12. KHUTAB IX (5-8)

25
5. AL-ḤASAN AL-BAṢRĪ (2)
A Bedouin was passing by Basrah and asked, “Who is the
Master of the city?” It was said to him: “Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.” The
Bedouin asked again: “How did he become their master?” They said:
“It is because he does not need their worldly wealth, but they are in
need of his knowledge.” He became a voluntary judge of Basrah in
102/ 720.
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī did not like conducting debates in matters of
religion. For him this kind of debate would create doubt. When a
man asked him to debate with him about Islam, he replied that he
knew his religion, and if that man had lost his religion let him go and
look for it. His reply to some questions indicated his piety.
When he was asked whether Iblīs (the Devil) slept, he said had
Iblīs ever slept, then we would have time to have a rest. When he
was asked how he was, he answered that his condition was worse
than that of the people who were on board of a sinking ship in the
middle of the sea, each was hanging on a piece of wood to save
himself. In another time he said that his condition was like that of a
person awaiting death in the morning and in the evening, not
knowing whether he would survive through the night and in what
condition he would die.
When he was asked about the world and the Hereafter, al-
Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī, answered: “The world compared to the Hereafter is
like the place of sunrise and the place of sunset. Whenever you come
closer to one of them you would be farther away from the other.
With regard to this world, it starts with tiredness and ends with
annihilation. What is ḥalāl (legal, lawful, permitted) in it there is
ḥisāb (reckoning, accounting), and what is ḥarām (illegal, unlawful,
prohibited) in it there is punishment. Whoever becomes rich in it will
be tested, and whoever becomes poor in it would be sad.”
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī was loved, respected and admired by his
contemporaries. One of them was a man who was called Abū
Qatādah al-‘Adawī. He advised people to follow him, and to keep
close to him, as Abū Qatādah had never seen a man who had similar
26
opinions to that of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb except him, and was one of
the most knowledgeable people on the ḥalāl (lawful) and the ḥarām
(unlawful) acts. His close neighbour, Khālid ibn Ṣafwān, said he had
never seen a man like him; his outward appearance and words were
identical to his inner reality and his deeds. When he enjoined what
was right he was the first one to do it, and when he forbade what
was wrong, he was the farthest away from it. He was never in need
of people, but people were in need of him.
Some wise sayings of Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī are as follows:
- Islam is the capital of a believer; it is always with him, he does not
leave it behind when he travels, and he does not entrust it to
another.
- Statements can only be correct with actions; statements and
actions can only be correct with an intention; statements, actions
and intention can only be correct if they are according to the
Sunnah. (The Sunnah of the Prophet is his path which we Muslims
should follow in order to reach our destination, namely, salvation
in the Hereafter, without which we would go astray)
- The person who acts without knowledge is like a wayfarer without
a way, and such a person ruins more than he fixes. Therefore seek
knowledge, in a way that doesn't harm your worship, and seek
worship, in a way that doesn't harm your knowledge seeking, for
there was a nation that sought worship and neglected knowledge,
until they went out with their swords against the ummah (nation)
of Muhammad s.a.w. Had they sought knowledge, it wouldn't have
led them to what they did.
- Evil has three foundations and six subsidiary branches. Its
foundations are: envy, covetousness, and love of the worldly life.
Its subsidiary branches are: love of leadership, love of boasting,
love of praise, love of filling oneself with food, love of sleep, and
love of relaxation.
- The goodness where there is no evil is: shukr (gratitude to Allah) in
times of well-being, and ṣabr (patience) in times of misfortune. But
27
many people are not thankful when they are blessed, and are not
patient when they are tried with misfortune.
- This world is but a dream that a sleeper sees—he delights in it for a
few moments, and then wakes up to face reality.
- In order to be followed as an example, a Muslim has to be a father
(mother) to young Muslims, a brother (sister) to other Muslims, or
a son (or daughter) to the elders.
- Whoever does not find happiness in the dhikr (remembrance) of
Allah, prayer, and reciting the Qu’ran, will not find it anywhere
else.
- Life is made up of three days: yesterday which has gone along with
all that was in it, tomorrow which you may never see, but today is
for you, so work on it.
- Do not sit idle, because death is constantly seeking you.
- Someone has said that no one should do the religious duty الأَمْرُ
بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَ النَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَر (commanding what is good and prohibiting
what is wrong), except an infallible person, namely, a person who
does not make any mistake. Satan would like this statement, so
that no one would command what is right and forbid what is
wrong, as nobody is free from wrong-doing.
- If someone wants to know who he is, he should present himself to
the Qur’ān, namely to know how good or how bad he is according
to the teachings of the Qur’an.
- The best season is winter: its nights are long for those who want to
pray night prayers, and its days are short for those who want to
fast. This is contrary to the belief that the best season is summer,
especially among Western people, where they can spend longer
days enjoying themselves in the open air.
- We are people who would not do any act in public if we can do it in
private. So, in making du‘ā’ (supplication) we do it without sound,
but to whisper to our Lord.
- Do not feel safe from fitnah (test, calamity), and always ask Allah
for keeping your īmān (faith in Islam) at the time of death.
28
- The sign of forgiveness given to the person who has been on hajj
(pilgrimage to Makkah) is that he abandons the evils he used to
commit.
- A man seeking knowledge could be seen in humbleness in his
sight, in his tongue, in his hands, in his prayers, in his speech, and
his disinterest in worldly temptation. A man possessing a portion
of knowledge and put it into practice, it would be better for him
than the world and its contents.
- Verily, Allah lets a person enjoy a blessing for as long as He wills.
But when he is no longer thankful for it, He turns it into a
punishment.
- Do not detest the misfortunes that befall you, for what you detest
may be the cause of your salvation, and what you like may be the
cause of your ruin.
- You will never truly love Allah until you love obeying Him.
- Among the signs that Allah has turned Himself away from a
person is that he becomes occupied with that which does not
concern him.
If the reports are genuine, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī might have been
endowed with a special kind of knowledge given to selected pious
ascetic people called الْعِلْمُ الّلدُنِّي , namely, knowledge imparted directly
by Allah through mystic intuition, as mentioned in the Qur’an, as
follows:
) ... وَعَلَّمْنَاه مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا )الكهف: 56
… whom [i.e. Khidr] We have taught knowledge
from Us (Q. 18:65)
It was related that al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī saw some men was passing
by dragging a body of a dead man. He fell unconscious, apparently
from the shock. When he regained consciousness, he told his friends
that the dead man had been a pious man before, but he became an
apostate. How did he become an apostate? While on his way to the
mosque to pray, he saw a beautiful woman, and he fell in love with
her. When he asked her to marry her, she refused unless he followed
her religion, Christianity. As he could not control his passion any
longer he became Christian and married her.
29
Time passed by, the woman said to him: “You have forsaken
your religion which was more important in your life for the sake of
lust which has no value. Now, I am also forsaking my religion, but for
the sake of eternal bliss under the care of the One, the Self-
Sufficient.” Then she recited sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, as follows:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّّ أَحَ د . اللَّّ الصَّمَدُ . لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ .
)4- وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَ د ) الإخلاص: 1
Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, (the) One, al-
Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures
need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor
was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or
comparable unto Him." (Q., 112:1-4)
When the people who heard her story asked her how she knew
and memorized these verses, she said that it was through a dream.
In her dream she was shown her place in Hell. She became terrified,
but the angel Mālik, the keeper of Hell, told her not to be afraid, as
Allah had ransomed her with that man, who would take her place in
Hell, while the angel Mālik took her hand and admitted her to
Paradise. She saw a line written in it as follows:
) يَمْحُو اللَّّ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَه أُ م الْكِتَابِ )الرعد: 93
Allah blots out what He wills and confirms (what
He will), and with Him is the Mother of the Book
(the Preserved Tablet). (Q. 13:39).
Then the angel recited surat al-Ikhlāṣ (Q., 112) to her, and she began
to repeat it, and she woke up memorizing it.
Another story was narrated by ‘Aṭṭār in his Muslim Saints and
Mystics that al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī had a neighbour who had been a fireworshipper
for over seventy years called Simeon. When the man fell
ill nearing death, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī visited him, advised him to fear
Allah and to end his life by asking Allah’s forgiveness. The man told
him that he had been a fire-worshipper all his life, but Al-Ḥasan al-
Baṣrī persisted, and the man weeping accepted the belief in Allah. He
told him that when he died he would let people wash his body, put
30
him in the grave with his (al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī’s) hands, and place in his
(Simeon’s) hands the document declaring his conversion to Islam, as
evidence. Feeling guilty of forcing Simeon to convert, al-Ḥasan al-
Baṣrī fell asleep and had a miraculous dream: he saw Simeon
"glowing like a candle; on his head a crown, robed in fine raiment, he
was walking with a smile in the garden of Paradise." He was amazed
and Simeon thanked him for his warning, and he gave him (Simeon)
back the parchment containing the declaration of faith. When al-
Ḥasan al-Baṣrī woke up, he saw the parchment in his hand, and
thanked Allah for His mercy and asked for His forgiveness.
Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī passed away on the first of Rajab, which was
on Thursday night, 110 A.H./728 A.C. at the age of 89. His body was
washed and the funeral prayer for it was conducted after the Friday
prayer in grand mosque, where he had spent his time teaching and
calling people to the path of Allah. That day the entire people of
Basrah attended his funeral, that the mosque remained empty at the
hour of ‘aṣr (later afternoon) prayer. It was the first time and the
only time people did not pray obligatory prayers in that mosque.
One of many lessons we learn from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī is that
despite of his being the son of slaves he turned to become the most
honourable person in his time and one among highly respected
scholars in Islamic history. It is achievement that counts rather than
descent. (CIVIC, 14 August, 2015)
المصادر:
المكتبة الشاملة
) تفسير الطبري )ت. 913 ه)
تفسير القرطبى )ت. 571 ه)
تفسير ابن كثير )ت. 774 ه(
1435\ د. عبد الرحمن رفعت باشا. صور من حياة التابعين للصف الثالث المتوسط 1395
Ahmad von Denffer, ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: A.S. Noordeen,
.1991
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan_of_Basra
www.tawheedmovement.wordpress.com
http://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/365-al-hasan-al-basri
http://topfamousquotes.com/hasan-al-basri-quotes/
31
6. BERNARD NABABAN
This is the story of Bernard Nababan, born at Tebing Tinggi,
North Sumatra, Indonesia, on 10 November, 1966.1 He was the third
among seven children of a Christian family who wished him to be a
clergyman. His father was a clergyman at Huria Batak Protestant
Church and his mother was a conductress of hymns song in that
church. After finishing his study at Christian Teaching Education
School, he was admitted to Nomensen High School of Theology, a
school for prospective clergymen in Medan.
Bernard in this High School of Theology was active in attending
seminaries, and eventually he was appointed to be an Evangelist for
three and a half years at the church where his father was a
clergyman. As an Evangelist he was also active outside his school.
