Umar’s advice to his son from his deathbed

Ibn Abi’-Dunya narrated that Yahya ibn Abi Rashid al-Basri said: Umar [radiAllahu anhu] said to his son,

“Be economical with my shroud, for if there is good for me with Allah, He will exchange it for me for that which is better than it. If I have been otherwise, He will strip me and be very fast in stripping me.

Be economical in the grave you dig for me, for if there is good for me with Allah, He will expand it for me as far as my sight can reach. If I have been otherwise, He will tighten it upon me until my ribs interlace.

Let not a woman go out with me (to the grave), and do not attribute to me a purity that I do not have, for Allah has more knowledge of me.

When you go out (with me to the grave) then hasten your pace, for if there is good for me with Allah, you will send me on to what is better for me. If I am otherwise, you will throw an evil you have been carrying down from your necks.”

[al-Khulafa’ ar-Rashidun, page- 166]

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]

Counsel in Sevens

 

Abu Hurayrah (radyAllahu`anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Seven [types of] people are shaded by Allah in the shade of His Throne, on the Day when there will be no shade but His Shade [i.e. on the Day of Judgement] –

[1] a just ruler, a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah, [2] a person whose heart is attached to the mosque [and longs to return to it] from the moment he leaves it until he returns to it, [3] two persons who love each other for the sake of Allah, [4] meet for His sake and depart from each other for His sake, [5] a person who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes well up with tears, [6] a man whom an extremely beautiful and rich woman seduces, but he [rejecting her seduction] says, ‘I fear Allah’; and [7] a person who gives charity and conceals it [to such an extent] that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.”

Narrated by Abu Hurairah & collected in Sahih al-Bukhari (english trans.) vol.1, p.356, no.629 & Sahih Muslim english trans.) vol.2, p.493, no.2248

 

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said, “The miser will not escape one of seven things –

[1] either he will die and the one who will inherit his wealth will spend it in that which Allah the Exalted has forbidden, or [2] Allah will empower over him a tyrant ruler who will take his wealth from him after humiliating him, or [3] He will inflame in him a desire that will cause him to loose his wealth, or [4] he will have the idea of constructing a building in an unsuitable piece of land and will thus waste his wealth, or [5] one of the calamities of the dunya such as drowning, burning, theft or similar things will befall it, or [6] he will be afflicted with permanent illness and he will spend all his wealth seeking a cure, or [7] he will bury the wealth in a place which he will forget and thus will never find it again.”

 

`Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“[1] The one who laughs a lot will lose his respect; [2]the one who makes mockery of people will be mocked by others; [3] the one who is excessive in something will become known for it; [4] the one who speaks a lot will make many blunders; [5] the one who makes many blunders will lose his sense of shame; [6] the one who loses his sense of shame will lose his God-consciousness; and [7] the one who loses his God-consciousness will cause his heart to die.”

`Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said when discussing the saying of Allah the Exalted, “And beneath it was a treasure for them, and their father was righteous man”, “the treasure is a gold tablet and on it were written seven lines:

‘[1] I am amazed at the one who knows death is coming yet laughs; [2] I am amazed at the one who knows that all things are predestined yet becomes distressed over what he has missed; [3] I am amazed at the one who knows about accountability and yet gathers wealth; [4] I am amazed at the one who knows about the Hellfire yet sins; [5] I am amazed at the one who believes in Allah with certainty yet remembers others beside Him; [6] I am amazed at the one who believes in Paradise with certainty yet is at ease in the dunya; and [7] I am amazed at the one who knows Satan is an enemy yet obeys him.”

 

`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) was asked,

“What is heavier than the sky? What is wider than the earth? What is richer than the sea? What is harder than rock? What is hotter than fire? What is colder than ice? What is more bitter then poison?

 

He replied, “[1] Accusing the innocent is heavier than the sky; [2] the Truth is wider than the earth; [3] a content heart is richer than the sea; [4] the heart of a hypocrite is harder than a rock; [5] a tyrant ruler is hotter than fire; [6] being in need of help from a scoundrel is colder than ice; and [7] backbiting is more bitter than poison).”

 

Ibn `Abbas (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“It is a duty on an intelligent person to choose seven things over seven others – [1] poverty over wealth, [2] lowliness over honour, [3] humility over arrogance, [4] hunger over satiety, [5] sadness over happiness, [6] inferiority over superiority, and [7] death over life.”

