The war between these two nations has, for reasons unfathomable to me, spiked the adrenaline of the end times obsessed quarters. Whatever their motivation, their lack of care with Ḥadīth, in terms of interpretation and translation is shocking. Like the scholar of Johannesburg, they are generally Ḥanafī Sunnī, not heretics. Is thus to be hoped that they will desist from this sensationalist agenda driven interpretations, especially those who are linked to the teacher of my teachers, Shaykh ʾAbul Ḥasan ʿAlī ʾan-Nadwī, a paragon of moderation and an unbiased examiner of facts.
There are two Ḥadīth which they quote from ʾal-Mustadrak lil Ḥākim. The translations are theirs, not mine:
Dubious Translations
I shall not comment on the state of the English in these translations, but I must dispute some very questionable translations.
Firstly, any decent dictionary can confirm that إِذَا خُيِّرْتُمْ means “when you will choose”. “If you are forced to choose” has insertions that has no justification.
Secondly, الْأَرَضِينَ is a plural word. To change it to the Arabic dual is a disingenuous ploy to make the Ḥadīth seem to fit a war between two nations. Further, where does the word “nation” even come from? الْأَرَضِينَ means “earths” or “lands”
We are all human, prone to error, but to change, “When you will choose between the lands” into “If you are forced to choose between two nations…” shows utter carelessness with the words of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) at best, and context points to the possibility of deliberate slanting of the translation to achieve an intended meaning. In either case, these are crimes against Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) which should not be condoned.
The second Ḥadīth, mentions various places by name. Place names are not literally translated. Italy is not translated as land of the cows. Yemen is not translated as the fortunate land. France is not translated as land of the free.
ʿal-Jazīrah is a known geographical term used by the Arabs. It is south of Armenia and to specifically translate it literally as “island” so that it can supposedly apply to Azerbaijān, which is east of Armenia, is absolutely shocking. Azerbaijān is NOT ʾal-Jazīrah. I would hope that this was another careless mistake, but the evidence of the continuous distortion of the translations leave open the sad probability of people trying to make Ḥadīth suit their agenda.
Taken collectively, these weird translations point to those infected with the end times virus having slanted the words of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) to achieve an agenda. In this case, the agenda is to prove that he specifically referred to the current Armenian-Azeri war. This is a very audacious move. I believe the Ḥadīth simply advices Ṣaḥābah not to settle in Armenia, but I may be wrong. I cannot deny the possibility that others are correct and that it does indeed refer to the current conflict, but can one so brazenly specify a Ḥadīth which is so loosely stated? What special knowledge or association do you have with Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ), other than a desire to interpret everything in the light of end times? How will you face him if you are wrong?
“Torment”
It should also be asked how does the “torment” in Armenia equate to supporting Azerbaijān in a war? Does the Qurʾān not mention cursed lands in Jordan and Arabia? Why this stretching of words and meaning to achieve an end which may or may not have been meant?
al-Jazeerah, a known geographic region since the beginning of Islam, south of Lake Van and Armenia
Azerbaijan - EAST of Armenia
Using Lake Van as a comparison point for two very different places
What is Armenia in the first place?
The end times obsessed happily apply the term “Armenia” to the modern republic, as if Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) has to abide by our circumstances. What was Armenia when he referred to it?
Ancient Armenia was massive compared to the current state. In the time of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) it was partitioned as two provinces of the Byzantine and Persian Empires. Examine these maps:
Byzantine Armenia
Persian Armenia even includes parts of modern Azerbaijan!
All that is potential Armenia of the Ḥadīth which does not specify where exactly the “torment” is. Those borders do not only encompass modern Armenia, but parts of Turkey and even Azerbaijān as well! Modern Armenia covers such a small part of the ancient borders, it is statistically more likely that the “torment” is NOT in modern Armenia at all, but Allāh knows best. It is not for me to impute words and meaning into the mouth of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) like others do.
May Allāh guide us to moderation and caution in our religion and protect all from all forms of tribulations.
سليمان الكندي
@KindiSulayman [Twitter has without explanation suspended my account @sulayman_Kindi]
Literally, ʿImrān who was dedicated in a vow to Ḥusayn, a product of the University of Karāchī, is the ultimate example in our time of the harms which end times hysteria can inflict upon the Muslims, in faith and deed. Allāh knows best if he started off as a sincere specialist in the field, but the practical ramifications are that he now intentionally bends every possible narration and event to match an agenda which is no longer in the interests of Islām in general, let alone the ʿAhlus Sunnah.
His hysteria on end times (or “eschatology” as he loves saying, to apparently show his western academic credentials), has led him to setting up Russia as an idol and to support for those who curse and abuse ʿAbū Bakr and ʿĀʿishah (may Allāh be pleased with them). These two articles of his faith dictate his every view and decision even, or perhaps especially, when it contradicts the entire community of Muslims. Thus he gleefully approved the Srebrenica massacre of the Muslims in Bosnia, simply because the Serbs are allies of his idol, Russia.
His interpretive methodology (or hermeneutics to use his western lingo) is akin to the heresies of the Bāṭinīyah or ʾIsmāʿilīyah rather than the ʾAhlus Sunnah. A simple example happens to be from one of my first articles. I had written to alert the Muslims against the deception of some Shīʿah boys who presented him as a “Sunnī scholar” and quoted him in their deceptive “documentary”, “The Arrivals”. He may present himself as Sunnī, but his beliefs are closer to those boys than to ours. I reproduce the relevant part below:
Brazen distortion of Qurān and Ḥadīth
Our interpretation of Qurān and Ḥadīth is what Allāh and His Rasūl ﷺ taught us, via the chain of the Ṣaḥābah, Mufassirūn and Muḥaddithūn. Aḥādīth warning against personal interpretations are well known. Perhaps the most detailed Ḥadīth describing ad-Dajjāl is narrated by an-Nawwās bin Sam‘ān in al-Imām Muslim’s Ṣaḥīḥ, Chapter on the Mention of ad-Dajjāl. It is quite lengthy, but based on the print version where it covers 16 lines; the producers conveniently only quote a half-a-line to suit their purpose. Due to the length I only mention the relevant parts below:
عن النواس ابن سمعان ......انه خارج خلة بین الشام و العراق....قلنا یا رسول اﷲ و لبثه فى الأرض قال أربعون یوما یوم كسنة و یوم كشهر و یوم كجمعة و سائر أیامه كأیامكمقلنا یا رسول اﷲ فذلك الذى كسنة أ تكفینا فیه صلاة یوم قال لا اقدروا له قدره
An-Nawwās bin Sam‘ān narrated.... [Rasūlullāh ﷺ said that ad-Dajjāl] will emerge on the road between ‘Irāq and Syria....We asked, “O Rasūlullāh,” How long will he stay on earth?” He replied, “Forty days. A day like a year, and a day like a month, and a day like a week, and the rest of his days will be like your days.”“O Rasūlullāh,” we asked, “That which is like a year, will the Ṣalāh of a day suffice us in it? ’“No,” he replied, “Calculate for it according to its extent.”
The producers make the following claims:
ØAd-Dajjāl has already emerged.
ØThe first day represents his rule in England, starting in 900 of the Christian era.
ØThe English monarchy started in 900.
ØThe second day represents his rule in America, starting in 1917.
ØThe third day represents his rule in Palestine, starting in 2001.
The unbiased will realise:
ØEngland and “between Iraq and Syria” cannot be the same.
ØThe continuous monarchy of England is dated from the reign of Egbert in 829. Is Arrivals deliberately lying to get their date of 900?
ØThe question of Ṣalāh, clearly shows that the Ṣaḥābah understood the prophecy to mean that a normal 24 hour day will be extended to a year.
ØThis is in line with the clear, uncomplicated Dīn which Rasūlullāh ﷺ brought us.
ØThe esoteric UK-US theory seems more in line with Masonic thinking. Let the unbiased ask, “Has there been a single day since 900, when the day had to be shortened to 24 hours and divided into 5 for Ṣalāh purposes?” Obviously this has never happened in the general world, except for the poles, which is a permanent feature.
If we accept the producers’ theory, we must accept one of two possibilities: Rasūlullāh ﷺ did not know the real meaning of his prophecy, but the producer did! The stupidity of such a belief is self-evident. Rasūlullāh ﷺ knew the real “sophisticated” meaning but chose to toy with the Ṣaḥābah when they made their “simple” interpretation. Allāh save us from having either of these filthy thoughts against Rasūlullāh ﷺ. We must however ask, “The producers omitted the question of Ṣalāh which tears down their argument. Was this an oversight, coincidence or something more sinister?”
Mr Hosein made a slight response to me on his website. He initially mentioned me by name, but later edited me to “Br XYZ”.
سليمان الكندي
@KindiSulayman
[Twitter has without explanation suspended my account @sulayman_Kindi]
عن أَنسٍ رضي الله عنه: أَنَّ أَعرابيًّا قَالَ لرسول اللَّه ﷺ: مَتَى السَّاعَةُ؟ قَالَ رسولُ اللَّه ﷺ: مَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا؟ قَالَ: حُبُّ اللّهِ ورسولِهِ، قَالَ: أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ. متفقٌ عَلَيهِ، وهذا لفظ مسلمٍ.
ʾAnas (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated:
A Bedouin asked Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ), “When will the Hour [end of the world] be?” Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) responded, “What have you prepared for it?” He said, “Love for Allāh and His Messenger.” Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) thereupon remarked, “You will be with whom you love.” [Muslim].
Amongst the miracles of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) is that his concise words are diamonds of wisdom with myriad facets. Thus the above narration may enlighten some on seeking knowledge. Others may be struck on the importance of love and faith. Students of Arabic will see this narration as a perfect example of the rhetorical device ʾuslūb ʾal-ḥakīm. [Here I refer to competent students, unlike those students of mine who read both a tanwīn and lām ʾat-Taʿrīf on the same noun].
Strangely enough, few note the overarching message. The primary purpose of knowledge of the Hour is preparation for meeting Allāh. It is not to obsess over events beyond our control and knowledge, and in the case of most mankind, events which most of us will not even experience.
Ḥadīth Scholars
Are these narrations then of no consequence? Allāh forbid that such disrespect should ever be thought, let alone expressed to any utterance of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ). Narrations on the end times are valuable. They prove the truth of the station of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) when they do transpire. They alert us to the transitory nature of this ethereal realm and that we are travellers to a permanent abode. They remind us that much a life may be difficult, the people who will experience the end times will undergo the worst tribulations ever. A person who bears some of these facts in mind will lead a more productive life in those fields where it really counts.
The compilers of the sacred prophetic words certainly paid attention to these narrations and they certainly understood what I wrote above with far greater scholarly ability and spiritual insight. Yet show me which of these scholars made it a focus and obsession as so many do today. Did ʾal-ʾImām Muslim commence his compilation with this topic? Did it take precedence over the basics of faith, prayer, purity etc? How much did ʾAbū Dāwūd devote to the topic as a percentage of his work?
Are you aware that much of what circulates on this topic amongst the masses are from sources, such as ʾAbū Nuʾaym, whose works, to put it respectfully, is not of the same standard as senior ʾAʾimmah of Ḥadīth? What we authentically know is much less than that which will titillate the cyber generation who are in need of constant entertainment, and perhaps it is not exciting enough for them.
Moderation and Extremism
I do not tire of mentioning that Allāh says:
وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطا
“And thus have We made you a moderate nation…” [ʾal-Baqarah: 143]
For I believe that almost every problem we face as a community stems from diverging from the moderation of the Sunnah and leaning to one extreme (ghulūw) or the other.
Extremism includes obsession over the end times and placing it outside of its proper perspective. Incidentally the tafsīr of ẓulm, which is popularly translated as oppression, is in fact to place something out of its proper place. The end time extremists are thus ẓālimūn infected with a deadly disease.
I do not cite this extremism as a theoretic problem which irks me. History testifies to the practical insane and bloody consequences of this disease. The least harm of this disease is an obsession to examine every matter in the light of end times, even if it means bending scripture to fit your interpretation. The ultimate harm is that there are those who have actually left Islām because of this.
One of the lesser harms of this disease is the misunderstanding, even if innocently perpetuated, that anything prophesied in end times narrations is an evil. If this distortion of our religion were the only negative of this phenomenon it would be sufficient to regard it as a problem.
Moreover, this disease is such that it infects sincere learned Muslims, as well as people of perhaps every other faith. For example, there was the Turkish Jew, Sabbatai Tzvi, whose extremism on the topic made the rabbis expel him and his followers in 1651. Amongst the reasons King Charles I lost his head (literally) in 1649 was the belief amongst sectors of the English, that it was the end times, and that Jesus should now reign as King Jesus. The examples of end times obsession making people extreme in belief and violent in action are numerous and are to be found amongst Muslims and others. Use Google to find more examples. If I know how to use it, then I am sure that you can too.
Amongst Muslims
The impending arrival of the Islāmic year 1000 spiked unnatural obsession with end times ultimately leading many Muslims into heresy. The Ẓikrī sect of Baluchistān accepted Mullā Muḥammad as a new prophet in 977.
Bā Yazīd ʾAnṣārī of Afghānistān started the Roshanīyah sect in 971. He proclaimed himself the Mahdī and discarded Islāmic laws on purity and prayer.
The Mahdawī sect overran south India and Gujerat and famously martyred the great scholar, Muḥammad Ṭāhir of Pattan in 986 (author of Majmaʿ Bihār ʾal-ʾAnwār)
Ultimately the obsession with the year 1000 was sufficient for deviants to convince the Moghul Emperor that Islām had expired, and he made this official imperial policy. I shall not cede him the courtesy of mentioning his name, you may research it at your leisure. I however feel obligated to highlight that these deviants were not uneducated laymen, but agenda driven scholars of extreme proficiency.
In terms of the media and languages at my disposal, it appears that four centuries later there remains an above average end times “concern” in these regions. (Allāh knows best if end times hysteria more severely grips the Muslims in a village in Liechtenstein or perhaps South-West Mongolia). This “concern” manifests via perennial statements from regional scholars categorically linking specific narrations to current events. Thus the Ḥadīth on crawling over snow was positively associated to a specific commander of the Ṭālibān. I do not have a problem with offering educated opinions. I too offer opinions. I most certainly have a problem with using the sacred words of Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) as a tool for an agenda, instead of us being his willing tools. I have an even greater problem when the translation and interpretation are tweaked to service an agenda. Often, such acts are at the hands of scholars, not laymen, as was the case at the Moghul court.
The tragic bloodshed which occurred at the Kaʾbah a short four decades ago in 1400 was directly due to end times obsession, although additional factors cannot be denied. It should be noted that the proclaimed Mahdī in this case, Muḥammad ʾal-Qaḥtānī, was a legitimate scholar, not a heretic of the magnitude of the previous examples. Yet end times obsession led such a person, who died as a Muslim as far as we know, to actions leading to bloodshed at the Kaʿbah.
Two decades later, a scholar from Johannesburg, South Africa, became noted for his end times obsession. Although a Ḥanafī Sunnī, his actions and statements are indictive of the harms this infection can wreck on mind and soul.
He categorically declared that the Ḥajj of 2003 CE would be a bloodbath. Many were discouraged from performing their sacred duty because of him.
Similarly the Mahḍī was supposed to appear in 2004 CE. Scholars who adhere to authentic narrations and do not twist scripture to sort their interpretation do not utter such foolish proclamations.
Amongst his public statements announcing the Mahdī is, “Allāh has secrets? No the Vatican has secrets. If Islām has secrets then I do not want to be a Muslim.”
If you need further proof of how this disease can turn even the sincere, pious and learned into mentally unhinged blatherers, he said, “Let’s say the Mahdī comes and I invite him home. I offer him custard. The Mahdī like any normal human being will eat the custard with a spoon. There are those who will reject this as against the Sunnah, and I have seen such people insist on eating custard with their fingers. They will thus reject the Mahdī, and thus lose their faith.”
سليمان الكندي
@KindiSulayman
[Twitter has without explanation suspended my account @sulayman_Kindi]
The Pulpit Ṣalāḥuddīn brought with and installed upon liberating Jerusalem. Destroyed in 1969 fire attack.
When it was announced that Jumuʿah would be held in the Ayasofya for the first time after 86 years, the parallel with ʾal-ʾAqṣā struck me. The Crusaders took Baytul Muqaddas on 15 July 1099 and Ṣalāḥuddīn liberated the city on 2 October 1187. For a similar period of 88 years no Jumuʿah was conducted.
I must have been a teenager when I read that someone had recorded the first sermon delivered after the liberation. I could not find it in the English books I searched. I became a student of the Islāmic sciences and could now search Arabic books, but to no avail. It was perhaps after a decade since my quest began, that I finally found my treasure. May Allāh reward ʾIbn Khalliqān!
The parallel with Ayasofya made me think that I should perhaps translate the sermon and share it. Why should others have to repeat my quest? It may seem contradictory, that when I examine what knowledge I do have, I know it to be less than a drop, but when I examine what can be shared, only a tiny pebble from a mountain has been shared. How wonderful if some reader of this translation will also listen to the first sermon in ʾal-ʾAqṣā after its liberation from the Zionists. He remembers what he read and offers a word to Allāh to overlook my shortcomings. That may be enough for my salvation.
Notes:
I have never spoken or written in any form about Ayasofya and cannot claim any share of the reward for those who strove to purify the masjid from its Kemalist chains. I salute them but declare my disdain for those who suddenly hype on social media as if this were their lifelong dream which they campaigned for since childhood, and for which every Muslim prayed after every Ṣalāh. Most non-Turkish Muslims were probably not even aware of the existence of this masjid a few weeks ago. Exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts are inappropriate for Muslims. May Allāh grant us sincerity.
I have intentionally omitted explanatory notes in my translation in regards obscure references to Islāmic history and geography. A people who know every detail of their favourite sports, movie or music idol can make the time to study their religion and allied sciences.
I have intentionally translated Biblical names and not kept them in Arabic. You may read my reason here.
The translated text is that of three people as follows:
The bulk is the actual translated sermon of the Qāḍī, Muḥammad bin Zakī ʾal-ʾUmawī, known as Muḥyī ʾad-Dīn. I have formatted his words with quotation marks to separate it from the rest. Ibn Zakī (550-598 Hijrī) was a direct descendant of ʿUthmān bin ʿAffān (may Allāh be pleased with him), a Shāfiʿī jurist and Qāḍī of Damascus. An accomplished jurist, poet and orator, Ṣalāhuddīn greatly respected him.
The historian, ʾIbn Khalliqān (1211-1282) who records the sermon, and offers certain statements, before, during and after the text of the sermon. He was a Shafiʿī jurist, Qāḍī of Damascus, and author of the celebrated Wafayātul ʾAʿyān in which he recorded this sermon. His words are in Bold.
Limited translator’s notes in square brackets.
سليمان الكندي Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi
ʿIbn Khalliqān narrates:
When the Sulṭān [Ṣalāḥuddīn] conquered ʾal-Quds ʾash-Sharīf, the learned ones who were present in his service stretched their necks [wished to] deliver the Friday sermon. Each prepared a most eloquent sermon, with the hope that he would be appointed for the task. An edict was sent to ʾal-Qāḍī Muḥyī ʾad-Dīn instructing him to deliver the sermon. The Sulṭān and the prominent personalities of the realm gathered for the first Jumuʿah to be prayed since the conquest.
ʾIbn Zakī mounted the pulpit and commenced with Sūrah ʾal-Fātiḥah in its entirety. He then recited:
And say: All praise be to Allāh Who never made a son, nor has He a partner in sovereignty, nor a protector due to weakness. So declare His greatness with all glory. [ʾal-ʾIsrāʿ: 111]
All praise be to Allāh Who revealed the Book upon His Slave and made no crookedness in it. It is straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him, and to bring glad tidings unto the believers who do good deeds that for them will be a good reward. Wherein they will abide forever. [ʾal-Kahf: 1-3]
All praise be to Allāh to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. All praise belongs to Him in the hereafter. He is Most Wise, All-Informed. [Sabaʾ: 1]
All praise be to Allāh, the Originator of the heavens and earth, maker of angels as messengers with two, three and four [sets of] wings. He increases in creation what He wills. Verily Allāh has power over everything.
[ʾal-Fāṭir: 1]
He thus intended gathering from the Noble Qurʾān the praises of Allāh. He then commenced the sermon as follows.
All praise be to Allāh, the Grantor of honour to Islām through His help, the Inflictor of disgrace upon the attribution of partners through His overwhelming power; the Changer of affairs by His command, the Lengthener of bounties when He is thanked, the Lengthener of respite to the ungrateful disbelievers, through His design.
It is He who measured days in turns for domination by His justice but made the final outcome for those who fear Him through His grace. He showered His booty upon His slaves from His Shade and made His religion triumph over every other religion. He is overpowering over all His slaves and cannot be blocked. He is manifestly apparent over all His creation and His attributes cannot be expunged. He commands as He wills, and none can appeal against that. He decrees as he intends, and none can repel that.
I praise him for the conquest and victory He has bestowed, for honouring His friends and helping His helpers, for purifying His Holy House from the attribution of partners and its filth and pollution, such a praise which is perceived to the inner mystery and outer manifestation.
I testify that there is no god but Allāh alone. The One! He who is independent, but all depend on. He Who does not beget nor is begotten, and there is none similar to Him. A testimony of one who purifies his heart with monotheism and is pleased with Him as Cherishing-Lord.
I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and Messenger, the remover of doubt, he who silenced polytheism, who washed away false accusation, who was taken on the night journey from ʾal-Masjid ʾal-Ḥarām to ʾal-Masjid ʾal-ʾAqṣā. From there he was raised to the highest heavens, to the Furthest Lote Tree, there is the garden of rest, his sight did not swerve nor overstep. Allāh’s salutations be upon him and his successor, ʾAbū Bakr the Truthful who was the foremost in hastening to faith, and upon the Commander of the Believers, ʿUmar son of ʾal-Khaṭṭāb, who was the first to remove the symbols of the Cross from this House, and upon the Commander of the Believers, ʿUthmān son of ʿAffān, the possessor of the two lights, the gatherer of the Qurʾān, and upon the Commander of the Believers, ʿAlī son of ʾAbū Ṭālib, the shaker of polytheism, the smasher of idols, and upon his family, his Companions and those who follow them in good.
O people! Rejoice at the tidings of Allāh’s pleasure, which is the ultimate goal and most elevated station. For indeed Allāh had eased through your hands the return of this lost she-camel from the clutches of a lost people. He returned her to her proper home in Islām after the polytheists had been abusing her for almost a hundred years. He purified this House which he had commanded be raised and that His Name be remembered therein. He removed polytheism from its pathways when the tent of polytheism had been pitched over it and its rituals entrenched. He had raised its foundation upon His Oneness and built upon that a building for His Glorification. Its foundation is awareness of Allāh, from behind, from in front.
This is the land of residence of your forefather Abraham and the place from where your Prophet Muḥammad ascended, salutations and peace be upon him. This is the direction you prayed towards during the early days of Islām. It is here that Prophets stayed, and saints headed towards. Here Messengers were buried, and revelation descended. Commands and prohibitions were revealed here. This is the land of the gathering and this is the plain of resurrection. This is the sacred land which Allāh mentions in His Clear Book. This is the Furthest Masjid in which Allāh’s Messenger led the archangels in prayer, Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him. This is the land to which Allāh sent His Slave and Messenger and Word which He cast in Mary – His spirit, Jesus, whom He honoured with His Message and ennobled with Prophethood, but never moved him from his station of Slavery. The Most High says:
Allāh has not taken any son nor is there any god with Him. For then each god would have taken what he created and some of them overcoming others. Pure is Allāh from they describe! [ʾal-Muʾminūn: 91]
Indeed those who said, “God is Jesus son of Mary” have disbelieved…
[FROM VERSE 17] UNTIL THE END OF SŪRAH ʾAL-MĀʾIDAH!
This is the first direction of prayer, the second masjid [built on earth], and the third sacred sanctuary. After the two Masjid, no [set religious] journey is permitted, except to this masjid. After the two lands, no other is honoured above others, except for this land.
If you were not amongst those slaves of Allāh whom he had selected, and chosen from amongst the inhabitants of His lands, He would not have specified you for this virtue which others cannot approach, and this honour which others cannot divest you from.
Congratulation to you for being part of that army upon whose hands the miracles of the Prophet was manifested, battles like Badr, resolve like that of ʾAbū Bakr the Truthful, conquests like that of ʿUmar the Distinguisher, legions like that of ʿUthmān, eradication of the enemies like that of ʿAlī. You have renewed for Islām the days of Qādisīyah, the battles of Yarmūk, the sieges of Khaybar, the campaigns of Khālid.
May Allāh reward you, the best of rewards, on behalf of His Prophet Muḥammad, salutations and peace be upon him. May He appreciate the lifeblood which you sacrificed in battling the enemy. May He accept your efforts to draw closer to Him through the blood that you made flow. May He reward you with Paradise in which is the abode of the fortunate of ones.
May Allāh have mercy upon you, for you should value this bounty as per its right. Stand up for Allāh, for this bounty has an obligation of gratitude attached to it. In specifying you for this bounty, and nominating you for the office of this service, the Most High also places a debt upon you. For this is a conquest for which the gates of heaven have been flung open , and whose light glared upon the faces of the wrongdoers. The archangels rejoiced at it, and the eyes of the Prophets and Messengers found comfort in it.
So imagine the obligation upon you, that He has made you the army at whose hands He conquers the Holy House at the end of times, the army which after the period of Prophethood stands with its swords as the banners of the faith. It may be close that Allāh manifests similar conquests at your hands, and that the inhabitants of the heavens offer more congratulations than the inhabitants of the earth.
Is this not the House which Allāh mentioned in His Book, and explicitly recorded in His Categoric Speech? The Most High says:
“Pure is He Who took His slave by night on a nocturnal journey from ʾal-Masjid ʾal-Ḥarām to ʾal-Masjid ʾal-ʾAqṣā….”
[ʾal-ʾIsrāʾ: 1]
Is this not the House which all religious communities respect? Which the Messengers extolled? In which were recited all four books revealed from Allāh, Most Mighty and Majestic? Is this not the House for whose sake Allāh prevented the sun from setting on Joshua, and slowed its progression to ease his approach and conquer it? Is this not the House which Allāh, Most Mighty and Majestic, commanded Moses to command his people to investigate for, yet none liked it except two men? This angered Allāh and He cast them into Tīh as a punishment for their disobedience. So praise Allāh for implementing in you that resolve, for which the Children of Israel were punished, whereas they had been preferred above all nations. In addition, you have been guided to do that which those before you, the nations of the past, forsook.
For its sake He united your word, whereas you were disparate before. And he enriched you with that which before had been used to hurt His House. It should make you happy that Allāh mentioned you to those who are with Him; and whereas you were armies of different personal desires, He transformed you into His one army; and that the angels who descend are grateful to you for gifting the purity of monotheism back to this House and for spreading the words of Allāh’s holiness and magnificence, and grateful for your removing from its pathways the harms of polytheism and the Trinity, and sinful filthy beliefs. Now the angels of the heavens pray for your forgiveness and shower prayers of blessings upon you.
Allāh have mercy upon you. You are responsible for preserving this gift amongst you. Be on guard in regards this bounty amongst you, through the means of fearing Allāh, for he who does so will be safe. He who holds onto this handle is saved and protected. Beware of following your desire, and falling into destruction, and determined retreat, and refusal to face the enemy.
Seize the beautiful opportunity, remove what anger remains, strive in Allāh’s way as it should be strived.
O Slaves of Allāh! Sell your lives for His pleasure, for He has already made you amongst His best slaves. However, beware that Satan should not let you slip and enter beyond the bounds. He may make you imagine that this victory was through your sharp swords, and your excellent horses, and your fights on the battlefields. No! By Allāh! Victory is only from Allāh. Allāh is Most Mighty and Wise.
O Slaves of Allāh! You have been honoured with an august victory, an immense prize, selection for Allāh’s clear help, and your hands have been joined on His strong rope. Beware, should after all this, you get involved in any major prohibition of His and approach a considerable disobedience unto Him. For then you will be like she who unravelled her own thread into thin filaments which had been strong when she had spun it, and like him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.
Jihād! Striving in Allāh’s way is amongst your best forms of worship and noblest of your habits. Help [the religion of] Allāh, He will help you. Protect [the commands of] Allāh, he will protect you. Be grateful unto Allāh. He will increase for you and extend gratitude to you. Exert all out to fight the disease, and utterly eradicate the very roots of the enemy. Purify whatever remains polluted of the earth, such pollution which has angered Allāh and His Messenger! Cut every branch of disbelief and pull out every root. For the very days call out, “O for the vengeance of Islām! O for the followers of Muḥammad!”
Allāh is the greatest! Allāh has conquered and is victorious! Allāh has overpowered and dominates! Allāh has disgraced those who disbelieve. Know that this is an opportunity, so seize it; a hunted animal, so catch it; a booty, so take it; a task of importance, so bring forth your courage and face it. Despatch your expeditions and prepare for it. Affairs matter according to how they end. Earnings matter in what has been saved. For Allāh has granted you victory over a disgraceful enemy whose number equals yours or perhaps more. Yet it has now become that 20 of you face one [survivor] of them. Whereas Allāh says:
“…If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred [who are] steadfast, they will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved because they are a people who do not understand.”
[ʾal-ʾAnfāl: 65]
May Allāh assist us and you to obey His commands and restrain from what He restricted. O Muslims, may He grant us that help which is with Him.
If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him?
[ʾĀl ʿImrān: 160]
The noblest of words which can be said in any situation, the most penetrating arrow against the hardest of speech, the most effective quote which opens understanding, is the Speech of the One, the Singular, the Mighty, All-Knowing. Allāh the Most High says:
So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
[ʾal-ʾAʿrāf: 204]
I seek Allāh’s protection against the accursed Satan. In the Name of Allāh, Whose Being is Merciful and Who grants Mercy to the believers.
He then recited the beginning portion of Sūrah ʾal-Ḥashr, and then said…
I command you and myself with what Allāh commands, beautiful obedience, so obey him. I prohibit you and myself from what He prohibited, ugly disobedience, so not disobey Him. I seek forgiveness of Allāh the great, for myself and for you and for all Muslims, so you too seek His forgiveness.
He then recited the second sermon, which was concise as per the habit of the orators and prayed for ʾan-Nāṣir, who was the Khalīfah at that time. He then said…
O Allāh, preserve the kingdom of Your slave who is humble to You in fear, grateful for Your bounty, acknowledges Your gift, Your cutting sword, Your shining flame, ardent defender of Your religion, unpassable defender of Your sanctuary, the noblest chief, the helper king, the unifier of the strength of the faith, crusher of the Cross-Worshippers, righteous one of the world and religion, the Sulṭān of Islām and the Muslims, the purifier of the Holy House, ʾAbul Muzhaffar Yūsuf bin ʾAyyūb, revivor of the empire of the Commander of the Believers.
O Allāh, extend his empire far and wide. Let Your angels surround his flags. Grant him his reward on behalf of a religion which turns away from all but You. Extend gratitude to him on behalf of the Muḥammadan people for his resolve and its implementation.
O Allāh, for the sake of Islām, let his soul remain; for the sake of the faith, let his territories be protected. Spread his call throughout the east and west of the earth.
O Allāh, just as You conquered the Jerusalem through his hands, after doubts afflicted the people and tribulations tested the believers, conquer at his hands the near lands and the distant. Grant him mastery and control over the fortresses of disbelief. Let no squadron of theirs encounter him except that he shreds them apart, and no group except that he splits them. Should they send army after army, let each meet the fate of the previous.
O Allāh, on behalf of Muḥammad, salutations and peace be upon him, extend thanks to him for his efforts. Implement his commands and prohibitions in the east and west. O Allāh, use him to rectify the conditions of the central lands and the peripheries, through the countries and their borders.
O Allāh, disgrace the noses of the disbelievers through him, and frustrate the sinners. Spread the ascendancy of his kingdom over the cities. O Allāh, keep the kingship firmly in him and his descendants until the Day of Reckoning. Protect him through his sons and the sons of his father, the fortunate princes, and strengthen him by maintaining them. Grant honour to his allies and their allies.
O Allāh, just as you manifested through his hand this good in Islām, which will last for days and remain as months and years pass, grant him an eternal kingdom which will never end in the Abode of Certainty. Accept his supplication when he says:
“O my Cherishing-Lord, enable me to be grateful for the bounty which You blessed me and my parents with, and enable me to perform that which is righteous and which You are please with. Enter me through Your mercy amongst Your pious slaves.”
Many people eat pumpkin out of love for Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). This is based on the Sunnah established from Ḥadīth, such as the following narrated by ʾal-ʾImāmʾal-Bukhārī:
أنس بن مالك يقول إن خياطا دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لطعام صنعه قال أنس فذهبت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فرأيته يتتبع الدباء من حوالي القصعة قال فلم أزل أحب الدباء من يومئذ
ʾAnas said, “A tailor invited Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم for a meal which he had cooked. So I went with Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and saw him plucking the dubbāʾ from around the edges of the platter. So I always loved dubbāʾ since that day.” [Chapter of plucking from the edges of a platter if your companion does not dislike it].
Reliable contemporary dictionaries, such as Almaany, suggest both “pumpkin” and “gourd” as English translations for dubbāʾ. Both are scientifically fruits (having seeds). They are botanically related, both are under the classification of Cucurbita, yet they are obviously distinct fruits. In seeking to be as close to the Sunnah as possible, which of the two would be the better translation?
In their commentaries on the above narration, giants of the science of Ḥadīth, such as ʾIbn Ḥajar and ʾān-Nawawī (Allāh’s mercy be upon them both), discuss issues of etiquette, Sunnah, the correct pronunciation of dabbāʾ yet contrary to their usual attention to detail, neither ʾImām makes an effort to clarify which fruit is applicable to the Ḥadīth. This is not surprising when one considers that in that time and place only one of the two fruits existed. There was no need to clarify between a known fruit and one which the Arabs heard never seen to that point.
The Tree of Yūnus (peace be upon him)
Before turning to the historical evidence, we do have access to a detailed description in the Islāmic sources, which provide further clarity. In his commentary, ʾIbn Ḥajar narrates from Nasāʿī that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “It is the tree of my brother, Yūnus.”
The Qurʾān uses the synonym yaqṭīn in ʾāṣ-Ṣāfāt:146, “And We made a Yaqṭīn tree grow over him [Prophet Yūnus peace be upon him].”
ʾIbn Kathīr describes the tree as follows in his commentary:
“It grows quickly. It gives shade due to its large leaves and that it rises. Flies tend to stay away from it. Its fruit is excellent nutrition wise. It is eaten raw and cooked, the flesh and shell is also edible. It is an established fact that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) loved dubbāʾ and plucked it from the edges of the platter.”
From this description is would be clear that the tree which “rises" and is shady, must be bottle gourd (calabash/ Lagenaria siceraria) which grows as a vine, not pumpkin which grows on the ground and does not give shade.
In regards the shell, calabash is not normally edible, but can be eaten when the fruit is still young.
Historical Origins
Calabash originated in Africa and reached Asia thousands of years ago. It would not have been an alien to the Arabs, as opposed to pumpkin which originated in Central America and was only recorded by the “Old World” in 1584, a millennium after Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. It would therefore seem more likely that he ate bottle gourd and not pumpkin.
May Allāh guide us to the Sunnah, in its love, knowledge and implementation. سليمان الكندي @sulayman_kindi
I love these gems I came across, because so many practices are culture specific. Which are good in themselves, unless imposed upon other cultures. These are however applicable to all Muslims:
Sit in a state of Wuḍūʾ, facing the Qiblah. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/37]
Place the Qurʾān manuscript (Muṣḥaf) on a pillow or high place. [Fatḥul Karīm ʾal-Mannān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān: 1/4]
Recite Taʿawwuẓ before reciting. [ʾan-Naḥl: 98]
Recite slowly, with Tajwīd. [ʾal-Muzzammil: 4]
If some need arises, close the Muṣḥaf before going to attend to the need. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/58]
Upon returning from that need, recite Taʿawwuẓ again before recitation of the Qurʾān. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/58]
If there are others engaged in their own work who are present, then recite softly. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/58]
If the people turn in attention to your recitation, then recite aloud. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/58]
Ponder over the meaning during your recitation. [Ṣād: 29]
Let your heart be aware of the lofty status of the Qurʾān. [ʾat-Tibyān fī ʾĀdāb Ḥamalatil Qurʾān lin Nawawī: 1/97]
In regards point 7.
Imam Nawawi did not live in an age when Quraan was played on CDs, radio etc as something in the background. What would he comment on this common disrespect? Allah says:
"When the Quraan is recited, then listen with attention to it and be silent that mercy may be shown to you." [al-A'raaf: 204]
Secondly, verses of prostration in particular should be recited softly, as some (the Hanafi school for example) hold that the prostration is compulsory. The one who hears might not be aware of the ruling, or that that particular verse requires a prostration, or might not be a state that he can prostrate and you have inconvenienced him.
May Allah grant us His closeness through His Word.
حدثنا عبد الله بن يوسف حدثنا الليث قال حدثني سعيد بن أبي سعيد أنه سمع أبا هريرة رضي الله عنه قال بعث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم خيلا قبل نجد فجاءت برجل من بني حنيفة يقال له ثمامة بن أثال فربطوه بسارية من سواري المسجد فخرج إليه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال ما عندك يا ثمامة فقال عندي خير يا محمد إن تقتلني تقتل ذا دم وإن تنعم تنعم على شاكر وإن كنت تريد المال فسل منه ما شئت فترك حتى كان الغد ثم قال له ما عندك يا ثمامة قال ما قلت لك إن تنعم تنعم على شاكر فتركه حتى كان بعد الغد فقال ما عندك يا ثمامة فقال عندي ما قلت لك فقال أطلقوا ثمامة فانطلق إلى نخل قريب من المسجد فاغتسل ثم دخل المسجد فقال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله يا محمد والله ما كان على الأرض وجه أبغض إلي من وجهك فقد أصبح وجهك أحب الوجوه إلي والله ما كان من دين أبغض إلي من دينك فأصبح دينك أحب الدين إلي والله ما كان من بلد أبغض إلي من بلدك فأصبح بلدك أحب البلاد إلي وإن خيلك أخذتني وأنا أريد العمرة فماذا ترى فبشره رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأمره أن يعتمر فلما قدم مكة قال له قائل صبوت قال لا ولكن أسلمت مع محمد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا والله لا يأتيكم من اليمامة حبة حنطة حتى يأذن فيها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
زاد ابن هشام " ثم خرج إلى اليمامة فمنعهم أن يحملوا إلى مكة شيئا ، فكتبوا إلى النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : إنك تأمر بصلة الرحم ، فكتب إلى ثمامة أن يخلي بينهم وبين الحمل إليهم "
Amongst the many indignations Muslim cyber warriors are expressing, is the horror at Erdogan for supplying medical aid to both the Palestinians and the Zionist entity. I have not read any details, and do not care to. I am not required to read every news item on the net. There may even be some detail which justifies the indignation, which I am not aware of. However, the language used makes it clear that the very act of the humanitarian gesture is the cause for upset. This concerns me for once we lose our bearings and guidance from the humane ways of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ, we have already lost a battle in the war, for the enemy has made us less Muslim than what we are supposed to be.
I strongly advise every Muslim to be acquainted with the biography Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ. It will increase your love for him. It will not qualify you to pronounce a decree on every single issue you feel entitled to comment on, but at the very least it will shape your outlook in a manner pleasing to Allāh. There is no excuse in this era for any literate person to know more about Hollywood and sports stars than what they know about Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ .
In the interim I present you with a Ḥadīth, which Imāms Muslim and ʾal-Bukhārī have authenticated. I do not present this as categoric support for Erdogan’s actions, but as a general balance against what I see as the unnecessary and ignorant harshness of sectors of Muslims.
First a Comment on Turkish Generosity
After all these years I have still not decided what to think about Erdogan. Is he the greatest Muslim leader of the century with some serious flaws, doing the best he can, or the greatest deceiver we currently face? Allāh knows best.
What I do know is that history testifies to the Turkish people as being generous, hospitable to fellow Muslims and chivalrous to non-Muslims. I do not doubt that some of this must flow in Erdogan’s veins, for such qualities were found in the worst amongst Turks.
Sulṭān ʿAbdul Majīd I destroyed the reality of the Islamic Ottoman system and as much as Ottoman romanticists will howl at me, ʾAbdul Majīd was the seminal seculariser of Turkey almost a century before the Republic. Yet we must admit to his Turkish manners. When the English were starving the Catholic Irish, he went out of his way to show his humanitarianism to people far away who were not Muslims. You can read more about this HERE.
Perhaps the worse being ever to be called a Turk, “Kemal” something-or-the-other, was reported to be chivalrous enough to write a letter of condolence to the mothers of Allied troops who had died at Gallipoli. Historians dispute the attribution, but the fact that the myth was believed for long could only be believed by a world which had experienced examples of such Turkish chivalry in fact.
Context of the Ḥadīth
Some facts need to be understood in the context of the Ḥadith:
Thumāmah رضي الله عنه was the chief of Banū Ḥanīfah in Yamāmah and a vicious enemy of Islām.
The Quraysh were experiencing severe famine.
They were desperately dependent upon wheat imported from Yamāmah, without which they would be destroyed.
The Ḥadīth of Thumāmah bin ʾUthāl رضي الله عنه
The Prophet ﷺ sent cavalry to Najd. They returned with a man [captured] from Banū Ḥanīfah named ʾThumāmah bin ʾUthāl. They tied him to a pillar amongst the pillars of the Masjid. The Prophet ﷺ came to him and asked, “What do you have, O Thumāmah?”
“I have much wealth, O Muḥammad,” he replied, “If you slay me you slay one whose blood [will be avenged], if you are kind to me, you will be kind to one who is grateful. If you want wealth, then ask of him what you will.”
He was left till the next day. [Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ] then asked, “What do you have, O Thumāmah?”
“Exactly what I told you before,” he replied, “If you are kind to me you will be kind to one who is grateful.”
He was again left for the next day. [Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ] then asked, “What do you have, O Thumāmah?”
He then went to palms near the Masjid, bathed and then re-entered the Masjid, declaring, “I testify that there is no god besides Allāh, and I testify that Muḥammad is Allāh Messenger. O Muḥammad! By Allāh, there used to be no face on earth more despicable to me than your face. Now your face has become the most beloved of all faces unto me. By Allāh, there used to be no religion on earth more despicable to me than your religion. Now your religion has become the most beloved of all religions unto me. By Allāh, there used to be no city on earth more despicable to me than your city. Now your city has become the most beloved of all cities unto me. When your cavalry captured me, I was on my way to perform ʿUmrah, so what is your view on the matter?”
Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ gave him glad tidings and commanded him to proceed with his pilgrimage. When he reached Makkah, someone said, “O you apostate!”
“No,” he replied, “I have submitted with Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allāh, Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon him. By Allāh, never and again I say never will a grain of wheat reach you from Yamāmah, until the Prophet ﷺ permits it.
[End of Ḥadīth]
Ibn Ḥajar in his commentary on ʾal-Bukhārī, Fatḥul Bārī, quotes Ibn Hishām that Thumāmah رضي الله عنه cut off all exports to Makkah when he returned to Yamāmah. The Quraysh wrote to complain to Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ. He commanded Thumāmah رضي الله عنه to lift the embargo.
Situations need to be judged on an individual basis. Leaders may make decisions which are right or wrong, which we agree with or dislike. Whatever the situation, the biography of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ is a guiding light. If the specifics do not fit a particular situation, then at the very least the guiding principles should always be kept in mind.
فقال ما عندك يا ثمامة فقال عندي ما قلت لك فقال أطلقوا ثمامة فانطلق إلى نخل قريب من المسجد فاغتسل ثم دخل المسجد فقال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا رسول الله يا محمد والله ما كان على الأرض وجه أبغض إلي من وجهك فقد أصبح وجهك أحب الوجوه إلي والله ما كان من دين أبغض إلي من دينك فأصبح دينك أحب الدين إلي والله ما كان من بلد أبغض إلي من بلدك فأصبح بلدك أحب البلاد إلي وإن خيلك أخذتني وأنا أريد العمرة فماذا ترى فبشره رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأمره أن يعتمر فلما قدم مكة قال له قائل صبوت قال لا ولكن أسلمت مع محمد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا والله لا يأتيكم من اليمامة حبة حنطة حتى يأذن فيها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم