The Yemeni ‘Abid and Al-Hajjaj

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Tawus ibn Kaysan, one of the righteous students of Ibn ‘Abbas and a Muhaddith said, ‘I entered the Haram (Makkah) to perform ‘Umrah and when I completed it, I prayed 2 units of prayer behind the Maqam of Ibrahim and then I sat down. I turned to look at the people in the mosque when behold, I saw a group of people with weapons, swords, spears and shields! I looked and it was al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Amir of blood-shed, about whom Laila al-Akhiliya said,

حجاج أنت الذي ما فوقه أحد
Hajjaj, you are the one above whom there is none

إلا الخليفة المستغفر الصمد
Except the True Ruler, the Forgiving and Eternal One (Allah)

قتل مائة نفس وقتل سعيد بن جبير
He (Hajjaj) killed a hundred souls and he killed Sa’id ibn Jubayr

Al-Hajjaj once said, ‘I saw in my dream that Allah killed me once for every soul I killed except for Sa’id ibn Jubayr for Allah killed me on the Sirat (path over Hellfire) seventy times because of him.’

Tawus continues: ‘I saw the commotion so I kept seated in my place. Whilst in that state, I saw a poor, ascetic worshipper from Yemen. He went to circumambulate around the Ka’bah, then he came to pray 2 units of prayer when suddenly his garment clung to a spear from the spears of the army of Hajjaj, and so the spear fell on al-Hajjaj! He stopped him and said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘Muslim.’ He said, ‘Where are you from?’ He said, ‘From Yemen.’ He said, ‘How is my brother with you people?’ (– He meant his brother Muhammad ibn Yusuf who was also a tyrannical ruler like him). He said, ‘I left him as a fat man with a fat stomach.’ Al-Hajjaj said, ‘I didn’t ask you about his health but I asked you about his justice.’ He said, ‘I left him as a deceiving and oppressive ruler.’

He said, ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ So the man said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I am al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf!’ So the man said,

أتظن أنه يعز بك أكثر من اعتزازي بالله؟
‘Do you think that he (your brother) is mightier and strengthened by you more than I am by Allah?’

Tawus said, ‘When he said that, all my hair stood on end. But al-Hajjaj let him go and left him.’

فَاللّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظاً وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

“… But Allah is the Best of Protectors and He is the Most Merciful of those who show Mercy.”
[Yusuf: 64]

- Taken from احفظ الله يحفظك by ‘Aidh al-Qarni

‘Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray…?’

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah (radhiallahu `anhu) reported that two men came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them used to partake in Jihad more-so than the other, and so (one day) he fought in a battle and was martyred therein. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he passed away.

Talha said, ‘I saw in my dream that I was at the door of Paradise when behold, I was with both of them (the two men). Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’

Talha woke up and began to inform others about this and they were all surprised. This reached the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and when they informed him of it, he said:

من أي ذلك تعجبون؟ قالوا: يا رسول اللهّ هذا كان أشد الرجلين اجتهاداً ثم استشهد ودخل هذا الآخر الجنة قبله فقال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وسلم) : أليس قد مكث هذا بعده سنة؟ قالوا: بلى. قال: أدرك رمضان فصام وصلى كذا وكذا من سجدة في السنة؟ قالوا: بلى. قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وسلم): فما بينهما أبعد مما بين السماء والأرض

He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘What are you surprised about?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one was entered into Paradise before him.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Did he not remain behind him for one year?’ They said, ‘Yes (he did).’ He said, ‘Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.’

- Sahih narration from Ibn Majah (2/345, 346) and al-Albani’s ‘al-Silsilah al-Sahihah’

Make the most of Ramadan, we seriously don’t realise its greatness, worth and reward.

Early Ramadan Mubarak to all

Travel for it…

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Ibn ‘Abbas: ‘A hadith would reach me from one of the companions of the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). If I wished, I could’ve sent someone for it and he’d bring it to me. But it was I who went and sought it. I would lean against his (the narrator’s) door until he came out and narrated to me.’

Yahya ibn Sa’eed: I heard Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib say, ‘If I could, I would travel for days and nights in search of a single narration.’

Al-Sha’bi: ‘If a person travelled from the farthest part of al-Sham to the farthest part of Yemen in order to hear a single statement of wisdom, I wouldn’t say that his journey was a waste.’

Malik ibn Anas: ‘It doesn’t befit a person who has knowledge, to abandon learning.’

It was said to ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, ‘Until when will you keep seeking knowledge?’ He said, ‘Until death, insha’Allah.’

Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah was asked, ‘Who needs to seek knowledge the most?’ He said, ‘Those with the most knowledge. Indeed their mistakes are the most unpleasant.’

Ibn Abi Ghassan: ‘You will continue to be knowledgeable so long as you learn. The moment you think yourself to be above learning, you become an ignorant.’

- Jami’ Bayan al-’ilm wa fadhlihi, by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr

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More Scenes from Egypt!

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Some more random pictures around Egypt, this time a little further up…

Enjoy!

Picture #12: The meeting point of the Nile and the Mediterranean sea

Picture #18: Looking out towards Majid Sultan Hasan, next to it are the remains of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi’s fortress.

Picture #22: Beautiful sunset over Cairo

Picture #23: The very nice coastal area of Ra’s al-Barr, North Egypt (no, that’s not my washing on the line!)

Al-Kisa’ee: Of Nahw and Nobility

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

Imam al-Kisa’ee (one of the 7 Qurra’) penned the following poem regarding Nahw (grammar):

.
إنما النحو قياس يتبع *** وبه في كل أمر ينتفع
Indeed grammar is only a scale that’s followed
And by it, benefit is derived in every matter

فإذا ما أتقن النحو الفتى *** مر في المنطق مرا فاتسع
So if a youth perfects his knowledge of grammar
Then he excels in eloquence and expands therein

واتقاه كل من يسمعه *** من جليس ناطق أو مستمع
All who hear him stand wary of him
Every companion who sits either speaking or listening

وإذا لم يعرف النحو الفتى *** هاب أن ينطق جبنا فانقمع
And if a youth has no knowledge of grammar
Then he cowardly fears to speak, so he remains restrained

يقرأ القرآن لا يعرف *** ما صرّف الإعراب فيه وصنع
He reads the Qur’an but he does not know
What changes the I’rab brings and what function it has

فتراه ينصب الرفع وما *** كان من نصب ومن خفض رفع
So you see him cause the marfu’ to become mansub
And whatever was mansub or makhfud, he makes marfu’!

وإذا حرف جرى إعرابه *** صعب الحرف عليه وامتنع
And if a letter has no sign of I’rab
That letter puts him in difficulty and so he holds back!

يتقى اللحن إذا يقرأه *** وهو لا يدرى وفي اللحن وقع
He is fearful of falling into error when he does read
But he has no knowledge and so in error does he fall!

يلزم الذنب الذى أقرأه *** وهو لا ذنب له فيما اتبع
The sin of this is upon the one who taught him so
And there is no sin on him for what he has followed

والذى يعرفه يقرأه *** وإذا ما شاك في حرف رجع
As for him who has knowledge, reads it well (Qur’an)
And if he is doubtful over a letter, he takes to review

ناظرا فيه وفي إعرابه *** فإذا ما عرف الحق صدع
He looks to it precisely and to its I’rab
And when he finds the answer, he overcomes (the difficulty)

أهما قيه سواء عندكم *** ليست السنة فينا كالبدع
Are they one and the same in your perspective?
In our perspective, the Sunnah is not like the Bid’ah!

وكذلك العلم والجهل فخذ *** منهما ما شئت من شيء ودع
And likewise is the case of ‘ilm and jahl (ignorance)
So take from it what you wish, and leave what you wish

كم وضيع رفع النحو وكم *** من شريف قد رأيناه وضع
How many a debased one was elevated by Nahw
And how many a noble one have we seen debased?

- Imam al-Kisa’ee

Name: ‘Ali ibn Hamza ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Bahman (Abul Hasan)

Originally from Persia, he settled in Kufa. When asked about his nickname (al-Kisa’ee), he said, ‘Because I entered into Ihram (Hajj/’Umrah) dressed in a Kisaa’ (garment).’

He (rahimahullah) was not only an Imam in the Qira’at, but he was also skilled and proficient in Nahw (grammar). It is said that he sought knowledge in nahw in his later years due to the following incident:

One day, he was out walking when he became tired and sat down with a group of people whom he used to sit with a lot due to their virtue. So he said to them قد عيَّيْتُ (‘I’ve become tired’). They said to him, ‘How can you sit with us whilst making such errors in language?!’ He said, ‘And how have I erred?’ They said, ‘If you meant to say ‘out of tiredness’ then say أعْيَيت and if you meant to say ‘out of incapacity and confusion’ then say عّيِيت’

He rejected this statement and got up immediately. He began to ask around for someone to teach him Nahw and they guided him to Mu’adh al-Harraa’ whom he studied from much. He then went to Basra and studied from the likes of ‘Isa ibn ‘Umar, al-Khalil and Yunus.

Imam al-Shafi’i: ‘Whoever wishes to delve deep into Nahw, then he’ll be like a child compared to al-Kisa’ee.’

Ibn al-Anbar: ‘They concurred that he (al-Kisa’ee) was the most knowledgeable of Nahw, leading in understanding the gharib (unique terms in language) and the foremost in having knowledge of the Qur’an (Qira’at etc).’

A humbling experience

Imam al-Kisa’ee relates: ‘I lead Haroon al-Rashid in prayer one day and I took a liking to my recitation. But then I made a mistake that not even a child makes! I wanted to say,

ولعلهم يرجعون
‘… So that they may return’

But instead I said,

ولعلهم يرجعين
‘… So that they (she) may return’ – [In other words, he mixed up the verb indicating a single fem. subject rather than the masc. plural]

He said, ‘By Allah, Haroon didn’t have the boldness to say ‘You have made a mistake,’ but when I finished the prayer he asked me, ‘O Kisa’ee, what language/Qira’ah is this?’ I said, ‘O leader of the faithful, even the fine horses stumble at times.’ He said, ‘Yes, this is true.’

- أهميت تعلم علم النحو ومكانته عند السلف