 

[Preparing For The Day Of Judgement By: Imaam Ibn Hajar Al‘ Asqalani, page 33-35]

8 Advises from 4 Khulafa-e-Rashideen [Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali]

 

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“There are eight things which are adornments for eight others – [1] chastity is the adornment for poverty; [2] gratitude is the adornment for blessings; [3] patience is the adornment for calamity; [4] gentleness is the adornment for knowledge; [5] humility is the adornment for the student; [6] much crying is the adornment for fear [of Allah]; [7] not boasting of one’s generosity to its recipient is the adornment for charity; and [8] complete calmness and inner concentration is the adornment for prayer.”

 

 

`Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“[1] The one who abandons superfluous speech will be given wisdom, [2] the one who abandons superfluous looking will be given the tranquillity of the heart; [3] the one who abandons superfluous food will be given delight in worship; [4] the one who abandons superfluous laughter will be given veneration; [5] the one who abandons superfluous joking will be given a beautiful appearance; [6] the one who abandons the love of the dunya will be granted the love of the Hereafter; [7] the one who abandons busying himself with the faults of others will be given the ability to rectify his own faults; and [8] the one who abandons questioning the Essence of Allah the Exalted will given security from hypocrisy.”

 

 

`Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“Signs of a person who really know Allah are eight  [1] his heart is in a state of fear and [2] hope, [3] his tongue is in a state of praise and [4] gratitude, [5] his eyes are in a state of shame and [6] tears, and [7] his will is in leaving the dunya and [8] seeking the pleasure of his Lord.

 

 

`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“[1] There is no good in prayer without concentration and calmness; [2] there is no good in fasting without refraining from idle talk; [3] there is no good in reading without any contemplation; [4] there is no good in knowledge without piety; [5] there is no good in wealth without generosity; [6] there is no good in brotherhood without caring for another; [7] there is no good in a blessing that is short-lived; and [8] there is no good in supplication without sincerity.”

 

[Preparing For The Day Of Judgement By: Imaam Ibn Hajar Al‘ Asqalani, page 36]

9 Advises from 4 Khulafa-e-Rashideen [Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali]

 

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“Worshippers are of three groups, each group has three signs by which it is known – a group who worship Allah the Exalted out of fear; a group who worship Allah out of hope; and a group who worship Allah out of love. For the first group there are three signs – they disparage themselves; deem their righteous deeds to be few; and there evil deeds to be plenty. For the second group there are three signs – They are an example to others in all situations; they are the most generous of all people in spending their wealth; and they have the best opinion amongst creatures regarding Allah. As for the third group there are three signs – they gave away what they love most and do not care as long as their Lord is pleased with them; and they do that which will displease their nafs to please their Lord, and they are with their Lord in every situation, whether it be in [following] His commandments or [avoiding] His prohibitions.”

 

`Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“The progeny of Satan are nine – Zaltun, Wathin, Laqus, A`wan, Haffaf, Murra, al-Musawwit, Dasim and Walhan. Zaltun commands the markets and he unfurls his banner therein; Wathan commands catastrophes; A`wan commands rulers; Haffaf commands intoxicants; Murra commands licentious music; Laqus commands the Magians; Al-Musawwit commands [false] news which he puts in the mouths of people while they know not its origin; Dasim commands houses; if a man were to enter his house without greeting his wife and family with salam and mentioning the name of Allah the Exalted, Dasim will cause a dispute between husband and wife such that it leads to divorce, separation, or violence; as for Walhan, he whispers [in people’s ears] during ablution, prayer, and other acts of worship.”

 

`Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“The one who observes the five daily prayers in their proper times and is constant in this, Allah will honour him with nine miracles – Allah will love him, his health will be good, angels will protect him, blessedness (baraka) will descend on his house, the sign of the righteous will be  apparent on his face, Allah will soften his heart, he will cross the bridge of al-sirat al-mustaqim [in the Hereafter] at the speed of a flash of lightening, Allah will save him from Hellfire, and Allah will place him amongst the people who have no fear nor are they ever sad.”

 

`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“Shedding tears is of three types – the first is from the fear of Allah’s punishment, the second is from the fear of Allah’s anger, and the third is from the fear of being cut off from Allah. The first one is a compensation for sins, the second is purification from faults, and the third is elevation to the ranks of sainthood accompanied by the pleasure of the Beloved. The fruit of the compensation of sins is salvation from punishment; the fruit of the purification of faults is eternal bliss and high ranks; and the fruit of the elevation to the ranks of sainthood accompanied by the pleasure of the Beloved is glad tidings from Allah the Exalted of His pleasure, of seeing Him, of the visiting of angels, and of an increase in virtue.”

