XIII.
QUESTIONS ON FASTING AND VOLUNTARY WORSHIP IN THE MONTHS OF RAJAB AND SHA`BAN
The "Salafis" try to prevent the people from treating the night of isra' and mi`raj on 27 Rajab and the night of mid-Sha`ban (laylat al-bara'a) as special. They claim that honoring these nights are innovations that must not be allowed. Yet practically all Muslims hold these two nights in high esteem and consider it good, not blameworthy, to celebrate or commemorate them through gathering, feeding the people, reciting Qur'an and Sira, reading hadith, performing supererogatory prayers etc.
"Salafi" literature also abounds with
condemnations of those who fast in Rajab. Since many pious Muslims are known to
fast the three blessed months of Rajab, Sha`ban, and Ramadan in a row as far
back as can be remembered, and like to offer voluntary worship and invocation (du`a)
on the nights of 27 Rajab and 15 Sha`ban, I wanted to confirm that these are
recommended in the fiqh of Ahl al-Sunna, not blameworthy, and what
is the evidence for either position?
FASTING
RAJAB, SHA`BAN, AND
THE
REST OF THE HOLY MONTHS
It is recommended to fast
the months of Rajab and Sha`ban as a nafila or supererogatory worship,
with the intention of following the Sunna of the Prophet who has established
the merit of this fast. As for extra devotions on certain nights of Rajab and
Sha`ban there are no grounds for prohibiting them as the "Salafis"
try to do, and only those with a deficient understanding or faith would object
to increasing remembrance of Allah on such nights as laylat al-isra' or
15 Sha`ban.
The following paragraph is a translation of `Abd
al-Rahman al-Jaziri's chapter entitled "Fasting Rajab, Sha`ban, and the
Rest of the Holy Months" in his book al-Fiqh `ala al-madhahib al-arba`a
(Islamic law according to the Four Schools):
Fasting the months of Rajab
and Sha`ban is recommended (mandub) as agreed upon by three of the
Imams, while the Hanbalis differed in that they said fasting Rajab singly is
disliked, except if one breaks the fast during it then it is not disliked.
Regarding the holy months -- Dhul Qi`da, Dhul Hijja, Muharram, and Rajab --
fasting them is recommended according to three of the Imams, while the Hanafis
differed in that they said what is recommended in the Holy months is to fast
three days from each of them, which are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.[1]
Hadiths on Rajab
1. In Muslim, Abu Dawud, and
Ahmad: `Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Sa`id ibn Jubayr about fasting
in Rajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he
said:
I heard Ibn `Abbas saying:
"The Messenger of Allah used to observe fast so continuously that we
thought he would never break it, and at other times he remained without fasting
so continuously that we thought he would never fast."[2]
Imam Nawawi
commented on this:
It appears that the meaning
inferred by Sa`id ibn Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas's report is that fasting in Rajab
is neither forbidden nor considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling
concerning it is the same as the rest of the months.
This is also the commentary of Qastallani in al-Mawahib
al-laduniyya.[3] Nawawi continues:
Neither prohibition nor
praiseworthiness has been established for the month of Rajab in itself,
however, the principle concerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself,
and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud[4] the Prophet has made the
fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy, and Rajab is one of them. And Allah
knows best.[5]
It is established, on the one hand, that Ibn `Umar fasted
during the sacred months,[6] and on the other, that he
fasted all year as shown by the following hadith.
2. In Muslim, Ibn Majah, and
(partly) Ahmad: `Abd Allah, the freed slave of Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr,
the maternal uncle of the son of `Ata', reported:
Asma' sent me to Abdullah
ibn `Umar saying: "The news has reached me that you prohibit the use of
three things: the striped robe, saddle cloth made of red silk, and fasting the
whole month of Rajab." Abdullah said to me: "So far as what you say
about fasting in the month of Rajab, how about one who observes continuous
fasting? And so far as what you say about the striped garment, I heard `Umar
ibn al-Khattab say that he had heard from Allah's Messenger: "He who wears
a silk garment, has no share for him (in the Hereafter)." And I am afraid
that stripes were part of it. And so far as the red saddle cloth is concerned,
here is my saddle cloth and it is red. I went back to Asma' and informed her,
so she said: "Here is the cloak (jubba) of Allah's Messenger,"
and she brought out to me that cloak made of Persian cloth with a hem of (silk)
brocade, and its sleeves bordered with (silk) brocade, and said: "This was
Allah's Messenger's cloak with `A'isha until she died, then I took possession
of it. The Apostle of Allah used to wear that, and we washed it for the sick so
that they could seek healing with it."[7]
Nawawi commented on the
above:
Ibn `Umar's reply concerning
fasting in Rajab is a denial on his part of what Asma' had heard with regard to
his forbidding it, and it is an affirmation that he fasted Rajab in its
entirety as well as fasting permanently, i.e. except the days of `Id and tashriq.[8] This (perpetual fast) is
his way and the way of his father `Umar ibn al-Khattab, `A'isha, Abu Talha, and
others of the Salaf as well as
Shafi`i and other scholars: their position is that perpetual fasting is not
disliked (makruh).
Ibn Qudama states something similar in al-Mughni
concerning perpetual fasting and adds that the same view is related from Ahmad
and Malik, and that after the Prophet's death Abu Talha fasted permanently for
forty years, among other Companions.[9] Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in al-Khayrat
al-hisan similarly relates that Abu Hanifa was never seen eating except at
night.[10]
Nawawi adds:
In this hadith is a proof
that it is recommended to seek blessings through the relics of the righteous
and their clothes (wa fi hadha al-hadith dalil `ala istihbab al-tabarruk bi
athar al-salihin wa thiyabihim).[11]
3. Bayhaqi relates in Shu`ab
al-iman and Abu Nu`aym in al-Targhib:
Abu `Abd Allah al-Hafiz and
Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid al-Muqri said:
from Abu al-`Abbas al-Asamm,
from Ibrahim ibn Sulayman al-Barlisi,
from Abdallah ibn Yusuf,
from `Amir ibn Shibl who said:
I heard Abu Qilaba say:
"There is a palace in Paradise for those who fast the month of
Rajab."[12]
Bayhaqi comments:
Even if it is mawquf
at Abu Qilaba (i.e. not traced back to the Prophet) who is one of the
Successors (d. 104) such as he does not say such a saying except if it were
related to him by someone who had heard it from him to whom revelation comes
(i.e. the Prophet), and success is from Allah.
Commentaries
Those who object to fasting
part or all of Rajab and Sha`ban cite the following:
a) `Umar's punishment of the
mutarajjibun -- those who fasted the month of Rajab according to a
practice carried over from the Jahiliyya
-- by striking their hands until they broke their fast.
However, this does not constitute a valid objection as
`Umar's act was solely due to some
people's emphasis of Rajab -- which used to be fasted during the Jahiliyya -- over Ramadan as the fasting
month. This is clearly not feared for present-day Muslims. There was also a
sacrifice named rajabiyya performed in that month, a practice carried
over from the Jahiliyya. Several
hadiths in Abu Dawud and Ahmad show that it became obligatory in Islam until
the obligation was abrogated. Certain pre-Islamic remnants were fought even in
the time of `Umar, as is shown by the latter's uprooting of a tree for fear of
its veneration by some people.
It must be understood that Umar never said "Don't
fast," rather, he said: "Break your fast," i.e. do not complete
it as you would be obliged to if it were Ramadan. And no one fasted Rajab and
Sha`ban completely, this was reserved for Ramadan. However, if someone makes
the intention to fast Rajab and Sha`ban completely, it is permitted in the Shari`a, with the understanding that it
is mustahabb to break it shortly before Ramadan begins.
Ibn Qudama states in al-Mughni:
It is disliked that Rajab be
singled out for fasting. Ahmad said: "If a man fasts during that month,
let him break the fast for one day in it, or several, just so as not to fast it
all."
The reason for this is what Ahmad has narrated with his
chains:
·
from
Kharasha ibn al-Hurr: I saw `Umar striking the hands of the mutarajjibin
until they helped themselves to the food, and he would say: "Eat! For it
is only a month which the Jahiliyya
used to magnify";
·
from
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar that he would dislike to see the people make preparations
for Rajab and would say: "Fast some of it and break fast some of it";
·
from
Ibn `Abbas, something similar;
·
from
Abu Bakrah: He saw his household preparing new baskets and clay jugs and said:
"What is this?" They said: "For Rajab, so that we may fast
it." He said: "Did you change Rajab into Ramadan?" Then he took
apart the baskets and broke the jugs.
And Imam Ahmad said:
"Whoever fasts all year round may fast all of Rajab. Otherwise, let him
not fast all of it but only some of it so that he will not liken it to
Ramadan."[13]
The above makes it clear
that:
- Singling out the month of
Rajab for fasting is not forbidden, but is at worst disliked;
- It is not even disliked as
long as one's fast is broken to the extent that the similitude with the month
of Ramadan is eliminated;
- Even unbroken fast is not
disliked if the person fasts all year round.
b) Others cite Sayyid
Sabiq's statement in Fiqh as-Sunnah:
Fasting during Rajab
contains no more virtue than during any other month. There is no sound report
from the sunnah that states that it has a special reward. All that has been
related concerning it is not strong enough to be used as a proof. Ibn Hajar says:
"There is no authentic hadith related to its virtues, nor fasting during
it or on certain days of it, nor concerning exclusively making night prayers
during that month."[14]
The opinion of Sayyid Sabiq whereby "Fasting during
Rajab contains no more virtue than during any other month" etc. is
certainly incorrect in view of the fact that Rajab is a sacred month, and the
Prophet emphasized the merit of fasting in the sacred months and in Sha`ban.
