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"Advice
to Those Who Abstain From Fighting in The Way of Allah" |
Note: "Jihad" means lit. - struggle and is understood in the context of Islamic teachings as struggle for the sake of Almighty God. This can mean struggling to overcome evil within one's own self, in the society or even the struggle against enemies, terrorists and oppression where ever it may be found. The word most often associated with military combat throughout the Quran is not the word "jihad," but rather, it is the word, "qital" and it means exactly to engage in mortal combat against the enemy. However, there can never be oppression committed in the name of Islam by misusing these teachings.
Shaheed8 Ibn Nuhaas warns on page 113-132, volume 1... Know!
Oh abstainer from that which has been obligated of jihaad! Deviator
from the ways of success and correctness, that you have been exposed
to expulsion and relegation. By Allah! Prevented from happiness
by obtaining the objective. What that I knew! The reason for your
abstinence from fighting and plunging yourself into the battles
of the brave. Your miserliness in the path of Allah with your
soul and wealth. All this is due to distant hopes, fear of an
on-slaughting life span and hatred of leaving a beloved from family,
wealth, son, servant, or relative. A blood brother of yours, a
compassionate relative, a generous supporter, a cherished friend,
working extra pious deeds, love of a beautiful wife, a preventative
high "Oh
you who believe what is the matter with you that when you are
asked to march forward in the cause of Allah you cling heavily
to the earth are you pleased with the life of this world rather
than the hereafter but little is the enjoyment of the life of
this world as compared with the hereafter " Hearken! To that which I dictate to you of decisive evidences and listen that which I present to you of glaring proofs, so that you may learn, nothing hinders from jihaad, not even the two Holy Mosques9 and there is no reason for your delay except the lower self and the devil. "But I fear death! " As for your appease to distant hopes, fear of an on-slaughting life span, vigilance of death which must occur and fear of the path which must be traversed, by Allah! Verily! Bravery does not shorten the life of the brave just as refrainment does not lengthen the life of those who lag behind: "And every nation has its appointed term when there term is reached neither an hour can they delay nor an hour can they advance." (Al A’raaf:34) "And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time comes and Allah is all aware of what you do." (Al-Munaafiqoon:11) Verily! In death there is swooning Oh tribulated one! Verily! The terror of the dying is great but you do not sense and verily! In the grave there is a punishment none is saved from it except the righteous. Verily! In it there is the Questioning of the two tribulating angels: "Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and the hereafter and Allah will cause to go astray those who are wrong doers" (Ibraaheem:27) Then
after this immense danger either blessed and to the everlasting
pleasure or accursed and hence to the punishment of the fire.
The martyr is safe from all this, he fears not a thing from these
destructors and the prophet of Allah (S.A.W) has stated: "The
martyr feels not the pain of "But my relatives and wealth! " If you say: "my relatives, wealth, children and family hamper me from jihaad", for Allah has stated words that are clear not concealed: "and it is not your wealth nor your children that bring you nearer to us..." (Saba:37) and the Most High says: "Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women children much of gold silver branded beautiful horse, cattle and well tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present worlds life, but Allah has the excellent return"(Al-Imraan:14) and the Most High says: "Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you and rivalry in respect of wealth and children, as the likeness of vegetation after rain , thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller, afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow then it becomes straw. But in the hereafter a severe torment and forgiveness from Allah and good pleasure whereas the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment" (Al-Hadeed:20) There
are many verses similar to this and the proofs are clear and gleaming. How
do you let hamper you that which is in the fair of departure and
decline? Fleeing from you when friendship is lost and when relatives
disperse. Abandoning you every friend who use to frequent your
company, then on the Day of Judgement you will be asked about
him, where did you meet? And what did you do? Oh you who will
be questioned! On a day that children will On
that Day the rich shall be held to account for the spot on a date
and the skin of a date pip, the significant and the wretched,
the incomplete and complete and the poor shall precede the wealthy
to paradise by five hundred years15. They shall feast, drink and
enjoy in the abode of peace, whilst you Oh rich one! Shall be
held from them because of your wealth and you will "But my precious son! " If you remember your precious son and you sympathise for him the sympathy of a compassionate father, for Allah the Most High has said: "Your wealth and your children are only a trial whereas Allah with him is a great reward" (At-Taghaabun:15) By
Allah! He is more merciful to the child than his father, mother,
brother and uncle and how not! when he had nurtured him before
them with the breast of his mercy in the darkness of the interior
organs. The child’s heart is in the hand of his gentleness
and mercy in the womb of his mother and the loins of his father.