 

[Preparing For The Day Of Judgement By: Imaam Ibn Hajar Al‘ Asqalani, page 37-38]

 

10 Advises from 4 Khulafa-e-Rashideen [Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali]

 

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“There is not a servant whom Allah has given the following ten traits except that he will be saved from all pitfalls and afflictions, reach the rank of those who are close to Allah, and attain the position of the pious ones – the first is perpetual truthfulness together with a content heart; the second, complete patience together with permanent gratitude; the third, perpetual poverty together with ever-present asceticism (zuhd); the fourth, uninterrupted contemplation together with an empty stomach; the fifth, lasting sadness together with continuous fear; the sixth, perpetual struggle together with a humble body; the seventh, perpetual gentleness together with ever-present mercy; the eighth, perpetual love [of Allah] together with shame; the ninth, beneficial knowledge together with perpetual patience; and the tenth, perpetual faith (iman) with an unflappable intellect.”

 

 

`Umar (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“Ten things are not right without ten others –[1] intelligence without God-consciousness, [2] superiority without knowledge, [3] success without fear, [4] power without justice, [5] noble lineage without manners, [6] happiness without security, [7] wealth without generosity, [8] poverty without contentment, [9] [having] a high and exalted position without humility, and [10] jihad without the guidance and support of Allah.”

 

 

`Uthman (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“The most futile of all things are ten – [1] a scholar who is not asked, [2] knowledge which is not acted upon, [3] a correct opinion which is not accepted, [4] a weapon which is not used, [5] a mosque wherein none pray, [6]a copy of the Qur’an which is not read, [7] wealth which is not spent, [8] a horse which is not mounted, [9] knowledge of asceticism by one who pursues the dunya, and [10] a long life in which no provisions have been prepared for the departure,”

 

 

`Ali (radyAllahu`anhu) said,

“[1] Knowledge is the best inheritance, [2] good manners are the best craft, [3] piety is the best provision, [4] worship is the best baggage, [5] righteous action is the best guide, [6] good character is the best companion, [7]gentleness is the best advisor, [8] contentment is the best wealth, [9] [divine] assistance is the best ally, and [10] death is the best teacher.”

 

[Preparing For The Day Of Judgement By: Imaam Ibn Hajar Al‘ Asqalani, page 39-40]

 

Abu Sufyan on money and “a black stallion”: The Justice of Umar bin al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu)

 

From a narrative by Zayd ibn Aslam on the authority of his father. He said,

“When Mu’awiya was ruling Syria, he sent Umar ibn al-Khattab some money and “a black stallion”. He wrote to his father Abu Sufyan asking him to give them to Umar – by “black stallion” he meant a chain – and he wrote to Umar,

“In the fortresses of the Byzantines, I found a group of Muslim captives fettered in iron chains, so I am sending him this one so that the Commander of the Faithful may see it.”

 

The Arabs before that used to fetter in chains. Jarir said:
… or to control black stallions.

 

The messenger left. When he came to Abu Sufyan, he gave him the money and “the black stallion”. Abu Sufyan took “the black stallion” and the letter to Umar but retained the money for himself.

 

When Umar read the letter, he said, .

“So where is the money, O Abu Sufyan?”

He answered, “We had a debt to pay and some help to give; and we have some money due to us from the treasury. So if you will give us some of it, you will settle the accounts with us.”

 

Umar said, “Put him in ‘the black stallion’ until he brings the money.”

 

So Abu Sufyan sent someone who brought him the money, and Umar released him from “the black stallion”.

 

 

When the messenger came back to Mu’awiya, the latter asked him,

“Do you think the Commander of the Faithful liked ‘the black stallion’?”

He said, “Yes, and he put your father in it.”

He asked, “Why?”

He said, “He had given him ‘the black stallion’ and retained the money.”

 

He said, “Yes, by God. Even if it had been al-Khattab, he would have put him in it!”

 

[Al-Iqd al-Farıd, volume I, page 61]

 

Call Yourself to Account before Allah Does

Call Yourself to Account before Allah Does

عمرَ بن الخطَّاب رَضِيَ اللهُ عنهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ حاسِبُوا أَنْفُسَكُم قَبلَ أَنْ تُحَاسِبُوا وَزِنُوا أَنْفُسَكُم قَبلَ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا

 

Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Call yourself to account before Allah does. Weigh your deeds before Allah does.”