This is established by Nawawi's commentary of the hadith of Sa`id ibn Jubayr in
Muslim cited above, as well as the following hadiths:
1. In Abu Dawud and Bayhaqi:
From Mujiba al-Bahiliyya who reported that her father or uncle was told by the
Prophet three times: "Fast some and leave some in the sacred months."[15]
2. In Ahmad: From Usama ibn
Zayd: "O Messenger of Allah... I never saw you fast any month (besides
Ramadan) as much as you fast during the month of Sha`ban." He said:
"The people become inattentive during that month between Rajab and Ramadan
(i.e. between two great months), and it is a month in which actions are raised
to the Lord of the worlds, therefore I like that my actions be raised while I
am fasting."[16]
3. In Bukhari and Muslim
from `A'isha: "The Prophet used to fast the whole of Sha`ban but for a
little."
4. In Muslim from Abu
Hurayra, the Prophet said: "The best month to fast after Ramadan is
Muharram."
As for the hafiz
Ibn Hajar's opinion it only applies to the pure singling out of the month of
Rajab at the exclusion of Ramadan, or Sha`ban, or the sacred months, or the
rest of the entire year, because there is no basis for singling out these
cases. His opinion therefore does not provide a basis for the claim of the
objectors that fasting during Rajab is forbidden or that it is an innovation:
for neither the Imams of the fours schools, nor Bayhaqi, nor Nawawi, nor Ibn
Hajar, nor even Sayyid Sabiq have claimed this! Furthermore, there is also no
sound hadith from the Prophet forbidding the fast of Rajab or disavowing its
merit.
c) As for those who object
by quoting the hadith in Bukhari and Muslim whereby the Prophet emphasized that
the one who fasts all his life has not fasted, then their understanding of this
hadith is diametrically opposed to that of the Companions and the Salaf, Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi`i, and
Ahmad, who did not dislike perpetual fasting as long as it did not include the
days of `Id and tashriq.
d) As for the narration from
Ibn `Abbas whereby the Prophet forbade the fast of Rajab, then only Ibn Majah
reports it, with a chain containing Dawud ibn `Ata' al-Muzani concerning whom
Buhakri, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Abu Zur`a said: "His hadith is rejected" (munkar
al-hadith), and Nisa'i declared him da`if, and Ahmad said: "He
is nothing." The chain also contains Abu Ayyub Sulayman ibn `Ali
al-Hashimi about whom Yahya ibn Sa`id al-Qattan said: "His case is not
known," although Ibn Hibban declared him trustworthy, but Ibn Hibban's
leniency in this is known.
e) As for the hadiths in
Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Darimi concerning the Prophet's injunction to
refrain from fasting in the second half of Sha`ban, then as Tirmidhi explained
it applies to those who would deliberately intend to fast only then: it should
not be done in view of the proximity of the month of Ramadan. As for those who
were fasting before, then they may fast in the second half of Sha`ban.
In conclusion, it is at the very least allowed to fast
Rajab and Sha`ban in part or in whole, and we say it is recommended, as the
clarity of the intention to follow the Sunna and the knowledge that only the
fast of Ramadan is obligatory, preclude the reprehensibility of those who used
to honor Rajab in rivalry with Ramadan. Sufficient proof of the month of
Rajab's status as a great month lies in the fact that it is the month of the
Prophet's rapture and ascension to his Lord (al-isra' wa al-mi`raj), and
they are blessed who commemorate this month and that night for the sake of
Allah's favor to His Prophet and the Community of His Prophet. And Allah knows
best.[17]
DHIKRA AL-ISRA' WA AL-MI`RAJ:
COMMEMORATING
THE PROPHET'S
RAPTURE
AND ASCENSION TO HIS LORD
(Night
of the 27th of Rajab)[18]
The Shaykh of Mecca -- may
Allah grant him long life and health -- Sayyid Muhammad `Alawi al-Maliki
al-Hasani composed an excellent booklet entitled al-Anwar al-bahiyya min
isra' wa mi`raj khayr al-bariyya (The resplendent lights of the rapture and
ascension of the Best of creation) in which he says:
I.
Praise be to Allah Who has
chosen His praiseworthy servant Muhammad for the Message, distinguished him
with the sudden rapture on the Buraq
(lightning-mount), and caused him to ascend on the ladders of perfection to the
high heavens to show him of the greatest signs of his Lord. He raised him until
he reached to the Lote-tree of the Farthest Boundary where ends the science of
every Messenger-Prophet and every Angel Brought Near, where lies the Garden of
Retreat, to the point where he heard the sound of the pens that write what
befell and what is to befall.
