Category Archives: Youth
Uwais al-Qarani (May Allah be pleased with him)
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem
by Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifa’i
from his book, The Children Around the Table of Allah
In a Hadith Qudsi recorded by the Companion Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet Muhammad (s) said speaking from his Lord:
“Allah, Exalted and Mighty is He, loves of His creation the God-fearing, the pure in the heart, those who are hidden, and those who are innocent, whose face is dusty, whose hair is unkempt, whose stomach is empty, and who, if he asks permission to enter to the rulers, is not granted it, and if he were to ask for a gentle lady in marriage, he would be refused, and when he leaves the world it does not miss him, and if he goes out, his going out is not noticed, and if he falls sick, he is not attended to, and if he dies, he is not accompanied to his grave.â€
They asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, how can we find someone like that?†He, (s), said, “Uwais al-Qarani is such a one.†They asked him, “and who is Uwais al-Qarani?†He, (s), answered, “He is dark skinned, wide shoulder, and of average height. His complexion is close to the color of earth. His beard touches his chest. His eyes are always looking downwards to the place of prostration, and his right hand is on his left hand. He weeps about himself with such a flow of tears that his lips are swollen. He wears a woolen garment and is know to the people of the heavens. If he makes a promise in the Name of Allah, he keeps it. Under his left shoulder there is a white spot. When the Day of Resurrection comes and it is announced to the slaves, “Enter the Garden,†it will be said to Uwais, ‘Stop and intercede.’ Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, will then forgive them to the same number as are the people of Rabi’a and Mudhar. (These are the two tribes that Uwais, (r), belonged to). So, O Umar and O Ali, if you can find him, ask him to intercede for you. Then Allah will forgive you.â€
Ten years passed by which they inquired about him, but without being able to find him. In the year 21H./644CE, the same year that Umar ibn al-Khattab (r), became the Second Righteous Caliph after the Prophet’s death, (s), Umar (r) went to the Mountains of Abu Qubays (mountain overlooking Makka) and called in his loudest voice, “O people of the Yemen, is there anyone up there called Uwais?â€
An old shaykh with a long beard stood up and replied, “We do not know who this Uwais is about whom you ask, but my brother’s son is called Uwais. But he is too unimportant to be asked about, and too poor and submissive that he should be raised up to your level. He is our camel-herder, and he has no standing amongst our people.†But Umar again asked him if he knew Uwais.
The man answered, “Why do you ask about him, O Commander of the Faithful, for by Allah there is not one of us who is more foolish and more needy than he.â€
Umar, (r), then wept and said to him, “You are so, but not he. For I heard the Messenger of Allah. (s), say, “Those who enter the Garden through Uwais, asking for forgiveness for them, are the people of the tribe of Rabi`a and Mudhar.†Umar, (r), asked him where he could find him, and was told, “On the Mount of `Arafat.â€
Umar and Ali, (ra), then went quickly to Arafat where they found Uwais praying under a tree with camels grazing around him. They approached him and greeted him, saying, “As-salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmut Allahi wa Barakatuh.†Uwais cut his prayer short, and when he had finished it, returned their greeting. They asked him, “Who are you?†He replied, “A herdsman of camels and a hired workman for a tribe.†They said, “we do not ask you about your tending of animals, nor about your being a hired worker, but what is your name?†He answered, “Abdullah.†They said, “All the people of the heavens and the earth are the slaves of Allah, but what is the name in which your mother named you?†He said, “O you two, what do you want from me?†They said, “The Messenger of Allah (s) once spoke to us about Uwais al-Qarani. He gave us a description of the bluish-black color of his eyes, and he told us that he has a white mark under his left shoulder. So please show us if you have this mark, for then it is you for whom we are searching.â€
Uwais then bared his left shoulder, and they saw a white mark. They then embraced him and kissed him and said, “We declare that you are Uwais al-Qarani, so ask for forgiveness for us and May Allah forgive you.â€
He answered, “I cannot even forgive myself, nor one of Adam’s children. But there are on land and in the seas believing men and women, Muslim men and women, whose invocations to Allah are answered.†They replied, “Surely this is so.†Then he said, “O you two, you know about me and I know about my state, but who are you?â€
Ali, (r), answered, “This is the Commander of the Faithful (al-amir al-muminin), Umar ibn al-Khattab, and I am Ali ibn Abu Talib.â€
Uwais stood up straight and said, “As-salaamu alaikum ya ‘amir al-mumminin. And you, O Ali, may Allah repay you with goodness for this Community (Ummah).†They said, “May Allah repay you for yourself and your goodness.â€
Then Umar, (r), said to Uwais, “Your place is here until I return to Madinah, and may Allah have mercy upon you. Then I will bring you help from my provision and some of my clothes. This has been the meeting place between you and me.â€
But Uwais, (r), answered him, “O Commander of the Faithful, there will be no other meeting place, in the knowledge of Allah, between you and me, but this one. So tell me, what should I do with your provision, and what should I do with your clothes? Do you not see that I am wearing a woolen gown and a woolen wrapper, so when do you see me tearing them? Or do you see that my sandals are worn out and torn? When do you see me out wearing them? Between your hand and mine there is a higher barrier which cannot be crossed by a weighty person, So leave these things, and Allah will have mercy upon you.â€
When Umar, (r) heard these words, he struck the ground with his stick and shouted out at the top of his voice, “O would that Umar had not been born by his mother, and that she had been sterile!â€
Then Umar (r), returned to Al-Madinah, and Uwais (r), herded his camels back to his tribe.
