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has added a new journalBismillah hir-Rahman ir-Raheem
Was-Salaat was-Salaam
'Ala RasulAllah wa 'ala Alihi wa Sahbihi Ajmaeen
Impressibility of the Salaf
Some notes on the psychology of the early Muslims
"I would come to Ibn Hurmuz, whereupon he would order the servant to close the door and let down the curtain, then he would start speaking of the beginning of this Umma, and tears would stream down his beard." (Malik ibn Anas)
As-Salamu `alaykum:
These are some notes on the psychology of the early Muslims. Recently a contributor pointed out that advances in psychology bear on our interpretation of the texts. This is true, just as as advances in our use of electricity and technology bear on our psychology. For example, the ancients knew darkness and silence at night, we don't. Conversely, they appreciated natural light - the sun, the moon, candles, a fire - as well as heard and felt sound and noise, and, by extension, music and poetry, in ways we could not possibly fathom. Their dreams were probably far more legible than ours - some of those reported dreams carried entire conversations - because they didn't compete for their attention with the clutter of modern distractions - Their bellies also, like their minds and senses, were not overstuffed so they walked lightly upon the earth. Imam Malik reportedly went to stool only once every three days, and he "felt shame before my Lord" if or when this frequency increased.
The Salaf were also far more impressionable than we. They laughed, wept, shook and trembled, and fainted more than we do. It is related that `Umar had dark streaks on his face caused by excessive weeping. They used simple and childlike images to express their emotional states. For example: "I wish I were a little bird in the sky" (Abu Bakr and Ibn Mas`ud); "I wish I were this straw on the ground" (`Umar). Those states were described in simple but striking terms: "When Ibn Mas`ud prayed, he looked like a discarded rag" (Abu Wa'il); "They used to rise in the morning disheveled, dust-covered, pale, with something between their eyes like a goat's knee , having spent the night chanting the Book of Allah, turning and returning from their feet to their foreheads. When Allah was mentioned they swayed the way trees sway on a windy day, then their eyes poured out tears until - by Allah! - they soaked their clothes. By Allah! Folks today are asleep and heedless" (`Ali). Al-Awza`i's contemporaries compared him to a blind man due to his humility.
Ibn Qunfudh in Wasilat al-Islam (p. 145-146) wrote: "Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq - Ja`far ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn `Ali ibn Abi Talib - would turn pale whenever he heard the Prophet mentioned while `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq would turn red and stammer and, as for `Amir ibn `Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-`Awamm, he would weep until his eyes had no tears left in them."
The Sufis pursued those states and cherished them because they recognized them as avenues of spiritual advancement and in line with the Prophetic command to "weep often and laugh little if you knew what I know." They knew, also, that the servant's extreme contrition is a sign of his Lord's acceptance. It is also said that a sign of the Divine acceptance of one's Hajj is the feeling of sorrow at not having performed Hajj correctly as it deserves to be performed.
Ibn Taymiyya in his essay "Sufis and Fakeers" (Majmu` al-Fatawa 11:5-7 epistle entitled al-Sufiyya wa al-Fuqara') purported to correct and reform what he perceived as wrongful Sufi practices and went so far as to claim that the Companions and Successors were never so affected as the Sufis of his time claimed to be. The evidence shows otherwise:
- Al-Hasan al-Basri and Hisham ibn al-Hasan narrated that `Umar sometimes lost consciousness after reciting a verse from the Qur'an, whereupon he would be taken ill and visited for days. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf (13:269); Abu Nu`aym, Hilyat al-Awliya' ("Adornment of the Saints" 1:88 #133); Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib `Umar ("Immense Merits of `Umar" p. 168); Ibn Qudama, al-Riqqa wa al-Buka' ("Softness of Heart and Weeping" p. 166); al-Dhahabi in the Siyar, etc.
- Imam Ahmad in his Kitab al-Zuhd ("The Simple Life" p. 248 #880) narrates from Abu Hayyan that when Ibn Mas`ud passed by the furnace of a blacksmith as they were fanning the fire, he fell unconscious.
- The same is reported from the Tabi`is Malik ibn Dinar by Ibn Qudama in al-Riqqa wa al-Buka' (p. 331) and al-Rabi` ibn Khuthaym - in front of Ibn Mas`ud - by Abu `Ubayd in Fada'il al-Qur'an (p. 65) and Ibn Qudama in al-Riqqa wa al-Buka' (p. 293).
- Certain Tabi`in of Basra such as the qadi Zurara ibn Abi Awfa (in Tabaqat Ibn Sa`d 7:150) and Abu Juhayr upon hearing a certain verse of Qur'an were reported to die on the spot.
- Among those known to faint at the recitation of certain verses were Ahmad's two teachers: Imam al-Shafi`i and the Master of the Hadith Masters Yahya ibn Sa`id al-Qattan as related from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal; also the son of the great Saint Fudayl ibn `Iyad, `Ali ibn al-Fudayl ibn `Iyad (in al-Bayhaqi's Shu`ab al-Iman 5:25, the Hilya 8:297; the Siyar 8:442; and al-Mizzi's Tahdhib al-Kamal 21:960).
