Reading time: 1 - 2 minutes
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
It brings us great dissapointment to confirm that Shaykh Muhammad Hassan has suffered a heart attack in the early hours of Monday morning. We ask every Muslim to raise their hands to Allaah and invoke Him to fully recover the health of our beloved Shaykh.
www.mohamedhassan.org/NewsDt.aspx?hID=20
Reading time: 22 - 36 minutes
I begin by seeking aid in Allaah, the most Merciful, the One Who bestows Mercy
If you want to attend this class, then please check out the following page for more details inshaaAllaah:
In the previous lessons we have discussed that whenever a person begins his speech he should begin by saying Bismillaah, then praise Allaah, then invoke for Allaah to send His Salaah and Salaam upon His messenger sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Today we will discuss the fourth thing a person should say, and is often said by the khateeb and this is the saying of “wa ba’ad”.
What does this mean?
Ba’ad means “after”.
‘Amma Ba’ad means “to proceed” or “as for what follows”.
There is a great difference amongst the scholars as to who was the first person to say ‘Amma Ba’ad and why one says ‘Amma Ba’ad.
The Arabs have their speeches usually divided into three parts. The first part starts with the Basmalah and an introduction in general and then they have a divider, which is the saying of ‘Amma Ba’ad, and then they have the rest of the speech to discuss whatever matter they wish to bring to people’s attention.
One of the famous opinions is that the first person to say ‘Amma Ba’ad was the prophet of Allaah, Dawood ‘alayhi’s-salaam.
“Fasla’l-Khitaab” means “final statement/decision”. Many of the Mufassireen described Fasla’l-Khitaab as “accurate judgment”, the final word on an issue.
We made his (Dawood ‘alayhi’s-salaam) kingdom strong and gave him Al-Hikmah (Prophethood, etc.) and sound judgement in speech and decision.
[Soorat Saad (038:20)]
Fasla’l-Khitaab was something Dawood ‘alayhi’s-salaam was gifted with and he was known for his justice as a Qadhi, a judge. This is why Allaah said that not only did He give Dawood ‘alayhi’s-salaam Hikmah, but He also gave him Fasla’l-Khitaab.
One of the interpretation of Fasla’l-Khitaab is also that Dawood ‘alayhi’s-salaam was given the saying of ‘Amma Ba’ad and he was the first person to say it.
Other people were also attributed with this saying, and from them Ya’rab ibn Qahtaan from the original Arabs, Ka’ab ibn Luaay’ who was one of the ancestors of the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and many others.
The first opinion is more likely to be correct, which is also supported by Ibn Haajar al-Asqalani rahimahullaah.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi wrote, “Now to the point, I will now write a poem comprising of ethics transmitted from the best of guides, from the clear-cut Sunnaah of the messenger of Allaah sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and from the Book of the One Who is (taqaddasa) High above the claims of the (al-Ghuwaath) misguided people and the (juhhad) stubborn rejectors of faith, and from the sayings of those with knowledge amongst our scholars, who are the leaders in righteousness and the most honourable guides. Perhaps the God of the Throne will enrich us therewith and grant us on the Day of Ressurection, the best of stations.”
In this saying Ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi mentioned the sources he used to write his poem on ‘Adab. This is what we study this lesson inshaa’Allaah.
“Sunnah” is a word that is used very commonly amongst people, but few people understand what it means. What do the Salaf understand by this word “Sunnah”, what do the Fuqaahah (the Jurists) understand by this word?
Sunnah is a legal term and depending on who is using this term, its meaning changes.
Sunnah is anything the Prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did, said or approved (his actions, statements and approvals of others’ actions/sayings).
Linguistically, Sunnah refers to a good path.
Statements (Qawl) which are attributed to the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are his sunnah.
Actions (F’il) which he performed are his Sunnah, such as the fact that he wore a war-helmet.
Agreeing (Taqreeb) to something which his companions did in front of him and he did not object. As it happens in many ahadeeth, the sahaabi say, “During the time of the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam we use to do such and such.” This stands as a Sunnah, even though the companion is attributing it to himself (and not to the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The fact that the sahaabi said that at the time of the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he used to such and such, he is establishing it as a Sunnah.
Why would one consider the prophet’s sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam approval a part of his sunnah?
It is not permissible for the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to delay explaining things which are wrong. So if he saw something wrong, he would have to correct that error. The fact that he saw something and did not correct it is that it is permissible. There are many examples of this.
Al-Bukhaari narrated from Khaalid ibn al-Waleed that he and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon Maymoonah, who was his [Khaalid’s] maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbaas, and found that she had some roasted lizard that her sister Hafeedah bint al-Haarith had brought from Najd. She offered the lizard to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he would rarely stretch forth his hand to food until he had been told what it was. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stretched forth his hand, then one of the women who were present said, “Tell the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that what has been offered to him is lizard.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) withdrew his hand from the lizard, and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed asked, “Is lizard haraam, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “No, but it is not found in the land of my people and I feel that I would have no liking for it. Khaalid said, Then I chewed it and ate it, and the Messenger of Allaah was looking at me.
[al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Since the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is not the legislator, but Allaah is the Legislator, he could not make the eating of lizard haraam even though he disliked it. The fact that he approved of it means that Allaah, the Legislator has no objection with this person eating this lizard either.
Imaam as-Saffarini wrote, “What is also included in the Sunnah of the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is his Siffaat (characteristics) (i.e. what he would wear, putting kohl on his eyes, what he liked etc.).”
Many scholars consider many of these things to be from the Sunnah.
Linguistically, Taqdees means to purify and from that we derive words like Bayt al-Maqdis (i.e. Purified Land).
One of the Names of Allaah is al-Quddoos. This means that Allaah is purified and free from any defects and any imperfections that people may attribute to Him.
Ghuwaath is the plural of the word Ghaaweel. This refers to the misguided people such as the Jews, who ascribe many things to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa. From the Qur’aan, we learn that they describe Allaah as stingy and poor.
Indeed, Allâh has heard the statement of those (Jews) who say: “Truly, Allâh is poor and we are rich!” We shall record what they have said and their killing of the Prophets unjustly, and We shall say: “Taste you the torment of the burning (Fire).”
This is because of that (evil) which your hands have sent before you. And certainly, Allâh is never unjust to (His) slaves.
[Soorat Aal Imraan (003:181-182)]
In the Bible, the Jews describe Allaah as the One Who walked in the Garden, the One Who was told to repent by Moosaa
‘alayhi’s-salaam, the One Who had to rest on the seventh day etc. Allaah is purified from all of these defects and imperfections.
Juhhad are people who are guilty of juhood. Juhood is a “stubborn rejection”.
A lot of people wrongfully understand the word Juhood to mean simply denial.
Many of the murji’a (even the contemporary) say that “kufr is the juhood of our hearts”; that one disbelieves in Allaah only in his heart (i.e. he does not believe in such and such in his heart).
Juhood as described by Imaam Saffarini as follows: “Juhhad is the plural of the word Jaahid. A person who rejects something despite having full knowledge of it.”
Even when the scholars of the Salaf said that kufr is juhood, they did not mean that to reject something (only) in the heart is disbelief; rather what they mean by that is a person believes (firmly) in the heart but with his tongue he rejects. This is stubborn rejection of something. This is different than a person being ignorant of something and not believing in it.
The one who stubbornly rejects something, is the one when it is proved to him that he is wrong and he knows deep down inside in his heart that he is wrong, he still rejects it.
This refutes the notion amongst the murji’a who say that a person has to disbelieve in his heart to become a jaahid. The jaahid is the one who rejects something with his tongue regardless of what is in his heart. We only treat people in accordance to what they show to us, as we do not have to tools to cut open their hearts to see if they believe or disbelieve!
Imaam as-Saffarini wrote, “Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa is High above the statements of those who deny or stubbornly reject the Lordship of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa, or His existence, or One of His Attributes, or a Name from One of His Names that are mentioned in the Qur’aan or authentic narrations, or a person who reinterprets the Names and Attributes of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa contrary to how they have been narrated in Qur’aan and Sunnah, or that he resembles Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa to anything of the creation and that is negated from Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa, as His statement (in the Qur’aan): … there is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. It is waajib upon a Muslim to affirm Attributes to Allaah without likening Him to the creation. And that we glorify Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa and exalt Him above any imperfection (without negating any of the Attributes, He attributed Himself). The mushabbih (the one who likens Allaah to the creation) is an idol-worshipper and the Mw’attil (the one who denies Allaah’s Attributes) is someone who worships non-existence! The Muslim is the one who worships the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and may He be glorified and may His Kingdom be glorified.”
(Allâh) said: “O Iblîs (Satan)! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands. Are you too proud (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the high exalted?”
[Soorat Saad (038:075)]
Allaah created Adam ‘alayhi’s-salaam with His Two Hands, unlike the rest of His creation. The stubborn rejectors will say that Allaah does not have hands, but what the Verse is referring to the fact that Allaah has created Adam with His own Power, and His Hands mean Power.
They will never deny the Verse, because they are Muslims, but they will reinterpret it to suit their whims and their own made-up principles.
In the current context, people who are accustomed to the Western civilization, its achievements and principles and they end up questionning anything in Islaam which contradicts European principles. Such as cutting off the hands of the thief, in the current “enlightened” European society, it is considered barbaric. So those people will go to the Qur’aan and say that the cutting does not literally mean chopping of the hands, it could mean paper-cut! So they open up the Qur’aan to fresstyle interpretation and they interpret the Book of Allaah to suit their own whims and desires.
This is what the Imaam was talking about when he talked of the person who reinterprets the Verse.
As for his saying, “it is waajib upon a Muslim to affirm the Attributes of Allaah…”, it is like the way we say Allaah exists and the creation exists, but the existence of Allaah is not like the existence of the creation.
Likewise Allaah hears and the creation hear, but the hearing of Allaah cannot be compared to the creation. This is the same for the Allaah seeing and the creation seeing, but the seeing of Allaah cannot be compared to the creation.
The mujassim, the one who says that Allaah is like a body that occupies space, that He sits like a human being, His Hands are just like ours, He has eyes, ears and nose just like ours, just as we know a human being, the mujassim says that Allaah is exactly the same! So what the mujassim is doing is that he is making an idol of the God Who he is worshipping.
Even in Paradise, there are fruits with similar names to that of this world, but they are not the same. They are completely unimaginable and completely different.
Can we like Rooh (soul) to anything? Some of the scholars try to explain away how the rooh operates in a body. So they say that the soul is like water that is absorbed by the plant and distributed to the leaves and petals etc.
However we do not know how a soul operates in a human body, so we cannot liken it to anything; it is a matter of the unseen and we cannot be compared!
This is a principle to remember, that one cannot compare between the seen and the unseen. It is not comparable.
If this is applicable to Paradise etc. then what about Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa!
There are similarities between the hands of creation and the Hands of Allaah, this is why Allaah called them Hands and not feet! However the dissimilarities are far greater, and we cannot talk about the nature of His Hands.
The person who negates Allaah’s Attributes worships non-existence. A person who says that Allaah have Hands because humans have hands; Allaah cannot rise over the Throne, because it is an action of human beings; Allaah cannot have Knowledge, because it is the attribute of humans to have knowledge; Allaah cannot have Will because it is something of the creation to have will. So if a person starts off with such mindset, they will end up negating everything from Allaah, even His existence. This is how a person ends up worhsipping a non-existent entity.
What does Ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi mean by “our scholars” when he mentioned the sources he used for his book?
He means the scholars of the Hanbali madh-hab.
Imaam as-Saffarini wrote, “We will take from the scholars from the followers of Imaam Ahmad rahimahullaah, his direct companions and all of their followers - those who were responsible for establishing and codifying the madh-hab.
What is the madh-hab of Imaam Ahmad?
Madh-hab of a scholar is the opinion he considered to be correct towards the end of his life.
Throughout his academic career, a person may have one opinion and ten years down the line, he may discover something new and change his opinion.
Imaam ash-Shafi’ee rahimahullaah, in his madh-hab it is classified as Shafi’ee fi’l-Qadeem and Shafi’ee fi’l-Jadeed. One was before he went to Baghdad and after he went to Baghdad, many of his opinions changed. So when one reads the Shafi’ee books, they mention things like, this was the opinion of ash-Shafi’ee in Qadeem, but this is the opinion of ash-Shafi’ee in Jadeed.
For Imaam Ahmad, one will find several narrations.
For instance the the madh-hab of Imaam Ahmad in placing the hand in Salaah is below the navel and a narration from Imaam Ahmad is above the navel and according to yet another narration from Imaam Ahmad is that a person has a choice/freedom to place his hand wherever he likes. These are opinions attributed directly to Imaam Ahmad.
As times go on, new issues come up which Imaam Ahmad never had the opportunity to touch upon. So his followers made qiyaas using the opinions of Imaam Ahmad on similar issues and derived rulings regarding them and considered them also a part of the madh-hab. For example, according to the principles of Imaam Ahmad, driving cars will be permissible, because he considered riding camels and horses to be permissible.
This is how the madh-hab continues. The scholars who codify the madh-hab, know the madh-hab inside out and know the sayings of Imaam Ahmad and what he meant when he said such and such things. These are the people who master the madh-hab and the people whom as-Saffarini will quote from, but will not limit himself to just scholars within the madh-hab.
The sheikh then goes on after briefly introducing the scholars of the Hanbali madh-hab.
Imaam as-Saffarini wrote, “Perhaps the God of the Throne would enrich us therewith and grant us on the Day of Resurrection the best of stations.”
Any object taken as an object of worship is Ilaah.
According to that understanding an idol is an ilaah, a god. Money is a god. Various types of animals are gods, because people worship them, but the only Ilaah that is deserving of worship is ALLAAH.
So when a person says laa ilaaha illaAllaah, he means that there is no god worthy of worship except Allaah. If he were to mean there is no god except Allaah, this would not be as accurate since there are other gods besides Allaah (i.e. money, women, animals, nationality, passports and visas, in terms of being objects of worship), but these do not deserve to be worshipped; only Allaah deserves to be worshipped. Allaah is the One True God, the Ilaah.
What is the ‘Arsh (Throne)?
A body of huge magnitude and it is considered the roof of Paradise and therefore above the seventh heaven, and it is right above Paradise. The light that exists in Paradise comes from the Throne of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa.
Scholars differ as to the first thing that was created. Some people say that it was the Throne and then the Footstall of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa (according to Ibn ‘Abbas radiAllaahu ‘anhu).
Who is he referring to when he says “us”?
Himself, and all of the brothers around him at that time and the readers of the book and of course it could mean an honory way of referring to himself.
In Arabic, the word “we” can be used as plural or as a singular term referring to one person and thuse attaching a sense of nobility to oneself.
Even the Queen, when she speaks, she refers to herself as “we”!
Many people, oftentimes Christians, read the Qur’aan and find that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa is referring to Himself as “We”. They try to use that to say that Muslims believe in plural gods!
In nearly all languages they have these pronouns that can be used as plurals or to denote someone’s majesty.
As for his saying “… enrich us therewith…” This is something important to remember; the fact that this poem was written a hundred years ago, without a publishing industry printing thousands of copies. He wrote this poem thinking that it will be something which he can benefit from, even after his death. Hence he made the du’aa’ to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa. Each time people documented or wrote a manuscript of this poem, each time someone took it and explained it, like Imaam as-Saffarini, and each time we study this book, inshaa’Allaah the author of this poem and as-Saffarini as well will be rewarded for this poem.
Deeds that continue to benefit us even after we pass away.
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who will pray for him.”
[Muslim]
So if a person were to donate some money to a Madrassah and this Madrassah were to go on to educate Muslims for years on, the rewards for spreading the knowledge of Islaam will continue to benefit him even after he passes away.
Many scholars added many more things to this. As-Suyooti rahimahullaah mentiond ten things that if a person does, the rewards for those continue after his death.
What does the last one mean?
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever starts a good thing in Islam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a reward like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their reward. Whoever starts a bad thing in Islam, and others do likewise after him, there will be written for him a burden of sin like that of those who followed him, without it detracting in the least from their burden.’”
[Muslim]
The soofees and innovators use this hadeeth to try and validate their newly invented practices.
Looking at the context of the hadeeth, a sahabi came and donated some charity openly in presence of other people and as an example for other people. So other people felt they need to donate as well. So this sahabi initiated a “good sunnah” and he got the reward for the people who followed him in his act of charity.
Giving charity is something which is an established Sunnah and not a newly invented matter!
So the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was speaking about someone initiating a sunnah, he was speaking about establishing that which was already legislated in the shar’eeyah.
That which is not legislated in the religion, the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said about initiating that:
It is narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm ‘Abdullah ‘Aishah, radiAllaahu ‘anha, that the Messenger of Allah, sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected.”
[Al-Bukhari Muslim]According to the version in Muslim, (it reads): “Whosoever works a work which has for it no command of ours is to be rejected.”
Yawm al-Hashr refers to the day in which humankind will be ressurected.
This day is described in many ways. For instance people will be ressurected from their graves and they will be nude, and the sun will be only miles away from the human beings, and there will be overcrowding, their eyes will begin to pop out. It will be as if everyone will be drunk but in reality the people will be scared. A woman who is pregnant will deliver the baby there and then out of fear, and the baby will grow old out of fear.
On that day that maybe he hopes that by writing this poem Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa will grant them a station from which they will be protected from all these aspects of terror on that Day.
All hadeeth mentioned regarding in reference the Day of Ressurection in this book are weak.
al-Harb was one of the most prominent students of Imaam Ahmad.
Al-Harb reported that the prophet sallaAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, Allaah will gather all the scholars on the Day of Ressurection and say: O scholars, I did not give you my knowledge except that I knew you well and I did not give you that knowledge to punish you. Go you are free, I have forgiven you all.”
[ - (Weak)]
Ibn al-Qayyim mentions “Even if this tradition is ghareeb, it has many other traditions which support it in meaning.” [Miftah Daar as-Sa'adah]
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr adds that Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa will put all the scholars in one group and then judge between all people, the people of Paradise and the people of Hellfire. After this, he will mention the above to the scholars.
Ibn al-Qayyim said that some of the salaf said that a person will have all his good deeds on one side of the scale and all his bad deeds on the other side of the scale. The bad deeds will outweigh the good deeds, until the person will completely lose hope, until he thinks that this is the end of his destiny and he will be in the Fire of Hell. Just as he lost hope, there will come a cloud from top and it will be placed on his scale of good deeds and it will be said, “Do you realise that this is from your actions?” The person will say, “No, I do not recognize it.” It will be said to him, “This is what you taught the people from the good and the people continued to act from the knowledge they gained from you. This is how this person will be rescued from the fire of hell.
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Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
