In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Abu al-Darda’ (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.” [Related by Tirmidhi]
The inheritors of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are the inheritors of knowledge. Knowledge is primarily intuitive knowledge. It is the heart knowledge. That heart knowledge is preserved through transmitted and rational knowledge.
Knowledge is of two types: Knowledge of the heart and that is the beneficial knowledge (al-'ilm al-nafi'), and the knowledge that does not go to the heart- knowledge that is just information and not transformation. Knowledge is not a line that is written but rather true knowledge is the spirit that is blown into.
The knowledge possessed by the true scholars is the knowledge deemed beneficial by Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). This knowledge was defined by Imam Ghazali as being, “Knowledge of the way to Allah Most High and the next life.”
It is not just information: rather, it is the way of transforming oneself outwardly and inwardly, in order to become true slaves of Allah, on the path of His Beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
This is the “deep understanding in religion” that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) praised when he said, “Whomever Allah wishes well for He gives deep understanding (fiqh) in religion.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
This deep understanding (fiqh) was defined by Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah have mercy on him) when he said, “Fiqh is to know one’s self: what is for it and against it.” Deep understanding of religion encompasses all three dimensions of the religion: beliefs (Iman), outward actions (Islam), and, most importantly, spiritual excellence (Ihsan).
It is important to understand that the transmitted sciences, rational sciences, scientific knowledge are tools to ultimately prepare us for the ultimate knowledge, which is the knowledge of Allah. This inheritance is vast and you can take as much as you can carry. It is not like the inheritors of faraid and wealth. Anyone can take as much as he wants, regardless of age, color, race, economic status, strength, size, etc. The inheritance of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is for everybody and it is waiting for you.
From this inheritance is the khuluq (character) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). It is his khuluq that Allah praised him.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ[Qur'an, Al-Qalam 68:4]
And indeed, you are of a great moral character. (4)
This should be what people should associate you, as Muslims, with--not your beards, hats, turbans, thawbs, hijabs, niqabs, jilbabs, not the fact that you don't eat pork nor drink, not the fact that you don't eat and drink in Ramadhan, etc. When people say "Muslims", it is good character.
The character of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is beyond anything that we can imagine. Just by attempting to be like him, we reach the best that is in us. From that character was his honor and his love for his family and relatives.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was the Qur'an. 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about the character of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and she replied, "His character was the Qur'an." He had embodied the knowledge of the Qur'an.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that of all the Ayah in the Qur'an, there is one Ayah that gathers all the meanings that is in the Qur'an:
ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ ﴿٤٥[Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:90]
Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (90)
Allah commands justice, spiritual excellence, generosity with your families and your relatives, condemns lewdness transgression, oppression, and exhorts that you might take heed. This is the most comprehensive verse in the Book of Allah regarding what is good and what is evil.
فَـَٔاتِ ذَا ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلْمِسْكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣٨[Qur'an, Ar-Rum 30:38]
So give the relative his right, as well as the needy and the traveler. That is best for those who desire the countenance of Allah, and it is they who will be the successful. (38)
Go visit your family and relatives today. If you are not close by to them, make a video call.
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was the embodiment of Ihsan--worshiping Allah as if you see Him. He honored his family whether Muslims, non Muslims or polytheists. Some of us have family members who are not Muslims or Muslims in name but don't practice Islm. The way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is to serve all of them and be giving to all of them.
The family is very important in Islam. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) taught us that this connection is a sacred bond.
What is husnul khuluq? Is it to be good just to the who is good to you. Is it just to read the book on adab and we say the right thing at the right time--how to give greetings, how to sit, how to eat? Khuluq is that which is virtue that is rooted in your heart. The person who goes and visit their family members because I have to, or I should, or I don't want my parents to be upset with me, is not the same as the person who goes and visit their families because they loved them. Allah says,
...قُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا[Qur'an, An-Aam 6:151]
Say, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, excellent treatment ...
Allah, after commanding us not to associate partners with Him, He charges us to treat our parents, and by extension your grandparents and your elders, with Ihsan. Ihsan, when it relates to Allah, has the meaning of Allah's blessing, Allah favoring us even though we don't deserve it. Ihsan with regards to the human being is your rahma-- it is your mercy and compassion. Passion actually comes from a root which means to suffer--what is the thing that keep you up at night, the thing that causes your heart to quake and yearn. Compassion is that you feel the suffering of another human being. When you feel the suffering of another human being and you moved towards to remove that suffering, that is compassion. It is not just the person who gives money because they are supposed to, a good thing to do, or to impress people, they do because their heart is generous. The generosity of the hand is an extension of the generosity of the soul. Visiting our families is an opportunity to exercise this generosity. When you visit your family inshaa Allah you are manifesting a good khuluq.
Husnul khuluq (good character) is that you pardon the one who oppressed you, who wronged you. You maybe in the right but you work towards forgiving them. Some of us have been wronged by our families. Religion is not an opium, not an escape but it helps us face ourselves and rectify ourselves. If you don't forgive your family, it is like poison that will ultimately eat away at your soul. You can be doing all the praying and fasting but you won't be coming to Allah. For most people, there is always one person in a family that they don't get along with. Rectify that. Do it from your heart. Do it because you need to heal. You need to move on so that you can go to Allah, so that you don't come to Allah in the Day of Judgment with that weighing you down.
Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also said that husnul khuluq is that you give to those who withheld from you. When they need you, you don't refuse to help them because they have withheld from you. You give because giving is from the character of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). And he is the most giving in Ramadhan.
Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was the most generous of people in charity, but he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan. Jibril (peace be upon him) would meet him every year during the month of Ramadhan until it ended, and Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) recited to him the Qur'an; and when Jibril (peace be upon him) met him, Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was most generous in giving charity like the blowing wind. (Muslim)
When you visit your family, take a gift to them, whatever you know they like, or make something for them. The best gifts are the gifts that you make with your hands. Your hands are an expression of your heart. Gifts that you make yourself is not the same as store bought, even if it is expensive or maybe nicer.
Husnul khuluq is that you connect with someone who sever ties. Good character is not following and adab book. If you are only good to those who are good to you, what good are they. Anyone can do that. Even a dog can do that. Treat the dog nice (give it food), the dog will start to wag its tail when it sees you. The muhsin (doer of good) is someone who treats the person who is evil to them with good. Allah says, repel evil with that which is better. When a person treats a mu'min (believer) good, the mu'min treats him better. The people who cut off ties with you, maybe because of something you said or did, you have to respond to such things with love and beauty. Your family is the incubator that gives you the training to deal with the world. Allah puts all kinds of character in your family--the good, the bad and the ugly, and each person in your family, you will meet the same character later on in your life. Allah give you these people for a reason. Visit them, call them, and you will see great things inshaa Allah.
May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge, and the success to act upon it as He loves, so that we become of those who love Him and whom He loves.
May Allah make our families the sources of comfort and joy. May Allah strengthen the love in our families and make our families places of knowledge of Him, forbearance, clemency, working together to serve Him, His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and His creation. May Allah make our families ambassadors of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), beloved to Him and pleasing to Him in all of our days. May Allah make us, our parents, our ancestors that were believing, our children and our progeny to the Last day among those whom He has favored and drawn near, those who He gazes upon with grace and mercy, and those He entered into paradise.
May Allah make us and those who are connected to us amongst those who are in the company of Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and who will drink from his hands at the hawdh. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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