Friday, January 27, 2017

Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- The Blessing of Righteous Companions

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Having righteous companions is a blessing, even for a dog.

Ibn 'Atiyyah says that his father told him that he heard a sermon of Abu al-Fad1Jawhari in the Hijrah year 469 at the Great Mosque of Egypt. Speaking on the Mimbar, he was telling everyone, 'whoever loves good people, he too gets a share from their goodness. See when the dog of the Al-Ashab al-Kahf (companions of the cave) loved them and followed them closely as if appended with them, Allah Ta'ala mentioned it in the Qur'an'.

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ ۚ وَنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ ۖ وَكَلْبُهُم بَـٰسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِٱلْوَصِيدِ ۚ لَوِ ٱطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا ﴿١٨

And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror. (18) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:18]

سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ ۚ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ ۗ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءً ظَـٰهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا ﴿٢٢

They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone." (22) [Qu'an, Al-Kahf 18:22] 

Al-Qurtubi mentions this report of Ibn 'Atiyyah in his Tafsir. In his comments, he says when a dog can reach this station by being in the company of the righteous and the saintly, imagine how high the station of true believers and pure monotheists who love righteous men of Allah would be. In fact, there is comfort and good news in this event for Muslims who are weak in deeds but do love the Holy Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, fully and duly.

Anas radhiallahu anhu, said, "One day, I and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam were coming out of the Masjid. We met a person at the door. He asked, "Ya Rasulullah, when will the Qiyamah come?" He said, "What preparations have you already made for Qiyamah? (In view of which you want it to come soon)."Hearing this, the man was somewhat ashamed and corrected himself by saying, "I have not collected a lot of prayers, fasts and charities for Qiyamah, but I love Allah and His Messenger." He said, "If so, [on the day of Qiyamah] you shall be with those whom you love." Anas says, "when we heard this bliss of a sentence from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, we were so happy that we had never been that happy since we embraced Islam." After that, Anas said, "Alhamdulillah, I love Allah, His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam, Abu Bakr and Omar radhiAllahu anhuma, therefore, I look forward to being with them." [Qurtubi]

You love someone because you feel they are close to Allah. Their closeness to Allah wins your love for them. It is a very virtuous deed indeed when you love someone for Allah. Through it you get the sweetness of faith. You feel content and your heart is tranquil. The heart moves with Allah.

The sign that you love someone for Allah is that you can leave them when they are distant from Allah. People who are distant from Allah, you have an aversion of them. You don't want to be their best friend.

Choose your friends carefully. You will be like them. These are the people that can bring you closer to Allah or away from Allah.

The one whose words guide you to Allah is the one who speaks by Allah. He directs you to Allah and withdraws from other than Him. When he speaks, he takes all the hearts, and when he is silent, his state raises you to the Knower of the Unseen worlds. So his state confirms his words and his words are in harmony with his knowledge. The company of someone like this is an elixir which transforms the sources. This is understood from the words of the Shaykh, "If someone's state does not lift you up, then do not keep his company." Keep the company of the one whose state will lift you up and whose words will lead you to Allah...ibn Ajiba's commentary.

It is good to love the believers because this is your means of success in the Day of Judgment.

When you see righteousness in your friends, it is good to say "I love you."

May Allah grant us righteous companions and make us of the righteous. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam

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