75 Hadith on Politics, Power and Justice

Posted by: Dawud Israel | December 23, 2018

75 Hadith on Politics, Power and Justice

Politics literally means ‘affairs of the cities’ and government. But more operantly, distribution of power and resources and inter-relationships. What guidance then does Islam provide us in regards to politics?

I began this article intending to only list 40 hadith on politics and power, as per the Arba’in tradition, but I quickly realized the need for this guidance, especially in the age of the Khawarij. This knowledge can assist in preventing radicalism, resolve family disputes and masjid disputes, making sense of social media interactions and interactions with non-Muslims. It will lay bear what we need to watch out for in terms of violence, war, tribalism, sectarianism, religious confusion, fitan, controversy, and on and on.

I looked at everything I had from my lecture notes and books and realized this knowledge isn’t easily accessible but it could save lives and souls. In this age of confusion and violence, where jihad and extremism are confused, this research could make a big difference. It took a great deal of time to compile this in order to give maximum benefit to Muslims around the world. But that said, not everything here is sourced fully as it is my notes from lectures or the source got lost, but I trust it can be found with some elbow grease. I have only commented maybe 4 times on hadith/topic in all of this with my own thoughts, for whatever its worth, but in no way am I putting myself out to be a scholar or expert.

I expanded from the intial 40 hadith to include:

75 Ahadith with necessary commentary
12 ayahs of Qur’anic guidance
Numerous Sayings of the saliheen
Sayings of contemporary and classical scholars

Most discussions around politics and Islam focus on the ideas of government (siyasa) proposed by al-Mawardi, Imam al-Ghazali, and later on, Ibn Taymiyyah. All of these political systems are quietist and anti-revolutionary. The two impulses in the Muslim heart now are revolution or quietism. Quietism remains the orthodox position, from the Tabi’in era onward to colonial times. Even in the ideas of Ibn Taymyyah this quietism exists and you can learn more in the video below (see the comments in the video for a transcript).

Yet revolution too has a beating heart in Islam, with Musa (as) and Husayn (ra) being its exemplar. Yet what is forgotten is Musa was not just fighting oppression: he was fighting Firawn, the antichrist of Bani Israel, who claimed to be god (nauzobillah) and liberating his entire qawm. Sayyidina Husayn (ra) too was fighting oppression but he was foremost fighting to preserve the religion of his grandfather ﷺ. The stakes were very high in that they approached existential levels – the destruction of monotheism and all its people. And lastly, both were not rebels but were completely authorized to do so; Allah calls Musa ‘sultan’ in the Qur’an and Sayyidina Husayn was from the Ahlul Bayt and had legitimate claim to rule.

Outside of politics, revolution and quietism exist in the microcosm of the heart, revolution against the nafs and quietism with Qadr (Destiny) . But more commonly, we reverse these two polarities – revolution against Qadr and quietism with nufus. We tolerate our selfish ego and try to change what cannot be changed. Revolution is ego-tistically fueled, in mosque management disputes, firing of ulema who become embroiled in controversy or get on the wrong side of someone with authority. I say, benefit from ulema before they reach an ‘expiration date’ – when controversy & politics visit them & they remind you of other than Allah. Likewise, with social media where most commentary is fighting and disagreement, a zero sum game where no one has ever been a winner but the ego powers a merry-go-round of endless fighting.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse any particular outset or political orientation or any political movement. This post is purely for educational purposes. I have sourced as much as I can. If someone is writing a paper and requires more accurate sourcing for footnotes, comment below and I will try my best to assist.

Qur’anic Guidance:

“But the people divided their religion among them into sects – each faction, in what it has, rejoicing.” (Qur’an, 23:53)
“And when it is said unto them: Make not mischief in the earth, they say: We are peacemakers only.” (Qur’an 2:11)
If I were Musa (alayhis-salam) and was in his dire condition and I helped some bashful ladies out, I might ask for help or compensation from them. But he helped them and then left and asked Allah for help, and Allah accomplished for him all he needed. “O Moses!” (It was said), “Draw near, and fear not: for thou art of those who are secure.” (Qur’an, 28:32) When Musa and Khidr fixed the collapsing wall for the inhospitable townspeople, Musa mentions they could have been paid for their work and it is only then Khidr finally says, “This is the parting (firaqu) between me and you.” (Qur’an, 18:78).
“And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you, and you have no guardians besides Allah, then you shall not be helped.” (Surah Hud v. 113)
“We willed to show favor to those who were oppressed on earth, and to turn them into leaders, and make them the inheritors.” (Qur’an, 28:5)
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well Acquainted with what you do. ” (Qur’an, 4:135)
“…and do not help one another in sin and oppression; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is severe in requiting evil.” (Qur’an, 5:2)
“The way of blame is only against those who treat the people unjustly, and resort to aggression without provocation. These have incurred a painful retribution” (Qur’an, 42:42)
“And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, “We intended only the best.” And Allah testifies that indeed they are liars.” (Qur’an, 9:107)
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” (Qur’an, 3:103)
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.” (Qur’an, 4:59)
And the king said, “Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself.” And when he spoke to him, he said, “Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted.” [Joseph] said, “Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian.” And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. (Qur’an, 12:54-56)

Sayyidina Ali said: “wa hadhal Qur’an innama khatan masturan bayna dafatayn, la yantiqu innama yatakalahu bi rijal – “This Qur’an, it is simply that, lines that are written between two bindings. It doesn’t speak itself, but instead, men speak for it.” -From Shaykh Na’eem talk

Ahadith of Rasulullah ﷺ

Rulers

“If an Ethiopian slave with a cut off nose and ear were appointed as your ruler, you would have to listen to and obey his orders as long as he rules in accordance with the Book of Allah.” (Ibn Majah; Bukhari, Ahkam, 4)
Hudhayfa b. al-Yaman said that he ﷺ said, “Rulers will come after me who will not be guided by my guidance, nor will they follow my sunna. There will be among them men who have the hearts of devil in human bodies.” He said, “What shall I do, O Messenger of Allah, if I come upon that?” He ﷺ said, “Listen and obey the ruler. And if he beats you and usurps your wealth, listen and obey.” (Sahih Muslim)
It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: ‘O Abu Dharr, I think that you are weak, and I like for you what I like for myself. Do not accept a position of Amir over two people, and do not agree to be the guardian of an orphan’s property.’ (Sunan an-Nasa’i, The Book of Wills)
“The master or leader of the people (nation) is the one who serves them (sayyid al qawm khadimuhum).”
“Qur’an and Government will go separate ways, so go with the Qur’an.” (Hadith from Hamza Yusuf’s Life of the Prophet Muhammad CD set)
Aisha: “When Allah desires a good for a ruler, he appoints for him a sincere minister (wazir) who will remind him when he forgets and helps him when he remembers. And if Allah wishes the contrary, he appoints an evil minister.” (Sunan Abu Dawud) Sidenote: In the Qur’an Allah appoints Harun as a wazir to Musa.
Commentary on Obeying the Ruler:
1. Some sahabas disagreed with Uthman bin Affan during his khilafa in regards to shortening or not shortening the prayer when traveling. But they would all follow his opinion, because he was the Khalifa and Imam of the Muslims.
2. Abdullah ibn Umar said, “If a leader is just, he is rewarded and thanked; and if he is unjust, the burden is his and you have to endure.”
3. A saying of Ka’b al-Ahbar said, “Islam, the ruler, and the people are like a tent, a pole, and pegs. The tent is Islam, the pole is the ruler, and the pegs are the people. Each is useful only with the others.”
4. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said, “Only the lenient without weakness and the strong without violence are good for this matter [of ruling].”
5. Imam al-Shafi‘i: “Become a faqīh before you become a leader, since when you are a leader there is no path to becoming a faqīh.”
6. Hasan al-Basri, the last bad trait that gets out of the hearts of the champions of truth is love for leadership (or fame).

Justice and Oppression

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Being just for one hour in government is better than worshiping for sixty years.”
And he ﷺ said, “Each of you is a shepherd, and each shepherd is responsible for his flock.”
“Not one of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” or “of what is good” in Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal version. (Abdal Hakim Murad, Commentary on the 11th Contentions, p. 41)
1. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad says the Imam Ahmad version of the hadith is better than the Golden rule of ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ since it is not subjective, but for what is good.
“Verily, tyrannical rulers will come after me and whoever affirms their lies and supports their oppression has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him, and he will not drink with me at the fountain in Paradise. Whoever does not affirm their lies and does not support their oppression is part of me and I am part of him, and he will drink with me at the fountain in Paradise.” (Source: Sunan An-Nasa’i 4207)
“The Messenger of Allah sent Mu’adh [bin Jabal] to Yemen, and said: ‘Beware of the supplication of the oppressed; for indeed there is no barrier between it and Allah.'” (al-Tirmidhi)
“Verily, the oppressed one prays against his oppressor until he takes his right, then continues to the point where the oppressor has a claim over him, which he will demand on the Day of Judgment.” (إنّ المظلوم ليدعو على ظالمه حتى يكافئه ثم يبقى للظالم فضل عنده يطالب به يوم القيامة) (note: still trying to find a source for this)
1. Commentary: A person once spoke out at length against Hajjaj (a Muslim tyrant). One of the pious predecessors (salaf) said to him, ‘Allah will take vengeance for Hajjaj against those who attacked him verbally, just as He will take vengeance against Hajjaj for those whom he has oppressed.’” (Imam Al-Ghazzali in ‘The Beginning of Guidance.’)
“If anyone aids an evildoer, God will give that man (the evildoer) power over him.” (Cited by Imam Ghazali in his ‘al-Munqidh ad-Dalal’)
1. Commentary: “Whoever condemns his brother for a sin that he repented from, will not die until Allah tests him with it. (i.e. the same sin)” ~Hasan
‘Allah is with the judge as long as he does not transgress.’ (Hadith mentioned by Abdal Hakim Murad in his Commentary on the 11th Contentions, p. 161)
Narrated Anas: Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?” The Prophet said, “By preventing him from oppressing others.” (Sahih Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 43, Number 624)
Commentary on Aiding an Oppressor:
1. “A tyrant and the one who helps an oppressor as well as the one who is pleased with such injustice all the three are accomplices in the sin.” ~Muhammad al-Baqir
2. “Whoever assists an oppressor against an oppressed one always remains under Divine anger until he stops aiding the tyrant.” ~Ja’far al-Sadiq
3. When Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was imprisoned, one of the prison guards came to him and asked him:“O Abu ‘Abdillah! The hadith that is narrated regarding the oppressors and those that aid them – is it authentic?” He said: “Yes.” The prison guard then said: “So, I am considered to be an aide of the oppressors?” Imam Ahmad replied: “No. The aides of the oppressors are those that comb your hair, and wash your clothes, and prepare your meals, and buy and sell from you. As for you, then you are one of the oppressors themselves!” [‘Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad’, by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 397]
4. Dawud Israel (compilers’) comment: In the Muslim community there is a riwaya’s of shaytanic transmission – our connections with people and picking up their bad habits and also the riwaya of heavenly transmission (i.e. religious knowledge and tarbiya). These riwayas give us a nisba that is demonic or heavenly. We can’t excise the despots in our ummah because we are connected to them in some way. They represent our demons. They are the personification of our sins. Somewhere in their actions we see how we too would be corrupted, we too see the same language our fathers use, the same pessimism, the same bleak outlook on life. Perhaps our distant or near relatives are acquaintances with this despot. These despots ‘inhere’ in our community on a micro level, in our everyday sins and shortcoming. What do we say then? Are we complicit? Have we bonded with these men that we can’t condemn this. How else can we define this – is it a societal Stockholme syndrome we suffer from? No doubt growing up Musa saw Pharaoh how corrupt he was, but no doubt he saw some acts of good and no doubt he saw Asiya in the house of Pharaoh. Asiya is the good element amongst the demonic elements – she is the one who may be the last means of guidance by way of filial piety. She will restrain Pharaoh. I think of the ‘Asiya element’ in our time are ulema like the late Shaykh Ramadan al-Bouti. Yes, we turn to God to give us the strength to forgive. But we also can turn to God to give us the strength to punish. If we can’t forgive with our hearts and if we can’t punish with our hands, then what? Then we turn to God to punish. Musa did not slay Pharaoh – God slew Him. In some strange way, I imagine Musa knew Pharaoh well enough from his childhood that he knew Pharaoh would never change. Maybe he knew and maybe it is through guidance that God brought about His punishment. Maybe God wanted Moses to guide Pharaoh as a way to guide the Pharaoh within Moses’ followers. Or because this was the only way God’s intervention and immense punishment could be justified. Perhaps if a man can’t punish, nor forgive, he can compromise by preaching guidance – in some pain-striken corner of his heart, hope more than anything in the world they reject God’s message and God’s punishment descend on them, while in the same corner hope more than anything in the world, they accept God and God’s mercy descends.

Non-Muslims

Man adana li fi adani – “Whoever harms a non-Muslim subject of Islam (dhimmi), has harmed me.”
“Whoever killed a person having a treaty of protection with Muslims, shall not smell the scent of Paradise, though its scent is perceived from a distance of forty years.” (Source Tafsir ibn Kathir)
In a Sahih Hadith, Anas ibn Malik, Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and companions, said, “Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, even if they are without faith, for there is no veil between it and Allah.”اتَّقُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ وَإِنْ كَانَ كَافِرًا فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ دُونَهَا حِجَابٌ (Musnad Imam Ahmad)
1. Note: this particular narration is unlike the other narrations as it mentions even the oppressed non-Muslim dua is answered.
Commentary:
1. A Jewish man gave salam to Ibn Abbas who returned the salam. Ibn Abbas then said, “If Firawn said something nice to me I would say it back.”
2. Under Prophet ﷺ and Khulafa Rashida, Jizya was not taking from women and children and elderly. A Jew who couldn’t work under Muslim rule was paid for state. Umar saw a person in street who was old and working and told him no don’t work, pay him. Umar passed by a woman with child crying, “I had to wean him off and he’s not 2 yet.” ‘Why?’ “Because Umar doesn’t give grant to kids until they are weaned off.” So Umar went back to workers and said “Free grant to kids from time of birth.” (Via Shaykh Ahmad Saad)
3. How Ecumenical Was Early Islam? by Fred M. Donner, it mentions some facts of Early Muslim rule:
  1. No historical evidence that Muslims ever destroyed any churches in their conquest.
  2. The early historical sources on Muslims were from Byzantines whom Muslims conquered so they were hateful of Muslims.
  3. Mu’awiya allowed minorities to worship as they wanted.
  4. The first governor of Jerusalem was a Jew.
  5. Sayyidina Umar allowed the Jews of Yemen to live on the Arabian Peninsula, he only expelled the Christians.
4. Ottoman’s abolished jizya under Sultan Abdul Majid in 1830s. (Shaykh Hamza Yusuf talk)
5. When Christians first met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam by Michael Philip Pen
6. See “Historical Lessons” at the end of this post for more commentary on Non-Muslims in Muslim lands.

Not Rebelling against the Ruler

“…As for rebelling against them (ie. rulers) or fighting them (rulers) it is unlawful by scholarly consensus, even if they are oppressors. A large number of hadiths clearly support what I just said…Scholars explain that the reason why a ruler is not automatically removed from his office or why it is unlawful to rebel against him is the civil discord, bloodshed, and civil strife that thereby results: the harm that results from removing him, therefore, is greater than the harm of keeping him in office.” (Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, 12.229)
Hasan al-Basri: “If people called on Allah when put to trial because of their rulers, Allah would relieve their suffering; but instead they resorted to the sword, so they were left to it. And not one day of good did they bring.” Then he recited Qur’an 7:137 (Ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Tafsir no.8897)
“One moment of anarchy is worse than 60 years under tyranny.” ~Imam Malik
Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur, putted to death Umayyads, forced bay’ah from people and Malik narrated hadith: laysal mustakral talaaq, a coerced divorced is invalid, which suggests to Abbasids their rule is invalid so the Khalifa forbade narration of this hadith. Imam Malik refused. The then Khalifa sends spies to Maliks house to see. The Governor of Madina arrests him and tortures him, spread on rack, shoulder dislocated and passed out. After this Imam Malik says, “I forgive al-Mansur because I don’t want to meet the Prophet ﷺ in the afterlife having prayed against a member of his family.” The torturers aren’t happy with this, so they humiliated him, shaved his beard, to get him to renounce the divorce fatwa, but Imam Malik says, “Whoever knows me and knows me, whoever doesn’t my name is Malik bin Anas and I say…a coerced divorced is invalid.” Eventually, al-Mansur lets him go.
“There is no rebellion in Islam, but if it does happen, afterwards the Shariah supports whoever can brings stability to society.” (Jonathan Brown)