Not long after this, Uwais left his work as a herdsman and went to Kufah where he continued in his bondsmandship until Allah, Glory be to Him took him back to Himself.
When Umar ibn al-Khattab, (r), heard that Uwais wanted to go back to Kufah, he said to him, “Where do you want to go to?†Uwais said, “to Kufah.†Umar, (r), then said, “Shall I write a letter for you to its Governor?†Uwais replied, “I would rather be with the people who are near to my heart.â€
In a sahih hadith of Muslim, it is recorded that Umar (r) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, (s), say, “Uwais ibn ‘Amir will come with a number of the people of the tribe of Mudar from the region of Qarn as if he had a sickness on his skin. He had a mother to whom he was most perfectly devoted, and if he asked anything of Allah it would be granted to him. If you meet him, ask him to ask forgiveness for you.â€
It was said of the Companion ‘Alqama ibn Marthid, (r), that he said, “Asceticism is specially associated with eight people, one of whom is Uwais al-Qarani. His family thought that he was mad, and they built him a room near the door of their house. Days would pass by when they would not see him, and his food was what he took from plants and herbs of the earth which he would sell to buy food for himself.
Also the Companion ‘Amar ibn Saif, (r) said, “When a man once asked Uwais al-Qarani, ‘How did you begin the morning and how did you finish the evening?â€â€˜ He (r) answered, ‘I began in the morning by loving Allah, and I finished the evening in praising Him. Do not ask about the state of a man who, when he wakes up in the morning thinks that he will not see the evening, or when he is alive in the evening thinks that he will not wake up in the morning. Death and its mentioning and remembering does not leave the believer any space for happiness.’ For, as he then said, “In Allah’s Eyes, Exalted is He, what a Muslim possesses does not gather any silver or gold, for one should only be doing what is permitted and avoiding what is forbidden, and whatever does not have leave a believer with a single friend. When we ask them to do what is permitted they insult us, and in that they are helped by the unbelievers and sinful people. By Allah they have thrown terrible things at me, but O Allah I will not leave them until I show them the right way.â€
One of them said, “A number of people had spoken to me about Uwais al-Qarani, so hearing that he was then living in Kufah, I went there to find him, for I had no other desire except to see him. I found him sitting by the shore of the Tigris, and I recognized him by the description that I had been given of him. A thin man looked at me, and I stretched out my hand to greet him, but he did not return my greeting. I felt discouraged but I asked him, “Are you Uwais:â€
His clothes were poor, and he seemed to be in a state of unwrapped isolation, for it was this state of his which led the ignorant people to say about him that he was mad and deranged. But I knew that his ascetic and surrendered state was that of the true faqir, who does not listen to those who say that such a state is contrary to the Sunnah. Such people are ignorant of the true Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, (s), which is to leave the material world and the business of creation, and to draw near to one’s Lord; to leave all bonds which are other than to Allah, Exalted and Mighty is He.â€
Haram ibn Hayyan continued his account of this meeting by saying, “Then I addressed him saying, ‘May Allah have mercy upon you, O Uwais, and forgive you, How are you?’ “Then my voice halted. For I could not speak my heart which was moved with deep gentleness towards him when I saw his state and that he had started weeping. I found myself also weeping. “Then Uwais said to me, ‘May Allah greet you. How are you my brother, ibn Hayyan, and who showed you the way to me?†“I answered him, ‘It was Allah.†“He said, ‘There is no God but Allah, praise be to our Lord. If it is the Wish of Allah, a thing is done. So this is Allah’s Wish.†I said, ‘How did you know my name, and my father’s name? For my name was Haram ibn Hayyan.’ Uwais said, ‘The Knower told me, for my soul knows your soul when my self talks to your self.’ For the believers know each other in their love for Allah, even if they never met; and when they come to our resting place, they know each other even if they come from somewhere far distant. “I said, ‘Tell me about the Messenger of Allah, (s).’ “Uwais said, ‘I have never seen the Messenger of Allah face to face and I have never been in his presence, but I would give my life for him. But I do not like to talk about that.’ “I said to Uwais, ‘Recite me some verses of the Book of Allah, so that I may hear it from you and so that I may learn them by heart from you. For know that I love you in Allah.’ “Uwais took my hand, and said, ‘I seek refuge in Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed shaytan.’ Then he recited, ‘We created not the heavens and the earth and what is between them for mere play.‘ (44:38) . Then he sighed a deep sigh, and I looked at him with they eye of Love, for he had become absent.
“A little while later he said to me, ‘O son of Hayyan, your father has died and soon you will die, going either to the Garden or the Fire. My brother and friend Umar ibn al-Khattab has died.’ I said to him, ‘May Allah forgive you, but Umar has not died.†“Uwais said, ‘Yes, and the people have announced his death, and so has Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, and He has announced my own death. For you and I are both of the dead.†“Then he prayed upon the Prophet, (s), and murmured some short invocations. “Then he said, ‘This is what I leave you, the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, (s), and you should always remember death, and this should never ever leave your heart for a moment. And warn your people when you go back to them, and say to the whole Community, ‘Do not forsake the people, for if you do, you will forsake your religion without being aware of it, and you will enter the Fire. So pray for me and yourself.’