There He manifested Himself to him through vision and
addressed him intimately in the station of encounter, accompanying him so that
he was no longer alone. There He stilled his fear in those lofty worlds and He
communicated to him what He wished, and revealed to him what He wished, and
taught him what He wished, and explained to him what He wished. He showed him
of the signs of sovereignty and the signs of creation and of the unseen that
point to the uniqueness and perfection of His immense majesty, and the marvels
of His lordly power, and the sublimity of His wisdom without beginning. Glory
to Him, the God that knows the heart's secret and its confidence, and knows
what is more subtle and more hidden! He hears the patter of the black ant's
feet on a massive rock in the dark night.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Who is
sanctified in His essence from all figurative representation and shades, and
elevated above having a partner in His attributes and acts. I bear witness that
our master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, whose rank He has raised so
that none of the seven skies can reach it, nor any of the Prophets. For how
could they reach his stature when they were shown to him in the Sanctified
House in Jerusalem where Jibril gave him precedence over them so that he led
them in prayer, then apprised him of their places and stations in the heavens,
thereby showing that he is their paramount chief and foremost leader since the
beginning?
Allah bore witness that the Prophet was the Guide through
his knowledge and the Just Instructor in his actions. He elevated his speaking
manner above vanity and disgrace; He freed his innermost being from belying
what his eyes saw; and He kept his eyes from falsehood and transgression. Then
he saw his Lord in the station of proximity and servanthood. Nor did he fall
short of uncovering the reality of the event, but he received all that was
communicated to him of both partial and total knowledge.
May Allah's blessing and peace be upon him and upon his
Family, the People of Guidance and Firmness, and upon his excellent and pure
Companions, carriers of the burdens of the Prophetic Inheritance, defenders of
the precious Religion with every burnished sword, who have triumphed and won
the highest dwellings of the Abode of Eternity.
To begin, the indigent in need of the mercy of his
generous Lord, Muhammad ibn `Alawi ibn `Abbas al-Maliki al-Hasani says -- may
Allah treat him with His radiant kindness: Allah has granted me the favor of
writing a vast treatise covering the substantial research which has been done
on the subject of al-isra' wa al-mi`raj. Then He expanded my breast so
that I could gather its account into a single text as a separate monograph so
as to allow its access to the people at large. In this way they can familiarize
themselves with that text and recite it in the public meetings and great
celebrations in which Muslims gather to commemorate al-isra' wa al-mi`raj,
as is the custom in many countries, especially in the two Holy Sanctuaries.
I have collated my own work with that of the hafiz al-Shami and Najm al-Din al-Ghayti
to make a single comprehensive text with the mention of additions in their
appropriate places. This text includes most of the different narrations on this
subject. I have provided a concise commentary and brief notes explaining the
meaning of rare or difficult words. I have named this treatise: al-Anwar
al-bahiyya min isra' wa mi`raj khayr al-bariyya, "The resplendent
lights of the rapture and ascension of the Best of creation," asking Allah
to grant benefit with it and accept it as purely for His sake. Allah's
blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his Family and Companions.
II.
The
striving of the scholars in organizing the account of
isra' and mi`raj into a single version
The scholars have striven to
organize this account and gather its narrations into a single version, at the
same time making mention of some separate additions, in order to facilitate its
perusal and its benefit. In this way they gathered the narrations in one place
for the people at large. This is permitted according to the rules of the
experts in the field of hadith as stated by them. Many of them have used this
method in many instances in which they would join up together the several
narrations of different narrators of a single event as was done with the
Farewell Pilgrimage and some of the military raids and campaigns. The hadith
master al-Shami did this with the account of the Prophet's Rapture and
Ascension as well as the hadith master al-Ghayti[19] and a number of other
scholars. This is what al-Shami said on this question in his great book al-Mi`raj
for it is useful:
Know -- may Allah have mercy
on me and you -- that each of the hadiths of the Companions [on this subject]
contains what the other does not. Therefore I consulted Allah Almighty and
concatenated them, thus rearranging the account into a single text so that it
would be sweeter to attentive ears, and in order for its benefit to suit all
occasions.
If someone says: "Each hadith of the mi`raj
differs from the next and the ascensions may number according to the number of
their accounts: why then did you make all of them into a single account?"
I say: The author of Zad al-ma`ad [Ibn al-Qayyim] said:
This is the path of the
feeble-minded among the literalists of the Zahiri school who are authorities in
transmitted texts. If they see in the account a wording that differs from the
version of one of the narrators they multiply the occurrence of the event
accordingly. The correct view is what the Imams of text transmission have said:
namely, that the mi`raj took place once, in Mecca, after the beginning
of Prophethood. It is a wonder how these have claimed that it took place
repeatedly. How can they countenance the conclusion that every time, fifty
prayers are prescribed upon him then he goes back and forth between Musa and
his Lord until they become five, and his Lord says: "I have decreed what
is due Me and have reduced the burden of My slaves," only for him to come
a second time with fifty prayers which he decreases again, ten by ten?
The hadith master `Imad al-Din Ibn Kathir said in his history
[al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya], after noting that Malik ibn Sa`sa`a's version
did not make mention of Jerusalem:
Some of the narrators would
omit part of the report due to its being known, or due to forgetfulness, or
because he would mention only what he considered important, or because one time
he would feel eager to relate it completely, while another time he would tell
his public what is of most use to them.
He who relates every differing narration to a separate
occurrence thereby affirming several ascensions has strayed widely and said
something indefensible and has not fulfilled his pursuit. The reason is that
all of the versions contain his meeting with the Prophets and the prescription
of the prayers upon him: how then could one defend multiplying these
occurrences? This understanding is extremely far-fetched nor was it related
from any of the Salaf, whereas if this had indeed taken place several
times the Prophet would have reported it to his Community and the people would
have transmitted it often.
[We hold, as our Master
Shaykh Nazim has said, that the night ascensions of the Prophet to his Lord
numbered twenty-three thousand, one in every night of his blessed life.
Some of the evidence for this is in the hadiths whereby
he said:
"My
eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."[20]
"I
have a time with my Lord which no Angel-Brought-Near nor Messenger-Prophet
shares with me."
al-Qari commented on this
hadith:
It is inferred from it that
what he means by the angel brought near is Jibril, while the Messenger-Prophet
is his brother the Friend of Allah [Ibrahim]. Reflect upon this. This hadith
also points to the station of self-immersion in the meeting expressed in terms
of intoxication, self-effacement, and self-annihilation.[21]]
III.
The
Collated Hadith of Isra' and Mi`raj
In
the name of Allah Most Merciful Most Beneficent
Blessings
and Peace upon the Messenger of Allah
and
his Family and Companions
As the Prophet, upon him blessings
and peace, was in al-Hijr at the House (the semi-circular space under
the waterspout which is open on both sides on the Northwest side of the Ka`ba), lying down at rest between two
men (his uncle Hamza and his cousin Ja`far ibn Abi Talib), Jibril and Mika'il
came to him. With them was a third angel (Israfil). They carried him until they
brought him to the spring of Zamzam, where they asked him to lie on his back
and Jibril took him over from the other two. (Another version says:)
"The roof of my house was opened and Jibril descended."
He split the Prophet's chest from his throat to the
bottom of his belly. Then Jibril said to Mika'il: "Bring me a tast
(a vessel, usually made of copper) of water from Zamzam so that I will purify
his heart and expand his breast." He took out his heart and washed it
three times, removing from it what was wrong. Mika'il went back and forth to
him with the vessel of water from Zamzam three times.
Then he brought him a golden vessel filled with wisdom
and belief which he emptied into his chest. He filled his chest with hilm
(intelligence, patience, good character), knowledge, certainty, and submission,
then he closed it up. He sealed it between his shoulders with the seal of
Prophethood.
Then he brought the Buraq,
handsome-faced and bridled, a tall, white beast, bigger than the donkey but
smaller than the mule. He could place his hooves at the farthest boundary of
his gaze. He had long ears. Whenever he faced a mountain his hind legs would
extend, and whenever he went downhill his front legs would extend. He had two
wings on his thighs which lent strength to his legs.
He bucked when the Prophet came to mount him. Jibril put
his hand on his mane and said: "Are you not ashamed, O Buraq? By Allah, no one has ridden you
in all creation more dear to Allah than he is." Hearing this he was so
ashamed that he sweated until he became soaked, and he stood still so that the
Prophet mounted him.
The other Prophets used to mount the Buraq before. Sa`id ibn al-Musayyib said: "It is the beast of
Ibrahim which he used to mount whenever he travelled to the Sacred House."
Jibril departed with him. He placed himself on his right
while Mika'il was on his left. (In Ibn Sa`d's version:) The one holding his
stirrup was Jibril and the one holding the reins of the Buraq was Mika'il.
They travelled until they reached a land filled with
datepalms. Jibril said to the Prophet: "Alight and pray here." He did
so and remounted, then Jibril said: "Do you know where you prayed?"
He said no. Jibril said: "You prayed in a tayba (land of pastures)
and the Migration will take place there.
The Buraq
continued his lightning flight, placing his hooves wherever his gaze could
reach. Jibril then said again: "Alight and pray here." He did so and
remounted, then Jibril said: "Do you know where you prayed?" He said
no. Jibril said: "You prayed in Madyan (a city on the shore of the Red Sea
bordering Tabuk near the valley of Shu`ayb) at the tree of Musa" (where
Musa rested from fatigue and hunger during his flight from Fir`awn).
