The Pure Family and the Blessed Pure Five (Panjattan Paak)

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullah.

Our intent by presenting articles concerning the Ahl as Sunnah Perspective with reference to the Blessed Ahl al Bayt Ridhwaan Allahu ta ‘ala alaihim aj’maeen, is to correct the misconception that loving Ahl ul Bayt makes one a Shia. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Those who truly love Allahu ta ‘ala and the Holy Last Messenger Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim must of necessity love all that comes from and extends to us from the Beloved of AllahuSall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim. Our Deeni lives and Imaan itself is tied to this love.

Muhammad Sa’id

786/92  

The Pure Family Of The Holy Prophet (Peace be

upon him and his family) [Ahl al-Bayt]

And The Blessed Pure Five [Panjattan Paak]

Courtesy: www.sufi.co.za

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur’aan in the 33rd Sura, al-Ahzaab: Verse 33:

And stay quietly in your houses and make not a dazzling display, like the times of ignorance, establish regular prayer, give zakaat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. (Reference to wives) And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you and the members of your family and make you pure and spotless [Reference the Blessed Pure Five (Panjattan Paak).]

The Members of the House

This verse of the Holy Qur’aan refers to the Household of the Prophet Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Sallim (Ahl al-Bayt). This includes the wives of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) as well as his daughter Hazrath Fatimah, his-son in-law Hazrath Ali and his grandsons, Hassan and Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with them all) [1]

  The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) had called many companions, including the ‘Companions of the Verandah[2]‘ (Ashaab as-Suffa), who were not related to him by blood, but had dedicated their lives to achieve purity, piety and humility as the Household of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt). The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) was asked, “Who are your family (Ahl)?” He replied, “those who are purified (Safa), i.e. the pure of heart, who maintain their words, fulfill their promises, dedicate their lives to fulfill my teachings and have greater love for me than any other human being, and after Allah remember me the most”.[3] Therefore all that pursue the Science of Spirituality (tasawwuf) and attain to the status of “Friend of Allah” (Aulia Allah) are also referred to as Ahl al- Bayt.

Blessed Pure Five (Panjattan Paak).

The blood family of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family), amongst the Ahl al-Bayt; Hazrath Ali, Hazrath Fatimah, Hazrath Hassan and Hazrath Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with them all) are known as the Blessed Pure Five (Panjattan Paak). We the People of the Sunna and the Community (Ahl as- Sunna wa’l Jamaa’a) hold this belief (aqida) that the Prophets (may Allah bless them with peace) are ‘infallible’ (ma’sum) whilst the Imams of the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt) are not ‘infallible’ (ma’sum) but they are ‘protected and guarded’ (mahfuz). What is the difference between ‘infallible’ (ma’sum) and ‘protected and guarded’ (mahfuz)? ‘Infallible’ (ma’sum) is he who can never commit sin whilst ‘protected and guarded’ (mahfuz) is he who can commit sin but never do since Allah has protected them and saves them from committing sin. So our belief (aqida) is that Prophets are ‘infallible’ (ma’sum). After the Prophets the Companions of the Holy Prophet (Sahaba) and
the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl’l Bayt) were not ‘infallible’ (ma’sum) but they were ‘protected and guarded’ (mahfuz). They were under the protection of Allah and saved from all sin. Regarding the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt), Allah has said:

 

‘O Members of the Household of the Holy Prophet, Allah wants to purify you with a thorough purification and keep you free from all kinds of external (zaahir) and internal (baatin) impurities.’

In view of this verse of the Holy Qur’aan, Hazrath Maulana Hassan Raza Khan Sahib, the younger brother of Ala Hazrath, The Imam of the People of the Sunna (may Allah be well pleased with them both), composed the following verse of poetry in which he says:

Unki paaki ka Khudae Paak karta heh bayaan

Ayah e tathir se zaahir heh shaane Ahle Bayt

 

The Purity of the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl’l Bayt), is spoken of by Allah The Pure

From the Qur’aanic Verse of Purity is manifest the status of the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl’l Bayt)

 So this the 33^rd Sura, al-Ahzaab, Verse 33 of the Holy Qur’aan is a very strong proof of the status and state of the Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt).

The Tradition of the Cloak

In the Hadith[4], an important event symbolizes the spiritual dimension of their relation to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family). This is the Tradition of the Cloak, which the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) spread his blessed cloak (kambli mubarak) over himself and Hazrath Ali, Hazrath Fatimah and their two sons Hazrath Hassan and Hazrath Hussain (Radiallahu anhu ajmain). The circumstances of the Tradition (Hadith) is as follows:

Hazrath Umm Salama (may Allah be well pleased with her), the wife of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) reports, that one-day the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) said to Fatimah (may Allah be well pleased with her):

“Bring me your husband and two sons” When they had all come together he spread his cloak over them and he said: “Oh Allah, these are the people of my house! Let therefore your blessings descend upon Muhammad the people of the House of Muhammad and remove uncleanness far from them and cleanse them with a thorough cleansing “It is stated that the verse: ‘Surely Allah wishes to remove all abomination from you, O People of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification’, was revealed as a response to this supplication (dua).

Mubaahila

Muslim, Tirmidhi (hassan sahih gharib), al-Hakim, and others narrate the incident when the Christians of Najran argued with the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) Allah revealed Verse 61 of the 3rd Sura, al-i-Imraan:

“Say (unto him), Come! Let us gather together - our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves - then let us humbly pray, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie

When two opposing schools of thought differ on an issue and when dialogue and debate fails to resolve the dispute, then the solution is a mubaahila or a gathering where the opposing groups supplicate to Allah as follows:

O Lord of the Universe! In this dispute give honor to the proper in this matter and disgrace those that are incorrect

 Sad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be well pleased with him) said Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) arrived accompanied by Hazrath Ali and Hazrath Fatimah Zahra (may Allah be well pleased with them both). The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) was carrying Hazrath Imam Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with him) in one arm and Hazrath Imam Hassan was holding the other hand of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and walking alongside him. When the ‘Pure Five’ (panjattan paak) arrived for the mubaahila the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) prayed:

Allahumma ha ulahe ahle baitihi

O Allah! They are my Family

He (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) then said to Hazrath Ali and Hazrath Fatimah Zahra, Hazrath Imam Hussain and Hazrath Imam Hassan (may Allah be well pleased with them all) that when I supplicate to Allah against this opposition you all should say, ‘May it be so’ (ameen).
The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told those priests that they should also supplicate. When the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family) said this the Pope exclaimed and told his followers:

La tu baahilu fatah le ku

Don’t partake in this Mubaahila or all of us will be destroyed

Surprised at his remarks they asked him as to what had happened to him, since he was in high spirits and confident of defeating the Muslims. He said, ‘I swear by God, I had not seen these faces before and I am seeing such faces that if they were to pray to God to move the mountains, od Almighty would move the mountains for them.’

The Holy Qur’aan tells us in the 2^nd Sura, al-Baqarah: Verse 37 that Hazrath Adam (may Allah bless him with peace) received certain words from Allah, which earned him forgiveness for his transgression.

 

Hazrath Adam Pardoned For Forgetting

Permissibility of Salawaat and Salaam (Darood Sharif) Standing

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

The following is an excerpt from a larger excellent work entitled “The Shari’ah’s permissibility of Salawaaat and Salaam and related issues” By Ismail Ebrahim. A special thanks to my dear friend Sohail Abdul Habib . The information contained herein has not been edited. The complete article can be found here;

http://www.nooremadinah.net/Documents/YaMohammad/Salat-o-Salam/Salat-o-Salam.asp

 

Permissibility of Salawaat and Salaam (Darood Sharif) Standing

3)
QIYAAM : RECITING SALAWAT AND SALAAM WHILST RESPECTFULLY STANDING

Standing up (Qiyaam) whilst offering Salawat (Blessings) and Salaam (Salutations) to Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), in terms of religion is desirable and commendable (mustahab) according to the belief of the Ahl us-Sunnah. It is an act of happiness, respect and love, the origin of which is established from Shari’ah. This is the consensus of opinion of the entire Ulema of Ahl us-Sunnah. Furthermore, it is known that anyone who visits the Prophet (sallallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in Madina is obliged to stand in front of him with utmost respect at the time he gives him greetings and salutations. No scholar of Ahle Sunnah for over 1400 years has ever objected to it with a view to it being a bad Bid’a (innovation).
Qiyaam is of three kinds :

1 -Qiyaam-e-Musarrat, or standing up for a person as an expression of happiness,
2 -Qiyaam-e-Muhabbat, or standing up for a person as an expression of love, and
3 -Qiyaam-e-’Azmat or standing up in honor of a person.

The origin of Qiyaam-e-Musarrat is derived from the action of the companion of the Holy Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), as proved from the following Hadith :

Hadhrat Uthman (radi allahu ‘anhu) said, “The Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) passed away before we could ask him the solution to this problem.” Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radi allahu ‘anhu) said, “I have already asked him concerning this affair …” Then Hadhrat Uthman (radi allahu ‘anhu) said (upon hearing this glad tidings from Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radi allahu ‘anhu)), “I stood up for him.” (Sahih Bukhari)

Similarly, the origin of Qiyaam-e-Muhabbat is from the following Hadith:

Hadhrat Aisha Siddiqa (radi allahu ‘anha) has narrated :

“I have never encountered anyone that had emulated the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in manner, likeness and speech [and with another chain of narrators : I have never seen anyone even come near her with the above qualities] more than Fatima (radi allahu ‘anha), may Allah honor her face. When she came in to visit him (the Prophet) he got up to (welcome) her, took her by the hand, kissed her and made her sit where he was sitting; and when he went in to visit her, she got up to (welcome) him, took him by the hand, kissed him, and made him sit where she was sitting”. (Sunan Abu Dawood; Ash’atul Lama’aat) 
Similarly the origin of Qiyaam-e-’Azmat is derived from the following narration :

Narrated Abu Sa ‘id al-Khudri (radi allahu ‘anhu) : The people of (Banu) Quraiza agreed to accept the verdict of Sa’d bin Mu’adh. So the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sent for Sa’ad, and the latter came (riding) a donkey and when he approached the Mosque, the Prophet(sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to the Ansar, “Get up for your chief or for the best among you !” (Sahih Bukhaari, Vol. 5, Chapter 29, Hadith 447)

Indeed Hadhrat Sa’d (radi allahu ‘anhu) is worthy of such honor. Narrated Jabir (radi allahu ‘anhu) : I heard the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, “The Throne (of Allah) shook at the death of Sa’ad bin Mu’adh.”

Allama Ibn Hajar Makki (rahmat allahi ‘alaih) states in Moulidatil Kabeer, “It is proven from Sunnah to stand for others besides the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), thus in honor of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) it is permissible in the first instance. The proof hereof is the command to stand the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) gave in respect of Sa’ad ibn Muadh.”

Imam Nawawi (rahmat allahi ‘alaih) holds the same view (in his commentary of this Hadith) and he even quotes the opinion of Qadi ‘Iyad (rahmat allahi ‘alaih). (See Sharh Sahih Muslim and al-Tarkhis for Imam Nawawi’s view on Qiyaam)

Also commenting on this Hadith Hadhrat Shaikh ‘Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi (rahmat allahi ‘alaih) writes, “A great number of eminent Ulema have taken this Hadith as proof in support of Qiyaam in Meelad.” (Ash atul Lama’aat) [For an opinion on the authenticity of Hadhrat Shaikh 'Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith (rahmat allahi 'alaih) we refer to Moulvi Ashraf 'Ali Thanwi who says, "Shah 'Abd al-Haqq Sahib used to have the blessed vision of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) daily" and " ... Shaikh ('Abd al-Haqq) has a vast knowledge of Hadith"]

The Qiyaam during Mawlid an-Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) may represent the three kinds of Qiyaam as discussed above, because it is a manifestation of happiness, love and honor towards the occasion which is celebrated to thank Allah for his arrival. However, the ‘ulama have also collectively designated these Qiyaam as Qiyaam-e-Tazimi, i.e. standing up in honor, love and happiness of a person, and in this case, to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). 

In a Hadith reported by Hadhrath Abu Huraira (radi allahu ‘anhu), he says, “The Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was seated with us in the mosque and speaking to us. When he rose to depart, we all rose with him and remained standing until he entered any of the houses of his Blessed Wives.” (Mishkaat- Kitabul-Adaab, Babul Qiyaam, Page 403)

Usama ibn Sharik (radi allahu ‘anhu) narrates : “I came to see the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) while his Companions were with him, and they seemed as still as if birds had alighted on top of their heads. I gave him my Salaam and I sat down. [Then Bedouins came and asked questions which the Prophet answered.] … The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then stood up and the PEOPLE STOOD UP. They began to kiss his hand, whereupon I took his hand and placed it on my face. I found it more fragrant than musk and cooler than sweet water.”(Narrated by Abu Dawud [#3855], Ti[2038 - hasan sahih], Ibn Majah [3436], al-Hakim [4:399], and Ahmad [4:278]. Al- Hafiz Imam Bayhaqi cites it in Branch 15 of his Su’ab ul-iman entitled : The Fifteenth Branch of Faith, Namely A Chapter On Rendering honor To The Prophet, Declaring His High Rank, And Revering Him Vol. 2 p.200 [#1528])

Narrated ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar (radi allahu ‘anhu): Ibn ‘Umar (radi allahu ‘anhu) was sent with a detachment by the Apostle of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). The people wheeled round in flight. He said : I was one of those who wheeled round in flight. When we stopped we said : What should we do? We have run away from the battlefield and deserve Allah’s wrath. Then we said: Let us enter Madinah, stay there, and go there while no one sees us. So we entered the city and thought : If we present ourselves before Allah’s Apostle, and if there is a change of repentance for us, we shall stay; if there is something else, we shall go away. So we sat down (waiting)for the Apostle of Allah before the dawn prayer. When he came out, WE STOOD UP TO HIM and said : We are the ones who have fled. He turned to us and said : No, you are the ones who return to fight after wheeling away. We then approached and kissed his hand, and he said : I am the main body of the Muslims. (Abu Dawud, Book 14 [Jihad], Number 2641) This Hadith is also found in al-Abhari; in the book of al-hafiz Ibn Muqri on standing up and kissing the hand out of respect; in the Adab al- Mufrad of Imam Bukhaari (Chapter on kissing the Hand and Chapter on Kissing the Foot), in Ibn Maja (Adab), in Bayhaqi’s Dala’il an-Nubuwwa, and in the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal)

Jabir (radi allahu ‘anhu) said: “`Umar ibn al-Khattab GOT UP and kissed the hand of Allah’s Messenger.” Ibn al-Muqri’ narrates it in al-Rukhsa (p. 71 #11) and although its chain contains `Ubayd Allah ibn Sa`id who is weak, Ibn Hajar included it among Ibn al-Muqri’s good narrations (min jayyidiha) on the subject (Fath al-Bari 11:66). Tabari narrates it mursal [missing the Companion-link] through al-Suddi in his Tafsir in commenting on verse 5:101: “Do not ask of things which once shown to you would hurt you” with the wording: “`Umar ibn al-Khattab GOT UP and kissed the foot of Allah’s Messenger and said: O Messenger of Allah, we are pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our religion, and with Muhammad as our Prophet, and with the Qur’an as our Book. Forgive, and Allah will forgive you (fa`fu `afallahu `anka). And he did not cease until the Prophet softened.” 

It is mentioned in Hisn-al-Haseen, on the basis of several Ahaadith, “When any man enters a masjid he should say, ‘With Allah’s name. And Salutations be on His Rasool (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)’”

Allama Sakhawi (rahmat allahi ‘alaih) has narrated from the Hadith of Hadhrat Ali (radi allahu ‘anhu), “Whenever you enter the masjid, recite Durood for Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)” - and has also quoted a Hadith narrated by Hadhrat Fathima (radi allahu ‘anha), the daughter of Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) who said, “Whenever Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) entered the masjid he recited first Durood and Salaam for Hadhrat Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) (i.e. upon Himself) … “ 
Those that are antagonistic to Qiyaam and also claim to follow the Sunnah are therefore according to this Hadith advised to recite Durood and Salaam when entering the Masjid. Adherence to this Sunnah would mean that the antagonists would be hypocritically sending Salawat and Salaam to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) whilst standing. Non-adherence of this Sunnah makes their claim of being the ardent followers of Rasoolullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) without substance !

Those that masquerade as the “true upholders” of the Sunnah, by claiming to follow the footsteps of the Sahaaba-e-Kiraam and continuously misquoting the Ahaadith of the Blessed Companions of Rasoolullah (sallalahu ‘alaihi wasallam) should take cognizance of the following Hadith:

Once Hadhrath Ka’ab (radi allahu ‘anhu) said to Hadhrath Abu Huraira (radi allahu ‘anhu), “I am telling you two things which you should not forget. One, whenever you enter a musjid recite Salawat for the Holy Prophet (sallalahu ‘alaihi wasallam), and then this Du’aa, ‘O Allah forgive me my sins and open for me the doors of Thy Mercy !’”

Dhikr Jalli fi al Masaajid

As salaamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu

In an effort to present evidence supporting the Ahl as Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah consideration as to sources being either Barelvi or Deobandi schools should not be an issue. If the evidences found are correct we may opt to present them. Any objections should be addressed to hunafaa@al-adaab.org.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE PERMISSIBILITY OF MAJALIS (GATHERINGS) OF DHIKR IN THE MASAJID
Written and submitted by Shaykh Ashraf Dockrat

The subject of this paper, which analyses the permissibility of loud DHIKR gatherings in Masajid, is a subject that has become a matter of substantial interest and discussion in the recent past. The visit of Mashaikh (Sufi Shaikhs) and their disciples to this country in the recent years, particularly the visit of Maulana Shaikh-al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Saharanpuri (R), has given a great impetus to the establishment of Majalis-DHIKR in various Masajid throughout the country. These Sufi Shaikhs have placed great emphasis on the importance and need for the establishment of DHIKR gatherings in every Muslim locality and Masjid. The sources of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as the writings of the scholars of Islam, past and present, will be studied to understand their position on this issue. As many of the relevant texts of Qur’an, Ahadith and the practice of Sahabah (RA) and the Salaf-as-Saliheen (pious elders) as possible would be presented on this subject. Whilst it is conceded that some scholars have raised objections against the Majalis-DHIKR, this paper sets out to review the subject of loud DHIKR Majalis (gatherings) in the Masajid in the light of Shari’ah-based evidence.

الحمد لله وحده والصلوة والسلام علي من لا نبي بعده وعلي اله و ا صحابه اجمعين - اما بعد

All praises belong solely to Allah Ta’ala and salutations and peace be upon the final Messenger and upon all his family and companions. Amma-b’adu:

VERSES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN RELATING TO DHIKR

Many verses in the Qur’an exhort towards the DHIKR of Allah, and they are Mutlaq (unrestricted). They encompass all types and forms of DHIKR; whether individual or collective, loud or silent, in the Masjid or elsewhere. Some of these verses are quoted below:

Verse 1:
فاذكرونى اذكركم و اشكروا لى ولا تكفرون
“So remember Me (with DHIKR) and I will remember you and be grateful unto Me and do not be ungrateful.” 2:152

Verse 2:
الذين يذكرون الله قياما و قعودا وعلي جنوبهم ويتفكرون في خلق السموات و الأرض
“(The intelligent ones are) Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining and they ponder in the creation of the skies and the earth.” 3:191

Verse 3:
الذين آمنوا وتطمئن قلوبهم بذكر الله الا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب
“Those who believe (in Allah) and their hearts acquire tranquility with the remembrance of Allah. Hear well! It is only through the remembrance of Allah that hearts acquire tranquility.” 13:28

Verse 4:
رجال لا تلهيهم تجارة ولا بيع عن ذكر الله
“(People of perfect Iman are those) Men whom trade or business does not distract from the remembrance of Allah.” 24:37

Verse 5:
يا ايها الذين آمنوا اذكروا الله ذكرا كثيرا وسبحوه بكرة وأصيلا
“O Believers remember Allah in great abundance and glorify Him morning and evening.” 33:41/42

Verse 6:
و من يعش عن ذكر الرحمن نقيض له شيطانا فهو له قرين
“And as for him who (purposely) ignores the remembrance of Rahman, We assign a devil for him who is his (constant) companion.” 43:36

Verse 7:
الم يان للذين آمنوا ان تخشع قلوبهم لذكر الله
“Has the time not dawned for the people of faith that their hearts should submit to the remembrance of Allah?” 57:16

Verse 8:
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تلهكم اموالكم ولا أولادكم عن ذكر الله و من يفعل ذلك فأولئك هم الخاسرون
“O Believers let not your wealth and your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. Those who do so, they are certainly great losers.” 63:9

Verse 9:
استحوذ عليهم الشيطان فانسهم ذكر الله أولئك حزب الشيطان ألا ان حزب الشيطان هم الخسرون
“Shaitaan has overpowered them (the hypocrites) and hence made them forget the remembrance of Allah. They are the gang of Shaitaan and know well! The gang of Shaitaan are the (real) losers.” 58:19

Verse 10:
واذا قاموا الي الصلوة قاموا كسالي يراءون الناس ولا يذكرون الله ألا قليلا
“And when they (hypocrites) stand up to offer Salah, they stand up with lethargy. They put up a show before the people (of offering Salah) and do not remember Allah but very little.” 4:142
These and other verses regarding DHIKR have been enumerated by many scholars on their works on the virtues and meritoriousness of DHIKR, especially Shaikh Zakariyya (R) has accumulated many such verses in his work Fadhail-al-DHIKR. A study of this work will present many other verses on this subject.

DHIKR IN THE LIGHT OF PROPHETIC TRADITIONS (AHADITH)

After having enumerating certain verses of the Holy Qur’an, mention is now made of certain Ahadith relating to the subject of DHIKR some of which are of a general nature (whether loud/soft, masjid/home, etc.) and some are quite specific i.e. DHIKR in the Masjid or loud DHIKR, which will be alluded to under the explanation of the said Ahadith. Ten Ahadith have been selected for this section.

Hadith 1:
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates from Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) that there is a group of angels who patrol the earth and wherever they find any gathering of DHIKR they call out to each other and form a circle around this gathering that reaches to the sky. When this gathering disperses, they return to the sky where they are questioned by Allah Ta’ala, although He is All-knowing: Where have you come from? They reply: We come from a gathering of Your servants who are engaged in Tasbeeh, Takbeer and Tahmeed. Allah Ta’ala asks them: Have they seen Me? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Me? They reply: Then they would have engaged even more excessively in Your Ibadah and in Tasbeeh (glorifying of) You. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they asking for? They reply: They ask of You Jannah. Allah Ta’ala then asks: Have they seen Jannah? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Jannah? They reply: Then they would have been even more desirous, eager and keen for it. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they seeking refuge from? They reply: They ask refuge from the Fire (of Hell). Allah Ta’ala asks: Have they seen the Fire? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen it? They reply: Then they would have tried harder to escape from it and they would have been more fearful of it. Allah Ta’ala says: I make you witness that I have pardoned them. One angel exclaims: A certain person was not from them. He came (coincidentally) for some work. Allah Ta’ala says: They are such a people that even those who sit with them (for other work) will not be deprived.
– Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Baihaqi

Shaikh Zakariyya’s (R) commentary on this Hadith:
This subject has also been narrated in numerous other traditions that the angels look for, listen to and sit with the ’gatherings‘ of DHIKR.

Hadith 2:
Mu’awiyah (RA) narrates that Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) once came forth to meet a group of the Sahabah (RA). He said: What has caused you to congregate here? They replied: We have congregated here to remember Allah Ta’ala and to praise Him for guiding us to Islam and blessing us with it. He said: By Allah! Is this the only reason for your gathering? They replied: By Allah! This is the only reason for our gathering. He said: I had not made you swear an oath because I disbelieved you but Jibraeel came to me and informed me that Allah Ta’ala is boasting about you before the angels.
- Narrated by Muslim, Tirmizi, Nasai, Ibn-Abi-Shaibah, Ahmad

Shaikh Zakariyya’s (R) commentary:
Mulla Ali Qari (R) explains that Allah boasts about these people because despite having worldly engagements, natural desires, temptations and the shaitaan trying to mislead them, they do not neglect and turn away from My remembrance; then the DHIKR of the angels who are faced with none of these obstacles is no comparison to their DHIKR.

Imām Ibn Aābidīn Shāmī

(1198-1252 AH / 1783-1836 AD)

by

Abu Hasan

Based on the biographical note in Arabic by Shaykh Ábd al-Jalil Áta of Damascus printed as the preface of Radd al-Mukhtar, the Dar Ihya at-Turath edition. [Square parenthesis indicate translator's comments]

Index

1. Family

2. Growing Up

3. Seeking Knowledge

4. Heir of the Prophet

5. Degrees of Authorization

6. The Scholar

7. Setting of a Star

8. A Note on Radd al-Muĥtār

9. His Works

10. Ibn Aābidīn, the Poet

Imām Ibn Aābidīn Shāmī

Sayyid Muhammad Amin ibn Sayyid Úmar ibn Sayyid Ábd al-Áziz ibn Sayyid Ahmed ibn Sayyid Ábd ar-Rahim ibn Sayyid Najmuddin ibn Sayyid Muhammad Salahuddin widely known as ‘Ibn Áabidin’ is praised in these words: the prominent, praiseworthy and noble scholar; an ocean of knowledge; the master scholar [jahbadh]; the great jurist [faqih]; the genius; the finest among the later scholars and the last of the research scholars; one with an exalted ancestry [hasib, nasib]; the erudite Imam; the litterateur.

Family

The Imam was born - Rahimahullah - in Damascus (Syria), in an family of scholars and high ancestry in the year 1198 AH. His lineage reaches Sayyid Sharif Zayn al-Áabidin and from him to Sayyidah Fatimah, the daughter of the Master of all creation, Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim. Ibn Áabidin’s father Sayyid Úmar and his mother were both famed for their righteousness and taqwa [being fearful of Allah]. May Allah have mercy on them.

Growing up

He grew up in his father’s care in the Qanawat area. He memorized the Qur’an at a very young age. He was a frequent visitor at his father’s shop where he learnt the skills of the trade [to enable him earn an honest livelihood]. Sometimes, he would recite the Qur’an in the shop.

On one such occasion, a passerby objected to his recitation in a public place, since people neither listen to the Qur’an nor pay heed to what is being recited. He also pointed out a few minor mistakes in his recitation. Immediately, he set out seeking good reciters to correct his mistakes.

Seeking Knowledge

He was referred to the master reciter of his time, [shaykh al-qurra'a, államah] Muhammad Saýid ibn Ibrahim al-Hamawi (d.1236 AH). He perfected his tajwid under him and memorized Sha_ibiyyah, Maydaniyyah and Jazariyyah. He also learnt Shafiýi fiqh from him and memorized Az-Zabd. He learnt Arabic grammar and morphology [nahw, sarf] before finally completing his studies and obtaining a general degree of authorization from him [ijazatun áammah].

Allah táala had destined him to meet the greatest scholar of his age, Shaykh Shakir al-Áqqad, famously known as Ibn al-Miqdam Saád. Under him, he read books of Qur’anic exegesis, juristic principles, inheritance, tasawwuf, mathematics [tafsir, hadith, usul, farayiI, tasawwuf, hisab] and the rational sciences.

Áqqad was instrumental in changing his madh’hab to that of Imam al-Aážam [Ibn Áabidin was a Shafiýi earlier]. He read major books of Hanafi fiqh under him like Multaqa al-Abhur, Kanz ad-Daqayiq and its exegesis Bahr ar-Rayiq, Dirayah and Hidayah.

He began reading Durr al-Mukhtar under well-known scholars, the most famous among whom was Shaykh Saýid al-Halabi. Ibn Áabidin’s meeting with Shaykh Shakir was a giant stride in his career as a scholar and a pilgrim upon the spiritual path. No wonder then, he remained in his company for seven years, after which Shaykh Shakir would present him to his own teachers and recommend them to grant him authorizations. His chain of transmissions [sanad] became more elevated and shorter than earlier ones. He also became a member [murid] of the Qadiri order to which he kept forever. [Tariqah of Ghawth al-Aážam Shaykh Ábd al-Qadir Jilani Radiyallahu ánhu]