Part 9

remembrance sanctioned by the Sharee‘ah.

If you ask one of them to do the ablution the way the Messenger Of Allaah (stem sitiwantemi had done it, he would not feel contented with that.

We ask Allaah to protect us from this clear deviance which is

simply the whispers of shaitaan and which has no part in Islaam. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the worlds.

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would conceal the secrets of the people. They would say, "The hearts of the free are graves full of secrets.”

Nameemah (carrying tales) is to spread or relay to a third party or others some words which cause harm to the one from whom the words were initially heard. It is also defined as : Un-

covering what is disliked to be uncovered.

The Messenger of Allaah (ann sums) Said, "The Qattaat will not enter Paradise" i.e., the one who practised. nameemah. It is also reported concerning the explanation (tafseer) of the statement of Allaah “And his woman a carrier of firewood"? that she

would practice nameemah and spread gossip.

Yahya ibn Abee Katheer fatimnaw Would say, “The one who does nameemah is worse than the magician even though no one realises. What the one who gossips can do in a period of time a sorceror cannot do in a month. Gossip has spilled blood and given rise to great tribulation expelling people from their countries.

1, Reported by al-Bukhaari (10/472) in al-Adab, Muslim (2/113) in al-Imaan, at-Tirmidhee (8/182) in al-Birr... and Abu Dawood (13/219) in al-Adab. 2. Sooratul-Lahab ():4

and other evil things."

Khaalid ibn Safraan. (imum Said, Despise the one who gossips even if he speaks the truth. Nameemah is relating (tales) and accepting this is recommending the narrator. The acceptance is

then worse than the nameemah." Know this O brother and beware of exposing the secrets of

your brothers or relating to others what you hear from them. All praise be to Allaah the Lord of the worlds.

Focusing on one’s own mistakes:

From the morals and mariners of the Salaf was that they would preoccupy themselves with their own mistakes rather than the mistakes of others.

They would fight to conceal the faults of other people since the Messenger of Allaah (tutus wesm Said, “Shall I not tell you who are the worst of you? Those who walk with gossip (nameemah) separating those who love each other. Those who do wrong to those free from fault.”! He (mse su mane also said, “Whoever conceals a Muslim, Allaah will conceal him in this

world and the Hereafter."

One of the Salaf said, "One of you might see his own faults but he still loves himself. He then hates his Muslim brother on

suspicion. So where is the logic?"

It is reported that “Eesa ibn Maryam (u:suum said, "Do not look at people’s faults as if you are lords, but look at your own faults as if you are slaves, because people are of two types : af-

1. Narrated by Ahmad (6/459), (4/227) from hadith of Abu Maalik alAsh’ ari, and al-Baihaqi in “Shu’b al-Imaan” and it is. in Mishkaatul-Masa-

2, Part of a hedeeth reported by Muslim:(17/21, 22) in adh-Dhikr and adDu’aa, and by Abu Dawood (13/229, 230).

flicted and pardoned. So have mercy on the afflicted and thank

Allaah for pardoning you and protecting you from it.”

Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen ‘Umar ibn-ul-Khattaab taut an) said, “May Allaah have mercy on the one who pointed out to me my

Ash-Sha ‘bi (sinuan WOuld say, "Whoever sought the mistakes of his brothers is left with no friends."

So preserve your tongue dear brother because the one who breaks the hearts of the people they will break his heart. Beware of forgetting your own self when you pry into the mistakes of your Muslim brother, but that should be a reminder of your own mistakes. The earth we were made from is one, so if it is possible

for others to slip then it is possible for you too.

Being generous and comforting:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would have deep generosity, open-handedness, granting of wealth and comforting each other whether on a journey or otherwise. This would give rise to cooperation in standing up for this Deen which was their goal.

‘Abdullaah ibn Umar nassuste an used to make a precondition with his travelling companion that he would be the one to spend

‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’00d (eouusnu‘any Was asked as to who were the sensible people. He replied, "He is the one who stores his

wealth where no thief can reach it", i.e., the sky.

’Abdullaah ibn Jaa’far ums was invited to a wedding feast (waleemah) but he could not go because of some difficulties. So he sent 500 dinars to the bridegroom apologising and asking him to pardon him for not attending.

Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah aoimn sy used to say, "O Allaah provide me with wealth which I can use to do good, because the desire to do. good cannot be fulfilled without wealth." Then he would re-

cite: "I see my soul longing to perform goodness; But it falls. short without that certain sum of money; So my soul does not push me to be miserly; And my lack of wealth does not fulfil my yearning.”

Realise this brother and beware of showing that you are righteous when you contradict the manners of the predecessors, in generosity, open-handedness and comforting others. They used to give plentifully without feeling superior to anyone. They would split their loincloth in two and give half to their brother. If anyone asked them for anything or begged them they would say, “Welcome O one who carries our provision to the Hereafter with-

If someone's servant died they would send another servant to their brother which he would quietly accept, but the sender would not think he is superior to his brother. If it was. heard that someone had debt, they would repay it without consulting the indebted. The one who was in debt would keep silent if he found out about it as if his debt had been repaid from his own money

because of the good heartedness of his brother.

Generosity towards guests: From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would be generous towards their guests, serving them them-

selves unless they had a legitimate excuse from the Sharee’ah.

They would. never think that they had sufficiently fed their guests nor served them, as they have a right to stay with them and a right to be thought well of.

The Messenger of Allaah (atstsn ‘sani wesnm) Said, "Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day then he should be generous

It is recorded in the two sahih (collections : Al-Bukhaari & Muslim) on the authority. of Abu Shuraih dune smjwho said, "My two eyes saw and my two ears heard the Messenger of Allaah ww bana tation atieny When he said, “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should be generous to his guest by giving him his reward". They asked, "What is his reward?" He jatar uoiweamm Said, “Entertainment fora day and night with high quality food and

then three days entertainment with ordinary food, and what is

1. Part of a hadith reported by al-Bukhaari (10/532) in al-Adab, Muslim (2/ 18) in al-Imaan, Abu Dawood (5132) in al-Adab and ibn Maajah (3971) in al-Fitan.

beyond that is charity."!

Muslim also reported on the authority of Abu Shuraih pumas sam) that the Messenger of Allaah auuatusistimunm Said, "Entertaining the guest lasts for three days. His reward is to give him superior food for a day and a night. What is spent on the guest after three days is charity. It is not permitted that the guest stays for

more than three days so as to put him into difficulty."

Anas ibn Maalik (stam ma used to say, "The zakah of one’s

home is to keep a room there for guests."

One of the Salaf said in condemnation of the selfish one who does not honour his guests: "If you wish to be his brother; Then lift your right from his food; Death is easier to him than for you to eat morsels and cheer; It is the same if you broke some bread; Or broke one of his bones;

And if you pass by his door, then save your bread from his son.”

1. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (10/531) in al-Adab, Muslim (12/31) in al-Lugatah, Abu Dawood (3730), ‘Al-Tirmidhi (8/145) in al-Birr-and Maalik in al-

2. Reported by Muslim (12/31) in al-Luqata.

Being particular about accepting invitations:

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would never accept invitations to unlawful food nor if only the rich people were invited nor if unlawful things were occurring in

Abu Mas’ood al-Badree (emausinssmy WOUld never accept an invitation to a waleemah unless he knew there were not any prohibited things present there.

If Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaaree (aim nn Went to a waleemah and saw a curtain on a wall he would return saying, "No one except for so-and-so people cover their houses with cloth. We do not eat the food of such people."

One of them used to say, "The sunnah of the waleemah has gone. The bowls filled with food would be brought to the masjid at meal time and everyone there would eat. The rich and the poor, those of noble or low lineage. If only the rich were invited then the people would not eat but they would say : This is the

From the morals and manners of the Salaf was that they would practice abundant charity with all that was beyond their needs, day and night, secretly and openly. Whoever did not have food. or wealth to spend, they would be charitable by sparing the people their harms and by bearing the harms of others.

Allaah the Most High said, "Those who spend their wealth by night and day, in secret and in public, shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shal! be no fear nor shall they grieve."! He also said, “You shall not attain piety (birr) until you spend out of that which you love. Whatever good you spend Allaah knows well."

"Abdul-’Azeez ibn Umiair anna Said, “Salaat will reach you half the road, fasting lets you reach the door of the king, and charity allows you to enter into the king’s company." He also

used to say, "Wealth to us are deposits for generosity."

Their manners was to smile cheerfully at the face of the beggar and not to suspect him. They would always think that he only begged out of dire need.