Then Uwais, (r), said to me, ‘O Lord this is a claim, for he loves me in You, and he has visited me because of You, and permit me to see his face in the Garden, and make him enter the Home of Peace, and protect him in this world, as long as he is alive. Keep him from the material world (dunya) through the walking on the Path, and make him to be thankful for the blessings YOU give him, and give him goodness from me.’
Then he, (r) said, ‘As-salaamu alaikum wa Rahmutullahi wa Barakatuh, for I will not see you after this day. May Allah have mercy upon you, but I do not like to be known, and I love to be solitary, for I am in deep anxiety when I am with people. So do not ask about me, and do not call upon me, but know that you are in my heart even if I do not see you nor you see me. Mention me and pray for me, for I will mention you and pray for you, if Allah, Exalted is He, so wishes. So go away from here.’â€
Haram ibn Hayyan said, †I deeply wanted to walk with him for an hour, but after that he did not allow me anymore, so I left him and I started to weep, and he also wept.
I kept watching him until he went into a road…After that I asked about him, and I called to him, but no one could tell me anything about him. But then, after a week or so had passed by, I saw him once or twice in my sleep. Uwais said, ‘The Messenger of Allah died,’ but he did not say, ‘The Messenger of Allah, sall-Allahu `Alayhi wa sallam,’ although he said it about the Prophets before him. By this he meant that the grace of the Messenger of Allah is well known, and he is known for the perfection of his honor, and he does not need to be praised by people.â€
Some said that when night came, Uwais, (t) would say, “This night is for prostrating.†Then he would prostrate until morning. And also when night came he would distribute the food in his house to the poor, and he would say, “O Lord, if someone dies this night out of hunger, excuse me, and if someone dies naked, excuse me.â€
Abdullah ibn Salma, the Companion, (t) said, “We went to Azerbaijan in the company of our Master Umar ibn al-Khattab, (r), and Uwais was with us. On our way back he became ill and we carried him, but he did not last long and he died. We went to bury him and found a grave that was already dug. Water was available and everything was ready to receive a dead body. We washed him, put him in a shroud, prayed over him, and then we left. Some of us said that we should go back and mark the grave so that we would be able to find it later. So we returned to the place, but there was no trace of the grave to be found.â€
May Allah be pleased with him, and for he himself alone was equal to an entire Ummah (Community).
© 2012 As-Sunnah Foundation of America
Kissing the Thumbs, etc. During The Adhan?
Ma sha’ Allah, Rabbi zidni ‘ilman!
In fiqh, the discussion of taqbil al-unbulatayn wa mash al-‘aynayn is usually found at the end of Bab Adhan. Certain gestures performed during the adhan, and specifically the amal of kissing the thumbs and wiping the eye, are something known to Shafi`is, and there can be no objection whatsoever by our jurists (and any jurists for that matter) to those wishing to perform this `amal: as far as we are concerned, it is classified under the category of the Fada’il al-A`mal [I`anat, 1:243; al-Jurdani, Fath al-`Allam, 2:140-1].
Among its legal bases [`ilal] is that it is a Sunna of the first Khalifa of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him!) [i.e., an Athar of the first Khalifa], and it is also based on a number of Hadiths, of which the most well known is the Hadith of Abu Bakr (may Allah be well pleased with him!):
lammA sami’a qawla l-mu’adhdhini ashhadu anna MuHammadan rasUluLlAhi qAla hAdhA wa qabbila bATina l-unmulatayni l-sabbAbatayni wa masaHa `aynayhi fa-qAla SallaLlAhu `alayhi wa sallama man fa`ala mithla khalIlI faqad Hallat `alayhi shafA`atI [Whenever he [Abu Bakr] heard the Mu’addhin say: “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allahâ€, he would repeat this [phrase as it is the Mandub of Adhan] and would kiss the tip of the index fingers [or thumbs] and wipe his eyes. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him!) said: whosoever does what my friend [i.e., Abu Bakr] did, my intercession will come down upon him] (Related by al-Daylami, with variants).
Almost all of the Muhaddith consider this and other Hadiths like it to be weak [Da`if] (at its lowest level, a Marfu` Hadith [something ascribed to the Prophet]; and it is because the Hadith is Da’if that the `amal is counted among the Fada’il, and not the confirmed Sunna!). Nevertheless, this is definitely not a fabricated Hadith [Mawdu`], and weak Hadiths are not and cannot be considered as false and lies. Furthermore, as Sayyid `Alawi al-Maliki (may Allah be pleased with him!) reported in his dedicated treatise on the rules concerning the use of weak Hadiths, the Manhal Latif, that scholars of the four law-schools [madhhab] concurred by Ijma` [Consensus]–and that this Ijma` was recorded from the time of the Mujtahid Imam, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (may Allah be well pleased with him!) until now–that any Hadith which are Da`if (as long as it is not Mawdu`), can be acted upon for the Fada’il al-A`mal [`Alawi al-Maliki, Manhal, 251-253]. Literally, “Fada’il al-A`mal†means ‘extra works’; but technically it means the extra acts of devotion performed, or refrained from, beyond one’s call of duty in order to please the Lawmaker, that is, an `amal that can lead to it’s being classed either as recommended [i.e., Mandub/Sunna/Mustahabb] or disliked [Makruh] but never Wajib [obligatory] or Haram [prohibited]. In this mas’ala, of course, it is a recommended act (and not Makruh).
