Part 11

“ Al-Rabi‘ Ibn Anas (2-139 A.H.) was a narrator and collector of hadith and worked on Qur’nic interpretation, (Fu’Ad.Sezgin, Ta’rikh al-Turath al-‘Arabi, vol. 1, pp. 79-80.]

they should not become like those to whom the Book was given before; but a long time has passed and their hearts have grown hard? For many among them are grave sinners” (57:16).

The word khushi‘, humility, implies two meanings: One is humility and submissiveness, while the other is calmness and tranquility, which require a tenderness of the heart that is contrary to harshness. Thus, a humble heart implies its worship of Allah as well as tranquility; hence, humbling oneself in prayer implies both humility and tranquility. The word ‘humble’ cited in the verse: “Those [the believers] who humble themselves in their prayers” (23:2) means to Ibn ‘Abbas that the believers are in a state of submissiveness; according to al-Hassan and Qatadah, they are ina state of fear while praying before Allah. Also they are, according to Muqatil,* in a state of humility. To ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib’ this means humility in the heart, showing that one’s disposition should be tender toward fellow Muslims, and that while praying one should not turn to the right or to the left. Mujahid said it means to lower the gaze and to be responsive. When a man gets up and is ready to pray he will be ina state of humbling himself to Allah, his gaze will not wander, and he will not busy himself thinking about worldly matters.

+5 Mugatil Abu Hassan Tbn Sulayman (2-150 A.H.) compiled several books and a commentary on the Qur’an, [M. M. Azami, p. 157 and Sezgin, vol. 1, pp. 85-86.]

#7 <amr Ibn Dinar, Abu Muhammad (46-126 A.H.), transmitted hadith and was a scholar of figh. [AL-Zirikli, vol. 5, p. 245 and M. M. Azami, p. 79.]

“ Muhammad Ibn Sirin (33-110 A.H.) was a scholar of hadith, It was reported that he opposed writing down hadith. [M. M. Azami, p. 94.]

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with any part of your body while praying. When the Prophet (pbuh) saw a man making a gesture with his beard while praying, He said: “Had he had a humble heart, all the parts of his body would have been humble too.” The word khushi‘, humility, will be explained later, in sha’a Allah.

A humble body follows a humble heart, if one is not two-faced [tries to show what is not really in his heart]. It has been narrated: “Seek refuge in Allah from the hypocrisy of humbleness” {having a humble body but not heart]. For Allah Himself urges the believers by saying: “Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth . . .” (57:16). He commands them to have humble hearts every time He and His Book are mentioned. He [Allah] also forbids them from being like those to whom revelation was given in earlier times, but ages passed and their hearts grew hard. Allah says: “. .. Those, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts when His Words are mentioned and find their belief strengthened . . .”

Allah says in another verse: “Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book consistent with itself. The skins of those who fear their Lord tremble, then their skins and their hearts soften with their remembrance of Allah . . .” (39:23).Thus, those [believers] who fear their Lord, they are the ones who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble.

When it is said that it is an obligation to have a humble heart when Allah and His revelation are mentioned, the response would be in the affirmative. However, people who humble themselves in their prayers belong to two groups. One follows a middle course and the other surpasses others in good deeds. The latter group includes people who perform desirable deeds. However, the former group represents all the believers who deserve Paradise. Whosoever is not a member of either of these two groups wrongs his soul. In the following sound hadith the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Oh, Allah, I seek refuge in you from useless knowledge, a heart that is not humble, a dissatisfied soul, and an unanswered prayer.”

Allah also condemns hard-heartedness, which is contrasted with a humble heart, in many verses of the Qur’an. He says: “Then were your hearts hardened: then they became like a rock, and even worse, in hardness . . .” (2:74). Al-Zajjaj said that the verb qasat, linguistically speaking, means it became thick, dry, and

withered. Thus, hard-heartedness implies a lack of tenderness, mercy, and humility of the heart. The person with the harsh and weak heart is the one with the stiff and hardened heart. Ibn Qutaybah said: “The following verbs—gasat, “asat, and ‘atat—all mean yabisat, become dry. The blessed power of the heart is different from the condemned harshness of the heart. For indeed the heart ought to be strong but not harsh, tender but not weak, as in the tradition which states that hearts are the vessels of Allah on His earth; the most beloved to Him are the most firm, the most tender, and the most pure. This resembles the hand, it is strong yet tender. This is in contrast to the hardened stub, which is dry and lacks tenderness even though it possesses strength. Allah the Almighty mentions that the heart trembles at the time of His remembrance. The belief will increase both in knowledge and in deed when reciting the Book of Allah.

It is necessary to put one’s complete reliance and obedience in Allah for whatever one can do and cannot do. The basis of this is the performance of prayer, giving zakah, and fulfilling the remaining five [pillars], as Allah commanded. A servant of Allah has to obey Him by doing what He commands, by fulfilling all the obligations, one of which is prayer. Prayer, if performed well, prevents one from committing evil. As narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘tid and Ibn “Abbas: “Prayer forbids and restrains one from disobeying Allah. Thus, he whose prayer does not restrain him from evil, the more he prays, the more his prayer draws him away from Allah.” The meaning of the latter part of this saying, “draws him away from Allah,” is that if a person abandons the obligatory prayer, it is of greater harm than the deeds he has performed. Abandoning the obligatory prayer drives him away from Allah even if he performs little of the obligatory duties, as stated in the following sound hadith of the Prophet (pbuh): “Such is the prayer of the hypocrite; he observes the sun until it sets between the two horns of Satan, then he stands up to pray and makes four genuflections in which he scarcely holds Allah in remembrance at all.” Allah says: “The hypocrites, they think they are deceiving Allah, but He will overreach them: When they stand up for prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance” (4: 142). ‘Ammar narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Allah may record only one-half, one-third, or even one-tenth of His Servant’s prayer. For when he prays, little does he hold Allah in remembrance.” Ibn ‘Abbas also narrated: “You get nothing from your prayer except that you hold Allah in remembrance.” Nevertheless, if while praying, one holds Allah little in

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remembrance, although he is not obliged to pray again, he is commanded to make up for the loss of his incomplete prayer by performing other voluntary deeds. And it is well-known that whoever strictly guards and humbles himself implicitly and explicitly in his prayers and fears Allah, as he is commanded, performs the obligations. The believer will never commit a kabirah, grave sin. For he who commits grave sins such as adultery, theft, or drinking wine, it is inevitable that fear, humility, and light will abandon his heart, even though he still has the essence of tasdiq, assent, in his heart. Committing a grave sin will remove Iman from him. This is indicated in the Prophet’s\(pbuh) saying: “The fornicator who fornicates is no longer a believer as long as he continues to commit it, and no thief who steals is a believer as long as he continues to commit theft.” For indeed those fear Allah, as Allah described them in His saying: “Those who fear Allah, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance. Lo! they are able to see ” (7:201) Thus, when a thought of evil assaults the believers’ hearts, they will remember Allah and become aware of their sins.

* Sa‘ Ibn Jubayr al-Asdi (46-95 A.H.) compiled a commentary on the Quran and also recorded hadith, especially the hadiths that were reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn‘ Umar. [Al-Zirikli, vol. 3, p. 145 and M. M. Azami, p. 70.]