Part 23

Thus, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) joined the two types of patience in the following sahih hadith found in the collection of Muslim: "The Prophet said: "How do you define Ar-Raqoob (childless) among you?" They said: "Ar-Raqoob is the one to whom no child has been born." The Prophet said: "That is not Ar-Raqoob, rather Ar-Raqoob is the one who has not offered any one of his children" (i.e. in the path of Allah). Then, the Prophet said: "And who do you consider invincible (or "the mighty") among you?" They said: "The one who men cannot overcome or defeat." The Prophet said: "It is not so, rather, the mighty is the one who can control himself in anger." In this hadith, the Prophet mentioned that which includes patience in the face of calamity (i.e. losing of sons to fighting in the path of Allah), and patience in anger. Allah said about calamity in general: [And give glad tidings to the patient ones *Those who, when afflicted by any calamity, say: "Verily, from Allah we came, and unto Allah we will return.""] And Allah said about anger: [Good acts and bad acts are not the same. Drive away (bad) with that which is better. Suddenly, the one with whom there was enmity becomes as a close and devoted friend * And none will achieve this except those who are patient, Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 47 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan and none will achieve this except those of the greatest good fortune.] Quran 41/34-35 This exposition of common elements between patience in the face of calamity, and patience in anger is analogous to the citing of the common element between patience in adversity and patience in plenty and ease as in the following verse: [And if we give man a taste of mercy from us, and then take it away from him, verily he is despondent and ungrateful. And if we give him a taste of plenty after some adversity which had afflicted him verily, he will say: The evil has left me. Verily, he is joyous, haughty. All except those who are patient and do good works, for these are forgiveness and a great reward.] Quran 11/9-11 [In order that you may not become despondent over that which did not come to you, nor (overly) joyous over that which came to you.] Quran 57/23 With this characteristic, the poet Ka'ab ibn Zuhair described the Migrators among the companions (May Allah be pleased with them) saying: "They are not overly joyous when there swords have struck their opposition, nor are they despondent when they themselves are struck." Another poet, Hassaan ibn Thabit said in description of the Ansar (Helpers): "There is no haughtiness if they inflict wounds on their enemy, and there is no lassitude and no discontent if they themselves are wounded." Some of the Arabs used to say about the Prophet: "When he is victorious he is not haughty, and when he is defeated he is not grief-stricken." The Forbiddance Of Transgressing The Bounds Since shaitan is calling people, during these two types of situations, to transgress the bounds established by Islam with their hearts, voices, and hands, the Prophet (sallallahu Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 48 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan `alayhi wa sallam) has interdicted that as in the following hadith: It was said to the Prophet when he was seen to shed tears when he saw his son Ibrahim prepared for burial: "Do you weep, though you have forbidden the weeping and wailing over the dead?" The Prophet said: "That which I have forbidden is none other than two idiotic, obscene voices: one voice in times of plenty and ease: frivolity, playing of games, and the pipes of Satan (i.e. music); and another voice in times of calamity: beating of (one's own) cheeks, and tearing of clothes, and invoking the invocations of the jahiliyah (i.e. cries for revenge or asking for evil to befall someone based on nationalism or tribalism). in which the Prophet has mentioned both of them in the same hadith. In another hadith, he forbids that in relation to calamities only: "Whoever hits his cheeks and tears his clothes, and calls out with the invocations of the jahiliyah is not one of us." And, in another hadith: "I am innocent of (the sins of) the one who shaves his head, and the one who wails, and the one who tears his clothes (i.e. the one who does these things when afflicted with calamity." "Verily, Allah does not hold anyone to account for the tear of an eye, nor the grief of the heart, rather, He punishes or has mercy based on this.