In 1989 Bernard Nababan and some of his friends were sent to
a Muslim area to assist its people as well as to spread Biblical
teachings, as Christianity stresses the significance of love and
compassion towards fellow human beings. He was very optimistic in
his mission, and explained it to the community leaders who offered
him to conduct a dialogue. In the dialogue they appreciated his
activity in assisting them materially, but not to spread Christianity,
and to convert them to Christianity
The community leaders said that Christianity was not for them,
but solely for the Children of Israel, as Jesus said, “I was sent only to
the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).2
They started opening various versions of the Bible, and mentioned
the weakness of the Bible one by one. They also discussed the
dialogue between K.H. Bahauddin Mudhari with a Christian in the
1 The date 10th of November is coincident with the Indonesian Hari Pahlawan
(Heroes’ Day), observed every year to commemorate heavy fighting between
Indonesian and British Allied forces at Surabaya on 10 November 1945. This
was less than three months after Indonesia’s Proclamation of Independence.
2It was Paul who propagated Christianity to non-Jews, violating the teaching of
Jesus, in his letters to the Corinthians (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). No wonder if
we say that the present Christianity is actually “Pauline Christianity”.
32
island of Madura entitled Dialog Ketuhanana Yesus (Dialogue
Concerning the Divinity of Jesus).3 The dialogue ended only after the
ādhān (the call for maghrib prayer).
When he returned to the boarding school the Dialogue left a
deep impression on him. He read the book dealing with a Muslim
and a Christian given to him impressed him more, that he read it
twelve times. He started to teach less often than usual for three days
consecutively. Apparently, the clergyman of the school noticed that
he had conducted a dialogue with someone who understood the
Bible. So, he told him: “It is unbelievable that you have been
defeated by people who know only the weakness in the Bible, while
you have learned it for 3.5 years, and you have also attended
seminars on Christianity.”
After deep contemplation Bernard decided to stop becoming a
prospective clergyman, and to leave the boarding school. At
midnight he left the boarding school for good. But, where should he
go? If he went home his parents would take him back to the
boarding school and would interrogate him thoroughly. He just took
a public transport not knowing where to go. In his flee he met a
Muslim man from Java. He explained to him his escape from his
school and parents, and that he was in a very grave condition. The
man took him to Jember in Eastern Java where he stayed with him
for one year and treated him like his brother. In return, he worked
with him and helped him in his work. He did not practice his religion
any longer, and he felt as he had lost guidelines.
While Bernard Nababan stayed in that house he felt
peacefulness, his host never asked of persuaded him to convert to
his religion, and highly respected freedom of religion. Bernard was
amazed by this attitude, and he began to be attracted to Islam. He
asked his host about Islam, and the host referred him to a scholar.
They went to the house of Shaykh Khatib ‘Umar, the leader of the
3 The book has been translated into English by myself in 1988 entitled Dialogue
between a Muslim and a Christian, with endnotes and 2 appendices; it can be
read by visiting http://www.muhamine.blogspot.com/
33
Islamic boarding school Rawḍatul ‘Ulūm. Bernard explained to him
his background, his religion and his religious activities, his doubt
about the truth of the Bible that contained contradiction in its verses
which indicated its weakness, and his wish to learn more about
Islam.
On hearing this Shaykh Khatib ‘Umar became very moved by his
story, and embraced Bernard spontaneously, saying: “You are a lucky
man, as Allah has given you knowledge, so that you know that there
are many weaknesses in the Bible. If you want to learn wholly about
Islam it will take long time, as Islamic teachings cover widely all kinds
of subjects. What is most important is learning and believing in the
principles of faith in Islam.”
Bernard, by then, realized the big gap between Islam and
Christianity which he believed. In Christianity he learned that there
were three Gods (the Dogma of Trinity), namely, God the Father,
God the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Christianity does not believe the
messengership of Muhammad s.a.w., and the Christians accused him
of being a “tukang kawin” (a person whose hobby was to marry
several women). They also believed in three Holy Scriptures only, the
Torah, the Zabur (Psalms of David), and the Bible. Christianity does
not believe in the torment in the grave, but all Christian will
definitely enter Heaven. The most important thing for them was the
crucifixion of Jesus to redeem the sin of people in this world.
The explanation of Shaykh Khatib ‘Umar extremely touched
Bernard’s heart, and he realized that it agreed with his conscience.
Comparing the two religions, Christianity and Islam, he came to the
conclusion that Islam was more rational than Christianity, and he
decided to embrace Islam.
The next day Bernard went to Shaykh Khatib Umar again to
express his intention to embrace Islam. He had learned comparative
study of religion for almost three years. The Shaykh was surprised
and asked whether he had thought it over, and Bernard answered
with “yes”.
34
Before conducting Bernard’s conversion to Islam in 1991,
Shaykh Khatib said: “As a matter of fact, you are not going to convert
to Islam, but to revert to Islam. It is because you were born Muslim,
and it is your environment that misguided you.4 So, in fact, Islam is
fiṭrah (natural disposition, innate character, instinct). It means that
the Islamization of human beings is sunnatullāh (Allah’s
prescription), Allah’s decision. Staying away from Islam is an
irrational act, whereas returning to Islam means returning to one’s
natural disposition.” Bernard became so moved to hear it, that he
shed tears unconsciously. Then the shaykh led him pronouncing the
shahādah (confession of faith), namely,
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِله إلاَّ اللََّّ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللََّّ
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear
witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The next day of the conversion (reversion) Bernard was
circumcised and changed his name with Syamsul Arifin Nababan.
He became a student of Shaykh Khatib in studying Islam thoroughly
in the boarding school Rawḍatul ‘Ulūm and strictly adhered to it
from1991 to 1993. Then he became home-sick. He was not only
permitted to go, but also was given a provision of Rp. 10,000 to
return to Northern Sumatra.
At home, none of his family recognized him, because he was
wearing gamīs (a kind of dress or gown worn by Arab males,
especially in Saudi Arabia), and a turban. He told them that he was
Bernard Nababan who had fled from home, and told them that he
had embraced Islam. His mother became chocked, his elder brothers
became very furious, and eventually he was expelled from home.
