It is reported in Jāmi‘ al-Akhbār from one of the Prophet’s Companions that the Prophet (ṣ) said, “Send gifts for your dead.” When asked what kind of gifts those might be, the Prophet replied, “Charity (ṣadaqah) and supplication (du‘ā).”
The Prophet (ṣ) also said,
“Indeed the spirits of the dead arrive every Friday at the lowest heaven and stop opposite their homes and dwellings. Each of them cries out with a sad and doleful voice as they weep, ‘O my relatives, O my children, O my father, O my mother, O my kinsmen! Give us, may God have mercy on you, out of that which was once in our own hands and for which we will be answerable at Judgement and on account of which we face affliction and distress here, while others benefit from it.’ Everyone of them cries out to his relatives, ‘Give us a penny, a loaf of bread, or a piece of clothing, may Allah clothe you with the garments of paradise!’”
Thereat the Prophet (ṣ) wept and his Companions wept along with him. He wept so intensely that he could not speak for a while. Then he said,
“They were your brethren in faith who became decayed bones and dust after having experienced the joys and bliss of life, and now they are crying out, cursing themselves, saying, ‘Woe to us! Had we spent what we once possessed in our hands in obeying God and for the sake of His pleasure, we would not have stood in need of you!’ Then they return with regret and remorse, and cry out, ‘Make haste in sending charities for the dead!’ ”
The Prophet (ṣ) is also reported to have said,
“Whatever charity is given for the dead, is taken by an angel in a brilliant tray of light whose radiance reaches the seven heavens. Then standing at the edge of the pit he says, ‘Peace be to you O inhabitants of the graves! Your relatives have sent these gifts for you!’ So the dead person takes his gift and reenters his grave with it, whereby his resting place becomes roomier.” Then he added, “Behold! Whoever does kindness to a dead person through an act of charity will receive from God a reward like the mountain of Uḥud, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be in the shade of the Divine Throne, when there will no other shade. That is how the living and the dead obtain deliverance through such a charity.”
It is related that they saw the emir of Khurāsān in a dream and he was pleading, “Send for me what you throw for your dogs, for I am in need of it.”
It should be known that the ziyārah of the graves of the faithful has a great reward and there are many additional benefits in it such as prompting one to take lesson from the dead, becoming more aware of one’s situation in life, cultivating an attitude of detachment towards the world and and its attractions and inclining towards the Hereafter. One should visit the graveyards at times of great grief and great joy. Wise are those who take lesson from the dead, so that the charms of worldly life are driven out from their heart. The honey of mundane pleasures turns bitter in their mouths, prompting them to reflect on the transient nature of the world and its changing conditions and to remember that soon he too shall be like them, unable to perform any works, and become a lesson for others.
From Maftih al-Jinan, the chapter on visiting the graves of the Faithful
“Hazrat Umar Bin Khattab RadiyAllahu Ta’ala Anhu Farmate Hain Ki Mein Ne Huzoor Nabi-E-Akram SallAllahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam Ko Farmate Huwe Suna : Qayamat Ke Din Mere Hasab Wa Nasab Ke Siwaa Har Silsila-E-Nasab Munqata’ Ho Jaaega. Har Beyte Kee Nisbat Baap Kee Taraf Hoti Hai Maasiwae Awlad-E-Fatimah Ke Ki Un Ka Baap Bhi Mein Hee Hoo’n Aur Un Ka Nasab Bhi Mein Hee Hoo’n.”
Is Hadith Ko Imam Abd-ur-Razzaque, Bayhqui Aur Tabarani Ne Riwayat Kiya Hai. – [Abd-ur-Razzaque Fi Al-Musannaf, 06/164, Raqam-10354,
Bayhaqui Fi As-Sunan-ul-Kubra, 07/64, Raqam-13172,
Tabarani Fi Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, 06/357, Raqam-6609,
Tabarani Fi Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabir, 03/44, Raqam-2633,
Ghayat-ul-Ijabah Fi Manaqib-il-Qarabah,/188, Raqam-225.]
PROPHETS OF BANU ISRA’IL OF WHOM PERIOD CANNOT BE DETERMINED EXCEPT THAT THEY WERE BETWEEN DAWUD’S AND ZAKARIYA AlaihisSalam AND YAHYA AlaihisSalam
Shi’ya bin Amsiya AlaihisSalam was one of the Prophets who came after Dawud but before Zakariya AlaihisSalam.
Muhammad bin Ishaq has said that he had given the tidings that Prophets of Allah, Sayyidina Eesa and Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ would be sent be Him.
