Day: February 27, 2020

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (radi Allahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days of Ramadan, then he observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days in a small tent at the door of which was a reed mat. He took the mat in his hand and lifted it. Then he put his head out and spoke to the people, and they came close to him. He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “I observed i’tikaaf during the first ten days seeking this night (Laylat ul-Qadr), then I observed i’tikaaf during the middle ten days. Then someone came and said to me that it is in the last ten days, so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.” So the people observed i’tikaaf with him.

[Sahih Muslim]

Commentary:

We learn a number of things from this Hadith and they are as follows:

1. That the basic goal of the i’tikaaf of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was to seek Laylat ul-Qadr and to prepare to spend that night in worship. That is because of the great virtue of that night of which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The Night of Al?Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him in a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).” [Al-Qadr 97:3]
2. The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) strove to seek that night before he was told when it is. So he started with the first ten days, then he observed it during the middle ten, then he continued to observe i’tikaaf during the last ten days, when he was told that it is in the last ten days. This is the utmost effort to seek Laylat ul-Qadr.
3. The Sahaaba (radi Allahu anhum) followed the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), because they started i’tikaaf and continued with him until the end of the month, because they were so keen to follow his example.
4. The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) was compassionate towards his companions and showed mercy to them, because he knew that i’tikaaf was difficult for them. So he gave them the choice between staying with him or of leaving, and said: “…so whoever among you wishes to observe i’tikaaf let him do so.”

There are other aims of i’tikaaf as well, including the following:

1. Being alone with Allah and cutting oneself off from people if possible, so that one may focus completely on Allah.
2. Renewing oneself spiritual by focusing totally on Allah.
3. Cutting oneself off completely in order to worship Allah with prayer, du’aa’ (supplication), dhikr (remembrance) and reading Qur’aan.
4. Protecting one’s fast from everything that may affect it of whims and desires.
5. Reducing permissible worldly pleasures and refraining from many of them even though one is able to enjoy them.

And Allah knows best!

Once while I was in a state of fatigue (because of severe hunger), I met ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, so I asked him to recite a verse from Allah’s Book to me. He entered his house and interpreted it to me. (Then I went out and) after walking for a short distance, I fell on my face because of fatigue and severe hunger. Suddenly I saw Allah’s Apostle standing by my head. He said, “O Abu Huraira!” I replied, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), and Sadaik!” Then he held me by the hand, and made me get up. Then he came to know what I was suffering from. He took me to his house, and ordered a big bowl of milk for me. I drank thereof and he said, “Drink more, O Abu Hirr!” So I drank again, whereupon he again said, “Drink more.” So I drank more till my belly became full and looked like a bowl. Afterwards I met ‘Umar and mentioned to him what had happened to me, and said to him, “Somebody, who had more right than you, O ‘Umar, took over the case. By Allah, I asked you to recite a Verse to me while I knew it better than you.” On that Umar said to me, “By Allah, if I admitted and entertained you, it would have been dearer to me than having nice red camels.

وَعَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَصَابَنِي جَهْدٌ شَدِيدٌ فَلَقِيتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، فَاسْتَقْرَأْتُهُ آيَةً مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، فَدَخَلَ دَارَهُ وَفَتَحَهَا عَلَىَّ، فَمَشَيْتُ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ، فَخَرَرْتُ لِوَجْهِي مِنَ الْجَهْدِ وَالْجُوعِ فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمٌ عَلَى رَأْسِي فَقَالَ ‏”‏ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسَعْدَيْكَ‏.‏ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَأَقَامَنِي، وَعَرَفَ الَّذِي بِي، فَانْطَلَقَ بِي إِلَى رَحْلِهِ، فَأَمَرَ لِي بِعُسٍّ مِنْ لَبَنٍ فَشَرِبْتُ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ عُدْ يَا أَبَا هِرٍّ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَعُدْتُ فَشَرِبْتُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ عُدْ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَعُدْتُ فَشَرِبْتُ حَتَّى اسْتَوَى بَطْنِي فَصَارَ كَالْقِدْحِ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَقِيتُ عُمَرَ وَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ الَّذِي كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي وَقُلْتُ لَهُ تَوَلَّى اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ مَنْ كَانَ أَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْكَ يَا عُمَرُ، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدِ اسْتَقْرَأْتُكَ الآيَةَ وَلأَنَا أَقْرَأُ لَهَا مِنْكَ‏.‏ قَالَ عُمَرُ وَاللَّهِ لأَنْ أَكُونَ أَدْخَلْتُكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ

مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي مِثْلُ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ‏.‏

I was a boy under the care of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and my hand used to go around the dish while I was eating. So Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, ‘O boy! Mention the Name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish what is nearer to you.” Since then I have applied those instructions when eating.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ وَهْبَ بْنَ كَيْسَانَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُمَرَ بْنَ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، يَقُولُ كُنْتُ غُلاَمًا فِي حَجْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله

عليه وسلم وَكَانَتْ يَدِي تَطِيشُ فِي الصَّحْفَةِ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ يَا غُلاَمُ سَمِّ اللَّهَ، وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ طِعْمَتِي بَعْدُ‏.‏

Abu Talha said to Um Sulaim, “I have heard the voice of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) which was feeble, and I think that he is hungry. Have you got something (to eat)?” She took out some loaves of barley bread, then took her face-covering sheet and wrapped the bread in part of it, and pushed it under my garment and turned the rest of it around my body and sent me to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) . I went with that, and found Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in the mosque with some people. I stood up near them, and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked me, “Have you been sent by Abu Talha?” I said, “Yes.” He asked, “With some food (for us)?” I said, “Yes.” Then Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said to all those who were with him, “Get up!” He set out (and all the people accompanied him) and I proceeded ahead of them till I came to Abu Talha. Abu Talha then said, “O Um Sulaim! Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has arrived along with the people, and we do not have food enough to feed them all.” She said, “Allah and His Apostle know better.” So Abu Talha went out till he met Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). Then Abu Talha and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came and entered the house. Allah’s Apostle said, “Um Sulaim ! Bring whatever you have.” She brought that very bread. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that it be crushed into small pieces, and Um Sulaim pressed a skin of butter on it. Then Allah’s Apostle said whatever Allah wished him to say (to bless the food) and then added, “Admit ten (men).” So they were admitted, ate their fill and went out. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “Admit ten (more).” They were admitted, ate their full, and went out. He then again said, “Admit ten more!” They were admitted, ate their fill, and went out. He admitted ten more, and so all those people ate their fill, and they were eighty men.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ لأُمِّ سُلَيْمٍ لَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ضَعِيفًا أَعْرِفُ فِيهِ الْجُوعَ، فَهَلْ عِنْدَكِ مِنْ شَىْءٍ فَأَخْرَجَتْ أَقْرَاصًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ، ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَتْ خِمَارًا لَهَا فَلَفَّتِ الْخُبْزَ بِبَعْضِهِ، ثُمَّ دَسَّتْهُ تَحْتَ ثَوْبِي وَرَدَّتْنِي بِبَعْضِهِ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَتْنِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ بِهِ فَوَجَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَمَعَهُ النَّاسُ، فَقُمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ أَرْسَلَكَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏”‏ بِطَعَامٍ ‏”‏‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِمَنْ مَعَهُ ‏”‏ قُومُوا ‏”‏‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقَ وَانْطَلَقْتُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ حَتَّى جِئْتُ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ، فَقَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ يَا أُمَّ سُلَيْمٍ قَدْ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالنَّاسِ، وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ مَا نُطْعِمُهُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالَتِ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ‏.‏ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ حَتَّى لَقِيَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَقْبَلَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى دَخَلاَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ هَلُمِّي يَا أُمَّ سُلَيْمٍ مَا عِنْدَكِ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَأَتَتْ بِذَلِكَ الْخُبْزِ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَفُتَّ وَعَصَرَتْ أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ عُكَّةً لَهَا فَأَدَمَتْهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ، فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا، ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا، ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا، ثُمَّ أَذِنَ لِعَشَرَةٍ، فَأَكَلَ الْقَوْمُ كُلُّهُمْ وَشَبِعُوا، وَالْقَوْمُ ثَمَانُونَ رَجُلاً‏.‏