Chapter Nine

The Virtue of Patience Patience and Victory CHAPIER ELEVEN 140 Relief Accompanies Distress CHAPIER 1WELVE 150 Ease Accompanies Hardship CONCLUSION 159 APPENDIX 1 167 I:Iadith Sourcing APPENDIX 2 173 Ibn al-Qayyim on Patience APPENDIX 3 187 The Benefits of Tribulation al- (Izz ibn (Abdu'l-Salam APPENDIX 4 192 (AU alQ arl 's Commentary APPENDIX 5 202 Ibn (Allan's Commentary Ibn <uthaymin's Commentary 219 INDEX OF QUR'ANIC VERSES 229 INDEX OF SECTS 232 INDEX OF ARABIC WORDS 234 TRANSLATORS BIBLIOGRAPHY 245 NOTES 250 256 - Consonants. Arabie initial: unexpressed medial and final: •• J d �e;l �k '-:J b j dh la � J I �t .) r .li. � rm • �th Jz t· Un �j c. Jll s t gh -A h • Cl} c. Jll sh ur .J w .. Ckh �, �q " y , Short: .:.a - i - u long: l.:..

I .Jo� 0 . - diphthongs: _,_ aw i.say I:Iafi? Abu'l-Faraj ibn Rajah al-I:IanbalI He is the Imiim and Hafi:�, Zaynu'l-Din 'Abdur-Ral).man ibn Al).mad ibn 'Abdir-Ral).man ibn al-J:Iasan ibn Mul).ammad ibn Abu1-Barakat Mas'ud al-SulamI al-J:Ianbali al-Dimashqi. His agnomen was Abu'l-Faraj, and his nickname was Ibn Rajah, which was the nickname of his grandfather who was born in that month. He was born in Baghdad in 736H and was raised by a knowledgeable and pious family. He died on a Monday night, the fourth of Rama4an, 795H in al-J:Iumariyyah, Damascus.

He learned and took knowledge from the greatest scholars of his time. In Damascus, he studied under Ibn al-Qayyim, Zaynu'l-Din al-'Iraqi, ibn al-Naqib, Mul).ammad ibn Isma'il al­ Khabbaz, Dawiid ibn Ibrahim al-'Attar, ibn Qati al-J abal and Al).mad ibn 'Abdu-1-Hadi al-J:Ianbali. In Makkah, he heard from al-Fakhr 'Uthman ibn Yusuf al-Nuwayri. In Jerusalem, he heard from al­ J:Iafi? al-'Ala>t. In Egypt, he heard from �adru'l-Din Abu'l-Fatl). al-Maydumi and Na�iru'l-Din ibn al-Muliik. 14 Many students of knowledge came to him to study under him.

Amongst the most famous of his students were: Abii'l-'Abbas Al}.mad ibn Abii Bakr ibn 'Ali al-l:lanbali; Abii'l-Fa<;ll Al}.mad ibn Na�r ibn AQ.mad; Dawiid ibn Sulayman al-Mawsili; 'Abdu'l­ RaQ.man ibn AQ.mad ibn MuQ.ammad al-Muqri1; Zaynii'l-Din 'Abdu'l-RaQ.man ibn Sulayman ibn Abii'l-Karam; Abii Dharr al­ Zarkashi; al-QacjI 'Ala1ii'l-Din ibn al-Laham al-Ba'Ji; and AQ.mad ibn Sayfii'l-Din al-I:Iamawi. Ibn Rajah devoted himself to knowledge and spent the vast majority of his time researching, writing, authoring, teaching, and giving legal rulings. Many scholars praised him for his vast knowledge, asceticism and expertise in the l:lanbali school of thought. lbn Qaqt Shuhbah said of him , 'He read and became proficient in the various fields of science. He engrossed himself with the issues of the madhab until he mastered it. He devoted himself to the occupation of knowledge of the texts, defects and meanings of the .Q.adith.'1 Ibn l:lajr said of him, 'He was highly proficient in the science of Q.adith in terms of the names of reporters, their biographies, their paths of narration and awareness of their meanings.'2 Ibn Muflil;t said of him, 'He is the Shaykh, the great scholar, the l:lafi?, the ascetic, the Shaykh of the l:lanbaJi madhab and he authored many beneficial works.'3 1 Ibn Qa4I al-Shuhbah, Tari/eh, vol. 3, p. 195. 2 ibn }:Iajr, lnba'u'l-Ghamr, vol. 1, p. 460. 3 al-Maq!ad al-Arshad, vol. 2, p. 81. 15 He wrote many beneficial works, some of them outstanding such as al-Qawa'id al-Kllbraji'l-Fum' about which it was said, 'It is one of the wonders of this age.'4 His commentary to Al-Tirmidhi is said to be the most extensive and best ever written so much so that al-'Iraqi; about whom ibn l:lajr said, 'He was the wonder of his age'; would ask for his help when compiling his own commentary to the same book. • Moreover he has many valuable monographs explaining various a.

Qadith such as: Sha,.P lfadith Ma Dhi'bani]aian Ursilti Ji Ghananr, lkhtfyar al-Awlti Sha,.P lfadith lkhtiftim al-Maia' a/­ A 'Ja, Nur al-IqtibtisJi Sha,.P WtZ!!1Jah al-Nabi Ji ibn 'Abbas-, and Kashfu'l-Kllrbah Ji Wafli lfali Ahli-1-Ghurbah. • In exegesis his works include: Tafslr Surah al-1/ehltir, Tafnr Surah al-F atipah; Tafsir Surah al-Naµ; and al-Istighna' bi'1Quran. • In Q.adith his works include: Sha,.P 'Ila/ al-Tirmidhr, Fatpu'J­ Bari Sha,.P $a#h al-Bukhari:, andjtimi' al-'Uliim wa'J-lfikam. • In fiqh his works include: al-Istikhn!jJiApktim al-Khartij, and al-Qawa'id al-Fiqh!Jyah. • In biographies his works include the monumental Dh'!JI aid Tabaqtiti'l-lfanabilah. • In exhortation his works include: lAta'if al-Maarif and al-Takhwif min al-Niir. 4 ibn 'Abdu'l-Hadi, Dh�I 'aid Tabaqtit ibn Rtyab, p. 38. 16 With the Name of Allah, the All-Mercifu� the Most Merciful All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, a pure and blessed praise as our Lord loves and is pleased with, a praise that behoves the nobility of His face and accords with His magnificence. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon Mulµmmad, the Unlettered Prophet, his family and his Companions. Imam AJ:imad records the l:iadith of }::Ianash aHiana1anI on the authority of ibn 1Abbas who said, 'I was sitting behind the Prophet (ti) when he said, ''Young lad, should I not teach you some words through which Allah will occasion benefit for you?" I said, "Of course!" He said, "Safeguard Allah and He will safeguard you. Safeguard Allah and you will find Him in front of you. Know Allah in times of ease and He will know you in times of hard­ ship.

When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, turn to Allah. The Pen has dried (after having written) all that will occur. If the whole of creation, in its entirety, was to try and effectuate some benefit for you through something that Allah has not ordained, they would not be able to do so; and if they wished to harm you through something that Allah has not decreed, they would not 17 be able to do so. Know that great good lies in bearing with patience· what you dislike, that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease."'1 This is how he related it via the route of I:Ianash along with two other isnads that are munqatj<, he mentioned that he did not differentiate the wordings of the various routes in this particular instance.

He also records it via the route of I:Ianash alone, s ummarised, with the wording, ''Young lad, I will relate some words to you: Safeguard Allah and He will safeguard you. Safeguard Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, tum to Allah. The Pens have been lifted and the books have dried.

If the nation were to come in order to benefit you with something that Allah has not decreed for you, they would not be able to; and if they desired to harm you with something that Allah has not decreed for you, they would not be able to."2 A similar wording was recorded by Tirmidhi, "I will teach you some words: Safeguard Allah and He will safeguard you. Safe­ guard Allah and you will find Him before you. Know that if the nation came together in order to benefit you with something, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has already decreed for you; and were they to come together in 1 Al:imad #2803 and it is �al:,u""l:i 2 Al:imad #2669-2763 and it is �al:iil:i 18 order to harm you with something, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has already decreed against you. The Pens have been lifted and the scrolls have dried."3 B.afi? Abu 'Abdullah ibn Mandah said, 'This }:iadith has various routes from ibn 'Abbas and this is the most authentic of them... this isnad is well-known and its narrators are trustworthy and precise.' I say: This }:iadith has been reported by a group of narrators from ibn 'Abbas.

Amongst them are his son, 'AU, and 'Ata14 and 'Ikrimah.5 It is also reported from him by 'Umar, the freed-slave ofGhufrah,6 and 'Abdu'l-Malikibn 'Umayr7 andibnAbIMulaykah8 although it is said that they did not hear (l:iadith) from him All . these isnads are problematic and some contain additional wordings and others omit some wordings. The fact that the Prophet (� gave this counsel to ibn 'Abbas has also been related from 'AU ibn AbI Talib,9 Abu Sa' Id al3 TirmidhI #25 1 6 who said it was J.:iasan !?al:u1:i 4 'Abd ibn J:lumayd #634 (Muntakhab), 'f abararu, al-Kabir #l 1 41 6 5 'fabararu, al-Kabir #l 1 560 6 'fabaranI, al-Kabir#l 1 560 7 J:Iakim #6303 8 'fabaranI, al-Kabir #l 1 243 9 QaQi Tinnawkhl, al-Faraj ba'd al-Shiddah, vol. 1, pg. 1 1 2 19 Khudri, 10 Sahl ibn Sa<d11 and other Companions. 12 The isnads of all these are also problematic. 'UqaylI mentioned that all the isnads of the l).adith are weak (la. JJ in) with some being better than oth­ ers.13 I say: the best of these isnads is the narration of J:lanash on the authority of ibn 'Abbas that we have previously mentioned, ·it is a l).asan isnad, having nothing untoward in it. We have discussed the various routes of this l).adith in detail in Sharfi al-Tzrmidhi; our purpose here, however, is to explain the meaning of the l).adith and to expound upon its wordings.

This l).adith comprises pieces of advice of paramount impor­ tance and universal principles that deal with the greatest and most noble aspects of this religion. This is true to such an extent that Imam Abii'l-Faraj in his work, .)ayd al-Khd,tir, said, 'I pondered this l).adith and it struck me with awe; I was so astounded that I almost became light headed.' Then he said, 'The prevailing igno­ rance of this l).adith and the lack of understanding thereof is truly distressing!'14 10 Abu Ya'la # 1 099 11 QaqlTinnawkhl, al-Fartg'ba'dal-Shiddah, vol. 1, pg. 11 2. Suyiip, al-Durral-Manthitr, vol. 1, pg. 1 59 references it to Daruqu\llI, Afrad, ibn Mardawayh, Bayhaqi and A�bahani. 12 S uch as 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far as recorded ibn Abu 'A�im, al-Sunnah #31 5 13 'Uqayli, al-Duaja' al-Kabir, vol. 3, pg. 54 Refer to Appendix 1 for a sourcing of the various narrations of the Qadith. 14 al-Qari, Shar/J Mishkat, vol. 9, pg. 1 6 1 , said, '"!was sitting behind the Prophet(�," = 20 = this indicates that (ibn 'Abbas) memorised the incident accurately, brought the words to mind, and accurately conveyed them. This is one of the lµdiths that he heard from the Messenger of Allah (;I) directly for most of what he narrates is via the medium of another narrator, however these are taken as proof because they are the mursal narrations of a Companion (which are accepted). The reason for this is that he was very young during the time of the Prophet (11).

The author (Baghawi) said that he was born three years before the Hijra and he was thirteen years old when the Prophet (;I) passed away, some said that he was fifteen at the time and yet others _said he was ten. However, he became a great scholar, the ocean of knowledge of this nation because the Prophet (;I) supplicated that he acquire wisdom, understanding and correct interpretation. He saw Jibril twice and he became blind at the end of his life. He passed away at Ta'if in the year 68H during the rule of ibn al-Zubayr at the age of seventy one. A large number of Companions and Successors narrate from him.

