8. Tribulation leads a person to actualise and live Tawptif in his

heart and this is the most sublime of stations and noblest of rankings. 1 7 One of the Judeao-Christian narrations mentions, 'Tribulations brings you and Me together. Well-being brings you and your self together.' 17 Refer to Appendix 3 for a more complete list of the benefits of tribulation. 1 58 Generally speaking, when adversity intensifies and misfortune increases, relief is close. Allah, Most High, says, �/ � � ,,,, /'. if � � .,,, ,,,, ,, > -: ,-:> • -: --� i.r � \I_,..., "Then when the Messengers despaired and thought themselves denied, Our help came to them, and those We willed were saved." 1 (�t(\::tfirf!! ,.,. .-: -:" > ,...,, r � " \"' -:- .:f"1"' j > V a� .. · l J'� �,. � �.... ·1�1.t.» .t!" ;»!.r6'c!r•4.AA i_,... .. �� !.J �..J' � �.,/;J�,,,� » -:.-:- ��,� .. "Poverty and illne ss afflicted them and they were shaken to the point that the Prophet and those who had faith with him said, 'When is Allah's help 1 Yusrif (1 2) : 1 1 0 1 59 coming?' Be assured that Allah's help is very near."2 He informs us that Ya1qiib ('aft?yhis-saltim) never gave up hope of meeting Yusuf and that he asked his brothers, 0 > .... .t: S.... . t .... ""'= > > , > �.... ,,,._-: • > ' ! '"' �IJ .JJ�!J l,...A.uJ!� \, - '-<t !,r.

A .)1 Id ,11ri5 � "Seek news of Yusuf and his brother. Do not de­ spair of solace from Allah. "3 and he said, � . ,,.

I "' '.'.:: ,.

"" • t" f >� " "" "" l,...A..r. Li • 1 .oi I • " ... perhaps Allah will bring them all together."4 A wonderful wisdom in attaching the onset of relief to intense distress is that in such circumstances a person gives up hope in any object of creation relieving him. Instead the person turns to Allah and depends on Him alone. When a person severs hope in creation and places his dependency on Allah, then will He re­ spond and relieve him. Tawakkul, trust,5 is to stop raising ones 2 al-Baqarah (2): 2 1 4 3 Yustif (1 2) : 87 4 Yusef (1 2) : 83 5 Bayhaqi, Shu'ab, vol. 2, pp. 991 00 records that 'Ali ibn Al,i.mad was asked about tawakkul to which he replied, 'That you relinquish yourself from depending on = 1 60 eyes to creation having given up hope in them. This was stated by Imam Af:imad and he adduced as proof the saying of Ibriihim who, (when about to be burned in the fire), was asked by Jibril, 'Do you need anything?' He replied, 'From you, no.'6 Tawakkulis one of the greatest routes through which ones needs are met for Allah suffices the person who puts his trust in Him , "Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him.

"7 Fuqayl said, 'By Allah! Were you to give up all hope in creation so that you no longer want anything from them,, your Master would grant you everything you want!' Another wisdom is that when hardship intensifies, the servant must strive against Shaytiin because he will whisper to him, caus- = your strength and ability, or the strength and ability of those like you.' Mu9ammad ibn Sulayman said, ' Tawakkulis that your heart never think that there is anyone who can bring you benefit or harm save Him; that you accept calmly everything that happens to you without aversion.' 6 BayhaqI, Shu'ab # 1 293 records from Abu Ya'qiib who said, 'The true reality of tawakkulwas realised by Ibrahim the Khafil of the All-Merciful, in that state in which he said to Jibril, "From you, no" because his soul was totally absorbed with All ah and hence he no longer saw anything else besides Him, he was in a state of utter awe before Allah, for the sake of Allah. This is from the signs of Tawpid and Allah manifesting His power for His Prophet, upon whom be peace.' 7 al-Takiq (65): 3 1 61 ing him to despair and give up hope. Man must repress these whisperings and the reward of striving against the enemy and repressing him will be the removal of the tribulation. The au­ thentic l;iadith mentions, ''Your supplication will be answered so long as he is not impatient: he says, 'I have supplicated but have not received a response,' and therefore gives up supplication."8 Another wisdom is that if relief is slow in coming, and the servant gives up hope of ever receiving it, especially after a pleni­ tude of supplication and humble entreaty, he will look inwards and blame his self saying, 'I have onl y been afflicted in this way because of you, if there was any good in you, I would have been answered. ' This self censure and realisation i s more beloved t o Allah than many actions of obedience for it leads to a servant breaking his soul for the sake of his Master.

The servant has acknowledged that he himself is not deserving of a response, and when in such a state, Allah's response and relief is close at hand. Allah is with those who have broken their souls for His sake, the extent of His mending is commensurate to the extent of the breaking.9 8 Bukhari #6340 and Muslim #2735 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah. 9 The author, al-Dhull wa'l-Inkisrir, writes, 'He, Glorious is He, is the mender of hearts that have broken for His sake. He, Glorious is He, comes close to hearts that are filled with humility to Him in the same way that He comes close to one who is standing in prayer, privately discoursing with Him. There is nothing that tends to the brokenness of the servant more than closeness and response. Imam Al)mad, may Allah have mercy on him, records in his book, al-Zuhd, with his isnad to 'Imran ibn al-Qu�ayr who said, 'Musa ibn 'Imran said, "My Lord, where should I seek You?" He replied, "Seek Me with those whose hearts have broken for My sake. Every day I come close to them by one arm-span and = 1 62 Wahb said, 'A man worshipped Allah for some time, then a need arose that he needed fulfilled so he fasted for seventy Sat­ urdays, eating eleven dates every Saturday.

He then asked Allah for his need but it was not granted him so he looked to himself and said, ''If there was any good in you, you would have been given your need!" At that point, an angel came down and said, "Son of Adam, this hour which you are in is better for you than all your previous years of worship. Allah has now fulfilled your need!"' Whoever actualises this, knows this and witnesses this in his = were it not for this, they would surely perish."' Ibrahim ibn al�Junaid, may Allah have mercy on him, records in his book, al­ Mal:tabbah, with his isnad to Ja'far ibn Sulayman who said, 'I heard Malik ibn Dinar saying, "Musa ('alqyhis-saidm) asked, 'My God, where should I seek You?' Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, revealed to him, 'Musa, seek Me with those whose hearts have broken for My sake for I draw closer to them by an arm-span every day, and were it not for this, they would surely perish."' I asked Malik ibn Dinar, ''What does broken hearts mean?" He replied, "I asked this question to one who rehearsed the scriptures and he said that he had asked this same ques­ tion to 'Abdullah ibn al-Sallam who replied, 'Broken hearts refers to those that have broken for the love of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, rather than the love of anything else."" The authentic Sunnah proves that Allah is close to the heart that is broken by His tribulation, patient at His decree, and content. Muslim records on the au­ thority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet � said, "Allah, Might and Magnifi­ cent, will say on the Day of Rising, 'O son of Adam, I was ill yet you did not visit Me.' He will say, 'My Lord, how could I visit You while You are the Lord of the worlds!' He will reply, 'Did you not know that such-and-such a servant of mine was ill yet you did not visit him? Did you not know that, were you to have visited him, you would have found Me with him?"' Abu Nu'aym records via the route of.l)amrah that ibn Shawdhab said, 'Allah, Most High, revealed to Musa ('alqyhis-saidm), "Do you know why, from all people, I chose you for My message and speech?" He replied, "No, my Lord." He replied, "Because none was as modest and humble before Me as you were."' 1 63 heart will know that Allah's blessings conferred in times of tribulation are greater than those bestowed in times of ease. This fact is reflected in the authentic J::tadith in which the Prophet (M) said, "There is nothing that Allah ordains for the believer except that it is good for him. If he encounters times of ease, he is grateful and that is good for him.

If he encounters misfortune, he:: is patient and that is good for him . This only holds true for the believer."10 It is from this vantage point that the Gnostics do not choose one state to the exclusion of the other, instead they are content with whichever has been decreed by Allah, and they establish that servitude which is befitting each situation. The Musnad and Tirmidhi record the J::tadith of Abu Umamah that the Prophet (;I) said, "My Lord offered to make the plain and pebbles of Mecca gold but I said, 'No, my Lord! Rather I (would prefer) to eat my fill one day and to go hungry another. When I go hungry, I would turn to You in humble entreaty and remember You, and when I am full, I would thank You and praise You."'1 1 (Umar said, 'I care not if l awake in a state that I like or dislike since I do not know in which of the two states goodness lies.'12 10 Muslim #2999 on the authority of Suhayb ibn Sinan 11 AJ::imad #22 1 90 and TirmidhI #2347 who said it was J::iasan. Albani, Taflqiq Bid4Jat11'l-Stil, pg. 63 ruled the first part of the J::iadith to be authentic due to supporting witnesses and the second part commencing with "I would be full..

" to be munkar; Arna'iit said that the isnad was Q.a'if jiddan. . 12 Ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Faraj ba'd al-Shiddah, pg. 21 1 64 <umar ibn Abdu'l-< Aziz said, 'I awoke one morning to find that my delight and relief lay in the workings of the ordainment and decree. ' 0 person! Why i s i t that when We summon you, you flee from Us?! We shower blessings on you yet you forget Us and remain heedless! We afflict you with tribulation that you may return to Us, that you may stand at Our threshold and humbly entreat Us! Tribulation brings you and Us together, well-being brings you together with your self!

Even if we rebuke each other, Or we each move to distant lands, The love you know will still exist The blessings you know remain abundant Many are the gifts shrouded in calamity: 'Many are the secrets hidden in recesses.' 0 person, your gratitude for Our blessings is in itself a blessing conferred by Us, so be grateful for it! If you are patient in the face of tribulation, patience is a grace We have conferred upon you, ·so make mention of it! Every circumstance you pass through is a blessing from Us, so be not ungrateful! "If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man ls indeed wrong­ doing, ungrateful."1 3 13 fbrahim (14): 34 1 65 If my gratitude is a blessing awarded One must then display appreciation. How can gratitude not be His gift granted?

Days fly by, years accumulate: If a person sees ease, joyous are they, If he sees hardship, reward soon ensues. In both cases, He confers such grace As cannot be girded by belief, land or sea. Here ends the treatise by the grace ofAllah, His providence and His divine accord. All praise is due to Allah. 1 66 J:Iadith Sourcing There are numerous routes to the J:iadith of ibn (Abbas I 1 . The route of I:Janash al-�anacanI from ibn (Abbas with the words, 'One day, I was sitting behind the Messenger of Allah when he said, ''Young lad, I will relate some words to you: Safe­ guard Allah and He will safeguard you. Safeguard Allah and you will find Him before you.

When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, _turn to Allah. 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. The Pens have been lifted and the books have dried." This was recorded by AJ:imad #2669-2763, ibn Wahb, al-Qadr #28, Tirmidhi #25 1 6 and the wording is his. He said it was 1).asan � a1;Ul:i . A similar wording is recorded by Tabararu, al-dua #42 via the route of (Abdullah al-�aliJ:i.

It is recorded by AJ:imad #2803, BayhaqI, Shu'ab al-iman # 1 074 1 67 via the route of I:J.anash with the words, 'I was sitting behind the Prophet (;i) 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 safe­ guard 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 hardship. 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 de­ creed, 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 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."' 2. The route of Isma'il ibn 'Ayyash, from 'Umar ibn 'Abdullah, the freed slave of Ghufrah, from 'Ikrimah, from ibn 'Abbas who said, 'I was sitting behind the Prophet (;I) 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 All ah and you will find Him in front of you. Know All ah in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship. When you ask, ask Allah.

When you seek aid, turn to Allah. The Pen has dried (after hav­ ing written) all that will occur. If the whole of creation, in its entirety, was to strive in effectuating some benefit for you through something that Allah has not decreed, they would not be able to do so; and if they strove to harm you through something that Allah has not decreed, they would not be able to do so. Know that great good lies in bearing with patience what you dislike, 1 68 that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease."' This was recorded by Tabararu, al-Kabir, vol. 1 1 . pg. 223 3. The route of ibn Abi Mulaykah from ibn 'Abbas who said that the Messenger of Allah (;Ii) said, ''Young lad, 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 hardship. Know that what afflicted you would never have missed you and what missed you would never have afflicted you. If the whole of creation, in its entirety, was to try and give you something that Allah did not want to come your way, they would not be able to do so; and if it tried to divert something from you that Allah wanted to afflict you, they would not be able to do so. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, turn to Allah. Know that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease.

Know that the Pen has recorded all that will occur." This was recorded by 1Uqayli, vol. 3, pp. 397-398, Tabarani, a/­ Kabir, vol. 1 1 , pg. 1 23, al-Dua #41 , Bayhaqi, al-Adtib # 1 073 4. The route of 1Ata' ibn Abu Raba}:i. from ibn 1Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (:i) said, "Ibn 'Abbas, 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 hardship. Know that what afflicted you would never have missed you and what missed you would never have afflicted you. If the whole of creation, in its entirety, was to try and give you something that Allah did not want to come your way, they would not be able to do so; and if it tried to divert something 1 69 from you that Allah wanted to afflict you, they would not be able to do so.

The Pen has dried (having recorded) all that is to hap­ pen until the Day of Rising. When you ask, ask Allah . When you seek aid, turn to Allah. Be assured that victory comes with pa­ tience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease." This was recorded by cAbd ibn J:Iumayd #634 (al-Muntakhab). There is another route to this �adith to < Ata' ibn Abu Rab� to ibn < Abbas who said, 'While I was sitting behind the Messenger of Allah (;i), he said, ''Young lad, memorise these words from me: 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. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if the whole of creation, in its entirety, was to strive in' trying to harm you with something that Allah has not decreed for you, they would not be able to."' This recorded by ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Far'!f ba'd al-Shiddah, <uqayli, vol. 3, pg. 53, Tabararu, al-Kabir, vol. 1 1 , pg. 1 78 5. The route of < Ubaydullah ibn < Abdullah from ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ii) said to him , ''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 hardship. 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 1 70 try and give you something that Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, has not decreed, they would not be able to do so; and if they they tried to prevent something that Allah, Mighty and Magnifi­ cent, has decreed for you, they would not be able to do so. If you are able to work deed � for the sake of Allah, being content and in a state of certainty, 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."' This was recorded by Abii Nu'aym, vol. 1 , pg. 3 1 4 6 . The route of < Abdu'l-Malik ibn <umayr from ibn < Abbas that the Prophet (ii) said, to him, ''Young lad!" He replied, 'I am here, Messenger of Allah, attentive.' 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 hardship. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, turn to Allah.

The Pen has dried (after having written) all that will occur. If people were to strive in benefiting you with something that Allah has not ordained, they would not be able to do so; and if they tried to harm you with something that Allah has not decreed for you, they would not be able to do so. If you are able to work deeds for the sake of Allah, being content and in a state of certainty, do so. If you are unable, 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."' This was recorded by I:Iakim #6303 7. The route of I:lajjaj ibn al-Furaqah from ibn 'Abbas 171 8. The route of Humam ibn Yal}.ya al-Ba�ri from ibn < Abbas These two have the same wording as # 1 above and are recorded by .A4mad #2803.

The l).adith of < Ali is recorded by Tinnawkhi, al-Faraj ba'd al­ Shiddah, vol. 1 , pg. 1 1 2 with a q.a.< If jiddan isnad since it contains < Ali ibn Abu < Ali who is matriik. cf. al-1\fizan, vol. 3, pg. 1 47. The l).adith of Sahl ibn Sa<d is recorded by ibn AbI al-Dunya, a/­ Faraj ba'd al-Shiddah and Tinnawkhi, al-Faraj ba'd al-Shiddah , vol. 1 , pg. 1 1 2 with a qa<if isnad. Suyiiµ, al-Durr al-Manthiir, vol. 1 , pg. 1 59 references it to DaruqutnI, Afrtid, ibn Mardawayh, Bayhaqi and A�bahani. The l).adith of Abu Sa< Id al-Khudri is recorded by Abu Ya<la. # 1 099, ibn Ad2, vol. 7, pg. 2683 with a qa< If jiddan isnad since it contains Yal).ya ibn Maymiin ibn < Ata' who is matriik, and < Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jud'an who is qa'If. The J:iadith is also recorded from < Abdullah ibn Ja<far by ibn AbI A < �im #31 5 with a qa'if isnad. 1 72 Ibn al-Qayyim on Patience Allah, Glorious and Most High, has made patience a race horse that never falters or stumbles, a sword that never loses its sharp­ ness, a vanquishing army that is never defeated, and a fortified stronghold that never breaks and is never taken by force. Pa­ tience and divine help are two blood brothers.

Divine help comes with patience, relief follows difficulty, and ease follows hardship. Patience aids and supports a person more than an army of people, and in the attainment of victory it is like the head to the body. In His Book, the Truthful Guarantor has promised that He will repay the patient with a reward that knows no bounds; He informed us that He is with the patient through His guiding them, aiding them and granting them clear victory. He, Most High, says, � �\iif-> 0��\""-... ,. ·�-- "And be steadfast, Allah is with the steadfast." 1 The patient are victorious by virtue of this 'withness' both in 1 al-Anfril (8): 46 1 73 this life and the next, and through it they attain His internal and external blessings. Allah made leadership in the religion dependant upon patience and certainty, /. > .-; ! � f · > · \ ....J-;� '-.:.J � "-t'� >"" "' tJ�,. . l & , > >...:·- �,.. ,, . , ,, ,, • / "We appointed leaders from among them, guid­ ing by Our command when they were patient and when they had certainty about Our signs. "2 He informed us that patience is best for the patient, consoli­ dating this reality by ta�g an oath, "But if you are patient, it is better to be patient."3 He informed us that the plots· of the enemy are of no avail against the one who has patience and taqwti, �� �� . .... ·> >·r. > ,&_... �:-.. { > ..- .:t 1�,, ' � " -:: " '1�� :i> · -:: u,..J \' "But if you are steadfast and have taqwti, their scheming will not harm you in any way."4 2 af-Sajdah (32) : 24 3 al-NaP/ (1 6) : 1 26 4 Ali 'Jmrrin (3) : 1 20 1 74 He informed us that it was the patience and taqwa of his truth­ ful Prophet, Yusuf, that led him to circumstances of nobility and authority, "As for those who fear Allah and are patient, Allah does not allow to go to waste the wage of a peo­ ple who do good."5 Success is dependent on patience and taqwa, • > "" f > " .- ,.. .Jl f J' I \ 1 · "'r;. /. �\ ' -"·� � � .:::-t ... · • � - � / > ·> .t-f"'j -;; 1 • _, � ..... � -"' :...,, i > / ,, � �� r--- �\ �\.J �!J.J !JJi,.t;,.J ''You who have faith!

Be patient; be supreme in patience; be firm on the battlefield; and have taqwii of Allah so that hopefully you will be successful."6 He, Most High, gave the greatest encouragement possible con­ cerning patience to those who desire Him saying, s Ytl.ref (1 2): 90 6 Ali 'Imrtin (3): 200 7 Ali 'Jmran (3) : 1 46 175 He gave glad-tidings to the patient of three things; each of these things being better than anything that could be envied in this world, "But give good news to the patient: those who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we will return.' Those are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord; they are the ones who are guided."8 He enjoined His servants to seeking aid through patience and prayer when facing the vicissitudes of the world and religion, "Seek help in patience and prayer. But that is a very hard thing, except for the humble."9 He declared that the grant of victory by way of Paradise and deliverance from the Fire is only for the patient, 8 al-Baqarah (2) : 1 55-1 57 9 al-Baqarah (2): 45 1 76 "Today I have rewarded them for being stead­ fast. They are the ones who are victorious."1 0 He informed us that the desire for His reward and turning away from this world and its allures can only be attained by the patient believer, "But those who had been given knowledge said, 'Woe to you! Allah's reward is better for those who have faith �nd act rightly. But only the stead­ fast will obtain it."' 1 1 Returning an evil with that which is better transforms an en­ emy into a close friend, " ... Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend." 12 10 al-Mu'miniin (23) : 1 1 1 II a/-Qtlftlf (28): 80 12 Fuffilat (41): 34 None will attain this quality but those who are truly patient.

None will obtain it but those who have great good fortune.13 Allah, Most High, informed us - making an oath to further stress what is being said, i�1:;11�1 :.;- ., � � .l�;j\�1 � � � -- � � � ''Truly man is in loss - except for those who have faith and do right actions and urge each other to the truth and urge each other to patience." 1 4 He divided the creation in two groups: the People of the Right and the People of the Left. He particularised the People of the Right to be those who urge each other to patience and mercy15 and particularised the patient and grateful as those who truly ben­ efit from his Signs. He said in four verses of His Book, & r-;; ,, ,,, -� i ... ..... .... ... � "There are certainly Signs in that for everyone who is patient and thankful." 16 He made forgiveness and reward dependent on righteous deeds 13 Redacted from Fu!!ilat (41 ) : 35 14 al- �,rr (1 03): 2-3 15 al-Ba/ad (90) : 1 7 16 Luqmdn (3 1 ) : 31 ; Ibrahim (14) : 5 ; Saba' (34) : 1 9; al-Shurd (42) : 33 1 78 and patience - and that is truly easy for the one for whom He facilitates the way, ,, >.1 -:\ � A J.> ,, , i ,,,,. ,,,. � • > ,,,. ,,,,. , ., ,,,,. ,,,, -:: � � , � - ;.. 'r.'..J "Except for those who are patient and do right actions. They will receive forgiveness and a large reward."17 Patience and forgiveness are one of the resolute and definite matters such that the one who trades in them will never face loss, "But if someone is patient and forgives, that is the most resolute course to follow."1 8 He ordered His Messenger to be patient for His judgment and informed us that patience can only be for His sake, and through this all calamities become relatively minor and easy to bear, "So be patient for the judgment of your Lord - you are certainly before Our eyes"19 17 Hiid (l l): 1 1 18 al-Shiirti (42): 43 19 alTiir (52): 48 1 79 "Be patient. But your patience is only with Allah.

Do not be grieved by them and do not be con­ stricted by the plots they hatch. Allah is with those who have taqwii of Him and with those who do good." 20 Patience is the noose of the believer, tying him down: he may wander for a bit but always returns. It is the pillar of his faith to which he recourses: there is no faith for the one who has no patience. If, in such a case, it does exist, it would be severely weak. The one who has no patience is like one worshipping Allah at the edge of a faltering precipice: if good comes his way he takes comfort, but i f trial comes his way, the world turns inside out and he loses both it and the Hereafter. The best livelihood that the felicitous attained was because of their patience.

They rose to the most exalted stations because of their gratitude.21 On the wings of patience and gratitude they 20 al-Nafl/(1 6): 1 27-1 28 21 Shukr. praising another for the good that he has done to one. lbn al-Qayyim, Madtirij, vol. 2, pg. 244 said, 'Shukr is to display the effects of the blessings of Allah upon the tongue by way of praise and acknowledgment; in the heart by way of witnessing and love; and upon the limbs by way of submission and obedience.' Fairozabadi, Ba�a'ir, said that shukrwas built upon five pillars: submission to the One who gave the blessings; loving Him; acknowledging His blessing; praising = 1 80 soared to the Gardens of perpetual bliss. That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whoever He will , He is the posses­ sor of great grace. Faith is of two halves: patience and gratitude. As such it is befitting for one who is sincere to himself, who desires his soul to succeed, and gives preference to its being felicitous that he not ignore these two principles, and not swerve from these two paths. In this way Allah would place him in the better of the two parties on the Day of His meeting. Later on, defining patience, ibn al-Qayyim writes: It is a noble mannerism of the soul that prevents it from doing that which is not good or pleasing; it is a quality of the soul which leads to its correction and rectification.

J unayd ibn MuJ:iammad was asked about it to which he replied, 'It means swallowing gall without a frown.' Dhii'l-Niin said, 'Patience is to keep your distance from opposing (the commands of Allah), to remain silent and composed while swallowing hefty portions of tribulation, and to show independence although pov­ erty strikes you in every field of life.' It is also said, 'Patience is = Him for it; and not using it in any way that may displease Him. lbn l:lajr, Fatb al-Bari, vol. 1 1 , pg. 31 1 said, 'Shukr comprises ,rabr upon obedi­ ence and away from disobedience. Some of the Imams said that ,rabrnecessitates shukr and cannot be completed without it, and the opposite; hence if one of them goes so too does the other. So whoever is in a state of receiving favours, it is obligatory upon him to show ,rabr and ,rhukr, ,rabr from disobedience. Whoever is in a state of trial, it is also obligatory upon him to show ,rabrand shukr, shukr by establishing the rights of Allah during that trial. Indeed servitude is due to Allah in times of tribulation and in times of ease.' 1 81 to meet tribulation with fine conduct.' It is also said, 'Patience is to vanish in tribulation without manifesting complaint.' Abu <uthman said, 'The continuously patient is one who has accus­ tomed his soul to meet the onslaught of difficult circumstances.' It is also said, 'Patience is to face tribulation with fine fellow­ ship just as one would face times of ease and well-being.' The meaning of this is that servitude is due to Allah in times of ease and hardship, as such he must accompany well-being with grati­ tude and tribulation with patience. < Amr ibn < Uthman al-MakkI said, 'Patience is to stand firm with Allah and to meet His tribulations with composure and welcome.' The meaning of this is that one meets tribulation with an equa­ nimity that contains no constriction, anger or complaint. Khawa� said, 'Patience is to remain firm to the regulations of the Book and Sunnah.' Ruwaym said, 'Patience is to abandon complaint.' Hence he explained it by its outcome.

Other said, 'Patience is to seek help from Allah.' Abu < All said, 'Patience is like its name.'22 < AII ibn Talib, may Allah be well pleased with him, said, 'Patience is a stead that does not stumble or falter.' Abii Mul:iammad al-Jariri said, 'Patience is to not differentiate between a state of blessing and a state of trial, with peace of mind in both.' I say: neither is this possible nor is it required for 22 The author, may Allah have mercy upon him, has already mentioned in the previous chapter that 1abris also the name of a very bitter medicine. 1 82 Allah has created us in a way that our very nature distinguishes between the two states. What is required, however, is to restrain the soul from despair and complaint. The arena of well-being is easier than the arena of patience as the Prophet (ai) said in his famous supplication, "As long as You are not angry with me, I care not, but I would prefer Your state of well-being."23 This does not contradict his (;I) saying, "None has been granted a gift better and greater than patience,"24 for after the occurrence of tribulation, the servant has nothing at his disposal that is bet­ ter or greater than patience. However, before the occurrence of tribulation, well-being is better for him. Abu (All al-Daqqaq said, 'The definition of patience is that you not obj ect to the decree. However, allow:ing the effects o f tribulation to show, without complaining, does not g o against patience.

Allah, Most High, says concerning Ayyiib, "We found him patient, "25 despite the fact that he said, "Great harm has ajflicted me. '�6' I say: he explained the word by its consequences. With regards his saying, 'without complaining,' complaint is of two types: The first: complaining to Allah, this does not go against pa23 Tabararu vol. 1 3, pg. 73 # 1 8 1 . This is the famous supplication that he said after , returning from Ta'if. 24 Bukhari # 1 469-6470, Muslim # 1 05 3 on the authority of Abii Sa'Id. 25 $ad (38) : 44 26 al-Anbfyri' (21 ) : 83 1 83 tience. Ya'qiib said, "/ make complaint about my grief and so"ow to Allah Alone, '127 despite his already having said, "beauty lies in show­ ingpatience, '128 and Allah having described him as a patient person. The Master of the Patient (� said, "Allah!

It is to You that I complain of my weakness and lack of resources.. "29 . Musa ('alayhis-saldm) said, "Allah, to You belongs all praise and to You does one complain. You are the One who aids, through You does one seek relief, upon You does one rely, and there is no power or strength except through You." The second: that the one undergoing affliction complains ei­ ther verbally or in some other more indirect way, this cannot co­ exist with patience, rather it goes against it. There is a clear dis­ tinction between complaining to Him and complaining about the tribulation. We shall analyse this in detail later.

It is said, 'Patience is courage of the soul.' It is from this state27 Yusuf (1 2): 86 28 Yusef (12) : 1 3, 83 29 A part of the supplication after Ta'if; cf. fn. #23. The full text of the supplication reads, "Allii.h , I complain to You about my weakness and lack of resources. 0 You, most Merciful of all, You who are the Lord of the oppressed, You are my Lord, to whom would You entrust me, to those far away who greet me with displeasure, or to some enemy? As long as You are not angry with me, I care not, but I would prefer Your state of well-being. I take refuge with the light of Your face that brightens shadows, repairs the trou­ bles of this world and the Hereafter, ensuring that Your anger or discontent not alight upon me. May You be content and be pleased; all power and strength stems from You." 1 84 ment that the phrase, 'Courage is to show patience for an hour,' derives. It is said, 'Patience is the heart remaining calm at restless times.

' Patience and despair are two opposites and they are mentioned in contrasting contexts. Allah, Most High, says, & . ai:: ,� � �-: � ....,,.- i11� � .--n� i..;.s;...:f':" .:t.!r-- � � -­ "It makes no difference whether we cannot stand it or bear patiently, we have no way of escape." 30 Despair is the partner of inability and inadequacy whereas pa­ tience is the partner of intelligence and sagacity. Were despair to be asked, 'Who is you father?' it would reply, 'Inability'; and were patience to be asked, 'Who is your fath e r?' it would reply, 'Sagacity. ' The soul is the mount of th·e servant upon which he embarks either to Paradise or Hell. Patience is like the rein of that mount, and were there to be no rein, the mount would bolt here and there, directionless. In one of his sermons, I:lajjaj said, 'Restrain these souls for they plunge into every evil.

May Allah have mercy upon a person who places a rein around his soul and guides it to the obedience of Allah and turns it away from disobedience. Know that pa­ tiently staying away from what Allah has prohibited is easier than bearing His punishment!' I say: the soul has the ability of driving and daring, and the 30 Ibrahim (1 4): 21 1 85 ability of restraint and desistance. The reality of patience is that one directs its driving force towards that which would benefit him and directs its desistance towards that which would harm him. Some people find that their ability to patiently persevere in doing that which will benefit them is greater than their ability to patiently refrain from that which will harm them. As such they are able to persevere in fulfilling the commandments but are un­ able to restrain their desires such that they stay away from the prohibitions. Other people find that their ability to patiently re­ frain from opposition is greater than their ability to patiently per­ severe in obedience.

Yet others are unable to do either of the two. The best person is the one who has most patience in both mat­ ters. Many people are able to persevere in praying by night, be it hot or cold, and fast by day, but are unable to lower their gazes. Many people are able to lower their gaze but are unable to enjoin the good and forbid evil or undertake Jihad. The majority of peo­ ple are unable to show patience in both matters and a minority are able to show befitting patience in both cases. It is said, 'Patience is that intellect and religion stand firm when faced with lusts and desires.' The meaning of this is that human nature runs after that which it loves, but intellect and religion prevent it.

As such the two are at continuous war with each other, and this war has its ups and downs. The battlefield is the heart, patience, courage and firmness. 31 31 Ibn al-Qayyim, 'ldatu'l-$tibirin wa Dhakiratu'l-Shtikirin 1 86 The Benefits of Tribulation al- < Izz ibn < Abdu'l-Salam In tribulations, trials, misfortunes and calamities lie a number of benefits; these benefits have differing degrees of relevance, differing in accordance to the various ranks of people. • Realising the greatness of Allah's Lordship and His all-en­ compassing power. • Realising the humility and dejection of servitude. • Actualising sincerity for Allah, Most High. This is because there is no way to repress hardship except by recoursing to Him and there is no one that one can depend on to remove it except Him. • Turning in penitence to Allah, Most High, and directing ones heart to Him. • Submissiveness and supplication. 1 87 • Forbearance.1 The ranking of forbearance differs in accord­ ance to the magnitude of calamity; showing forbearance at the onset of the severest calamities is from its greatest manifesta­ tions. • Patience and steadfastness in the face of affliction, this leads to Allah's love and increase in His rewards. • Experiencing joy at the onset of calamity because of the many benefits it contains. • Being grateful at the onset of calamity because of the many benefits it contains. Comparable to this is the case of a sick person thanking a doctor who has just amputated one of his limbs in order to save his life, even though this would serve to disable him to some extent. • Its expiating sins and errors. • Showing mercy to those who are undergoing affliction and coming to their aid. • Understanding the greatness of the blessing of ease and well-being. This is because blessings are never truly appreci­ ated until one loses them. • Understanding what Allah, Most High, has caused to be 1 f:lilm: the abandonment of haste. Raghib, al-Mufradtit said, 'It is the ability to control the soul and temperament at the onrush of anger.' Jahi�, Tahdhib al­ Akhltiq said, 'It is the abandonment of taking revenge in the state of extreme anger, despite the ability to do so.' Jurjani, alTa'riftit said, 'It is to be calm in the state of anger.

' 1 88 the outcome of these benefits in terms of reward in the Here­ after. • Realising the many hidden benefits it contains. When the tyrannical ruler took Sarah from Ibrahim, one of the hidden benefits of this trial was that later she was given Hajar as a servant who bore Ibrahim, Isma<n, from whose progeny was born the Master of the Messengers and the Seal of the Proph­ ets (ali). Look and see how great the hidden benefit was in that trial! • Tribulation and hardship prevents one from evil, vanity, boastfulness, arrogance, ostentation and oppression. It is be­ cause of these great benefits that those who were tried most severely were the Prophets, then the righteous and then those closest to them.2 They were accused of being mad, magi­ cians, fortune tellers; they were mocked and ridiculed. The Companions were evicted from their homes and lands, forced to flee leaving their possessions behind them, their ttibula- . tions went from severity to severity, their enemies multiplied in number, on occasion they were overcome and defeated, many of them were killed at Ul::md and other places and bat­ tles, the Messenger of Allah (M) received injury in his face, one of his molar teeth was broken and his helmet was crushed into the sides of his head and split to expose his head; his enemies rejoiced and his associates despaired. They would live in a constant state of fear, destitution and poverty.

They 2 AJ:imad # 1 481 - 1 494-1 555-1 607, Tirmidhi #2400, ibn Majah #4023 on the authority of Sa'd ibn Abii Waqqa�. TirmidhI said it was J:iasan �aJ:iIJ:i, f:lakim # 1 20 said it was �aJ:iIJ:i and Dhahabi agreed. 1 89 would be forced to tie rocks to their stomachs out of severe hunger3 and the Master of the first and last never ate his fill of bread twice in any one day.4 He was injured in various ways to the point that they accused the chastity of his most beloved wife. The Prophets and righteous have always faced trials and tribulations, with each person being tried in propor­ tion to his religion. Some of them would be sawn in half but this would not make them renegade from their faith. The state of hardship and tribulation causes the servant to turn towards Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. 5 The state of ease, well-being and blessings causes the servant to turn away from Allah. This is why they ate scarcely and wore modest clothing etc. so that they could be in a state that would lead them to turn back to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, and devote themselves to Him. • Being pleased and content with the tribulation such that it would lead to the pleasure of Allah, Most High.

This is be­ cause both the righteous and sinner is afflicted with trial, hence whoever is malcontent at its onset, for him is displeasure and misery in this life and the Hereafter. Whoever is pleased and content with it, for him lies in store the good pleasure of 3 Bukhari #6452 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah. 4 Muslim #2970 on the authority of 'A'ishah. 5 Munawi, F'!)lr/ al-Qadir, vol. 1 , pg. 245 said, 'Ghazali s aid "If you see Allah, , Mighty and Magnificent, holding back this world from you, frequently trying you with adversity and tribulation, know that you hold a great status with Him. Know that He is d e aling with you as he does with His Awlfyd' an d chosen elite and is watching over you, have you not heard His saying, "So wait steadfastly for the judgment of your Lord - you are certainly before Our eyes" [alTur (52): 48] , so acknowledge this great favour upon you. "' 1 90 Allah and that is greater than Paradise and what it contains. 6 6 Summarised from his work, Fawa'id al-Baiwa w'al-Mif. Jan, the full translation of which has been published by Daar al-Sunnah Publishers 2004, Birmingham, United Kingdom under the title, Trials & Tribulations: Wisdom & Benefits. 191 < All al-QarI's Commentary al-Mishkat # 5302 records the Q.adith in which ibn 'Abbas (raef!JIA/ldhu 'anhuma) said, 'I was sitting behind the Prophet (ii) when he said, ''Young lad: 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. Know that if the nation came together in order to benefit you with some­ thing, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has decreed for you; and were they to come together in order to harm you with something, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has decreed against you. The Pens have been lifted and the scrolls have dried." 'Ali al-Qari, Mirqdt al-Mafdtip Sharp Mishkdt al-Mtlfdbip, vol. 9, pp. 1 6 1 - 1 66, wrote, "I was sitting behind the Prophet (ii), " this indicates that (ibn 'Abbas) memorised the incident accurately, brought the words to mind and accurately conveyed them. This is one of the Q.adiths that he heard from the Messenger of Allah (ii) directly for most of what he narrates is via the medium of another narrator, however these 1 92 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 (;i).

The author (Baghawi) said that he was born three years before the Hijra and he was thirteen years old when the Prophet (�) passed away, some said that he was fifteen at the time and yet others said he was ten. However, despite this he became a great scholar and the ocean of knowledge of this nation because the Prophet (;i) sup­ plicated that he acquire wisdom, 1 understanding and correct in­ terpretation.2 He saw Jibril twice3 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 to encourage ibn 'Abbas to direct his attention to him and pay heed to what was to follow. In al-Adhktir, mentioned next are the words, "/ will teach you some words. . , " i.e. points of advice that will be of benefit in . curbing affliction and promoting benefit and blessings.

"Safeguard Alltih, " i.e. His command and His prohibition. "He will safeguardyou, " He will safeguard you in this worldly life by keeping you away from its pitfalls and calamities. He will safe­ guard you in the Hereafter from the various types of punishment 1 Bukhari #75-1 43-3756-7270 on the authority of ibn 'Abbas 2 AfJ.mad #2397-2879-3032-31 02 with an isnad meeting the criteria of Muslim as stated by Ama'iit. It was ruled �aQIIJ by ibn l:libban #37 1 1 , ibn Khuzaymah #2736 and l:lakim #6280 with DhahabI agreeing. cf. Al)lnad # 1 840-2422-3022-3060 3 TirmidhI #3822 and he said that it was mursal. 1 93 and the levels of Hell: a goodly, befitting reward since whoever is for Allah, Allah is for him.

"Safeguard Alldh, " upkeep His rights: always remember Him, al­ ways keep Him in mind and be grateful to Him. "You willfind Him beforeyou, " i.e. in front of you. If you do this, it will be as if He is actually present before you and in front of you. Through the station of beneficence, ipsiin, certainty,yaqin, and complete faith, imiin, you will witness Him as if your own eyes see Him, obliter­ ating the sight of anything else besides Him in the process. The first is the station of Careful Vigilance, Muriiqabah and the sec­ ond is the station of Witnessing, Mushdhadah. It is also said that the meaning is that if you preserve and upkeep obedience to Allah, you will find Him safeguarding you, aiding you in your exigencies and facilitating your affairs for you.

It is also said that the meaning is that you will find His providential care and com­ passion close at hand at all times, and He will tend to you in all circumstances: He will relieve you of all harm and grace you with all types of gifts and favours. This, then alludes to His say­ ing, ''We are nearer to him than his jugular vein."4 One of the Gnostics suggested that every single atom in crea­ tion is surrounded by, and subjugated to the Light of lights. He is close to it, not just in knowledge, not just by the fact that He brought it into being, but in a way so subtle as to be incompre4 Qrif (50): 1 5 1 94 hensible and beyond the ability of words to express, When all things vanish in His light "Invoke Me, I am close," says He! 1ibi, may Allah have mercy on him, explained the sentence thus, 'Carefully tend to the right of Allah and seek His good pleasure, then you will find Him before you, i.e. in front of you. Preserve the right of Allah, Most High, and He will safeguard you from the calamities of this world and the next.' "When you ask, " i.e. when you wish to ask for something, "ask Allah, " alone. The treasures of all providence are with Him, the keys to gifts and all virtue lie in His hand. Every blessing or pun­ ishment that reaches the servant or is diverte.d from him, in this world or the next, is by virtue of His mercy, pure and untainted by personal goal or ulterior motive.

This is because He is the absolute and unrestricted Bestower of Good, the Self-Sufficient and Rich who will never be needy or poor. As such, only His mercy must be hoped for, only His punishment must be feared, in times of great adversity, He is to be resorted to, and in the majority of affairs, He is to be relied on. No one else besides Him is to be asked since no one else can grant, withhold, repress harm or promote benefit. "They have no power to harm or help them­ selves. They have no power over death or life or resu"ection. "5 In all circumstances, He is to be asked, be it directly or indirectly through ones state and condition.

The l;iadith states, "Allah is angry at whoever does not ask of 5 al-Furqdn (25) : 3 1 95 Him."6 Asking displays ones need of the requested, it acknowl­ edges that one is incapable, needy and indigent. Therefore, a per­ son, instead of affecting the epitome of strength and might, shows abject humility and need. Fine indeed are the words of the poet, Allah is angry if you leave asking Him, The child of Adam is angry when you ask him. "When you seek aid, " when you want help in obeying Allah or any affair relating to this world or the Hereafter, "turn to Al/ah, " for He is the one who aids and, at every time, in every place, trust is to be placed in Him . "Kllow, " ·said by way of emphasis so that he be totally attuned to what is being said and hence benefit more, "that" if one were to assume, for the sake of argument, "ifthe nation came together in order to benefityou with something, " in your affairs dealing with this life or the next "thty would not be able to do so except with something that Al/ah has decreed for you, " i.e. decreed for you, recorded it in the Remembrance and has finished with it. "Were thty to come together in order to harmyou with something, " i.e. to remove good or promote harm "thty would not be able to do so except with something that Alldh has decreed againstyou.

" The basic meaning is that you must single Allah out alone for things you want and things you do not want. He is the One who brings about harm and benefit, and grants and with6 Al::i mad #970 1 , Tirmidhi #3373, ibn Majah #3827 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah. Its isnad was ruled Q.a'if by Dhahabi, al-Mizan, vol. 4, pg. 538 and Arna'iit et. al. However the l::iadith was ruled l::iasan due to supports by Albani, al-Saf;ipah #2654 1 96 holds. One of the revealed scriptures mentions, 'By My might and grandeur, I will cut off anyone who places hope in another besides Me. I will clothe him with subjugation amongst his fel­ low man and I will distance him from My presence and prevent him from reaching Me.

I will make him pensive and confused; at times of calamity, hoping in another besides Me whereas all ca­ lamities are in My hand. I am the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustain­ ing. He will knock on the doors of others whereas the keys to all doors are in My hands; their doors are locked whereas mine is open to whoever invokes Me.' "The Pens have been lifted, " and are no longer writing the decrees "and the scrolls have dried, " having recorded the judgements of crea­ tion until the Day of Rising. No Pen will be placed on them again to commence writing anew or to alter something already recorded. Therefore the decrees have all been recorded in the Preserved Tablet and nothing new will now be recorded. The setting of the decree and ordainment has been referred to as the lifting of the Pens and the drying of the scrolls by way of analogy to an author of a book, in this life, completing his work.

We have already discussed the J:iadith, ''The first thing that Allah created was the Pen which He commanded, 'Write!' In that hour it recorded all that was to happen until the Day of Rising."7 We have also explained the J:iadith mentioning that the Pen has dried in accordance to the knowledge of Allah, meaning that what Allah knows and has decreed from pre-eternity will not change. One 7Al:imad #22705-22707, Abii Dawiid #4700, TirmidhI #21 55-33 1 9. TirmidhI said it was J.:iasan �al:iil:i gharib and it was ruled �al:µi;i by ibn al-'Arabi, Al;kdm al-Qur'rin, vol. 2, pg. 335, Albani, al-$af;ipah # 1 33 and Arna'iit. 1 97 should not suppose that this contradicts the saying of Allah, i& ·-=� t..,�1 > "' . ......�. :> ,, >1-;:-: 1 "'>-::; .., ,· > . .... � � •.;:==lJ r l 10�J �J --�1.A o\ll � "Allah erases what He wills or endorses it. The Master Copy of the Book is in His hands." 8 The erasing or endorsement itself is something recorded and concerning which the scrolls have dried. The ordainment, with respect to the Preserved Tablet, is of two types: irrevocable and conditional. With respect to the knowledge of Allah it does not change or alter, this is why He says, i& ,, > ...,1 ,, ,, � y'::�l ft1o�J "The Master Copy of the Book is in His hands.

"9 It is also said that there are two books with Allah: the Pre­ served Tablet which does not change, and a book in which the angel writes and that can change, undergoing erasure or endorse­ ment. This portion of the i).ad. Ith was recorded by TirmidhI and AQ.mad and the former said it was Q.asan �al:Ub as stated by Nawawi. He then said: Another narration, not in TirmidhI, has, "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 hardship. Know that what missed you could never 8 al-Ra'd (1 3) : 39 9 al-Ra'd (1 3) : 39 1 98 have afflicted you and what afflicted you could never have missed you." It concludes with the words, "Know that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease." "Know Allah, " knowledge leads to love, so the meaning is: en­ dear yourself to Allah through safeguarding His rules and regula­ tions.

This explanation was mentioned by NawawI, may Allah have mercy upon him. "He will know you in times of hardship, " He will allow you to pass through it unscathed. "Know that what missedyou" of blessing and ease, or tribulation and hardship, "could never have qfjlictedyou" ever, it is impossible. ''And what afflictedyou could never have missedyou, " as such these statements encourage reliance on Allah, a state of contentment, and the negatj.on of might and power from oneself. This is be­ cause there is no event that occurs be it related to happiness or misery, ease or hardship, good or evil, benefit or harm, lifespan or provision, except that it is dependent on His decree and or­ dainment which was determined fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. Movement and stilln ess are the same.

Gratitude must be shown in times of ease and patience in times of adversity since Allah, Most High, says, "S�: it is all from Allah. " 1 0 "Know that victory" against the enemy "comes with patience, " in the face of trial and tribulation, "that relief," from sorrow "comes with distress, " that strikes at the very heart of man "and that with hard­ ship comes ease, " this is also a verse of the Quran which is re10 al-Nisti' (4): 78 1 99 peated twice. Therefore one learns that every hardship is accom­ panied with two eases since a well known precept has that if the same indefinite noun is repeated, the repetition is not the same as the original, if a definite noun is repeated, the repetition is the same as the original. However, this principle holds in most cases, n9t all . Allah, Most High, says, .-i�� .-: �--, ,, �'li�:f "" � ._, .- _ ., _ £ 1r> t.., . . • "Say, ' 0 Allah! Master of the Kingdom!

You give sovereignty to whoever You will. You take sover­ eignty from whoever You will .. . '" 1 1 There is no doubt that in the first mention of al-Mulk (the King­ dom), the definite article subsumes every single case, whereas in the second mention of al-mulk (sovereignty) , the definite article expresses the genus of sovereignty and can hold true for isolated instances. It is said that the meaning of ma'a, with, (in the l).adith), is ba'd, after; but this is far removed from its basic meaning. It is also said that the usage of this word emphasises the essential point: i.e. that one follows the other so closely that it is as if they are to­ gether, going hand-in-hand. As such a person can take comfort and solace with this.

However, trials contain many a gift, indeed trials are gifts. Allah, Most High, says, 11 Ali 'lmrrin (3): 26 200 "In that there was a terrible trial from your Lord."1 2 "None will obtain it but those who are truly pa­ tient. None will obtain it but those who have great good fortune. " 1 3 The sagacious scholar, the master, 'Abdu'l-Qadir al-Jilaru, may Allah sanctify him, said in his Futupdt al-Ghayb, 'Every believer should make this }:iadith a mirror to his heart, his axiom, his shel­ ter and his topic of conversation. He should act by it in all times of motion and stillness so that he can be saved in this world and in the Hereafter, finding honour therein by the mercy of Allah, Most High.' 12 al-Baqarah (2): 49 13 Fu!Pfat (41) : 35 20 1 Ibn < Allan's Commentary Imam Nawawi, al-Adhkar, wrote, Y1 On the authority of ibn 'Abbas (rar/i 1Mhlf 'anhuma) who said, 'I was sitting behind the Pioppet (ti) when he said, "Young lad, I will teach y9 u .some words: 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, turn to Allah. 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 decreed for you; and were they to come together in order to harm you with something, they would not be able to do so except with someW ng that Allah has decreed against you. The Pen,s have been lifted and the scrolls have dried."1 Thi s was narrated to us in TirmidhI and he said it was l:.iasan �aJ:.Ul:.i. Another narration, not in TirmidhI, has, "Safeguard Allah and you will find Him in front of 1 TirmidhI #25 1 6 who said it was l:iasan lj�Q 202 you. Know Allah in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship.

Know that what missed you could never have afflicted you and what afflicted you could never have missed you." It concludes with the words, "Know that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease." Ibn 'Allan, al-FutUptit al-Rabbtin& Jah ala'l-Adhkdr al-Nawawiyyah, vol. 7, pp. 381 -389, penned: "! was sitting behind the Prophet (ii)," on his riding beast as men­ tioned (explicitly) in another narration. This proves that it is per­ missible to have more than one person sitting on a beast pro­ vided that it is able to bear the weight. The Prophet (ai) had numerous people, forty in total - may All ah be pleased with them, sit with him on his beast on various occasions and I have written a treatise listing them.2 "Young lad, " ar: ghukim, another narration has the diminutive form, ghulaym and is said by way of tenderness and affection, or, here, it could be said by way of respect and hence would be looking forward to what ibn 'Abbas was to become. A child is referred to as a ghukim if he has started suckling and is below the age of nine. At the time of this advice, ibn 'Abbas would have been around ten years old, when he (ii) passed away, he was ten or thirteen years old. "/ will teach you some words, " which are beneficial; this is explic­ itly mentioned in another narration, "through which Alkih will occa2 called Tubfatu'l-Ashrtifbi Ma'rifati'l-lrddj 203 sion benefitforyou.

" The point of saying this is to prepare the ad­ dressee for what is to follow so that the words can have greater impact. This is because, after having said this, the listener will be fully attuned to what follows and eagerly await it. "Some words, " ar: kalimat which is a plural imparting the sense of a small number thereby alluding to the fact that the ensuing pieces of advice are short, therefore easy to memorise.3 This advice collates innu­ merable regulations, wisdoms and aspect of gnosis; and in his imparting something so important to ibn 'Abbas shows that he (;I) knew what the former was to attain of knowledge and gno­ sis, the excellence of his conduct and profundity of both his inner and outer states. "Safeguard Allah, " by safeguarding His religion and command, i.e. obey your Lord, complying with His command, avoiding His prohibition and being cautious of His warnings; if you do this, "He will safeguardyou, " your self, your family and your worldly life, especially at the point of death. This is because the recom­ pense is of the same type as the deed. This phrase, concise and terse as it may be, subsumes all the regulations contained in the Legal Law, the small and large.

It is emphatic and lends a sense of gravity to what is said. As such it is a stark example of the pithi­ ness in speech that Allah exclusively gave him (;i). 4 "Safeguard Allah andyou willfind Him before you, " i.e. in front of 3 The author, Dalil al-Falibfn, vol. 1, pg. 1 66 adds, 'They are also mentioned in the indefinite form to highlight that fact that they are something momentous and truly important.' 4 Bukhari #2977-6998-701 3-7273 and Muslim #523 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah 204 you as mentioned in the second narration. What this means is that you will fin9 Him with you in terms of His preservation, encompassing you, and aiding and supporting you wherever you may be. As such, you will take comfort with Him and you will suffice with Him rather than creation. This phrase emphasises the previous sentence and is a form of rhetoric since a physical direction is impossible for Allah, Most High. As such it is like the saying of Allah, ''Allah is with those who have taqwa, " where the ' 'withness' is metaphorical, not physical containment.

Of the six directions, the direction ahead has been mentioned by way of alluding to a person's goal and intent, and to show that he is travelling to the Hereafter, not permanently residing in this world. A traveller looks in front of him and to what lies ahead. As such the meaning is that (He is with you) wherever you turn, in what­ ever you intend and want of affairs relating to both abodes. It is also said that this statement is a metaphor where the aid of Allah, His carefully tending to a person's affairs, and the speed with which He meets his need has been likened to someone who sits before him, preserves him and tends to him . "When you" intend to "ask, ask Allah, '' alone. The treasures of all providence are with Him, none can grant or withhold save Him.

Allah, Most High, says, " ... ask Allah for His bounty."5 The J.:iadith states, "Allah is angry at whoever does not ask of 5 al-Nisti' (4) : 32 205 Him."6 Another ]:i.adith mentions, "Each of you must ask his Lord for all his needs, even the strap of his sandal should it break."7 It is reported that Allah, Most High, said to Musa, peace and bless­ ings be on him and our Prophet, "Musa, ask of Me in your sup­ plication - or your prayer - even if it be salt for your dough." In all affairs, a person must rely on his Master since none can withhold His grant and none can give what He withholds. The servant must not depend on anyone besides Him. A person could fall into the chasm of neglect and become heedless of this reality as a result of which his heart will incline towards creation. The more it does this, the further it will get from his Master because of the weakness of certitude. On the other hand, those who have actualised reliance and certainty turn away from any besides Him and place all their needs at the threshold of His generosity and munificence. He will tend to those who place their reliance in Him.

Allah, Most High, says, "Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him. "8 6 A}:imad #9701 , Tirmidhl #3373, ibn Majah #3827 on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. Its isnad was ruled qa'If by DhahabI, al-Mizpn, vol. 4, pg. 538 and Arna'ii� et. al. However the }:iadith was ruled }:iasan due to supports by Albani, al-$a!;ipah #2654 7 Tirmidhl #3682 on the authority of Anas and he said it was gharib. It was declared qa'If by Albani, al-Pa'ifah # 1 362 8 al-Talriq (65): 3 206 "Whenyou seek aid, " wheri you ask for help in any matter, "turn to Allah, " alone. You know that Allah, Glorious is He, is omnipo­ tent and everything else is weak and feeble, so much so that it cannot even bring about benefit for itself or repress harm from itself. 9 Help is sought from someone who has the ability to fur­ nish aid, as for one who is "a burden on his master, "1 0 unable to carry out what he wants for himself let alone anyone else, how can such a one warrant being asked?

Therefore, only Allah's aid should be sought, and this is seen in His saying, 0 � ..tl�t; ''You alone we ask for help." 1 1 In this verse, the object of the verb, asking for help, has been brought before the verb and this is a tool used to expres s con­ finement of the meaning to that object. Whoever is aided by his Master is truly aided, and whoever is forsaken by Him is truly forsaken. al-I:fasan wrote to 'Umar ibn 'Abdu'l-'Aziz, 'Do not seek the aid of any besides Allah or Allah may leave you to him.' In all affairs and all circumstances, he (� directed us to tum 9 The author, Dalil al-Ftilibfn, vol. 1 , pg. 1 66 adds, 'This is why the statement, Lri paw/a wa lti q111111ata illti bi'l/dh is one of the treasures of Paradise since it involves the servant absolving his self of might or motion.' 10 al-NaPf (1 6): 76 11 al-Ftitipah (1): 5 207 away from others and to direct ourselves to the Master and to trust in Him . He (M) emphasised the importance of reliance with his words, "Know that if the nation came together in order to benefityou with something, th� would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has decreed faryou... " Allah, Most High, says, "If Allah afflicts you with harm, no one can re­ move it except Him. If He desires good for you, no one can avert His favour." 1 2 What is meant is that one must single out Allah alone in that He is the one who grants benefit or causes harm: none shares with Him in this. It is established that all afflictions and difficul­ ties that creation will face are in His hand to either dispense or withhold.

If anyone else wishes to harm you with something He has not decreed, Allah will divert it away from you by distracting that person from his goal, rendering him incapable of enacting it. He could make him sick, for example, or cause him to forget, or cause his heart to turn away, or He could prevent the actual thing from taking effect by breaking his bow, for example, or causing the arrow to mis fire. This sentence emphasises the need for faith in the divine de­ cree - the good and bad thereof, and it stresses that only He can 12 Yiinus (1 0): 1 07 208 grant benefit or cause harm. It highlights the fact that the true cause in creation is Allah and that no other has a real impact on what happens or what does not, and that therefore one needs to turn away from any other. Whoever has certain belief in this will only ever see harm or benefit as coming from his Master and as such will only ever petition Him for his need. We take refuge with Allah from believing that any object of creation can procure benefit or cause harm for that is minor shirk, rather it is obvious that it is major shirk.

''Allah has decreedfaryou... Allah has decreed againstyou, " is in full conformity to his (� teaching that a petsons' provision, lifespan, deeds, and whether he is felicitous or wretched have already been recorded. "The Pens have been lifted, " i.e. they have been put aside and writ­ ing has ceased, having been completed. All that is and will be has been recorded and cannot now be altered. ''And the scrolls" upon which the decrees are transcribed such as the Preserved Tablet "have dried, " and as such are complete since the ink of a scroll that is still being written on is moist, or at least some of it. There can be no revision, no alteration and no abrogation.

This phrase is then a metonym referring to the a-priori recording of decrees and their completion. This is an excellent metonym, concise in wording and increases the sense of gravity of what is being said. The Book and Sunnah prove this fact and anyone who knows this and witnesses it with his heart will find trusting in his Master and turning away from any besides Him easy. If one were to suppose that this narration contradicts the say­ ing of Allah, 209 "All ah erases what He wills or endorses it. The Master Copy of the Book is in His hands."13 we would say that this is not the case since the erasure and endorsement is something that itself has been recorded and is done with; this is because the decree is of two types: irrevocable and conditional. "This was na"atedto us in Tirmidh� " one of the researching scholars said this l:iadith was recorded by a group of people via numerous routes to ibn 'Abbas.

The fact that ibn 'Abbas was given this advice has also been recorded from 1A1I, Abu Sa'id, Sahl ibn Sa1d and 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far but all of their isnads contain weakness. lbn Mandah and others said that the most authentic chain was the one recorded by Tirmidru. ''And he said it was pasan fapzp, " Sakhawi, Takhrij al-Arba'in said the isnad was l:iasan and explained why. Then he said, 'In s ummary, the l:iadith is established via the l:iadith of Laylah and the others already mentioned. This is why l)iya placed it in hls Mukhtii.rah, indeed it was ruled �alµ\} by 1Iraqi, al-Amali, following Tirmidru. Ibn Mandah said that its isnad was famous and its narrators trustworthy and precise.'14 "Another narration, not in Tirmidh� " rather in 'Abd ibn l:f umayd with a qa'if isnad. Al:imad records it with two isnads that are munqati' with the words, "Young lad, s h ould I not teach y ou some words 13 af-Ra'd (1 3): 39 14 These words are taken from author's, Dafil al-Ftifif;in, vol. 1 , pg. 65 210 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 hardship. 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 some­ thing 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 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."'15 The wording of this narration is more complete than the one alluded to by the author above. ,"Know Alkih, " knowledge is the route to love so the meaning is endear yourself to Allah, Glorious is He, by adhering resolutely to obedience and avoiding opposing Him, "in times of ease" and well-being "and He will knowyou in times of hardship, " assisting you by relieving you of it. He will relieve you of every adversity and provide a way out from every worry and distress by virtue of your having known Him in times of ease. An example of this can be seen in the l;iadi:th of the three who were trapped in the cave, the explanation to which has already preceded. It is also said that the governing words have been omitted from the sentence, so the meaning would be, "Make yourself known to 15 Al).mad #2803 and it is �al:jil). 21 1 the Angels of Alltih in times of ease through adhering resolutely to obedience and worship and He will know you in times of adversity through their intercession for your relief and succour." This ex­ planation is proven by the l).adith that mentions that if a person is given to supplicating at times of ease, and then supplicates at a time of adversity, the angels will say, 'Lord, this is a familiar voice.' If he does not supplicate at times of ease and then supplicates at a time of adversity, they will say, 'Lord, this is an unfamiliar voice.'1 6 However this is a problematic explanation and the l).adith, �ssuming that it is authentic, does not really support this view. The first explanation given above is more befitting. Point of benefit: the servant's knowing is general and specific, and Allah's knowing is also general and specific.

The general, from the point of view of the servant, is to accept His oneness, Glorious is He, and His lordship, and to have faith in Him. The specific is to devote oneself exclusively to Him and to take com­ fort and solace with Him, to take delight in His remembrance, to be shy before Him, and to witness Him on all occasions. The general, from the point of view of Allah, is His all-encompassing knowledge of His servants and His seeing what they hide and what they conceal. The specific is His loving His servant, bring­ ing him close, responding to his supplication and relieving him of adversity. Only those who have attained knowledge in the specific sense will attain His knowledge in the specific sense. Next is mentioned the core and substance of this advice, "Know that what missed you, " and never reached you as per the decree "could never have ajflictedyou" since it was decreed for another "and what ajflictedyou" as per the decree "could never have missedyou, " 16 lbn Rajah has quoted this as a statement of Salman al-Parisi on pg. 29 212 since it was decreed to come to you.

Only that which is decreed will come to a person. The meaning is that all that will afflict or miss a person, be it good or bad, has already been decided. The J:iadith recorded by AJ:imad mentions, "Everything has a reality and the servant will not attain the reality of faith until he knows that what afflicted him would never have missed him, and what missed him would never have afflicted him."17 This then contains an encouragement towards relegating ones affairs to Allah and relying on Him, Glorious is He. It teaches us to negate might and motion from all besides Him while witness­ ing that He does what He wills and knowing that it is not possi­ ble to go beyond what He has decreed. 1bis, then is like His saying, "Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in your selves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen. That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or ex­ ult about the things that come to you." 1 8 17AQ.mad #27490, ibn Abi 'A�im #246. It was ruled Q.asan by Suyiip, al-Jcimi' #241 7 and Wadi'i, fal;il; al-Musnad#1 050.

Albani, ,?ikil al-Jannah #246, al-fal;�hah #247 1 ruled it � aQ.IQ. due to supporting witnesses. 18 a/-Jjadid(57): 22-23 213 We asserted that this phrase is the core of this advice because both the preceding and ensuing phrases are based on it and branch off from it. Whoever believes the subject matter of this phrase will have certainty that Allah is the one who gives benefit and causes harm, and that He is the one who grants and withholds, as such he will obey Him alone, he will safeguard His limits, he will fear Him , hope in Him, love Him, and place obedience to Him before obedience to the created. He will ask Him alone for aid, he will petition Him, he will humbly entreat Him, he will be content with His ordainment in times of hardship and ease, and in cases of grant and withholding. "Know that victory comes with patience, " once a person realises that his life is being lived in accordance to His decree, he (ji) in­ formed us that man, especially the righteous, will accordingly encounter blessings and calamities, and ease and hardship and that, if he is unable to be content, he must adorn himself with patience in the face of any ordainment he finds bitter and that, moreover, he shmtld await Allah's promise. Allah has promised that such a person will receive the blessings and mercy of Allah and that he will guided aright. Tirmidhi records that the Prophet (ji) said, ''When Allah loves a people, He tries them.

Whoever is content will have good-pleasure·, and whoever is displeased will have displeasure."19 19Tirmidhi #2396, ibn Majah #4031 . Tirmidhi said that it was J:iasan gharib. Mundhiri, al-Targhib, vol. 4, pg. 233 said the isnad was J:iasan or �aJ:iiJ:i . lbn MufliJ:i, al-Addb a/-Shar!Jyah, vol. 2, pg. 1 81 said that the isnad was jayyid. It was ruled J:iasan by Albani, al-.$apif!ah # 1 46 AJ:imad #23623-23633-23641 records a similar J:iadith on the authority of MaJ:imiid ibn Labid with the words, "When Allah loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is patient, for him is patience and whoever despairs, for him is despair." Ama'ii! said that the isnad was jayyid. 21 4 "Know that victory comes with patience, " i.e. victory against the en­ emies, both the physical and metaphysical, only comes about through steadfastly obeying the Master and steadfastly avoiding disobedience to Him. As such patience is the route to victory.

Allah, Most High, says, � ey ..::. / '�"\ w., ,-:_t\t: 4.U ..:.J.:'� · · ,... ,. �If-> •1" "And be patient, Allah is with the patient." 20 i.e. He is with them by aiding them. Therefore the statement induces a person to trust his Master and to disclaim might and motion for himself. The predominate case of a person who relies on himself for aid is that he is not aided; the predominate case of a person who is patient and content with Allih ' s knowledge and judgement is that victory is precipitated. His generosity and provi­ dence is well recognised. "That relief comes with distress, " that strikes at the very soul.

At such a time, relief is swift in coming. Anyone who is in such a state should be patient, expectant of reward, hoping for swift relief, and at all times having a good opinion of his Master. He is the Most Merciful of all those who are merciful, even one's own parents. The l;i.adith shows that trials are a cause of divine grace as is proven by the statement, "and that with hardship comes ease. " At times of adversity a person comes to know the magnificence of Allah and at times of grace a person comes to know the beauty of Allah . One person said, 'When He confers a blessing on you, 20 al·Anftil (8): 46 21 5 witness His generosity, and when He withholds something from you, witness His overwhelming might.

In every circumstance He is tending to you, showering you with His providential care.' ''And that with hardship comes ease, " i.e. facilitation. A state of richness is called yastir, ease and prosperity, because matters are facilitated therein. The opposite of yusr, ease, is 'usr, hardship. This statement occurs as a verse in the Quran which is repeated twice to show that every hardship is accompanied with two eases. It is reported that he (� said, "One hardship will never over­ come two eases.'"21 This is also reported from a group of Com­ panions and is based on the fact that the word ease is an indefi­ nite noun in both instances so as to aggrandise it. As such the second occurrence does not refer to the exact same thing as the first occurrence in keeping with an established linguistic rule.

Hardship, on the other hand, is a definite noun in both occur­ rences, to refer to something familiar, 'ahd, or the genus of some­ thing, Jin.;, therefore both instances refer to one and the same thing. This was how Zamakhshari explained it. A wonderful wisdom in attaching the onset of relief to intense distress and ease to hardship is that in such circumstances a per21 Tabari, Bayhaqi, Shu'ab # 1 00 1 3, l;.lakim #3950 and Dhahabi said it was mursal as did Zayla'i, Takhrij al-.Ka.rhshdj, vol. 4, pg. 235. lbn I:fajr, al-Kdfi, pg. 3 1 9 said that it was mursal and that the maw�iil version was qa'if, in Taghliq al-Ta'liq, vol. 4, pg. 372 he adds that the isnad to al-1;.lasan is �alµ�. Albani, al-J)a'ifah #4342 said that it was <;l.a'if. Ibn AbI l;.latim # 1 9396 records it as a saying of al-1;.lasan, Ibn Kathir said, The meaning of these words is that in both occurrences, the word difficulty is appended to the definite article, al, as such it is singular. The word ease is left indefinite; as such there is more than one occurrence of it.

Therefore the second reference to difficulty denotes the same as in the first refer­ ence, whereas there is more than one instance of ease. ' 216 son gives up hope in any object of creation relieving him. In­ stead the person turns to Allah and depends on Him alone. This is the core and essence of tawakkul, Allah, Most High, says, "Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him. " 22 Finally the hardship that has been mentioned in the l).acllth is not the same as the hardship mentioned in the verse, "Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. "23 The difficulty talked about in this l;iacllth deals with the vicissi­ tudes of one's worldly life, and the difficulty talked about in the verse is the injunction of rules and regulations that are beyond man's ability to bear.

Allah, Most High, says, ,,,. � i:t..'.il I .>r.:r,. j -;�i;' . � �� -... ��... • '.J "He has not placed any constraint upon you in the religion."24 22 alTaltiq (65) : 3 23 al-Baqarah (2) : 1 85 24 al-lfrdf (22) : 78 21 7 The usage of the word ma'a, with, in the previous three sen­ tences is meant literally since the final stages of patience, dis­ tress and hardship are the first stages of victory, relief and ease. In conclusion, this is a great l:iadith, a central foundation in tending to the rights of Allah, Most High� relegating oneself to His judgement, witnessing His Tawpid, and highlighting mankind's innate inability and dire need of Him. When seen in this light, one could justifiably say that this l:iadith constitutes one half of the religion, indeed all of it. This is because the legal laws either deal with Allah or other than Him and this l:iadith deals with all that is connected to Allah explicitly and to all that is connected to others implicitly. In fact, both are understood from the state­ ment, "Safeguard Alltih and He will safeguardyou. " A whole treatise has been devoted to explaining this l:iadith.25 25 Perhap s the author is referring to ibn Rajah's monograp h. 218 Ibn < Uthaymin's Commentary Imam Nawawi, Riyritj al-.)tilil}in #62 records: On the authority of ibn 'Abbas (rarjiyAlkihu 'anhuma) who said, 'I was sitting behind the Prophet (ti) when he said, "Young lad, I will teach you some words : Safeguard Allah and H e will safe gtiard you.

Safeguard Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah . When you seek aid, tum to Alla h. 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 decreed for you; and were they to come together in order to harm you with something, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has decreed against you. The Pens have been lifted and the scrolls have dried . " 1 This was narrated t o us i n TirmidhI and he said it was l:iasan �al)..tQ. .

Another narration, not in TirmidhI, has, "Safeguard Allah and you will find Him in front of 1 Tirmidhi #25 1 6 who said it was }_lasan �aQi}_l 21 9 you. Know Allah in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship. Know that what missed you could never have afflicted you and what afflicted you could never have missed you." It concludes with the words, "Know that victory comes with patience, that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease." lbn <uthaymin, Sharp Rfytir/ al-$tilipin, vol. 1 , pp. 332-337, said: "/ was sitting behind the Prophet (�, " riding with him . "Young lad, " since ibn < Abbas, at that time, was still a boy. When the Prophet � passed away he had just attained the age of pu­ berty, i.e. around the age of fifteen, sixteen or less. "Safeguard Allah and He wiU safeguardyou, " this is a magnificent pronouncement and of paramount importance.

"Safeguard Allah, " through upkeeping His law and religion by enacting what He has commanded and avoiding what He has prohibited. This is also done by learning all that you need to perf�rm your acts of wor­ ship and carry out your social dealings and trade. The knowledge learned would also be employed to call people to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. All of these are examples of safeguarding Allah. Allah Himself stands in no need whatsoever of anyone, He does not need anyone to safeguard Him, and this is why the mean­ ing of this sentence is safeguarding His religion. In the same way, Allah, Most High, says, 220 &i�itih! 0f?.Gt.:.:}:,.J �:.8i\�.;,�1� ''You who have faith!

If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet firm."2 One must not suppose that a person can actually help Allah Himself because Allah is Self-Sufficient and Rich, beyond any need. This is why He says in another verse, � >· .... .... .... (.1 ·�" 1''6"� � .... -: • .: r-r-...,.:.; .J�,��J�� "That is how it is to be. If Allah had willed, He could avenge Himself on them."3 Mankind cannot withstand Him, .. -;: . >� >�i/ i\/" Jt. S"� 'o ;. -....411 '-.:..) �J � I/ " 1 / 1 -:' / 1�> -: c:: °ti"' .:I" ,, ,, ,., � "Allah cannot be withstood in any way, either in the heavens or on earth. He is All-Knowing, All­ Powerful."4 Therefore this sentence proves that whoever safeguards Allah, Allah will safeguard him.

He will safeguard His body, his wealth, his family and his religion; the latter being the most important. 2 Mul;ammad (47) : 7 3 Mul;ammad(47): 4 4 Fa,tir (35): 44 221 H e will secure you from wandering astray and falling into misguidance. Each time a person seeks guidance, Allah will in­ crease him in it, eA:fa� \\;��j�\jJ;Zl& J� "He increases in guidance those who are already guided and gives them their taqwa."5 Each time a person takes the path to misguidance, and refuge is sought with All ah, All ah will increase his misguidance as men­ tioned in the }_ladith, ''When a person commits a sin, a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents, it is wiped away ... "6 but if the person keeps sinning, the black spot will increase until it covers the heart and seals it. We ask Allah for well-being! Therefore, He will safeguard your religion, your body, your wealth and your family.

"Safeguard Alldh andyou willfind Him beforeyou, " another wording has, "in front ofyou. " Safeguard All ah in the way previously . men­ tioned and you will find Him before you and in front of you: the meaning is one and the same: you will find Allah guiding you to all good and curbing all evil from you, this is especially true if you safeguard Allah by seeking His aid for when a person asks 5 Muf.iammad (4T): 1 7 6 Tirmidru #3334 who said it was l:iasan �al:u'l:i and ibn Majah #4244 on the authority of Abii Hurayrah. Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmii', vol. 1 4, pg. 48 said it was �al:_Ul:i. Albani, .)af.iz(l alTarghib #3141 said it was }:iasan. cf. Muslim # 1 44 on the authority of Hudhayfah. 222 Allah for aid and puts his trust in Him� Allah will suffice him. Whoever is in this position will stand in no need of any besides Allah.

Allah, Most High, says, "0 Prophet! Allah is enough for you and for the believers who follow you."7 �" Al)\I � / .,,. .,,, .... . .,.... � ;_.,lf /. > ,;I' •;" �';i! t-> "" .!l_r� ��.j..> l'..>�.J"" " If they intend to deceive you, All ah is enough for you." 8 If Allah is enough for a p erson, i.e. suffices him , no evil will befall him. "Whenyou ask, ask Alltih. Whenyou seek aid, turn to Alltih, " i.e. do not depend on created beings. A person who is poor, having no money, should ask Allah for sustenance and he will find it com­ ing to him via routes he could never have imagined! If, on the other hand, he were to beg of people he may or may not get what he needs.

This is why it is mentioned in a l:iadlth, "One of you taking his rope, gathering firewood, and selling it is better than his begging people: they could give him something or they could refuse."9 7 al-Anja/ (8) : 64 8 al-Anja/ (8) : 62 9 Bukhari #1 470-1 480-2074-2374 on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. Bukhari # 1 471 -2075-2353 on the authority of Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam. 223 When you ask, ask Allah: 'O Allah! Grant me sustenance', 'O Allah! Make me independent of all save You,' etc. The same ap­ plies to asking for aid, ask Him for aid and only ask created be­ ings for aid in cases of dire emergency and even then, know that they are .merely a means to an end, do not depend on them, de­ pend instead on Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. These two phrases show that asking others besides Allah is a deficiency in Tawpid and this is why it is disliked to ask any be­ sides Allah, be the matter small or large.

If Allah, Glorious is He, wants to aid you, His aid will come to you be it through routes that are obvious to you or hidden from you. Allah could tum such harm away from you as would have been unbearable, and He could come to your aid through the medium of one of His creation. In the latter case it is not permissible for you to forget that Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, was the true source of help. Today you find some of the ignorant venerating the disbeliev­ ers and respecting · them greatly because, on the face of it, they came to the aid of their country when requested. They fail to realise that the disbelievers are their enemies and they have, more often than not, ulterior motives in helping them. They are your enemies until the Day of Rising; it is not permissible for anyone to take them as close friends and protectors, or to help them or to supplicate for them.

We have even heard some of the ignora­ muses declaring their intentions to slaughter animals for the sake of disbelievers, and refuge is sought with Allah! You find Mus­ lims naming their children after them and supplicating for them! It was Allah who caused them to come to your aid, without Him they would not be there. The One who brings benefit or harm is Allah and it is He who caused them to come to your defence as is mentioned in a l:iadith, "Allah would support this religion by an 224 evil person. " 1 0 We must not forget the grace of Allah and that it was Him who has caused them to come to our aid, and we must inform the masses of this. When we hear their statements articulating how much they depend on them, and how they themselves came to their aid, it is obligatory for us to explain to them that such atti­ tudes are actually a deficiency in Tawpid.

Allah knows best. "Know that if the nation came together in order to benefityou with some­ thing, they would not be able to do so except with something that Allah has decreedforyou, " so when they do actually benefit you with some­ thing, you should know that it is from Allah since He has de­ creed it for you. The Prophet (� did not state that they would not be able to bring you any benefit at all, rather he said that they could not benefit you with something that Allah has not decreed for you. Undoubtedly, people can help each other and they can support each other, but only in something that has already been decreed. Therefore, first and foremost, the grace for doing so is from Allah, Mighty and Magni ficent. He is the One who allowed someone to help you, to be good to you or to remove your distress.

The opposite also holds true: man cannot harm you with some­ thing unless it has been decreed by Alla h. True faith in this leads a person to depend on His Lord, to rely on Him alone and not be worried about anyone knowing that 10 Bukhari #3062-4203-6606 on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. 225 only that harm which He has decreed would come his way. As such, he will place his hope in Allah and stick closely to Him . It is for this reason that, when the Salaf of this nation placed their dependency and reliance in Allah, they were not harmed by those who plotted against them, "If you are patient and have taqwti, their schem­ ing will not harm you in any way. Allah encom­ passes what they do." 1 1 "The Pens have been lifted and the scrolls have dried, " Allah has com­ pleted all that He has decreed, the pens have been taken away and the scrolls are dry, there is no need for revision or change. Whatever afflicts you would never have missed you as is men­ tioned in the variant wording, "Know that what afflictedyou could never have missedyou· and what missedyou could never have afflictedyou.

" "Know'' with certainty "that victory comes with patience, " so if you are patient and steadfast, doing what Allah has ordered and you ask Him for victory, He will grant you victory. Patience subsumes patience in obedience to Allah, patience in avoiding disobedi­ ence, and patience in the face of adversity and tribulation. The enemy attacks from all directions, as a result a person could well despair, think that he is unable to counter him, and give up Jihad. Jihad could become legislated, a person could be injured, despair and give up; he could also continue the fight and receive 11 Ali 'lmrtin (3): 1 20 226 injury from his enemy, but he must bear it patiently, _d :_: •/. ;•-::f\ -: ,... • -:: -: _..-: .>< .... . ... I E » • ... �r_,AJ ..,..,.,. .J.:-.u r:! r ·� i:,!. "If you receive a wound, they have already re­ ceived a similar wound."12 "Do not relax in the pursuit of the enemy.

If you feel pain, they too are feeling it just as you are, but you hope for something from All a h which they cannot hope for."1 3 "That relief comes with distress, " whenever something distresses you and that adversity intensifies, know that relief is close. Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, says in His Book, "He who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him and removes their distress, and has appointed you as lehalifs on the earth. Is there 12 Ali 'Imran (3): 1 40 13 al-Nisa' (4) : 1 04 227 another god besides All ah? How little you pay heed!"14 So when adversity intensifies, know that Allah's relief is close at hand. ''And that with hardship comes ease, " every hardship is followed by ease, rather each hardship is surrounded by two eases, an ease before it and an ease that follows it. Allah, Most High, says, �(·.t: .,_w � '*i*·J: ·�w � '� ... ...

"For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease." 1 5 Ibn < Abbas said, 'One hardship will never overcome two eases.' A person should always bear this advice in mind and he should follow what the Prophet (�) enjoined upon the son of his uncle, < Abdullah ibn < Abbas (ratfiyA/ldhu 'anhuma). Allah is the One who grants accord. 14 al-Nam/ (27): 62 15 al-Sharfl (94) : 5-6 228 Allah erases what He wills or endorses 1 98, 2 1 0 Allah is the Protector of those who have faith 50 Allah loves the patient 1 75 Allah will appoint after difficulty, ease 1 50 And be steadfast, Allah is with 1 73 Any mercy Allah opens up to people 1 07 As for those who fear Allah and are patient 1 75 Ask Allah for His bounty 72, 205 Be patient. But your patience is only 1 80 But beauty lies in showing patience 9 1 , 1 28 But give good news to the patient: those 1 76 But if someone is patient and forgives 1 79 But if you are patient, it is better 1 74 But if you are steadfast and have taqwa, 1 74 But they cannot conceal themselves from All ah 55 But those who had been given knowledge said 1 77 Does He who created not then know? 46 Except for those who are patient and do 1 79 Every self is held in pledge against 45 Everyone has a succession [of Angels] 32 For truly with hardship comes ease 1 50, 1 5 1 , 1 52, 1 28 Give good news to the humble hearted 1 22 Give good news to the patient: 1 22 Had it not been that he was a man who 64 229 He has most knowledge of you when 60 He is with you wherever you are 55 He said to his companion, 'Do not 56 Honour My contract and I will 31, 52 I am with you, All-Hearing 55 I call on Allah to be my witness, and you 1 08 If Allah afflicts you with harm, no one 1 07, 208 If there are twenty of you who are patient 1 33 If you help Allah, He will 31 If My servants ask you about Me, 79, 86 In that there was a terrible trial from 20 1 Is Allah not enough for His slave? 51 It is Allah who sends the winds which stir 140 It is He who sends down abundant rain 1 40 It makes no difference whether we cannot 1 85 Know that Allah intervenes between 45 Know that Allah is your Master 115 Men and women who guard their private 30 My people, if my standing here and 1 08 No misfortune occurs except by Allah's 114 None will obtain it but those who are truly patient 20 1 Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in 95, 1 0 1 , 1 1 1 , 2 1 3 Niin. By the Pen and what they write 95, 96 Poverty and illne ss afflicted them and 1 59 Rather, those with true devoutness are 1 27 Remember Me I will - 3 1 , 52 Repel the bad with something better and 1 77 Safeguard the prayers - especially 25 Say: 'Even if you have been inside your homes 1 01 Seek help in patience and prayer 1 76 Say, 'O Allah! Master of the Kingdom 200 Say: 'Nothing can happen to us except 1 00, 1 1 4 Say to the believers that they should 30 Say: 'So what do you think? If Allah 1 07 Seek news of Yusuf and his brother 1 60 230 So be patient for the judgment of your Lord 1 79 So seek help in All ah and be patient 91 So wait patiently for the judgement of 1 27 That happened so that We might avert 44 That is because All ah is the Protector 50 That is the expiation for breaking oaths 26 The hearing, the sight and the heart 28 The patient will be paid their wages 1 22, 1 27 Their father was righteous 35 Then We reduced him to the lowest 34 Then when the Messengers despaired and thought 1 59 Then when he and those who had faith 1 34 There are certainly Signs in that for everyone 1 38 This is what you were promised 23 Those who guard their private parts 30 Those who preserve the limits of Allah 25 Those who safeguard their prayer 25 Those who say, 'Our Lord is All a h,' and then 70 Three men cannot confer together secretly 56 Today I have rewarded them for being steadfast 1 77 Truly man is in loss - except for those who 1 78 We appointed leaders from among them 1 74 We are nearer to him than his jugular 1 94 We created man and We know what 61 We seized them with the punishment, but 1 56 We sent Messengers to nations before you 1 56 What do you await for us except for 115 What, now!

When previously you rebelled 64 ...who were left behind, so that when 1 43 Whoever has taqwa of All ah 37, 69, 82 Whoever puts his trust in Allah 50, 1 6 1 , 206, 2 1 7 Yes indeed! But if you are patient 1 34 You alone we worship and 89, 207 You who have faith! Be patient; 1 53, 1 75 You who have faith! When you meet 1 33 Your Lord says, 'Call on Me 88 23 1 Ahlu'l-Kaltim: Adherents to speculative theology, people seeking to explain the articles and premises of belief and to give evi­ dences for them based on philosophy and logic. Ba,tintyyah: A sect of the Shta, the followers of Isma•n ibn Ja•far. They were of the belief that the legal texts were merely su­ perficial expressions carrying inner meanings that oppose what is outwardly understood of them, examples lie with their explanations of · Paradise, Hell and the Last Day. lfashwiyyah: A term frequently used by the innovators to refer to Ahlu'l-Sunnah, the Ahl'l-I:Iadith, those who affirmed the At­ tributes of Alla h.

The first to use this term was 1Amr ibn 1Ubaid al-Mu•tazili who said that •Abdullah ibn 1Umar bin al­ Khattab was a I:Iashwl. jabariyyah: Followers of the school of Jahm ibn Safwan in his be­ lief that all actions are decreed by Allah and man has no con­ trol over them at all, instead he is forced to do what he does. jahm!Jyah: Followers of Jahm ibn Safwan in his denial of the Names and Attributes of Allah. 232 Kamim!Jyah: Followers of Mul).ammad ibn Karram (d. 255H) , they divided into many sub-sects and were famous for their liken­ ing of All ah to His creation (tashbih) . Mutakallimiin: Speculative Theologians, adherents to kaldm. Mu'tazila: Followers of Wa�il ibn < Ata' al-Ghazzal who abandoned the circles of I:Iasan al-Ba�rl. They negated the Attributes of Allah for fear of likening Him to His creation, yet affirmed His Names. From amongst their beliefs was that a person who committed a major sin was neither a believer nor a dis­ believer, rather of a station between the two stations, but he would be consigned to Hellfire forever. They were from the rank and file of the Mutakallimiin and gave precedence to their intellects over the divine texts.

Qadar!Jyah: Those who held the belief that man has complete free will in all that he does and that Allah has no control over him. Qardmita: A sect holding the same belief as the Batjniyyah and followers of Maymiin ibn Daysan. Faldsifa: Those philosophers who promoted the 'wisdom' of the Greeks, the Greek philosophers who did not believe in the Resurrection as it is mentioned in the Book and Sunnah, nor did they affirm the Names and Attributes of Allah. From amongst their leaders was Aristotle, the student of Plato and from amongst their latter proponents was al-Farabi and ibn Sina. 233 Awl!Jri�· plural of wali; friend, ally, loyal companion. From the word wilriyah meaning loyalty and closeness, the opposite of enmity. �: withholding the tongue from speaking, carefully consider­ ing each word before it is said. Barz.akh: barrier, isthmus, A barrier that is erected between the deceased and this life preventing him from returning and a generic reference to the life that commences after death.

Bt[Jrin: Speech, clarification, discourse. It is of two types: the first whereby the intended meaning is expressed clearly, what­ ever language it may be in, this category is not regarded as magic; the second whereby the intended meaning is expressed in eloquent, cleverly doctored phrases based upon specific rules such that one listening takes pleasure in hearing the words and they affect his very heart. This category is what has been likened to magic as it captivates and beguiles the heart and overcomes the soul to the point that the face of reality could be transformed to illusion and the one capti234 vated perceive only that which the speaker wants him to per­ ceive. This category can be used in a commendable fashion and in a blameworthy fashion. As for the commendable form, it is to direct the person towards the truth and use these methods to aid the truth. As for the blameworthy form, it is to direct the person towards falsehood or envelop him in confusion such that the truth is seen as falsehood and false­ hood as truth.

This is completely blameworthy and has been likened to that which is completely blameworthy - magic Bitfah: innovation, that which is newly introduced into the reli­ gion of Allah. J)a'if: weak; the J.:iadith that is neither �al:ill:i nor Q.asan because it fails to meet one of their requirements: It is of varying de­ grees of severity, the most severe of which being mawqii', fabricated. Dhawq: taste, perceptivity, technically referring to spiritual expe­ rience, dhawq is a more temporary state of wt!Jd. One may re­ ceive some forms of inspiration in the heart as a result of these states however this inspiration should always be com­ pared to the Book and Sunnah to ascertain its correctness. Dhikr: remembrance, recollection, technically referring the re­ membrance of Allah . Du'ti.: supplication, invocation, it is an action of worship that may only be directed to Alla h.

It is of two types, supplication through worship (du'ti 'ibtidah) and supplication of request (du 'ti mas'alah) . The first type of du'ti can be understood when one understands that every act of worship is done with the 235 unstated plea that All ah accept that action of worship and the desire to draw closer to him; .and hence attain His pleas­ ure. Hence every action of worship is a type of request to Allah. The second type of du 'a is whereby one explicitly asks his Lord of something such as 'O Allah! Grant me good in this world and the Hereafter.' The second type includes the first type and the first type necessitates the second type. l:fadith: A text attributed to the Prophet (� describing his ac­ tions, words, descriptions and tacit approvals. It consists of two portions, the body of the text (matn) and the isnad.

Rarely the term is also used to refer to a text attributed to a Com­ panion or a Tabi'z: l:ftifi:G pl. bu.ffriZ: I:Iadith Master, commonly referred to one who has memorised at least 1 00,000 9adiths. l:fasan: good, fair. A 9adith whose isnad is continuously linked of just, morally upright narrators but whose precision (t/ab/) falls short of the requirements of the �al:U9 9adith; containing no irregularity (shadh) and no hidden defect ('illah). A 9adith can be 9asan in and of itself, or contain a defect but still be ruled to be so due to supporting evidences. l:fqya�· modesty, derived from the word pqyat, or life because it is through modesty that the heart is granted life and it is through the absence of modesty that it dies. It is a state that arises through the servant being aware that Allah is watching him , having love, fear and awe of Him and thinking little of him­ self. Al-Junayd said, 'al-l:fqyti' is to recognise the bounties of Allah and then to recognise ones own shortcomings. Through this a state is engendered which is termed al-l:fqya', the reality 236 of which is that it is a mannerism that prevents one from committing vile actions and from being lax in fulfilling the rights of Allah.

' ljudud· limits, boundaries. The limits ordained b y Allah, prescribed punishments. ljulul wa-1-ltti!Jad: incarnation and unification, the settling of a superior faculty upon a support. lpstin: beneficence, excellence. To worship Allah as if one is see­ ing Him, and knowing that even though one sees Him not, He sees the servant. lkhkif: sincerity, to strip oneself of worshiping any besides Allah such that everything one does is performed only to draw closer to Him and for His pleasure. It is to purify ones ac­ tions from any but the Creator having a share in them, from . any defect or self-desire. The one who has true ikhkif (m11khlif) will be free of r!Jti'. '!Im: knowledge. iman: The firm belief, complete acknowledgement and accept­ ance of all that All ah and His Messenger have commanded to have faith in, submitting to it both inwardly and outwardly.

It is the acceptance and belie f of the heart that includes the actions of the heart and body, therefore it encompasses the establishment of the whole religion. This is why the Imams and Salaf used to say, 'Faith is the statement of the heart and tongue, action of the heart, tongue and limbs.' Hence it com­ prises statement, action and belief, it increases through obe237 dience and decreases through disobedience. It includes the beliefs of faith, its morals and manners and the actions de­ manded by it. /skim: submission, submitting to the will of Allah through fol­ lowing His law as revealed upon the tongue of the Messen­ ger (ai) . Isnad; support. The chain of authorities on which a narration is based, linking the end narrator of a narration to the one it is attributed to, be it the Prophet (M) or anyone else, narrator by narrator. Istidrefj: gradually leading to a desired conclusion.

Technically re­ fers to Allah gradually leading one who displays ingratitude to His favours to his destruction as a befitting recompense. Some of the Salaf would say, 'When you see Allah bestow­ ing His blessings upon you, one after the other, and you are steadfast in disobeying Him, then beware for this is istidrtij by which He gradually leads you to destruction.' lttiba� following, technically referring to following the Sunnah of the Prophet (ai). 'lytifah: the practice of divination through frightening birds, the sounds they make and the directions in which they fly. Jahil!Jyah: Pre-Islamic Ignorance. Technically this refers to the condition of a people before the guidance of Allah reaches them, or the state of a people that prevents them from ac­ cepting the guidance of Allah. 238 ]ahL· ignorance. Ka/am: speech, discourse.

Technically used to refer to dialectics and scholastic theology. Kufr: denial, rej ection, hiding, technically referring to disbelief. It can be major (removing a person from the fold of lslam) or minor (not removing a person from the fold of Islam) . Mc!}huL· unknown. A reference to a narrator from whom only one narrator narrates (mc!Jhu/ al-'ain) or whose state of precision (tfab!J is unknown (mc!Jhu/ al-pa�, such a narrator makes the . isntid tfa 'if. Ma'rifah: gnosis.

Knowledge that is acted upon by the one who knows, the Gnostic of Allah is one who has knowledge of All ah, the path that leads to Allah and the pitfalls o f that path. He is one who knows Allah, His Names, Attributes and Actions and then displays fidq and ikhkif towards Allah in all things. He works towards removing all despicable morals and mannerisms and has fabr in all of this. Matriik: abandoned. A narrator who is accused of lying, or makes many mistakes, or makes mistakes in al:).adith that are agreed upon, or narrates from famous narrators that which those nar­ rators do not know. Munqa/i�· that Q.adith from which the narrator just before the Com­ panion has been omitted from its isnad.

Murriqabah: self-inspection. The servant having the sure knowl­ edge that Allah sees him in all circumstances and knows an 239 that he is doing, as such the he does his utmost not to fall into the prohibited matters and to correct his own failings. Mursal· disconnected. A J::iadith whereby a Tdbi'i narrates directly from the Prophet (ii) without mentioning the Companion. In the view of the majority of Scholars it is a sub-category of qa'if. Mufpaj text of the Quran Qadr: Divine Decree and Destiny.

Qu�dn: The actual Word of Allah revealed to the Prophet (ii) in the Arabic language through the medium of the Angel Gabriel and the greatest miracle bestowed him. It consists of 1 1 4 chapters commencing with al-FatiJ::i ah and ending with an­ Nas. Riyd�· showing off, ostentation, an example of which lies in per­ son beautifying actions of worship because he knows people are watching. RHqyd: recitation used to cure an illness or disease. It can only be done in the Arabic tongue, in words whose meaning is un­ derstood, using verses of the Quran or supplications of the Prophet combined with the belief that it is only Allah who in reality gives the cure. $dbfp: correct, authentic. A J::iadith which has a continuously linked isndd, of just, morally upright and precise narrators; contain­ ing no irregularity (shddh) or hidden defect ('illah) .

Hence five conditions have to be met: the isndd being continuously linked; 240 the justice ('ad� of the narrator; the precision (tjabf) of the narrator; its not being shtidh; and its not containing an 'ii/ah. The J:iadith can be �a. J:iil:i in and of itself, or it can contain a defect but still be ruled to be �al:iIJ:i due to supporting evi­ dences. Salaf predecessors. Technically used to refer to the best genera­ tions of Muslims, the first three generation: the $aptibah, the Ttibi'un and the Tab' Tabi'un due to the J:iadith, "The best of people are my generation, then the one that follows, then the one that follows." $idq: truthfulness, the conformity of the inner to the outer such that the deeds and statements of the person do not belie his beliefs and vice-versa. $idq is the foundation of faith and re­ sults in peace of mind, lying is the foundation of hypocrisy and results in doubt and suspicion, and this is why the two can never co-exist without being at odds with each other. al­ J unayd was asked as to whether fidq and ikhkif were the same or different and he replied, 'They are different, fidq is the root and ikhlti[ is the branch. $idq is the foundation of every­ thing and ikhlti[ only comes into play once one commences an action. Actions are only acceptable when they combine both.' The one who has true [idq will be free of self-conceit.

Shtidh: irregular, odd. A J:iadith narrated by a trustworthy and pre­ cise narrator that contradicts the narrative of other narrators or the narration of one more trustworthy and precise than him, provided that a reconciliation is not possible. Shirk: association, technically referring to directing a right that is due to Allah Alone to another object of creation, either corn241 ' pletely or partially. It can be major (removing a person from the fold of Islam) or minor (not removing a person from the fold of Islam) . Sunnah: way, path. The actions, words, descriptions, commands, prohibitions and tacit approvals of the Prophet (�.

Tabi'iin: The generation following that of the Companions. Tab' Ttibi'iin: The generation following that of the Tabi'iin. Tad/is: deceit. An action of a narrator whereby he makes out that he heard something from a particular narrator what he did not hear or conceals the identity of the one he is narrating from. In order to do so, he will use terms that are vague such as 'such-and-such said' and 'on the authority of such-and-such.' The first type of tadlis is blameworthy and constitutes a de­ fect in the isntid. The second is dependant upon exactly what was done and the motives of the narrator, it can be blame­ worthy or not.

Taqwti: the basic meaning of which is setting a barrier between two things. This is why it is said that one ittaqti with his shield, i.e. he set it as a barrier between him and the one who wished him evil. Therefore it is as if the one who has taqwa (muttaqz) has used his following the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions as a barrier between himself and the Pun­ ishment. Hence he has preserved and fortified himself against the punishment of All ah through his obeying Him. Tarq: the practice of divination through drawing lines in the earth or equally the practice of throwing gravel onto the ground 242 and divination by the shapes subsequently formed therein. Tawl;it/: unification, monotheism, the belief in the absolute One­ ness of Allah.

It is to believe that Allah Alone is the creator, nourisher, and sustainer of the worlds; it is to believe that Allah Alone deserves to be worshipped; and it is to believe that He has unique and perfect Names and Attributes that far transcend anything that one can imagine. Tfyarah: seeing bad omens in things. Wal;datu-1Wujiid: The unity of existence, the heretical belief that Allah is everywhere and everything. W'!}d· strong emotion, technically referring to spiritual ecstasy. The heart experiencing sudden surges of intense love, de­ sire, awe and glorification of Allah. Wara�· pious caution, scrupulousness.

A mannerism through which the heart is purified of all that would sully it and has been excellently summarised in the s aying of the Prophet (;j), "From the excellence of ones Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him." It is to leave all that causes one doubt, all that does not concern him, to continuously bring oneself to account and to devote oneself to Allah. Some of the Salaf said, 'None attains the reality of taqwd until he leaves that which is har mles s for fear of falling into that which is harmful.' Yaqin: certainty. It is to faith (iman) what the soul is to the body, it is the soul to the actions of the heart which in turn formu­ late the souls to the actions of the limbs and through it one 243 attains the rank of Siddiq. From yaqin does tawakkul (abso­ lute reliance in Allah) sprout and through yaqin is all doubt, suspicion and worry dispelled and the heart filled with love, hope and fear of Allah. Yaqin is of three levels, that which arises from knowledge ('ilm al-yaqin), seeing ('ain al-yaqin) and actual experience (/;Jaqq al-yaqin). 244 al-Ajurri, Abu Bakr Mu�ammad ibn al-I:Iusayn al-Shan�ah [Dar al-Watan, Riyadh, 1 " ed. 1 997/141 8, notes by (Abdullah ibn Sulayman, 5 + 1 vols] $ifatu-l-Ghurabti' [Dar al-Khulafii> li-1-Kitab al-Islami, 2nd ed., with the notes of Badr ibn (Abdullah a.1-Badr] al-Albani, Mu�ammad Na�ir ad-Din, l)a'ifAbii Dtiwiid [al-Maktab al-Islarru, Beirut, 1 ., ed. 1 991/ 1 4 1 2] J)a'if ibn Mrijah [al-Maktab al-Islarru, Beirut, 1 sr ed. 1 988/ 1 408] J)a'if al-Jami' as-$aghir [al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirvt, 3rd ed. 1 990/ 1 4 1 0] J)a'if at-Targhib wa-t-Tarhzo [Maktabah al-Ma(arif, Riyadh, 1 sr ed. 2000/1 42 1 , 2 vols] 'ilal al-Jannah [al-Maktab al-Islarru, Beirut, znd ed. 1 985/1 405] Gh4Jatu-l-Martim [al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, 4th ed. 1 994/ 1 4 1 4] lnvti' al-Ghalil [al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, 2°d ed. 1 985/ 1 405, 8 + 1 vols.] $ap�h Abii Dawiid [al-Maktab al-Islarru, Beirut, 1" ed. 1 989/ 1 409, 3 vols .] $abif. J Adab al-Mu.frad [Dar as-Siddiq, al-Jubayl, znd ed. 1 994/ 245 1 4 1 5] $ap�h ibn M4fah [al-Maktab al-IslarnI, Beirut, pt ed. 1 986/ 1 407, 2 vols.] $apip al-Jami' as-$aghir [al-Maktab al-IslarnI, Beirut, 3rd ed. 1 988/1 408, 2 vols.] $apip Al-Tirmidhi [al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, 1 't ed. 1 988/ 1 408, 3 vols.] $af.

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