Know that he who blames others–in the name of bid`a–for carrying out an `amal, saying that it is based on a weak Hadith or that the `amal is not based on an authentic Hadith, shows a sign that he may not be a trained faqih (whether he is called a Mufti/Shaykh/Mawlana or not); and that he probably has knowledge only of the literal Arabic but not a deep understanding of what is beyond the text, which is what the jurist is expected to know. In the old days, when scholarship was taken for granted (because scholastic `alims were many and accessible then), even the public knew that a weak Hadith can form the basis of an `amal. Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him!), in his popular work the Adhkar, says:
“The specialists of Hadiths [i.e., Muhaddith] and the jurists [Fuqaha‘] and other (scholars) have said that one is permitted, and in fact is recommended, to use weak Hadith in matters of ‘extra acts of devotion’ [Fada’il] and in ‘arousing one’s desire to do good and inspiring one’s fear from doing evil’ [Targhib wa al-Tarhib]–as long as it is not a fabricated Hadith. As for the legal rulings pertaining to what is lawful and unlawful [al-Halal wa al-Haram], buying and selling, marriage and divorce, and others like it [because all of them involve either an injunctive legal ruling [Hukm Shar`i Taklifi] (such as Haram and Wajib) or a stipulatory legal ruling [Hukm Shar`i Wad`i] (such as Shart and Mani`)] are concerned, one can only use a rigorously authenticated Hadith [Sahih] or a well authenticated Hadith [Hasan], except if a precautionary ruling [Ihtiyat] is [involved] in some matter relating to one of them. So, if a weak Hadith is found to object against some types of sales or some form of marriages, then it is recommended to avoid it (i.e., the sale or the marriage) even when it is not obligatory to do so [and even when the sale or the marriage is legally valid].â€
(al-Nawawi, Adhkar, 7-8)
I am not a Hanafi scholar (from whom you should really be asking your fiqhi/furu` questions), but classical Hanafi reference texts such as those of the Muhaqqiq of your school, Ibn `Abidin (and in spite the fact that he knew this `amal is based on weak Hadiths, he nevertheless) relates the opinion that this `amal is permissible and even Mustahabb, that is, the act when done will entail a reward. [Ibn `Abidin, Hashiya, 2:84-5]. In practice, apart from the Hanafis, some Shafi`i communities have inherited this `amal, and among the Malikis, those who are in the Sudan.
Qa’ida: To this end, we could sum up a point of law tersely in the following maxim: al-`amalu bi-r-riDA yanfI l-Hurmata [an act that is consented to, prevents prohibition].
What I mean by this qa’ida is that once something has been accepted by some of the mustahiqq, in this case, the scholars and the public alike, no one has any right [haqq] to object to it.
So do not be swayed by what you read if Muslims have been doing this in the past and are still doing this fadila `amal. If there are others who blame you for carrying on with this inherited `amal, then know that the person, apart from wasting his precious time, knows not how to leave alone what does not concern him [tark ma la ya`nih] where his time could be better spent in improving the lot of the Muslims today or benefiting others in this world. Not only does he not know how to mind his own business, but he has no right whatsoever to censure [Ihtisab] you in the first place (and by not tolerating and by criticizing you on this, he himself is transgressing a well known rule of Bab Amr bi-l-Ma`ruf wa Nahi ‘an al-Munkar [roughly speaking, the duty of a Muslim to intervene when another is acting wrongly]: that the duty has no application in matters over which the fuqaha‘ differed, thereby making himself liable for others to advise him). Furthermore, what is more embarrassing is that there is no legal basis [`illa] and cause [sabab] that warrants a Hisba for this case, or at least no jurist properly schooled will ever entertain the thought. For when others are blamed by a Muhtasib for carrying out this `amal, it is no different from the case of someone becoming upset at the sight of a pedestrian suddenly stopping to remove a wad of old chewing gum from his path (ponder over this!) or at the very minimum, complaining why a customer is buying only apples and not oranges.
According to Shafi’i jurists, this act is counted among the Fada’il, and there are undeniable benefits for those who wish to take from it and they are means to make one rich in the Next world; and in the same way that the one performing it cannot criticize others for neglecting it, nor can others criticize those who carry on doing it. It is a matter of personal choice (for one’s private-but-made-public bank account is no one else’s in the Next world) if one wants to take or overlook this Fadila in this world: take it or leave it, no more.
Allahumma aj`alna mina’l-`amilin wa-la taj`alna mina’l-mutakallikim!
[O’ Allah! Make us among those who do some work, not among those who can only talk]; Amin!
May this be of benefit.
wa sallallahu `ala Muhammadin wa `ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam
wa billahi t-tawfiq wa l-hidaya wa l-hamdulillah rabbi l-`alamin.
Your silent brother in Oxford,
M. Afifi al-Akiti
24 Muharram 1425
17 III 2004
Select Bibliography:
`Alawi al-Maliki. al-Manhal al-Latif fi Ahkam al-Hadith al-Da`f. In Majmu’ Fatawa wa-Rasa’il al-Imam al-Sayyid ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani. Edited by [his son and our scholar] Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki al-Hasani. [Medina: Matabi` al-Rashid], 1413 H.
al-Bakri. Hashiyat I`anat al-Talibin. 4 vols. Bulaq, 1300 H.
al-Jurdani. Fath al-`Allam bi-Sharh Murshid al-Anam fi al-Fiqh `ala Madhhab al-Sadah al-Shafi`iyah. Edited by Muhammad al-Hajjar. 4 vols. Cairo: Dar al-Salam, 1990.