So where was your compassion and sympathy for him when he was
such? And after you where will be your closeness to him? How do
you let hamper you from the abode of pleasure and neighbouring
the noble Lord? A child who if small, you are with him concerned,
or large for you are with him grieved, healthy for you fear for
him, sick and your heart due to its weakness restless. If you
manner him he angers and bolts or advise him, he "...and to Allah belongs the domain and the earth and that is between them and to him is the return" (Al-Ma’idah:18) By
Allah! You do not posses the ability to benefit or harm him or
yourself. "Oh mankind be afraid of your lord and fear a day when no father can avail ought for his son nor a son avail ought for his father, verily the promise of Allah is true , let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah" (Luqmaan:33) If
your child is from amongst the blessed, then you shall be joined
with him in paradise and if he is of the accursed , then he shall
be so from now. The people of paradise do not join with the people
of the fire, nor the pious with the wicked, it maybe that Allah
grants you martyrdom and you intercede for him. Your absence from
him would be an endeavour to save him, so seek "That
day shall a man flee from his brother, and from his mother and
his father, and from his wife and his children. Every man that
day will have enough to make him careless of others." Verily! This is an immense declaration: "...and Allah guides whom he wills to a straight path" (Al-Baqarah:213) "But my dear ones! " If you say: "It is difficult for me to part from a brother, relative, friend or dear one", for you it is as if the Resurrection has already been established upon the entire of creation: "Friends on that day will be foes one to another except the pious." (Az-Zukhruf:67) For if the friendship was for Allah’s sake, then you shall be joined in the highest ranks, in luxury forever and if the friendship was for other than Allah, then from now: Departure! Departure! Before comrade be joined with comrade, because a person in the hereafter is with his dear one, for his participating with the other in achieving his desire. If he is of the God fearing, his brother will benefit him and if he is of the accursed he will damage him. With
that which you expect from relatives and friends in this abode
of harshness, aversion, little loyalty, much annoyance, lack of
fairness, their transformation in your presence and their blame
of you. Their injustice to you, their abandonment of you during
loss of possessions and that which their hearts conceal of defects
and diseases. If you fall into hardship they leave you to yourself,
or if you make a mistake they free themselves from you, brothers
of prosperity and enemies of hardship. Their friendship necessitates
affluence, their companionship is fraught with pains, if your
wealth is little you are cuffed and if your situation changes
he is your "And we shall remove from their breasts any sense of injury, brothers facing each other on thrones" (Al-Hijr:47) So do not hamper yourself from jihaad, Oh you! With a beloved one or relative, it may be that you are split apart before death and so an immense reward passes you by. Your cherished friend separated from you and you are deprived of that which you wish of rank in paradise, you regret but your regret will avail you naught for that which has passed. In
a hadeeth: Jibreel may peace be upon him said to the prophet (S.A.W):
Oh Muhammad! Verily Allah says to you; live as you will for verily
you will die, love who you will for verily you will depart from
him and do what you will for verily you will be rewarded for it."18.
See what immense meaning these words have gathered, from the remembrance
of death, departure of "...Verily in this is a lesson for those who understand" (Al-Imraan:13) "But my status and lineage!" If
you say: "My lineage and high position hamper me and my honour
is a preventative barrier.", for what that I knew! How many
have died and left your lineage? Beloved to them before it reached
you and how many faded his authority from his envious obsession
with it before it shadowed you. It shall be made clear to you
as it was made clear to them, in that it is as if For
then what is your opinion of he who will be with the first forerunners,
the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. It
is not hidden from you that which high status entails of fatigue
and tire, bad end and evil return, that which you earn due to
it of many enemies and enviers and that which their inner selves
gather upon of rancour and malevolence. Their At-Tirmithi and Ibn Hibaan report a hadeeth: "The lowest of the people of paradise, for him there is eighty thousand servants, seventy two wives, a dome is constructed for him of pearls, aquamarine and gems the size of which is the distance between Al-Jaabiyah20 and San’aa21"22. Listen to the words of the Great, the Forgiver: "...and
the angels shall enter upon them from every gate, peace be upon
you for that you persevered in patience, excellent indeed is the
final home," By Allah! This is what eyes are to be soothed with and so: "For the like of this let the workers work" (As-Saafaat:61) "But my beautiful abode! " If
you say: "It is difficult for me to leave my palace, it’s
shade, it’s raised construction, high place, my servants,
couches and luxuries". What that I knew! Is it not merely
a house made from stone, mud, clay, metal, wood, palm branches
and cane? If it is not swept it accumulates considerable rubbish,
if it is not decorated then how dark is it’s darkness, if
it’s construction is not renovated then how quick is it’s
ruin, even if you renovate it, it’s final result is dilapidation.
