Part 4

And so he is left alone in his distress with no one to console him. Indeed, the weeping of Adam (‘a/ayhi as-salam) for his exile from Paradise is incomparable to the weeping of any other. His overwhelming deep sorrow and distress was not because of losing Paradise itself, but rather because of his being distanced from the Lord of Paradise.

Wahb ibn Munabbih’, may Allah be pleased with him, related: [After Adam departed from Paradise and was sent down to earth] he prostrated for one hundred years crying on the mountain of

"He refers to the ayah, “And Adam received from his Lord words so He forgave him” al-Bagarah 2: 37

? Wahb ibn Munabbih from the generation of ‘Tabi‘in. He was born during the

caliphate time of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affin (34 A.H.) He was known of his piety and honour and was an exegete in the field of Jewish narrations and tales.

Prophet Adam (‘alayhi as-salam)

India until his tears flowed into the valley of Sarandib, causing the carnation and cinnamon to gtow and caused the peacocks to migrate to the valley. Thereafter, Angel Jibra’ll came down and said to him, ’raise your head for you have been forgiven.’ So Adam (‘alaybi as-salam) taised his head and went to circulate around the Sacred House (Ka’bah) for a whole week, and scarcely had he completed before he was drowning in his tears.

’ Reported by Muslim #2751.

The Description of the Spring Season

HEN THE EARTH IS BEREFT of its partner (ie. \ x / rain), it finds itself afflicted by a touch of aridity - upon which the earth clothes itself with the garments of MSS “and you see the earth barren” [al-Hajj 22: 5]

- until it reaches a degree of severe poverty, whence it raises its hand, begging for charity from the clouds. The High Creator afterwards waters the nether from the above; aid is called forth and tain is elicited without stimulation;

“We drive them to a dead land”

Indeed the effect of the Creator on the drab and lifeless is a

wonder. Therewith, weather garbs itself in the darkest vesture while the cavalry of tain approaches, unsheathing swords of light-

The Description of the Spring Season

ning, A vagarious stratum of air begins spraying out its troops of breezes, disclosing to the wind the intention of tain. Therefore the clouds borrow the [tearful] eyelids of lovers, and the hands of the munificent, causing the valleys to abound with flowing rivers. Every time the palm of the breeze grazes these rivers, its necklace rubs against its silver chains, all the while the sun hides out, as the clouds spray their raindrops; all the while, the two partners; earth and rain, ratify a contract of mutual love.

As the winter sun begins to lay down on the immature land, the saplings begin to emerge; spring rushes into the lands lending the earth youthful garments to wear. Thereupon, the eyes of earth open after a year of sleeping, and the plants arise as if brides are adorned with every kind of jewelry; the narcissus appeats as if it were an eye and its leaves as if they were silver; the anemone shows the color of shyness, and spice plants appear as if in a state of trepidation; the viola flower gives the appearance of bite marks on the flesh; the lily nods off and then rouses; the branches of trees intertwine and then separate; and fragrances reveal their secrets to the breeze. All aesthetic songs converge in the procession of this wedding of communion; each art surpassing all the other arts. Birds competes each other in assonance; each bird expresses its yearning in its own language; the dove chants, the bulbul sermonizes, the black-headed pigeon recites, the aquatic birds whistle; the Hoopoe sings and the tree-branches sway - all of them expressing their gratitude and thankfulness to the One in Whose Hand lies all Authority. Only then does the nose of the yearner manage to detect the scent of the object of his affections.

Salman al-Farsi (radiyAllabu ‘anhu)

OREGONE DESTINY RULED in favour of a group of people with the aah,

Cee 2 he te Ae oe “Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has pre-

ceded from Us - they are from it far removed”

And ruled against another group of people with

OAS GALELES “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray”

How woeful it is! There is no escape! The Divine providence expressed in the first ayah enlightened the hearts of the Jinn there-

Salman al-Farsi (radiyAllabu ‘anhu)

fore they said, OE Grtsy,

“Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’an” [al-finn 72: 1,

while the summation of disgrace pronounced in the second ayah;

“our wretchedness overcame us” [a-Mu’miniin 23: 106),

Blinded the hearts of Quraysh causing them to say [about the Quran],

OWN Vs Sy “This is not but legends of the former peoples.” fal-Anfal 8: 31)

{On the Day of Judgment] those who shall receive their books in left hand will be expelled to the distant darkness, veiled [from Allah], while those who shall receive their records in their right hand will bask in the gusts of nearness [to their Lord]. Indeed, neither did the worship of Shay/dn and Bal‘am' bring forth any benefit, nor the stubbornness of sorcerers bring forth any harm. A [Christian] priest accepted the Oneness of Allah although he never saw the Messenger (8), while on the other hand, Ibn Ubayy

' Balam ibn Ba’ira’ one of the known most knowledgeable people of Bani Israel (the Jews) who learnt the Torah directly from Misa. However, he eventually rebelled and went astray and authored a book promoting disbelief, therefore Allah revealed the following ayah about him; “And recite to them, [O Mubammad), the news of him to whors we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but be detached himself from them; so Shaytin pursued hint, and he became of the deviators.” [al-Araf

SEEDS OF ADMONISHMENT AND REFORM

disbelieved despite the fact that he prayed behind the Messenger (). The example of the former is like the lizard [lives on waterless dry earth] but still finds sufficient water to drink and survive, whereas the example of the latter is like the fish lives in water but does not drink. The Messenger of Allah (38) visited the house of a Jew who was ill, and said to him, embrace Islam and you shall be saved. The sick child looked at his father [seeking his instruction] so the father said to his son, obey Abii al-Qasim (gg).? Thereupon, the Jewish child embraced Islam, and thus he became in his house a stranger as was Salman [al-Farsi] (redéyAllahu ‘anbnl) when he was in his house [prior to his Islam]. Nevertheless [the Prophet (@) eased the state of such foreignness with] “Salman is from

The tongues of the opponents [i.c. the Jews] yet could not be withheld so they shouted objecting, why does Muhammad not leave us alone? The wordless reply embodied in the Prophet’s state said [in regards the Jew child who embraced Islam], ‘How can I leave you alone when you have a sick person belonging to us still at your place! I still have work to do’. Indeed, the circumstances and events may harmonise hearts. Misa (‘a/ayhi as-salam) could not stand the bitterness of being a stranger at the house of pharaoh, even though the wife of pharaoh, Asiya who was a Muslim, was a source of comfort to him during his stay, because the tights of his biological mother had precedence. So, his mouth was commanded not to accept milk from any nurse,

? One of the nicknames of the Prophet (38)

Salman al-Farsi (radiyAllahn ‘anhu)

“and We had prevented from him [all] wet nurses before”

Until his real mother nursed him under the lute song of reunion. The knowledge of Allah predestined the belief of Asiya and the Prophethood of Misa (‘alayhi as-salam), therefore the casket in which he - a child separated from his mother - was steered to the doorstep of a lonely wife who was (as if) without a husband.

As Salman’s (radiyAllahu ‘anh#) predestination secured him [his guidance], the breezes of youthfulness carried him towards teligion; his father was upon the belief of the Magians but the providential evidences guided Salman to the monastery of the Chtistians. He debated his father whose only response to his son’s atguments was to put him in chains; a lowly response practiced from ages - since the day of

“T give life and cause death” [al-Bagarah 2: 258}

[which had been the response of Ibrahim’ (‘alayhi as-salam) adversary], and

128% oa C ia an By 2b ee oe eee a Cab SiC ty “Then they reversed themselves, [saying], “You have already known that these do not speak!” [al-Anbiya’ 21: 65}

[the day at which the people of Ibrahim (‘alayhi as-salam) admitted the wrongness of their belief] but [despite all that, they re-

SEEDS OF ADMONISHMENT AND REFORM

“Burn him and support your gods - if you are to act.” [al-Anbiya’ 21: 68]

At the commencement of his journey, Salman (radiyAllahu ‘anhi) became a guest to Kas Arye

“We shall wry test you” [a/-Bagarah 2: 155]

because without enduring the trial patiently he would have not reached the rank of “a man who has journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty if he swears, Allah will fulfill it for him." When he heard of some people preparing to travel, he stealthily left his father’s wary guard, and without hesitance, joined the travelers, hoping to reach the destination he sought. He dived into the ocean of resurrection to find the core of existence; his innate self raised objection [to this plan] saying, where are you going? and he replied:

BenesiSeas sus “T will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord; He will

guide me.” [al-Saffat 37: 99]

With a humble demeanor, he devoted himself to serving the guides of his journey. Eventually, the time came when the (Chtistian) hermits realised that their era was drawing to an end, so they