This eviction made him stronger in his determination. He went to
4 The shaykh was referring to the ḥadīth of the Prophet who said, as narrated
by Abū Hurayrah, كُ ل مَوْلُو د يُولَدُ عَ لَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْبَهِيمَةِ
تُنْتَجُ الْبَهِيمَةَ هَلْ تَرَى فِيهَا جَدْعَاءَ . “Every baby is born with natural disposition (to be a
Muslim); it is then his parents who make him a Jew, or a Christian, or a Magian,
like the animal, do you see any of it with amputated limbs?” (Reported by
Bukhārī, Muslim, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal).
35
several cities and towns to propagate Islam. His speeches were
warmly welcomed by his audience. Eventually, he became stranded
in Jakarta and moved to it. His da‘wah (calling to Islam) activity
increased and developed. In the meantime, he got scholarship to
study Islam at LIPIA (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Islam dan Arab),
Ma‘had al-‘Ulūm al-Islāmiyyah wa ’l-‘Arabiyyah (the Institute of
Islamic Knowledge and Arabic Language) in Jakarta from 1996 till
1999. From 1998 to 2001 he attended IAIA (Institut Agama Islam Al-
Aqidah), Al-‘Aqidah Institute of Islamic Studies in Jakarta, and in
2003 he attended the Qur’anic Studies at IIQ (Insitut Ilmu Qur'an),
Institute of Qur’anic Knowledge in post graduate level.
In 1997 he was invited by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to
perform the ḥajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), the fifth principle of Islam.
Upon his return he succeeded in converting two of his brothers to
Islam, and to propagate Islam. He started preaching from mosque to
mosque, and from office to office. He also had a chance to deliver his
speeches in the U.S.A. and Australia.
One of many of his achievements was that he founded an
Islamic boarding school called An Naba’ Centre located in Bentaro
area, South Tangerang, for new Muslims. There were about sixty of
them, coming from various areas in Indonesia. He also became the
Chairman of Majlis ‘Ulama’ Indonesia (Ketua MUI, Chairman of the
Council of Muslim scholars) at Ciputat, Indonesia.
Syamsul Arifin Nababan attended seminars on Islam in Indonesia
as well as abroad. They are chronologically as follows:
- A one day Seminar on Comparative Religion (held in Medan at
Asrama Haji on February 14th, 2006).
- International Seminar on Islamic Brotherhood: An Indonesian
Experience (held in Singapore, May 17th, 1998).
- A Seminar on Comparative Religion (held in Medan at Asrama Haji
on February 14th, 2006).
- International Seminar on Islam as a Universal Religion (rahmatan
lil’alamin) (held in Sydney and Melbourne Australia on
September-October 1th-10th 2007).
36
- International Seminar on Human Rights on Qur’anic Perspective
(held in Malaka, Malaysia on May 19th 1998).
Bernard Nababan whose parents wanted him to become a
clergyman, but Allah had another plan. He became, not only a
Muslim and changed his name to Syamsul Arifin Nababan, but also a
dā‘iyah, a person who invites people to Islam through his speeches.
He said that his family name NABABAN was unique, that even if you
read it backward it will remain the same, NABABAN. His articles,
books, and unpublished papers chronologically are as follows:
- Debate on Islam versus Christianity, on CD, 2004.
- Reflection and Internalisation of Sacrifice Values on a New
Indonesian Perspective, Waspada News Paper, 2006.
- The Prophet Jesus on Qur’anic Perspective, 2006.
- The Critique of the Qur’an towards the Bible, 2006
- National Seminar on “Peace and Human Rights In Islamic
Perspective” (held in Papua on December 13th, 2006).
- The Mentioning of Prophet Muhammad in the Bible, 2007.
- The Urgency of Studying Comparative Religion, 2007.
- An Interview of Spiritual Experiences, Tarbawi and Gontor
Magizine, 2008.
- A 100 Questions of Comparative Religion, 2008.
- Questioning on Authenticity of Bible, 2008.
- A Collection of Islamic Friday Sermon, 2008.
- The Actual Sermons of Ustadz Nababan, 2008.
- The Rejection of the Bible againts the Jesus’s Divinity (n.d.).
May Allah reward him for his dedication to Islamic propagation.
CIVIC, 21 August, 2015
Bibliography:
Al-Maktab ah al-Shāmilah
Holy Bible. New International Version
https://islamislogic.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/bernard-nababanmantan-
pendeta-ragu-pada-isi-alkitab/
http://www.republika.co.id/berita/dunia-islam/mualaf/11/08/30/
lqq91u-berawal-dari-buku-pe
37
7. ABŪ HURAYRAH (1)
One of the companions of the Prophet who narrated the
ḥadīths (traditions) of the Prophet the most was Abū Hurayrah. He
was the most prolific narrator of ḥadīths as he had narrated about
5,375 ḥadīths despite the three years he spent in the Prophet’s
company. Imām al-Bukhārī said that more than eight hundred people
among the ṣaḥābah (the Prophet’s companions) and the tābi‘īn
(people belonging to the generation following that of the ṣaḥābah)
who reported from him, including Ibnn ‘Abbās, Ibn ‘Umar, Jābir ibn
‘Abd Allāh, and Anas ibn Mālik.
Abū Hurayrah was born in Yemen of al-Dawsī al-Azdī tribe in 19
BH (before Hijrah)/603 CE, and was named at birth ‘Abd Shams
(“Servant of the Sun” or “Worshipper of the Sun”). His father Ṣakhr
(“Rock”) had died, leaving him with his mother Maymūnah bint
Ṣubayḥ without any other relative. When Ṭufayl ibn ‘Amar, the
chieftain of his tribe, returned after meeting the Prophet, Abū
Hurayrah was one of the first to answer the call to Islam among his
tribe. He was a boy of sixteen years old.
When Abū Hurayrah came with his mother to Madīnah in the
seventh year after Hijrah (629 CE) the Prophet was at the campaign
of Khaybar, so he stayed in the mosque among the Ahl al-Ṣuffah.1
Because of hunger he staggered, and people pressed their feet on his
neck, mistakenly thinking that he was being attacked by epilepsy. He
was a little over 33 at that time, was single without a wife or a child.
The Prophet changed his name with ‘Abd al-Raḥmān, and when he
saw him carrying a kitten, he gave him the nickname “Abū Hurayrah”
(lit. “Father of a Kitten”, meaning “the Owner of a kitten”).2
1 Ṣuffah is a shelter at the backside of the Prophet’s mosque prepared for poor
people among his companions who did not have either a place to live or a
relative to stay with. They were called Ahl al-Ṣuffah (“the people living in the
Shelter”) or Aṣḥāb al-Ṣuffah (“the Companions of the Shelter”).
2 It is said that Abū Hurayrah in pre-Islamic era was a sheep tender. One day he
found a stray kitten, took care of it as a company, and in the evening, he put it
on a branch of a tree, for fear of being attacked by wild animals a night. The
next morning he took it again to accompany him in tendering sheep. He was
then called “the Owner of a Kitten” (“Abū Hurayrah”).
38
When Abū Hurayrah’s mother was still an idolater and rejected
to embrace Islam and said some bad words about the Prophet he
came to him crying, and asked him to pray for her to accept Islam.
When he returned home he heard the splashing of water and her
mother told him to wait. When she came out and let him get in she
was dressed and pronounced the shahādah, “I bear witness that
there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.” He came again to the Prophet with tears of joy
of the good news of his mother’s conversion to Islam. But because
he and his mother were strangers and had no relative, he asked the
Prophet to pray for them. The Prophet prayed that Allah would make
people love them.3
Abū Hurayrah remained courteous to his mother throughout
his life. Before leaving home he stood at the door of her room and
greeted her and prayed for her, and his mother answered his
greeting also with prayer. He also used to say to her, “May Allah have
mercy on you as you cared for me when I was young.” His mother
replied, “May Allah have mercy on you as you delivered me from
being lost when I was old.”
Abū Hurayrah once rebuked a young man whom he thought
less respective to his parent. He saw a young man walking with an
old man. He asked the young man about the old one. When he
learned that he was his father, he advised him not to call his father
by his name, not to walk in front of him, and not to sit before him
(while his father was standing).
When some people complained that Abū Hurayrah narrated
from the Prophet more than they did, he said that his muhājirīn
(emigrant) brothers were busy in the market, whereas his anṣār (the
people of Madinah who assisted the muhājirīn) brothers were busy
working in their fields and gardens. But he (Abū Hurairah) used to
stick to the Prophet, kept accompanying him wherever he went,
contented with what would fill his stomach and he used to attend
3The Muslims loved him when they heard Abū Hurayrah’s name was
mentioned, and considered him blessed by Allah with unfailing memory,
except people among the Shī‘ah who considered him unreliable transmitter.
39
that which they used not to attend, and he used to memorize that
which they used not to memorize. (Reported by Bukhari)
When Abū Hurayrah became extremely hungry he placed a
stone on his stomach. One day Abū Bakr was passing by, and he
asked him about the meaning of a verse of the Qur’ān—although he
knew it-- expecting to be invited for a meal, but this did not happen.
He tried also with ‘Umar, but ‘Umar told him smilingly that he could
not invite him as he had nothing to feed him. When the Prophet was
passing by, he realized that he was hungry. He asked him to follow
him to his house. He found a bowl of milk sent by someone, and
asked Abū Hurayrah to go to the Aṣḥāb al-Ṣuffah and to invite them.
They were the emigrant who had no home, business or work, but
were the first to respond to any call for jihad against disbelievers.
They came and all of them drank from the bowl of milk, and still had
some for the Prophet and Abū Hurayrah. In another occasion the
Prophet invited them and presented to them a plate of dates, each
with two dates, whereas Abū Hurayrah also took two dates, one for
himself and another for his mother.
When people thought that he had done too much, one day he
stood at the door of the mosque. Whenever someone came out he
asked him what the imām had read in the ‘ishā’ (night) prayer, and
some of them became confused. He then said to them: “You have
just now prayed with the imām, and yet you forget what the imām
cited in his prayer, now you want to be like me in memorizing the
ḥadīths of the Prophet.”
Abū Hurayrah also said that he narrated many ḥadīths
because Allah said:
إِ ن ال ذِي ن يكْتُمُو ن ما أ نْ زلْ نا مِ ن الْ بيِّ ناتِ والْهُ دى مِنْ بعْدِ ما ب ي ناه لِل ناسِ
فِي الْكِ تابِ أُول ئِ ك يلْ عنُهُمُ اللّ و يلْ عنُهُمُ ال لَّعِنُو ن . إِ لّ ال ذِي ن تابُوا وأ صْل حُوا
و ب ينُوا فأوُل ئِ ك أ تُوبُ عل يْهِمْ وأ نا ال ت وابُ ال رحِيمُ .
)061- 061 البقرة: 051 (
40
Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and
the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made
it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by
Allah and cursed by the cursers. Except those who repent an
do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which
they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance.
And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the
Most Merciful. (q. 2:159-160)
Had it not been for the two verses in the Qur'an as mentioned above,
he would not have narrated a single ḥadīth.
After the death of the Prophet Abū Hurayrah went to the
market and told people that the inheritance of the Prophet was
being distributed in the mosque, and urged them to come to have
their share in the inheritance. So, they came to the mosque, but they
found nothing distributed, so they came to him, saying that there
was nothing there distributed. He asked them what they had seen in
the mosque. When they told him that what they had seen there
were people praying, reading the Qur’ān, and discussing about ḥalāl
and ḥarām. “That is the inheritance of the Prophet,” said Abū
Hurayrah.
At the time of Abū Bakr he took part in the battle against the
apostates and deniers of zakat, and in the battle of Yarmuk against
the Romans. At the time of ‘Umar he was appointed Governor of
Bahrayn Province (Eastern part of the Peninsula) for two and a half
years, as ‘Umar did not keep anyone in any important position for
long. Abū Hurayrah returned to Makkah with wealth. ‘Umar asked
him how he became rich, he informed him that he traded in his spare
time and earned profits, gifts from people as well as piling his own
salary. ‘Umar said: “Nay! I believe since you were the Governor, they
traded with you on favorable terms in order to win your favor. You
better cut it into two and deposit one half in the public treasury.”
41
Abū Hurayrah did not protest and did not say, for example, “I
acquired my wealth through ḥalāl (lawful) means, and it is up to me
how much I shall give to the public treasury.” Instead, he agreed with
‘Umar’s suggestion. He must have thought of the accountability in
the Hereafter, and therefore he was happy to deposit half of his
wealth to the bayt al-Māl (Public Treasury).
‘Umar offered him again to employ him, but he declined.
‘Umar asked him why he rejected the position and said:
“You have rejected the position which had been asked by a
person better than you.”
“Who was that person,” asked Abū Hurayrah.
“Yūsuf son of Ya‘qūb a.s.” said ‘Umar.
“Yūsuf was a prophet, and son of a prophet, and I am just Abū
Hurayrah son of Umaymah. I am after three things or two,” said Abū
Hurayrah.
“Do you mean five?,” asked ‘Umar
“I fear to speak without knowledge and judge without wisdom,
my back beaten, my wealth taken, and my honour abused,” said Abū
Hurayrah.
At the time of ‘Uthmān when he was in his house surrounded
by his enemy who wanted to kill him, Abū Hurayrah was with him to
defend him. But ‘Uthman told him to lay down his sword, because it
is him, not Abū Hurayrah whom they wanted. So, he threw his
sword, and since then, he did not know where it was.
When the caliph Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam wanted to test Abū
Hurayrah’s memory, he sat him in a room, and unknown to him, a
scribe behind a curtain was ordered to write down whatever he said.
A year later, he called Abū Hurayrah again to recall the ḥadīths he
had said before, and it was the same with what the scribe had
recorded without any mistake, indicating his strong memory.
42
While Abū Hurayrah was sick and lying in his bed the caliph
Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam visited him and found him weeping. When he
asked him why he was weeping, he said: “I am not weeping because
of leaving this world of yours, but I am weeping because of the long
journey, lack of provision, and I am standing at the end of the road
leading either to Heaven or Hell, and I do not know which one I shall
follow.” The caliph said to him: “May Allah heal you, O Abū
Hurayrah.” But he prayed: “O Allah, I like to meet You, so like also to
meet me, and make it quick.” No sooner than the caliph left his
house, he passed away. He died in 59 AH/681 CE in Madinah at the
age of 78 and was buried at al-Baqī‘ cemetery.
(CIVIC, 28 August, 2015)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
الشيخ عطية محمد سالم. شرح الأربعين النووية: المكتبة الإلكترونية
http://islamqa.info/ar/145514
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Hurairah
http://www.islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/defend_abuhurayrah.htm
http://islamstory.com/ الصحابي_أبو هريرة
http://sunnahonline.com/library/history-of-islam/306-abu-hurayrah
www.nabulsi.com/blue/ar/art.php?art=2566
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_view_of_Abu_Huraira
http://islamicencyclopedia.org/public/index/topicDetail/id/58
http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php%3Fpage%3Darticle%2
6lang%3
43
8. ABŪ HURAYRAH (2)
Abū Hurayrah’s company with the Prophet lasted about three
years. He came to Madinah when the Prophet was at Khaybar
campaign at the 7th year of Hijrah. It was in the month of Ṣafar, and
he passed away in Rabī‘ al-Awwal, 11th year of Hijrah, so that they
spent over four years. But Abū Hurayrah said that he had
accompanied the Prophet for over three years. He did not count the
time when the Prophet was away from Madinah when he did not
accompany him, but was left behind in Madinah.
It is said that there are 5,374 ḥadīths narrated by Abū Hurayrah
in the books of ḥadīths in these three years of accompanying the
Prophet. These three years equal to over 1,050 days. If Abū Hurayrah
narrated averagely five ḥadīths a day, the total would be over 5,255
ḥadīths. A ḥadīth technically, is not only what the Prophet said, but
also what he did, what he approved, either a statement, an act done
in front of him, or heard by him. It also includes a statement
concerning the behaviour and character of the Prophet, such as how
the Prophet went out to pray, etc. In this case, it would not be
difficult for Abū Hurayrah to narrate the approximate five ḥadīths a
day.
It is not an exaggeration that Abū Hurayrah narrated over 5,000
ḥadīths if we consider the following case:
a. A ḥadīth could be sound (ṣaḥīḥ), weak (ḍa‘īf), and even invented,
fabricated (mawḍū‘), for example, a ḥadīth claimed to have been
narrated by Abū Hurayrah, but he did not narrate it. We still call it
a ḥadīth, an invented one, to record it in history, so that we know
that it is not genuine.
b. A ḥadīth consists of matn (text) and sanad (chains of
transmitters), in order to know who said so from whom, whether
the persons are reliable, have strong memory, or unreliable, liars,
etc. One matn could have more than one sanad, but the matn
remains the same. If there are ten sanads, scholars of ḥadīths do
not count it one ḥadīth based on its matn, but ten ḥadīths based
44
on its sanad, some of them could be sound or weak based on the
quality of its transmitters.
c. Some of the ḥadīths narrated by Abū Hurayrah were not directly
from the Prophet, but he took them from the ṣaḥābah who were
earlier than him, as he started to accompany the Prophet only on
the 7th year of the Hijrah. Before that he took the ḥadīths from
them.
d. Abū Hurayrah was with the Prophet in Madinah in four years
because he did not count the time when the Prophet was outside
Madinah. It does not mean that he did not see the Prophet in one
year. He might have narrated some ḥadīths in that period.