"Young lad," the point behind the address is that ibn 'Abbas direct his a�ntion to him and pay heed to what is said. "Shall I teachyou some words," points of advice through which you may repress affliction and promote benefit and blessings.' 21 Safeguarding Allah The saying of the Messenger of All ah (;i), "Safeguard Allah and He will safeguard you," means to safeguard the limits of Allah, His rights, His commands and His prohibitions. These are pre­ served by meeting His commands with compliance, His prohibi­ tions with avoidance, and His limits by not overstepping or trans­ gressing them such that one leaves what has been prescribed and encroaches on the proscribed. Hence this sentence covers the performance of all obligations and the abandonment of all prohibitions just as is mentioned in the :badith of Abii Tha'labah that the Prophet (;i) said, "Allah has obligated various duties so do not be lax in them, He has prohibited various things so do not encroach on them, and He has set limits so do not transgress them.m 1 Daruqutni, vol. 4, pg. 1 83 #4396, Tabararu, al-Kabir, vol. 22, pg. 221 Ibn .f;fajr, al-Matalib al-'Aljyah#2951 said that its narrators were thiqah but that it was munqa!i'· Nawawi, al-Arba'in #30 ruled it l)asan as did Sama'aru, al-Amtili as stated by ibn Rajah, Jami' al- 'U/Nm, vol. 2, pg. 1 50. Albani and Arna'iit both declared the l)aclith l)asan due to supporting witnesses in their respective notes to Sha,.P al-TaJ;tiw!Jyah. 22 All of the above is included in the term, 'preserving the limits of Allah' and as such is subsumed by the sayings of Allah, �i; J1=6�)a�G "... those who preserve the limits of Allah"2 "This is what you were promised; it is for every penitent and heedful one: those who fear the All­ Merciful in the Unseen3 and come with a con­ trite heart."4 The term, heedful one in this verse has been explained to mean one who safeguards the commandments of Allah5 and it has also been explained to mean a person whose solicitude for his sins leads him to repent and desist.6 The verse encompasses both meanings7 and, moreover, anyone who safeguards the legacy of 2 al-Tawbah (9): 1 1 2 3 Or: " .•. those who fear the All-Merciful in secret...

" 4 Qdf(SO): 32-33 5 The exegesis of Qatadah as recorded by Tabarl 6 The exegesis ofSa'Id ibn Sinlin as recorded by BayhaqI; ibn 'Abbas, Sa'Id ibn al­ Musayyab, Mujlihid and 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr as recorded by 'fabari. cf. Suyiip, a/­ Durr al-Manthitr 7 as stated by Tabari and others. 23 Allah to His servants and follows it is also included. within the scope of the verse. All of these aspects revolve around one and the same fundamental meaning. One of the wordings of the }:i.adith concerning the Day of In­ crease in Paradise mentions that ''when All� Most High, will s umm on the inhabitants of Paradise to visit Him, and after He has removed the veils for them, He will say, 'Welcome 0 serv­ ants of Mine: those who safeguarded my legacy, tended to My covenant and feared Me in secret; those who, in every circum­ stance, remained in dread of Me."'8 Therefore his (a'i) commanding ibn 'Abbas to safeguard Allah comprises all that has been mentioned above. 8 Ibn AbI al-Dunyli., $ifatu'l-]annah, pg. 53 and Abii Nu'aym, $ifatu'i-]annah, pg. 41 1 . Mundhirl, al· Targhib, vol. 4 , pg. 307 said that it was munkar as a l:iaclith o f the Prophet (ji). lbn Kathir, al-Bid4Jah wa'l-Nih4Jah, vol. 2, pg. 520 said, 'This is mursal c;la'if ghano, the best that one can say about it is that it is the words of one of the Salaf which were mistakenly attributed to the Prophet (ii).