The King who ruled in his times was named Hizqiya. He respected the Prophet very much and obeyed him and followed his advice. However, a very difficult time was faced by them when the king was taken ill and his leg was infected and, at the same time, there were reports that the king of Babel (Babylon) was advancing towards Bayt Al-Maqdis with a formidable army.
The subjects were panicky and the king sought the advice of Prophet Shiya bin Amsiya state asked him if he had received any revelation from Allah on the advancing forces of Sanuharib, for that was the name of the king. The Prophet had not received revelation until then but he did get it later and informed the king that his time to die had come and he must hand over his throne to a successor.
THE KING’S SUPPLICATION
The king turned to prayer and made supplications to Allah very humbly and wept a lot. He supplicated Allah.
THE ENEMY DESTROYED
Allah granted his supplication and revealed to Shi’ya AlaihisSalam that he should inform him that his age was prolonged by fifteen years and he would be cured
and saved from the enemy. When the Prophet gave him the tidings, his ailment was removed from him and the evil and sorrow departed. He fell down in prostration.
When he got up from the prostration, Allah revealed to Shi’ya to ask
him to pour the juice of fig on his sore leg, and, when he did that, it was cured As for Sanuharib, Allah caused all his armymen to die and only he and five of his companions were spared. Among them was Bakht Nasr (Nebuchadnezar). They were brought to the king as captives. They were taken round the city for seventy days in fetters and humiliated, and then imprisoned. Then they were sent back to their country on the Command of Allah so that their people could take a lesson from them.
The priests and astrologers of Sanuharib reminded him that they had advised him against invading Bayt Al-Maqdis but he had not paid heed to their advice. He died seven years later.
HIZQIYA DIES THE PROPHET IS KILLED
When Hizqiya also died there was unrest in Bayt Al-Maqdis and the Bainu Isra’il became evil. Shi’ya cautioned them but they did not listen to him. Rather they resolved to kill him and he fled from them. As he was running away, a tree opened for him and he concealed himself inside it but the devil saw him enter and held the hem of his garment out of the tree. His people saw that and cut the tree in two and with that their Prophet Shi’ya also.
To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return!
SAYYIDINA ARMIYA BIN HILQIYA AlahisSalam
Ibn Asakir has said that some of the narrations of the Companions tell us that he stood over the gushing blood of Yahya bin Zakariya AlahisSalam when he was killed in Damascus and addressed it, “O Blood, you have put people to test enough, now stop!” So, the blood not only stopped flowing but also disappeared.
THE DEAREST SLAVE
Abu Bakr bin Abu Ad-Dunya has transmitted from Abdullah bin Abdur
Rahman that Prophet Armiya AlahisSalam asked Allah, “O Lord! Which of Your slaves is the most beloved to you?” He said, “The ones who are most frequent of them in remembering Me, who are occupied in remembering Me rather than the creatures, who are not worried by fear of death and who do not crave perpetual life, who, when the luxuries of the world are presented to them, turn away from them, and when they are taken away from them feel happy. They deserving of My Love and I will grant them more than they expect.” are
DESTRUCTION OF BAYT-Al-MAQDIS
Allah has said:
And We gave to Musa the Book, and We made it a guidance for the Children of Isra’il (saying), “Take not any guardian beside Me, (O You!) the progeny of those whom We bore with Nuh. Surely he was a grateful sevvant”. And We forewarned the Children of Isra’il in the Book, “You will certainly do corruption in the earth twice, and you will certainly rise to the height of mighty insolence”. So when the promise of the first of the two came to pass, We sent against you Our servants, of might prowess, so they ravaged through the habitations, and it was a promise fulfilled. Then We gave back to you the turn (to prevail) against them, and We aided you with riches and children, and We made you a numerous host. If you do good, you do good for your own souls. And if you do evil, it will be against yourselves. So when the second promise came to pass, (We raised up against you a people) that they may disgrace your faces and may enter the Mosque as they entered it the first time, and that they may destroy, whatever they conquered, with utter destruction. It may be that your Lord will have mercy upon you, but if you return (to insolence) We shall return (to punishment), And We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers. (Al-Isra, 17:2-8)
Wahb bin Munabbih has said: When evil life and sin became common
with the Banu Isra’il, Allah revealed to His Prophet Armiya AlaihisSalam tell his people that they had reached the peak of disobedience and stubbornness yet were shown mercy by Allah because of the blessings of their ancestors who were righteous. The Prophet was told to ask them if they had gained from being disobedient and, if anyone does lose anything from being obedient, “These people have forgotten why their ancestors were honoured although dumb animals do not forget their habitat,” Allah said to him. He also reminded His Prophet that these people sought others besides Allah and their rabbis and priests have ignored the rights of Allah and all of them have rebelled against Him and His Prophets and they were given to lying. Allah said, “I swear by My Majesty and by My Honour, I will send upon them armies whose language they will not fathom, whose faces they will not recognise, who will not show Mercy even if they sob and cry. I will send over them a tyrant king with a huge army who will devastate their cities and ruin them. I will cause the heaven to be hard on them and the earth to be unproductive. Rain will not grow anything except through My mercy on the animals. Rain will come not at the time of sowing but at the time of harvest. They will be deprived of all blessing. If they pray to Me, their prayers will not be answered and they will not find My mercy.”
THE PROPHET IS BELIED
Nevertheless, the Prophet did his duty and conveyed the message of Allah to the people but they reacted strongly to him and called him a liar. They imprisoned him.
THE PUNISHMENT
The warning of Allah began to take shape. Bakht Nasr advanced towards them with a large army. He killed many and took many as captives, ravaged the mosque and burnt the copies of Torah.
He chased the Banu Israil everywhere, up to Syria, and killed them. Then he returned to Bayt Al-Maqdis and took the booty with him. He took away everything from the Bayt Al-Maqdis and drove the captives upto Babylon. They included children of the elite and the kings and of the descendants of Dawud Yusuf and his brother Banyamin and so on.
Bakht Nasr was told that their Prophet had forewarned them of the fate they were suffering and had asked them to mend their ways but they did not pay heed to him. So, Bakht Nasr asked for Armiya to be released from prison and brought to him. When he was brought to him, he asked him if he had warned his people of what would happen to them. He answered in the affirmeative “Then who told you of that,” asked Bakht Nasr.
He answered, “Allah has sent me to them but they belied me.”
beat you and imprisoned you?” Bakht Nasar asked. “Yes!” He replied. “Belied you,
Bakht Nasr said, “The worst of all people are those who belie their Prophets and belie the Messengers of their Lord. Would you like to come with that I may honour you? Or, if you prefer you may stay in your land so I will entrust it to you.”
Armiya said, “I will not cease from fulfilling the trust of Allah.. So, Bakht Nasr let him stay where he was and himself proceeded to his country.
OBSTINACY PERSISTS
The Prophet AlaihisSalam gathered the weak and old people of the Children of sta’il that had remained behind. They told him that they were sorry for their past deeds and repented that they had not obeyed him. “Pray to Allah that He accept our repentance.” When Armiya prayed to Allah, He said that if they were sincere they must stay with him in a sacred land. But they refused to stay na land that was destroyed.
Ibn Al-Kalib has said that since then the Banu Isra’il have dispersed over different lands. Bakht Nasr had pursued them everywhere – in Egypt, Morocco, Syria. Palestine and Jordan. Among the captives was Danyal too I say that it seems he was Daniyal bin Hizqil the junior, not the senior according to what Wahb bin Munabbih has said.
This portion of Al-Kitab is named after the prophet through whom it was revealed, Prophet Armiya (pbuh), also known as Jeremiah. During the time that Prophet Armiya (pbuh) was preaching, three nations were competing for domination of the Middle East: Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. Allah revealed two very important truths to the Jews through Armiya (pbuh). First, the Jews were not to depend on any agreement they might make with Egypt. Second, as a consequence of their sins, the Jews were going to be taken away and exiled in Babylon for 70 years. Many people did not like these two announcements and persecuted Prophet Armiya (pbuh) for it, but he remained faithful to Allah no matter what the people said. Armiya (pbuh) was one of the relatively few Jews who were permitted to stay in Palestine and not go into exile. Later, many of the remaining Jews in Palestine decided they would go to Egypt to get away from Babylon’s influence, and they forced Armiya (pbuh) to go with them. The prophet lived out the rest of his days in Egypt.
68- And your Lord revealed the female honeybee; build homes in mountains, and trees, and in the hives people built for you. 16-The Honeybee, 68
In narrating the doings of the honeybee, the Quran uses the feminine
gender. In Arabic, verbs are conjugated according to gender. The use
in the Quran of the feminine gender in conjugation shows that the
acts were performed by the female bee. To translate the honeybee in
question with the addition of the adjective “female” before the honeybee would be natural. (It should be noted however that the orthography of both the feminine and the masculine is the same for honeybee.) The working of the female honeybee is described in the Quran
as follows:
1- Building of hive (verse 68)
2- Collecting of nectar, new material for honey production (verse 69)
3- Making honey (verse 69)
All the above three functions are performed by female bees. The
unique function of the male, more robust with big eyes, is to fertilize
the young queen female bee. The male bees that fulfill this function
are expelled from the hive by their females at the end of the summer
and, as they are used to being looked after by their females, they then
die of starvation.At the time of the descent of the Quran, men did not know the
details of the distribution of work among the bees living in a hive;
they did not know that those actively working in the hive were
females. They did not know that the function of producing honey and
collecting nectar from fruits belonged to female bees. Therefore, it is
interesting, indeed, that in listing the duties of bees, the Quran used
the mode of conjugation in the Arabic intended for the female gender. MATHEMATICIAN BEES
The functions performed by the female honeybee leave us in wonder.
The design of the cells in which she will live call for the erudition of
a mathematician. Honeybees produce their honeycombs in the form
of hexagons. (Bee fossils show that this was also the case millions of
years ago.) Mathematicians inquiring into the reason why this hexagon remained constant and why there were no rectangles, heptagons,
octagons, etc. found out that the optimum use of the entire space of
unit could be no other than a hexagon, which also accounted for the
production of cells using the available material in the most economical fashion. Had the cells been of a different shape, i.e., triangular or
quadrilateral, there would be no vacuum, as well. But less material is
required to build hexagonal cells than that required for triangular or
quadrilateral cells. In many other shapes there would be unutilized
space left. Thus the hexagonal cell is capable of storing the greater
amount of honey with less wax.
This structure is the result of the combined work of thousands of
bees, each contributing to the entire geometrical opus. Mathematicians
have proven that no larger space could be arranged with a given amount
of wax to fit the geometrical design. The worker bees show how they
can realize it in the most economical fashion with what they have.
A French entomologist by the name of Antoine Ferchault posited
a geometrical problem referred to as the “Bee Problem.” He stated
that “a cell of regular hexagonal cross section is closed by three equal
and equally inclined rhombuses. Calculate the smaller angle of the
rhombus when the total surface area of the cell is least possible.”
Three leading mathematicians, a German, a Swiss and a Brit, tried to
solve this problem, and all of them found the following result: 70 degrees 32 minutes. This exactly fits the angle of cells constructed by
the female bees. Even the wisest of men could not suggest an
improvement on the female bees’ technique of building.
The worker bees’ points of departure in the production process of
these cells differ. As the work proceeds, the cells converge toward a
central point. The angles of cells at the point where they meet are perfect. It is clear that the construction of this design, the distances
between the beginning and the end points and the precise calculation
of the positions of their fellow workers display unbelievable exactitude.
The most renowned mathematicians demonstrated the bees’ unerring
calculation measured as 70 degrees 32 minutes. However, were we to
suggest that these men of science take a ruler in hand and make a
hexagon with perfectly fitting angles, and then add to the instructions
given to these three professors, asking that the calculation used to
form the hexagons be regular and flawless, they would fail in the task.
We see that the bees are not only great theoreticians but also skillful
practitioners. In the theoretical field, this calculation is incredibly
exact, while their dexterity in applying it is unbelievable accurate.
How do these bees, whose lifetime is very short, achieve all these
calculations and construction work? To call this ingenuity mere
“instinct” does not explain anything. The Quran states that the bee
received revelations according to which God’s design and programming were put into execution. Within the span of the honeybee’s lifetime, the cleverest of men could not learn even to count, let alone be
the author of such a perfect design. We cannot account for the erudition of bees, certainly not as pure luck. The Creator who created the
bee made her with all her potentialities, having solved for her all these
mathematical problems. The same Creator sees to it that the bee
works for ends that also serve mankind in general. In the second part
of this book MMLC 15 where the mathematical miracles will be dealt
with, we will examine the mathematical code of the suras and verses
where “honeybee” is mentioned. God, who endowed the bee with
mathematical characteristics, presented further mathematical miracles
in the suras and verses in which “honeybee” is mentioned.
(36) Hadith Number 1. Qatadah R.A. reports: “I asked Anas R.A., ‘Did Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) dye his hair?'” He replied: “The hair of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) did not reach such a stage where one would use a dye.However Rasulullah (Sallallahu alihe wasallam) did have a few white hair on his temples, on the other hand Abu Bakr R.A. dyed his hair with Hina and Katm.”
Commentary Katm is a type of grass, which is used for dying the hair. Some people say that the colour of Katm is black, and if mixed with Hina it becomes red. Others say the colour of Katm is green, and when mixed with Hina it gives a black tint. Mulla Ali Qari says: ‘The one that gives more colour is considered. If more Katm is used the dye becomes black and if more Hina is used, it becomes red’. The use of both colours are permissible, but black should not be used. It has been forbidden in the ahaadith to use a totally black dye. back
(37) Hadith Number 2. Anas bin Maalik R.A. reports: “I did not count more than fourteen white hair on the head and beard of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)”.
Commentary Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) had very few white hair. There is some disagreement on the actual number. In this narration fourteen hairs are mentioned. In others, seventeen, eighteen, and in some, twenty white hairs are mentioned. This is a minor disagreement. The other ahaadith may have been related at different periods. A difference in the counting may also be possible. back
(38) Hadith Number 3. Jaabir bin Samurah R.A. was asked a question regarding the white hair of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). He replied: “When Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) oiled his hair, it (white hair) did not show. When he did not oil it, it showed”.
Commentary Oil gives the hair a shine, therefore the white hair becomes indistinguishable from the other hair, or they become compact and mixed, therefore the few whit hairs cannot be easily seen. When there is no oil the hair becomes dry and loose, and is easily seen.
(39) Hadith Number 4. Ibne Umar R.A. says: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) had about twenty white hair”.
Commentary As mentioned above this is not contrary to the other ahaadith. back
(40) Hadith Number 5. Ibne Abbas R.A. reports: “Abu Bakr R.A. once said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you have become old’. (What is the reason? Due to this mild and soft temperament he ought to be young, and also according to his age he could be still called young). Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) replied: “The recitation of Surahs Hud, Waaqiah, Mursalat, Amma and Kuwwirah has made me old'”.
Commentary Apart form these surahs the Surahs of Al-Haaqqah, Al-Qaariah, Al- Ghaashiah etc. have also been mentioned. In short all those surahs wherein frightening matters are mentioned, e.g. Qiyaamah, (Day of judgement) Hell, the Trumpet, the punishment of evil people etc. In hadith it is stated that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: “If you knew what I know, you would laugh less and cry more. You would even stop going to your wives (or as he had said)”. It is written in the Sharhus Sunnah that a person saw Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) in his dream. He asked: “O Rasulallah, (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)! This hadith has reached me, that you said: ‘Surah Hud has made me old'”. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) replied: “There is one verse in it ‘Wastaqim kama umirta’ (Stay steadfast on the religion as I have commanded you). And it is well-known that to stay steadfast on the commandments of Allah is very difficult”. That is why the Sufiya have written that to remain steadfast is better than a thousand miracles. back
(41) Hadith Number 6. Abu Juhayfa R.A. says: ‘The people said: “O Rasulallah, (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)! we see the signs of old age beginning to show on you?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) replied: “Surah Hud and similar surahs have made me old”.
Commentary It is related in a hadith that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) once came out of his house, wiping his hands on his blessed beared. Abu Bakr and Umar R.A. were sitting in the Masjid at that time. When AbuBakr R.A. saw this he said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you. How early you have aged’. Then he began to weep. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) said: “Surahs like Surah Hud have made me old”. Zamakh’shari says: “He read in a kitaab, that a person had pure black hairone evening, and during the night it became completely white. When the people enquired of this sudden change, he said: “At night, I saw Qiyaamah, in my dream. People were being pulled with chains and thrown into Hell. It frightened me so much, that within the night I became like this”. Allah is Great. back
(42) Hadith Number 7. Abu Rimtha Taymi R.A. says: “I went with my son to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). (Probably he had not see Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) before). When I saw him I said to myself immediately, ‘This is the true Messenger of Allah’. At that time Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was wearing two pieces of green clothing. (His lungi -sarong,waist-wrap- and shawl were both green). On a few hairs there were signs of old age, but those hair were red”.
Commentary The signs of dignity, ‘Anwaar-e- Nubuwwah'(prophetic illumination) and ‘Aathari-Haybah’ (signs of awe) were thus seen on the blessed face of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). When one sees these signs, such words naturally come to one’s tongue: “There is no doubt he is Allah’s Messenger and cannot be false.” The ahaadith state that many Sahabah R.A. uttered such words when they first met Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). The above Hadith also states that the hair of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) was red. The ulama disagreewhether Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) dyed his hair or not. Some are of the opinion that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) dyed his hair and they base their argument on the red hair. Others deny this and say that before the hair becomes white, it usually turns red. The redness was natural, and not that of a dye. back
(43) Hadith Number 8. Jaabir bin Samurah R.A. was asked: “Were there any white hair in the blessed head of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)? He replied: ‘He only had a few on the middle parting, and when Rasuullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) oiled his hair, they did not show'”.
Commentary This narration seems to contradict the one related by Anas R.A., which has been mentioned in the beginning of this chapter. There is no complication, as there were a few white hair in the parting, that used to be covered by other hair. When oil was not rubbed in, they became visible. Therefore, if this is not mentioned in any hadith, there is no complication or harm.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 