Shaykh Muhammad Rashīd Riḍā says that there are many
factors leading to narrating many ḥadīths by Abū Hurayrah, as
follows:
1. He intended to preserve the sayings of the Prophet and his actual
condition, so that people would get benefit from them.
Therefore, he kept accompanying him and asked him question,
whereas some companions did not venture to ask him, except in
case of necessity. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said that Abū Hurayrah was
courageous in asking the Prophet questions which other than him
would not ask him. One example was reported by Bukhārī, as
follows:
قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ هَ اللّ مَنْ أَسْعَدُ النَا ه س ه بشَفَاعَ ه تكَ يَوْمَ الْ ه قيَامَ ه ة فَقَالَ لَقَدْ ظَنَنْتُ
يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ أَنْ لَ يَسْأَلَ ه ني عَنْ هَذَا الْحَ ه دي ه ث أَحَ د أَوَلُ ه منْكَ ه لمَا رَأَيْتُ ه منْ
ه حرْ ه صكَ عَلَى الْحَ ه دي ه ث أَسْعَدُ النَا ه س ه بشَفَاعَ ه تي يَوْمَ الْ ه قيَامَ ه ة مَنْ قَالَ لَ
إهلَهَ إهلَ اللَّ خَالهصًا ه منْ ه قبَ ه ل نَفْ ه س ه )رواه البخاري و أحمد(
I (Abū Hurayrah) said: “O Messenger of Allah, who will be the
luckiest people with your intercession in the Resurrection Day?”
He said: “I thought O Abū Hurayrah that nobody would ask me
about this matter before you because I see your eagerness
about it; the luckiest people with my intercession in the
Resurrection Day is the one who say sincerely
from himself, that there is no god but Allah.”
(Reported by Bukhārī and Aḥmad)
45
2. Abū Hurayrah was constantly with the Prophet’s company,
following him even when he visited his wives and companions,
even in the middle of the street, in order to get learn from it.
Therefore, this short period of accompanying the Prophet is
equal to many years the ṣaḥābah spent in accompanying the
Prophet. Many of them did not see him except in the time of
prayer, or meeting with him, or visiting him for important
matters. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said that Abū Hurayrah was better
than him and knew more about what happened. He also said to
him: “You have accompanied the Messenger of Allah the most,
and you know the most about his ḥadīths. Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillah
said, ‘There is no doubt that Abū Hurayrah heard what we do
not hear.”
3. Abū Hurayrah had strong memory which was the characteristic of
many people living in the desert in the time of Bedouin life where
they relied on their memory. They said that if people relied on
their writing their memory would become weak, and they were
proud of their strong memory. Imām al-Shāfi‘ī and al-Bukārī both
admitted that Abū Hurayrah was the reporter of ḥadīths who
memorized the most in his time. ‘Umar also admitted it and told
Abū Hurayrah: “You are the one who accompanied the
Messenger of Allah the most, and who preserved his ḥadīth the
most.”
4. The good news from the Prophet that he would have strong
memory. Abū Hurayrah complained to the Prophet for his short
memory, that he heard many narrations from him, but he forgot
them. The Prophet told him to spread his garment. He did, and
the Prophet moved his hands as if filling them with something,
then emptied them in Abū Hurayrah’s garment, and said: “Take
and wrap this sheet over your body." He did it, and after that he
never forgot anything he heard from the Prophet (Reported by
Bukhari). He said that nobody memorized the sayings of the
Prophet more than himself except ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Amr, because
he was literate and was allowed by the Prophet to write what he
heard from him.
46
5. The Prophet’s prayer for Abū Hurayrah. A man came to Zayd ibn
Thābit asking about something. He said, ”You must go to Abū
Hurayrah, for while I, he and So-and-so were in the mosque
doing our du ‘a’ (supplication), the Prophet came, sat down and
said, “Go back to where you are.” So, I and my companion made
our du’a, and the Prophet said, “āmīn”. Then Abū Hurayrah
made his du’a and said: “O Allah, I ask You like what they have
asked You, and I ask You knowledge which would not be
forgotten,” and the Prophet said, “āmīn!” So, we said, “We ask
Allah knowledge which would not be forgotten,” and the
Prophet said, “The Dawsi man (meaning Abū Hurayrah) has
overtaken you.” (Reported by al-Ḥākim). Abū Hurayrah occupied
himself in narrating ḥadīths intentionally, because he memorized
them in order to spread them, whereas the majority of the
ṣaḥābah mentioned the ḥadīths out of necessity only dealing
with a legal judgment, fatwa or in giving evidence. A person who
occupies himself with something would remember it the most,
whether with an occasion or without it, as his objective was
teaching itself.
6. Abū Hurayrah narrated what he heard and what was narrated by
others among the ṣaḥābah, and eager to know the narration of
earlier ṣaḥābah, such as Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b,
Usāmah ibn Zayd and ‘Ā’ishah. He mentioned them by name, but
sometimes, he did not mentioned them.
The contemporary scholar in his essay “In Defence of Abu
Hurayrah” says that the main sources of these allegations against
Abū Hurayrah are the Shī‘īs and the students of Orientalists. For the
former, many examples are found in the work of the Lebanese Shī‘ī
‘Abd al-Ḥusayn Sharaf al-Dīn al-Amalī entitled Abū Hurayrah. These
examples were refuted by Dr. Muhammad Ajāj al-Khaṭīb (Professor
at the University of Damascus, Colleges of Sharī‘ah and Education) in
his Master’s thesis entitled السُّنَةُ قَبْلَ التَدْ ه ويْن (the Sunnah before Its
Compilation) (Cairo, 1963), and his work Abū Hurayrah Rāwī al-Islām
(Abū Hurayrah the Reporter of Islam) (Cairo, 1962). With regard to
the latter, most of the arguments of the Orientalists were
47
summarized by the Egyptian Maḥmūd Abū Rayyah in his work أَضْوَا ء
عَلَى السُّنَ ه ة المُحَمَ ه ديَة (Enlightenment on the Muhammadan Sunnah)
(Cairo, 1958) where he attempted to show that the whole Sunnah,
namely ḥadīths attributed to the Prophet were nothing but
fabrication and lies, and therefore, Abū Hurayrah’s genuineness was
questionable. He was known later as one of the exponents and
champions of the Inkār al-Sunnah (Rejection of Sunnah), followed by
the self-claimed prophet Dr. Rashad Khalifa, and presently, Dr.
Ahmad Sobhi Mansour the founder of Ahl al-Qur’ān (the Qur’ānist),
now living in the USA.
Abū Rayyah’s arguments were challenged by many scholars,
such as Dr. Muṣṭafā al-Sibā‘ī, the founder of Muslim Brotherhood in
Syria, in his thesis entitled السُنَةُ وَ مَكَانَتُهاَ ه فى التَشْ ه ريْ ه ع الإسْلاَ ه مي (the Sunnah
and Its Position in the Islamic Legislation) (Cairo, 1961), Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Razzāq Ḥamzah, the Head of Dār al-Ḥadīth in Makkah, and the
Imām of Masjid al-Ḥarām, in his book entitled ظُلُمَاتُ أَ ه بيْ رَيَة أَمَامَ السًّنّ ه ة
النَبَ ه ويَة (the Darkness of Abū Rayyah before the Prophetic Sunnah)
(Cairo, n.d.), and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā, the librarian of
Masjid al- al-Ḥarām, his book is entitled الَْْنْوَارُ الْكَا ه شفَة لهمَا ه في ه كتَا ه ب أَضْوَا ء
عَلَى السُّنَ ه ة ه منَ الزَلَ ه ل وَ التَضْلهيْل وَ المُجَازَفَة )القاهرة, 1731 ه( . A comprehensive
work defending most of the objections against Abū Hurayrah is that
of an Iraqi Muslim Brotherhood scholar, ‘Abd al-Mun‘im Ṣāliḥ al-‘Alī
al-‘Izzī, entitled )1937\ ه دفَا ع عَنْ أَ ه بيْ هُرَيْرَة )بغداد, 1797
The allegation that ‘Umar beat Abū Hurayrah with a shield for
relating too many ḥadīths and accused him lying is not found in the
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, but by the Shī‘ī Mu‘tazilī Ibn Abī ’l-Ḥadīd in his
commentary of Nahj al-Balāghah quoting another Shī ‘ī Mu‘tazilī Abū
Ja‘far al-Iskāfī without sanad (chains of transmitters), and therefore
cannot be verified. ‘Umar never beat Abū Hurayrah.
Bishr al-Marīsī’s claim that ‘Umar said that Abū Hurayrah was
the greatest liar among the narrators of ḥadīths was responded by
al-Dārimī in his book , رَدُّ الإمَام الدَار ه مي عُثْمَان بْ ه ن سَ ه عيْد عَلَى ه بشْ ه ر الْمَ ه ريْ ه سي الْعَ ه نيْد
in which he said that it would be unlikely that ‘Umar accused him of
being a big liar, but at the same time he appointed him in charge of
48
important posts. Moreover, ‘Umar’s grand-sons, among whom were
Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh, and Ḥafṣ ibn ‘Āṣim related ḥadīths from Abū
Hurayrah from the Prophet. If Abū Hurayrah were a liar, ‘Umar
would have warned his grand-sons from taking ḥadīths from him.
Although ‘Ā’ishah corrected Abū Hurayrah‘s mistakes in the
ḥadīths, she did not accuse him of being a liar. For example, he said
that a person who was still in the state of janābah (major ritual
impurity) till morning in Ramaḍān was not allowed to fast, based on
a ḥadīth he heard from Faḍl ibn ‘Abbās and not the Prophet. This was
also the view of some tābi‘ī such as ‘Ā’ishah’s nephew ‘Urwah ibn al-
Zubayr. This was also the view of Țāwūs, ‘Aṭā’, Sālim ibn ‘Abd Allāh
ibn ‘Umar, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and Ibrāhīm al-Nakhā‘ī. ‘Ā’ishah said
that it was allowed to fast for people who were in a state of full ritual
impurity. Imān al-Zarkashī said the legal judgment of the ḥadīth had
been abrogated, but Abū Hurayrah did not know it.
These are some examples of allegations against Abū Hurayrah
and had been replied by our Muslim scholars.
(CIVIC, 3 September, 2015)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
الشيخ عطية محمد سالم. شرح الْربعين النووية: المكتبة الإلكترونية
http://islamqa.info/ar/126377
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Hurairah
http://www.islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/defend_abuhurayrah.htm
http://sunnahonline.com/library/history-of-islam/306-abu-hurayrah
www.nabulsi.com/blue/ar/art.php?art=2566
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_view_of_Abu_Huraira
http://islamicencyclopedia.org/public/index/topicDetail/id/58
http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php%3Fpage%3Darticle%2
6lang%3