After a short while it will turn to dust, those resident will
depart from it, the cotton merchants will move from it, it’s
trace effaced, knowledge of it’s existence wiped out, it’s
vestige erased and it’s name forgotten. It has been narrated:
when Allah the Mighty and Majestic descended Adam (A.S) to the
earth he said: Exchange Oh deceived one! Your palace and it’s quick rate of deterioration, for an eternal abode, whose palaces are high, it’s light radiant, it’s rivers flowing, it’s fruit laden branches stoop low and it’s delights successive. If you ask about it’s construction, for it is of silver bricks and gold bricks, no fatigue therein by far and no tire, if you ask about it’s soil, for it is of sweet smelling musk24, if you ask about it’s gravel, for it is of pearls and jewels. If you ask about its rivers, for there are rivers of milk, rivers of honey and Al Kawthar25. If you ask about it’s palaces, for there is a palace of hollowed pearl, it’s height seventy miles into the air, or from green aquamarine, glistening splendidly, or from red ruby, raised it’s construction. For the believer in every corner of its corner’s, a family and servants, they do not see each other due to its vastness. If you ask about it’s couches, for they are lined with silk brocade, for what then is your opinion of their exterior?! They are raised amongst those who are also upon couches for forty years and there is no sleep upon them or slumber, on the contrary, they recline upon them facing each other: "And some of them draw near to others questioning" (At-Tur:25) "But my nice food! " If you ask about its food, for its substance is created, perpetual, it’s fruit not limited by seasons and their supply will not be cut off for the length of that station. On the contrary there will be ripen fruits: "And
fruit that they may choose, And the flesh of fowls that they desire" They shall be given to drink: "...pure sealed wine, the last thereof will be the smell of musk, and for this let those strive who want to strive" (Al-Mutaffifeen:25-26) Its dwellers shall not defecate, urinate, spit or produce mucus. Their food shall perspire from their skins with an odour of musk, colour of pearls and then the stomach shall be reduced as it was26. If you ask about its servant’s for they are eternal youths: "...if
you see them, you would think them scattered pearls. And when
you look there you will see a delight and a great dominion. Their
garments will be of fine green silk and gold embroidery. They
will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their lord shall
give them a pure drink. Verily In
summary, all that I have mentioned to you, is what has come of
news, except for that in paradise there is what no eye has seen,
nor ear heard nor occurred to the heart of man27. If you ask about
the length of stay in this great luxury, for they shall be therein
forever, immortal, alive and they shall not die. They shall be
youths, never ageing, healthy, never becoming "Their way of request therein will be: Glory! to you Oh Allah, and: peace, will be their greeting therein. And the close of their request will be: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the lord of the worlds" (Yunus: 10) So with your intelligence compare this immense, momentous kingdom and your present abode, that of a short span, small share and see that if you depart from it with martyrdom to what you will arrive. Verily! The abode that you are in is deceiving: "...and none can inform you like him who is the all the knower" (Faatir:14) "But I would like to improve my deeds first!" If you say: "I like to delay in order to improve my deeds", for this is also a product of deception and distant hoping. By Allah! Delay of a destined life span has never been achieved: "Oh
Mankind! Verily the promise of Allah is true, so do not let this
present life deceive you, and do not let the chief deceiver deceive
you about Allah. By
Allah! This is nothing but a snare of Iblees the accursed, it
is not from the intentions of the friends of Allah, or the righteous,
are not the companions of the prophet (S.A.W) and the best of
those who followed them more deserving than you of this intention
if you are indeed of the truthful? "March
forth whether you are light or heavy and make jihaad with wealth
and your lives in the cause of Allah. This is better for you,
if you but knew" Do you not take heed? If you are indeed of the intelligent and understanding and ponder upon the words of the Most High: "...and Allah has preferred the mujahideen above those who sit by a huge reward" (An-Nisaa:95) In a hadeeth: "Verily the standing of a man in the battle line for the cause of Allah is better than seventy years of worship amongst his family"29. Oh deceived one! Verily the sleep of a mujaahid is better than the night prayer and the fast of one who remains behind, there shall concerning this follow extra explanation30 and with Allah lies the assistance. Suppose that you are truthful in what you claim, do not your deeds waver between being rejected and accepted? Is there not ahead of you that which terrifies and daunts? Is not your advance to the fearful day of the Gathering? By Allah! You do not know whether your deeds will save you, if you work, or destroy you! "...and he knows what you conceal and what you reveal" (An-Naml:25) "And
