The Weeping of the Companions of Prophet Muhammed [sallallahu alaihi wasallam]

 

On the authority of al-‘Irbâd ibn Sâriyah (radiAllahu anhu) who said:

“The Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave us a profound admonition which caused our hearts to tremble and our eyes to shed tears.” (Abû Dawûd, at-Tirmidhî, Ibn Mâjah)

 

On the authority of Anas (radiAllahu anhu) who said:

“The Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave us a sermon, the like of which we had never heard before. He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said “If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much!”. Thereupon the Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) covered their faces, weeping and sniffing. [1]   (Bukhârî and Muslim)

 

The Weeping of Abû Bakr (radiAllahu anhu)

 

Abû Bakr’s recitation in prayer could not be heard due to his excessive weeping, as we have been informed by ‘Aisha (radiAllahu anhu) who said:

“During his illness the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Order Abû Bakr to lead the prayer”. ‘Aisha said, “I told the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that indeed, if Abû Bakr stands in your place (to lead the people in prayer) the people will not be able to hear him due to his (excessive) weeping. So order ‘Umar to lead the prayer.” The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said again: “Order Abû Bakr to lead the prayer”. Then ‘Aisha told Hafsah: “Tell the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that if Abû Bakr stands in your place, the people will not be able to hear him due to his weeping, so order ‘Umar to lead the people in prayer”. So Hafsah did this and the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied: “Desist! Verily you are like the companions of Yûsuf[2]. Order Abû Bakr to lead the prayer.”” (al Bukhârî)

 

“Indeed Abû Bakr is a man of tender feelings, if he takes your place he will not be able to lead the people in prayer”. (al Bukhârî)

 

The Weeping of Umar (radiAllahu anhu)

 

The weeping of ‘Umar (radiAllahu anhu) could be heard from the last rows, as it has been reported to us by ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddâd, who said,

“I heard the sobbing of ‘Umar from the last rows while he was reciting the verse from the Qur’ân: “I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allâh”. (12:86) (al Bukhârî, al Bayhaqi (2/251), Sahîh)

 

 

The Weeping of ‘Uthmân ibn ‘Affan (radiAllahu anhu)

 

On the authority of Hâni, the freed slave of ‘Uthman, who said

“When ‘Uthmân ibn ‘Affan stood at a grave he wouls weep until his beard was wet. So it was said to him: “Indeed you make mention of Paradise and Hellfire and you do not weep, and you are weeping at this?”. He replied, “Indeed the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Verily the grave is the first abode of the Hereafter, if one is saved from it then what follows is made easier for him. And if one is not saved from it, then what follows is more severe”. He also (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “I have never seen a sight more horrid than the grave”” (at-Tirmidhî -ghareeb, Ibn Mâjah)

 

 

The Weeping of ‘Aisha (radiAllahu anha)

 

Ibn al-Hârith the nephew of ‘Aisha (radiAllahu anha) the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) narrated that she was told that ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr (on hearing that she was selling of giving a gift) said:

“By Allâh, if ‘Aisha does not give this up, I will make hijrah (ie boycott) from her.” She asked, “Did he say this?”. They replied, “Yes”. Then ‘Aisha said, “I vow to Allâh that I will never speak to Ibn az-Zubayr.” When this desertion was prolonged, ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr sought intercession with the people converning her but she said, “By Allâh I will not accept the intercesson of anyone on his behalf and will not commit a sin by breaking my vow”. When this state of affairs was prolonged on Ibn az-Zubayr (ie he felt it hard on himself), he spoke to al-Miswar bin Makhramah and ‘Abdur Rahmân bin al-Aswad bin ‘Abd Yaghûth, who were from the tribe of Bani Zuhrah, saying “I beseech you by Allâh to (help) me to enter upon ‘Aisha, for it is unlawful for her to vow to cut off relations with me [3] “. So al-Miswar and ‘Abdur Rahmân went with him wrapping their cloaks around themselves, they went to ‘Aisha and asked her permission (to enter) saying “Assalâmu alayki wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! May we come in?” ‘ ‘Aisha responded “Come in”. They asked, “All of us?”. She replied “Yes, come in, all of you” unaware that Ibn az-Zubayr was also with them. So when they entered, Ibn az-Zubayr entered the place which screened (‘Aisha from the other men and embraced ‘Aisha and started requesting her to excuse him and wept. al-Miswar and ‘Abdur Rahmân also started urging her to speak to him and to accept his apology. They said to her: “You know what the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) forbade regarding deserting (not speaking to your Muslim brethren), for it is unlawful for any Muslim not to talk to his brother for more than three nights”. So when they increased in reminding her (of the superiority of having good relations with kith and kin, and of excusing others sins) and of the unhappy and unpleasant constrictions that are a consequence of breaking the ties of relationship, she started reminding them while she wept saying, “I have made a vow, and (the issue of a) vow is a different one”. They persisted in their appeal until she spoke to ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr and she freed forty slaves as an expiation for her vow. Later on whenever she remembered her vow, she would weep so profusely that her veil would become wet with her tears”. (al Bukhârî)

 

The Weeping of Umm Ayman (radiAllahu anha) and Her Stirring of Abû Bakr and ‘Umar to Weep

 

On the authority of Anas who said: “Abû Bakr said to ‘Umar, after the death of the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam),

“Let us go and visit Umm Ayman (the nursemaid/servant of the Prophet saw during his childhood), as the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to visit her.” When they finished visiting her (and were about to leave) she began to cry. So they asked her: “What is it that makes you cry? Is not that which is with Allâh better for the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)?” So she replied, “I am not crying because I am unaware that that which is with Allâh is better for the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but I am crying because the revelation from the heavens has stopped.” This moved them to tears, so they both began to weep with her.” (Muslim)

 

 

The Weeping of ‘Abdur Rahmân ibn ‘Auf (radiAllahu anhu)

 

On the authority on Sa’d ibn Ibrahîm, that his father said,

“‘Abdur Rahmân ibn ‘Aud was brought some food when he had been fasting, and he remarked: “Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr has been martyred, and he was better than me. His shroud was so short, that if his head was covered (with it) then his legs showed, and if his legs were covered, then his head showed, and I witnessed this.” He also said, “Hamzah was martyred and he was better than me. And now the world has been spread out for us.” Or he said: “We have been given the Abû ndance of the world, and we fear that we have been rewarded for our good deeds here (quickly in this world only)”. Then he began to cry, such that he left his food” (al Bukhârî)

 

 

The Weeping of Salman al-Farsi (radiAllahu anhu)

 

On the authority of Anas (radiAllahu anhu) who said,

“Salman was suffering from illness, so Sa’d visited him and saw him crying, so he said to him, “What is it that makes you weep, O my brother? Did you not accompany the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)? Is that not so, is that not so?!” Salman replied, “I am not weeping for either of the following reasons: I am not weeping for the sake of the world nor out of hate of the Hereafter. Rather the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) entrusted me with a pledge, and I can only see myself as having transgressed.” So he asked, “What were you entrusted with?” He replied, “He entrusted me with a pledge that the provision of a traveller should suffice anyone of us, and I see myself as only having transgressed. And as for you, O Sa’d! Fear Allâh with your ruling when you make a judgement, and fear Him with your distribution when you distribute, and fear Him with your intention when you intend to do something.”” (Ibn Mâjah and others)

 

Thâbit said:

“I heard that he only left twenty dirhams from the money that he had (after his death)” (Sahîh Sunan Ibn Mâjah)

 

 

The Weeping of Abû Hashim ibn ‘Utbah (radiAllahu anhu)

 

On the authority of Samurah bin Sahm, who said:

“I went to Abû Hashim ibn ‘Utbah and he had a knife wound. So Mua’wiyah came to visit him, and Abû Hashim was crying. So Mua’wiyah asked: “What is it that makes you cry, O Uncle?! Is it the pain or is it for the world (that you are crying)?” He replied, “Neither, but the Messenger of Allâh entrusted me with a trust and I wish that I had carried it out.” He said, “Verily you may attain some of the wealth which will be divided between the people. Indeed, sufficient for you is: a servant and a riding animal for the sake of Allâh.” So I did attain this wealth and accumulated it (ie he acquired more than what the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) advised him to suffice himself with).” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhî, an-Nasâ’î, Ibn Mâjah)

 

Footnotes:

(1) The sound of weeping without sobbing. The Arabic word used is khaneen, meaning a sound which issues from the nose (an Nihayah). Al Hâfidh says in al-Fath, It is reported as Haneen with a “h” by msot of those who related Sahîh al Bukhârî and al-Kashmihani related it as khaneen; the first refers to the sound that emanates from weeping of the chest and the second, from the nose.

(2) al Hâfidh said in al-Fath: “The similarity between ‘Aisha and the people of yusuf was that the wife of the ‘Aziz had invited some of the women (of her town) to honour them with a royal feast but her real motive was that she wanted to exhibit the beauty of Yusuf (alaiahissalam) to them. And ‘Aisha’s apparent motive for requesting the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) to spare her father from the responsibility of leading the people in prayer was that (due to his being a very sensitive man) the faithful would not be able to hear his recitation due to his weeping (whilst reciting). However the more complete meaning here is (her real motive is that she feared) that other people might see a bad omen in him (in case of the death of the Prophet saw). It is reported by al-Bukhârî, on the authority of ‘Aisha who said, “I persisted in my request to the Messenger of Allâh (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with regards to this as much as I could. Because it never entered my heart that the people could ever love a man who took the Messenger of Alllah’s place, so I wanted the Messenger of Allâh to change his mind about Abû Bakr” (also in Muslim).

(3) al-Hâfidh said “Because he was her nephew and she was mainly responsible for his upbringing”.

[Book: Weeping from the fear of Allah, page:13-18]