Commentary on Controversies around Khilafa Rashida

“There will be strife between my Companions for which Allah will forgive them due to their companionship. Then, people will adopt this sunnah (way or example) after them and will therefore be admitted to Hellfire.” (al-Qurtubi in al-Tadhkirah)
Sayyidina Ali said, “If I had any instructions (from Rasulullah ﷺ to take the Khalifa), I would have taken my sword and fought Abu Bakr. Nabi ﷺ didn’t die suddenly and he instructed Abu Bakr to lead salah and he saw me (i.e Ali) when he instructed Abu Bakr. So whom he (salallahu alayhi wasalam) chose for our deen (Abu Bakr), we choose him for our dunya.” (Sirah al-Halabiyya via Shaykh Abdur-Raheem al-Limbada)
A lady came and asked for something from Rasulullah ﷺ. She said: “What if I don’t find you?” (ie you have passed away) “Go to Abu Bakr.” (via Shaykh Abdur-Raheem al-Limbada)
Ali ibn Abi Talib: “Muhammad the Prophet is my brother and father-in-law, Hamza the master of martyrs, is my uncle; Ja’far, the man who flies with angels morning and evening, is my mother’s son; Muhammad’s daughter is my bride and partner, And our flesh and blood are intertwined; Ahmad’s grandsons are my own two sons; So who among you, then, has a status like mine? I was the first of you all to enter Islam, still a boy whose adolescence had not yet begun.” Imam al-Bayhaqi said, “These lines of poetry should be memorized by anyone who is ignorant of the truth about ‘Ali, so that he can recognize his proud place in Islam.”
It is a mistake to think that Ali did not pledge bayah to Abu Bakr until after death of Fatima i.e for first 6 months. His bay’ah took place normally except he didn’t do so at Saqifa Banu Sa’ida because he was with Ahl al-Bayt doing burial rites for Nabi ﷺ. The following day Abu Bakr sat on pulpit of Masjid al-Nabawi and entire assembly pledged allegiance but Ali was not there. But Ali pledged bay’ah on the third day after the burial. The confusion is that Sayyida Fatima became ill for 6 months from the day of the demise of Nabi ﷺ so he was occupied with her. He only offered his help to Abu Bakr after those 6 months and this was his second pledge. This error comes from al-Zuhri who made additions who his contemporaries said, “Distinguish your speech from the speech of the Prophet ﷺ.” The chain is 25 different chains of transmission, within which 9 are contradictory and don’t contain words of Fatima becoming angry or breaking ties with Abu Bakr. Numerous chains do not mention delay in pledging baya. Besides al-Zuhri, there are 11 chains of transmission that relate differently to what he has narrated. See Mufti Taqi Usmani’s ‘Takmila Fath al-Mulhim’. Later on, Ali would stop Abu Bakr from leading the army in war of apostates, out of fear the Khalifa would be killed. Under Umar, Sayyidina Ali would receive an allowance from bayt al-mal of 5 thousand (dirhams) whereas Umar got 4 thousand and Umar married Umm Kulthum, Ali’s daughter, and Umar gave a dowry of 4000 dirhams. Under Uthman, Ali refuted the rebels that came from Egypt and he had Hasan and Husayn guard Uthman’s house. (From Manifestations of the Prophet Muhammad’s Beauty, p. 245)
Ahnaf ibn Qays narrated, “I was on my way to support this man (i.e Ali) when Abu Bakrah met up with me. He asked, “Where are you going?” I replied, “I’m on my way to help this man.” He said, “Go back, for I have heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say, ‘When two Muslims have an encounter with their swords, both the killer and the victim will go to the Fire.’ I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah! This killer’s (outcome is logical) but what was wrong with the victim?’ He said, ‘Indeed, he was eager to kill his companion.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari)
1. Commentary: Abu Bakrah felt that the Prophet’s ﷺ words applied to every altercation between Muslims but in reality it applied to only those altercations which are baseless and have no connection to religious truths. Ahnaf accepted Abu Bakrah’s explanation but later he changed his mind and joined Ali. (Fath al-Bari I:117) Scholars forbid involvement in civil strife due to this hadith to the extent they say even self-defence isn’t allowed against a Muslim. Abu Bakrah and Abu Said al-Khudri held this view (Tabaqat). Imran ibn Husayn and Ibn Amr disagree and say you can defend yourself if targeted. The majority of Sahaba and Tabi’un say getting involved and supporting the group that is on the truth is compulsory quoting Surah Hujurat v 9. Allamah al-Ayni agrees with this and says if no action is taken against the people who cause social unrest, there would be communal disorder. This group views this hadith applicable in cases where neither party is fighting for the truth; their motives cannot be justified in light of any shariah based text. (Umdat al-Qari I:316; Commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, Bukhari Publications)
When Hasan al-Basri was asked the question concerning the wars between the noble Companions of the Prophet ﷺ he replied, “Those were fights in which the Companions were present and we were not. They knew all the circumstances and we do not know them. The matter in which the Companions are unanimous, we follow; and the matter in which there is difference of opinion, we observe silence.”
Once a man said to al-Mu’afa bin Imran: How far Muawiya still is from Umar bin Abdul Aziz? Therein he felt angry and said, “No one is put into comparison with the Companions of the Prophet. Muawiya is his companion, his relative, his writer and keeper of Divine Revelation.” -Shifa of Qadi Iyad, the Prophet’s ﷺ rights upon mankind, Rights due upon his ﷺ Companions p. 496
It is related that Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz once said, “In a dream I beheld Allah’s Messenger ﷺ sitting in the company of Abu Bakr and Umar (ra). I greeted them, and then sat down. While I was seated, Ali and Mu’awiya were brought, led into a room, and the door was closed on them while I watched. At once, Ali (ra) emerged, declaring, “By the Lord of the Kaaba, judgment is passed in my favour.” Then Mu’awiya came out immediately behind him and said, “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I am forgiven!” (al-Ghazali, Kitab Dhikr al-Mawt)
Hasan told Husayn, “Don’t go up against Mu’awiya. Leadership of deen and dunya are not going to come together in this family.” He was content with riyasa of the deen. (from Hamza Yusuf’s Life of the Prophet Muhammad CD set)
Chapter 8 (of al-Qawanin al-Fiqhiyyah of Ibn Juzayy On the Imamate, concerning which there are two issues:
1. First issue: on affirmation of the Imamate of the Four Khulafa, may Allah be pleased with them. The proof of the Imamate of all of them has three aspects: first, each of them united the conditions of the Imamate completely; second, the Muslims who lived in the time of each one of them were unanimous in pledging allegiance to him and in coming under obedience to him, and consensus is a proof; third, that companionship (with the Prophet) which each of them had, [their] emigration, majestic deeds, Allah’s praise of them, and the Truthful One’s, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, bearing witness of the Garden for them. Moreover the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ indicated the Khilafah of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, and he commanded that people model themselves on them. He put Abu Bakr in charge of the Farewell Hajj and made him lead the prayer in his final illness which is an indication of his being appointed Khalifah. Then Abu Bakr appointed Umar Khalifah, then Umar made the matter the business of consulation among six [people] and they agreed on putting Uthman forward. He was wrongfully killed, for which there is the testimony of the Prophet ﷺ and his promise to him of the Garden for that. Then the man with most right to it was Ali because of his noble rank and his sublime virtues. As for that which happened between Ali and Mu’awiyyah and those Companions with each of them, then the most fitting thing is to withhold oneself from mentioning it, and that they should be remembered in the best way, and that one should seek the best interpretation for them, because it was a matter of ijtihad. As for Ali and those with him, they were on the truth because they exercised ijtihad and were correct [in it] and so they will be rewarded. As for Mu’awiyyah and those with him, they exercised ijtihad and were mistaken, and they are to be excused. It is required that one respect them and all of the Companions and love them because of the praise of them that occurs in Qur’an and because of their accompanying the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wasalam. He ﷺ said, “Allah! Allah! concerning my companions. Do not make them a target after me. Whoever loves them, then it is for love of me he loves them. Whoever hates them, it is because of hatred of me that he hates them. Whoever harms them has harmed me, and whoever harms me has harmed Allah.”
2. The Second Issue: the pre-conditions of the Imamate are eight: Islam, maturity (puberty), intellect (i.e. sanity), maleness, justice, knowledge, competence, and that his descent should be from Quraysh, but on this [last] there is a difference of opinion. So that if people agree [on pledging allegiance] to one who does not meet all of the conditions then it is permitted, from fear of causing dissension and sedition. It is not permitted to rise up against people in authority even if they are tyrannical, unless they openly display clear disbelief. It is obligatory to obey them in [both] whatever a man loves and [whatever] he dislikes, unless they order disobedience [to Allah] for there is no obedience due to a creature if it involves disobedience to the Creator.

Making Peace between Muslims

Abdullah ibn Amr narrated, The Prophet ﷺ said, “A Muslim is a person whose tongue and hands other Muslims remain secure from, and a migrant is a person who forsakes everything Allah has forbidden.” (al-Bukhari)
Reported by Um Kulthum bint Uqba (ra): That she heard Allah’s Apostle ﷺ saying, “He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar.” (al-Bukhari)
1. Commentary: “Soft words, soften the hearts that are harder than rock. Harsh words, harden hearts, that are softer than silk.” ~Imam alGhazali
Kathir bin ‘Amr bin ‘Awf Al-Muzani narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Reconciliation is allowed among the Muslims, except for reconciliation that makes the lawful unlawful, or the unlawful lawful. And the Muslims will be held to their conditions, except the conditions that make the lawful unlawful, or the unlawful lawful.” (Book: The Chapters On Judgements, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi)
Shaykh Abdur-Raheem Limbada narrated this beautiful incident in Shamail al-Tirmidhi: This reminds me of a beautiful advice of sayyiduna Ali. When he sent Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra) to talk to the Khawaarij, he instructed Ibn Abbas to stress on the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. He encouraged him to avoid using texts from Quran and Hadith, because words can be interpreted in many ways. He told him to give them daleel from the Sunnah. Abdullah Ibn Abbas spoke to them. They said “Quran says Hukm is for Allah alone, and Ali has agreed to the hukm of two arbitrators, so he has gone against the Quran, thus he is a kafir.” Abdullah Ibn Abbas replied that Rasulullah ﷺ himself made a truce with the mushrikeen, in the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, so did he become a kafir by agreeing to the proposals of the arbitrators from the mushrikeen side? Why did he not wait for the hukm of Allah? So, we should always base our lives on the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.
1. Ibn Abbas said the verse “And whoever does not decide by what Allah has revealed, they are Kafirs,” refers to a kufr that is close to the ultimate kufr. “The kufr mentioned in this verse is not the kufr disbelievers resort to nor is it the kufr that moves a person outside the parameters of the religion.” (Mustadarak ala al-Sahihayn 3219)
2. Al-Azhari says when kufr is used in the Qur’an it has 4 connotations:
  1. Rejection (inkar): to disbelieve in Allah’s divine exclusivity (tawhid) from the heart and to articulate that disbelief.
  2. Denial (juhud): to believe in Allah’s tawhid from the heart but to refuse to articulate that belief eg. Shaytan
  3. Stubbornness (inad): to believe in Allah’s tawhid from the heart and to articulate it, but refuse to accept Islam as a religion eg. Abu Talib
  4. Hypocrisy (nifaq): to disbelieve in Allah’s tawhid from the heart but publicly declare belief in it eg. munafiqun. It also has connotations of disassociating (bara’ah) as shaytan says, “I disassociate (kufr) myself from your associating me with Allah in His divinity before.” (Qur’an 14:22). Kufr is also applied to enormities a Muslim commits such as murder, communal unrest, spreading corruption, rebelling against authorities and therefore kufr can have varying degrees. (Umdat al-Qari I:300)
It was narrated that Anas bin Sirin said: “I heard Anas bin Malik say: ‘The Shaitan disputed with Nuh, peace be upon him, concerning the grapevine. One said: “This is for me,” and the other said: “This is for me.” Then they agreed that Nuh would have one-third and the Shaitan would have two-thirds.'” (The Book of Drinks. Sunan an-Nasa’i)
1. Dawud Israel’s comment: Ponder on how Nuh (alayhi salam) was fair and made peace even with Shaytan!
The Prophet ﷺ forbids that a person be an opportunist; rather, they should always be beneficent, following the way of trust. Hudhayfa (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Do not be opportunists, saying: “If people are good we are good; and if the people are wicked, we are wicked.” ‘Resolve to be good if the people are good; and if they are bad, do not yourselves be wicked.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi)
“None of you can (truly) believe until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (al-Bukhari, Muslim)
“Bring out good character out of people, by having good character towards them.” (via Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa talk)

Muslim Unity

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one day, and made the prayer lengthy. When he finished we said (or they said): ‘O Messenger of Allah, you made the prayer lengthy today.’ He said: ‘I offered a prayer of hope and fear. I asked Allah for three things for my nation, and He granted me two and refused one. I asked Him not to let my nation be destroyed by enemies from without, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by drowning, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by fighting among themselves, but He refused that.’” (Ibn Maja)
“When a nation takes an action after mutual consultation, it is surely guided towards the correct course.” (Adab al-Mufrad, Bukhari)
Abu Thalama as-Shamani (spelling?) on caravan journeys we would take break and get off to rest and would scatter in different corners to rest. The Prophet ﷺ said: “This is the actions of shaytan who tries to divide the Muslims.’ (Musnad Ahmad) (I recall the imam in his khutba was relating this to Muslims sitting scattered about in the masjid)
al-majalis bil amana Gatherings are with a trust. (Hadith narrated in Za’d al-Talibeen)
Abu Barzah al-Aslami: The Prophet ﷺ said: “O community of people, who believed by their tongue, and belief did not enter their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, 2283)
Ibn Umar (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A Muslim is a brother of (another) Muslim, he neither wrongs him nor does hand him over to one who does him wrong. If anyone fulfils his brother’s needs, Allah will fulfil his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection…” [Bukhari and Muslim].
Hadith of Abi Dharr reported: “There are three persons that Allah loves: (1) A group of people who travel by night until the point where sleep becomes more preferable to them. So they all lay down their [weary] heads. Except for one of them who stands the night [in prayer], ingraciating himself to Me (yatamallaqani) and reciting My verses. And (2) a group of people who were in an offensive charge but were routed, except that one of them turned [alone] to face their adversaries, and remained steadfast until he met his end. And he also mentioned (3) a group who were approached by a beggar who petitioned them yet they didn’t give to him [and continued along] yet one from among them broke away [returning] to give to him secretly)). So these three individuals separated from their groups to engage with Allah secretly between themselves and Him; and so Allah loved them. (Jami al-Tirmidhi)
There is a hadith on shaytan: Shaytan overcomes you with 2 things: 1) put fear in your mind, 2) making you deny reality/belie the truth, takdhib bil haqq. (via Shaykh Abdullah Adhami talk)
“If you start seeking faults in Muslims, you will cause dissent among them or you will at least start dissension.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“The believer is the one with whom one can be close. The one who is not close and to whom one cannot be close is of no use. The good among men are those from whom others profit.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“Allah approves the keeping of old friendships.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“The best of my people will enter Paradise not because of their achievements, but because of the Mercy of Allah and their quality of being satisfied with little for themselves and their extreme generosity toward others.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“As you wish people to come to you, go to them.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“What thing most attracts the anger of Allah?” He replied, “When one considers himself and his actions highly, and worse still, expects a return for his good deeds.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
“One of the signs of a good Muslim is that he leaves alone everything that does not concern him.” (Kitab al-Futuwwa, al-Sulami)
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (May God be pleased with him. Ameen!) said, “The Messenger of God (May the peace and blessings of God be upon him. Ameen!) said, “Do not curse each other, do not curse your children, do not curse your servants and do not curse your property lest it should coincide with a time from God in which gifts that are asked for are granted.” (Muslim, Abu Dawud)
Jama tu rahma wa firqatu adhab – The mainstream consensus is a mercy and differences are a punishment. -Hadith via Faraz Khan at Rihla 2018
From Mulla Ali al-Qari’s Arbain p. 45ukhbir taqlih Test and you will loathe -Abu Nu’aym via Abu Darda Allamah Sindhi’s Commentary: Examine and test people and when you have tested and have had your experience with them it will lead you to loath them and leave them. Taqlih is derived from qaly (to loath). This can be put in perspective through a statement of Hasan al-Basri who said: “Handpick brothers, friends and company. Love them moderately and hate them moderately. Truly, many nations loved others excessively and it destroyed them; many nations hated others excessively and that destroyed them. If you see a veil before your brother, do not remove it.” See Abu Nu’aym, Hilyat al-awliya, 5:154; ad-Daylami, Musnad al-Firdaws, 1:522 (1759); al-Qud’ai, al-Musnad, 1:369 (409); at-Tabarani, al-Musnad ash-Shamiyyin (1493); al-Amthal of Abu ‘sh-Shaykh, p. 117; Ibn al-Mubarak, Kitab az-Zuhd, p.185; al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-khafa’ (151); al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, 1:206-207 and his compilation Kunuz al-haqaiq, 1:23 (207), as-Sakhawi, al-Maqasid al-hasanah, p.26; Ibn al-Jawzi, al-‘Ilal al-mutanahiyah, 2:723 and 2:235-236 and Ibn Hajar, al-Matalib al-aliyya (2702)
Commentary on Unity and Brotherhood
1. “The jama’ah with its impurity is greater than the sect with its purity.” ~Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib
2. Muhammad Ibn Al-Hanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – said: “He is not wise who does not live in a good way with the person he has no choice but to live with, until Allāh gives him relief from that [situation]. (Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:117 et al)
3. “He who doesn’t praise a brother’s intention, will not praise his good deed.” -Sayyidina Ali
4. Ibrahim at-Taymi was a tabi’i who lived in the same time as Ibrahim an-Nakha’i. an-Nakha’i opposed Hajjaj and when Hajjaj came after him, an-Nakha’i hid and the soldiers found Ibrahim at-Taymi thinking he is Ibrahim an-Nakha’i, so they imprisoned Ibrahim at-Taymi. Ibrahim at-Taymi rather than say he is not an-Nakha’i let them believe he is an-Nakha’i ‘I will stay here in prison so that Ibrahim an-Nakha’i can continue to teach outside.’
5. Imam Mujahid: “What would you like them to say about you on your behalf, pretend that person is present…”
6. Imam as-Shafi’i said of a man who keeps anothers company then says he knows his face but not his name, “That’s the knowledge of fools.”
7. “If it were not for the munafiqun, you would feel all alone in the streets (the streets would be empty).” -Hasan al-Basri
8. “Whoever looks at the faults of others is blind to his own faults. Whoever looks for his own faults cannot see the faults of others.” -Dhun-Nun al-Misri
9. The great saint Ibrahim al-Nakha’i said, “Beware of the mistake of the learned. Do not cut him off, but await his return [that is, to the straight path].”
10. Abu Darda (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) referred to this verse when he was asked, “Do you not hate your brother when he has done such and such?” to which he replied, “I only hate what he has done, otherwise he is my brother.” (al-Ghazali, On the Duties of Brotherhood, the Ihya’).

Humility

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There is no human being except that the wisdom of his mind is in the hands of an angel. When he shows humility, the angel is ordered to increase his wisdom. When he shows arrogance, the angel is ordered to decrease his wisdom.” (Source: Mu’jam Al-Kabeer At-Tabarani 12771 Grade: Hasan (fair) according to As-Suyuti)
“Man samata Naja – The silent one is saved.” (al-Tirmidhi, no.2501)
al-hilm sayyidul akhlaq – Forbearance is the foremost of character traits.”
Mutakalifeen are pretenders. There is a hadith: “I am not one of those who pretend.” He ﷺ went according to his nature. Takalluf — do something out of burden. Whenever you do something out of one’s nature. (From a Shaykh Samer al-Nass tafsir class)

Marriage

“I know when you (Aisha) are upset or happy with me, when you are happy with me you say, “By the Lord of Muhammad” and when you are upset, you say, “By the Lord of Ibrahim.” (Hamza Yusuf Seerah class)
In a khutbah there is a story of Aisha being angry with Rasulullah ﷺ and Abu Bakr was made the arbitrator. Aisha said: “You are the one who thinks they are a prophet of God.” Rasulullah ﷺ smiled. “Do you have any doubt ya Aisha?” Then Abu Bakr slapped (or tried to slap) her and she ran behind Rasulullah ﷺ for protection.
“Whoever endures his wife’s bad character, Allah will give him a reward like that He gave to Ayyub (alayhi-salam) for his tribulation, while to one who endures the bad character of her husband, Allah will give a recompense like that of Asiya, the wife of Firawn.” [Ihya Ulum ad-Din, Vol. 2]
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Love your beloved mildly, perhaps he will become hateful to you someday. Hate whom you hate mildly, perhaps he will become your beloved someday.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1997)
1. Commentary: 56% of American-Muslim marriages today end in divorce. (shaykh Omar Qureshi’s remarks at Rihla 2018)

Transactions – Bribery, Satisfaction and Sharing

Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wasalam) once sent somebody to collect zakat from a certain region. When the man returned he handed some of the zakat over and kept some for himself saying that he had received it as a gift from the people. Allah’s Apostle then ascended his pulpit and addressed everybody. In it he said: “I employ some men from among you for some job which Allah has placed in my charge, and then one of you comes to me and says, ‘This (amount) is for you and this is a gift given to me.’ Why doesn’t he stay at the house of his father or the house of his mother and see whether he is given gifts. By Allah whoever takes anything unlawfully will bring it on the Day of Resurrection by carrying it over his neck.” [Bukhari]
Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostles used to accept gifts and used to give something in return. (Bukhari, Book #47, Hadith #758)
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes bribe. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book #24, Hadith#3573)
Narrated Abu Umamah: The Prophet (peace be upon_him) said: If anyone intercedes for his brother and he presents a gift to him for it and he accepts it, he approaches a great door of the doors of usury. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book #23, Hadith #3534)
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar ; Abdullah Ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: It is not lawful for a man to make a donation or give a gift and then take it back, except a father regarding what he gives his child. One who gives a gift and then takes it back is like a dog which eats and vomits when it is full, then returns to its vomit. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book #23, Hadith #3532)
“The wealth of a Muslim person is not ḥalāl (lawful) except with the happiness of his heart.” (Musnad Imam Ahmad 20695, Sunan Daraqutni)
It was narrated from ‘Amr bin Shu’aib, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The two parties to a transaction have the choicer so long as they have not separated, unless they reach an agreement before parting, and it is not permissible to hasten to leave for fear that the other party may change his mind.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i The Book of Financial Transactions.)
It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Abu Jahm bin Hudhaifah to collect Sadaqah. A man disputed with him concerning his Sadaqah, and Abu Jahm struck him and wounded his head. They came to Prophet ﷺ and said: “Compensatory money, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ!” The Prophet ﷺ said: “You will have such and such,” but they did not accept that. He said: “You will have such and such,” and they agreed. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: “I am going to address the people and tell them that you agreed.” They said: “Yes.” So the Prophet ﷺ addressed (the people) and said: “These people of Laith came to me seeking compensatory money, and I have offered them such and such. Do you agree?” They said: “No.” The Emigrants wanted to attack them, but the Prophet ﷺ told them not to, so they refrained. Then he called them and offered them more and said: “Do you agree?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “I am going to address the people and tell them that you agreed.” They said: “Yes.” So the Prophet ﷺ addressed (the people) then said: “Do you agree?” They said: “Yes.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, The Chapters on Blood Money)
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: “Sa’d, ‘Ammar and I entered into a partnership on the day of Badr, (agreeing to share) whatever was allotted to us. ‘Ammar and I did not get anything, but Sa’d got two men (slaves).” (Sunan ibn Majah, The Chapters on Business Transactions)
Ibn Abbas narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Khaybar, he stipulated that the land, and all the yellow and white, meaning gold and silver belonged to him. The people of Khaybar said to him: “We know the land better, so give it to us so that we may work the land, and you will have half of its produce and we will have half.” He maintained that, he gave it to them on that basis. When the time for the date harvest came, he sent Ibn Rawahah to them. He assesses the date palms, and he said: “For this tree, such and such (amount).” They said: “You are demanding too much of us, O Ibn Rawahah!” He said: “This is my assessment and I will give you half of what I say.” They said: “This is fair, and fairness is what heaven and earth are based on.” They said: “We agree to take (accept) what you say.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, The Chapters Regarding Zakat)

Fitan

“When you notice people being overwhelmingly stingy, desires being followed. worldly gain being preferred to the Hereafter and everyone being proud of their own opinion – then mind to your own affairs (alayka khuwaysa bi nafsik).” (Ibn Majah)
Recorded in al-Hakim’s Mustadrak, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said, “When the Muslims begin to loathe scholars and are preoccupied with commerce and its development, obsessing over accumulation of wealth, God will then direct at them 4 tribulations: loss of productivity, oppressive rulers, corrupt justice systems, and enemies who find them easy prey.”
Ali bin Abi Talib narrated: “When Allah revealed: “And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, for whomever is able to bear the journey. They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is that every year?’ He ﷺ remained silent. So they said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is that every year?’ He ﷺ said: ‘No. If I had said yes, then it would have been made obligatory.’ So Allah revealed: “O you who believe! Do not ask about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.” (Book: The Book on Hajj -Jami at-Tirmidhi 814 English translation : Vol. 2, Book 4, Hadith 814)
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever resides in the deserts, he becomes ignorant, whoever follows game, he becomes heedless, and whoever comes to the door of the Sultan, he will suffer a fitnah.” (Book: Chapters On Al-Fitan, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2256 English translation : Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2256)
1. Dawud Israel (compiler’s) comment: each spiritual disease is directly connected to what is mentioned alongside with it – the desert and ignorance are linked as both are barren, game is aimless as is following it, and the door of the sultan itself is where all fitna begins or ends.
Ka’b bin ‘Iyad narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed there is a fitnah for every Ummah, and the fitnah for my Ummah is wealth.” (Book: Chapters On Zuhd, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2336 English translation : Vol. 4, Book 10, Hadith 2336)
‘Udaisah bint Uhban said: “When ‘Ali bin Abu Talib came to Basrah, he entered upon my father and said: ‘O Abu Muslim, will you not help me against these people?’ He said: ‘Of course.’ So he called a slave woman of his and said: ‘O slave woman, bring me my sword.’ So she brought it, and he unsheathed it a span, and (I saw that) it was made of wood. He said: ‘My close friend and your cousin ﷺ advised me, if tribulation (fitnah) arose among the Muslims, that I should take a sword of wood. If you wish I will go out with you.’ He said: ‘I have no need of you or of your sword.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Tribulations)
Commentary:
1. Where the price of bread becomes more expensive than the wage of the labourer, two things become cheap: the honour of women and the integrity of men. ~Salahuddin Ayyubi
2. The hadith master ibn Shahin al-Ḥanbalī said, “Two righteous men have been tried because of astray people: Jaʿfar [aṣ-Șādiq] ibn Muḥammad and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.” In a similar fashion, ibn aṣ-Șalāh, another great ʿĀlim, elucidated these remarks, having said, “Two Imāms have been afflicted because of their followers although they are innocent of them.” That is, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal was tried with the anthropomorphists and Jaʿfar aṣ-Șādiq with the Shīʿah.
3. “Beware debt for it begins with worry and ends with war.” ~ Sayyiduna Umar ibn al Khattab

End Times

“My community is like rain, it is not known if its beginning is better or its end.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi)
‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There shall be a fitnah of extermination of the ‘Arabs. Its fighters are in the Fire. During it, the tongue is stronger then the sword.” (Book: Chapters On Al-Fitan, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2178. English translation : Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2178)
One of signs of End of Time in a hadith: “wa yakunal ghazu, siyaha” the ghazwa (battle) would just end up being shouting.” (Tabarani, mentioned by al-Ghumari, Morroccan muhaddith, Source: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf talk)
“No tribulation will afflict you as long as this man (pointing to Umar bin al-Khattab) is amongst you.” (al-Tabarani al-Mu’jam al-Awsat)
1. Dawud Israel (compiler’s) comment on this: I suspect one reason for this may have to do with the famous dua Umar (ra) would regularly make: Allahumma nas’aluka salaha as-sa’ati wa al-barakaa fi al-aqwati – “O Allah grant me righteousness of the Hour and Your Blessing in our time.”
The Prophet of God The Exalted ﷺ said, “Soon will come a time upon humanity when nothing of Islam will remain but only its name, and nothing of the Qur’an will remain but its script. The Muslim’s Mosques will be in fine opulence, will be full of people but completely devoid of true guidance. Their Scholars will be the worst of people beneath the sky, from whom will emerge corruption and into them it will return.” [Hadith collected by Bayhaqi, and vigorously authenticated by many]
1. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s commentary of “…and into them it will return.” “…. that they will call for bloodshed on the account of Islam….. that they will honour the dead on the account of martydom….. that they will speak disparagingly against the rightly guided people of knowledge……that they will alter the religion on the account of being united…. and only corruption will arise from them, and return to them. They will not stand for justice themselves and if they do will be amongst the first to be killed. When they speak against the rightly guided people or alter this religion, proof will be against them and there will be remaining a few who will preserve the truth…..”
2. Imam Nawawi commentary: “they will call and their gatherings will be full, yet devoid of guidance…”
“I’m not worried about Persia they will have one nat-ha (and become Muslim) but I fear the Europeans (Rum) – they will have one after another. Every time a nation among them dies a new one will emerge to oppose you. And they are not finished off until the Hour.” (Hadith from Hamza Yusuf Seerah class)
“Your companions are the Europeans as long as theirs good in life.” (Kanzul Ummal via Hamza Yusuf talk)
Amr ibn Al-As reported: The Quraish importer said to him that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, “The Hour will be established and the Romans will be a majority of the people.” Amr said, “Be careful what you say.” The man said, “I have said what I heard from the Messenger of Allah.” Amr said, “If the Prophet said that, indeed, there are four qualities in them: they are the most judicious of people during a tribulation, they are the quickest to recover after a calamity, they are the quickest to return to battle after a retreat, and they behave well with the poor and weak. Their fifth quality is good and beautiful: they are best at preventing the oppression of their kings.” (Sahih Muslim 2898)
Hadith on the Sign of the End times: the Ruwaybidta – who are they? Ignorant people that who give their opinion of affairs of the community. ~Shaykh Hamza Yusuf talk
Hadith: “The end of time won’t come until the kaffir will argue with the Muslim with the words of his religion.” ~Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Rihla class August 4 2016
Hadith: “End of time will not come until people put forward imams just to hear a beautiful voice.”
Abu Dawud mentions in the Sunan, related by Ahmad: “This my Ummah, is a Ummah that has mercy upon it, ‘Marhooma’- a Ummah that has mercy that’s been wrapped in Mercies; there is no punishment for this Ummah in the Hereafter except their punishment that they experience in the Dunya — killing and death and dying, trials and tribulations, earthquakes and the like.” And the wording of Abu Dawud is: ‘This Ummah reminds of the Ummah, that Allaah has placed His mercy upon. This Ummah will not have any punishment in the Hereafter, this punishment is in this world with fitan (trials, tribulations and punishments and difficulties), and earthquakes and killings (murder, death).”
Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (May Allah exalt his mention and protect him from imperfection) said: I wish that I could meet my brothers. The Sahabah asked: Are we not your brothers? He replied: You are my companions, but my brothers are those who will believe in me without having seen me. (Ahmad)
1. During his return from the visit, the Messenger (saw) cried. The companions said, “What makes you cry, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said, “I miss my brothers.” They said : “Are we not your brothers, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said, “No, you are my Companions. My brothers are those who will come after me and they believe in me without seeing me.” (Ad-Darimi, At-Tabarani, Al-Hakim)
“The work of deen in the latter days will happen through money.” (Imam al-Sha’rani’s, Lawahiqul Anwar)
1. “Religious knowledge will not be gained or imparted (in end of times) except for dirhams and dinars (i.e giving and spending money).” (Sufyan at-Thawri)
More ahadith in the video below.

Sayings of the Saliheen

Justice and Oppression

“al-mulk yabqa ma’al-kufr wala yabqu ma’a zulm” “Nations do not collapse because of kufr, they collapse because of injustice.” ~Sayyidina Ali
“The oppression of the kings is from the punishments of Allah Ta’ala.” ~Hasan Al-Basri
“The one who oppresses himself the most is: The one who humbles himself for one who does not honour him, And strives in the friendship of one who does not benefit him. And accepts praise from one who does not know him.” – Imam al-Shafi’i
Hasan al-Basri was invited to al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf court and he rebuked him severely. Hajjaj then invited him back again and the court looked like Hajjaj would execute him. Then Hasan al-Basri said a dua to be protected from al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf when he was about to kill him in his court: Allahumma wa li nimati wa maladhi inda kurbati ijal niqmatahu aliy bardan wa salaman kama ja-alta nara ala ibrahim bardan wa salaman – O Allah! He who grants me favour! My refuge during my affliciton. Make his anger upon me cool and safe, as You made the fire cool and safe upon Ibrahim. (From Manifestations of the Prophet Muhammad’s Beauty, p. 253)
Another dua attribued to Imam al-Shafi’i for protection from the Khalifa or ruler.
Story of Harun ar-Rashid came to visit Bishr al-Hafi who refused him entry to his home, ‘Leave me with my prayers.’ ‘We want your dua just as everyone does.’ He finally agreed but said, ‘Wait, let me blow out the candles’ (i.e because he did not want to see them). They couldn’t see anything so Bishr took his hand. Bishr took Harun’s hand in the dark and stroked it, ‘So soft, for Hellfire.’ This made Harun ar-Rashid cry. ‘You have made the commander of the believers cry.’ ‘Who will tell him this, if not me?’ ‘Bishr, make dua for me.’ ‘What dua? You have made the people suffer.’ Bishr said, ‘Fear Allah, that’s all I have to say for you.’ ‘Bishr take this sack of gold. Its from my mother.’ ‘I help you, I make dua for you and this is how you help me? You want me to burn with you!’ ‘You distribute it to the poor.’ ‘No you distribute it to the poor.’ Source
“When you are content with somebody all you see is their perfection, but when you dislike someone all you see is their faults. And I don’t feel respect towards the one who shows me no respect and I don’t see in others what they don’t see in me. If you draw near to me, my love draws close to you, but if you turn away from me- you’ll see me turn away from you. Each is independent of each other and when we die we’ll be even more independent of each other.” -Imam ash-Shafi’i

Advice to Muslim Rulers

“The fundamental principle is that in any matter between you and … God you should observe the same obedience as you would deem right that your servants towards you; and that in any matter between you and mankind you should treat people in a way in which, if you were subject and another were sultan, you would deem right that you yourself be treated.” He must rule as he would be ruled. (From Imam al-Ghazali’s “Counsel of Kings”)
“In matters solely between you and the True God pardon is quite likely, but in anything involving injustice to mankind will not in any circumstance be overlooked at the Resurrection.” (From Imam al-Ghazali’s “Counsel of Kings”)
“May God grant… the King a clear eye… for a thousand thousand or more of God’s creatures are his subjects. If he governs them justly, they will all be intercessors for him… and he will be secure against rebuke and punishment; but if he governs them unjustly, they will all be his adversaries, and the position of one who has so many adversaries will be very, indeed terribly, dangerous. When intercessors become adversaries the case is hard.” (From Imam al-Ghazali’s “Counsel of Kings”)
The Sufi Shaykh Edebali’s advice to his son in law, Osman Ghazi, the first Ottoman Empire ruler, shaped and developed Ottoman administration and rule for six centuries. In one famous declaration, Shaykh Edebali told Osman: O my son! Now you are king! From now on, wrath is for us; for you, calmness! For us to be offended; for you to please! For us to accuse; for you to endure! For us, helplessness and error; for you, tolerance! For us, quarrel; for you, justice! For us, envy, rumor, slander; for you, forgiveness! O my son! From now on, it is for us to divide; for you to unite! For us, sloth; for you, warning and encouragement! O my son! Be patient, a flower does not bloom before its time. Never forget: Let man flourish, and the state will also flourish! O my son! Your burden is heavy, your task hard, your power hangs on a hair! May God be your helper!
The Prophet ﷺ did not write in his letters “to the king of …” but wrote to the ‘Adheem’ – Great one. Why? If he said ‘King’ it indicates acknowledgement of his kingdom. You can’t acknowledge kingdom and invite to Islam at same time. Or Adheem al-Habasha, Adheem al-Furs means the one people venerate. But Malik means to acknowledge his kingdom. Shaykh Zarruq al-Fasi: so he is not acknowledging his kingdom. (Shaykh Ahmad Saad)
Shaykh Muhammad Nawawi Jawi commented on the verse where Yusuf asks to be made in charge of the store-houses because inni hafidhu aleem (Surah Yusuf, v. 55) means ‘I can deal with money’ but also means ‘I can speak different languages.’
‘Khilafa is the shariah for this ummah. Muluk (kings) were for Bani Israil. When we do mulk we have problems politically.’ (Shaykh Ahmad Saad)
An ambassador should be wise and told how to approach an issue but also handsome. This is taken from the fact Allah sent Jibril in the form of Dihya al-Kalbi who was a very handsome sahabi.

Ulema

“The religious scholars of our time are a disaster, to seek prosperity in them is to court bankruptcy, there is no one to depend on but God Alone.” -Ibn Aqil, teacher of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani
Hasan al-Basri is reported to have said: “Believe the scholars in all that they say except what they say about each other.” يروى عن الحسن البصري أنه قال: صدقوا العلماء في كل ما يقولون إلا فيما يقول بعضهم عن بعض
“If you find someone claiming to be a shaykh, then be wary of him if he is completely partisan to the political authorities, or is completely adversarial to them. The former is with them, while the latter is overly busy with that which does not concern him. The sign of this is an abundance of praise for them, or the opposite. And the truth is in supplication for their rectification and facilitation and the like, and the love of all that is good for them from every aspect, without partisanship or enmity, except that which is commanded by God and His prophet.” – Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq (Moroccan scholar of the 9th/15th century via Shaykh Walead Mossad)
Until a scholar is not fully established and proven to be amongst the corrupt ‘Ulama, one should never pass a judgement. The Qur’an Chapter 17, v.36 reads, “and do not exercise matters you have not fully researched; ears, eyes and heart, each person will be questioned about these” and to dismiss the statement of a scholar without proper investigation (of his credibility), on the ill assumption that he may be amongst the corrupt scholars is an even bigger crime.” ~Shaykh Zakariyya al-Kandhelwi in Faza’il al-Amaal.
Abu Darda: “Do not learn knowledge to adorn yourself with it, because the time is coming soon the time will come when people will learn this knowledge to adorn themselves with it like a fancy suit.” (But nothing under that suit but nakedness).
Abdullah bin Muhammad narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “One does not become a truly knowledgeable alim except: 1) If he is not met with the jealousy of those higher in rank; 2) if he is not belittled by those who are less knowledgeable than he; and 3) as long as he does not take advantage of his knowledge for monetary gain.” (Hilayatul Awliya)
“Too much rationality can lead us astray. Too much scripturality, without the application of reason can also lead to catastrophes of the Khawarij. The scripture is fully accessed by the human mind, we do not have full access to it unless we have full use of our mental faculties. We ask Allahu subhana wa ta’ala to bestow that.” (Abdal Hakim Murad in his Abu Hanifa lecture)
Ibn Khaldun on religious scholars and politics: “Scholars are, of all people, those least familiar with the ways of politics. The reason for this is that (scholars) are used to mental speculation and to a searching study of ideas which they abstract from the sensibilia and conceive in their minds as general universals, so that they may be applicable to some matter in general but not to any particular matter, individual, race, nation, or group of people. (Scholars,) then, make such universal ideas conform (in their minds) to facts of the outside world. They also compare things with others that are similar to or like them, with the help of analogical reasoning as used in jurisprudence, which is something familiar to them. All their conclusions and views continue to be something in the mind. They come to conform (to the facts of the outside world) only after research and speculation has come to an end, or they may never come to conform (to them). The facts of the outside world are merely special cases of the (ideas) that are in the mind. For instance, the religious laws are special cases derived from the well-known (texts) of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. In their case, one expects the facts of the outside world to conform to them, in contrast with the intellectual sciences, where, in order to (prove) the soundness of views, one expects those views to conform to the facts of the outside world. Thus, in all their intellectual activity, scholars are accustomed to dealing with matters of the mind and with thoughts. They do not know anything else. Politicians, on the other hand, must pay attention to the facts of the outside world and the conditions attaching to and depending on (politics). (These facts and conditions) are obscure. They may contain some (element) making it impossible to refer them to something like and similar, or contradicting the universal (idea) to which one would like them to conform. The conditions existing in civilization cannot (always) be compared with each other. They may be alike in one respect, but they may differ in other respects. (Now,) scholars are accustomed to generalizations and analogical conclusions. When they look at politics, they press (their observations) into the mold of their views and their way of making deductions. Thus, they commit many errors, or (at least) they cannot be trusted (not to commit errors). The intelligent and alert (segment) of civilized people falls into the same category as (scholars). Their penetrating minds drive them toward a searching occupation with ideas, analogy, and comparison, as is the case with jurists. Thus, they (too) commit errors. The average person of a healthy disposition and a mediocre intelligence has not got the mind for (such speculation) and does not think of it. Therefore, he restricts himself to considering every matter as it is, and to judging every kind of situation and every type of individual by its particular (circumstances). His judgment is not infected with analogy and generalization. Most of his speculation stops at matters perceivable by the senses, and he does not go beyond them in his mind, like a swimmer who stays in the water near the shore, as the poet says: Do not go out too deep when swimming. Safety lies near the shore. Such a man, therefore, can be trusted when he reflects upon his political activities. He has the right outlook in dealing with his fellow men. Thus, he makes a good living and suffers no damage or harm in the (process of making a living), because he has the right outlook. “And He knows more than any scholar.” This (situation) makes one realize that logic cannot be trusted to prevent the commission of errors, because it is too abstract and remote from the sensibilia. (Logic) considers the secondary intelligibilia. It is possible that material things contain something that does not admit of (logical) conclusions and contradicts them, when one looks for unequivocal conformity (between them and the facts of the outside world). It is different with speculation about the primary intelligibilia, which are less abstract. They are matters of the imagination and pictures of the sensibilia. They retain (certain features of the sensibilia) and permit verification of the conformity of (the sensibilia to the primary intelligibilia).”

Argumentation

Hasan al-Basri when he came across a group of people disputing: “These ones have become tired of worship, speaking has become easy for them, and their piety has diminished, and that is why they talk.”
”The intelligent person’s tongue is behind his heart: when he wants to speak, he first thinks. If [his words] will be in his favor, he says them, and if they will be against him, he does not speak. And the ignorant person’s heart is behind his tongue: when he merely thinks of saying something, he says it, whether it is for or against him.” -Hasan al-Basri
“Let me debate with you about Religion.” Hasan replied, “As for me I know my religion if you have lost your Religion then go & look for it.”
Imām al-Shāf’i wrote, “A Muslim should not rebuke others on issues of legitimate difference, or try and force them to follow his opinion.”
Abu l-‘Arab al-Tamimi has related on the authority of Ibn Farrukh that he wrote to Malik b. Anas, “Our land has much innovation, and I have compiled a work refuting them.” Malik wrote to him, saying, “If you think that about yourself [i.e. that you are able to refute them], I fear that you will slip up and perish. Only one who is well-grounded and knows what to say to them should refute them, for they will not be able to be devious with him: there is no harm in that. As for anyone other than that, I fear that he will address them and err, so they will pursue his error or succeed in scoring points over him. Thus they will transgress and increase in their obstinacy upon their innovation.”
Imam Malik, may Allah show mercy to him, said, “Discussion concerning religious matters I abhor; and the inhabitants of our town (meaning Madinah) have not ceased to hate it. I do not approve of discussion except with regards to that which serves a specific practical purpose. As for [futile] discussion concerning religious matters and Allah, silence is preferable to me; as I have seen the people of our town prohibiting discussion of religious matters except for that which serves a practical purpose.” (Kitab Tahrim al-Kalam by Ibn Qudamah, edited by G. Makdisi)
Sayyidina Ali said: ‘as shabab shubatu min al-junun‘ – youthfulness is one of the branches of insanity.

Impiety

“People only turned away from religion, because of how little they observed its own people benefiting from it.” ~Imam Ali
Hasan al-Basri: “Who says good but doesn’t do good will have his words compared to his deeds by Allah…Who says good & does good will have his words raised by his deeds. Allah said: ‘To Him ascends the good word& the righteous deed.'”
Hasan Al-Basri said: “There is no backbiting in the case of a person of innovation or a person who openly commits sins.”
“The legacy of company of Munafiqun is having a bad opinion of the righteous.” ~Sayyidina Ali
“The stupidest person is the one who sells his deen for dunya. The next stupidest sells his deen for another person’s dunya.” ~Imam Malik
Sa’d ibn ‘Abdullah said, “Whoever desires people to know what is between him and his Lord is in the state of heedlessness.”
Allahumma man kana min hadhihil ummati ‘ala ghayril haqqi wa huwa yadhunnu annahu ‘alal haqqi faruddahu ilal haqqi liyakuna min ahlil haqqi. O Allah! Whoever from this ummah is upon misguidance but thinks he is on the truth, return him to the truth so that he may be from those on truth.Hafiz Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) has cited this as the du’a of Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal (rahimahullah). Imam Ahmad (rahimahullah) would recite this du’a in sajdah (probably in nafl Salah). (Al Bidayah Wan Nihayah, vol. 11 pg. 166)
Mujahid narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar (radiallahu anhuma) said: “Today loyalty (mwalat) to people is centered exclusively around selfish wordly interests, and such politically motivated endorsements bring its people nothing but havoc.”

Idiots Learning Islam

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: “How will your situation be when there comes upon you a trial in which the elderly (i.e. wise) are harmed and the young (i.e. foolish) are raised and the people think that is a sunnah, so that when it changes, the people say, ‘ A sunnah has been changed’? They asked, ‘When will that be?’ He replied: ‘When the ones who can read are many but the ones with understanding are few, and when the leaders are many but the trustworthy are few, and the actions of the Hereafter are used to attain this world.”
Ibn Mas’ud: People will remain in a good state as long as they take knowledge from their elders. When they start taking it from the ashraar, they will go astray.
Umar (ra) said I know when people will be sound and when corrupted. If this knowledge of religion comes from the saghir (immature) then the mature will find it difficult to accept it from him. If it comes from the elder, then the younger one will follow him.
Ibn Majah said, “When should we stop amr bil maruf nahi wal munkar?” “When you see a cajole, flattery in the best of you, and see fiqh in the worst, despicable of you. At that time, there is no point in amr bil maruf nahi wal munkar.”
Sufyan saw a Coptic studying Islam and was upset about it. “This knowledge was in the best of people, if it goes down, then the religion will be changed.”
Ibn Wahb: With the fiqh of the rabble is the ruin of the world, with the fiqh of degraded people is the ruin of the religion. (All quotes in this section from Hamza Yusuf Rihla or RIS class)
ضاف ضيف رجلا من بني إسرائيل وفي داره كلبة مجح فقالت الكلبة والله لا أنبح ضيف أهلي قال فعوى جراؤها في بطنها قال قيل ما هذا قال فأوحى الله عز وجل إلى رجل منهم هذا مثل أمة تكون من بعدكم يقهر سفهاؤها أحلامها Our master Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-’As said, that the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa ‘alaa Alihi said: A man from Bani Isra’il invited someone to his house, and in his house was a pregnant dog. The dog said: By Allah, I will not bark at my owner’s guest. But her pups barked from inside her. It was said: “What is this?” So Allah – ‘azza wa jall – inspired to one of the men that: this is like an ummah that will come after you, whose sufahaa’ (vulgar people) will overpower its hulamaa’ (people of hilm: forbearance). Narrated by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. It is Sahih according to shaykh Ahmad Shakir. Sufaha’ are those vulgar and foolish people who are easily aroused to reactionary states, while the hulamaa’ are those who patiently persevere and remain clement. SOURCE

Sayings of contemporary scholars and/or lecture notes without factual sources/references:

Spirituality and Problems

“The more transparent you are, the more transparent Allah will make your rulers” ~ Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
“Most of the worlds problems are due to amzija (temperaments).” – Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah
Habib Umar said: “We should be strict about being gentle, but be gentle about being strict.”
Sufaha are impulsive people who are always reacting to things. ~Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
In a khutbah the imam said (paraphrased): ‘A mu’min can sin, do adultery or murder but never lie. Why? Because lying is a word and we must remember we came into Islam with a few words (i.e the shahada) and we can do kufr with a few words. This is the power of words in the divine sight and the enormity of lying in Islam.’
Dr Umar said you should never make dua against someone, but say, “Allahumma amilhu bima yastahiq – May God deal with him as he deserves.”

Historical Lessons

Benjamin Franklin said, “Ever since Muhammad ﷺ rebuked Khalid (for killing a prisoner) the Muslims have always treated their prisoners of war in just ways.”
Professor Khalid Blankenship: “Muslims haven’t been in political harmony since 632.″
Professor Khalid Blankenship: “The Prophet ﷺ left Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, the blind man from Surah Abasa, in charge of Madina. Does that sound like a modern state to you?”
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani: “During the Crusade, Masjid al-Aqsa was not prayed in for 190 years.”
Rumi never mentioned in the Mathnawi his teacher who was killed by Mongols because you don’t mix the medicine with the disease.
“Some materialists may see the collapse of Ottoman Empire as a good, because the unified decision of the ummah has been lost. It doesn’t mean we are saying Ottoman empire was perfect, no, but there was something unified. Habib Abu Bakr says, “Those political groups that delude the community and masses by telling them political reform in Muslim countries will lead to the establishment of Shariah, are lying to them. Because these regional reforms will not lead to a massive reform. Because we are not in charge of the universal decision. Muslims are not United Nations, Muslims are Divided Nations, we are not in charge, this is the Qada of Allah. When someone tells you, ‘if you topple your president, you will be in charge’ he is lying to you. Because the people in charge can simply make this project fail in a minute. We have to be smart and understand we are not in charge of the situation. Being unrealistic is one of the qualities of being stupid.” ~Shaykh Ahmad Saad
“The Prophet ﷺ knew about Abdullah ibn Salul and the hypocrites plans, but he did not uncover it until it had manifested clearly. Why? To teach us, we should not be rushing to be judgmental and not accuse others of nifaq. And secondly, the existence of such a (harmful) microbe in the society are needed for a society to exist and grow. Like an antibiotic, that makes you grow a resistance to it, rather than let it grow hidden. Another example, the Prophet ﷺ gave general amnesty to people of Quraysh, he did not conduct a tribunal to hold the people of Quraysh accountable for everything they had done, even though there was bloodshed and there were many crimes. Why? Because after a change or revolution or first thing you have to establish the … When Uthman was killed, Ali said: I know that the Khalifa was killed and people who killed them, but these individuals had tribes behind them, and the society was still semi-tribalistic. If you take one individual from this tribe, one individual from here, one individual from here, you are not dealing with 4-5 people, you are dealing with 4-5 tribes, maybe 20,000 people. Now, the khalifa has been killed and the awe of government has collapsed. If you punish these people it will be reasonable. Let us establish leadership and calm things down, after some time, it can be dealt with. This is what Sayyidna Ali wanted to do, but Sayyidina Mu’awiya didn’t understand, he wanted killer of Uthman to be punished first. Hatib was a companion with small family in Mecca and no tribe to protect them. When the Prophet ﷺ was planning to conquer Mecca, Hatib wrote a message and gave to a girl to deliver to people of Mecca about the invasion. The Prophet ﷺ was informed by revelation, sent sahabas and he obtained the message. ‘Why did you do this?’ “I have some family in Mecca. I was afraid if Quraysh heard this news and they knew I knew, they would hurt my family, and I knew Allah would inform you about that. So it stopped. But if Quraysh attacks my family, then I can say I tried to tell them of the invasion.” Umar took his sword: Let me kill him. Prophet ﷺ: Allah has looked at people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you want, for I have forgiven you.’ That is a big lesson that when someone has a long record of serving the community and he makes a mistake which we disagree it, we don’t eliminate his history of service with an eraser. People in our time did this with Shaykh al-Buti.” ~Shaykh Ahmad Saad
In a khutbah: ‘Umar bin al-Khattab started the social welfare system, the pension system we know today. His father thought his son couldn’t even take care of sheep. “I don’t think he can even care for these sheep.” And under Umar the Muslim world expanded faster and further than any other empire in such a short amount of time.
The Crusades were retaliation for the Fatimid Shi’as burning the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, even though the Muslims rebuilt it.
The Mongol invasions were in response to some of the arrogant Muslim governors and statesman killing an emissary of the Mongols. The Mongol leader went to the mountaintop, standing on on foot and prayed, “O God of the Muslims I want vengeance for the killing of my emissary.”
Shaykh Yusuf Motala said, that Allah contracted the Earth so Nabi ﷺ saw the East and West and the rule of umma would reach the East and West. Thus we find Islam reached Far East and West but not much in North and South. (From Manifestations of the Prophet Muhammad’s Beauty, p. 164)
Shaykh Yusuf Motala said, “The enemies of Islam say Islam was spread by the sword. We reply by telling them that the sword was never struck; it was merely shown.” (From Manifestations of the Prophet Muhammad’s Beauty, p. 241)
The Fall of Muslim Delhi: Ulema and Hindu Rajput army were loyal to the Delhi Sultan until the very end. These armies of the British, mainly from Muslim principalities and kingdoms are sieging Delhi. An eclipse happened which is inauspicious for the Hindus so began to flee and only the ulema were left defending the Muslim ruler. The British hung 2 senior scholars every hour (from the walls of Delhi) and over 50 years of Islamic scholarship wiped out. (Shaykh Hamza Maqbul)
There were never any more than 20,000 white people in Indian subcontinent at any one time (during colonialism). The entire colonialism was with them dividing and conquering our people, us them against themselves. That’s not their bad, that’s our bad. So remember next time you get into a fight in the masjid, this is how shaytan got our forefathers and this is still how he’s getting us right now. (Shaykh Hamza Maqbul)
Kopruluzade was one of Ataturk’s man who wanted to introduce pews and organs into mosques to bring it in line with modernity. (Abdal Hakim Murad, Commentary on the 11th Contentions, p. 78)
USSR split up because of Muslim birthrates, within 30 years would have had a Muslim majority spelling end of Tsarist dream of Drangnach Osten of the Slavic herrenvolk. (Abdal Hakim Murad, Commentary on the 11th Contentions, p. 74)
“The challenge of modern muslimness is to combine a confident dissent from the global culture with a sense of service and humility. Triumphalism is no less damaging to the soul than an inferiority complex. Where loyalty is to God, and love is for what human is called to become, the believer can combine pity for the monoculture’s shrunken victims with gratitude for God’s guidance.” (Abdal Hakim Murad)
“To the puzzlement of Islamophobes, it was the Christians, not the Muslims, who defaced the temples of Egypt. To their further puzzlement, the Sahaba did not destroy the Buddhas of Bamiyan. This fiqh wisdom continued in 1999, when Mullah Omar declared that the statues would be protected: ‘The Taliban decree that the Bamiyan Buddhas shall be conserved and not damaged.’ Only with the growing influence of Arab al-Qaeda zealots, and with international interference on behalf of the status provoking Afghan national pride, did the position change. Despite the condemnation of an international delegation of ulema, the statues were destroyed.” (Abdal Hakim Murad, Commentary on the 11th Contentions, p. 58)

Books:

Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti in his Tarikh al-Khulafa, the chapters on the Khulafa ar-Rashidun being translated into English and published as The Khalifahs Who Took the Right Way, Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd., London 1995

Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi al-Qawasim min al-Awasim which is translated into English and published under the title The Defence Against Disaster by Madinah Press.

Subhana kallahumma wa bihamdika ash-haduana la illaha illa Ant astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk, ameen.

Posted in Abdal Hakim Murad, Uncategorized

Responses

Sub-han Allah what a post!
By: Maripat on December 31, 2018
at 5:18 am

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the amount of information here is just mindblowing subhanallah. thank you so much!
By: haechanniehyuck on September 2, 2020
at 6:46 am

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Jazakallah khair…
By: Abdul khader Jeelan on November 7, 2022
at 4:57 am

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