Part 11

" Al-Dhahabi said that it consists of two volumes and ibn Rajab said it is 34 parts. In the end of a/-Qisas wa al-Muthakkirin, p. 372, Ibn al-Jawzi said that this book is Ghadyat al-Wa'iz, It has manuscripts in Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyyab.

“S Al-Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi said (a/-Qisas wa al-Muthakkirin, p. 371, 372): I have gathered books on tools of sermon giving, the likes of which non has authored before me. In the field of Qur’anic exegesis polished from errors and void of fabricated hadiths I have Zad al-Masir fi ‘Im al-Tafsir and al-Mughni which is the bigger of the two. As for book of exhortation, they are too many to mention, so I’ll suffice with a few: Tabsirat a/-Mubtadi’, Kanz al-Muthakkir, al-Lu'lu’, alMalib, al-Mudish, al-Mulabbib, Sabanajd, Nasim al-Riyad and al-Muntakhab. Some of these books suffice a sermon giver for the rest of his life, leaving him no need for rhetorical flourishes written by non-Arabs that are mostly senseless lies anyway.”

The Characteristics of a Beneficial Preacher

INGLE WITH OTHERS IN A GOOD way but at the same time be strictly isolated because isolation safeguards you from having to deal with bad people and preserves your dignity. A preacher, in particular, should not be seen behaving like common folks or spending time in the market place or laughing out loud. This is to make sure that people have a good opinion about him! and lend an ear to him when he

"6 Thn al-Jawzi said (al-Said, p. 232): “I am unable to figure delight, dignity, honor, rest or well being that is better for a scholar than that attained in isolation. Through it he achieves physical and religious well being and earns a great status with Allah and rest of the creation as well. This is because people do not appreciate a person who mingles with them, and that's why it is staying away from people that makes our Caliphs so venerated among the people. If the laypeople see a scholar giving leeway in some permissible matter their appreciation for him becomes less, so he must protect his knowledge and make them realize its value. Some of our predecessors have said: We used to joke around and laugh, but once people began to follow our example I realized we shouldn’t do that.’ Sufyan al-Thauri said: ‘Learn this knowledge and keep silent. Do not mix it with joking around lest the hearts spit it out.””

The Characteristics of a Beneficial Preacher

speaks. However, if you have no choice but to mix with them, control your temper and forebear others because once see their true mannerisms, you will be unable to mix with them.

Fulfilling the Rights of Others

IVE EVERYBODY THEIR DUE RIGHTS - wives, ex and relatives. Observe every hour in your life and see how you spendit. Try not to use it except in the most honorable way possible. Do not waste your self and get in

the habit of doing the best things and send something to the grave's chest that will make you rejoice when you get there:

O you who ran after the material life Deluded by his hopes so long

Death will come to you suddenly And the grave is the chest of deeds

Pay attention to the consequences of things as that will make patience with things you desire and dislike easy for you. If you sometimes find yourself neglectful of your duties, take your soul to the graveyards and remind it of the nearness of its departure from this world.

Plan your affairs - and Allah is the true planner - and spend but

Fulfilling the Rights of Others

not foolishly lest you become in need of others. Taking care of one’s wealth is a part of this religion, and “it is better to leave something for your inheritors than leaving them in need of others.”""”

“A hadith says: “For you to leave your heirs wealthy is better than leaving

them poor and begging from people.” Related by al-Bukhari, 2742, Muslim, 1628, 75, from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.

MY SON, know that we come from the sons of Abi Bakr a/-Siddig'* and our father is al-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abdu’l-Rahman ibn Aba Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Aba Bakr (radiyAl/abu ‘anbu)' whose life has been critically documented in Sifat a/-Safwa. After him, our forefathers were businessmen so among the later family there hasn’t been anyone who has

106 His lineage is as follows: Abi’l-Faraj ‘Abdu’l-Rahman ibn ‘All ibn Muhammad ibn ‘All ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hamadi ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Qasim ibn al-Nadr ibn al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Fagih ‘Abdu’l-Rahman ibn al-Fagih al-Qasim ibn Muhammad son of Allah’s Messengers (3) caliph Aba Bakr a/-Siddig al-Qurashi al-Taimi al-Bakri al-Baghdadi.

‘ The exemplary Imam, the Hafiz and proof, the scholar of his time in Madinah with Salim and ‘Ikrima, Abu Muhammad and Abii ‘Abdu’l-Rahman al-Qurashi, He was born during the caliphate of ‘Ali (radiyAllabu ‘anbu) and nurtured on the lap of his aunt, the mother of the believers ‘Wishah (radiyAllabu ‘anbu) from whom he learned and reported a lot. He died in year 7 AH. For his biography, refer to: Ibn Sa‘d: a/-Tabagat, 5/187, Khalifah: a/-Tabagat, 344, Hibyatu’lAuliya’, 2/183, Tabthib al-Asma'i wa al-Lughat, 2/55, Tathkirat al-Hufféz, 1/96, al-Ibar, 1/132, Siyar atAam al-Nubuld’, 5/54, Shatharit al-Dhahab, 1/135, Sifat al-Safva, 2/88.

been given motivation to pursue Sacred Knowledge except me. Now your turn has come. Strive hard and do not fall short of my expectations of you for you. I have trusted your affair to Allah, Glorious and Most High, and He alone I ask to grant you success in knowledge and its application.

