Did Hadith inspire Benjamin Franklin?

I once send an American correspondent a Ḥadīth (sayings of Muḥammad Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه و سلم – 570-632). He countered with a quote from the American statesman, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). I later read a booklet of Mr Franklin’s quotes. I was indeed impressed with his wit, but the more I read, the more the resemblance with Ḥadīth struck me. Ḥadīth of course, were uttered 11 centuries before Mr Franklin. Were they the inspiration for his wise words or is it just a coincidence? I do not know, but I thought it an interesting exercise to compile some of his sayings alongside Ḥadīth of similar import.  

Benjamin Franklin	Arabic Hadith	Translation	Reference
Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.	عليك بطول الصمت فإنه مطردة للشيطان	Maintain lengthy silence, for that repels the Devil.	Aḥmad from Abū Ẓarr رضى الله عنه]
He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees.	من صمت نجا	One who keeps silent is saved.	at-Tirmiẓī from ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Amr رضى الله عنهما
Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody.	من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ، فليقل خيرا أو ليصمت ، ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ، فليكرم جاره ، ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر ، فليكرم ضيفه	One who believes in Allāh and the Last Day should only speak good or remain silent. One who believes in Allāh and the Last Day should honour his neighbour. One who believes in Allāh and the Last Day should honour his guest.	Muslim from Abū Hurayrah رضى الله عنه
Lost time is never found again.	نعمتان مغبون فيهما كثيرٌ من الناس: الصحة والفراغ	Many people are in deception regarding two bounties – health and free time.	al-Ḥākim from Ibn ‘Abbās رضى الله عنهما
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.	استفت قلبك	Seek the ruling of your heart	Aḥmad from Wābiṣah bin Ma‘bad رضى الله عنه
It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.	مَا أَكَلَ أَحَدٌ طَعَامًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ	No one has eaten better food that what he eats from the labour of his hand.	al-Bukhārī from al-Miqdām رضى الله عنه
Honesty is the best policy.	عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ، فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ	Cling to honesty for honesty guides to goodness.	al-Bukhārī from Ibn Mas‘ūd رضى الله عنه
Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.	الكيس من دان نفسه وعمل لما بعد الموت والعاجز من اتبع نفسه هواها وتنمى على الله الأماني	Intelligent is he who accounts for himself and acts who what will come after death. Helpless is he who lets himself follow his passion and yet entertains false hope in Allāh.	aṭ-Ṭabrānī from Shaddād bin Aws رضى الله عنه
Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.	إنما الغنى غنى القلب ، والفقر فقر القلب	True wealth is contentment of the heart. True poverty is dearth of the heart.	an-Nasāi from Abū Ẓarr رضى الله عنه
Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.	لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق	There is no obedience to creation in disobedience to the Creator.	Aḥmad
If you would be loved, love, and be loveable.	إن الله رفيق يحب الرفق ويعطي على الرفق ما لا يعطي على العنف, وما لا يعطي على ما سواه	Indeed Allāh is most gentle and loves gentleness. He gives upon gentleness what He does not give upon harshness, what He does not give upon what is not [gentle].	Muslim from ‘Āishah رضى الله عنها
Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste.	إن فيك خصلتين يحبهما الله: الحلم والأناة	There are two characteristics in you which Allāh loves – forbearance and deliberation.	Muslim from Ibn ‘Abbās رضى الله عنهما
When in doubt, don't.	دع ما يريبك ، إلى ما لا يريبك	Leave what puts you in doubt for that which does not put you in doubt.	at-Tirmiẓī al-Ḥasan bin ‘Alī رضى الله عنهما
A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.	*افلا يرون انا نأتى الأرض ننقصها من أطرافها أفهم الغلبون	Do they not see how We advance upon the land, reducing it from its outlying borders? Are they then going to be victorious? *Qurān, NOT Hadīth	al-Ambiyā: 44
Do good to your friends to keep them, to your enemies to win them.	صِلْ مَنْ قَطَعَكَ , وَأَعْطِ مَنْ حَرَمَك وَاعْفُ عَمَّنْ ظَلَمَكَ	Maintain ties with those who cut you off. Give from your revered possessions. Pardon those who wrong you.	Aḥmad from ‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir رضى الله عنه
Rather go to bed without dinner than to rise in debt.	من فارقت روحه جسده وهو بريء من ثلاث دخل الجنة: الغلول، والدين، والكبر	He whose soul departs from his body whilst he is free of three things will enter Paradise – cheating, debt and pride.	at-Tirmiẓī from Thawbān رضى الله عنه
No nation was ever ruined by trade.	تسعة أعشار الرزق في التجارة	Nine-tenths of sustenance lies in trade.	Ibn Abid Dunyā from Nu‘aym bin ‘Abdirraḥmān رضى الله عنه
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise	اللهم بارك لأمتي في بكورها	O Allāh! Bless my Ummah in its early morning.	Ibn Mājah from Ṣakhr al-Ghāmidī رضى الله عنه
Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.	استعينوا على إنجاح الحوائج بالكتمان فإن كل ذي نعمة محسود	Assist the fulfilling of your needs by keeping them secret, for everyone with a bounty is envied.	aṭ-Ṭabrānī from Mu‘āẓ bin Jabal  رضى الله عنه

 


سليمان الكندي

Spelling Inshāallāh – another “MAJOR” concern of the Ummah

I have been asked, both in cyber space and real life, why I’m not writing articles. Until such time as Allāh wills me to be up to speed, I thought I might as well reply to text and email queries via my blog. One such query is the spelling of inshāallah. The query is on the below message doing the rounds:

We should not write it as “InshaAllah” or “Inshallah” because it means “Create Allah” (Naoazobil lah) [Sic]. Whether arabic [Sic] or english [Sic]… please write it properly as “In shaa Allah” (In 3 separate words). This means “If Allah Wills” So make sure you forward this to everyone and help them correct their mistake. JazakAllah khair [Sic].

As if the Ummah does not have enough problems, there are those dedicated to finding more problems for us to deal with!

Qarīnah

It is correct that inshā as a maṣdar (root-word) means “to create,” but to pull any word from an Arabic dictionary without further knowledge of at least Arabic grammar results in Fitnah, even if the person is sincere. A basic tool of translation and Tafsīr is Qarīnah (context). Thus Allāh says in al-Baqarah,



“O people, worship your Rabb Who created you and those before you that you may acquire Taqwā.”

The very same words can in terms of literal translation be translated as, “O People, worship your Rabb who created you and [worship] those who came before you that you may acquire Taqwā.”

The dictionary fully supports both translations. It is only because of the monotheistic context of the Qurān that we can reject the second idiotic translation.

Similarly, even if the dictionary says “inshā” is “to create” the Qarīnah of every Muslim is “if Allāh wills.” This is even more so since most non-Arabs never even heard of inshā, before that message got circulated.

Amr

If you were for some reason going to write “create Allāh” in Arabic, and for some reason you chose “inshā” إنشاء   you would not simply grab the word from the dictionary and place it before “Allāh” الله. “inshā” would have to be changed into the Amr or the verbal command form of “inshā” which is “anshi” أنشئْending in a sākin. When any letter appears before “Allāh” , the Hamzah drops, thus it is “wallāhi”  و اللهnot “wa Allāhi” Here too the Hamzah would drop, but leaving a conjunction of two sākins – one on the Hamzah in the end of “anshi” and one on the first Lām of “llāh”. As this is not possible in Arabic, the first Sākin is forced to become a Kasrah. Thus the sentence reads, “anshi illāha” أنشئِ الله  a far cry from “inshāallāhu” Even the final Ḥarkah is different.

Thus is the danger of applying and spreading incomplete knowledge.

My spelling

I don’t see what the big deal is, but I prefer inshāallāh. Yes, it is actually three Arabic words, but as the last two join, it looks cumbersome to leave the first on its own when the Ummah at large has adopted the phrase as a single word in the Latin script. I do not write a capital “A” because the Hamzah of Allāh drops as explained above. It is the Hamzah of shāa, not Allāh.

Bigger picture

• Are they no issues of greater import to concern the Ummah than a transliteration issue?


• What is the state of knowledge of the Ummah when they jump at such half-baked “facts”?


• Muslims have become victims of technology, instead of utilising technology. Most spread every message they receive without verification.


• How about encouraging the use of inshāallāh in an age of increasing westernisation, instead of harping on the spelling of those who still use the phrase?


• The Ḥadīth forbids the phrase when directed at Allāh i.e. in Du‘ā. Thus for example we should say, “I am going to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh,” and pray, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj, āmīn,” but never, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh/if You so will.” Many people are ignorant of this fact. Why not educate people on what is in the Sunnah instead of sucking rulings from our thumbs?

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Spelling Inshāallāh – another “MAJOR” concern of the Ummah

I have been asked, both in cyber space and real life, why I’m not writing articles. Until such time as Allāh wills me to be up to speed, I thought I might as well reply to text and email queries via my blog. One such query is the spelling of inshāallah. The query is on the below message doing the rounds:

We should not write it as “InshaAllah” or “Inshallah” because it means “Create Allah” (Naoazobil lah) [Sic]. Whether arabic [Sic] or english [Sic]… please write it properly as “In shaa Allah” (In 3 separate words). This means “If Allah Wills” So make sure you forward this to everyone and help them correct their mistake. JazakAllah khair [Sic].

As if the Ummah does not have enough problems, there are those dedicated to finding more problems for us to deal with!

Qarīnah

It is correct that inshā as a maṣdar (root-word) means “to create,” but to pull any word from an Arabic dictionary without further knowledge of at least Arabic grammar results in Fitnah, even if the person is sincere. A basic tool of translation and Tafsīr is Qarīnah (context). Thus Allāh says in al-Baqarah,     

  

“O people, worship your Rabb Who created you and those before you that you may acquire Taqwā.”

The very same words can in terms of literal translation be translated as, “O People, worship your Rabb who created you and [worship] those who came before you that you may acquire Taqwā.”

The dictionary fully supports both translations. It is only because of the monotheistic context of the Qurān that we can reject the second idiotic translation.

Similarly, even if the dictionary says “inshā” is “to create” the Qarīnah of every Muslim is “if Allāh wills.” This is even more so since most non-Arabs never even heard of inshā, before that message got circulated.

Amr

If you were for some reason going to write “create Allāh” in Arabic, and for some reason you chose “inshā” إنشاء   you would not simply grab the word from the dictionary and place it before “Allāh” الله. “inshā” would have to be changed into the Amr or the verbal command form of “inshā” which is “anshi” أنشئْending in a sākin. When any letter appears before “Allāh” , the Hamzah drops, thus it is “wallāhi”  و اللهnot “wa Allāhi” Here too the Hamzah would drop, but leaving a conjunction of two sākins – one on the Hamzah in the end of “anshi” and one on the first Lām of “llāh”. As this is not possible in Arabic, the first Sākin is forced to become a Kasrah. Thus the sentence reads, “anshi illāha” أنشئِ الله  a far cry from “inshāallāhu” Even the final Ḥarkah is different.

Thus is the danger of applying and spreading incomplete knowledge.

My spelling

I don’t see what the big deal is, but I prefer inshāallāh. Yes, it is actually three Arabic words, but as the last two join, it looks cumbersome to leave the first on its own when the Ummah at large has adopted the phrase as a single word in the Latin script. I do not write a capital “A” because the Hamzah of Allāh drops as explained above. It is the Hamzah of shāa, not Allāh.

Bigger picture

• Are they no issues of greater import to concern the Ummah than a transliteration issue?
• What is the state of knowledge of the Ummah when they jump at such half-baked “facts”?
• Muslims have become victims of technology, instead of utilising technology. Most spread every message they receive without verification.
• How about encouraging the use of inshāallāh in an age of increasing westernisation, instead of harping on the spelling of those who still use the phrase?
• The Ḥadīth forbids the phrase when directed at Allāh i.e. in Du‘ā. Thus for example we should say, “I am going to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh,” and pray, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj, āmīn,” but never, “O Allāh, accept me to perform Ḥajj inshāallāh/if You so will.” Many people are ignorant of this fact. Why not educate people on what is in the Sunnah instead of sucking rulings from our thumbs?

سليمان الكندي

Jumu'ah - just another entertainment channel?

Brother Ibrahim Musa had interviewed me on Channel Islam International concerning the above subject.

To listen to the interview, click here 

Brother Ibrahim has also transcribed the gist of the interview here

I had given credit to a meeting with Brother Khalid Baig to opening my mind to the pitfalls of using the entertainment medium of TV as a religious medium. However, I had not deemed it appropriate to mention on CII, that the very people who received a thorough and personal explanation on the view of Khalid Baig in that meeting, very mischievously selectively quoted him at a meeting last year, to give the impression that this great thinker is in fact in favour of their participation on iTV ("Islam" TV). I should respect differences of opinion, but to respect dishonesty?

I strongly encourage every Muslim who is interested in honest discourse on the issue, and not just empty slogans of, adapt to the times, etc, to read the book Khalid Baig had advised us to read. Please obtain a copy of Amusing ourselves to death by Neil Postman. 

سليمان الكندي

Jumu'ah - just another entertainment channel?

Brother Ibrahim Musa had interviewed me on Channel Islam International concerning the above subject.

To listen to the interview, click here

Brother Ibrahim has also transcribed the gist of the interview here

I had given credit to a meeting with Brother Khalid Baig to opening my mind to the pitfalls of using the entertainment medium of TV as a religious medium. However, I had not deemed it appropriate to mention on CII, that the very people who received a thorough and personal explanation on the view of Khalid Baig in that meeting, very mischievously selectively quoted him at a meeting last year, to give the impression that this great thinker is in fact in favour of their participation on iTV ("Islam" TV). I should respect differences of opinion, but to respect dishonesty?

I strongly encourage every Muslim who is interested in honest discourse on the issue, and not just empty slogans of, adapt to the times, etc, to read the book Khalid Baig had advised us to read. Please obtain a copy of Amusing ourselves to death by Neil Postman. 

سليمان الكندي

Khilafah vs Papacy

 

Al-Imām at-Tirmiẓī narrates in his Kitāb Tafsiril Qurān in Sunan at-Tirmiẓī that ‘Adī bin Ḥātimرضى الله عنه  narrates:

I came to the Nabī صلى الله عليه و سلم  wearing a golden cross around my neck. He called out, “O ‘Adī! Throw this idol off your neck!”

I then heard him reciting from Sūrah Barā’ah, “They made their priests and monks lords besides Allāh.”

He then commented, “They did not worship them, but if they made something Ḥalāl for them, they took it as Ḥalāl and when they made something Ḥarām for them they took it as Ḥarām.”

 One cannot blame a Muslim for being affected by the media fanfare surrounding the Pope and innocently comparing the situation of a divided Islām with a united Catholic Church under a single leader. “Why do we not have a Khalīfah?” he might lament.

The comparison and the lament, whilst born out of sincerity, are however incorrect and naïve.

No comparison between Pope and Amīrul Muminīn

Muslims must desist from seeking points of reference in the West. Our points of reference are Allāh and His Rasūl صلى الله عليه و سلم. If we fail to do this, we unintentionally undermine our own faith. Specifically in this instance, we have not fulfilled the command of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه و سلم of pledging allegiance to a Khalīfah for close onto a century. The least we can do however, is maintain the intention of a restoration and not contaminate the concept of the institution with alien ideas.  If we keep drawing parallels to the Papacy, the danger exists that the day the Khilāfah is restored, the imagery of a Papacy will be permanently imprinted on the minds on the Ummah.

I do not intend my blog to be an academic thesis on any subject, but hope that the following should suffice for the thoughtful:

1. Catholics believe the Pope to be infallible. On the other hand, the first Khalīfah, Abū Bakr رضى الله عنه, clarified in his inaugural address, “Now, it is beyond doubt that I have been elected your Amīr, although I am not better than you. Help me, if I am in the right; set me right if I am in the wrong. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a treason.”   
2. The Papacy is an office that is bought, sold and bribed for. Whoever wishes to study the sordid details may peruse the biographies of the Medici and Borgia families. On the other hand, the first Khalīfah, Abū Bakr رضى الله عنه, clarified in his inaugural address, “O people, I swear by Allāh that I never desired the Khilāfah either by day or by night, nor had I any inclination towards it. I never prayed to Allāh openly or secrectly to confer the office on me. I merely accepted this office lest some mischief arise at this critical juncture in the history of the Muslims…”
3. The Catholic Church is largely a compromise and distortion between Christianity and paganism. Thus even the symbols of the Pope, such as the insistence on wearing red shoes, have their origins with idol worshippers and has nothing to do with any heavenly scripture. The Khalīfah is strictly bound by Shari‘ah in his office. Any personal failings have always been recognised as such – his personal failing. It has never been institutionalised in Islām, unlike the Papacy. Popes and priests married for at least three centuries, and then were forbidden to do so.  Catholics deny that the prohibition was in order to increase the Church’s land holdings. Be that as it may, the fact remains that in Islām the Khalīfah has no authority to concoct divine law at human whim centuries after the practice of a different law. Again, the first Khalīfah said, “Obey me as long as I obey Allāh and His Rasūl صلى الله عليه و سلم. When I disobey Him and His Rasūl صلى الله عليه و سلم, then obey me not.”

   Allāḥ knows best why we needed the medicine of loss of Khilāfah

 One of my teachers, Mawlānā Sulaymān Chocksī,  warned us against entertaining people’s demands for explanations of Ḥikmah (the divine wisdom behind a certain law or event). Such ventures merely lead to confusing replies and demands for substantiating every injunction, even if the reason might not have been clarified in the Qurān. I would add that in declaring that that is   why Allāh decreed something, am I not elevating myself to some kind of consultant to Allāh? Since when did I reach such a status that Allāh explains unto me why He decreed an event?

However, I see no harm in looking at events on the ground and stating what I see.

I first clarify:

1. The Jew Ataturk and the Saudis terminated the Khilāfah and have much to answer for in thus rebelling against Allāh.
2.  Khilāfah is a command of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه و سلم.
3. Had I lived a century ago, I would have been obliged to obey the ‘Ulamā’ who sought to defend the Khilāfah.

Unity of hearts, not authorities

 I however say to those who lament that the Catholics have a Pope and we have no Khalīfah:

A problem today is lack of understanding of what Islāmic unity is. Unity is not conformity and uniformity which are the hallmarks of perhaps every single Muslim institute and organisation throughout the world. Islāmic unity means unity of hearts together with respect for difference of opinions. That is why when the King wished to impose the Fatāwā of al-Imām Mālik raḥimahullāh upon all Muslims to ensure “unity,” the very first to oppose him was none other than the venerable Imām himself. The Imām understood what unity really meant and what the consequences of a monolithic, unthinking, robotic Ummah would entail. We however have still not grasped the lesson.

Even the sternest Khalīfah, ‘Umar bin al-Khaṭṭāb رضى الله عنه , was a humble man who accepted differences of opinion. I may be wrong, but I firmly believe that should the Khilāfah be re-established within the next decade, this immature Ummah will produce such an overbearing dictator who will be closer to the “infalliable” Pope than ‘Umar رضى الله عنه . My sympathies then to the wise Imām of al-Madīnah raḥimahullāh. However, there are also signs of progress.

In this global atmosphere of religious dictatorship, the advantage Muslims enjoy of not having a central authority, is that we have the capacity to exercise our minds and submit our conscience only towards Allāh instead of a dictator who uses “religious” blackmail against those who do not tow the party line.

We must accept that the Khilāfah in its last Ottoman days was really not an institute to be proud of, and there was no hope of reform. It is highly likely that the very idealists and activists who now declare that all our problems would be solved had Germany and Turkey won and the Khilāfah preserved, would be the very ones lambasting the Ottomans for not coming anywhere the standard. By terminating the Ottoman state, Allāh has granted us a clean slate, a fresh start and an opportunity to work towards the real Allāh-pleasing goal.

Now, not as a ritual, but truly…. Allāh knows best.