The Buraq
continued his lightning flight, then Jibril said again: "Alight and pray
here." He did so and remounted, then Jibril said: "Do you know where
you prayed?" He said no. Jibril said: "You prayed at the mountain of
Sina' (Mount Sinai) where Allah addressed Musa."
Then he reached a land where the palaces of Syria became
visible to him. Jibril said to him: "Alight and pray." He did so and
remounted, then the Buraq continued
his lightning flight and Jibril said: "Do you know where you prayed?"
He said no. Jibril said: "You prayed in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), where `Isa
ibn Maryam was born."
As the Prophet was travelling mounted on the Buraq he saw a devil from the jinn who was trying to get near him
holding a firebrand. Everywhere the Prophet turned he would see him. Jibril
said to him: "Shall I teach you words which, if you say them, his
firebrand will go out and he will fall dead?" The Prophet said yes. Jibril
said:
Say:
a`udhu bi wajhillahi al-karim
wa
bi kalimatillahi al-tammat
al-lati
la yujawizuhunna barrun wa la fajir
min
sharri ma yanzilu min al-sama'
wa
min sharri ma ya`ruju fiha
wa
min sharri ma dhara'a fi al-ard
wa
min sharri ma yakhruju minha
wa
min fitani al-layli wa al-nahar
wa
min tawariq al-layli wa al-nahar
illa
tariqin yatruqu bi khayrin ya rahman
I
seek refuge in the Face of Allah the Munificent
and
in Allah's perfect words
which
neither the righteous nor the disobedient overstep
from
the evil of what descends from the heaven
and
the evil of what ascends to it
and
the evil of what is created in the earth
and
the trials of the night and the day
and
the visitors of the night and the day
except
the visitor that comes with goodness,
O
Beneficent One!
At this the devil fell dead on his face and his firebrand
went out.
They travelled until they reached a people who sowed in a
day and reaped in a day. Every time they reaped, their harvest would be
replenished as before. The Prophet said: "O Jibril, what is this?" He
replied: "These are al-mujahidun -- those who strive -- in the path
of Allah the Exalted. Every good deed of theirs is multiplied for them seven
hundred times, and whatever they spend returns multiplied."
The Prophet then noticed a fragrant wind and said:
"O Jibril, what is this sweet scent?" He replied: "This is the
scent of the lady who combed the hair of Fir`awn's daughter and that of her
children. As she combed the hair of Fir`awn's daughter the comb fell and she
said: bismillah ta`isa fir`awn -- In the name of Allah, may Fir`awn
perish! whereupon Fir`awn's daughter said: Do you have a Lord other than my
father? She said yes. Fir`awn's daughter said: Shall I tell my father? She said
yes. She told him and he summoned her and said: Do you have a Lord other than
me? She replied: Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.
This
woman had two sons and a husband. Fir`awn summoned them and he began to entice
the woman and her husband to renege on their religion, but they refused. He
said: Then I shall kill you. She said: Be so good as to bury us all together in
a single grave if you kill us. He replied: Granted, and it is your right to ask
us. He then ordered that a huge cow made of copper be filled with boiling
liquid (oil and water) and that she and her children be thrown into it. The
children were taken and thrown in one after the other. The second and youngest
was still an infant at the breast. When they took him he said: Mother! fall and
do not tarry for verily you are on the right. Then she was thrown in with her
children."
He (Ibn `Abbas) said: "Four spoke from the cradle as
they were still infants: this child, Yusuf's witness (cf. 12:26), Jurayj's
companion, and `Isa ibn Maryam."[22]
Then the Prophet saw people whose heads were being
shattered, then every time they would return to their original state and be
shattered again without delay. He said: "O Jibril, who are these
people?" He replied: "These are the people whose heads were too heavy
(on their pillows) to get up and fulfill the prescribed prayers."
Then he saw a people who wore loincloths on the fronts
and on their backs. They were roaming the way camels and sheep roam about. They
were eating thistles and zaqqum -- the fruit of a tree that grows in
hell and whose fruit resembles the head of devils (37:62-63) -- and white-hot
coals and stones of Jahannam. He
said: "Who are these, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the ones
who did not meet the obligation of paying sadaqa from what they
possessed, whereas Allah never kept anything from them."
Then he saw a people who had in front of them excellent
meats disposed in pots and also putrid, foul meat, and they would eat from the
foul meat and not touch the good meat. He said: "What is this, O
Jibril?" He replied: "These are the men from your Community who had
an excellent, lawful wife at home and who would go and see a foul woman and
spend the night with her; and the women who would leave her excellent, lawful
husband to go and see a foul man and spend the night with him."