- Al-Dhahabi in the Siyar (al-Arna'ut ed. 8:47) relates that a number of people died upon hearing the Qur'anic recitation of Salih al-Murri the Basran admonisher.
- Al-Khatib in Tarikh Baghdad, Ibn al-Jawzi in Manaqib Ahmad, al-Dhahabi in the Siyar and the Mizan and others related that Imam Ahmad wept to the point that he passed out upon hearing the discourse of the Sufi Shaykh, al-Harith al-Muhasibi for the first time. Al-Dhahabi comments: "The chain of this report is sound, and yet I can't believe this on the part of Imam Ahmad!"
Ibn Taymiyya also said that several of the Companions reportedly disapproved of those who fainted at the sound of Qur'an. This is true. Disapproval of those who fainted upon hearing Qur'an is narrated from Ibn `Umar, `A'isha, Anas, Asma', `Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, and the Tabi`i Qatada. This confirms beyond doubt that the phenomenon existed in their time - a time and a people extolled by the Best of creation, Allah bless and greet him and his Family and Companions. And Allah knows best.
Hajj Gibril Fouad Haddad
Allahumma salli 'ala Sayyidina Muhammadin Nabi al-Ummi wa 'ala Alihi wa Sahbihi wa Sallim
zabardastafaq76
Jazakallah khairun.
islamaholic
masha Allah.. nice read... jazak Allah khayran for sharing
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has added a new journalas salaam alikum wr wb
heres a good site, it proves shias, qadianis and amedis wrong! www.kr-hcy.com
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has added a new journalHaq Char Yaar (RadhiALLAHu Anhum)
"Muhammad is a Messenger of ALLAH, and those who are with him are hard against the unbelievers and merciful among themselves, thou seest them bowing, prostrating, seeking bounty and pleasure of ALLAH, their mark is on their faces, being the trace of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel, as a seed that puts forth its shoot, then strengthens it, then it becomes stout, then it rises straight on its stalk, pleasing the sowers that, through them, He may enrage the unbelievers, ALLAH promises those, who believe and who, out of them, do righteous deeds, forgiveness and a big wage." ( 29 : 48 ) Al-Quran.
Haq Char Yaar (RadhiALLAHu Anhum) are the four rightly guided Caliphs (Khalifas).
1. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (RadhiALLAHu Anhum)
2. Hazrat Umar-e-Farooq (RadhiALLAHu Anhum)
3. Hazrat Usman-e-Ghani (RadhiALLAHu Anhum)
4. Hazrat Ali-ul-Murtaza (RadhiALLAHu Anhum)
Sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alyhi Wa'alihi Wasallam) : My Companions are like the stars, whom you may follow, will get the right path. (Mishkawt)
Note: Companions (RadhiALLAHu Anhum) of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alyhi Wa'alihi Wasallam) popularly known as Sahabah (RadhiALLAHu Anhum), are the part of our faith of Islam. Minor to minor negligence or misbehavior in their name and acts (Sunnah), may cause a Muslim to suffer the words of Kafir.
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has added a new journalBismillah hir-Rahman ir-Raheem
was-Salaat was-Salaam 'ala RasulAllah
wa 'ala Alihi wa Sahbihi ajmaeen
A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves
Your suffering is distressing to him
He is deeply concerned for you
He is gentle and merciful to the Muminun.
Qur'an, At-Tawba, 129
His name was unusual and incomplete. Julaybib means "small gown". It is the diminutive form of the word "Jalbab". The name is an indication that Julaybib was small and short, even of dwarf-like stature. More than that, he is described as being "damim" which means ugly, deformed, or of repulsive appearance.
Even more disturbing, for the society in which he lived, Julaybib's lineage was not known. There is no record of who his mother or his father was or to what tribe he belonged. This was a grave disability in the society in which he lived. Julaybib could not expect any compassion or help, any protection or support from a society that placed a great deal of importance on family and tribal connections. In this regard, all that was known of him was that he was an 'Arab and that, as far as the new community of Islam was concerned, he was one of the Ansar. Perhaps he belonged to one of the outlying tribes beyond Madinah and had drifted into the city or he could even have been from among the Ansar of the city itself.
The disabilities under which Julaybib lived would have been enough to have him ridiculed and shunned in any society and in fact he was prohibited by one person, a certain Abu Barzah of the Aslam tribe, from entering his home.
He once told his wife:
"Do not let Julaybib enter among you. If he does, I shall certainly do something terrible to him." Probably because he was teased and scoffed at in the company of men, Julaybib used to take refuge in the company of women.
Was there any hope of Julaybib being treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope of his finding emotional satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope of his enjoying the relationships which others take for granted? And in the new society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet (SAWS), was he so insignificant as to be overlooked in the preoccupation with the great affairs of state and in the supreme issues of life and survival which constantly engaged the attention of the Prophet?
Just as he was aware of the great issues of life and destiny, the Prophet of Mercy was also aware of the needs and sensibilities of his most humble companions. With Julaybib in mind, the Prophet went to one of the Ansar and
said:
"I want to have your daughter married."
"How wonderful and blessed, O Messenger of God, and what a delight to the eye this would be," replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and happiness.
"I do not want her for myself," added the Prophet.
"Then for whom, O Messenger of God?" asked the man, obviously somewhat let down.
"For Julaybib," said the Prophet.
The Ansari must have been too shocked to give his own reaction and he merely said: "I will consult with her mother." And off he went to his wife.
"The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, wants to have your daughter married," he said to her.
She too was thrilled.
"What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye this would be," she said.
"He does not want to marry her himself but he wants to marry her to Julaybib," he added.
She was flabbergasted.
"To Julaybib! No, never to Julaybib! No, by the Living God, we shall not marry her to him." she protested.
As the Ansari was about to return to the Prophet to inform him of what his wife had said, the daughter who had heard her mother's protestations, asked:
"Who has asked to marry me?"
Her mother told her of the Prophet's request for her hand in marriage to Julaybib. When she heard that the request had come from the Prophet and that her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea, she was greatly perturbed and said:
"Do you refuse the request of the Messenger of God? Send me to him for he shall certainly not bring ruin to me."
This was the reply of a truly great person who had a clear understanding of what was required of her as a Muslim. What greater satisfaction and fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding willingly to the requests and commands of the Messenger of God! No doubt, this Companion of the Prophet, whose name we do not even know, had heard the verse of the Qur'an:
Now whenever Allah and His Apostle have
decided a matter, it is not for a believing
man or believing woman to claim freedom of
choice in so far as they themselves are concerned.
And he who disobeys Allah and His Prophet
has already, most obviously, gone astray.
This verse was revealed in connection with the marriage of Zaynab bint Jahsh and Zayd ibn al-Harithah which was arranged by the Prophet, may Allah's Peace be upon him, to show the egalitarian spirit of Islam. Zaynab at first was highly offended at the thought of marrying Zayd, a former slave, and refused to do so. The Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallim, prevailed upon them both and they were married. The marriage however ended in divorce and Zaynab was eventually married to the Prophet himself.
It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to her parents and said:
"I am satisfied, and submit myself to whatever the Messenger of God deems good for me."
The Prophet(saws) heard of her reaction and prayed for her:
"O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not her life one of toil and trouble."
Among the Ansar, it is said that there was not a more eligible bride than she. She was married by the Prophet(saws) to Julaybib, and they lived
together until he died.
And how did Julaybib die? He went on an expedition with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and an encounter with some mushrikin ensued. When the battle was over, the Prophet(saws) asked his companions:
"Have you lost anyone?"
They replied giving the names of their relatives or close friends who were killed. He put the same question to other Companions and they also named the ones they had lost in the battle. Another group answered that they had lost no close relative whereupon the Prophet said:
"But I have lost Julaybib. Search for him in the battlefield."
They searched and found him beside seven mushrikin whom he had struck before meeting his end. The Prophet stood up and went to the spot where Julaybib, his short and deformed companion, lay. He stood over him and said:
"This man is of me and I am of him."
He repeated this two or three times. The Prophet then took him in his arms and it is said that he had no better bed than the forearms of the Messenger of God. The Prophet then dug for him a grave and himself placed him in it. He did not wash him for martyrs are not washed before burial.
Julaybib and his wife are not usually among the Companions of the Prophet(saws) whose deeds are sung and whose exploits are recounted with reverence and admiration as they should be. But in the meager facts that are known about them and which have here been recounted we see how humble human beings were given hope and dignity by the Prophet(saws), where once there
was only despair and self-debasement.
The attitude of the unknown and un-named Ansari girl, who readily agreed to be the wife of a physically unattractive man was an attitude which reflected a profound understanding of Islam. It reflected on her part the effacement of personal desires and preferences even when she could have counted on the support of her parents. It reflected on her part a total disregard for social pressures. It reflected above all a ready and implicit confidence in the wisdom and authority of the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhe wa sallim, in submitting herself to whatever he deemed good. This is the attitude of the true Believer.
In Julaybib, there is the example of a person who was regarded as a social outcast because of his appearance. Given help, confidence and encouragement by the Noble Prophet, may the highest blessings of Allah be upon him, he was able to perform great acts of courage and make the supreme sacrifice and deserve the commendation of the Prophet:
"He is of me and I am of him."
--AbdulWahid Hamid www.sunnah.org
Don't look at your form, however ugly or beautiful.
Look at Love and at the aim of your quest.
O you whose lips are parched, keep looking for Water.
Those parched lips are proof that eventually you will reach the Source.
--Mevlana Rumi
May Allah's Peace and Blessings be on the Mercy to all the Worlds, his Family, and his Companions