Graves in a Masjid - Shiekh Sha'rawi

"....Said those who prevailed over their affair, 'We will raise over them a place of worship.' "

القوَّة المتين

اللهمَّ إنّي تبرَّأت إليك من حولي وقوَّتي وعلمي ، والتجأت إليك بحولك وقوَّتك وعلمك يا ذا القوَّة المتين .

Oh God to You I plead innocence from my ability, my strength and my knowledge; and through Your ability, strength and knowledge I take refuge in You.
Oh possessor of vigorous strength.

Pre Exam/Ramadan/Missing my sister Zuhud

I need something to take my mind off studying and to get some good deeds in before Ramadan and my exam. And of course I desperately need something that will absolve me of sins - “Truly good deeds wipe out bad deeds”. So here’s a translation of what Shiekh Mustapha Bugha and Shiekh Muhy Deen Mistaw wrote concerning one of the 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi’s famous collection.

The commentary is from their book Al Wafi Fe Sharh AlArba’in Al Nawawi “The Consummate Concerning the Explanation of Nawawi’s Forty.”

I have only translated some of their comments.

The Reality and Fruits of Zuhud

Abu-l Abbas sahl ibn Sa’d as-Sa ‘idi said,

“A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, tell me an action which if I do it, Allah will love me and people will love me.’ He said, ‘Do without the world and Allah will love you, and do without that which people have and people will love you.”

A good Hadith which Ibn Majah and others narrated with good chains of transmission.

(Translation of hadith taken from “The Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdon” of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali translated by Abdassamad Clarke Turath Publishing, London, 2007.

This Hadith comprises of two great pieces of advice from the body of advice of the Prophet, God Bless him and sent Peace upon him.

The first: Zuhud (translated as ‘doing without’ by Clarke) concerning the world and how it is a means to achieve God’s love (He be Exalted).

The second: Zuhud concerning that which is in the hands of people and how that is a means to attaining their love.

One of the things which can be said definitively of Islam is that a person will only be among the felicitous and successful in both this world and the next if:
§ He can attain God’s love through preferring the permanency of the life to come over the fleeting life of this world.
§ He can attain the love of the people after raising himself above the morsels that they have and with dignity and denial ascend to the reaches of al Baqiyat al Salihat the Remaining Goodness.
For these things are in the hereafter better and ever lasting.

It is for this reason that ibn Hajar al Haitami said concerning this hadith:
“It is one of four hadith on which Islam revolves”



The meaning of Zuhud

There are numerous terms which the Righteous Predecessors and those that followed them used in explaining Zuhud in this World. However all of these sayings return back to what Imam Ahmed narrated from Abu Idris al Khaulani, may God be pleased with him, that he said, “The state of Zuhud isn’t in making the lawful unlawful nor wasting of property. The state of having Zuhud in the world is when that which is in God’s Hand is more certain than that which is in your hands. That if some adversity befalls you, you would be the more concerned with its reward and provision than the adversity itself, even if it remained.”

In this explanation there are three things to note all of which are from the acts of the heart and none from the acts of the limbs. For this reason Abu Sulaiman al Darani used to say: “do not testify to someone’s Zuhud, for Zuhud is in the heart”.

These three items are:

1. That which is in the Hand of God is more certain to the servant of God than that which is in his hand.
This comes from sound trust and certainty in the provision that God has warranted for His servants. God says:
“And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance thereof dependeth on Allah. He knoweth its habitation and its repository. All is in a clear Record”. Hud 6

And He, the Glorified says:
“And in the heaven is your providence and that which ye are promised;” al - dhariyat 22

2. If adversity befalls a servant in this world, such as losing property or offspring, he concerns himself more with the rewards of the hereafter than wishing that that which he lost in this world would remain.
This again comes from complete faith and it indicates Zuhud in the world and thinking little of that which is in it.

It is narrated from ibn Umar concerning the Messenger of God, God bless him and send upon him Peace, that he used to say:
“O Allah, apportion to us enough fear of You to interpose between us and acts of disobedience to You, and enough obedience to You to make us reach Your Garden, and enough certainty for You to make the afflictions of the work seem little to us.” (Translation from Clarke)

3. When on the truth, it should be the same to a servant if he is praised or censured.
This is among the signs of Zuhud in the world and detesting it and placing little importance to it.
Ibn Mas‘ud said: “Certainty (yaqin) is not pleasing people by means of displeasing God.”


From among the accounts used to explain Zuhud is the saying of Hasan Al Basri: “The one who has Zuhud is the one who if he sees another says ‘he is better than me’.”

There is also the saying of Wahab ibn al Ward, may God have mercy on him, “Zuhud in the world is that you do not loose heart about losing out on something from it and do not become content with getting something from it.”

There is also the saying of al Zahri when he was asked about Zuhud, where upon he said “He who unlawful things (haram) do not overcome his patience, and he who lawful things (halal) do occupy him from thankfulness”.

There is also the saying of Sufwan ibn ‘Uyainah, “The one with Zuhud is he who if blessed with some favour gives thanks, and if tried with something is patient.”

And the saying of Rab‘iyah “The fountain head of Zuhud is gathering things with its rightfulness and putting things down with its rightfulness”.

And the saying of Sufyan al Thauri “Zuhud in the world is shortening aspirations. It is not the eating of uncouth things and not the wearing of cloaks.

And the saying of Imam Ahmed, “Zuhud in the world is shortening of aspirations and giving up on that which is in the hand of others”.

The Strangest Response to the Adhan

This is a really nice adhan by the great Syrian Madih Hassan Haffaar but the "crowd" has a weird response.

http://www.20at.com/media/hafar%20adan.rm

البناء و الإعراب

I was reading a good Arabic grammar and just wanted to share:

There is no real rule for which a word is مبني on a dammah, fatha, kasrah or sakun. The only way to know this is by hearing proper speech.

This does not pose a great problem as the majority of words in Arabic are معرب and not مبني.



The general rule is that verbs are مبني and that nouns are معرب. Some nouns are مبني because they resemble prepositions which are مبني. Similarly present and future tense verbs are معرب because they appear like nouns in the number of letters and vowel markings and the lack of vowels. E.g. ناصر and ينصر .

Some Notes from al Razi's Tafsir of the chapter of the pen

تفسير مفاتيح الغيب ، التفسير الكبير/ الرازي
Some points I pick up from Mafathih al Gaib, “The keys of the unseen” Of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, also known as the Grad Tafsir.


The Prophet has been give three characteristics in the opening of this chapter:
1. Denial of madness
2. Reward without cease
3. Great Character - This being a great proof that he, upon whom be Peace and Blessings, is not mad

وهي قوله: { لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ } وكلمة على للاستعلاء، فدل اللفظ على أنه مستعمل على هذه الأخلاق ومستول عليها، وأنه بالنسبة إلى هذه الأخلاق الجميلة كالمولى بالنسبة إلى العبد وكالأمير بالنسبة إلى المأمور.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

“And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.”

The word “upon” is for superiority. The word “upon” denotes that he is the user of such manners and the one who seizes it. He is to these handsome manners like the master is to the slave, like the commander is to the footman.



{ بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلْمَفْتُونُ }
“Which of you is afflicted with madness.”

There are different ways to look at the verse.
1. The Ba is added as extra صلة زائدة so that the meaning is “which one of is has been tormented with madness.
2. That المفتون here means madness, which one of you is mad.
3. That the Ba means ‘in’. So that the meaning becomes: you will see and they will see which of the two parties has the madman, the party of Islam and the party of Infidels.
4. المفتون is Satan.


عُتُلٍّ

“Concerning this, the sayings of the exegetes are numerous, all of which revolve around two matters: that it is defamation of character or that it is a physical defamation.”

Some of the opinions of the latter being: fat, grossly obese, physically disgusting, large stomached, a brute, etc

{ وَغَدَوْاْ عَلَىٰ حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ }

“They went betimes, strong in (this) purpose.”
حَرْد


This can mean:
1. Prevention. One would say حاردت السنة “the year has prevented” if it has rained little preventing crops. وحاردت الناقة “the camel has prevented” if the camel has not provided milk.
2. Anger.
3. Purpose and speed.
4. The proper name of the garden.


{ أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَآءُ فَلْيَأتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ إِن كَانُواْ صَادِقِينَ }
“Or have they other gods? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful”

There are two ways to look at this:
1. Do you have things that you believe are partners with God, and do you believe that these partners will treat you like the believers in rewards and deliver you from punishment?
2. Do you have partners from among men that join you in this idea of equating between believers and criminals?


{ يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ }

“On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,”

What is causing the word “day” to be accusative? [grossly: what is happening on this day, or what is happening to this day?]

1. It is accusative by the sentence فَلْيَأتُواْ بِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ “Bring your partners…” [I.e. bring your partners on the day that the shins will be uncovered…]
2. It is accusative by a hidden word – “Remember”
3. This sentence assumes the saying: “The day the shins will be uncovered such and such will happed”.

***NB this is a literal translation of the word َ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ “uncover the shins”, but as Razi points out a number of possible means, one of which is that it is God’s shins. However he refutes this interpretation for many reasons.


Possible meanings he gives for the term “uncovering of the shins”


• A time of hardship. This has been quoted by Sabooni in his explanation.
• The reality of the matter will be uncovered. The shin of a thing is its origin – that which it stands on. Like the shin of a tree- the trunk of a tree.
• The leg of Hell, or the leg of the Throne, or the leg of an awesome angel.
• Then there is the opinion of the Mushabiha who say that it is God’s legs. This is refuted for the below reasons:
o Every body is an effect (Hadath opposite of Azzal eternal).
o Uncovering the legs does not make a thing known, a thing is known by uncovering the face.
o And other reasons

It should be noted that Razi says:
وأجمع العلماء على أنه لا يجوز صرف الكلام إلى المجاز إلا بعد تعذر حمله على الحقيقة،
The scholars have Ijma’, consensus, that it is prohibited to defer a description to allegory unless taking its literal meaning is excused.

Razi also notes that there are those that say that this day will not be on the Day of Judgment, but a day in this world. This opinion being based on the fact that people will be called to prostrate to God, whereas on the Day of Judgment there is no worship or taklif, no consequential choice. However, to answer the evidence put forth, Razi says that the call to prostration will be done as a means of reproach and embarrassment.


{ لَّوْلاَ أَن تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ }
“Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.”

Does this verse allude to him committing a sin?
The answer is taken from a number of directions:
1. The word لَوْلاَ “had it not been” indicates that the humiliation had yet to occur.
2. The humiliation is indicative of leaving the better option. The good deeds of the Abrar are the sins of the Muqarabin.
3. This event may have happened before the prophethood, as He says فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُ “and His Lord selected him” and the preposition Fa indicates order of occurrence.

Ending of the Chapter of the Pen

This is the last portion of the main body of tafsir that Sabooni has provided in his book. There is a section on the Balagha of the chapter. I didn't translate it because I have no idea what the equivalent terms in English would be.

I'll come back to these translations and make them read better. - Inshallah.

Please comment if you find a mistake.

33

Such was the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they did but know.



The like of the punishment that befell the People of the Garden shall befall Quraish. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater and harsher than the worldly punishment. If only they had understanding or knowledge.
Ibn Abbas said: “This is a parable of the Meccans as they set out for Badr. They took an oath that they would not return until they killed Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and his companions and drunk the wine and set the songstresses to sing. Then God disappointed their dreams. They were killed, taken as captives and routed up just as the people of this garden set out assured of their picking and then had their hopes dashed.

Then God mentioned the state of the God fearing believers following the mention of the malefactor Pagan Meccans’ state.


34

Lo! for those who keep from evil are gardens of bliss with their Lord.

Truly, for the God fearing will be gardens and orchards containing only pure bliss. In which there will be no tarnish from distress or spoiling of delight as occurs in this World.

35

Shall We then treat those who have surrendered as We treat the guilty?

This is a question posed to rebuke. Shall we equate between the obedient and the sinner? Between the spiritually excellent and the criminal?


36

What aileth you? How foolishly ye judge!


Strange is their equating the obedient and the sinner, the believer and the disbeliever. The like of this should never come from a rationale person.


37

Or have ye a scripture wherein ye learn

Do you have a book revealed from Heaven which you read and study?

38

That ye shall indeed have all that ye choose?

This sentence is the grammatical object of “You study”. That is, you study in this book that for you is which you please and desire. This is another rebuke of the polytheists’ false claim where they said: If there is a resurrection and judgment, then we will be better off than the believers, just as we better off in the World.
Al Tabari said: “This is a rebuke for those people and a scolding for what they said falsely and for their delusive hopes”


39

Or have ye a covenant on oath from Us that reacheth to the Day of Judgment…

Do you have with us agreements strictly binding until the Day of Judgment?

that yours shall be all that ye ordain?

This is its answer [answer to the first part of the verse]: That for you is which you want and decide?
Ibn Kathir said: “The meaning is, do you have with you oaths and agreements that that which you desire and wish will come to pass?”


40

Ask them (O Muhammad) which of them will vouch for that!

Oh Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم ask those arrogant people who will be the guarantee and advocate for your claim?
This is a sort of mockery sarcasm. They make ruling outside of rationale thought, which any logic would reject and any judgement would dismiss.

41

Or have they other gods? Then let them bring their other gods if they are truthful

Do they have supporters or partners who will guarantee for them this? Then let them bring them if they are truthful in their claim.
In the Tas-heel it is said: “This renders the disbelievers unable. The meaning is, if they have partners that have ability over anything, then let them bring them forth and present them so we can see their state.

Upon falsifying their claims and making their delusions ridiculous, God begins to delineate the events of the Hereafter and its trials.


42

On the day when it befalleth in earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able,
Translation of Yusuf Ali: “The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,”

Oh Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم remind your people that critical day when the horrid calamity will be uncovered, extreme in its horror and harshness.
Ibn Abbas said: “It is the Day of Reserection, a day of worry and calamity.”
Qurtabi said: “The origin of this is that when someone finds himself in needing great strength he rolls up his pant leg thus making the leg bare. Revealing the leg is in the subject matter of calamity . (literally the verse says: the day the leg will be bare”)

Just like the saying of al Rajz:

She uncovered her leg so they intensified;
The battle is escalated against you so escalate (yourselves)!

And the disbelievers will be called to prostrate to the lord of the Worlds and they will not be able.
In the Prophetic tradition:

“Every believer male and female will prostrate to God. There will remain he who in the World prostrated out of show and ostentation. He will go to prostrate but his spine will return rigid like a piece of wood( إلا جعل الله ظهره طبقة واحدة).”

43

With eyes downcast,

Abased and humiliated will be their eyes, they will be unable to lift them.

abasement stupefying them.

Humiliation and disgrace will overcome and overwhelm them.

And they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt.

Their state was such that they were called to prostrate while their bodies were healthy, but they rejected the call.
Imam al Fakhir said: “They are not called to prostrate in worship and in following commandment, but in jest and bitterness against their rejecting prostration in the world. Then God will solidify against them the ability to prostrate. He will come between them and their ability until it increases their regret for what they neglected while they had able bodies”


44

Leave Me (to deal) with those who give the lie to this pronouncement.

Leave Me oh Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and he who belies the Quran, so that I may suffice you his evil and revenge you! This is the most extreme promise of punishment.

We shall lead them on by steps from whence they know not.

We will take him in a progressive manner, from goodness to destruction and doom, such that he will not even notice.
Al Hasan said: “How many are there that are tested will being praised. And how many are fooled with a covering upon them” [i.e. their faults are hidden]
Al Razi said: “الاستدراج is when one is brought down one step at a time until he is entangled in trouble. So every time they commit a sin, God renews for them a blessing and makes them forget repentance. Istidraj happens to them from blessings being bestowed upon them. However, they estimate it to be God’s favour on them over the believers. It is in reality the cause of their destruction.”

45

Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm.


Let them take their time, let their lives be elongated so that they may only increase in sin.

Truly my revenge against the rejects of faith is stern, strong.

In the Prophetic tradition: “Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He takes him over, He never releases him” Then he صلى الله عليه و سلم read the verse: “Even thus is the grasp of thy Lord when He graspeth the townships while they are doing wrong. Lo! His grasp is painful, very strong.” Surah Hud verse 102
He called his benevolence a trap, just as he called it istidraj because it is in the form of a trap. So whatever befalls them in expanse of provisions, length in life and physical health is benevolence in appearance, but calamity in secret; this because its purpose is punishment.

46

Or dost thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed?

Do you Oh Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم ask them a monetary fee for the prorogation of your message which causing them to reject faith because of its heavy burden?
The purpose here, is to mock them for their lack of faith. For the Prophet does not ask from them anything in return.
The Khazin says: “The meaning is: do you ask from them a price burdening them by taxing their wealth and thus hold them back form faith?”


47

Or is the Unseen theirs that they can write (thereof)?


Do they have the Preserved Tablet that contains the unseen, so they relate from it that they are better than the people of faith? And for this they have stayed on disbelief and false worship?
This is a question asked in rebuke and mockery.

48

But wait thou for thy Lord's decree,

Be patient Oh Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم over their mistreatment. Continue the command of the propagation of your message.

and be not like him of the fish,

Do not be vexed and in haste, just as Jonah the son Amittai, upon whom be peace, when he was angered by his people’s disbelief. He left them and took to the sea where he was swallowed by a whale.

who cried out in despair.

When he called his Lord inside the whale, filled with worry, “There is no Allah save Thee. Be Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.” (The Prophets verse 87).

49

Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him

That is His Mercy.

he surely had been cast into the wilderness while he was reprobate.

He would have been thrown into the vast emptiness, void of trees and mountains. And he would have been grieved over what he committed. But God blessed him by allowing him to make repentance and he was not left worried.

50

But his Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous.

His Lord selected him for his service and made him among His close ones.
Ibn Abbas said: “God returned to him the Revelation, and He mediated for him his people.”


51

And lo! those who disbelieve would fain disconcert thee with their eyes

The pagans, in extreme enmity towards you, try to inflict you with their eyes.
This comes from their saying: “He looked at me a look that inflicted me” [fall into fit].
Ibn Kathir said: “In this verse there is proof that the Evil Eye, its power and effect are true by the command of God (Blessed and Exalted). And the Prophetic Tradition emphasises this: “If something was to succeed the Decree, The Evil Eye would succeed it”.

when they hear the Reminder, and they say: Lo! he is indeed mad;

When they hear you reading the Quran, they say, in extreme loathing and hate: “truly Muhammad is mad. God says in refutes by saing:

52

When it is naught else than a Reminder to creation.

This Quran, which cannot be imitated, is nothing more than a warning and reminder for Man and Jinn. So how can they subscribe madness to the one to whom it was revealed? God ends the chapter with a clear explanation of the greatness of the Quran just as He started with the greatness of the Prophet so that He makes the beginning and ending complementary in a manner that is most charming in clarity and beautiful in completion.

Hal tara min Fatoor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y

David looks at this amazing bird, which mimics the calls of other birds - and chainsaws and camera shutters! From BBC Worldwide