Ibn `Abidin. Radd al-Muhtar `ala Durr al-Mukhtar Hashiyat Ibn `Abidin. Edited by `Abd al-Majid Tu`mah Halabi. 12 vols. Beirut: Dar al-Ma`rifa, 2000.
al-Nawawi. al-Adhkar al-Muntakhab min Kalam Sayyid al-Abrar. Beirut: al-Maktaba al-`Umawiyya, 1955.
taken from : www.livingislam.org
© 2012 As-Sunnah Foundation of America
The Four Imams – fact sheet
IMAM ABU HANIFA (ra)
- Nu’man bin Thabit ibn Zauti,- well known in Islamic History as ‘Imam Abu Hanifa’ and ‘Imam Azam’ – was the son of a Persian merchant.He was born in Kufa, Iraq – in the Year 80 A.H.
- His father – Thabit – was privileged to meet Hazrat Ali (ra) who had at the time, made Kufa his capital.
- Kufa was founded in 17 A.H. by Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (ra) the 2nd Khalif.Kufa had become the 3rd most important centre of learning during Hazrat Umar’s (ra) Khilafat.
A large number of Sahaba (ra) were sent to this new city to settle here by Umar (ra). These included Hazrat Abdulla ibn Ma’sood, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Ammar, Huzaifa & Abu Moosa etc. (ra).
Records indicate the presence of 1050 Sahaba in Kufa of whom 24 were the participants of Badr.
- At the age of 20, Imam Abu Hanifa turned his attention towards the pursuit of advancing his Islamic knowledge.
- Among his 1st and the most important tutors was Imam Hammad (Died 120 A.H.) whose educational lineage is linked with Hazrat Abdulla Ibn Mas’ood (ra).
- Imam Abu Hanifa is also a Tabi’ee = One who saw and benefited from at least one Sahabi.
- Imam Abu Hanifa benefited from nearly 4,000 Shaikhs.In those days, the Hajj season was the best means of spreading and deriving Islamic knowledge as Muslims from every corner of the Islamic world assembled in Makka.
In his lifetime Imam Abu Hanifa is reputed to have performed fifty Hajj.
- Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) had joined his father’s business wherein he showed scrupulous honesty and fairness.Once his agent had sold a consignment of silk cloth on his behalf but forgot to mention a slight defect to the customers. When Abu Hanifa learnt of this, he was greatly distressed because he had no means of the refunding the customers; so he immediately ordered the entire proceeds of the sale ( 30,000 Dirhams ) to be given in charity.
- The Imam was also keenly interested in education.He established a school at Kufa, which later became a famous College of Theology. Here he delivered lectures on Islamic Law and related subjects.
- Fiqah or Islamic Law was systematically studied by his students under his expert guidance.A large number of his devoted and highly intelligent students worked under him for 30 years, and it is the labour of these students that gave us the Hanafi School of thought.
- Imam Abu Hanifa (ra) was the 1st of the Imams to advocate the use of “reason” in the consideration of religious questions based on the Qur’an and Sunnah.
- He was also the 1st Imam to arrange all the subjects of Islamic Law systematically.
- His most important work is the Kitab-ul-Aasaar which was compiled by his students – Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad.
- In {164 A.H.} 763 A.C. Al-Mansoor – the Banu Abbas Khalifa of the Muslim Empire at Baghdad whose capital was Baghdad – offered Imam Sahib the post of Chief Qazi of the state, but the Imam declined to accept the post and chose to remain independent. In his reply to Al-Mansoor, the Imam excused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post offered. Al-Mansoor, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused the Imam of lying.”If I am lying,” the Imam said, “then my statement is doubly correct.
“How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qazi?”
Incensed by this reply, Al-Mansoor charged the Imam with contempt, had him arrested and locked in prison.
- Even in prison, the Imam continued to teach those who were permitted to come to him.
- It was here in prison that the Imam was administered a dose of poison in 150 A.H.Realizing that the end was near, the Imam prostrated in prayer and passed away in this condition in the month of Rajab, 150 A.H.
The news of his death soon spread throughout Baghdad
- 17. The whole town came out to pay their last homage to the greatest Imam of Islamic Law.More than 50,000 people participated in the first Janaza Salaat.
People continued to flock and before the Janaza could be finally taken for burial, the Salaatul Janaza was offered 6 times in all.
For days, people came in large numbers to pay their respects at the grave side.
- Among the four Imams, Abu Hanifa has the largest number of followers even today in all parts of the world {M.A.R.K.}.
IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra)
- Abu Abdullah Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Abi Aamir (ra) was born in Madina in the year 93 A.H. (714 A.C)He came from a respectable family.
- His ancestral home was in Yemen, but his great grandfather – Aamir – settled in Madina after embracing Islam.
- His grandfather – Maalik – was an important Taabi-ee and a famous reporter of Ahadith.
- He was greatly attracted to the study of Islamic Law and devoted his entire interest to the subject after completing his primary education.
- Madina was the most important seat of Islamic learning as the immediate descendants of the Sahaba-e-Kiraam were inhabitants of the City.
- For the purpose of his study, he sought out over 300 “Tabi’een” = those who saw the Sahaba/Companions of the Holy Prophet (saw), and acquired from them the knowledge of the Holy Prophet’s (saw) Ahadith and Sunnah.
- He spent his entire life in Madina where he studied Fiqah from 95 Shaikhs. It is these Shaikhs from whom he recorded the Ahadith in his Kitab-ul-Muatta.This Kitab contains 1725 Ahadith of Rasulullah (saw).
- He studied Qira’at & Hadith for nearly ten years under Hazrat Naafe’ the slave of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (ra). Hazrat Naafe’ had served his master for nearly 30 years.Naafe’ was once sent by Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (ra) to impart knowledge in Egypt.
- Although he is the author of numerous books, his most important work is the Kitab-ul-Muatta, which deals with the subject of Islamic Law based on Ahadith and Sunnah. The Kitab-ul-Muatta is the earliest surviving book of its kind – written around 150 A.H. – and it is used in all Islamic institutions as one of the text books in the final year studies by graduating Ulama.
- Imam Malik had the highest regard for the Holy Prophet (saw) as well as for his Ahadith. He never tolerated indiscipline whilst Hadith-e-Rasul was under discussion.He even rebuked Al-Mansoor for talking loudly when some Ahadith were being discussed.
- The Imam always made Wudu or Ghusal, wore fresh clean attire and applied perfume before conducting lessons on Ahadith.
- He delivered lectures on Islamic Law, and issued fatwas (Islamic Rulings) for nearly 62 years. Approx. 1,300 people have reported Ahadith from him.
- He had the honour of occupying the home of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (ra) and conducting lessons from the same spot where Rasulullah (saw) spent his time for I’tikaaf, in the Masjid-un-Nabi.
- Imam Malik was famous for his piety and integrity, and courageously stood up prepared to suffer for his conviction.For example, in 135 A.H., When the governor of Madina demanded and forced people to take the oath of allegiance in favour of Khalifa Al-Mansoor, the Imam issued a Fatwa that such an oath was not binding because it was given under duress.
- Since this fatwa was not in the interest of the ruler, the governor arrested the Imam and had him publicly flogged for the “crime”.Al-Mansoor, learning of this outrage, apologized to the Imam and dismissed the errant governor.
- Imam Malik (ra), was offered 3,000 gold coins (dinars) by Mansoor, as travelling expenses to Baghdad and subsequent residence in the Capital, but the Imam politely refused the offer saying that he prefered to live in Madina near Rasulullah (saw).
- Imam Malik never intended the formation of a school of thought bearing his name. It was his disciples & followers who later developed a Fiqah School based on Imam Malik’s rulings.
- Malikis are found mostly in North & West Africa – Tunis, Algeria, Morrocco and Egypt.
- This Great Leader of Islamic Law died in Madina on the 11th Rabi-ul-Akhir 179 A.H. at the age 86 years. He lies buried in the Jannatul Baqi in Madina. (M.A.R.K.)
IMAM MALIK IBN ANAS (ra) – ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Madina was the most important centre of knowledge as scholars flocked to the City to pay their respects to Rasulullah (saw).
- The home of Imam Malik too was a centre of Ilm-e-Nabawi.
- Among his first tutors was Imam-ush-Shua’raa Hazrat Naafe’ bin Abdur Rahman (died – 169 A.H.) from whom he mastered the Qur’an.
- Later, whilst still a youngster he joined the Hadith classes of Naafe’.
- Physical description: Tall, heavily built, fair but reddish, wide eyes, beautiful nose, very little hair on the forehead, heavy long beard which reached his chest. trimmed moustache above/edge of the lip.He considered the shaver of moustache as Makrooh and a Mussla (disfigurer).
- He wore expensive clothing and used much Ittar.
- He wore a silver ring with a stone and engraved was ‘Hasbun’Allahu wa Ne’mal Wakeel’.
- On his door was written ‘Maa Sha Allah’. This house originally belonged to Abdulla ibn Mas’ood (ra).
- He started teaching at the age of 17.
- It was only after seventy Ulama certified him as an authority, did he commence issuing Fatwa.
- His seat in the Masjid-e-Nabawi was the same seat that was occupied by Hazrat Umar (ra).
- He never answered the call of nature within the perimeter of the Haram, except during illness or some Uzar.
- He never rode during his entire life on an animal in Madina.He used to say, “How can I ride an animal whose feet tramples the ground in which lies resting of the Master (saw).
- During his advancing years, he never went out of Madina – hoping to be buried therein.
- During Hadith lessons if anyone raised his voice, he would reprimand him and quote the Qura’nic verse … adding that the command was applicable even now.
IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra) – POLITICAL ERA
- During the Khilafat of Mansoor Abbasi, oppression was on the increase.Muhammad Zun-Nafs az-Zakiyah in Madina and his brother Ibrahim in Basra were compelled to raise the flag of rebellion against the the injustice directed mostly towards the Sayeds.
Imam Malik issued a fatwa in favour of these two and against the government.
- 2. This led to his arrest by the governor of Madina and subsequent flogging – seventy lashes.Later when Mansoor learnt of this, he expressed regret and sent an apology to the Imam and requested the Imam to come to Baghdad, but the Imam refused.
When Mansoor came for Hajj, he visited Madina as well and treated the Imam with great respect.
- Haroon ar-RasheedHaroon ar-Rasheed was a patron of the Ulama. He had great regard for Imam Malik. He personally, with his two sons, journeyed to Madina to listen to the Muatta. He invited the Imam to come to his camp in order to give lessons but the Imam refused. So Haroon brought his sons to the Imam.
- His deathImam Malik was 86 years and had become quite weak, but he still continued to give lesson and issue fatwas.
It was Sunday when he became ill and for the next 22 odd days it got worse. He passed away on the 11 th Rabi-ul-Akhir, 179 A.H.
He had taught and issued fatwas for 62 years.
IMAM MAALIK IBN ANAS (ra) – ORIGIN OF MALIKI FIQAH
The Fuqaha-e-Saba’ of Madina are:
- Saeed ibn Musayyib, Died 94 A.H.
- Ubaidullah ibn Uttba ibn Mas’ud, Died 98 A.H.
- Urwa, Died 94 A.H.
- Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, Died 108 A.H.
- Abu Bakr bin Abdur-Rahman bin Haris ibn Hisham, Died 94 A.H.
- Sulaiman ibn Yasaar, Died 109 A.H.
- Kharija Zaid, Died 109 A.H.
These 7 were the centre of Ilm-e-Fiqah and Hadith in Madina.
Their unanimous ruling was the basis of any verdict in the court of Madina in matters of Fiqah.
The basis of Imam Malik’s Fiqah and Fatwa originates from this Fiqah of Madina.
Allama ibn Qayyim (ra) states that the promotion of Deen, Fiqah, and Ilm in the Ummah is due to the students of Ibn Mas’ud, Zaid bin Thabit, Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas (ra).
Ibn Mas’ud stayed in Madina but was later ordered to reside in Kufa.
Therefore the above 7 were instrumental in the promotion of Ilm in Madina.
And it is from these persons that the Shaikhs of Imam Malik benefitted, in particular Hazrat Rabi’atur Raai who is the most important Shaikh of Imam Malik (ra).
Imam Malik based his rulings in his Fatwas from the Fiqah of the above and this eventually became the “Maliki Fiqah.
IMAM SHAFI’EE (ra)
- Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Idrees Shafi’ee (ra) was a descendant from the Quraish tribe.He is the Only Imam who is related to Rasulullah (saw).
- Imam Shafi’ee (RAH) was born in Ghazza, Syria in 150 A.H. (765 A.C.)He lost his father during infancy and was raised by his mother under very poor circumstances.
- He completed Hifz of the Qur’an at the tender age of 7 years, and at the age of 13 memorized the Kitabul-Muatta of Imam Malik (ra).
- He spent some time among the Beduins outside Makka, to acquire a good knowledge of the Arabic language.
- At the age of 20, (170 A.H./785 A.C.) he went to Madina and became a student of Imam Malik (ra) who was greatly impressed with the young student who had memorized the Muatta.
- He stayed with Imam Malik for some time; thereafter he returned to Makka.
- He also came into contact with other learned men (81 Shaikhs) from all of whom he acquired the knowledge of the Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah.
- In 184 A.H./799 A.C., Imam Shafi’ee was arrested and taken to Baghdad to appear before Haroon Ar-Rasheed on “trumped up” charges of treason. It was due to the recommendation of Imam Muhammad (the state Qazi and student of Imam Abu Hanifa) that Imam Shafi’ee was discharged. He was then 34 years old.
- Imam Shafi’ee remained in Baghdad as a student of Imam Muhammad for over three years to add further to his knowledge of Islamic Law.
- He returned to Makka where he stayed for 9 years delivering lectures on Islamic Law. It was during this period that Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal came into contact with Imam Shafi’ee.
- In 199 A.H., he went to Egypt where he was received with much honour and respect. He remained here until his death.
- Imam Shafi’ee was the author of over 100 books, the most important of which is the Kitab-ul-Umm. It contains the rulings of the Imam on all subjects of Islamic Law.
- He left behind a large number of dedicated students in Makka, Baghdad and Egypt.
- The Shafi’ee School of Thought emerged from these students who propagated the views and rulings of the Imam through their writings and preachings.
- Imam Shafi’ee (ra) never committed a major sin nor spoke a lie, nor did he swallow an unlawful morsel of food in his entire life.He never at any time performed Jumma without Ghusal.
- He was an extremely generous personality who on numerous occasions gave away all he possessed to the poor and needy.
- He died in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday evening after Maghrib, 29th Rajab, 204 A.H. (20th Jan, 820 A.C.) after a short illness, at the age of 53-54 years. { M.A.R.K. }
IMAM SHAFI’EE (ra) – ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Abu Abdulla Muhammad ibn Idris ibn Al-Abbas bin Usman bin Shafi’.
- His ancestry joins the Prophet at Abd Manaaf.
- His title is ‘Naasirun Sunnah’. He was honoured as Al-Imaamul Mujaddid in that he is the Mujaddid of the 2nd century.
- His birth place is Ghazza/Asqalaan – a place two stages from Jeruselam. He was born in Rajab 150 A.H.
- He was two years old when his parents moved to Makka and made it their home.
- His mother was a Yemeni of the famous Bani Azd tribe.
- His ancestor – Shafi’- was the flag bearer of the Banu Hashim in Badr.He was taken prisoner and released after ransom. Thereafter he embraced Islam.
Another report states that he met the Prophet (saw) as a youngster and became a Muslim.
However his father – Saa’ib – was the flag bearer…..
- Imam Shafi’ee completed Hifz at 7 and memorised Muatta at 10 years.
- At 15 with the permission of his SHAIKH – Muslim bin Khalid Zanji (the Mufti of Makka) – he started issuing fatwas.
- Earlier he spent his time in Arabic literature and poetry.One day at Mina, he heard a voice behind saying: “Aliaka bil Fiqah” – (GRASP THE FIQAH).
- Muslim bin Khalid who had noticed his remarkable intelligence, etc., advised him to study Fiqah.He spent three years with the Shaikh, until the age of 13.
- Later he went to Madina to study under Imam Malik.Besides Imam Malik, he studied Hadith under 81 Shaikhs.
In Makka his tutor was Sufyan bin Ainiyyah.
Imam Shafi’ee said about these two: “Had it not been for Imam Malik and Sufyan, then Ilm Would not have remained in Hidjaz.”
- He spent 8 months with Imam Malik, then returned to Makka.
- He came into contact in 184 A.H. with Imam Muhammad – state Qazi – at Baghdad and stayed with him for over 3 years. Taking into account future visits to the Imam, he spent 10 years with Imam Muhammad.Comments: “I never came across a greater Alim of Kitabullah than Imam Muhammad (ra).
- Imam Muhammad made this comment:[a] The door of Fiqah was shut to the people, Allah opened it because of Shafi’ee.
[b] Imam Shafi’ee is the Mujaddid of Deen.
- Imam Malik made this comment:No Scholar more brilliant than Muhammad ibn Idris Shafi’ee ever came to me as a pupil.
- Fiqah Shafi’eeThe Imam had mastered both Maliki and Hanafi Fiqah. Keeping both before him, he formulated the basis of the Shafi’ee Fiqah.
His pupils compiled his works, Fatwas, teachings, etc., and promoted the Shafi’ee School of Fiqah.
IMAM AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD HAMBAL (ra)
- Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hambal Shaibani Al-Maruzi was of pure Arab descent whose ancestery joins Hazrat Ebrahim (as).
- He was born in Baghdad in the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, 164 A.H. He lost his father when he was only three years old.
- Baghdad being the Capital of the Muslim State was an important centre of learning during the Banu Abbas Era.
- Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) completed Hifz of the Qur’an at an early age.
- In 180 A.H., when he was 16 years old, he began to persue the knowledge of Ahadith under the Imam Abu Yusuf (the most important pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra)).
- He stayed with him for 3 years, during which time he recorded so much information, that the volumes filled 3 book shelves.
- Later he also attended the classes of Imam Muhammad (another prominent pupil of Imam Abu Hanifa (ra)).
- After accumlating knowledge from numerous scholars in Baghdad, he journeyed to Kufa, Basra, Makka, Madina, Yemen, Syria, Jazira in order to increase his knowledge of Ahadith.
- After meeting with over a hundred Shaikhs, he is reputed to have made a collection of over a million Ahadith.
- It was in 187 A.H. that he met Imam Shafi’ee (ra) in Makka for the first time. Later when Imam Shafi’ee came to Baghdad, Imam Hambal also joined him during the Imam’s residence here and mastered from him Fiqah.
- Imam Shafi’ee (ra) too on the other hand relied very much on the knowledge of Ahadith and Sunnah which Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) possessed.
- It was in 204 A.H., only after he had reached the age of 40, that Imam Ahmad Hambal (ra) started conducting lessons and delivering lectures.
- Being a prominent figure, his lectures attracted a huge gathering of at least 5,000 students among whom nearly 500 took down notes daily.
- Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and Imam Tirmizi (ra) were also amongst his noteworthy students.
- The Mu’tazila controversy regarding the “immortality and creation of the Qur’an” was the cause of much trial in the life of the Imam, who suffered much over a period of nearly 15 years.
- The Banu Abbas rulers – Al-Ma’moon and Al-Mu’tasim who were influenced by the Mu’tazila – tried to force the Ulama to accept the Mu’tazila doctrine.
- Being a devotee of the Sunnah, and an opposer of Bid’at it fell upon the shoulders of Imam Hambal (ra) to oppose this doctrine vigorously.
- Al-Mu’tasim even ordered the flogging and imprisonment of the Imam for several months.Imam Hambal succumbed to the sufferings rather than deviate from the beliefs and practices of the Sunnah.
- The sufferings of Imam Hambal ended when Al-Mutawakkil took over as ruler, restored the traditional teachings of Islam and accorded the Imam the honour befitting the great scholar.
- Among his several works is the Encyclopaedia of Ahadith called Masnad, compiled by his son Abdulla from his lectures, and amplified by references to over 28,000 Ahadith.
- His other important works include a collection of his fatwas (Islamic rulings on religious matters) – covering over 20 volumes.These fatwas form the basis of the Hambali School of Thought.
- The Hambalis represent the smallest group in the four Sunni Schools of Fiqah.
- Imam Hambal (ra) died after a short illness in Baghdad, on Friday evening, 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 241 A.H. (855 A.C.) at the age of 77 years.
- His Janaza Salaat was attended by nearly 1,000,000 people who came to pay their respects to this great scholar of Islam. {M.A.R.K.}
source: Ask Imam.com