Allah knows best.' lbn al-Qayyim, lftidi al-Anvtil), pg. 233 said that it was not authentic as a l:iadith of the Prophet (ji). 24 1.1 Safeguarding the Prayers One of the greatest of matters that require safeguarding is the five daily prayers. Allah, Most High, says, �_.;il;jf/o1f;�;f�1i� �!< "Safeguard the prayers - especially the middle one."9 "'�r'�· \) · '"'>� ·11 ""' ""'·rt:-�,r " ,,,. �r:.�I... ... .... .,.. !J " ... those who safeguard their prayer."1 0 The Prophet (:I) said, ''Whoever safeguards them has a prom­ ise from Allah that He will grant him entry into Paradise."11 Another J:iadith has, ''Whoever safeguards them, they will be a light, a proof and a deliverance for him on the Day of Rising."1 2 9 al-Baqarah (2): 238 10 al-Ma'arij (70): 34 11 Malik #268,Abu Dawiid #425,Nasli'i #462, ibn Majah #1401. It was ruled �al:u1:i by ibn I;Iibbin #1732-2417, ibn 'Abdu'l-Barr, al-Tamhid, vol. 5,pg. 187,Nawawi, Khufli!atu'l-Apkam#1859, andAlbini,$abibal-Targhib#370 12 Al:imad #6576,TabaranI, ai-Awsa/#1788 It was ruled �� by ibn I;Iibbin #1467 and 'Iraqi, Tarb al-Tathrib, vol. 2, pg. 147. Mundhiri, al-Targhib, vol. 1, pg. 264 said the isnad was jayyid as did Dhahabi, Tanqibal-Taf, Jqiq, vol. 1, pg. 300. Haythami, vol. 1, pg. 292 said, 'The narrators of Al:imad are thiqah.' Ama'iit said that the isnad was J.:iasan in his notes to the Musnad and �� in his notes to ibn I;Iibbin. 25 1.2 Safeguarding Purification The same applies to purification for it is the key to prayer.13 The Prophet (ai) said, "None safeguards the ablution save a believer.m4 This is because a servant could well invalidate his state of pu­ rification without even being aware of it, therefore safeguarding the state of ablution for prayer is a proof that faith has settled firmly in the heart. 1.3 Safeguarding Oaths Amongst the things that Allah has commanded to safeguard is oaths.

When He mentioned the expiation of breaking oaths, He said, "That is the expiation for breaking oaths when 13 As mentioned in the }:iadith recorded by TirmidhI #3 on the authority of'AII that the Prophet (ii) said, ''The key to prayer is purification, it is made inviolable by the takbirand violable by the taslim." He also records this }:iadith [#4] on the authority ofJ abir and [#238] on the authority ofAbu Sa'id al-Khudri. 14 A}:imad #22378-22414-22433-22436, ibn Majah #277, Darimi #655 on the authority of Thawban. It was ruled �aQi"Q by Suyiip, al-Jami' al-$aghir#994 and Mundhiri quoted 'Iraqi ruling it }:iasan in his Amali, Arna'ui and �a}:ii}:i Ii ghayrihI by Albani, $a/lip al-Targhib #197-379 26 you have sworn them. Keep your oaths. "15 People frequently make oaths and the consequences of breach­ ing them vary: sometimes it will be the expiation for breaking oaths, other times a severe expiation is required (kaffarah mugha/Ja�a), and at other times it requires divorce or the likes to take effect. Faith has entered the heart of a person who takes care of his oaths.

The Salaf would carefully safeguard their oaths. Some of them would never take an oath by Allah, others would be so guarded that they would give expiation for oaths they thought they may have broken. Imam Al:imad, on his death bed, enjoined that the expiation for breaking an oath be given saying, 'I think I might have broken an oath that I made.' It is reported that when Ayyiib ( 'aiayhis-sa/tim) passed by any two people swearing an oath by Allah, he would go and give ex­ piation on their behalf lest they sin witho�t realising. This is why when he made an oath to lash his wife one hundred time, Allah granted him leeway16 because of his safeguarding his oaths and the oaths of others. The scholars have differed as to whether this leeway applies to others besides Ayyiib.

Yazid ibn Abi J:Iabib said, 'It has reached me that, amongst the Carriers of the Throne, there is one whose eyes shed tears that flow like rivers. Then when he raises his head, he says, "Glory be to You, You are not feared as befits You." Allah says, ''Yet those 15 al-Mti'idah (5): 89 16 Mentioned in His saying, ''Take a bundle of rushes in your hand and strike with that and do not break your oath." [Jiia' (38): 44] 27 who make oaths in My name falsely do not know this!"' A severe threat has been recorded concerning taking false oaths. Frequent oaths in the name of Allah, or false oaths in His name, arise from ignorance of Allah and lack of reverence in the heart. 1.4 Safeguarding the Head and Stomach Some of the things that the believer must safeguard are his head and stomach. lbn Mas<iid reports that the Messenger of Allah (ti) said, "Being shy before Allah as is truly deserving is to safe­ guard the head and what it retains and the stomach and what it contains." It is recorded by Al}.mad and Tirmidhi.17 Safeguarding the head and what it retains includes safeguarding the hearing, seeing and tongue from falling into the prohibited. Safeguarding the stomach and what it contains includes safeguard­ ing the heart from persisting in the proscribed. Allah has men­ tioned all of this in His saying, > >, �1};;z.5�:i jJ\J��tAt�-=,ri� "The hearing, the sight and the heart - each of these will be questioned." 1 8 Safeguarding the stomach and what it contains includes safe17Af)mad #3671, Tirmidhi #2458 TirmidhI said the i_iadith was ghano and Arna'iit said the isnid was Q.a'if.

AlbiinI, $a/;i/1 ai-Tafghib #1724-2638-3337 ruled it i_iasan Ii ghayrihI. 18 ai-lsrd' (17): 36 28 guarding it from consuming unlawful food and drink. 1.5 Safeguarding the Tongue and Private Parts It is also obligatory to safeguard the tongue and private parts from infringing on the proscribed. Abii Hurayrah reports that the Prophet (� said, ''Whoever safeguards what is between his jaws and what is between his legs will enter Paradise." It is recorded by J:Iakim.19 Bukhari also records it on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd from the Prophet (� with the wording, ''Whoever guarantees me what is between his jaws and legs, I will guarantee him Paradise."20 Alµnad has the l,iadith of Abu Musa that the Prophet (� said, "Whoever safeguards what is between his jaws and his private parts will enter Paradise."21 Allah, Most High, has specifically ordered the safeguarding of the privates and has praised those who do so, 19 J:Iakim #8058 and he said it was �alftl:.i with DhahabI agreeing. A l:tadith of similar meaning is also recorded by TinnidhI # 240 9 who said it was l:tasan �al:tt1:i and ibn J:Iibban #5703 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah with the words, "Whoever Allah protects from the evil of what is between his two lips and between his two legs will enter Paradise." 20 Bukhari #64 74-6807 21 Al:tmad #1 9 559 , J:lakim #8063 Arna'ii! said that it was �al:tt1:i li ghayrihI 29 "Say to the believers that they should lower their eyes and guard their private parts."22 ' · · ' 4\ " �>� /.I· ·�."i '"\" >"' - - ...J , . .. ·� . ,,, .,,, .J " ... men and women who gua rd their private parts ••. "23 " ... those who guard their private parts - except from their wives or those they own (as slaves), in which case they are not blameworthy. ."24 . It is reported that Abu Idris al-Khawlani said, 'When Adam descended to earth, the first thing that Allah enjoined upon him was the safeguarding of the privates and that he should only ever put them in that which was lawful.' 22 al-Niir (24): 30 23 al-Al;ztib (33): 35 24 al-Mu'miniin (23): 5-6 30 He will safeguard You His (:i) saying, "He will safeguard you," means that whoever safeguards the limits of Allah and tends to the rights due Him, Allah will safeguard him. 1bis is because the recompense is of the same type as the deed.

Allah, Most High, says, 1�i�) u��jlj "Honour My contract and I will honour your contract ... "1 "Remember Me - I will remember you. "2 .t;.> :"�H > J' :: I �� �""- • " ... if you help Allah, He will help you ... "3 1 al-Baqarah (2): 40 2 al-Baqarah (2) : 1 52 3 Mupammad (4 7): 7 31 Allah's safeguarding His servant is of two types: