Part 37

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The things I fear most for my Ummah is a case of "a scholar's slip the arguing hypocrite over the Quran

and the worldly life which cuts your necks off, so accuse it within your hearts." 4

"Arguing over the Quran is unbelief."5

Reported by Al-Asbahani in At-Targhib wa At-TarhID.

Reported by Ibn Hajar in Majma' Az-Zawa'id

61) Withholding Excess Water From Others

{Say, 'See ye? If your stream was lost one morning (in the underground), who then can supply you with clear

"Do not withhold excess water to withhold pasturage."1

"Whoever denies others his surplus water or pasturage, Allah shall deny him His blessings on the Day of

"There are three people whom Allah will not speak to, look at, or exonerate on the Day of Judgment, and

who will have a painful torment: he who withholds excess water from a traveler in the desert, he who sells

merchandise after 'Asr (late afternoon) swearing by Allah that he paid more for it than he actually did, and

a man who gives the pledge to a governor only for the sake of this world, and is only loyal if he gets

something of this worldly life."3

Al-Bukhari adds to the above hadith the following,

"Whoever denies others his surplus water, Allah will say to him, "Today J will deny you my bounty as you

did with what you could not create." 4

62) Stinting When Weighing or Measuring Out Goods and Similar

{Woe to those that deal in fraud, those who, when they have to receive a measure from men, exact full

measure, but when they have to give a measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do not they think that

they will be raised upon a Mighty Day, a day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?}

As-Saddiy said the reason of revelation of the above Ayah traces back to Prophet's arrival at Medina

where he found a man called Abu Juhainah who had two scales, one for giving and the other for receiving.

"Five entail five. They asked, what do you mean, Messenger of Allah? He said, II whenever a group of

people break a covenant, Allah will entice their enemy to attack them. Whenever, they rule by other than

Allah's revelation they will be plagued by poverty. If indecency prevails, they will be afflicted by many

deaths. If they cheat when weighing Allah will withhold their pasture-lands (or pasturage) and they will

face barren years. If they do not pay zakah, Allah will deprive them of rain."

Malik Ibn Dinar said, once one of my neighbors came to me suffering from a deadly disease saying!

"Two mountains of fire, two mountains of fire". "What do you say", I asked. He said, Abu Yahya, I had

two scales, one for giving and the other for receiving. Malik Ibn Dinar, said, I, therefore, crush them with

one another. Thereby the man said, the more you crush them, the more suffering I get, Abu Yahya.

Afterwards, the man died affected by illness.

Cheating when weighing or measuring out goods is considered as a type of theft, a breach of faith and

consuming other's property through falsehood. Allah promises to punish such people with wail which may

be interpreted as a severe torture or a valley in Hell-Fire. This valley is so hot that it can melt all the

One of the early Muslims said, I testify that all those who weigh or measure will enter the Hell-fire.

This is because; none can measure justly save those whom Allah protects. Another one said, once I visited

a sick man suffering from the death trials. Thereby, I began to instruct him to say the testification of faith,

but he could not speak. When he became conscious, I asked him, why did not you repeat the testification of

faith? He answered, O brother, the scale's blade was upon my tongue and prevented me to speak.

Thereupon, I asked him, did you give short weight? He said, never. But, I used not to wait for a while after

weighing to check. Behold! This is the abode of those who do not check their scales. How about those who

Nafi' narrated that Ibn 'Umar who when passing by a seller used to say, "'fear Allah and give just

measure or weight." This is because the cheaters when weighing or measuring will be bridled by sweat up

to half of their ears on the Day of Judgment.

Some of the early Muslims said, woe to those who give short weight to others even a seed less in return for

Paradise. Whose width is that of the whole of the heavens and the earth? Woe to those who take over

weight from others even a seed over (if the buyer is the one who weights)

63) Feeling Secure from Allah's Devising

{Until, in the midst of their enjoyment of our gifts, on a sudden We called then to account, when lot They

This means that the punishment occurs suddenly while they are heedless. AI-Hasan said, whoever is

blessed but unaware of Allah's decision he is heedless, and whoever is afflicted but unaware of Allah's

trials is also heedless. Then he read the above Ayah and said, these people are put into devising as they got

all what they need and then taken suddenly.

'Uqbah Ibn Amir (may Allah please him) related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

{Whenever a sinful servant attains whatever he wants you should realize that he is drawn on little by

little." Then he reads, "But when they forgot the warning they had received, We opened to them the gates of

all (good) things, until in the midst of their enjoyment of our gifts, on a sudden We called them to account,

when lot They were plunged in despair.}

"When Iblis (Satan) who was an angel -was devised, Gabriel and Mika'il burst weeping and Allah asked

them, why did you weep? They answered, 0 Lord we cannot feel secure from Your devising. Hence, Allah

said, "keep on feeling in secure from My Devising."

`Aishah related that the Prophet used to regularly say,

"0 changer of hearts! Make our hearts firm in Thy faith. He was asked, O Messenger of Allah! Do you fear

(that we may convert) He said, people's hearts are between two fingers of Allah's who changes it whenever

"Verily one of you behaves like the people of Paradise until there is but an arm's length between him and

it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of the Hell-Fire and

"Verily one of you behaves like the people of Hell-fire until there is but an arm's length between him and it,

and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of Paradise and thus he

enters it. Works are only judged by the end."4

Once, there was a devout Egyptian man who went regularly to the mosque to perform the call to prayer

and to perform the prayer himself. One day, he ascended the minaret to call to prayer as usual. The minaret

was juxtaposed to a house belonging to a Christian man.

Reported by Ahmad and AI-Baihaqi.

Reported by Ibn Majah, AI-Hakim, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban.

A part of a hadith is reported by A1-Al-Bukhari.

Reported by A1-Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad.

When he cast a glance into the house he saw a very beautiful woman. He was so fascinated that he

neglected the call to prayer and went to her. The woman asked him, what do you want? He said, nothing

She said, "I could not do any indecency." He said, "What about marriage?" She replied, "But you are a

Muslim and my father will reject you." He said, "1 '11 convert to Christianity." In doing so, I'll marry you,

she replied. Accordingly, be converted to Christianity to marry her. No sooner did he marry her than he fell

down from the floor, where he was supposed to do something and died. Alas, neither did he remain a

believer nor did he enjoy the woman.

Salim Ibn Abdullah related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would frequently swear by saying,

"No, by the changer of the hearts."1

This means that Allah changes one's heart faster than the wind but in different way! Agreement,

disagreement, willingness and hatred etc. Allah says,

{And know that Allah cometh in between a man and his heart, and that it is He to whom ye shall

(all) be gathered} (AI-Anfal: 24)

Mujahid comments that Allah comes in between one's mind and his own hand as stated in Allah's

{Verily in this is a message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and is a

i.e. he who has mind. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that the Prophet (pbuh) would

"0 Changer of hearts! Make my heart firm in thy faith. I asked, 0 Messenger of Allah, I think that you make

this supplication much! Do you fear? He said, how could I be secure while the people's hearts are between

the two fingers of Allah, Who changes it whenever He likes. Thus, if He wants to change one's heart, He

Therefore, you should not be deluded by your own faith, prayer, fasting or whatever you do of acts

of worship. This is because all of these works refer to Allah's will and his plentiful bounties and He can

strip you of such blessings.

Reported by Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ahmad.

64) Despairing of the Mercy of Allah and Losing of Hope

}And never give up hope of Allah's soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah's soothing mercy, except

those who have no faith. } (Yusuf: 87)

{He is the one that sends down rain (even) after (men) have given up all hope.} (Ash-Shura: 28)

{Say, 'O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the mercy of Allah).}

"Let none of you die except thinking the best of Allah the Almighty."1

Allah, unless you love forgiveness, none of the sinful men will be delayed. O Allah, you are the

Ever-Forgiver, the Ever Generous and love forgiveness: may you forgive me. O Allah look at us tenderly

and include us amongst the people of purity not those of wretchedness.

O Allah! Help us to achieve our hopes, make us prosperous, grant us your pleasure, guide us to