whether you die or are killed, verily unto Allah you shall be
gathered" "But my beautiful wife! " If
you say: "it does not appease my soul, departing from my
beautiful wife, my delight when she is close and my happiness
from her love". Give it that your wife is the most attractive
of women, and the most beautiful of the people of her time, is
not her beginning a despised drop? Her last a foul corpse? And
between these two she is a virgin. Her menses prevent you from As the prophet (S.A.W) has said: "If you were to do good to one of them for a lifetime then she were to notice something bad in you, she would say: I have never seen any good from you"31. You desire from her the foulest part of her, you fear her desertion, you fear her harshness, your love for her carries you to exhaustion and fatigue, intense misery and distress. She exposes you to the sources of destruction and you are pleased to fulfil the slightest of her whims at your destruction or that close to it. She loves you because of her needs from you, if they pass by she deserts you, she abandons you and seeks for other than you. She becomes bored with you and she makes her enmity apparent, as she says with the tongue of her condition even if she does not express it in words: "Maintain me and spend, or separate from me and divorce me!". In summary it is impossible to enjoy her except with a twist, your relationship with her will not last except with pressure and hardship. By Allah! What a wonder! How do you let love of her hamper you from reunion with one created from light? Raised in the shade of palaces with youths and maidens, in the abode of luxuries and happiness, by Allah! the blood of a martyr does not dry but that he has met her. His eyes delight in witnessing her glow, wide eyed, beautiful, exquisite, virgin, as if she were a ruby, no man or jinn has had sexual intercourse with her before you, her speech soft, her figure correct, her hair uniform in colour, her virility immense, her eyelids flitter. Her beauty is dazzling and radiant, her coquetishness evident, her glance darkened with kohl, beautiful her elegance, sweet her speech, marvellous her creation, splendid her manners, glowingly adorned, most gorgeous of things lawful, full of love, free of boredom, her glance created only for looking at you, so she does not look at any except you. She
loves for you everything that your desires desire, if a nail of
hers was to become apparent the light of the full moon would be
completely extinguished and if her bracelet was to become apparent
during the night, there would remain no darkness in the creation.
Were that Is it befitting of a person of intelligence that he hears of her and then sits back from reunion with her??? How? And for him in paradise are wide-eyed maidens like her and more like her! Know that separation from your wife eventually is a must, it is as if it has already happened and in paradise you shall be joined together if Allah wills. What best of joining places! And what is between you and her reaching there if she is of the righteous, except a time during which you must separate from her and that is death. You will find her in the hereafter more beautiful than the wide-eyed maidens by a factor that none knows except the Lord of the worlds. That which you despised in her gone, that which was evil in her vanished, her manners perfected, her creation beautified, more attractive, broad eyed, a beautiful radiant woman, virgin, cleaned from menses and bleeding, removed from her all types of impurities and her crookedness straightened. Her jubilation increased, her glow expanded, her virility enlarged and she is superior to the wide-eyed maidens like their superiority over her in this present abode. So turn away from her today for Allah’s cause, he will exchange her for you and if she is of the people of paradise then you must have her. The stark reality of this world So do not become distracted Oh you! From the eternal abode, by deception with something from the chattels of this present world, for by Allah! It is not an abode of residence, neither a place of meeting nor perfection. An abode that if it makes you laugh today it makes you weep tomorrow, if it makes you happy then succeeds it’s happiness ruin, if you gather therein all the luxuries, then Allah’s wrath is quick to descend upon you. If it enriches you, it impoverishes you, if it unites it separates, if it rejoins it disperses, if it diminishes it congests, if it enriches it overburdens, if it increases it eradicates, if it constructs, it destroys, if it produces it flees, if it elevates it topples and if it becomes peaceful it oppresses.
