Part 8

> Part of a lengthy supplication reported by Ahmad [3712], Abii ¥a‘la [q 1/156], at-Tabarani in a/-Kabir [3/74/1] and others. The hadith is sahib. Refer to as-Sabibah [no. 199]. The wording of this hadith of Ahmad, however, is in a singular gender not plural. [Translator’s Note]

Allah, the Exalted said,

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The example of those who disbelieve, is as that of him who shouts to the (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind.

[seerah al-Baqarah (2) : 171]

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And among them are some who listen to you, but can you make the deaf hear, even though they comprehend not? And among them are some who look at you, but can you guide the blind, even though they see not?

[Sarab Yanus (10) : 42-43]

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And of them are some who listen to you; but We have set veils on their hearts, so they understand it not, and deafness in their ears; if they

[1.8 The State of the Dead Heart]

see every one of the signs they will not believe therein, to the point that when they come to argue with you, the disbelievers say: “These are nothing but tales of the men of old.”

[Sarah al-An‘Gm (6) : 25]

So He informed us that their hearts cannot undefstand, and their ears cannot heat, and they do not believe in what they have seen of the Fire as He informed us about them when He said,

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So they mentioned the bartiers upon their hearts, ears and eyes. Their bodies are alive - heating and seeing, but this is a life of the body devoid of life in the heart - like the life of an animal - for the animals possess hearing and seeing, and eat and drink and marry.

This is why Allah said,

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The example of those who disbelieve, is as that of him who shouts to the (flock of sheep) that heats nothing but calls and cries.

[Sarab al-Bagarah (2) : 171}

Likening them to the cattle, at whom the shepherd shouts, and they hear nothing except the cry (not understanding what is said), as He said in other verses,

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Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle - nay, they are even farther astray from the Path.

[Sarah al-Furgan (25) : 44]

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And indeed We have created many of the jinn and Mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle - nay even more astray...

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[seerah al-Araf (1) : 179]

A group of the commentators, when referring to these verses and those that resembled them such as the verse,

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lying down on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him,

[1.8 The State of the Dead Heart]

he passes on his way as if he has never invoked Us for a harm that touched him! [Sarah Yunus (10) : 12]

Regarding these and othet such verses that mention the faults of man and their condemnation, (the commentators) said,

These verses refer to the disbelievers, and that the meaning of ‘man’ here is ‘the disbelievers.’

So the one who hears this explanation is left thinking that one who openly manifests Islam is not included in this condemnation and threat, rather his thoughts link (these verses) to those who openly manifested shirk from amongst the Arabs, ot to those he knows to have openly shown disbelief such as the Jews, the Christians and the polytheists of Turkey and India - and hence he would not benefit from these verses that Allah revealed so that His servants may be guided,

So it is said in reply that firstly: those that openly manifest Islam include amongst them the believer and hypocrite, and the hypocrites are many in all periods of time and they are in the lowest level of the Hellfire.

Secondly: man possesses a strain of hypocrisy and disbelief even if he possesses faith along with this, as the Prophet (8) said in the fadith reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim,

There are four qualities which if found in a person make him a pure hypocrite, and the one who has a portion of them has a portion of hypocrisy until he leaves them: when he speaks he lies, when he is entrusted, he betrays, when he speaks, he speak a lie, when he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous,

when he quarrels, he behaves in a evil and insulting mannet °

So he informed us that the one who has a portion of these then he has a portion of hypocrisy, and it is established in the Sabib of al-Bukhari that he said to Aba Dhar,

Indeed you have displayed a trait of Jahiliyyah in

you,’

And Abi Dhar was from the most truthful of people with respect to his faith. He (4%) said in the authentic ahadith,

Four (traits) in my Ummah are from the matters of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance): boasting about noble descent, abusing the lineage, wailing [over the dead] and seeking rain from the stars. *

You will indeed follow the ways of those that came before you, inch by inch such that if they were to enter a lizard hole, you too would do so. They asked,

° Sabih al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans, 1/32 no. 33,] and Sahih Muslim (Eng, Trans. 1/40 no. 111).

7 Referring to the hadith reported by al-Ma‘rar that, ‘At ar-Rabadha | met Abii Dhik (radiyAllahu ‘anha), who was wearing a cloak and likewise his slave. asked about the reason for this. He replied, ‘I abused a person by calling his mother ‘with bad name,’ The Prophet (4) said to me, ‘O Abii Dhar! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names? You have displayed .a trait of Jahiliyyah. Your slaves are yout brothers and Allah has placed them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask slaves to do things beyond their capacity and if you do so, then help them.’ Sahih al-Bukhari [Eng, Trans. 1/29 no, 29] [Translator’s Note]

* Sabih Muslim (Eng, Trans. 2/444 no. 2033}.

[1.8 The State of the Dead Heart]

‘Do you mean the Jews and Christians?’ He replied, ‘Who else?”

What the early nations took to shall also be taken to by my nation, cubit by cubit and handspan by handspan. They said, ‘Do you mean the Persians and the Romans.’ To which he teplied, ‘Who else from amongst the people could it be.”"”

Ibn Abi Mulaykah said,

T met thirty of the Companions of Muhammad (3) all of them fearing hypocrisy for themselves. "

And from ‘Ali - or Hudhayfah - that he said,

The heart ate of four types: the clear heart that is illuminated by a torch - this is the heart of the believer. The encased heart - this is the heart of the disbeliever, the inverted heart - this is the heart of the hypocrite, and the heart that has two attractions, a time when it is called to faith, and a time when it is called to hypoctisy - these are a people that have mixed good actions with evil ones.

So when this is understood, it becomes known that every setvant benefits from what Allah mentioned concetning faith, either extolling the branches of faith or censuring the branches of disbelief.

° Sabib al-Bukhari (Eng, Trans. 9/314 no. 422], Sahib Muslim (Eng, Trans. 4/1402 no. 6448], Ahmad [2/450].

” Refer to Lgtidd Sirat al-Mustagim of Ibn Taymiyyah.

" Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim

The case mentioned above is similar to what some of them ask concerning His saying,

Opes tai Guide us to the Straight Path. [Sarah al-Fatibah (1): 6]

saying: ‘Allah has already guided the believer, so what benefit is there in seeking guidance?’ Then some of them reply by saying that the meaning is ‘keep us firm upon guidance’ as the Arab would say to the one who is asleep, ‘sleep until I come to you.’ Others from amongst them say that the meaning is, ‘keep our hearts firm upon the guidance’ and that the request for firmness has been omitted. Yet others from amongst them say that it means, ‘increase me in guidance.’

This question really occurs due to the absence of their contemplating upon the Straight Path to which the servant seeks guidance to, for the meaning [of the verse] is [seeking guidance to] act according to what Allah ordered, and leave what He forbade in all matters.

[1.9 The Need for Beneficial Knowledge]

This is because the person, even if he has believed that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and that the Quran is the truth in a general way, is commonly in need of knowledge of that which would benefit him and harm him. He is in need of knowledge concerning what he has been commanded to do and forbidden from doing in the finer aspects of the matters and in those areas of which he has no knowledge. [Not only this but we find that] that which he does have knowledge of, he does not put the greater part of it to practice! Assuming that all of

[1.9 The Need for Beneficial Knowledge]

the commands and prohibitions contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached him, then the Qut’an and Sunnah contain laws that are general and universal for which it is not possible to specify to every individual person - therefore the person has been commanded due to the likes of this to ask for guidance to the Straight Path.

Guidance to the Straight Path includes all of the following matters: cognizance of what the Messenger (gg) came with in detail, cognizance of what comes under his general orders and concern for acting according to ones knowledge, for indeed just having knowledge is not a cause for attaining guidance if one does not act according to his knowledge. This is why He said to His Prophet after the treaty of Hudaybiyyah,