This is what I was able to admonish you with, and with Allah, Most High and Exalted, is all might and power.

Ever increasing praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be upon our Leader Muhammad, as well as his Family and Companions.'”

" We ask Allah to give us and rest of the Muslims benefit through this exhortation. May He forgive its writer and the one it was written to along with all those who read it and spread it. May he forgive the commentator and all those who call others to read it and encourage them to act upon its message. This commentary was finished on the blessed day of Friday in1409 AH in the city of al-Isma‘lliyya. Praise be to Allah, by whose blessing all good deeds come to be. May Allah send praises on Muhammad (3g) and his followers.

‘Abi al-Harith Ashraf ibn ‘Abd al-Maqsid ibn ‘Abdu’l-Rahim, May Allah forgive him, his parents and rest of the Muslims.

Persons Cited in the Text

‘AISHAH: bint Aba Bakr as-Siddig, the Mother of the Believers and most beloved wife of the Prophet (#g). She reported many abadith from the Prophet and many Companions and Successors reported from her. She died in the year 58H.

‘ABDULLAH BIN ‘ABBAS: ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn “Abd Munaf al-Qurashi al-Hashimi, the cousin of the Prophet (48) and the interpreter of the Quran. He was born three yeats before the Hijrzh and was called the ‘Ocean of Knowledge’ due to his vast knowledge. He took part in the Jihad in North Africa in the year 27H and died in the year 68H.

‘ABDULLAH AL-DAMAGHANI: The profound scholar, the mufti of ‘Iraq, the judge, Aba ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn Husawayhi al-Damaghani al-Hanafi (Damaghani refers to somebody from Damaghan which is a big city between al-Rayy and Naysabur). al-Dhahabi said: ‘He was a person of nobility and great decency and has been compared to judge Aba Yasuf in his times.

Persons Cited in the Text

Among his children were Imams and judges.’ He died in 478 and his son, the judge of judges Abi al-Hasan led his funeral ptayer. For his biography, refer to: Tarikh Baghdad, 3/109, alBidayah wa'l-Nihayah, 12/129, Shatharat al-Dhahab, 3/362, alFawa’id al-Bahiyyah, 182-183, al-Kamil, 10/146, Siyar al-A‘lam

‘ABDULLAH BIN MASUD: ibn Ghafil ibn Habib al-Hadhli Aba ‘Abdur-Rahman. One of the scholars amongst the Companions and he witnessed Badr and the following battles. He had many virtues and died in the year 32H.

‘ABDULLAH BIN ‘UMAR: ibn al-Khattab al-‘Adawi, Aba ‘AbdurRahman, the noble Companion and scholar. He reported many abadith from the Messenger (4) and died in the year 73H.

ABU BAKR AL-SIDDIQ: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Amir alQurashi. The first Khalifab of the Messenger (4g), his companion in the cave, his closest friend and one of the ten promised Paradise. He was the first man to accept Islam and died in the year 13H.

ABU AD-DARDA’: Uwaymir ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Qays alKhazraji al-Ansari. There is a difference of opinion concerning his name. He accepted Islam on the day of Badr and witnessed Ubud. He was from the Legal Jurists and ascetics of the Companions. He died in the year 32H.

ABU DAWUD: Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath ibn Ishaq ibn Bashir, Aba Dawid al-Sijistani, the Jam, Hafiz and author of the famous Sunan. He died in the year 275H.

ABU AL-FADL IBN NASIR: The Imam, Muhaddith and Hafiz,

Mufid al-‘Irag, Abi al-Fad! Muhammad ibn Nasir ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Amm al-Salami from Baghdad (467551). Al-Hafiz ibn al-Jawzi benefitted in the field of hadith by accompanying this Imam as indicated by Dhahabi (Siyar a/- Alam al-Nubula’, 21/367) and confirmed by al-Hafiz ibn alJawzi himself (a/-Muntagam, 10/163). Al-Dhahabi also related this from him (a/-Mizan, 20/267), saying: He said: ‘Our shaikh was reliable, a man of good memory and precision. He was from AA/ al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah and had not faults worth mentioning. He was responsible of hearing me. I heard the Musnad of Ahmad and the major books in his reading and it was he whom I took the science of hadith from. He would remember Allah a lot and was quick to shed teats.’ For his biography, refer to: Styar al-A ‘lim al-Nubula’, 20/265, Tathkirat al-Huffaz, 3/1289, Mandgib Ahmad, 530, 531, Mirat al-Zaman, 8/138, Thail Tabaqat al-Hanabila, 1/225-229, al-Bidayah wa'lNihayah, 12/233.