Okay. But what then, when the same body of prophetic traditions teaches us, with the same clarity, and the same certainty, that there are some things that men are allowed to do but women are not, and vice versa? That is when as Muslims we find out whether what we are striving to do is our own will, or God’s will. That is when we discover whether we truly believe that the judgment of God’s Messenger is better than our judgment. As a Muslim I believe, and as a scholar it is my duty to teach and explain, that the merciful Creator of mankind, of women as well as men, knows what is most appropriate for the well-being of mankind, of women as well as men. God sees the well-being of mankind from his absolute and universal perspective, so this human well-being encompasses not the momentary happiness of particular individuals but the well-being of their relationships with other people near them and far from them, with other people in their own time and in the future, with the rest of the natural world in their immediate and their future environment, and above all in their relationship with their Creator. So it is the case that when men (or women) settle on norms and rules and habits that are not soundly based on the guidance of God and His Messenger, for example by developing restrictions on what women can learn and what activities they can pursue, the natural potential of individuals and societies is damaged. But so also it is the case that when men (or women) say that they will just live the way that seems pleasant and right to them, with no regard whatever for any religious tradition, then also, alongside what seems pleasant and right, there will be profound and long-lasting damage to the natural potential of both individuals and societies. And I do not know, except in the hope of God’s mercy, how then we can recover from the social or environmental breakdowns that our lifestyles provoke, or how much harder it will then become even to see, let alone follow, the straight path to God’s forgiveness.

The great Muslim women that I have written about in the Muhaddithat were Muslims before and above anything else. I neither find it agreeable nor useful to think of them as a sort of feminists, engaged in some kind of social or political battle to win their rights against the abuse of those rights by men. Such abuses exist; injustices against women exist; they are a real fact of life in Muslim societies as in others, perhaps more so. And no doubt the battle for rights, for justice, must be engaged. But my work has not been, and is not, about that battle. It is primary a historical study of the role and authority of women in the Islamic tradition. This authority was shared with men, even if in terms of numbers, men dominated the field.

Mohammad Akram Nadwi

Cambridge Islamic College

Photo: Tom Gill

I have been living in the Arab world now for almost 3 years. There are some really taxing things here, tiring and frustrating to say the least. But there are also some exciting and uplifting things that keep me going throughout the days. And then, there are the hidden gems. The things that can be overlooked without a second thought, yet if they are given a second thought, they require a third and a fourth thought for one to even begin to benefit from their beauty. It is those things that get me time and time again. It is those things that take my breath away and leave me thankful for being placed in the position that I am in, living in a place where I do not always fit in or feel at home. One of those hidden gems can be found in the phrases that are oft repeated, with little thought, on a daily basis. There are many that could be spoken about, like the wishing of “na’eeman” [lit. blessings] when a person takes a shower or cuts their hair. Like the prayer of “kulli sana wanti tayyiba” [“may every year find you well”] on any happy occasion that occurs yearly. But my favorite has to be one that carries behind it a great story of a great man whom I recently read about, and after reading his story in the tafseer [exegesis] of Ibn Ajeeba, the oft repeated phrase “Ya sabr Ayub” [“O patience of Job”] has never been the same again.

It would be best, before diving into the gem-filled story, to give some information on when this phrase, in the Arab culture, is used. It is used mainly in two situations: 1) When a person is going through something very taxing and is wishing for an intense amount of patience to be poured into them, as a prayer and 2) when a person witnesses someone being ever so patient and is impressed by their firmness upon this patience. Naturally, after hearing that, one would assume that this story is about to be really great and I assure you: it is. The key here, however, is that something very important is done while reading this story: don’t just read it as a work of fiction or non-fiction. Read it as if this story is about you. Read this story as if you have temporarily stepped out of your own shoes, and into those of this amazing man, Ayub, and try to actually feel what he must have been feeling. And with that, all that is left is for me to begin:

Ayub, `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him), was a great man and Prophet of the Lord many years ago. He was blessed with many great gifts that surpassed what others around him had been given. He had money in amounts (and some say types!) that surpassed those that were around him. He was given great amounts of land as well as many animals to graze on this land, and these animals varied in types and were of very high quality. He was kind and giving to the poor, he used to care for the widows and the orphans, he would be generous with his guests and accept any traveler into his home. He did all of this as an act of gratitude to God for giving him so much. This is something very unique to note, as for when a person is given such great wealth and great gifts, Satan then tries very hard to get him to be greedy and ungrateful. Satan tries very hard to get the person with such wealth to belittle that which has been given to him, or to become arrogant and not spread the wealth to those who may be in need of it. Satan however, was unsuccessful at whispering into the heart of Ayub (as) with regards to all that he had been given.

It is said that Satan heard the angels in the heaven praising Ayub (as) for all that he had done and was doing. Upon hearing this, Satan felt a twinge of envy (hasad) towards the state of Ayub. Satan, being one who acts upon these twinges of envy immediately, went and pleaded to the Lord of the heavens about his state. He complained to God: “O my Lord, you have blessed your servant Ayub, so he had thanked you. You have removed from him any affliction so he has glorified you. You haven’t allowed any hardship to befall him, but if you did then surely he would be an ungrateful servant.” This was a plea from Satan, and at the same time he was taking a shot at the honor and actual piety of Ayub. He asked God to just give him the ability to afflict Ayub with some hardship, and he told God that He would see the gratefulness of Ayub dwindle away. God then allowed Satan to have control over the wealth of Ayub, and nothing else—allowing him to afflict Ayub. At this Satan was joyous. He called together his troops of jinn and told them the “great” news. One of his troops said that he had been given the power to send storms of fire upon anything, and if Satan gave him permission, he could burn all of the wealth of Ayub by burning his lands. Satan agreed, and sat back and watched his troops burn down the wealth of Ayub. Once this was all over, Satan came in the form of one of the service hands of Ayub, dramatically recalling all that happened to the wealth of this Prophet. Telling him that God had allowed for his wealth to be destroyed. Ayub (as), with complete grace and gratefulness, informed Satan in the form of man, that God was the original giver of this wealth, so God could do as he pleased with this wealth.

Satan now was hit, not only with pangs of envy but also, pangs of despair. He had been sure that had this man who was so blessed, had some of his blessings taken away, he would break. He would not be such a great servant. But Satan, unlike many of us humans, does not give up that easily. When he has a goal, he does everything he possibly can to get to that goal. He went back to his troops for a brainstorming session. One of his troops had another idea. He informed Satan that he had been given the ability to blow harsh winds that would kill any animal that heard this wind. Satan jumped on that idea and sent him to kill all of the living animals that were left on the burnt grounds of Ayub. After all of his glorious animals had been killed, Satan appeared to Ayub as a different man, again telling him of what happened. He informed Ayub that the Lord that he had been worshipping for so long had killed all of his animals. Again, Ayub (as) with pure patience and love for God, replied that God was the one who had given him the animals in the first place, so He could do as He pleased with them.

Satan was hit again with deeper despair, feeling that he was certainly losing his grip on the battle that he had been fighting. Satan returned to God, again with another plea. He argued that God had blessed Ayub with his own health and the health of his children (some say he had 10 children), and this is why Ayub was still holding on, gratefully. Satan assured that if this was removed then Ayub would not remain a grateful servant and that his gratefulness was not based on Love but of contentment with that which had been given. Satan then requested to be given the ability to take away the children of Ayub to prove his point. God granted him this permission. Satan returned to the home of Ayub, and destroyed the home of Ayub, killing all of his children. He then appeared to Ayub as the teacher of his children, limping, as if he too had been hurt in the destruction. He then recalled for Ayub the detailed deaths that his children had faced, making certain to put emphasis on the pain that they may have felt. Ayub was instantly struck with sadness for his children. He fell to the floor and began to pour dirt over his head. Satan rejoiced, finally he had made Ayub be ungrateful. But after an instant, Ayub (as) realized what he was doing and looked up to his Lord, asking for forgiveness and returning to his state of patience. God instantly forgave Him, as He is The All-Forgiving.

Satan was furious. He felt that he had finally won, that finally this man that seemed to be over flowing with patience and gratitude had finally cracked. And before he could even rejoice, Ayub (as) returned to His Lord and His repentance was accepted. His sin was erased. (Take note at the Mercy of God. Take note at the persistence of Satan). Satan went back to God, again despairing and willing to try anything. He told God that the only reason that Ayub was so thankful and so obedient was that he had the most important thing, his health. Satan pleaded with God to allow him to take that away, to prove once and for all that Ayub was not, in his essence, an obedient servant. God allowed him this, but this time with some very important conditions. God allowed him to have rule over his body and health, but he was unable to touch two things: His tongue and his heart.

Satan descended down to Ayub and found him in prostration. He blew through his nose a wind that touched his entire body. It caused him to itch, with no relief. He itched his entire body with his hands, then with tools. The tools were so rough they tore at his skin, but the itch was so strong that he could not stop. His wounds began to fester, to be infected, and to even attract bugs. All of the people in his community who loved him so much began to look down upon him, unable to stand to see his appearance nor smell the stench of infected wounds. They kicked him out, ignoring all the good that he had done for him before. Everyone left him. Everyone. Except for one person, his wife. She cared for him in the trash dump that he had been cast to. She took care of him, and was his companion as much as she could. After much time she began to plead with him to ask God for help. I mean why not, he was a prophet. He in turn asked her how long they had lived in wealth. Her reply was 8 years. He then followed up with asking how long he had lived in sickness; she informed him that it was seven. His reply was that he was too embarrassed to ask God to heal him, if the time of ease overcame the time of hardship.

Satan, in his final attempt, appeared to Ayub’s wife. He told her that he (Satan) was the Lord of the world and that the reason why her husband, Ayub, had been afflicted for so long, was that he turned away from the lord of the earth and looked only towards the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth. He told her that if Ayub were to “simply” make one prostration to Satan, then he could be restored to health and wealth. Ayub’s wife returned to her husband and told him what had happened. Ayub was furious. He knew exactly who she had spoken to, and was angry that his wife had spoken to Satan and that she had tried to act upon his words. She couldn’t take his anger, and she left him as well. Now Ayub was completely alone, with reference to human companions. He turned to God and made the famous du’a that we hear time and time again “Lord hardship has afflicted me, and you are the most Merciful of the merciful.” Ibn Ajeeba here says something interesting. He says that the hardship that Ayub was speaking about was that Satan had conspired against him to get him to prostrate to him (Satan). (Why is this the hardship? Because it is said that if we understood the true essence of sickness, we would know that it is an immense gift from God.) God immediately responded to the plea of Ayub and instructed him to go to the nearest water source and bathe in it. He did so, and was returned to his complete health and beauty. His wife, shortly after, returned looking for her husband. She found a handsome healthy man in his place. She asked him if he has seen a man that was rotting and in pain. He laughed and said, “It is me, I am Ayub.” She wouldn’t have believed him except that she recognized his laugh.

Ayub—not an angel, a man. He (as) went through an immense trial, and looked only at God. A man that God used to lay down a map for us to follow when we too are in pain, in sickness and in distress. Of course we don’t always react this way. Of course it may be harder at times to let go and let God. But what we can do is look to him as an ultimate goal. We can use his name when asking God for patience. We can strive to be as close to Him as God will allow. And whenever we are in hardship, we can know that we have someone to relate to. We have someone who went through pain and anguish, and we can see that even in the worst of situations, God can instantly redeem us and make everything more than perfect. May God grant us the Sabr of Ayub in the smallest of matters and the largest of matters.

“Lord, hardship has afflicted me, and you are the most Merciful of the merciful.”

In this journey through Allah’s Names, we have learned about both His attributes of Beauty and of Majesty. The intention is to inspire fear, hope and, ultimately, love. If we misunderstand Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), we may not see the wisdom behind the things that happen in the world or in our personal lives. We might not understand how Allah (swt) fits into our life. We may also find it difficult to love Him, because how can you love someone – deeply love someone – you do not know?

Thus it is hoped that these Names have increased our knowledge of our Creator, and have made apparent how Allah (swt) is with us in every moment.

Today’s Name should inspire in us ‘khashya’ and ‘hayba’. These words are sometimes both translated as ‘fear’, thus removing the important distinctions between the two words. In the ‘Sweetness of Prayer’ series, we explained the difference between the different types of fear:

‘Khawf’ is to flee from the thing that you fear, and requires no knowledge of that which is feared. You can be afraid, or have ‘khawf’, of the dark. ‘Khashya’, on the other hand, is fear with knowledge. The more a servant has knowledge of his Lord, the more ‘khawf’ turns to ‘khashya’. As Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

“Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge” (35:28).

‘Hayba’ is fear associated with respect, awe and glorification. You could, for example, fear fire. But the reason for your fear is that the fire may harm you, so fire earns no ‘hayba’; you do not glorify it. However, you could have a certain ‘hayba’ of your father; you could be afraid to do something wrong in front of him, but that fear is out of respect.

Al-Qahhar: The Dominator

Allah’s Name al-Qahhar comes from the Arabic root qaf-haa-ra (ق-ه-ر). It means ‘to dominate over’ or ‘to subdue from above’. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an in Surat al-An`aam;

“And He is the subjugator (al-qaahiru) over His servants. And He is the Wise (al-Hakeem), the Acquainted [with all] (al-Khabeer). (6:18)

Someone with this attribute might be considered a tyrant, which is why Allah (swt) tells us that this attribute is possessed by the One who is also the Most Wise and the One who is Best Acquainted with everything. This reference is also for the benefit of those who doubt this attribute, and might ask “why has Allah not overpowered the tyrants of today, of whom there are many?” Allah (swt) is reminding us that there is ultimate wisdom in whom He chooses to subdue at any point in time. This is where our understanding of the holistic nature of Allah’s Names should come in: we spoke before about how Allah (swt) is Forbearing and Patient, and He gives people – even tyrants – the opportunity to turn back.

Thus we see in the Qur’an that Allah sends Moses and Aaron `alayhimaa as-salaam (may Allah’s peace be upon them both) to Pharaoh – and calling Pharaoh ‘oppressive’ would be an understatement! – telling them initially to speak to him gently. Pharaoh rejects them. Moses then shows him proof of his prophethood. Pharaoh rejects him again, insisting on enslaving the Children of Israel. Finally, Allah (swt) overpowers him by drowning him, using someone from the very people that Pharaoh was oppressing, who grew up in his own house. Such is the way of al-Qahhar, who manifests His power by subduing tyrants through the objects of their tyranny.

This is why Imam al-Ghazali describes al-Qahhar in this way: “The Dominator is the one who breaks the back of the powerful among His enemies… Indeed there is no existing thing that is not subject to the domination of His power, and powerlessness in His grasp. That is all.”
Therefore, when we look at events today and wonder “where is al-Qahhar?”, we should remember the story of Moses. Remember that Moses prevailed. Remember that Pharaoh was overpowered.

Our role is to strive against this oppression, knowing that ultimately this is what we will be asked about, and everything is subjected to the Will of Allah (swt). Indeed, so many tyrannical powers eventually come crashing down, bowing to the will of al-Qahhar. Unfortunately, we may not attribute it to Him, but as Allah (swt) tells us:

“The Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing (al-Qahhar).” (40:16)

On that Day, all will be apparent. All those who oppressed, in both seemingly small and big ways, will be before Allah, al-Qahhar. Then, there will be no ambiguity.
Living with these Names

1 – Balance fear and hope

Today’s Name might cause us to be afraid. This is not a subject we like to talk to about, because it is so much more reassuring to focus on those attributes that enable us to relax. But remembering that Allah (swt) has attributes of Majesty should instill in us the ‘khashya’ and ‘hayba’ described earlier. Moreover, Allah’s Names are to be looked at holistically. He is al-Qahhar and He is also al-Lateef (the subtle, the most kind).

2 – Dominate your lower desires
In previous articles, we talked about how we should emulate the attributes of Beauty. But what about attributes of Majesty? How do we apply them? Al-Ghazali counseled: “The dominator amongst men is the one who subdues his enemies. The greatest enemy of man is his soul, which is within him. This soul is more of an enemy to him than Satan, of whose enmity he is wary. Whoever conquers his passions conquers Satan, since Satan lures him to ruin by means of his passions.”

3 – Use that fear to stop at least one sin

To know that Allah is al-Qahhar is to burn the desire for sin in the heart. Because Allah (swt) is the Dominator, we should fear that perhaps al-Qahhar, al-Mumeet (the Life-Taker) might take our soul as we are committing the sin. This should alert us that despite it seeming as though we are being allowed to oppress our souls, we may still face the fate mentioned in this verse:

“So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.” (Qur’an, 6:44)

These people used the gifts of Allah (swt) in the opposite manner to that for which they were intended, and then they were seized. In another chapter, Allah (swt) describes to us the people of the garden, who took an oath that they would reap all of their fruits and leave nothing for the poor. Allah (swt) caused their garden to be completely burned to the ground, but the owners of that garden understood the lesson. They willed something, but Allah (swt) overpowered their will, and so they turned back to Him.

Hence, this fear should not paralyze us from doing good, but it should paralyze us from doing bad. We should try to choose at least one thing – like backbiting or lying – and do our best to use this Name to help us stop it.

4 – Do not oppress others

The surest way to earn the wrath of al-Qahhar is to oppress others. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: “So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him] (fa laa taqhar)” (93:9). The word ‘taqhar’ comes from the same root of the name al-Qahhar. We should understand that oppression is not simply for unjust leaders or cruel human traffickers. We may also be oppressing others in more subtle ways, and thus we should be diligent to avoid this.

Photo: Alby Headrick

By Macksood A. Aftab

The conflict between science and religion has posed a serious threat to religious authority in the contemporary era. Many advocates of scientism have used the tremendous success of science in modern times to question the usefulness of religion as a means of seeking the truth. For example, Stephen Hawking recently stated in a Huffington Post article, “Before we understood science, it was natural to believe that God created the universe, but now science offers a more convincing explanation.” More recently the harsh critique of religion based upon various forms of scientism by writers such as Richard Dawkins have escalated the conflict.

Their view assumes that both religion and science have the same purpose, namely of explaining the existence of the universe. Furthermore, the scientific method is considered a more reliable way to achieve this goal. This is primarily so because science deals with physical processes, which can be quantified and measured, whereas religion often resorts to metaphysical references, which cannot be “proven.” Professor Naquib Al-Attas, the celebrated Malaysian Muslim philosopher, summarizes the essential problem. He writes, “A gist of their [those who espouse science as the source for truth] basic assumptions is that science is the sole authentic knowledge; that this [scientific] knowledge pertains only to phenomena.” Excluded from science is anything that does not have a “physical” existence, anything that cannot be empirically studied. Therefore, implicit in a worldview that holds science as the highest authority of knowledge is a denial of God.

As the Nobel laureate Werner Arber, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, writes, “The natural sciences are in a steady search for truth, and so is theology.” This naturally creates two apparently competing methodologies of seeking and determining the truth, which inevitably leads to conflict between theology and science. Although the Catholic Church did generally support science, when the conclusions of scientists came in conflict with church dogma, problems arose. This can be seen in the experiences of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin.

Islamic history, however, took a different course. Despite the existence of a sustained robust scientific enterprise in the Islamic world, an overt conflict between science and religion did not arise. Professor Walbridge of Indiana University points out that “the Islamic world produced no martyrs for science like Bruno and Galileo.” One of the achievements of Islamic civilization was the creation of a worldview in which both theology and science could be accepted in a comprehensive rational framework.

The Islamic tradition of scholastic theology is known as kalam. The two primary schools of kalam are the Ash`ari and its close cousin the Maturidi schools. Both are based upon a rational understanding of God and the Universe, which also seek to rigorously preserve salient features of the Islamic concept of God. This tradition, along with its larger place in the Islamic worldview, can best be understood through the works of one of its main proponents Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (d. 1111 CE). Richard Frank, a scholar of Islamic theology, describes Ghazali as, “The most important Sunni theologian at a crucial turning point in the history of orthodox Muslim theology.” During his time Islam was emerging from a period of intellectual schism. Ghazali contributed to the development of a consensus on this issue, which was to largely become the dominant Sunni doctrine. Thus the Ghazali scholar and translator Walter Skellie writes, “With him [Ghazali] the religious philosophy and experience of Islam reaches its zenith.”

Demonstrative Proof (Burhan)

The triumph of Ghazali’s epistemology lies in its successful reconciliation of reason with revelation. One key element of this was the allowance of figurative interpretations of scripture, particularly when it relates to assertions that may conflict with what is known via reason. Ghazali sets the bar very high for a scientific proof to over-ride scripture, something he calls burhan. Burhan is demonstrative knowledge or definitive logical proof. According to Ghazali, it held an even higher epistemic status than even scholastic theology (kalam).

Professor Al-Akiti of Oxford writes, “For al-Ghazali, burhan [definitive logical proof], and not kalam, is what he considered to be scientific knowledge, the ‘gold-standard’ in the art of reasoning – a judgment expounded in his Mi’yar al-’Ilm.” The late professor Marmura, a Ghazali scholar, summarizes Ghazali’s attitude towards definitive logical proof as follows:

“A science whose conclusions are not demonstrably true and which are in conflict with the literal assertions of scripture must be rejected. On the other hand, if what is demonstrably true contradicts the literal sense of scriptural language, then the latter must be interpreted metaphorically.”

Having firmly grounded his worldview in rationality, Ghazali proceeds to point out that physical science does not meet the standards of definitive logical proof unless God is added to the equation. This is because science is based upon a flawed assumption, namely that of natural causation. Causation, Ghazali argues, can only guaranteed if God is there to secure it. And importantly, according to Ghazali, God is there to secure it. Belief in God then becomes a prerequisite to the successful pursuit of science.

Causation, God & Science

Ghazali was able to reconcile the most important principle of science (namely causation) with Islamic theological doctrines (as articulated by the dominant Ash`ari school). Ash`ari theology developed in response to certain heterodox formulations of Islamic doctrine (such as those adopted by the Mutazalites and the Philosophers) which had the effect of diminishing key Divine attributes. Some of these formulations share a belief in necessary causation with modern secular scientists. Therefore Ghazali’s critique of their view is particularly instructive in tackling similar issues in the contemporary era.

Some of the main articles of faith in Ash`ari theology are that God is all powerful, He is all knowing and all events occur due to His express will. The Ash`aris therefore believed that all events are directly caused only by God, and not by anything else. God is not merely the first cause but also the immediate cause of every subsequent minor and major event that occurs in the universe. This appears to run contrary to our contemporary understanding of secular science, which rests on the principle of natural causation. Namely, that things (or events) cause other things (or events). For example, we think fire causes cotton to burn when they are brought near each other.

Ghazali questions the principle of necessary causation adopted by certain philosophers. According to Ghazali, this relationship between cause and effect is not necessary. To use his terminology, there is no definitive logical proof (burhan) that it is the cause that is responsible for the effect. He argues that all we observe is a quick succession of events, cotton being brought close to fire and the cotton burning. But a relationship based simply on proximity in time or space does not imply necessary causation. Ghazali famously states, “The connection between what is habitually believed to be a cause and what is habitually believed to be an effect is not necessary.”

David Hume in the Western tradition made a similar argument against causation. He asked, “Where is the causal glue” holding together the cause and the effect? Unlike Hume who was led to skepticism, however, Ghazali has an answer to this conundrum. For Ghazali, the causal glue is God. It is God who ensures that the relationship between cause and effect always holds. In doing so, Ghazali has made room for orthodox Islamic theology in which God is the direct cause of everything.

On its surface this line of thinking can be misunderstood to in fact undermine science, as several historians and scientists have thought. For example, the historian Tamim Ansary writes, “Take it however you will, the argument against causality undermines the whole scientific enterprise. If nothing actually causes anything else, why bother to observe the natural world in search of meaningful patterns?” Pervez Hoodbhoy, a preeminent Pakistani scientist, expresses a similar concern with the Ash`ari position, stating that in such a world, “even a speeding arrow might not reach its destination.” In other words, if the cause and effect relationship is not necessary then there would be no sure way to rely on our observations, predict natural phenomena or to do scientific experiments.

Conflict Averted, Science Flourished

This criticism, however, implies a dogmatic belief in science which sidesteps the very real problem of causation. Ghazali does not need to (nor does he) deny causation. He is merely denying necessary causation—namely, that there is no conclusive proof that things can influence other things by themselves. For Ghazali, God is required to ensure that the relationship between cause and effect always hold true. As Frank Griffel, a Ghazali scholar at Yale, writes:

“Trust in God (tawakkul) is a major condition for investigating the natural sciences. Such trust requires the certainty to know that God will not change books into horses or disconnect our knowledge from reality. Given that God habitually creates our knowledge to accord with reality, we can rely on our sense and our judgment and confidently pursue the natural sciences.”

According to this view God could suspend the laws of causation, but He never does and never will. So fire will always burn cotton but this is only true because in every instance of its occurrence God ensures that it is so. In effect, Ghazali has created a framework in which science can operate and the principles of Islamic theology (Divine power, knowledge and will) are also preserved.

Furthermore, Ghazali even located miracles – which he calls strange and wondrous phenomena – within the empirical world. Even miracles were then not Divine acts of suspension of the normal workings of the universe; rather they were unusual phenomena of nature due to causes not immediately clear to us at the moment. The possibility of additional causal chains other than those currently physically observed encouraged further exploration of the natural world. Ahmad Dallal, a historian of Islamic science at Georgetown University writes,

“The aspect that had the most influence on the development of science was the concept of multiple possibilities (tajwiz), the notion that specific natural philosophical explanations (or planetary models) are possible but not certain, and that there may exist alternative explanations for the natural phenomena… this idea was grounded in an epistemological criticism of Aristotelian metaphysics.”

After Ghazali, science in the Muslim world experienced a prolonged renaissance as documented by Yale historian George Saliba. His understanding had the effect of legitimizing science. Science was a discipline ensured by God. It also had the effect of effectively separating theology from physical science. Divine attributes are known through revelation, and science plays no significant role in informing us about these metaphysical matters. On the other hand revelation does not interfere with the workings of science; it is left as an independent discipline within the larger Islamic framework. Dallal explains,

“After Al-Ghazali, the need to invoke religion to vindicate science considerably decreased, not because science was not accepted but because it did not need vindication. Excluding final-cause explorations from science did not compromise the providence of God, which was simply assumed without questioning (bila kayf).”

This worldview rests on the premise that God exists and sustains the Universe. God is not the end goal of science, but rather the starting point. This created an organic and interdependent relationship between science and religion, which essentially eliminated the potential of conflict between the two disciplines. In fact, as professor Muzaffar Iqbal, a philosopher of Islamic science, writes:

“No one thought of them [science and religion] as two independent entities which needed to be related via an external mechanism… This relationship emerged naturally and because the scientific tradition was thoroughly rooted in the worldview created by Islam.”

This worldview was rational. It recognized the primacy of reason and in fact accorded burhan the highest epistemic status. Within this framework secular science is critiqued based upon logical fallacies assumed by its proponents. Science is then presented not as a competing force with religion, but rather as a viable enterprise, as part of a comprehensive worldview that encompasses God. In fact, it is grounded in the assumption of God. This delicate balance, which secured both science and theology, is one of the greatest achievements of medieval Muslim theologians.

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Dr. Macksood Aftab is a neuroradiologist, and clinical assistant professor at both Michigan State University and Central Michigan University. He holds a Master degree in History of Science, and is an editor for the Journal of Islamic Philosophy. The author can be reached at: mackaftab@post.harvard.edu.

The Muslims were known for always dressing impeccably regardless of what social class they came from. There was a dignity and respect in the way they presented themselves, and this was markedly observed by even their adversaries. In the famous French prose “The Song of Roland”, which lauds the heroic deeds of the “Holy Barbarian” King Charlemagne in his battles against the Muslims, the leader of the Muslims is described as strikingly handsome and a noble equal to Charlemagne. The song praises him thus:

“An Emir of Balaguet came in place,

Proud of body, and fair of face;

Since first he sprang on steed to ride,

To wear his harness was all his pride;

For feats of prowess great laud he won;

Were he Christian, nobler baron none!” ((The Song of Roland, 228:3164, Translated from French by John O’Hagen))

In the end, the only way Charlemagne is said to defeat him is with the help of the Archangel Gabriel.

God says in the Qur’an:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ

“O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer.” ((The Holy Qur’an, 7:31, Yusuf `Ali translation, 1938))

Do we care for our appearance, cleanliness and attire when visiting the mosque? Even if not daily, do we at least in our Friday prayers? Sometimes we do. I often see Africans in their brightly colored gowns and hats, the Indonesians and Malays in their perfectly pressed shirts, gilded hats and sarongs, the African-Americans in their best suits, ties and/or bowties. But what I also see alarmingly too often are sweat-pants, t-shirts, tunics which you know alternate as sleepwear, long faces and disheveled hair. Sadly, I fear that may be the majority in too many mosques.

There is a Prophetic saying:

إِذا أَتَاك الله مَالا فَلْيُرَ أثَرُ نِعْمَةِ الله عَلَيْكَ وكَرَامَتِهِ

“If God has given you an income then display signs of His blessings and generosity upon you.” ((Recorded by Aḥmad, al-Tirmidhī, Abū Dawūd, al-Nasā’ī, and many others))

So, there is an element of gratitude and acknowledgement of God’s blessings when you take care of your appearance and utilize what He has blessed you with to look your very best. Yet, the Ottoman era scholar al-Munāwī is also careful to qualify this saying:

“‘And His generosity’ – that which He has bestowed upon you. For in attire is an indication of one’s overall condition, self-worth, self-respect, and hygiene. And it is so those in need will know to go to him, but he must be careful with his intentions and avoid all forms of excess.” ((Fayḍ al-Qadīr Sharḥ Jami` al-Ṣaghīr, al-Munāwī))

With this, he also relates an interesting story therein about the famous scholar and successor to the Prophet (ﷺ)’s Companions, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, wearing a shirt costing 400 dirhams. One time he met Farqad al-Sinjī, a known Sufi of the time, which sparked a telling dialog. In the early days of Islam, the Sufis wore coarse wool garments and, for this, some have speculated that the word “Sufi” may originate from the Arabic word for wool, Ṣūf. Farqad said reproachfully to al-Hasan, “O Abū Sa`īd, how soft is your clothing!” To this, al-Ḥasan replied using a lexical diminution ((Called Taṣghīr al-Ism in Arabic lexical morphology wherein a word is made diminutive, or to indicate “smallness”, by conforming it to the fu`ayl consonantal skeleton.)) of Farqad’s name, “O Furayqid! The softness of my clothes does not distance me from God, nor does the coarseness of your clothing make you closer to Him.” Al-Ḥasan then went on to quote the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, “God is beautiful and He loves beauty.” In another narration al-Ḥasan rebuked Farqad’s spiritual arrogance with: “They have piety in their clothing, but they have arrogance in their hearts.” ((Kitāb al-Zuhd of Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, Fayḍ al-Qadīr of al-Munāwī, Muḥāḍirāt al-Adbā’ of al-Iṣfahāni, and others.)) Whether relevant or not, Farqad al- Sinjī later became considered a severely defective narrator.

So while we may feel that our theology is sound and we are the people of the true faith, there is something seriously wrong when Christians are in their finest clothes when visiting church on Sunday but we look like we’re running errands when we go for Friday prayers. It reflects our overall attitude, which comes across as clear as day in how we present ourselves and how we allow ourselves to be perceived by those around us. As al-Ḥasan al-Baṣri said, there are those who may dress simply but their hearts are full of conceit. Don’t be content thinking you’re the people of Truth if you don’t even look the part.

A Cornell University psychologist who chaired the conference When to Judge a Book by Its Cover: Timing, Context, and Individual Differences in First Impressions stated, “Despite the well-known idiom to ‘not judge a book by its cover,’ the present research shows that such judgments about the cover are good proxies for judgments about the book — even after reading it.” This research is particularly focused on impressions that are made within mere seconds of seeing someone and the results are that any negative impression garnered within the first few seconds can outlast any and all efforts to dispel them later through explanation or amiable conduct. So we can exhaust every effort in trying to convince our non-Muslim neighbors that we’re good people, but if we don’t look it, they won’t believe it. Fair or not, that is plain science. Would you find it easier to change human psychology or simply pay more attention to how you present yourself?

So, while the Vikings raided our coasts along the Caspian Sea and Charlemagne drove us out of Western France and invaded Muslim Spain, they were so impressed by us that they actually wrote poetry about us. We need to ask ourselves a very serious question: enemies aside, do we even leave that kind of impression upon our non-Muslim friends? Let us answer that honestly in the quiet of our conscience and, if necessary, make changes in our lives accordingly.

Four walls. Dark and dingy. A man sat down and exhaled, bowed his head down and said a prayer to His Lord. How did he get here?

In another time, another place, a woman wept. She couldn’t find meaningful support anywhere. She wept for so long that she felt her insides were going to explode. How did she get here?

They were both victims of a malicious rumor. A rumor that hit at their very morals and character. In his case, this misconception surrounding him lasted years. In her case, over a month, with even the closest people to her unsure what to make of what was being said.

Prophet Joseph, alayhi as salaam (peace be upon him), was innocent. But he remained in prison for years. There were murmurs of juicy gossip: “The wife of the minister fell in love with him,” “Ah but I heard he tried to seduce her!” One might be justifiably frustrated—poor Prophet Joseph spent years in prison for a lie! This is so grossly unfair, so inherently unjust.

But Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing. He is the All-Knowing, the Most-Wise. He is the Protective Friend of those who believe. And He is the Most Just.

That prison was key to Prophet Joseph’s exoneration. Had he not been in prison, the rumor might have persisted. How? Years later, he interpreted the dream of his jail-mates, and eventually word traveled to the King, who also had a dream to be interpreted. And Joseph refused to leave the prison until it was made clear that what was said about him was a lie. The wife of the minister confessed that she was the one who tried to seduce him. There was no more doubt.

And Aisha, radi Allahu `anha (may God be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, was also attacked. A truly filthy rumor, started by one of the hypocrites, circulated around Madina about her and a pious companion. Everyone heard about it. Those who chose to defend were few, but others were willing accomplices in their simple discussion of it. They were talking about someone’s reputation. They were allowing a rumor to persist. They were creating doubt.

Aisha actually fell ill during this period. For a whole month she had no idea what was being said about her. When she was better and finally heard, she wept for three whole days. Her illness at that time was a blessing because it protected her from the pain for some time. And in what occurred was a lesson for all the Muslims. And she too was exonerated—by verses revealed in the Holy Qur’an just for her. She was innocent, and everyone until the end of time would know it.

People might say things about you. They might be gross assumptions or outright lies. But that place you are in, as horrible as it may be, might actually be the bridge to your opening and relief. You may not be able to see it yet. Take comfort in knowing that you are in the company of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Aisha (ra), and the Prophet Joseph (as).

And these things hurt. It is hard not to be affected by them. But in the spirit of the Prophets Muhammad and Joseph, and of Aisha, go to your Lord. Pray to Him. And continue in your work for Him. Don’t let the rumors stop you from doing good, because it is not about them. It is about you and Him. The truth is light and will overpower darkness. Those who slander may try to harm you, but when you continue in your good you have already won that battle. They could not bring you down. And Allah (swt) will cause your good to remain. The moment of pain you are in is just that—a moment. It may feel like a prison or an illness and never-ending, but Allah makes after hardship relief. And within every hardship Allah will give you ease. It may be through a friend, or perhaps a distraction. Or a reminder in the form of an article.

But just remember that Allah (swt) knows. You are not alone even if you feel abandoned and wronged. And your relief might come from where you do not expect.

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This is the first article in a two-part series.

Photo: jpellgen

By Salman Khan

In his 1972 book, The Politics of Heroin, Alfred McCoy coined the phrase the “suppleness of the state.” He discussed the history of heroin discovery, production, and existence until today. Among the many discoveries he made was that the CIA actually had a heavy hand in the production and distribution of heroin throughout the world. Interestingly, he found that the CIA’s complicity in the global drug trafficking ring actually worked against many other US policies and organizations. For example, 10%-15% of lower ranking US Army men serving in Vietnam were heroin users as a result. This affected morale and actually harmed the US military. Additionally, organizations that sought to stop the spread of drug trafficking worked in direct contradiction to the CIA. This is what McCoy meant in his phrase the “suppleness of the state;” there were so many different parts of the state that in many instances they worked in contradiction of each other, instead of in benefit of the overall state.

In my experiences I have found that there exists a certain “suppleness of the state” in the Muslim community as well. In our organizations we all have noble objectives, yet due to unfortunate circumstances we compete with each other instead of collaborating. For example, you can find two or three masajid (mosques) in a close-knit area, each of which is in debt and in need of resources. Instead of pooling together and benefiting from one unified and financially stable masjid, the three masajid stay separated and broken. Not only is the community divided, but from a financial standpoint it just does not make sense. Regardless of the reasons, whether cultural, a result of bad history between the board members, or anything else, we should not work against the overall goals of our communities and ummah (global Muslim community).

Another example is with our Islamic schools and non-profit organizations. Many times there are similar organizations seeking the exact same goals, whether it is trying to build a community center, conduct da`wah (calling to Islam), or collect money for relief causes. This isn’t always a problem. If organizations are working towards similar goals, but are operationally different, or at least working together, then this is not an issue. There was ikhtilaaf (difference in opinion) among even the sahabah (companions of Muhammad ﷺ, peace be upon him), so we should not expect or call towards having one set way of doing things. The issue arises when organizations and individuals work against each other and harm each other.

As a community we have limited resources, so when multiple organizations working on similar projects, are all requesting the same resources (money, volunteers, etc.) and pulling them in ten different directions instead of a few—to do the exact same thing—we waste time, energy, and money. For example, some of our major Muslim non-profit organizations have administrative fees and marketing fees in the millions! Imagine how much money would be saved if they worked together. When we spread our resources thin, they are never enough. However, when we pool these resources together, we can accomplish a lot more. God knows best, but there seems to be an unnecessary “suppleness of the Muslim state” that works against the overarching goals of our community that needs to be addressed.