Collected by Ahmed in (Az-Zuhd 2/ 30) isnad Hasan.

 

 

Benefits for this topic:

Al-Allamah ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote some remarkable words for this hadeeth in his book, “ Ighaathatu Al-Laahfan”. He said,” There are two ways to call the soul to account for its deeds. The first way is done before the deed and the second is after the action.

The first way is to halt and reflect on the intention for the act. The action isn’t done until its clear (to you) that doing the deed is better than leaving it. Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “May Allah have mercy on a slave that pauses at the intention. If the deed is for Allah it’s done and if it’s for another reason its abandoned.” 

 

Some of the people of knowledge explained Hasan Al-Basri’s words. They said: When the soul is set in motion to do an act with an intention, the slave pauses and thinks. “Is this act possible or not and do I have the ability to do it?” Therefore if it’s not possible he doesn’t proceed. When it’s possible to carry out this action he pauses again and says, “Is it better for me to do this action or leave it?” If it’s better for the slave to refrain from doing this deed, he doesn’t carry it out.

 

Now, if it is better for the slave to do this act, he advances; but pauses again. This time he reflects to see if his reason for doing the deed is for Allah’s face and reward or if it’s for praise , fame or wealth from creation. If his intention is for worldly gain, he quits and leaves this endeavor; even though he could have attained what he desired. The reason he leaves this act is so the soul won’t be accustomed to Shirk. When the soul is accustomed to Shirk-deeds practiced for other than Allah they become easy to do. And on the other hand, deeds done for Allah grow difficult on the soul. They grow to be so difficult that they develop into the most difficult things to practice.

 

 

Lastly if the deed is for Allah’s treasures the slave pauses again. This time he looks to see if he has any one to help and assist him if the action requires such. And if there isn’t anyone who can help, he holds back from the action. This is similar to how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained from fighting Jihad in Mecca, until he had help and power.

 

These are the four steps that are needed to call yourself to account for a deed before its done.

The second type of account is done after the deed is completed. There are three ways to do this:

 

1- Call the soul to account in obedience to Allah. Were there any shortcomings in fulfilling Allah’s rights, which prevented the deed from happening the way it should have?  In reference to Allah’s rights there are six; sincerity, advice to Allah, proficiency, thankfulness to Allah, following the Sunnah , and the ability to acknowledge there were some faults in the action after the deed is complete. Therefore afterwards the slave looks to see if he carried out these six things completely. Did he do them in obedience?

 

2- The soul is called to account to see if leaving the action would have been better.

 

3- The soul is called to account for actions that are permissible and its normal practices. “Why did I do this action? “ Did I do it seeking Allah’s pleasure and Jannah?” and if that’s the reason the deed is a profit. Conversely, “Did I do this act seeking the temporal worldly gain? “ If that’s the reason the profit in that act is now lost!

 

Umar and the Black Stone

 

Al-Bukhârî reports that ‘Umar – [Allâh be pleased with him] – came to the Black Stone (performing tawâf, circumambulation), kissed it, and said,

“I know that you are a stone, you do not cause benefit or harm; and if it were not that I had seen Allâh’s Messenger –[peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him] – kiss you, I would never have kissed you.”

[Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on what has been said about the Black Stone.]

 

 

Points to note:

♠ The illustrious Companion and Caliph ‘Umar reminded us in this narration of the pure belief that benefit and harm are not caused by created objects and thus should not be sought from them. Only Allâh has control over these things.

 

♠We are reminded that acts of worship are taken from Allâh’s Messenger, and a person is not supposed to make up his own way of worship, he must follow the manner of worship that the Prophet taught and practiced.

 

♠ We also learn that once an action is confirmed in the Sunnah, the believer submits and complies and practices it because it is confirmed that Allâh’s Messenger did it, even if we don’t know the wisdom behind it.

 

♠This narration is also an example of how a responsible person tries to clarify and do away with any misunderstandings that people may have about matters of faith. The people had recently left their unbelief and polytheism, so ‘Umar wanted to make it clear that kissing the Black Stone is by no means done as an act of devotion to it, as people used to do with their stone idols.

Adapted from Ibn Hajr, Fath Al-Bârî, and other hadîth commentaries.