If it’s graces prevail, it causes grief with it’s
evil results, if it revitalises with it’s reunion then weaning
follows it, it’s closeness is far, it’s beloved one
dejected, it’s drink a mirage and it’s sweetness punishment.
The abode of worries, sadness, distress, anxiety, transition,
The one who loves it is wretched, the one who desires it is mad
and the one who trusts in it is shamed. It has covered its defects,
hidden its disasters, it is treacherous with its falsehood, deceiving
with its bribes, it has set its meshes and placed its nets. It
has made permissible its So
awaken yourself! Oh you! Before destruction, free yourself from
its captivity before it becomes difficult to escape. Prepare to
proceed to success and happiness, maybe Allah will grant you martyrdom
from his grace, so do not let hamper you from this reward, a reason
from these reasons. For the one of sound assurance is he who exhibits
strong resolution and the one "...and Allah says the truth and he guides the way" (Al-Ahzaab:4) "...Allah
is sufficient for us and the best disposer of our affairs" 1 A village in Egypt. 2 Author of Fathul Baari, the best explanation of Al-Bukhari’s collection of saheeh ahadeeth. 3 One of Ibn Hajr’s most notable students. 4 A term used meaning; the gaurding of the front lines and the waiting before engaging the enemy in battle. 5 Imprisoned scholar and leader in Algeria. 6 Ghaayat Al-Muraad fee Gadaayaa Al-Jihaad by Sheikh Alee bin Haaj. 7 An assassinated sheikh about who Time magazine writes "...he is responsible for reviving jihaad this century.", and as Muslims we know the reward for he who revives a forgotten sunnah, let alone a forgotten fard !. 8
We do not rule that he who is killed in jihaad is a shaheed and
will enter paradise, because entry into paradise is a matter which
depends upon the intention of the one killed, and that is in the
knowledge of Allah. Calling the one killed in jihaad shaheed is
for the purpose of attaching an apparent ruling to him built upon
strong speculation because we do not wash him, shroud him or pray
upon him and this is a matter stated by the majority of the salaf.
Ibn Hajr Al-Asqalaany states: "And for this reason the salaf
called those killed in Badr and Uhud Shuhadaa, and the intent
in this is to attach an apparent ruling built upon strong speculation,
and Allah knows 11 Narrated by ; At-Tirmithi who states that it is saheeh ghareeb, Al-Haakim
; saheeh chain of reporters, Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubaarak, Al-Baihaqi 12 Narrated by Al-Bukhari. 13 In reference to Surat Al-Hajj:2 14 In reference to Surat Ar-Rahmaan:41 15
In reference to a hadeeth narrated by At-Tirmithi from Abu Hurrayra
who 16 Maalik : the custodian angel of the hell fire. 17 Referring to wealth. 18 Narrated by Al-Baihaqi in Shu’ab Al-Eeman. 19
In reference to a hadeeth narrated by Muslim in the book of eeman, 21 Capital city of Yemen. 22 Narrated by At-Tirmithi: ghareeb. 23 Narrated by; Al-Baihaqi, Ahmad, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Hibaan. 24 In reference to a long hadeeth narrated by At-Tirmithi. 25 A river in paradise. 26 In reference to a hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. 27 In reference to a hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. 28 In reference to a hadeeth Narrated by Muslim. 29 Narrated by; At-Tirmithi; hadeeth hassan and saheeh chain, verified by Al-Baihaqi, Al-Haakim states : hadeeth saheeh upon Muslim’s condition, and At-Thahabi agrees with him. 30
In reference to that narrated by; Ibn Abi Shaybah in "Mussanaf"
and Ibn 31 Narrated by Al-Bukhari |