Then he came to a plank in the middle of the road which
not even a piece of cloth nor less than that could cross except it would be
pierced. He said: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is
what happens to those of your Community who sit in the middle of the road and
cut it" and he recited:
wa
la taq`adu bi kulli siratin tu`iduna wa tasudduna `an sabilillah man amana bihi
wa tabtaghunaha `iwajan
Lurk
not on every road to threaten wayfarers and to turn away from Allah's path him
who believes in Him, and to seek to make it crooked (7:86).
The Prophet saw a man swimming in a river of blood and he
was being struck in his mouth with rocks which he then swallowed. The Prophet
asked: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is what
happens to those who eat usury."
Then he saw a man who had gathered a stack of wood which
he could not carry, yet he was adding more wood to it. He said: "What is
this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is a man from your Community who
gets people's trusts when he cannot fulfill them, yet he insists on carrying
them.
He then saw people whose tongues and lips were being
sliced with metal knives. Every time they were sliced they would return to
their original state to be sliced again without respite. He said: "Who are
these, O Jibril?" He replied: "These are the public speakers of
division in your Community: they say what they don't do."
Then he passed by people who had copper nails with which
they scratched their own faces and chests. He asked: "Who are these, O
Jibril?" He replied: "These are the ones who ate the flesh of people
and tarnished their reputations."
Then he saw a small hole with a huge bull coming out of
it. The bull began to try entering the hole again and was unable. The Prophet
said: "What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is the one in
your Community who tells an enormity, then he feels remorse to have spoken it
but is unable to take it back."
(al-Shami added:) He then came to a valley in which he
breathed a sweet, cool breeze fragrant with musk and he heard a voice. He said:
"What is this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is the voice of
Paradise saying: O my Lord, bring me what You have promised me for too abundant
are my rooms, my gold-laced garments, my silk, my brocades, my carpets, my
pearls, my coral, my silver, my gold, my goblets, my bowls, my pitchers, my
couches, my honey, my water, my milk, my wine! And He says: You will have every
single Muslim and Muslima, every Mu'min and Mu'mina, and everyone who has
believed in Me and My Messengers and did excellent deeds without associating a
partner to Me nor taking helpers without Me. Anyone who fears Me will be safe,
and whoever asks Me I shall give him, and whoever lends Me something I shall
repay him, and whoever relies on Me I shall suffice him. I am Allah besides
Whom there is no god. I never fail in My promise. Successful indeed are the believers!
Blessed is Allah, therefore, the best of Creators! And Paradise answered: I
accept."
Then he came to a valley in which he heard a detestable
sound and smelled a stench-carrying wind. He said: "What is this, O
Jibril?" He replied: "This is the sound of Jahannam saying: O Lord, give me what You promised me, for abundant
are my chains, my yokes, my punishments, my fires, my thistles, my pus, my
tortures! My depth is abysmal, my heat is extreme, therefore give me what You
promised me! And He replied: You will have every idolater and idolatress, every
male and female disbeliever and foul one, and every tyrant who does not believe
in the Day of Reckoning."
The Prophet saw the Dajjal
in his actual likeness. He saw him with his own eyes not in a dream. It was
said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, how was he when you saw him?" He
replied: "Mammoth-sized (faylamaniyyan), extremely pale and white (aqmaru
hijan), one of his eyes is protuberant as if it were a twinkling star. His
hair is like the branches of a tree. He resembles `Abd al-`Uzza ibn Qatan (who
died in Jahiliyya)."
The Prophet saw a pearl-like white column (`amud)
which the angels were carrying. He said: "What is this you are
carrying?" They replied: "The Column of Islam. We have been ordered
to place it in Syria." (End of al-Shami's addition.)[23]
As the Prophet was travelling he heard someone calling
him from his right: "O Muhammad, look at me, I want to ask you
something!" But the Prophet did not respond. Then he said: "Who was
this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is the herald of the Jews. If you
had answered him your Community would have followed Judaism."
The Prophet continued travelling and he heard someone
calling him from his left: "O Muhammad, look at me, I want to ask you
something!" But the Prophet did not respond. Then he said: "Who was
this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This is the herald of the Christians.
If you had answered him your Community would have followed Christianity."
The Prophet continued travelling and then passed by a
woman with bare arms, decked with every female ornament Allah had created. She
said: "O Muhammad, look at me, I need to ask you something." But he
did not look at her. Then he said: "Who was this, O Jibril?" He
replied: "This was the world, (al-dunya). If you had answered her,
your Community would have preferred the world to the hereafter."
As the Prophet travelled on, he passed by an old man who
was a distance away from his path saying: "Come hither, O Muhammad!"
But Jibril said: "Nay, go on, O Muhammad!" The Prophet went on and
then said: "Who was this, O Jibril?" He replied: "This was
Allah's enemy, Iblis. He wanted you to incline towards him."
He went on and passed by an old woman on the roadside who
said: "O Muhammad, look at me, I need to ask you something." But he
did not look at her. Then he said: "Who was this, O Jibril?" He
replied: "The world has as much left to live as the remaining lifetime of
this old woman."
(al-Shami added:) As he went on he was met by some of
Allah's creatures who said: "Peace be upon you, O First One! Peace upon
you, O Last One! Peace be upon you, O Gatherer!" Jibril said to him:
"Return their greeting," and he did. Then he saw them another time
and they said the same thing. Then he saw them a third time and again they
greeted him. He said: "Who are they, O Jibril?" He replied:
"Ibrahim, Musa, and `Isa."
The Prophet then passed by Musa as he was praying in his
grave at a place of red sandhills. He was tall, with long hair and brown
complexion, similar to one of the shanu'a -- the (Yemeni) men of pure
lineage and manly virtue. He was saying with a loud voice: "You have
honored him and preferred him!" Then the Prophet greeted him and he
returned his greeting. Musa said: "Who is this with you, O Jibril?" He
replied: "This is Ahmad." He said: "Welcome to the Arabian
Prophet who acted perfectly with his Community!" and he made an invocation
for blessing on his behalf. Then he said: "Ask ease for you
Community."
They continued travelling and the Prophet said: "O
Jibril, who was this?" He replied: "This is Musa ibn `Imran."
The Prophet asked: "Who was he reprimanding?" He said: "He is
reprimanding his Lord." The Prophet said: "He reprimands his Lord and
raises his voice against his Lord?!" Jibril said: "Allah the Exalted
knows Musa's bluntness."
He passed by a large tree whose fruit seemed like a
thornless berry (of the kind that gives shade to men and cattle). Under it an
old man was resting with his dependents. There were lamps and a great light
could be seen. The Prophet said: “Who is this, O Jibril?” He replied: “Your
father Ibrahim.” The Prophet greeted him and Ibrahim returned his greeting and
said: “Who is this with you, O Jibril?” He replied: “This is your son Ahmad.”
He said:
Welcome
to the unlettered Arabian Prophet who has conveyed the message of his Lord and
acted with perfect sincerity with his Community!
O
my son, you are going to meet your Lord tonight, and your Community is the last
and the weakest of all Communities -- therefore, if you are able to have your
need fulfilled concerning your Community, or most of it, be sure to do it!
Then he invoked for goodness
on his behalf.
They continued travelling until they reached the valley
that is in the city -- that is: the Hallowed House (Jerusalem) -- when lo and
behold! Jahannam was shown to them like a carpet unfolded. They (the
Companions) said: "O Messenger of Allah, how was it?" He replied:
"Like cinders."
He continued travelling until he reached the city of the
Hallowed House and he entered it by its Southern gate. He dismounted the Buraq and tied it at the gate of the
mosque, using the ring by which the Prophets tied it before him. One narration
states that Jibril came to the Rock and placed his fingers in it, piercing it,
then he tied the Buraq using the spot
he had hollowed out.
The Prophet entered the mosque from a gate through which
the sun and the moon could be seen when they set. He prayed two cycles of
prayer and did not tarry long before a large throng of people had gathered. The
Prophet recognized all the Prophets, some standing in prayer, some bowing, some
prostrating. Then a caller called out to the prayer and the final call to
prayer was made. They rose and stood in lines, waiting for the one who would
lead them. Jibril took the hand of the Prophet and brought him forward. He led
them in two cycles of prayer.[24]
The
following is related from Ka`b: Jibril raised the call to prayer. The angels
descended from the heaven. Allah gathered all the Messengers and Prophets. Then
the Prophet prayed as the leader of the angels and Messengers. When he left
Jibril asked him: “O Muhammad, do you know who prayed behind you?” He said no.
Jibril said: “Every single Prophet whom Allah has ever sent.”
(Al-Shami
adds:) Abu Hurayra’s narration related by al-Hakim who declared it sound, and
by al-Bayhaqi, states: The Prophet met the spirits of the Prophets. They
glorified their Lord, after which Ibrahim said:
Praise
to Allah Who has taken me as His intimate friend, Who has given me an immense
kingdom, Who has made me a prayerful Community and one by whom prayer is led,
Who has rescued me from the fire and made it cool and safe for me!
Then Musa glorified his Lord
and said:
Praise
be to Allah Who has spoken to me directly, Who has brought to pass the
destruction of Fir`awn and the salvation of the Children of Israel at my hands,
and Who has made from among my Community a people who guide others through
truth and establish justice upon it!
Then Dawud glorified his
Lord and said:
Praise
be to Allah Who has brought me an immense kingdom, Who has softened iron for my
hands, and subjected to me the mountains and the birds which laud Him, and has
given me wisdom and unmistakable judgment in my speech!
Then Sulayman glorified his
Lord and said: