A Ī Al-Bukhāri (Collector's Edition)

Qabeel at Hosna | Cl ass Notes
February 2012
Qabeelat Hosna Collectors Edition
February 2012 Shaykh Yasir Qadhi
2

Tabl e of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3
Book 1: The Beginning of Revelation ........................................................................................ 11
Life of al-Bukh!r" ......................................................................................................................... 28
The !a"#" ....................................................................................................................................... 38
Book 2: The Book of $m%n ............................................................................................................ 48
Book 3: The Book of Knowledge ................................................................................................ 52
Book 18: The Book of Shortening the Prayer .......................................................................... 56
Book 59: The Book of the Beginning of the Creation ............................................................. 62
Book 60: The Book of the Stories of the Prophets .................................................................. 66
Book 62: The Book of the Blessings of the Companions ........................................................ 71
Book 64: The Book of Magh%z# .................................................................................................... 76
Book 65: The Book of Tafs#r ........................................................................................................ 85
Book 67: The Book of Marriage .................................................................................................. 95
Book 68: The Book of Divorce .................................................................................................... 95
Class Project .................................................................................................................................. 97
Book 77: The Book of Clothing ................................................................................................... 99
Book 78: The Book of Manners ................................................................................................ 100
Book 81: The Book of Heart-Softeners ................................................................................... 104
Book 90: The Book of Tricks ..................................................................................................... 106
Book 91: The Book of Interpreting Dreams ........................................................................... 108
Book 94: The Book of Desires ................................................................................................... 111
Book 95: The Chapter of Akhb%r al-&"%d ................................................................................. 112
Book 96: The Book of Holding on to the Qur!n and Sunnah ............................................... 114
Book 97: The Book of Taw"#d (and refuting the Jahmites and others) .............................. 116
Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 121
Yasir Qadhi | The Definition of Travel (safar) According to Islamic Law | Part 1 .... 121
Excerpt from The Best of Stories: Pearls from Surah Yusuf | Part 2 .......................... 138
3

Introducti on

We begin by praising All!h and thanking Him for having guiding us to this. We begin
by sending 'al%t wa sal%m on our beloved Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). This class
is all about praising All!h and sending 'al%t upon the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam), the greatest human being to ever walk on the face of this earth and the most
perfect worshipper of All!h. This class is all about praising All!h and sending 'al%t
upon the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) because that is exactly what "ad#th
sciences is.

We will begin this class in a non-traditional way to illustrate an aspect of our religion
that is generally not mentioned or appreciated, which is the aspect of legitimacy in
teaching this d#n. Who has the right to speak on behalf of the religion? How does one
become qualified to instruct people about All!h and His Messenger? Whoever has this
qualification hands it down to their students once they have qualified to do so. The
ij%za system guarantees that the one who is teaching is qualified to do the teaching and
has been verified and ascertained. Our system was the first such system in place and
the most rigorous of all systems.

These days you cant become a doctor until you pass the US MLE and until your
professors and doctors have seen that you are qualified to become a doctor. Once you
have passed the exams and done the rotations, only then you will be certified as a
doctor.

Wall%hi the diseases of the soul are more difficult to cure than the diseases of the body.
Our religion has always emphasized this certification, which is what we call ij%za.

Therefore, before anyone speaks about the religion, people need to know where you
got the authority to speak on behalf of All!h and His Messenger. Once upon a time
people always had ij%za, but sadly this system is eroding with colonialism and the
changing of curriculum. Even people who study Islam today get bachelors, masters,
and PhDs. In the ij%za system, the student studied with the shaykh one on one and when
the shaykh was content that the student is qualified, he would say, I give you ij%za.
Ij%za means permission.

The current bachelors and masters system was taken from the Islamic system and
imported. George Makdisi wrote a book The Rise of Colleges, and in it, he illustrates that
universities in the western world adopted the system of the Islamic universities in the
east, including the bachelors, masters, and PhDs. In fact, the word PhD in Latin
originally meant the license to teach. License to teach is exactly the translation of
ij%zatl-tadr#s. The point of writing an original piece and it being reviewed by scholars
(i.e. dissertation) is something our scholars did.

The classical system of ij%za was much more authentic because it was much more
individual and not mass. It was not 3,000 people sitting for the US MLE and getting
graded. The shaykh had to meet you, test you, and then give you ij%za.
4

Shaykh Yasir wanted to begin my class doing something he has never done before. He
wants to illustrate what exactly is an ij%za and will use his own ij%z%t. All!h blessed him
to study in the College of (ad#th in the University of Mad"nah, which emphasizes books
of "ad#th and chains of narration and ij%z%t.

An ij%za is my shaykh saying you are qualified to teach the book and his shaykh and his
shaykh all the way back to Im%m Bukh!r" himself who was the one to give the ij%za to his
student. This means that once you have the ij%za, you have a documented, historical,
and accurate chain between you and not just Bukh!r" but a direct and unbroken and
documented chain between you and the Prophet Muhammad ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam). It is a living legacy you can pass down and a completely connected chain
linking you to the Prophet Muhammad ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).

In the first year of Mad"nah, al"amdulill%h, he got ij%za in the Qur!n. The second year of
Mad"nah, the next book was Bukh!r". One of the greatest scholars of !a"#" Bukh!r" was
al-Mub!rakf#r" (author of The Sealed Nectar). He gave a private lecture to Shaykh Yasir
in the masjid of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) on !a"#" Bukh!r". This was his
first ij%za.

5

6

When Shaykh al-Mub!rakf#r" gave the ij%za, it is a list of his teacher and his teacher
before him up until a node, meaning a very famous scholar who has compiled all of his
ij%z%t and printed them so that once you are connected to him then you open up his
book. Famous scholars have become nodes and are interconnected. Once you are
connected to one node, you are connected to all the nodes above him. The larger the
node, the larger the scholar.

Shaykh al-Mub!rakf#r" connected Shaykh Yasir to one of the most popular nodes of the
17
th
century: im%m al-Shawk!n" from Yemen. The rest of the chain can be looked up in
Shawk!n"s book. He was the most famous scholar of Yemen and died in 1250 AH.
There are 5 people between Shaykh Yasir and Shawk!n". Look in Shawk!n"s book on
ij%z%t, and he says in it that he has ij%z%t in different books and lists all of the different
books. For every book, he mentions his chain back to the author of the book, i.e. a book
by Ibn al-Qayyim, a book by Ibn $ajar. The books of "ad#th are the most important and
dont just link you to Ibn Taymiyyah but back to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam).

Open !a"#" Bukh!r" in Shawk!n"s book, and he lists over twenty ij%z%t. The first, and
most precious to him, was from his earliest teacher al-Sayyid %Al" b. Ibr!h"m b. %Amir al-
Shah"d. It goes all the way back to the student of Im%m al-Bukh!r" who was al-Firabr".
This chain has 18 people between Shaykh Yasir and Im%m Bukh!r". It was his first and
earliest ij%z%t or isn%d. Isn%d means chain of narrators.

Ij%za means license to teach. An ij%za is composed of an isn%d. In some level they are
synonymous because every ij%za has to have an isn%d. But, to be more academic, they
have different definitions: ij%za means license to teach and isn%d means chain of
narrators. Once you have established a reputation, getting further ij%zas become
easier.

7

8

9

Another ij%za Shaykh Yasir has is by Muft" %&shiq Il!h" who is a famous scholar of the
Deoband. This is an ij%za from the Deobandi tradition, which is a different node than
the ij%za of Shawk!n", which is of the Yemeni tradition. The greatest node of the Indian
subcontinent is Sh!h Wali All!h al-Dehlaw". He is the greatest Indian scholar the world
has seen and he died 1176 AH. All ij%z%t of India and Pakistan go back through him.
There are 6 people between Shaykh Yasir and al-Dehlaw". When Muft" Il!h" gave him
the ij%za, he gave him the chain up until al-Dehlaw", and the rest can be looked up in al-
Dehlaw"s book.

Shaykh Yasir has another ij%za to the al-Dehlaw" node, which is higher than the one
with Muft" Il!h", and this is Shaykh Yasirs highest ij%za and one of the highest in the
world. This ij%za is from one of the oldest scholars of "ad#th who was alive at the time.
This scholar of the "ad#th who when the University of Mad"nah opened up in the 1970s,
they invited two scholars: al-Alb!n" and Shaykh %Abd al-Ghaff!r Ha'an. He had one of
the highest ij%zas in the world. There are 5 people in this chain taking us back to 1176
AH.

Ibn $ajar is the greatest authority in Bukh!r" and died 852 AH. From Ibn $ajar we go
back to al-Firabr", the main student of Im%m Bukh!r". This chain is one person longer
than the one with Shawk!n". However, what we can do once we are connected to the
nodes is that we can see if there is a shorter isn%d. Shaykh %Abd al-Ghaff!r got his ij%za
from the grandson of Shawk!n". There are then four between Shaykh Yasir and
Shawk!n". Shawk!n" then gives the highest ij%za he has in his book, which is 11 people.
4 + 1 + 11 = 16. This is, al"amdulill%h, one of the highest ij%za in the world today. 16
people between Shaykh Yasir and Im%m Bukh!r". Bukh!r"s shortest ij%za between him
and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is 3 people. Therefore, there are 20 people
between Shaykh Yasir and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) for the shortest
isn%ds of Bukh!r". Fourteen and a half centuries and 20 people: Around 70 years /
person.

Shaykh Yasir was 25 when he got Shaykh %Abd al-Ghaff!rs ij%za and he was 92-93 at the
time. Most of Shaykh %Abd al-Ghaff!rs students got ij%zas when he was much younger.
If Shaykh Yasir reaches an old age, then his ij%za will be sought after because it is high.
The ij%za becomes precious because it is very rare and short. It is not unrealistic that
when a scholar reaches an old age then other scholars will come to him for ij%zas.

It is a valid ij%za and an ij%za that is one of the highest in the entire world, al"amdulill%h.

Why did we go into this tangent? To illustrate the reality of our religion and to
illustrate that our religion has been preserved and documented. If someone asks you,
Who gives you the right to say this? Shaykh Yasir can say, My shaykh narrated to me
from his shaykh from his shaykh It is a continuous chain of great scholars and they
can be verified. Shaykh Yasir can give ij%za to those he trusts as well.

Ij%za are of many types. There are unconditional and conditional ij%zas. Conditional
ij%zas are for one "ad#th and are easier to obtain than unconditional ij%zas.
10

The Importance of the Isn%d

! The phenomenon of the isn%d is unique to this ummah out of all other nations.
No other system on earth has anything comparable to the isn%d. We have no idea
who wrote the sacred texts of the ancient pagan religions. They are shrouded in
mystery. We dont know when the Old Testament was written or by who. For the
New Testament, we know the names of the people but we dont know anything
about them except that they never met Jesus Christ. We need to understand that
when Shaykh Yasir recites Qur!n and "ad#th, he can say exactly where he got it
from and where his shaykh got it from.

The ij%za of the Qur!n is a whole different level because it connects you with All!h
(sub"%nahu wa ta%la). No other religion has any equivalent system.

! Ab# $!tim al-R!z" said, There has never been any nation, since All!h created
&dam, trustworthy people who have protected the sayings of its prophet except in
this ummah.

! And Abdull!h b. al-Mub!rak (d. 181 AH) said, The isn%d is a part of the religion:
without the isn%d, anyone could say anything.

He lived two generations before Bukh!r". The isn%d is not just a luxury, but it is part
of the religion.

Think about this point: if there is no isn%d, then that is when unqualified people
stand up and say, In my opinion, this is how Islam should be. We dont have this.
Our religion is transmitted from the earlier generations to the later ones, which
makes it different from all other religions. The isn%d is part of the religion.

The format of this seminar: We will talk about the life and times of Bukh!r" and the
methodology of Bukh!r". We will jump into a selection of a"ad#th and cover over 70
a"ad#th. They are chosen for their content and style. In every module, there is a
different content and way of explaining.

Bukh!r" is divided into books.

11

Book 1: The Begi nni ng of Revel ati on

Why does Bukh!r" start with this book? Because revelation is where it all begins and is
the beginning of our religion of Islam. It is logical and chronological.

Chapter 1: How di d the revel ati on begi n upon the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am), and the statement of Al l %h: Veri l y, We have i nspi red you as We have
i nspi red N)" and the prophets af ter hi m.

1. I heard Al l %h s Messenger ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sayi ng, The reward
of deeds depends upon the i ntenti ons, and every person wi l l get the reward
accordi ng to what he has i ntended. So whoever emi grated f or worl dl y benef i ts
or f or a woman to marry, hi s emi grati on was f or what he emi grated f or.

! The first person al-Bukh!r" mentions is his teacher al-$umayd" Abdull!h b. al-
Zubayr. He lived much of his life in Makkah, and he is Quraysh".
! Relevance of this had#th to the Book and chapter?

An interesting point on this "ad#th: Bukh!r" says, My shaykh al-$umayd" narrated
from Sufy!n [b. Uyaynah] who narrated from Ya(ya b. Sa"d from Muhammad b.
Ibrahim from Alqamah b. Waqq!' from Umar b. al-Kha))!b that he heard while the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) say while he was giving a khu*bah, The reward of
deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to
what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to
marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.

Note that the average number of people between Bukh!r" and the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) is 5. He has a few isn%ds with 4 and fewer with 3, called the thul%thiy%t.
In this chain, there are 6 people even though he has this "ad#th in a shorter isn%d. What
is the reason? The first shaykh in the book is al-$umayd" Abdull!h b. al-Zubayr. Al-
$umayd" has two characteristics no other shuy)kh had:
1) He was the most famous scholar of Makkah.
2) He was a Qurayshi.

No other scholar of Bukh!r" was a Makki and Qurayshi. Bukh!r" is showing us that we
begin with Makkah and the Quraysh because the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
was a Qurayshi and they have an extra right of respect because the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) is linked to them.

For the second "ad#th, he has in it M!lik b. Anas who is the greatest Madan" scholar and
a descendant of the an'%r. He is saying we begin with Makkah and then go to Mad"nah
and we begin with the muh%jir)n and then go to the an'%r. What a genius mind! He is
demonstrating his mastery of the field of "ad#th.

12

In this class we wont talk about the names of narrators. In Mad"nah, the students went
over each and every name in the isn%d.

Look at the mind of Bukh!r". This man is a genius the likes of which the ummah has not
seen. There is no competition. The more you know "ad#th, the more you appreciate
who Bukh!r" is.

Umar b. al-Kha))!b said, I heard the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) say during
the khu*bah, Actions are by intentions

What does this "ad#th have to do with Book 1 and the beginning of revelation? It
doesnt seem to have anything to do with it. The response: Yes, it doesnt have
anything to do with it. Bukh!r" is using this "ad#th as an introduction to the whole
book. Bukh!r" did not write an introduction. The book begins with this "ad#th.

Were introductions known at the time? Yes. How do we know this? Im%m Muslim, a
student and colleague of Bukh!r", has an introduction to his !a"#". Introductions give
the methodology of the book and the purpose of the book. To take the place of an
introduction, Bukh!r" has this "ad#th.

Why? Bukh!r" is telling us that every one of us is embarking on a journey back in time:
We will be with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and study his sayings, life, and
times. So, dear reader, when you make this hijrah of the mind, purify your intention
because if you are doing it for the wrong reasons, woe to you and then woe to you.
Make sure your hijrah is for All!h and His Messenger. Dont make it for pride, ego,
showing off. If that is your niyyah, then close the book now and dont proceed.

By using this "ad#th as the first "ad#th, Bukh!r" is telling himself as the author to purify
his intentions, and he is telling the readers to purify their intentions before going on
the intellectual hijrah of hearing from him as if directly hearing from him.

Chapter 2:

2. Narrated & i shah, the mother of the f ai thf ul bel i evers: Al -(%ri th b. Hi sh%m
asked Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) O Al l %h' s Apostl e! How i s
the Di vi ne Inspi rati on reveal ed to you? Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) repl i ed, Someti mes i t i s (reveal ed) l i ke the ri ngi ng of a bel l , thi s f orm
of Inspi rati on i s the hardest of al l and then thi s state passes of f af ter I have
grasped what i s i nspi red. Someti mes the Angel comes i n the f orm of a man and
tal ks to me and I grasp whatever he says.

& i shah added: Veri l y I saw the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) bei ng
i nspi red on a very col d day, and noti ced the sweat droppi ng f rom hi s f orehead.

13

! The golden isn%d to &ishah.

This isn%d is the famous isn%d considered to be one of the most authentic in the world.
Bukh!r" Abdull!h b. Y#suf M!lik b. Anas Hish!m b. Urwah Urwah b. Zubayr
&ishah. This is the most authentic chain from &ishah because Urwah b. Zubayr is
&ishahs nephew and has access to her that nobody else had. The wives of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had a physical curtain when they gave lectures. Only her
nephew Urwah could go behind the curtain. His mother is Asm!, so &ishah is his
kh%lah and ma"ram. Urwah had the closest relationship to &ishah and is the main
student and narrator from him. This is the most authentic isn%d going back to &ishah.
This is a Madan" and an'%r# isn%d.

Bukh!r" is demonstrating his genius. We are not qualified even to appreciate Bukh!r".
Wall%hi, this is true. In Shaykh Yasirs first year in Mad"nah, their shaykh, who became
the Dean of (ad#th and is a great scholar and %lim, was teaching this book. Their minds
were overloaded. Like all university students, they had to worry about papers and
exams. They had a comprehensive exam for the year. The students were all
complaining to their shuy)kh. After a while, their shaykh got irritated and said, You
students are not qualified to study or appreciate Bukh!r". If I had my way, you would
not be studying Bukh!r" in the first year. If I had it my way, you would study Bukh!r" in
your senior year cover to cover when you are qualified to appreciate it. That phrase of
his stuck in Shaykh Yasirs mind, and for the last almost 20 years studying Bukh!r" on
his own, this statement is in his head. To appreciate Bukh!r", you have to be a scholar
and master of "ad#th.

! Human nature, inquisitiveness of the Companions
! The types of wa"y

The most irritating noise the people of that time knew was the ringing of a bell. The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) clarified that wa"y comes primarily in one of two
ways. Sometimes he heard a loud noise drowning out everything else and he couldnt
concentrate on anything else. He is not saying that he hears a bell ringing, but he is
saying that just like a bell is ringing in the ear, a loud noise enveloped him, but he
understood what the angel says. Sometimes Jibr"l came in the form of a man.

Scholars say wa"y from the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was of multiple types.
The highest level was direct communication with All!h, which only occurred once: isr%
wal-mir%j. The second is when Jibr"l inspired him when he was in his original form,
which is only a few times. The third is this type where it is like the ringing of a bell.
Scholars say that this means the angel Jibr"l remains in his form and the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) enters what we would call a trance. The 'a"%bah noticed
that when the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was inspired, his head would be
lowered and he would not pay attention to anything around him. &ishah (ra+yAll%hu
anha) said she noticed that he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would sweat.

14

In the other type of wa"y, the angel becomes a human and speaks to him one-on-one.
There are many instances when the 'a"%bah saw the angel but did not know who he
was. The most famous is the "ad#th of the five pillars. When Jibr"l becomes a man, the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) can talk to him in his manly state.

What does this show us? The human nature and curiosity of the companions. Al-$!rith
b. Hish!m was the blood brother of Ab# Jahl. Imagine if you were in front of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). What would you ask him? You would ask him so
many things, and you would want to know ilml-ghayb. We find the curiosity here. The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) in his tenderness and mercy was open to their
curiosity. He could have said that this knowledge would not benefit us, which it
doesnt. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) humors him and gives him this
knowledge. This also shows that wa"y was difficult for the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam). All!h told him ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) very early on in S)ratl-Muddaththir
that We will give you a very heavy, weighty speech.

&ishah said he would sweat when wa"y came. When S)ratl-M%idah came down, the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was on a camel and he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
lowered his head and eventually the camel had to sit down because the weight was too
much to bear. Sub"%nAll%h. This is just one s)rah coming down and the camel had to sit
down. What do you think it was like for the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)?

In another narration, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was lying on the lap of
one of the 'a"%bah and the 'a"%b# said that he felt his thigh bone would crack in half.
Sub"%nAll%h. Im%m Bukh!r" mentions this "ad#th so we have some humanity about how
the wa"y came.

No matter how the wa"y came, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is assuring us
that he knows what He said.

3. & i shah narrated: The commencement of the Di vi ne Inspi rati on to Al l %h s
Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) was i n the f orm of good dreams whi ch
came true l i ke bri ght dayl i ght, and then the l ove of secl usi on was bestowed
upon hi m. He used to go i n secl usi on i n the cave of (i r% where he used to
worshi p (Al l %h al one) conti nuousl y f or many days bef ore hi s desi re to see hi s
f ami l y. He used to take wi th hi m the j ourney f ood f or the stay and then come
back to (hi s wi f e) Khad# j ah to take hi s f ood l i kewi se agai n ti l l suddenl y the
Truth descended upon hi m whi l e he was i n the cave of (i r% .

The angel came to hi m and asked hi m to read. The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi
wa sal l am) repl i ed, "I do not know how to read. " The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi
wa sal l am) added, "The angel caught me (f orcef ul l y) and pressed me so hard
that I coul d not bear i t any more. He then rel eased me and agai n asked me to
read and I repl i ed, ' I do not know how to read. ' Thereupon he caught me agai n
and pressed me a second ti me ti l l I coul d not bear i t any more. He then rel eased
me and agai n asked me to read but agai n I repl i ed, ' I do not know how to read
15

(or what shal l I read)?' Thereupon he caught me f or the thi rd ti me and pressed
me, and then rel eased me and sai d, ' Read i n the name of your Lord, who has
created (al l that exi sts), created man f rom a cl ot. Read! And your Lord i s the
Most Generous. ' " (96. 1, 96. 2, 96. 3) Then Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) returned wi th the Inspi rati on and wi th hi s heart beati ng severel y. Then
he went to Khad# j ah bi nt Khuwayl i d and sai d, "Cover me! Cover me! " They
covered hi m ti l l hi s f ear was over and af ter that he tol d her everythi ng that
had happened and sai d, "I f ear that somethi ng may happen to me. " Khad# j ah
repl i ed, "Never! By Al l %h, Al l %h wi l l never di sgrace you. You keep good
rel ati ons wi th your ki th and ki n, hel p the poor and the desti tute, serve your
guests generousl y and assi st the deservi ng cal ami ty-af f l i cted ones. "

Khad# j ah then accompani ed hi m to her cousi n Waraqah b. Nawf al b. Asad b.
' Abdul ' Uzz%, who, duri ng the pre-Isl ami c peri od, became a Chri sti an and used
to wri te the wri ti ng wi th Hebrew l etters. He woul d wri te f rom the Gospel i n
Hebrew as much as Al l %h wi shed hi m to wri te. He was an ol d man and had l ost
hi s eyesi ght. Khad# j ah sai d to Waraqah, "Li sten to the story of your nephew, O
my cousi n! " Waraqah asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Al l %h' s
Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) descri bed whatever he had seen.
Waraqah sai d, "Thi s i s the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Ji br# l ) whom
Al l %h had sent to Moses. I wi sh I were young and coul d l i ve up to the ti me when
your peopl e woul d turn you out. " Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
asked, "Wi l l they dri ve me out?" Waraqah repl i ed i n the af f i rmati ve and sai d,
"Anyone who came wi th somethi ng si mi l ar to what you have brought was
treated wi th hosti l i ty; and i f I shoul d remai n al i ve ti l l the day when you wi l l be
turned out then I woul d support you strongl y. " But af ter a f ew days Waraqah
di ed and the Di vi ne Inspi rati on was al so paused f or a whi l e.

Notice here that &ishah said the beginning of wa"y started in the form of good dreams.
&ishah was not born when this happened, so how is she narrating this to us? This
shows us that like every husband and wife, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is
telling her about his life. She is getting it directly from the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) because they are having conversations like every couple do. &ishah narrates to
us directly. This is one of the reasons scholars say that our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) married so many women. A man says to his wife what he doesnt say to his
friends, and she sees a side of him others do not see. For someone as important as the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), we need all of this information.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) told his wife that he was terrified when he saw
Jibr"l. He may not have said this to another man. Maymuna narrates his ghusl. All of
this information is preserved through the wives of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam).

! Dreams and the fact that they are a type of wa"y. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, Nothing is left of prophethood except for good dreams, and Good
dreams are 1/46
th
of prophethood. [al-Tirmidh"].

16

Every night, he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would see something about what would
happen the next day. It would happen exactly like he saw it for six months. Notice that
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was inspired for true dreams for 6 months and
with the Qur!n for 23 years. 6 months / 23 years = 1/46. True dreams are 1/46. To be a
prophet, you have to have 46 things no one else has, and one of them is true dreams,
which is the only thing that remains after the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).

! Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) eagerness to learn the true meaning of life;
not satisfied with the ways of his people. Contrast this to most of us and most of
mankind.
! Perfection of his fi*rah even before revelation came to him.
! Why was the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) squeezed?
! A man needs the comfort of a woman; All!h blessed our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) with Khad"jah.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) loved to be secluded. This shows us that it is
important for everyone to have contemplation time. When you are immersed in the
world, you dont think too deeply. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) wanted to
think, so he cut himself off. All self-help books advise that human beings need some
quiet time to concentrate.

He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) went to concentrate and worship All!h. We dont know
how he would worship but most likely it was through dhikr and tasb#". He would
worship until his food ran out and then would get more food.

When he was sitting in the cave, Jibr"l came to him. There is a khu*bah Shaykh Yasir
gave on iqra and why iqra is the first revelation and the meaning of it. To summarize:
iqra has one of two meanings to read from a book or to recite from memory. Both are
qaraa. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) understood it to mean reading from a
book, so he said he did not know how to read. Jibr"l squeezed him three times, and
every time he squeezed him, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) could not breathe
and thought he would die. The average person cannot squeeze a person so hard that he
cannot breathe. When he was about to pass out, Jibr"l released him. Why? Scholars say
that this may have been to assure him that this was real. Others say it demonstrates for
him that the wa"y would be difficult and not easy. Others say it was to demonstrate to
him that there would come 3 events where he thought he would die but he would not.
All!h knows best.

Jibr"l was telling him to read, but the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) understood it
to be from a piece of paper. Then Jibr"l said to him that he was not asking him to read
from paper, but his recitation will be directly from All!h. Iqra bismirabbik. You will
recite directly from All!h azza wa jall. The word Qur!n comes from iqra. You shall
recite with the Name of All!h directly from All!h with the blessings of All!h. In a
lecture on YouTube, Shaykh Yasir talked about why these verses were the first verses.

17

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) returned with his heart beating severely. How
many of us have ever been so frightened that our hearts are thumping in our chests?
This is what was happening. This is the sign of a true, sincere human being. Who
wouldnt be frightened? The very fact he runs to Khad"jah and confesses he is terrified
is a sign that he is a true prophet. This shows us that he wasnt expecting it and did not
have any plan. It is the natural reaction of a human not expecting a communication
from All!h.

Notice, sub"%nAll%h, the reality of human beings. A man can be as brave as he wants,
but the comfort a wife gives him is the comfort no other human being can give him.
Ab# *!lib was alive at the time and his wife was also alive, but he ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) went to Khad"jah. The feelings of comfort between husband and wife are a
blessing from All!h.

He went running to his wife and said, Cover me up! Cover me up! It took a while to
calm him down. This is a pure sign of humanity and pure sign of ikhla'. He said that he
thought something was wrong with him. A scholar said something found in the
classical books, which Shaykh Yasir doesnt agree with, which was that he thought of
committing suicide. Rather, the meaning is: I think I might be going crazy. The
phrase in Arabic is I am worried for myself. One of the early scholars said it means he
wanted to commit suicide, but in Shaykh Yasirs humble opinion, this isnt accurate and
the phrase is ambiguous and there are other interpretations. An easier interpretation
is that he thought he was going crazy.

Khad"jah told him that he cant be going crazy. All!h will never do this to you because
you are good to your relatives and you help people who are in need and any time there
is a charity, you are the one doing it. You feed the one without food and clothe the one
who has nothing to wear. All!h would never do this to you. Notice the #m%n of
Khad"jah in All!h and that if you are so good, All!h will not punish.

Also notice that Khad"jah is praising the Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) qualities
that he had before he was a prophet: feeding the poor, clothing the naked, being good
to ones family, taking care of the orphans. This clearly shows us an important factor,
which explains why we arent successful in dawah. The reason why the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was successful in dawah was because he had a track record
of being a loving, concerned citizen of Makkah. He was called al-am#n. Then he became
al-ras)l.

Wall%hi for us, dawah is knocking on peoples doors. We want to talk before we have
actions, but for the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) it was the exact opposite.
Khad"jah said his actions were so loud and everyone knew he was kind, generous, and
loving. For us, dawah has become an intellectual, abstract talking concept. Dawah is
being a loving, caring, and concerned human being. It is showing the reality of our
faith through actions.

18

The Arabs did not know what a prophet is. They didnt have prophets and didnt
understand the concept of an angel speaking on behalf of God. Waraqah, a Judeo-
Christian, had converted to the Abrahamic faiths and knew that Ibr!h"m, +sa and M#sa
were prophets of All!h. Waraqah knew that a prophet was coming and recognized it.
He called Jibr"l the keeper of secrets because Jibr"l knows what no one else knows.

Waraqah said, They will expel you from your land. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) was shocked. Waraqah said, No one comes with your message except that his
own people disown him. Waraqah was old and said, How I wish I were a young man
and could help you against your nation. If All!h gives me life, I will help you to the best
of my ability. All!h willed that Waraqah die a few days or weeks later. Waraqah is the
first adult convert to Islam because he admitted and knew the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) before he went to Ab# Bakr.

Advanced Point:
If Shaykh Yasir were to ask what is the first revelation, everyone would know it is iqra.
Understand that this standardized understanding of Islam is something we are taking
for granted. How do we all know the first revelation was iqra? Because we have a
beautiful building of Islam taught to us. If we were to ask the 'a"%bah what the shur)t
of 'al%h are, could anyone have answered the way a 10-year old could today? They
couldnt in the same way because the building was not built yet.

In the time of Bukh!r", there was no clear-cut answer on the first revelation. There
were other opinions. One of the main architects of the building we have of solidified
Islam is Im%m al-Bukh!r" himself. The simplicity with which we can answer we owe a
lot to Bukh!r". Bukh!r" brings the decisive proof.

There was another common opinion that the first revelation was y% ayyuh%l-
muddaththir. To prove his point, Bukh!r" brings the next "ad#th which demonstrates
that this was the second revelation after iqra. Therefore, up until our time a five-year
old child knows the first revelation was iqra and the second revelation was muddaththir.
Bukh!r" was the one drawing out the blueprints and toiling. Realize that in Bukh!r"s
time it wasnt that obvious. There were so many fabricated a"ad#th and folklore and
legends because people would speak from their minds. Bukh!r" sifted through the fog
and got rid of the fairy tales. He quotes a "ad#th to clearly show the second revelation is
muddaththir because there is an opinion with some evidence that muddaththir was the
first.

4. Narrated J%bi r b. , Abdul l %h al -An'%r# whi l e tal ki ng about the peri od of pause
i n revel ati on that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, Whi l e I was
wal ki ng, al l of a sudden I heard a voi ce f rom the sky. I l ooked up and saw the
same angel who had vi si ted me at the cave of (i r%- si tti ng on a chai r between
the sky and the earth. I became af rai d of hi m and came back home, sayi ng
Wrap me up (i n bl ankets). And then Al l %h reveal ed the f ol l owi ng Hol y Verses
(of Qur %n):

19

O you wrapped up i n garments! Ari se and warn (the peopl e agai nst Al l %h' s
Puni shment), . . . up to ' and desert the i dol s. ' (74. 1-5)
Af ter thi s the revel ati on started comi ng strongl y, f requentl y and regul arl y.

! Symbolism of being wrapped up (protection and comfort).
! The second Qur!nic revelation.

the period of pause in revelation
The period of pause means that muddaththir wasnt the first revelation but that there
was something else first. There are other narrations that are not as explicit as this.
Bukh!r" brought this to show that muddaththir was the second.

I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of (ir%, .
When he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) kept hearing a voice, he looked up. This is the
second evidence. Bukh!r" has already told us this story in the narration of &ishah.
This is J!birs story beginning where &ishahs narration left off. One of the main
architects of our reified understanding is Bukh!r".

I became afraid of him and came back home, saying Wrap me up (in blankets).
When you are terrified, you feel cold. Once again he feels terrified and he says to cover
him up.

Shaykh Yasir has given another khu*bah on al-Muddaththir to talk about why these were
the first two revelations. Iqra is all about learning knowledge, and al-Muddaththir is
about action. Stand up! You will not continue living a life of comfort. You have a
purpose and mission. Be active! Stand up and go warn the people. Ilm and amal are
the two fundamental principles of our religion. Knowledge comes before action. Iqra
comes before Muddaththir. We act based on knowledge.

5. Ibn ' Abb%s, i n the expl anati on of the statement of Al l %h "Move not your
tongue concerni ng (the Qur %n) to make haste therewi th. " (75. 16), sai d, Al l %h' s
Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) used to bear the revel ati on wi th great
troubl e and used to move hi s l i ps (qui ckl y) wi th the Inspi rati on. Ibn Abb%s
moved hi s l i ps sayi ng, "I am movi ng my l i ps i n f ront of you as Al l %h' s Apostl e
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) used to move hi s. " Sa # d moved hi s l i ps sayi ng: "I
am movi ng my l i ps, as I saw Ibn Abb%s movi ng hi s. "

Ibn Abb%s added, "So Al l %h reveal ed, ' Move not your tongue concerni ng (the
Qur %n) to make haste therewi th. It i s f or Us to col l ect i t and to gi ve you (O
Mu"ammad) the abi l i ty to reci te i t (the Qur %n)' (75. 16-17) whi ch means that
Al l %h wi l l make hi m (the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)) remember the
porti on of the Qur %n whi ch was reveal ed at that ti me by heart and reci te i t.
The statement of Al l %h: ' And when we have reci ted i t to you (O Mu"ammad
through Ji br# l ) then you f ol l ow i ts (Qur %n) reci tal ' (75. 18) means ' l i sten to i t
and be si l ent. ' Then i t i s f or Us (Al l %h) to make i t cl ear to you' (75. 19) means
20

' Then i t i s (f or Al l %h) to make you reci te i t (and i ts meani ng wi l l be cl ear by
i tsel f through your tongue). ' Af terwards, Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) used to l i sten to Ji br# l whenever he came and af ter hi s departure he
used to reci te i t as Ji br# l had reci ted i t. "

! Shows All!hs protection of the Qur!n.
! The actual wa"y itself was protected (by Jibr"l called al-r)" al-am#n)
! The Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) memorization was protected.
! The writing was protected.
! Here we have an example of transmitting actions as well (musalsal traditions)

This is one of the earliest revelations as well. Ibn Abb!s said, When this revelation
came down, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) used to bear the revelation with
great trouble and move his lips quickly with the wa"y. Ibn Abb!s then moved his lips
to demonstrate. This shows that when the Qur!n came down with Jibr"l, the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would speak while Qur!n was recited to him because he was
afraid of forgetting it.

In S)ratl-Qiy%mah, these verses seem completely out of place because the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was doing this when the Qur!n was coming down, so All!h
tells him to stop doing this. Through him, He is also telling us. Dont worry, We will
gather it for you, and We will recite it to you. When We recite it to you, then follow its
Qur!n.

Move not your tongue with it, [O Mu(ammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur!n.
Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation. So
when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation. Then upon Us is
its clarification [to you].

This is the first revelation mentioning Qur!n. The book is a recitation and living
experience and should not just be read but recited.

Footnote: it is a big mistake to intellectually read the Qur!n. When you
pray, you need to recite the Qur!n and your tongue and lips have to
move and air has to be expelled. This is qir%ah. Your 'al%h is not valid if
21

you dont do this. Do it even if it is a whisper. This is qir%ah. Dont close
your mouth and just imagine.

All!h is telling him that his job is to follow along. Why does Bukh!r" put this? To show
the concern of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and the protection of All!h of
the Qur!n. There is no book in history that has been protected like the Qur!n every
letter and every word. We Muslims dont appreciate our holy book. No other religion
has one book that they all agree upon. No other religion has a unified book. Look at
the ummah today. From China to Alaska, everyone is reciting the Qur!n the same. No
group has ever come forward with another Qur!n. This is a blessing from All!h. This
is a miracle and something only All!h can do. It has never happened that someone
comes and brings a new copy.

All!h has promised that He will reveal it and protect it. This is a Divine miracle. All!h
tells us that Jibr"l is am#n. All!h tells us the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is am#n
and that he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) will memorize it. All!h tells us that He will
preserve it for us even in writing.

Bukh!r"s point is that Islam based on the Qur!n is divinely protected.

6. Al l %h' s Apostl e was the most generous of al l the peopl e, and he used to reach
the peak i n generosi ty i n the month of Rama+%n when Ji br# l met hi m. Ji br# l
used to meet hi m every ni ght of Rama+%n to teach hi m the Qur %n. Al l %h' s
Apostl e was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong
uncontrol l abl e wi nd (i n readi ness and haste to do chari tabl e deeds).

! The importance of regularly reading and checking the Qur!n even the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is doing mur%ja,ah!
! The concept of finishing the Qur!n in Rama+%n comes from this had#th.
! Generosity of Prophet overall.
! Generosity increases in Rama+%n for three reasons: the blessedness of the month,
the blessedness of the action, and the blessedness of the visitor.
! Shows the importance of good company and the effects of good actions.

This is the famous "ad#th pertaining to Rama+%n and Jibr"l coming to the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) every single night of Rama+%n. This is narrated by Anas b.
M!lik. Jibr"l would meet him ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) every single night and he
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would be even more generous.

even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind
The Arabs had an expression: imagine yourself in the desert with a strong wind
blowing it was as if the whole world was facing you. The whole wind is blowing. The
expression is that the Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) generosity is
uncontrollable. Its encompassing everything and enveloping everything like the wind.

22

This "ad#th shows the importance of regularly reading and checking the Qur!n. Even
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was doing mur%ja,ah. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) recited to Jibr"l, the one who taught him. All!h sends the one who
recited the Qur!n to him for the sole purpose of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) reciting the Qur!n and Jibr"l checking his memory. From this, we get the
concept of finishing the Qur!n in Rama+%n and the concept of finishing one juz every
night.

We also see the generosity of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) overall. He
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was generous outside of Rama+%n, but in Rama+%n, he was
the most generous. Why? The blessedness of the month. During special times, we
raise the bar: (ajj, Rama+%n, Friday. Also, the blessedness of the action. Being generous
is a fundamental sign of #m%n. Also, the blessedness of the visitor. This shows the
importance of good company. When you are surrounded by people who are praying
tahajjud, then you will also. When you are surrounded by those who talk about the
latest movies, then that will pass on to you. The sign of a good Muslim is to be around
other good Muslims. The person follows the religion of his friends. Be careful who
your friends are.

7. Ab) Suf y%n b. (arb i nf ormed me that Heracl i us had sent a messenger to hi m
whi l e he had been accompanyi ng a caravan f rom Quraysh. They were
merchants doi ng busi ness i n Sh%m, at the ti me when Al l %h s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) had a truce wi th Ab) Suf y%n and Quraysh. So Ab) Suf y%n
and hi s compani ons went to Heracl i us at Jerusal em. Heracl i us cal l ed them i n
the court and he had al l the seni or Roman di gni tari es around hi m. He cal l ed f or
hi s transl ator who, transl ati ng Heracl i us s questi on sai d to them, Who
amongst you i s cl osel y rel ated to that man who cl ai ms to be a Prophet?

Ab) Suf y%n repl i ed, I am the nearest rel ati ve to hi m.

Heracl i us sai d, "Bri ng hi m (Ab) Suf y%n) cl ose to me, and make hi s compani ons
stand behi nd hi m. " Ab) Suf y%n added, Heracl i us tol d hi s transl ator to tel l my
compani ons that he wanted to put some questi ons to me regardi ng that man
(the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)) and that i f I tol d a l i e they (my
compani ons) shoul d contradi ct me. "

Ab) Suf y%n added, "By Al l %h! Had I not been af rai d of my compani ons l abel i ng
me a l i ar, I woul d not have spoken the truth about the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am). The f i rst questi on he asked me about hi m was:
' What i s hi s f ami l y status amongst you?'
I repl i ed, ' He bel ongs to a good (nobl e) f ami l y amongst us. '
Heracl i us f urther asked, ' Has anybody amongst you ever cl ai med the same (i . e.
to be a Prophet) bef ore hi m?'
I repl i ed, ' No. '
He sai d, ' Was anybody amongst hi s ancestors a ki ng?'
Heracl i us asked, ' Do the nobl es or the poor f ol l ow hi m?'
23

I repl i ed, ' It i s the poor who f ol l ow hi m. '
He sai d, ' Are hi s f ol l owers i ncreasi ng or decreasi ng (day by day)?'
I repl i ed, ' They are i ncreasi ng. '
He then asked, ' Does anybody amongst those who embrace hi s rel i gi on become
di spl eased and renounce the rel i gi on af terwards?'
Heracl i us sai d, ' Have you ever accused hi m of tel l i ng l i es bef ore hi s cl ai m (to be
a Prophet)?'
Heracl i us sai d, ' Does he break hi s promi ses?'
I repl i ed, ' No. We are at truce wi th hi m but we do not know what he wi l l do i n
i t. ' I coul d not f i nd opportuni ty to say anythi ng agai nst hi m except that.
Heracl i us asked, ' Have you ever had a war wi th hi m?'
I repl i ed, ' Yes. '
Then he sai d, ' What was the outcome of the battl es?'
I repl i ed, ' Someti mes he was vi ctori ous and someti mes we. '
Heracl i us sai d, ' What does he order you to do?'

I sai d, ' He tel l s us to worshi p Al l %h and Al l %h al one and not to worshi p
anythi ng al ong wi th Hi m, and to renounce al l that our ancestors had sai d. He
orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good rel ati ons
wi th our ki th and ki n. '

Heracl i us asked the transl ator to convey to me the f ol l owi ng, I asked you about
hi s f ami l y and your repl y was that he bel onged to a very nobl e f ami l y. In f act
al l the Apostl es come f rom nobl e f ami l i es amongst thei r respecti ve peopl es. I
questi oned you whether anybody el se amongst you cl ai med such a thi ng, your
repl y was i n the negati ve. If the answer had been i n the af f i rmati ve, I woul d
have thought that thi s man was f ol l owi ng the previ ous man' s statement. Then I
asked you whether anyone of hi s ancestors was a ki ng. Your repl y was i n the
negati ve, and i f i t had been i n the af f i rmati ve, I woul d have thought that thi s
man wanted to take back hi s ancestral ki ngdom.

I f urther asked whether he was ever accused of tel l i ng l i es bef ore he sai d what
he sai d, and your repl y was i n the negati ve. So I wondered how a person who
does not tel l a l i e about others coul d ever tel l a l i e about Al l %h. I then asked
you whether the ri ch peopl e f ol l owed hi m or the poor. You repl i ed that i t was
the poor who f ol l owed hi m. And i n f act, al l the Apostl es have been f ol l owed by
thi s very cl ass of peopl e. Then I asked you whether hi s f ol l owers were
i ncreasi ng or decreasi ng. You repl i ed that they were i ncreasi ng, and i n f act
thi s i s the way of true f ai th, ti l l i t i s compl ete i n al l respects. I f urther asked
you whether there was anybody, who, af ter embraci ng hi s rel i gi on, became
di spl eased and di scarded hi s rel i gi on. Your repl y was i n the negati ve, and i n
f act thi s i s (the si gn of ) true f ai th, when i ts del i ght enters the hearts and mi xes
wi th them compl etel y. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You repl i ed i n
the negati ve and l i kewi se the Apostl es never betray. Then I asked you what he
ordered you to do. You repl i ed that he ordered you to worshi p Al l %h and Al l %h
24

al one and not to worshi p anythi ng al ong wi th Hi m and f orbade you to worshi p
i dol s and ordered you to pray, to speak the truth and to be chaste. If what you
have sai d i s true, he wi l l very soon occupy thi s pl ace underneath my f eet, and I
knew i t (f rom the scri ptures) that he was goi ng to appear, but I di d not know
that he woul d be f rom you, and i f I coul d reach hi m def i ni tel y, I woul d go
i mmedi atel y to meet hi m and i f I were wi th hi m, I woul d certai nl y wash hi s
f eet. ' Heracl i us then asked f or the l etter addressed by Al l %h' s Apostl e
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) whi ch was del i vered by Di "yah to the Governor of
Bosra, who then f orwarded i t to Heracl i us to read. The contents of the l etter
were as f ol l ows: "In the name of Al l %h the Benef i cent, the Merci f ul . (Thi s l etter
i s) f rom Mu"ammad the sl ave of Al l %h and Hi s Apostl e to Heracl i us the rul er of
Byzanti ne. Peace be upon hi m who f ol l ows the ri ght path. Furthermore, I i nvi te
you to Isl am, and i f you become a Musl i m you wi l l be saf e, and Al l %h wi l l
doubl e your reward, and i f you rej ect thi s i nvi tati on of Isl am you wi l l be
commi tti ng a si n by mi sgui di ng your Ari si yi n (peasants). (And I reci te to you
Al l %h' s Statement): ' O peopl e of the Scri pture! Come to a word common to you
and us that we worshi p none but Al l %h and that we associ ate nothi ng i n
worshi p wi th Hi m, and that none of us shal l take others as Lords besi de Al l %h.
Then, i f they turn away, say: Bear wi tness that we are Musl i ms (those who have
surrendered to Al l %h). ' " (3: 64).

Ab) Suf y%n then added, "When Heracl i us had f i ni shed hi s speech and had read
the l etter, there was a great hue and cry i n the Royal Court. So we were turned
out of the court. I tol d my compani ons that the questi on of Ibn Ab# Kabshah
(the Prophet Mu"ammad ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)) has become so
promi nent that even the Ki ng of Bani Al -A'f ar (Byzanti ne) i s af rai d of hi m.
Then I started to become sure that he (the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am)) woul d be the conqueror i n the near f uture ti l l I embraced Isl am (i . e.
Al l %h gui ded me to i t). "

The sub narrator adds, "Ibn Al -N%*)r was the Governor of Il ya' (Jerusal em) and
Heracl i us was the head of the Chri sti ans of Sh%m. Ibn Al -N%*)r narrates that,
once whi l e Heracl i us was vi si ti ng Il ya' (Jerusal em), he got up i n the morni ng
wi th a sad mood. Some of hi s pri ests asked hi m why he was i n that mood?
Heracl i us was a f oretel l er and an astrol oger. He repl i ed, ' At ni ght when I l ooked
at the stars, I saw that the l eader of those who practi ce ci rcumci si on had
appeared (become the conqueror). Who are they who practi ce ci rcumci si on?'
The peopl e repl i ed, ' Except the Jews nobody practi ces ci rcumci si on, so you
shoul d not be af rai d of them (Jews).
' Just i ssue orders to ki l l every Jew present i n the country. '

Whi l e they were di scussi ng i t, a messenger sent by the ki ng of Ghass%n to
convey the news of Al l %h' s Apostl e ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) to Heracl i us
was brought i n. Havi ng heard the news, he (Heracl i us) ordered the peopl e to go
and see whether the messenger of Ghass%n was ci rcumci sed. The peopl e, af ter
seei ng hi m, tol d Heracl i us that he was ci rcumci sed. Heracl i us then asked hi m
about the Arabs. The messenger repl i ed: Arabs al so practi ce ci rcumci si on. '
25

(Af ter heari ng that) Heracl i us remarked that soverei gnty of the Arabs had
appeared. Heracl i us then wrote a l etter to hi s f ri end i n Rome who was as good
as Heracl i us i n knowl edge. Heracl i us then l ef t f or (um' (a town i n Syri a) and
stayed there ti l l he recei ved the repl y of hi s l etter f rom hi s f ri end who agreed
wi th hi m i n hi s opi ni on about the emergence of the Prophet and the f act that he
was a Prophet. On that Heracl i us i nvi ted al l the heads of the Byzanti nes to
assembl e i n hi s pal ace at (um'. When they assembl ed, he ordered that al l the
doors of hi s pal ace be cl osed. Then he came out and sai d, ' O Byzanti nes! If
success i s your desi re and i f you seek ri ght gui dance and want your empi re to
remai n then gi ve a pl edge of al l egi ance to thi s Prophet (i . e. embrace Isl am). '
(On heari ng the vi ews of Heracl i us) the peopl e ran towards the gates of the
pal ace l i ke onagers but f ound the doors cl osed. Heracl i us real i zed thei r hatred
towards Isl am and when he l ost the hope of thei r embraci ng Isl am, he ordered
that they shoul d be brought back i n audi ence.

(When they returned) he sai d, ' What was al ready sai d was j ust to test the
strength of your convi cti on and I have seen i t. ' The peopl e prostrated bef ore
hi m and became pl eased wi th hi m, and thi s was the end of Heracl i us' s story (i n
connecti on wi th hi s f ai th).

! This occurred before the conquest of Makkah.
! Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had already begun to send letters to
neighboring countries, even before the Conquest of Makkah.
! Intelligence of Heraclius in positioning Ab# Sufy!n.

This is a very long "ad#th. It may qualify as the longest "ad#th in Bukh!r". It is definitely
one of the longest three or four "ad#th in Bukh!r". Im%m al-Bukh!r" concludes this book
with a very interesting "ad#th. At first glance, it seems to have nothing to do with the
topic of the chapter of revelation.

This "ad#th is about Ab# Sufy!n traveling to Syria in the ri"latal-shit%i wal-'ayf. The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) wrote a letter to Heraclius, the emperor of Rome
and the most politically powerful person at the time. He wrote him a letter inviting
him to Islam. The messenger went to Heraclius went to him and said that the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) has sent him a ris%lah. Heraclius has heard the Arabs have
claimed they have a prophet. Once upon a time, politicians were intelligent people.

Heraclius was not just the emperor of Rome but also a great scholar and knowledgeable
person about Christianity. Look at his wisdom: when he heard the Arabs have a
prophet, he decided to find out more about him. He asks his ministers if there were any
Arabs in the land from $ij!z. Ab# Sufy!n from Makkah, a distant relative of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), was near Jerusalem, where Heraclius was visiting.
The letter was supposed to go to Rome, but All!h willed that this meeting took place.
Heraclius asked for anyone in the vicinity and was told about the caravan from
Makkah. Heraclius called them to the palace.
26

Ab# Sufy!n, a desert bedouin from a small outpost in the middle of the desert, entered
into the greatest emperor on earth to be asked about the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam). Ab# Sufy!n was not a Muslim at the time. Heraclius realized they were not
believers and he was going to ask them about their enemy. Look at his genius: he asks
the Arabs there (some were from Makkah and other places) who was the closest
relative and who knows most about him ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). Ab# Sufy!n came
forward. He came and sat. Heraclius said, Go tell the people behind that I am asking a
series of questions, and if he lies, then tell them to correct him. Heraclius used the
love of wealth and power and money against them to find out the truth. Ab# Sufy!n
later admitted, Were it not for the fact that my own people would expose me to be a
liar, I would have lied. This is a sign of a wise man.

He asked him a series of questions. The point is clear: how is his lineage. His lineage is
solid. Were any of his ancestors kings? No. What is he telling you to do? Worship
All!h and live moral lives. Are his followers increasing or decreasing? Increasing. Are
his followers the rich and elite or poor and downtrodden? The poor. He goes on and
on.

Then Heraclius explains every question. I asked you about his lineage and you said he
is top notch, and this is how All!h chooses His prophets. I asked you if he ever lied
about gold and silver, and you said no. If he doesnt lie about gold and silver, then he
will never lie about All!h. Heraclius is knocking some sense into Ab# Sufy!n.

This is the reality of #m%n. Once a person tastes it, they will never leave it. The sign of
a true faith is that the lower class believes in it before the elite. Heraclius concludes,
I was expecting a prophet to come. The signs were there. But I never thought he
would be from your people. The Arabs were an uncivilized, barbaric bedouin nation
and no one expected power from them. No culture, no civilization, no unified
government, no script. The Arabs didnt have writing until the Qur!n came down.
Rome had palaces and Persia had civilization. The Arabs didnt even have a unified
government, which is a basic sign of civilization. Islam came and changed all of that
and caused them to rule the entire world in 100 years.

I knew a prophet would come. I didnt think he would come from your people. This
is one k%fir giving dawah to another k%fir. Irony of ironies that the one giving the
dawah doesnt convert but the one dawah is given to does later convert. Heraclius
concludes, If what you are telling me is true, then it is only a matter of time before his
message will control the land under my feet. Wall%hi how true that was that in less
than seven years after Heraclius said this, the Muslims had conquered Baytl-Maqdis in
Jerusalem.

Why did Bukh!r" conclude the first book with this "ad#th? To show us the message of
Islam and the Qur!n has been revealed in order to spread to every corner of the world.
Even the emperor of Rome couldnt stop the message of Qur!n from reaching his
people. This is what happened and will continue to happen.
27

Bukh!r" concludes with this "ad#th to say that our job is to spread the message of Islam
and the Qur!n. The significance of this "ad#th is to take the Qur!nic message
everywhere.

Q&A

Did Jibr"l come in the form of a man in the first "ad#th? It appears that he was in the
form of an angel, which is why the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) did not think he
was a man and thought that he was seeing images. Jibr"l was in the form of an angel.
Perhaps he wasnt in his original form, which was different and the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) only saw it once or twice. There is no evidence to suggest he saw him
in his original form the first time.

The literal meaning is support. Asnada means to get support of. Isn%d supports what
you are saying and is your chain of getting to what you are saying.

28

Li fe of al -Bukh!r"

His name: Ab# Abdull!h Mu(ammad b. Ism!%"l b. Ibr!h"m b. Mugh"rah b. Bardizbah al-
J#%f" al-Bukh!r"

His birth: 13
th
of Shaww%l, 194 A.H. in the city of Bukh!r!

He was born in the city of Bukh!r!, which is why he is called al-Bukh!r". Bukh!r! is in
the modern land of Tashkent. Bukh!r! in those days was on the periphery of the
Muslim empire. His name is Mu(ammad b. Ism!%"l b. Ibr!h"m b. Mugh"rah b. Bardizbah
al-J#%f" al-Bukh!r".

His great grandfather Mugh"rah converted to Islam. Mugh"rahs father was a
Zoroastrian. Mugh"rah converted when the armies during the time of Uthm!n
conquered Tashkent. Mugh"rah converted at the hands of a person from the tribe of
Jufah. In those days, it was the custom to take the name of the tribe you converted
under. They had a notion that you had to be allied to a tribe. This was during the time
of the Umayyads; during the time of the Abb!sids this tradition was lost. Al- J#%f"
means that his great grandfather converted at the hands of someone from the tribe of
Jufah.

His father Ism!%"l was a student of knowledge who traveled a little and dabbled in
"ad#th. Ism!%"l had traveled to Mad"nah and studied with Im%m M!lik. Ism!%"l is a
student of Im%m M!lik. It is without a doubt that when Bukh!r" was growing up, he
would hear legends of Im%m M!lik. Sadly, Bukh!r" never studied with his father
because his father passed away when he was a young child. Nevertheless, he narrated
from some famous students of Im%m M!lik.

He was born on the 13
th
of Shaww%l, 194 A.H. It was perhaps because of his fathers
interest in "ad#th we dont know anything much about his early childhood, but
imagine being born to a father who studied with Im%m M!lik there would be
something in the heart about learning "ad#th. At a young age, he attended "ad#th circles
with the scholars in Bukh!r!.

At the age of 10, he brought attention to himself by correcting his own teacher. His
teacher was narrating a "ad#th by memory and was telling the chain. Bukh!r" said,
Teacher, this isn%d cannot be correct. He understood one of the names the teacher
mentioned didnt fit in the chronological area of the isn%d. He said, This teacher
doesnt fit here and must be a mistake. The shaykh notices this ten-year-old student
and said, Who are you to correct me? Who are you? He said, Check your notes. His
shaykh checked and confirmed that it was his own memory and mistake and corrected
the isn%d. At the age of ten, Bukh!r"s reputation began to be established.

29

At the age of 16, he went to (ajj with his mother and brother. In Makkah, he asked his
mother for permission to remain. With her blessings, he remained in Makkah. His
father Ism!%"l had left a modest amount of money that was sufficient for his mother and
brothers to take care of themselves. He had enough to get by and live a modest
existence. This is a requirement to study. Many people who wanted to become
scholars could not because they had to take care of their families.

The benefit of being in the $ij!z is obvious. In Makkah and Mad"nah, people come to
you rather than you going to them. Most scholars and laymen would spend months
and years in Makkah and Mad"nah to absorb their ib%dah and be in that environment.
Therefore, Makkah in particular, and Mad"nah, became a center of Islamic knowledge.
Scholars of Islamic knowledge would come and teach. As they taught, they would learn
as well. Scholars from Yemen and Iraq and China and Tashkent would meet and talk.
Makkah has remained a center of Islamic learning. Bukh!r" absorbed the knowledge of
hundreds of different cities around the Muslim world. His primary base remained
Makkah and Mad"nah. He met scholars he would otherwise have never have met.
From Iraq and Maghrib he met different scholars. He absorbed all of this knowledge.

He wrote his first book at the age of eighteen called Qi+%yah al-!a"%bah (The Verdicts of
the !a"%bah). Also at the age of 18-19, he wrote his famous book, which is now printed
in 9 volumes. Imagine an 18-year-old kid writing a 9-volume book. It is called Tar#kh al-
Kab#r (The Big History). It is the history of the narrators of "ad#th name by name. He
mentioned the narrators name, birthplace, who he studied with and his graphical
details. By mastering the science of men, Bukh!r" is showing that he is going to become
a great scholar. The most complicated science in "ad#th is ilml-rij%l (science of men). It
is knowing every narrator and who they knew. By 18, he was an expert and to this day
his book is one of the main reference books on ilml-rij%l.

Hi s Memory

! Ibn Kath"r narrates that he was able to look at a page once and memorize it.
! People of Baghdad and Samarqand gathered to test him, and he surpassed their
expectations.

Im%m Bukh!r" was blessed with a memory that is unparalleled in Islamic history. He
only had to hear a "ad#th once and would have it memorized for the rest of his life. This
seems legendary. There are people All!h has blessed with astounding memories, but
they dont use it for anything beneficial.

There is a documentary in which they came across a phenomenon where people can
remember each and every day of their lives and what happened on that day. They
tested the people and verified. They have it memorized without even taking an effort.
There are plenty examples of people who can take everyones name in the room and
can name everyone after only hearing it one time. These are people All!h has blessed
with memory, and they are wasting it. Why is it a fairytale to imagine that All!h has
blessed people in the ummah with this memory? It is very reasonable. There are people
30

All!h has blessed with a strong memory, and All!h intended them to preserve the
religion.

As his memory became more and more well known, the scholars tested him. At the age
of 22, he traveled to Baghdad, which was the capital of the Muslim world. All of the
major scholars were around Baghdad. Politics and power always plays a role on
scholarship and ulem%. It is human nature. When there is a large congregation in
Baghdad with lots of money, politicians and power, the people will increase and build
bigger mosques and madrassas, and the top minds will be attracted to the political
bases. Political power and knowledge always have a relationship. Even here, it is not a
coincidence that the major cities have the best universities.

In Baghdad, the greatest scholar was Im%m A(mad b. $anbal. At 22, he began studying
with the greatest scholar of "ad#th alive. Im%m A(mad said, I have never met a man
from Khurasan like Mu(ammad b. Ism!"l. He was still young and had yet to become a
great scholar. Scholars say that if he had met Bukh!r" later, he would have said that he
had never met a man in the world like Bukh!r".

He continued traveling for 15 years or so gathering a"ad#th. His reputation spread
amongst the people. There are multiple times when his reputation preceded him to a
city and the people couldnt believe someone like this was coming.

! Incident in Baghdad

The most famous incident happened in a later trip to Baghdad. They heard that
Mu(ammad b. Ism!"l was coming, and the scholars of the city decided to test him in
public to show the people that Bukh!r" was not as great as people made him out to be.
(This was after the time of Im%m A(mad). Ten famous scholars of "ad#th gathered
together and decided to trick Bukh!r" in public without telling the population. They
told Bukh!r", Lets all come together in the Grand Mosque of Baghdad at the time of
jumuah when everyone is here, and we will swap a"ad#th and benefit them with our
knowledge.

Bukh!r" didnt realize that there was a trap being set up and went to the Grand Mosque
at the appointed time. The ten scholars said, We will narrate to you ten "ad#th, and
you tell us if you have heard them before. They mixed up the isn%d of one "ad#th with
the wordings of another. This is the most difficult thing to detect. They had an
authentic isn%d and an authentic matn, and they swapped them to see if Bukh!r" could
figure out what they were doing. The first one said the first "ad#th, and Bukh!r" said
that he had never heard of that "ad#th. It was a famous "ad#th and the population knew
it. For a scholar of "ad#th, if there is a different chain, then it is a different "ad#th.
Bukh!r" kept saying he had never heard of these a"ad#th, and the population was
astounded.

For all ten of them, Bukh!r" says he had never heard of them. He figured out what was
going on and all 100 a"ad#th were mentioned. When they finished, Bukh!r" said, Are
31

you done? They said, Yes. Bukh!r" then said, As for you, your "ad#th was this isn%d
and that matn, which is incorrect. The proper isn%d is this. He went back to all 100
"ad#th and corrected from memory every single "ad#th they had messed up.

Ibn $ajar commented and said, What is amazing is not that he knew which "ad#th was
wrong, but after listening to every "ad#th incorrectly, he memorized the incorrect
"ad#th in the order he had heard it and corrected it. He was put to the test and
surpasses and shows the people his memory.

Similar things happen in Samarqand and other places, but every time they failed
because his memory was too great for them.

Hi s Manners and Moral s

! He stated, I have not backbitten anyone since I learned that backbiting is
forbidden.

He was soft when it came to the terminology he used in discrediting narrators. He
would not call others liars or words similar to that. The most he would say about
somebody is that the persons narration is to be avoided.

This is difficult for scholars of "ad#th because they have to point out who are good
narrators and who are not. Bukh!r" invented an entire new wording for criticizing
narrators. No one else used to use this wording. Therefore, he would say things far
more mild. For example, if someone were accused of lying, which is the worst
accusation, Bukh!r" would say, the scholars abandoned him instead of calling him a
liar. He mentioned the effect of the person rather than saying something about the
person. Therefore, a student of "ad#th studying "ad#th sciences and the science of men
also studies a book on the terminology of Bukh!r" (what he said and what he meant
when he said what he said). If Bukh!r" says, They abandoned him then this is
equivalent other scholars calling him a fabricator and liar. Bukh!r"s tongue was very
gentle and he never criticized another Muslim

! He likewise protected his own honor as can be seen in the story of the boat.

Once Bukh!r" was going on a journey on a ship. There was a crook on the ship who
heard Bukh!r" was there. He became friends with Bukh!r" and put on a pious show. He
found out that Bukh!r" had with him 10,000 d#n%rs, which is a lot of money. When the
man found this out, his evilness came out. The next morning, Bukh!r" is awoken by
cries of, Someones ten thousand d#n%rs has been stolen! The captain went room by
room to check who had this money. Bukh!r" took the 10,000 d#n%rs and hid them in his
sleeve and walked outside and threw them into the ocean when no one was looking.
Later, the man approached Bukh!r" and asked where the money was. Bukh!r" said, I
threw it overboard. The man said, What?! It would have been my word against
yours! You dont know who would have won! Bukh!r" said, I spent a lifetime making
my reputation impeccable so that the "ad#th of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
32

are preserved. I dont want it to be tainted by any amount of money. Everyone would
have believed Bukh!r" over the anonymous person, but for him, the mere question
mark was too much. He would rather get rid of a fortune than have people worry about
him and his honor.

! He used to finish one reading of the Qur!n every three nights in prayer.

! He was not greedy for money as can be seen through his famous business
transaction.

He had a healthy ib%dah. There are stories of his honesty, integrity, and ib%dah.
Bukh!r" dabbled in business to support himself. Once someone gave him a very good
offer for a piece of merchandise, and he said he would think about it and the person
should come back the next day. Later, another businessman gave him a larger offer.
Bukh!r" was about to say yes, but he thought, Sub"%nAll%h, yesterday I told someone to
come, and he will come back optimistic that I will sell at the lower price. I gave hope to
a Muslim, so how can I disappoint that hope? He told the second businessman that the
merchandise had not been sold even though it had not yet been sold because of what he
had told the first businessman.

Hi s Bel i efs

! One of the Im%ms of Ahl al-Sunnah; his theology is one of the litmus tests of Orthodox
Islam.
! Wrote works on theology (Khalq Af,%l al-,Ib%d); his own !a"#" has multiple Books
proving theology of Ahl al-Sunnah. None of the Six Books has more theology
benefits than his also since he was challenged in theology he had to explain in
detail what he believed.

Out of all of the six authors of "ad#th, Im%m Bukh!r" is the most knowledgeable of both
theology and fiqh. Im%m Bukh!r" wrote books on aq#dah. He is therefore one of the
im%ms of ahll-sunnah wal-jam%ah. He becomes a litmus test. If you are truly Sunni, all
you need to do is see what Bukh!r" wrote. Bukh!r" had become one of the im%ms of
theology. He is upon true, orthodox Islam. He wrote a number of books on theology. In
his !a"#", he has the most quantity of theology than any of the other six books. One of
the reasons for this is that he was accused of being a heretic and had to defend himself
against the allegation.

The most famous book is: The Actions of Man are Created. He mentions Sunni theology
about qadar and about All!h creating the actions of men.

Hi s Fi qh

Al-Q!-i Ab# Yal! considers him from the Hanabalites; al-Subk" considers him from the
Sh!fites.

33

However, it is clear that he was from the Ahl al-(ad#th school.

When you look at his fiqh opinions it is clear that he is independent and the classical
school of ahll-"ad#th when it comes to fiqh. The modern ahll-"ad#th tries to parallel the
classical movement, but dont get confused between them. This methodology of fiqh
was its own school with its own people in it.

Bukh!r" was independent of the four madh%hib and had his own independent opinions.
Sometimes he agreed with one or another and sometimes he had his own opinion.
Bukh!r" is an independent mujtahid in fiqh.

Hi s Teachers

! He says that he narrates from more than 1080 scholars.
! Ibn $ajar categorizes them into 5 main categories. From them were the likes of:
! A(mad b. $anbal
! Ya(y! b. Ma"n
! Al" b. al-Mad"n"
! Is(!q b. Rahwayh

Bukh!r" studied with each and every "ad#th master of the previous generation and
became the most prized student of that "ad#th master. Many people studied with the
"ad#th masters, but Bukh!r" always became the star pupil. This is unique for Bukh!r" of
that generation. Bukh!r" studied with all intimately, and all of these scholars
considered him to be a main scholar. Bukh!r" said, You will never become a scholar
until you narrate from those who are above you, at your level, and those below you.
This means that you always benefit from people no matter who they are.

Hi s Students

! He narrated his !a"#" to over 90 000 students.
! From them were the likes of: Im%m Muslim, al-Tirmidh", al-Nasa,", Ab# $!tim, Ab#
Bakr b. Ab" al-Duny!

On one occasion, Bukh!r" narrated from his student al-Tirmidh" because he was from a
land that Bukh!r" never went to. The mark of a teacher is through his students. You
can tell how good a teacher is by looking at his students. Of the six books, Bukh!r" is
the number one, and then three of the authors of the six books are his students. 2/3 of
the kutubl-sitta revolve around the persona of Bukh!r". Im%m Muslim is his main
student. Al-Tirmidh" studied him with a long time and quotes Bukh!r" many times in
his Sunan. Im%m al-Nasa," studied with im%m Bukh!r" too. (Ab# D!w#d studied
primarily with Im%m A(mad. Ibn M!jah was from a different generation.)

34

The Schol ars Prai se of Hi m

! Ibn $ajar said: If we were to open the door [to recording] the words of praise for
him from those who came after his time, the pages would be exhausted It is an
ocean that has no boundaries.
! Im%m A(mad b. $anbal said, Khur!s!n has never produced anyone like Mu(ammad
b. Ism!"l [al-Bukh!r"]. He said this when Bukh!r" was barely 22 years old.
! Al-Bukh!r" said about himself that he never discounted himself in front of anyone
save his teacher Al" b. al-Mad"n". When this was told to Al" b. al-Mad"n", he stated,
Disregard his statement. Al-Bukh!r" never saw anyone who was similar to
himself.
! Im%m Muslim once came to al-Bukh!r" and kissed him between his eyes and said,
Allow me to kiss your feet, O teacher of teachers, master of the scholars of had#th,
and doctor of hidden defects in had#th. Of course he did not kiss his feet because it
is not allowed. This is the second greatest scholar of "ad#th talking about the first
greatest scholar and saying that he is not a peer but a shaykh. This is the testimony
of Im%m Muslim on Im%m Bukh!r", so what do you think of the people below Im%m
Muslim?

Hi s Wri ti ngs

His total writings come to approximately 21. Some of them were lost, some are still
preserved, and others were merged into his !a"#".

His books were so popular and famous. He wrote 21 books that we know of. Some of
them were lost and we dont have them in manuscript form. The ones we have are the
!a"#".

! Al-Adab al-Mufrad
! Khalq Af,%l al-,Ib%d
! Al-Tar#kh al-Kab#r; al-Aw'a*, al-Sagh#r
! Kit%b al-,Ilal
! Juz f# Raf al-Yadayn. He summarized narrations of the 'a"%bah raising their hands in
the 'al%h. He compiled 121 narrations that the 'a"%bah and tabi)n used to raise
their hands.
! Juz f# al-Qir%,ah khalf al-Im%m. This booklet shows that anyone behind the im%m has
to recite S)ratl-F%ti"ah whether in silent or loud prayer.
! Qa+%y% al-!a"%bah wa al-T%bi,#n. The Fiqh Rulings of the !a"%bah and T%bi,#n

Notice quite a few of his books deal with fiqh. He is not just a scholar of "ad#th but also a
scholar of fiqh.

Hi s Tri al s

Prestige and honor brings about jealousy and animosity. Scholars are humans and even
play politics with one another. Shay*%n may come to a scholar and make him think that
35

his criticism is rooted in Islam rather than ego. Im%m M!lik said, Never accept a
criticism of peers and contemporaries. Take from those who are neutral and not from
those with a vested interest. If one shaykh of one locality criticizes a shaykh of the same
locality, realize that there is a conflict of interest and the criticism brings about benefit.
We need to be more neutral and bring in people without an immediate interest at play.

Human nature is such that it is easy for Shay*%n to twist the niyyah.

1. His trial with Mu(ammad b. Ya(y! al-Dhuhal"

Bukh!r"s fame grew and he reached the status of a legendary scholar. He decided to
retire in Bukh!r!. He is given a heros welcome. The greatest shaykh of Bukh!r! who
had remained there for the last 20-30 years and developed a fan base was Mu(ammad b.
Ya(y! al-Dhuhal". He was an average scholar of "ad#th. He led the procession
welcoming Bukh!r" to the city. Slowly but surely this happiness faded away. We dont
criticize his intentions. We say that Shay*%n played with his intentions. Insh%All%h he
was sincere in what he did, but we dont take the criticism of contemporaries.

Al-Dhuhal" continued teaching in his mosque, but when Bukh!r" started a "alaqah, al-
Dhuhal"s attendance grew smaller. Al-Dhuhal"s main pupil was none other than Im%m
Muslim. Eventually im%m Muslim realized that Bukh!r" was far ahead of Dhuhal" and
started being with Bukh!r" full-time. This really hurt.

Perhaps, as we said, Shay*%n played with Dhuhal"s view of the world and insh%All%h he
was sincere. It reached him that Bukh!r" made an ambiguous statement in one of his
lectures involving the issue of the Qur!n being created or uncreated. It was a
politically charged controversy, which Im%m A(mad had settled. The Sunni position is
that the Qur!n is the uncreated Speech of All!h. The Qur!n is kal%mull%h and All!h
spoke it and Jibr"l heard it and told it to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).
Bukh!r" said, When I recite the Qur!n, my voice of the recitation is created. He was
saying we distinguish between the eternal kal%m of All!h and when the qari recites the
Qur!n. The lungs and air are all created. By the time it reached Dhuhal", he jumped on
it and said, Bukh!r" is preaching that the Qur!n is created, which is a deviation and
shirk and bidah and not allowed. He gave a fat%wa that it is "ar%m to study with
Bukh!r". This caused a huge controversy amongst the population because the
population is ignorant and doesnt understand the consequences. Who do they
believe? The local shaykh or Bukh!r" who came from abroad?

Im%m Muslim became so angry and got all of his binders and notes from studying with
al- Dhuhal" and sent them on the camel with a servant and said, Take your knowledge
back. I have no need of it! Im%m Muslim knew that Bukh!r" was not wrong in this
regard. The amazing thing is that im%m Bukh!r" himself in another book of his had a
"ad#th from al-Dhuhal" which he didnt have from anyone else. Despite all of the
animosity and anger, he had no problems narrating Dhuhal"s "ad#th in his own book. It
also shows that he distinguished between personal anger and Islamic anger. Just
36

because al-Dhuhal" stooped so low, it didnt make him a liar. It had nothing to do with
his knowledge of Islam. This is so rare to find.

If a scholar makes a mistake, it doesnt necessarily mean that the knowledge he has is
wrong. Bukh!r" could differentiate between the humanity and scholarship of Dhuhal".
This really hurt Bukh!r" that at the end of his life his reputation was being sullied by a
theological issue.

2. His trial with the governor of Bukh!r!.

Simultaneously, on the political front Bukh!r" was facing pressures. The governor in
those times is a king because these are provinces so far away from the Muslim capital,
and his son becomes governor after him and so on. The khal#fah cannot have direct
control in the ummah because there was no mass communication.

The governor welcomes Bukh!r" with open arms. He sends a request to Bukh!r":
Come to my palace to teach my sons your !a"#". Bukh!r" writes back, I have a
"alaqah in the masjid, and everyone is welcome to come, including your sons. The king
wrote back that he was not going to send his sons to the public masjid and told him to
come to the palace. Bukh!r" wrote back, This is the knowledge of All!h azza wa jall,
and everyone is welcome to come and attend. The governor writes back offering a
sum of money. Bukh!r" wrote, If I had been doing this for money, I wouldnt be where
I am now. The governor threatens Bukh!r" that he needs to give a private "alaqah or it
will be banned from the masjid. He wanted his children to have unique access to him,
which no one else had. Bukh!r" felt threatened and pressured and didnt want to
become exclusive to the governors children because it was against everything he had
been doing.

Rumors spread that the governor was going to expel Bukh!r" from his province because
he had refused the governors request. This is happening as the same time as al-
Dhuhal"s internal political religious conflict. Bukh!r" decided to leave Samarqand and
go somewhere else.

On the night of $d al-Fi*r on 256 AH, he packed his belongings and started walking out
with his close students. As he was walking out, he made du% to All!h:

O All!h, as vast as this earth is, it has become congested to me so I ask you to return
me to you.

His death: He died on the night of $d al-Fi*r, 256 A.H. May All!h have mercy upon him
and enter him into the highest and loftiest abodes of paradise. &m#n.

Bukh!r" knows what he is saying because in his own !a"#", he has a chapter on not
wishing for death unless there is a need to, and it may be done with this du%. He
applied the very "ad#th in this !a"#".

37

All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la) responded to his du%. Therefore, before he left Bukh!r!, he
passed away with his bags packed while exiting the city. His grave is in the city of
Bukh!r! to this day.

The irony is that even in his death, no one knows of his opponents. His name has now
become obscure, but Bukh!r"s legacy has lived on. No one knows of those who caused
him harm. All!h preserves the legacy of those who are sincere to His religion.

38

The !a"# "

It is called the !a"#" of al-Bukh!r" but this isnt what he called it. We have two versions
of its name, both of which are similar.

Its Name

! According to Ibn $ajar (d. 852 AH): al-J%mi, al-!a"#" al-Musnad min (ad#th Ras)lill%h wa
Sunanih wa Ayy%mih.
! According to Ibn al-.al!( (d. 606 AH): al-J%mi, al-Musnad al-!a"#h al-Mukhta'ar min
Um)r Ras)lill%h wa Sunanih wa Ayy%mih

We need to understand each word.
Al-Jami means compendium. Compendium means that it will cover all the topics of
Islam. Its not just fiqh or aq#dah or tafs#r because up until Bukh!r"s time, almost all of
the books written were specialized fiqh books and "ad#th on one particular issue.
Bukh!r" says his book will be comprehensive and cover each science.

Al-musnad means every "ad#th he puts in the book, he will tell who he got it from and
narrated it from all the way back to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). It will
have the isn%d.

!a"#" means every "ad#th in this book will be 'a"#". !a"#" is the highest level of "ad#th,
and there is a category below 'a"#" which is acceptable called "asan. Bukh!r" stays at
grade A only and doesnt go to grade B. According to Bukh!r", every "ad#th in his book
is 'a"#" and the highest grade of "ad#th.

Al-mukhtasar means abridged and concise. It means, I am not intending to compile all
of the 'a"#" "ad#th. This is just a selection and sample of "ad#th. A lot of people say
that if it isnt in Bukh!r" then it isnt authentic, but Bukh!r" himself is saying that this is
a selection and not comprehensive. There are thousands of a"ad#th outside of the !a"#"
that are authentic.

min Um)r Ras)lill%h wa Sunanih wa Ayy%mih: from the times of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam). It is also about what he did during his lifetime.

Reason for Its Compi l ati on

Where did Bukh!r" get the idea for writing his !a"#"? There are two stories narrated,
and both of them added to his idea of writing the !a"#".

! Al-Bukh!r" narrates that he saw a dream in which he was warding flies away from
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam); when he asked about its interpretation he
was told that this meant he would protect the Sunnah by getting rid of fabricated
traditions.

39

In this dream, he was standing in front of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and
warding away flies from him so that they would not irritate him. When he woke up the
next day, he asked what this meant, and he was told that he will purify the Sunnah of
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) from fabrications. Seeing the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and protecting him from flies gave the indication that he
will be protecting the Sunnah from fabricated a"ad#th.

Tangent: Dr. Muhsin Khan, the first translator of Bukh!r" and one of the first
translators of the Qur!n, has an interesting story. He was an Afghan and one of the
few Afghans educated in England in the 40s. He was from a rich, upper-class family. He
died in the late 90s. Shaykh Yasir met him when he was at a very old age in Mad"nah.
Dr. Muhsin Khan said that he was a very secular man like most educated Muslims of the
time. He specialized in medicine and became a surgeon and was well-known in his
field. He became an expert in surgery and medicine. King Abdul Aziz opened a
specialist hospital and invited doctors to come there. Dr. Muhsin Khan was lured by
the money and joined a hospital in *!if and was the chief surgeon. He was still liberal
and far from the d#n at this time. The University of Mad"nah opened in 1962 and had a
clinic to cater to the students. To be a doctor in Mad"nah, you need to be a Muslim.
The royal edict came out that all Muslim doctors would be transferred to Mad"nah. Dr.
Muhsin Khan was one of the few Muslim doctors and went. He saw a dream in which
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was sweating. It is a very long dream. Muhsin
Khan began to lick the sweat of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and swallow it.

He woke up confused about what this meant. He went to the rector of the university
Shaykh Bin B!z and said, Shaykh, I saw a dream and Im swallowing the sweat of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). Shaykh Bin B!z said, This means that you will
absorb the Sunnah of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and benefit mankind with
it. Muhsin Khan was shocked. This caused him to come back to the religion. He
realized that he was one of the few people in the world who spoke fluent English, and
he was surrounded by scholars in Mad"nah. He realized he could translate. He found a
Moroccan scholar who was one of the very few people who had combined between
pure Islamic training and Western PhD (from Germany) and spoke fluent German. The
two of them joined hands and began a series of translations beginning with the Qur!n,
al-Tabar" and Ibn Kath"r. Then they turned their attention to Bukh!r" and were the
first to translate Bukh!r" into English. Looking back at that translation, we have to say
that they were not the best, but they started the ball rolling. That was the first time
"ad#th was translated into English, which got the ball rolling. Now the entire 6 books
have been translated into the English language.

The last time Shaykh Yasir met Dr. Muhsin Khan, he was giving a lecture, and Shaykh
Yasir walked with him from the hotel to the parking lot. The shaykh was around 90
years old and walking so fast that Shaykh Yasir had to keep up with him. As soon as he
was getting into his car, he said, Shaykh, isnt it time to write a commentary on
Bukh!r" as well? He looked at Shaykh Yasir and poked him in the chest and said, That
is your job, my son.

40

Geniuses and activists like Dr. Muhsin Khan have a lot of ideas and may not have the
time to do them. You never know who will take the idea and run with it.

! He also narrates that in one class with his famous teacher Is(!q b. Rahwayh, his
teacher remarked that he would like to write a book of only authentic had#ths, so al-
Bukh!r" remarked, That thought entered my head.

One of the students in the audience was Bukh!r". This thought entered his head.
Combined with the previous dream, he made it his goal to write the first book of only
authentic a"ad#th.

Ti me of Compi l ati on

! Took total of sixteen years to write it; he compiled it primarily based from Basra,
where he lived for five years, performing (ajj every year. The main bulk of the
book was written in a five-year sojourn in Basra. When he lived in Makkah and
Mad"nah while going for (ajj, he absorbed more a"ad#th.

! Then he moved to Mad"nah and lived there for one year, finalizing the work. He
said, For every single had#th that I chose, I washed myself and prayed two rak,ahs of
istikh%rah, and was sure that it was authentic. This means that he prayed at least
10,000 rak,%t of istikh%rah.

! He chose it from over 600,000 traditions that he had compiled.

Condi ti ons of the !a"# "

! Highest caliber of narrators.

This requires knowledge of "ad#th sciences. Ibn $ajar characterized narrators into 12
levels. Bukh!r" uses a"ad#th with the top narrators. This is very difficult. Even im%m
Muslim chooses many narrators who are average and mediocre. Bukh!r" refused to go
down even one notch. For every generation, he has to find the greatest scholars, which
is why for a narrator to be mentioned in Bukh!r"s !a"#", it automatically implies he is
of the highest level of scholarship. At a basic level, students at the University of
Mad"nah in the first year of the "ad#th department are told to just make taql#d of
Bukh!r". Unless you are a scholar and think you are big enough to disagree with
Bukh!r", at a basic level you just make taql#d of Bukh!r".

! Each person in chain must have been a known student of the person above him
(only work to have this condition the rest accept biographical possibility). This is
known either through history, or through explicit statement of the narrator (this
excludes mu,an,an)

The standard positions of the scholars of "ad#th is that if two people are biologically
capable of meeting one another (their time eras overlap) and one says that so-and-so
41

said and it is realistic that the first person met the second person, we will assume that
they have met.

No one chronicled travels, so if a scholar from Basra is narrating from a scholar in
Yemen and there was a 15-20 year overlap, we say it is reasonable for them to have met.
This is good enough for all scholars of "ad#th. Bukh!r" said that we need to be sure and
have it be documented that every narrator physically met his teacher. This is an
almost impossible condition to meet, but Bukh!r" met it. Even im%m Muslim criticizes
this opinion as being too extremely strict. Bukh!r" lived up to it.

An example: Shaykh Yasir caught the era of Shaykh al-Alb!n", Shaykh Bin B!z, and
Shaykh Uthaym"n. He says that he heard al-Alb!n" say and Shaykh Bin B!z say and
Shaykh Uthaym"n say, and there is a sufficient overlap that they could have met. We
dont know if they met him. We would have to trust him. Bukh!r" said that until we
know for a fact that Shaykh Yasir met Shaykh Uthaym"n, only then we will accept what
he says. This is a condition that no other scholar ever proposed for any other book.
Even Bukh!r" for his other books did not reach this condition. Bukh!r"s conditions for
the !a"#" were a hundred times stricter than his conditions for his other books. It is the
only book ever to have been written with these conditions in mind. No other book of
"ad#th approaches this level.

Some Pecul i ari ti es

These are practical benefits when you read and understand Bukh!r":

! The fiqh of al-Bukh!r" is in his chapter headings.
This means that you need to ponder over the chapter headings and ponder what
Bukh!r" is saying. The chapter heading serves as an explanation of the "ad#th to follow
and serves as a tafs#r of the "ad#th to follow. None of the other six books has such
precision in the chapter headings. His chapter headings are typically very long and can
sometimes be paragraphs which are explanations.

! Al-Bukh!r" uses many traditions and statements of the Companions in his chapter
headings without any isn%d. These are called mu,allaq%t; sometimes he will have a
full isn%d elsewhere, and sometimes he wont.

In his chapter headings, he may quote statements of the 'a"%bah or a"ad#th of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) without the isn%d. These are a special category of
"ad#th called al-mu,allaq%t which means hanging or suspended. These a"ad#th dont have
the same criterion as the other a"ad#th and may be at a lesser level. It is incorrect to
say Bukh!r" narrated in his !a"#" and then mention a "ad#th that is in the chapter
headings because these are not of the same level. Rather, you say, Bukh!r" mentioned
in a chapter heading because the a"ad#th in the chapter headings are not to the level of
the a"ad#th in the chapter itself. Bukh!r" may feel the need to quote a "ad#th that
doesnt reach his standards, but he cant quote it in the text so does so in his chapter
headings. This is Grade B.
42

! Al-Bukh!r" never intended to compile all of the authentic traditions there would
be too many!

Just because a "ad#th is not in Bukh!r" does not mean it is not 'a"#". There are 'a"#"
a"ad#th in al-Tirmidh", Ab# D!w#d, and Im%m A(mads Musnad. The !a"#" is not
comprehensive; it is mukhtasar.

! The !a"#h was the first work of its kind in two ways. Firstly, it was the first work
ever written that intended to incorporate only authentic traditions. Secondly, it was
the first work that intended to give a summary of the entire message and academic
study of Islam.

The !a"#" was the first book ever written that intended to incorporate only 'a"#"
a"ad#th. No one before Bukh!r" wanted or could do this. After Bukh!r", some people
tried. The second most important attempt was by im%m Muslim for his !a"#". The third
and fourth are also famous books, but they didnt meet the criterion. They tried to do
!a"#" but had to go down, and those are the !a"#" of Ibn $ibb!n and the !a"#" of Ibn
Khuzaymah. They tried to do !a"#" but it was too difficult for them, and their
collections are not considered to be all 'a"#". It is only Bukh!r" and Muslim who
actually succeeded, and of the two, Muslim is clearly inferior to Bukh!r" when it comes
to authenticity. Even though they are all good a"ad#th, it is not as high a level. Muslim
will go down to grade B / B+ and Bukh!r" is all A.

It was the first work that intended to give a summary of the entire message and
academic study of Islam. The major book written before was the Muwa**a of Im%m
M!lik, which is primarily a book of fiqh and law. The later books are the Sunan which
are also books of law. Bukh!r" wanted to do everything Islamic, even advanced topics
such as usull-fiqh and the sciences of "ad#th. He wanted this to be a manual for the
scholars of Islam. Every science from tafs#r to history to aq#dah to fiqh to lughah is
attempted to be covered, which is his goal of making it completely comprehensive.
Bukh!r" wanted to have something to do with every single science of Islam. No one
before Bukh!r" tried to be as comprehensive as Bukh!r". Bukh!r" did an amazing thing
of being comprehensive and fully authentic. This is amazing! He remained grade A and
never went down to grade B.

Note: it is generally acknowledged that al-Bukh!r"s work is more authentic than that of
im%m Muslim, but im%m Muslims work is more user-friendly than that of im%m Bukh!r".
In other words, Bukh!r" is a genius and when at that level, it is difficult for the masses
to follow along. This is similar to Ibn Taymiyyah and ibn al-Qayyim. Ibn Taymiyyah is
head and shoulders ahead and was a polymath and genius, but Ibn al-Qayyim was more
popular with the masses.
We are not qualified to appreciate Bukh!r". Im%m Muslims work is far more user-
friendly, and you can look up a"ad#th and there is not much repetition. Bukh!r" is very
repetitive. The same "ad#th may be narrated ten times in ten different ways and with
ten different benefits, so you need to go and do your research. It is very difficult. His
43

chapter headings are very dense and sometimes you need a scholar to explain them.
Muslim is much easier to understand. Im%m Muslims book is more user-friendly, but
im%m Bukh!r"s book is more academic. This is generally acknowledged by all scholars
of "ad#th.

The thul%thiy%t: there are 20 or so thul%thiy%t of Bukh!r". They are those a"ad#th
narrated by only three people between Bukh!r" and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam). Bukh!r" is the only one of the six authors to have them. Bukh!r" died in 256
AH, so between him and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is 245 years, and there
are only three people between him and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). This is
amazing. Most of the thul%thiy%t are from the 'a"%b# Salamah b. Aqwa (d. 74 AH) who
narrated from his servant Yaz"d b. Ab" Ubayd (d. 145 AH) who narrated from the
teacher of Bukh!r" al-Makk" b. Ibr!h"m (d. 215 AH when he was 90). Bukh!r" was 20
when he studied with Makk" b. Ibr!h"m. His most common thul%thiy%t is him narrating
from Makk" b. Ibr!h"m who narrates from Yaz"d b. Ab" Ubayd who narrates from
Salamah b. Aqwa. Every one of these people lived 80-90 years, which is why they could
span an era of 250 years. There are booklets that compile the thul%thiy%t of Bukh!r".

The average number in the chain is 5. It is pretty common to him to have 4 (a few
hundred).

Number of Tradi ti ons and Books and Chapter Headi ngs

There are quite a few opinions because it is a matter of opinion whether to consider
some traditions as one or two; and there is also the problem of variant narrations of the
work.
! Most common printing has 7563 had#ths in 97 Books.
! Ibn $ajar says that without repetition, there are 2602 maw')l had#ths, and 159
mu,allaq%t, for a grand total of 2761.

It is not easy to count the number of a"ad#th in the !a"#". There are multiple versions
of the !a"#". How so? Realize that after the printing press, if a scholar wanted to
update a book, it was very easy. Right now it says Printing 1, Version 2. You know
when upgrades have been made. In Bukh!r"s time, when upgrades were made, a"ad#th
were moved around and it was always a book in progress. Bukh!r" narrated the !a"#"
to many different students (over 90,000 in his lifetime). Four or five became the
primary recipients. The last student to hear it was al-Farabr". All of the texts printed
are through al-Farabr" because he was the main student of Bukh!r" and the last student.

Also, sometimes it is difficult to determine if one "ad#th should be divided into two.
There is a ballpark figure and Ibn $ajar commented that there are 7,563 a"ad#th in
Bukh!r" in 97 books. (Note: Muhsin Khans translation uses a different edition but has
the same content.)

Ibn $ajar calculated that without repetition, there are 2602 unique, connected "ad#th
and 159 mu,allaq%t for a total of 2761 traditions without repetition. On average, Bukh!r"
44

repeated every "ad#th 3 times. Sometimes one "ad#th is only mentioned once and
sometimes one "ad#th is mentioned ten times. The general rule is that whenever
Bukh!r" repeats a "ad#th, it is with a different isn%d and a different wording. He hardly
ever repeats the same isn%d with the same wording. Bukh!r" repeats a "ad#th to derive
multiple benefits from it. This is a unique phenomenon. Muslim doesnt repeat "ad#th.
Bukh!r" wanted to derive multiple benefits from the same "ad#th.

An Overvi ew of the Books of the !a"# "

One of the goals of this class is that you feel like Bukh!r" is an accessible book to you
and you are not intimidated by Bukh!r". Reference it as an educated Muslim. You
wont derive your own fiqh, but you will benefit for your daily life and to be a better
Muslim.

When you are making wu+), you can open Bukh!r" and read a"ad#th and it will increase
your #m%n. If you are making a khu*bah on sincerity, you can look up a"ad#th in Bukh!r".
Bukh!r"s contribution was to have a long-lasting legacy for the ummah.

The Books Incl uded:
Revelation
Belief
Knowledge
Ablutions (Wu!u)
Bathing (Ghusl)
Menstrual Periods
Rubbing hands and feet with dust (Tayammum)
Prayers (!al"h)
Virtues of the Prayer Hall (Sutrah of the Mu!all")
Times of the Prayers
Call to Prayers (Adh!n)
Characteristics of Prayer
Friday Prayer
Fear Prayer
The Two Festivals (Eids)
Witr Prayer
Invoking All!h for Rain (Istisq!)
Eclipses
Prostration During Recital of Qur!n
Shortening the Prayers (Al-Taq!"r)
Prayer at Night (Tahajjud)
Actions while Praying
Funerals (Al-Jan!iz)
Obligatory Charity Tax (Zak!h)
Obligatory Charity Tax After Rama!"n (Zak!t al-Fi!r)
Pilgrimage (!ajj)
Minor Pilgrimage (Umrah)
Pilgrims Prevented from Completing the Pilgrimage
Penalty of Hunting while on Pilgrimage
45

Virtues of Mad!nah
Fasting
Praying at Night in Rama!"n (Taraw!")
Retiring to a Mosque for Remembrance of All!h (Itik!f)
Sales and Trade
Sales in which a Price is paid for Goods to be Delivered Later (Al-Salam)
Hiring
Transference of a Debt from One Person to Another (Al-!aw"lah)
Representation, Authorization, Business by Proxy
Agriculture
Distribution of Water
Loans, Payment of Loans, Freezing of Property, Bankruptcy
Lost Things Picked up by Someone (Luqa!ah)
Oppressions
Partnership
Mortgaging
Manumission of Slaves
Gifts
Witnesses
Peacemaking
Conditions
Wills and Testaments (Wa!"y")
Fighting for the Cause of All!h (Jih!d)
One-fifth of Booty to the Cause of All!h (Khumus)
Beginning of Creation
Prophets
Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (!allall"hu alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions
Companions of the Prophet
Merits of the Helpers in Mad!nah (An!"r)
Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (!allall"hu alayhi wa sallam) (Al-Magh!z")
Prophetic Commentary on the Qur!n (Tafs!r of the Prophet (!allall!hu alayhi wa sallam))
Virtues of the Qur!n
Wedlock, Marriage (Nik!")
Divorce
Supporting the Family
Food, Meals
Sacrifice on Occasion of Birth (Aq!qah)
Hunting, Slaughtering
Al-A!"# Festival Sacrifice (A!"#$)
Drinks
Patients
Medicine
Dress
Good Manners and Form (Al-!d"b)
Asking Permission
Invocations
To make the Heart Tender (Al-Riq!q)
Divine Will (Al-Qadar)
Oaths and Vows
Expiation for Unfulfilled Oaths
46

Laws of Inheritance (Al-Far!i")
Limits and Punishments set by All!h (!ud"d)
Punishment of Disbelievers at War with All!h and His Apostle
Blood Money (Al-Diy!t)
Dealing with Apostates
Saying Something under Compulsion (Ikr!h)
Tricks
Interpretation of Dreams
Afflictions and the End of the World
Judgments (A!k"m)
Wishes
Accepting Information Given by a Truthful Person
Holding Fast to the Qur!n and Sunnah
Oneness, Uniqueness of All!h (Taw!!d)

Revelation is where it all begins: the phenomenon of Jibr"l coming down. You have to
believe after Jibr"l comes down. Then you have to learn your religion: knowledge. Then
you have to do actions and pray, which begins with wu+), ghusl, tayammum and then
'al%h. This gives the template of *ah%rah before moving onto 'al%h, which all later books
followed. There are around 20 chapters on 'al%h. Then he moves onto zak%h. After
zak%h, we are used to the pillar of 'awm, but Bukh!r" mentions (ajj before 'awm. Why?
We will discuss this later on. Scholars will later come and revise the template. When
you go for (ajj, you usually do Umrah. On every pilgrimage, people generally go to
Mad"nah, so he has a chapter on going to Mad"nah. Then he moves to the next pillar of
fasting. He finishes all five of the ark%n and then begins the muamal%t (social
interactions). There are a long series of chapters which are advanced and you need to
have some background to benefit from them. You should ask about what these a"ad#th
mean before applying it.

Business and farming were the two main sources of income at the time. The a'l of a
mortgage is that when you give someone money, you can keep an item of his for safety,
and if he cannot pay you back, then you can sell that item. Mortgages are "al%l in the
classical sense of the term (the bank mortgage is different).

The chapter on gifts: some gifts are not gifts but tricks. If you tell someone that you
will lend them $10,000 if they gift you the car and then you will pay them back, then
this is interest and not a gift. Every single loan that benefits you financially is interest.
The chapter on witnesses: it is sunnah to have two witnesses. The chapter is on whom
you should choose.

This book is comprehensive and a useful primer.

He then begins a new section on history and s#rah. Then he moves onto personal, daily
fiqh. He had started with societal fiqh. He has a book on %d%b. These are the a"ad#th you
should read and dont need a scholar to interpret. Saying something under expulsion
was a common problem at the time. At that time, the khal#fah was forcing people to say
something of kufr, so what do you do? In the book of Tricks, he discusses fiqh opinions
47

he strongly disagrees with and thinks these people are trying to find a loophole. This
chapter shows Bukh!r"s mastery of fiqh. He understands who says what and explains
it. A controversial issue: most if not all of the opinions Bukh!r" criticized were of the
$anaf" madh-hab. He didnt like certain positions of the $anaf" madh-hab which he
thought were tricks. Almost all of the opinions he criticizes are of the $anaf" madh-hab.

He has a chapter on wishes, meaning: this is the first motivational self-help book ever
written by man. Bukh!r" is telling you what your aims and goals should be and how to
set them. He concludes with some theological chapters. He wants to leave with the
advice of holding onto the Qur!n and Sunnah. The last chapter is the Chapter on
Taw"#d, which summarizes everything. It is about aq#dah and theology. The chapter of
taw"#d is the last chapter because Bukh!r" wants to leave with the most important
thing.

Why are there six books? The six books is something that is arbitrary. For the real
scholar of "ad#th, there is no such thing as six books. The six books simply represent
the most common books studied by the ummah. The reason why the Musnad of Im%m
A(mad is not of the six books is because it is simply not user-friendly. It is not
arranged topically. It is arranged by isn%d, so all of the "ad#th of Ab# Hurayrah are
mentioned in one section. This is for the scholar. An average Muslim would not
benefit from it because it is not topical. Also, the latest printing of the Musnad of Im%m
A(mad is 50 volumes.

We will cover two different genres in this class:
1) Miscellaneous topics. Every module is completely different: theology, adab,
fiqh, s#rah, history.
2) For every module, the methodology of explaining is different as well, showing
how we can interpret in different ways.

48

Book 2: The Book of $ m%n

Why does the book of #m%n come after the book of revelation? After All!h reveals, the
first thing you have to do is believe in the book.

Chapter One: The Sayi ng of the Prophet, Isl am i s bui l t upon f i ve

And i t i s statements and acti ons, i t i ncreases and decreases.

Al l %h says, So that they may i ncrease # m%n wi th thei r # m%n [48: 4]; And We
i ncreased them i n gui dance [18: 13]; And Al l %h wi l l i ncrease the gui dance of
those who have gui dance [19: 76]; And those who are gui ded We shal l
i ncrease thei r gui dance and gi ve them thei r pi ety [47: 17] and so that We
may i ncrease the peopl e of # m%n i n thei r # m%n [48: 4]. And Hi s sayi ng, So who
amongst you has had hi s # m%n i ncreases? And as f or those who have # m%n, thei r
# m%n has i ncreased [9: 124]. And Hi s statement, so be scared of them! But
thei r # m%n went up 3: 173[]; and, but i t onl y i ncreased them i n # m%n and
submi ssi on [33: 22].

And l ovi ng f or Al l %h and hati ng f or Al l %h are a part of # m%n.

And , Umar b. , Abd al -, Az# z wrote to , Ad# b. , Ad# : Veri l y, # m%n has obl i gati ons
and bel i ef s and l i mi ts and recommendati ons. So whoever perf ects i t has
perf ected # m%n , and whoever has not perf ected i t has not perf ected # m%n . If I
l i ve, I shal l expl ai n i t to you so that you can act upon i t, and i f I di e, I am not
eager to accompany you.

And Ibr%h# m sai d, but rather, i n order that my heart f i nds tranqui l i ty.
[2: 260]

And Mu, %dh sai d, Come; l et us have # m%n f or an hour!

And Ibn Mas, )d sai d, Certai nty i s # m%n i n i ts enti rety.

And Ibn , Umar sai d, A servant shal l never reach the real i ty of taqw% unti l he
l eaves that whi ch causes hi m to f eel gui l ty i n hi s heart.

8. Ibn , Umar reported that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d,
Isl am i s bui l t on f i ve: the testi mony that there i s no dei ty worthy of worshi p
other than Al l %h, and Mu"ammad i s the Messenger of Al l %h; and establ i shi ng
the prayer; and gi vi ng chari ty; and the (aj j ; and f asti ng Rama+%n.

49

! Why does al-Bukh!r" begin with this Book?
! Must understand the historical context of this era
! Defines #m%n in accordance with Ahl al-Sunnah.
! Multiple evidences for increase and decrease of #m%n.
! Levels of #m%n; not everything is of the same level (athar of Umar).
! The phrase loving and hating is #m%n is a part of another had#th, reported in Ab#
D!w#d and al-Tirmidh", from Mu%!dh and from Ab# Dharr, but it didnt meet his
criterion so he didnt quote it as a had#th.
! The had#th shows what is most likely Im%m al-Bukh!r"s opinion: that all five pillars
are a part of Islam and #m%n.

During the time of Bukh!r", there was a lot of controversy over the reality of #m%n and
what it means to be a mumin and the difference between #m%n and Islam. In our times,
we have a beautiful building of Islam, and in those days Bukh!r" was constructing it.
What is #m%n and what is it composed of? Is it synonymous with faith. For ahll-sunnah,
#m%n is not synonymous with faith. $m%n is more than faith. Faith is just one part of
#m%n. Bukh!r" is writing in an era where people are defining #m%n in different ways.
Bukh!r" becomes an im%m of ahll-sunnah and a litmus test. His theology becomes
binding because later scholars agreed this is Sunni Islam.

For Sunni Islam, #m%n is belief in the heart, statements of the tongue, and actions of the
limbs. $m%n increases with good deeds and decreases with bad deeds. In Bukh!r"s
time, there were many opinions. One group said #m%n was only in the heart. Another
group said #m%n is synonymous with belief. This cannot be true because Ibl"s believes,
but he is not a believer. $m%n is more than belief. It is more than what is in the heart.
Bukh!r" is writing at a time when there is a lot of controversy and opinions. He defines
#m%n and this definition is the Sunni definition. It is statements and actions increasing
and decreasing. Bukh!r" proves that #m%n increases and decreases. He quotes
references from the Qur!n.

All%h says, So that they may increase #m%n with their #m%n [48:4]; And We increased them in
guidance [18:13]; And All%h will increase the guidance of those who have guidance [19:76];
And those who are guided We shall increase their guidance and give them their piety [47:17]
and so that We may increase the people of #m%n in their #m%n [48:4]. And His saying, So who
amongst you has had his #m%n increases? And as for those who have #m%n, their #m%n has
increased [9:124]. And His statement, so be scared of them! But their #m%n went up 3:173[];
and, but it only increased them in #m%n and submission [33:22].

These are evidences one after the other. All!h clearly says that #m%n goes up and down.
In S)ratl-Tawbah, the mun%fiq)n ask whose #m%n has gone up, and All!h says, As for the
believers, their #m%n increases [9:124].

50

He is writing at a time when there are groups denying this fact. There are still some
groups who say that the #m%n of all the believers is exactly the same, which is
ridiculous. Everybody knows that some #m%n is higher than others #m%n. Even your
#m%n goes up and down. Your #m%n in Rama+%n is different than the rest of the year.
Your #m%n when standing in front of the Kabah is not like when you are at work. Your
#m%n in a class is different from your #m%n at work or school.

Then he says, And loving for All!h and hating for All!h are a part of #m%n. This is a
"ad#th that he quotes without an isn%d. It didnt reach Bukh!r"s level of 'a"#" and is
"asan. Ab# D!w#d narrates this with an isn%d. For Bukh!r", it didnt meet his level, so
he doesnt narrate it as a "ad#th. It is incorrect to say Bukh!r" narrated the "ad#th
because he didnt narrate this one, but he wants to mention it so he puts it in the
chapter heading.

Notice that Bukh!r" quotes tabi)n and taba tabi)n a lot. Their opinion is important. It
is the position of ahll-sunnah that the 'a"%bah, tabi)n and taba tabi)n were great
people, and we take their opinions with great respect. We are not like the progressives
who say, Who cares what they say? They were men and we are men. The
methodology of ahll-sunnah wal-jam%ah is that we look to the first generations with a
lot of respect. If Umar said something it is a big deal, but not to the level of Qur!n and
Sunnah.

Umar b. Abdl-Az"z is the great grandson of Umar b. al-Kha))!b. Bukh!r" quotes Umar
b. Abdl-Az"z as an evidence. $m%n has obligations, and you have to do things like pray.
It has limits and you cannot cross the limits. Worshipping an idol is kufr and
disrespecting the mu'"af is kufr. He defines #m%n in a Sunni way. $m%n has beliefs and
actions you need to do. It has limits and if you go beyond it, you are not a Muslim. It
also has recommendations. Umar b. Abdl-Az"z died at a young age in his early 40s
shortly after writing this letter. He is being quoted for the issue of #m%n.

He then quotes other things to show other aspects of #m%n.

And Ibr!h"m (alayhil-sal%m) said, But rather so that my heart may find tranquility
[2:260]
The meaning here is that even Ibr!h"m (alayhil-sal%m) wanted to increase his #m%n by
seeing what All!h promised to be true by resurrecting the dead birds. Ibr!h"m says he
51

wants his heart to be at peace. Even the #m%n of Ibr!h"m can increase when he sees the
realities of what All!h has promised.

And Mu,%dh said, Come; let us have #m%n for an hour!
He would say this before teaching Islam. He wants to increase his #m%n by studying
Islam.

And Ibn Mas,)d said, Certainty is #m%n in its entirety.
Yaq#n is all of #m%n. If you have yaq#n in what All!h says, this is #m%n.

And Ibn ,Umar said, A servant shall never reach the reality of taqw% until he leaves that which
causes him to feel guilty in his heart.
This is the perfection of #m%n.

Bukh!r" is quoting earlier scholars and verses of the Qur!n to prove that #m%n is in the
heart, tongue, and limbs and #m%n increases and decreases.

Then he begins with the first "ad#th. Bukh!r" puts (ajj before Rama+%n, and here we get
the answer. He is being literal and faithful. The version that Bukh!r" thought is the
most authentic lists (ajj before Rama+%n. There are other authentic versions that
mention Rama+%n before (ajj. In Bukh!r"s opinion, this is the most authentic opinion,
so in his table of contents, Rama+%n comes after (ajj.

Bukh!r"s opinion is that all of these actions are a necessary part of #m%n and Islam.
Bukh!r" held a very strict opinion that the one who does not pray and the one who does
not give zak%h and the one who does not fast is not a Muslim. Many of us would think
he is a bad Muslim or not a practicing Muslim, but for Bukh!r" and Ibn Taymiyyah and
many scholars of Islam, Islam is not just theory but action and has to be followed up.
The bare minimum to be called a Muslim is the five pillars. After all, what is a rukn
except a necessary part of the whole? If you dont do a rukn, then it is not counted.
Bukh!r" is saying that Islam has five ark%n, and if you dont do them, then you are not a
Muslim (with exceptions of ni'%b for zak%h and being able to go for (ajj). The
requirement of being a Muslim is that you practice the bare minimum, which is the
ark%n. All of these are an essential requirement for being a Muslim.

52

Book 3: The Book of Knowl edge

Methodology of explanation: We will take one "ad#th and see where Bukh!r" repeats
the same "ad#th in order to understand why Bukh!r" is so repetitive. This "ad#th is
mentioned ten times.

Chapter 4: Regardi ng a schol ar of had# th sayi ng the words, "addathan%
akhbaran%, anba- an%.

This chapter deals with the sciences of "ad#th and the sayings of the scholar of "ad#th.
(addathan% means he narrated to us, akhbaran% means he informed us, anba-an%
means he said to us. They are all synonyms. Bukh!r" is saying that when a scholar of
"ad#th says, my shaykh said to me or my shaykh narrated to me or my shaykh
informed me, then it is all the same. In his time there were competing opinions and
im%m M!lik had the position that you have to use one of these words only. There were
opinions that he has to say I heard and not I narrated. Bukh!r" is saying that this is
not the case. As long as you know the student was with the shaykh, then it is obvious he
heard it and we dont have to be so literal. He brings evidences and then a "ad#th to
prove his point. He says his famous teacher used them all interchangeably.

And al -(umayd# sai d to us: "addathan%, and akhbaran%, and anba- an%, and
sami tu.
And Ibn Mas, )d sai d, The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) "addathan%
and he i s the one who tel l s the truth and the one who i s bel i eved

And Shaq# q sai d f rom Abdul l %h, I heard (sam, i tu) the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) say a word

And (udhayf ah sai d, The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) "addathan%
two had# ths.

And Ab) al -, &l i yah sai d, f rom Ibn , Abb%s, f rom the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi
wa sal l am), f rom what he narrated f rom hi s Lord

And Anas sai d, f rom the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am), narrati ng i t
f rom hi s Lord

And Ab) Hurayrah sai d, f rom the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) Thi s
i s what your Lord sai d

He is showing us that all of these can be used interchangeably and are all equally
legitimate. He is proving these are the words scholars can use from the Qur!n and
Sunnah, and he shows the 'a"%bah used these words.

53

61. Ibn , Umar sai d that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, There
i s a tree f rom amongst the trees whose l eaves never f al l , and i t i s a symbol of a
Musl i m, so tel l me ("addi th)n# ) what i s i t? The peopl e started guessi ng al l
types of trees f rom the desert, but i t came to my mi nd that i t was the date-pal m
tree, but I was too shy (to say i t).

Then they sai d, Tel l us what i t i s O Messenger of Al l %h!
He ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) repl i ed, It i s the date-pal m tree.

! This same had#th is mentioned ten times in the !a"#", every single time with a
different isn%d and sometimes with a slightly different wording!
! Of the benefits is that a teacher uses interesting methods to teach his students.
! Many similarities between a Muslim and the date-palm
! Blessings of Ibn %Umar (d. 74 AH).

1) This is the first of ten times Bukh!r" mentions this "ad#th. From it, the very first
time he derives an advanced technical benefit for scholars of "ad#th that "addathan%,
akhbaran%, anba-an%, and samitu are all the same. This is an advanced technical point
that these are all synonyms.

Every time he quotes this "ad#th, it has a different chain of narrators. He has 10
different isn%ds, and with each chain there are a different wording. (ad#th are not with
exact wording. In the book of knowledge, he mentions this "ad#th 4 times.

2) The second time he quotes this "ad#th is in the Book of Knowledge and the chapter is
titled The leader asking his followers questions to quiz what they have of knowledge.
The teacher has to quiz his students. He derives this from the "ad#th because the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) quizzes the companions and asked a question.
Bukh!r" derived from it that the leader is supposed to quiz his followers and the shaykh
is supposed to quiz his students. The leader needs to know the level of the people
around him to give him more and to take him to a higher level.

3) The third chapter heading is The Blessings of Understanding Knowledge. Not just
memorizing but understanding. He differentiates between memorizing and
understanding. Ibn Umar understood it was a date-palm tree but the other 'a"%bah did
not.

4) The fourth chapter is The book of the student being shy. This shows that if you
are shy, you are not sinful. This is derived because Ibn Umar was shy. It is not a sin to
be shy when seeking knowledge.

5) The fifth time is in the Book of Business Transactions and the chapter is titled
Buying and Eating the Inner Bark of the Date-Palm. In this version, he mentions that
while the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was nibbling on, there is an inner pith to
the date-palm tree which the Arabs would eat, and he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was
eating this inner bark while asking and quizzing them. He was literally eating the
54

answer. The "ad#th doesnt mention buying and selling. Another "ad#th: Whenever
All!h makes something "ar%m to eat, it is "ar%m to sell. The implication is that if it is
"al%l to eat, then it is "al%l to eat. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was eating
the inner pith of the date-palm tree, showing that it is also permissible to sell.

6) Then he moves to the Book of Tafs#r. There is a chapter B%b of S)rah Ibr!h"m. It
gives its fruit at all times Bukh!r" then quotes this "ad#th because he interpreted the
tree mentioned in S)rah Ibr!h"m to be the date-palm tree. This is Bukh!r"s
interpretation.

7) The seventh is in The Book of Food and he mentions on the eating of sap / inner
bark of the tree.

8) The eighth time is On the Blessings of the Date Tree. There is a chapter in Bukh!r"
on the barakah of the date. Where does this "ad#th mention the blessings of the date? It
is like a Muslim. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) compares it to a Muslim. If
you are comparing a tree to a Muslim, it means it is a beautiful tree. He derives the
date tree is a blessed tree because he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) compared it to a
believer. Dates are a blessed fruit and even scientifically nourish like no other tree
nourishes. Bukh!r" derives that it is a blessed tree because the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) compared it to a Muslim.

The ninth and tenth times are in Kit%bl-&d%b (the Book of Manners).
9) The ninth is Regarding the Fact that One should not be shy of the truth because one
will increase in knowledge by overcoming the shyness. This is very precise. He
mentions in Kit%bl-Ilm that being shy is not sinful. In this book, he mentions that you
are not going to go far if you are shy and you need to overcome your shyness. In this,
he mentions a different wording he did not mention before. This "ad#th does not
mention the inner sap, but in the other Book, he mentions the inner sap of the tree. In
the ninth version, Ibn Umar is telling this to his father Umar, and he tells him that he
knew the tree. Umar said, Why didnt you say it, O my son? He said, I was too shy.
Umar said, I would have given everything in the world if you had spoken up at that
time. Umar was proud of his son and wanted him to speak up. He is encouraging him
to overcome his shyness, so Bukh!r" derives that you have to overcome shyness to go
far.

10) In Kit%bl-&d%b is a chapter on how the youngster speaks after the elders. He
mentions another version he didnt mention before. Ibn Umar said, I was sitting with
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and in that gathering was Ab# Bakr and Umar.
He derives that because Ibn Umar was a kid and younger, he did good by trying to let
Ab# Bakr and Umar give their opinions. From this he derives that the youngster
should not speak before the elders.

There are ten different wordings, ten different benefits, and ten different chapter
headings. If you fully want to comprehend Bukh!r", you have to go "ad#th hunting in
his book and find every single time the book is referenced. The advanced student will
55

do this because he will then fully understand why Bukh!r" mentioned the same "ad#th
and what benefits are derived.

Also of the benefits we can derive from this are the similarities between the Muslim
and the date palm. He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, There is a tree like a Muslim.
Of the similarities is that the leaves never fall, so the Muslim is evergreen. The Muslim
is always productive, optimistic, alive and appears alive. The Muslim is a sign of
optimism and hope. The Muslim is beneficial wherever he is. Every bit of the Muslim is
beneficial: his speech, silence, presence, akhl%q, knowledge. Every single part of the
date palm is beneficial. The bark is used for paper, the trunk is used to build houses,
and the sap is eaten. Even the pit of the date seed is used to feed the camels and is
beneficial for the camels. When the date tree dies, even then it is beneficial because it
is used for the bark and to build houses. Each and every portion of the date and
everything that comes from the date is beneficial.

Ibn Umar was known for his righteousness, piety, and simple lifestyle. He was a shy
person in his life. When the civil war broke out, he cut out from it and lived
independently.

56

Book 18: The Book of Shorteni ng the Prayer

This module is about fiqh. There is an article on MuslimMatters on shortening the
prayer. A lot of people are confused on two separate issues: jam al-'al%h (combining
the 'al%h) and qa'r (shortening the 'al%h). There are times you are allowed to do qa'r
but not jam, and there are times you do jam without doing qa'r. The two are not
synonymous. When you combine, you combine .uhr and a'r and combine maghrib and
ish%.

Chapter 1: What has been narrated regardi ng shorteni ng the prayer, and how
l ong can he remai n shorteni ng

1080. Ibn , Abb%s narrated, The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
remai ned f or ni neteen days shorteni ng. So, i f we travel f or ni neteen days, we
shorten, and i f we travel more than that, we pray the f ul l prayer.

1081. Anas narrated, We l ef t Mad# nah f or Makkah wi th the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am), and he woul d pray two rak, ahs unti l we returned back to
Mad# nah. He was asked, Di d you remai n i n Makkah f or a peri od of ti me? He
sai d, We stayed there f or ten days.

Suppose you are traveling from Houston to Chicago on a business trip and will spend a
couple of weeks there. How long are you allowed to continue praying qa'r? How many
days?

Bukh!r" narrates Ibn Abb!ss "ad#th that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
remained for 19 days shortening. This happened in the incident of Tab#k. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) camped for 19 days and would pray 2 raka,%t. From this, Ibn
Abb!s said 19 days.

Bukh!r" also quotes Anas b. M!lik. For ten days, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
remained in Makkah and shortened the 'al%h.

Notice that in the chapter heading, Bukh!r" doesnt have an opinion that he tells us.

Chapter 4: What i s the (di stance) that one shortens i n?

And the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) cal l ed the di stance of a day and
ni ght a travel .

And Ibn , Umar and Ibn , Abb%s woul d both shorten, and break the f ast, f or a
di stance of f our bur)d, whi ch i s si xteen f arsakhs.

57

1086. Ibn , Umar narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d,
A woman shoul d not travel f or three days wi thout a ma"ram.

1088. Ab) Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
sai d, It i s not al l owed f or a woman who bel i eves i n Al l %h and the l ast day that
she travel s f or a di stance of a ni ght and day except wi th her ma"ram.

Here, Bukh!r" has a clear statement that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called
the distance of a day and night travel. Ibn Umar and Ibn Abb!s would both shorten
and break the fast for a distance of four bur)d. This is all in the chapter heading.
Bukh!r" tells us a very specific opinion. If you travel 16 farsakhs, then you are allowed
to make qa'r and break the fast. If it is less, then you cannot do this. He then quotes
evidences.

At the time of Bukh!r", there were a number of opinions. One of the is the opinion that
safar is the distance of three days and three nights. Bukh!r" quotes an evidence that is
used by the $anaf"s, which say three days and three nights. It is an authentic evidence.

Ibn ,Umar narrated that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, A woman should not
travel for three days without a ma"ram.

This is the main evidence of the $anaf" madh-hab. The evidence is that the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called travel three days journey. The $anaf"s say that
clearly, therefore, safar is three days. Bukh!r" then follows it up with another "ad#th
saying the distance of a night and day.

Ab) Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, It is not allowed for
a woman who believes in All%h and the last day that she travels for a distance of a night and day
except with her ma"ram.

It is as if he is telling the $anaf"s that if they are taking the "ad#th of Ibn Umar, then
why dont they take the "ad#th of Ab# Hurayrah. It doesnt contradict the first one
because once you have said that one day and night is traveling, then obviously two days
and three days would also be. By putting the "ad#th in this order, he is refuting the
other madh-hab.

Then he quotes a statement of a 'a"%b# that they considered safar to be four bur)d,
which is 16 farsakhs. Notice that from a "ad#th, we get a 'a"%b#s statement and then
from there he gives his opinion. He is being precise in this chapter heading. Contrast
this to the previous chapter heading where he is not precise.

He seems ambiguous and vague about how long you can remain a mus%fir. This shows
us that sometimes Bukh!r" did not tell us his opinion and shows that there is a
legitimate difference of opinion over these issues.

58

What did the scholars say about safar and the distance of safar and how long someone
can remain a mus%fir?

! Two issues al-Bukh!r" discusses: the length that one can remain shortening the
prayer, and the distance that constitutes travel.

The $anaf" madh-hab followed the opinion that is the distance of three days and nights
journey and they get around 77 km. The Sh!fi" and $anbal" and M!lik" madh%hib all
agreed the distance of safar is four bur)d. This is also Bukh!r"s opinion. A bur)d is the
plural of bar#d, which is the distance that a camel could travel non-stop at fast speed
without stopping. It is something people at that time would have some knowledge of.
It is the distance that an animal can travel at a good pace without stopping.

Bar#d in Arabic means mail because this is how the mail was sent. The mail would be
sent on the camel, and a person would take it to the next bar#d and transfer the bag and
himself rest and the animal rests, and the a new animal and a new rider takes it to the
next bar#d. Eventually they started calling the package bar#d. In classical Arabic, bar#d
was this distance they would travel.

What was their evidence? Sh!fi"s and M!lik"s and $anbal"s took the other report.

! Sometimes al-Bukh!r" gives a specific fiqh opinion, and sometimes he does not
appear to hold a specific opinion, and leaves it to the reader.
! al-Bukh!r" has a specific opinion about the distance of travel one days journey,
which he specifies as being 4 bur)d = 16 farsakh
! What is the distance of one-days travel

- Al-Bukh!r" mentions bur)d (plural of bar#d) and far%sikh (plural of
farsakh).
- How does one define and measure these distances?
- 1 farsakh = 3 m#l, or 10,500 dhir%, or 18,000 dhir%

! What is the correct opinion with regards to the distance of travel issues?

1. First opinion: One days distance. Al-Bukh!r" and al-Awz!".

2. Second opinion: Two days distance. This is the famous opinion of the $anbal"s,
Sh!fi%"s and M!lik"s

3. Third opinion: Three days distance. This is the standard position of the $anaf"
school of law.

4. Fourth opinion: There is no specific distance. Opinion of Ibn $azm (d. 456/1064)
(although he placed a minimum of one mile), Ibn Qud!mah (d. 610/1213), Ibn
Taymiyyah (d. 728/1327), Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 756/1355), al-.an%!n" (d. 1182/1768),
al-Shawk!n" (d. 1250/1834)
59

How long is a bar#d? The majority of scholars said one bar#d is four farsakhs, which is a
unit of measurement. Bukh!r" is talking in measurements and units his people would
understand. Farsakh is what the Persians called league. What is a league? Some
medieval textbooks defined a farsakh as being 3 m#l, which is something we find in
ancient dictionaries. If one farsakh is 3 miles and one bar#d is 4 farsakhs, then 4 bur)d is
48 miles.

[Some scholars of early Islam said one farsakh = 3 m#l. Bukh!r" defined one bar#d as
being 4 farsakhs. From the 'a"%bah, we find the term bar#d, which is an Arab term.]

The Arabic m#l and the modern mile are not the same thing. A mile is 5,280 feet. A foot
is 12 inches. The British Parliament had a session where they defined a mile to be 5,280
feet. This is unscientific for us to then plug and chug because we dont know how much
a mile was for them. The word mile comes from the Romans word m#l which means
thousand, and it was a thousand footsteps of a Roman soldier. (Two steps is considered
to be 1 step). This was called a mile, and because the Romans had such a powerful
civilization, their units were trickled down to others. The Hashimite mile was shorter
than the Roman mile because the Arabs didnt have as large of a footstep as the
Romans. The Arab Hashimite mile was different. There are at least ten different miles
which exist until today.

In 1593, the British Parliament standardized the units, which hitherto had been
completely undefined. This then leads us to the whole point: how can we define that
which could not have been defined? If you look at the classical bar#d and farsakh, these
are not precise. One animal may travel further than another animal.

The a"ad#th mentioning these units have nothing to do with defining a safar. These
a"ad#th are merely talking about a woman traveling without a ma"ram. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is not defining safar for us; therefore, to read in these types
of measurements doesnt make sense because the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
isnt intending to give us units of measurements. Therefore, the whole enterprise of
having a specific number to constitute safar does not have evidence in the Qur!n and
Sunnah. This is the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn $azm and others who said: safar is a
journey that one understands without resorting to having to resort to miles and
distances and feet and leagues. It is a journey that you culturally understand to be a
journey. You dont need to ask if you are a mus%fir. You will pack your bags and take
care of your house. You will arrange for a safar.

This is the position of Ibn Taymiyyah that it has nothing to do with distance and
everything to do with your cultural frame of mind because:
1. The a"ad#th have nothing to do with defining a distance of safar.
2. All of these measurements are vague and no one knows how much a bar#d was at
that time. These are all modern units that we are reading into older texts.
3. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and the 'a"%bah didnt have signposts
along the road, so for us to pretend a certain number makes you a traveler is
60

nonsensical when they didnt have units of measurement. A mus%fir can travel
a short distance but will still be a mus%fir.

Ibn Taymiyyah gave an example of someone going to hunt outside his village for two or
three days. Even though the distance is 20 miles, he is clearly a mus%fir because he will
live there for two or three days while hunting and then go back home. Similarly, we
can travel by plane for an hour for a meeting and come back in the same day. For Ibn
Taymiyyah, this would not be a safar. A safar, therefore, is a journey everyone
understands by cultural reference and frame of mind. It is not a hard and fast number.
This is the position that Shaykh Yasir follows.

If you want to follow the classical position, it would make no sense to use a bar#d in
terms of camel distance but would make sense to use a bar#d in terms of car distance.
You are still in Houston after traveling 48 miles. From one masjid to another masjid may
be 48 miles.

Clearly, the notion of 48 miles doesnt make any sense. This shows us that sometimes
our books of fiqh really are culturally relative. All of the four madh%hib have a number.
From the perspective of those scholars, the fuqah% wanted numbers and to make things
precise for the people. Ibn Taymiyyah points out that this makes things difficult for the
people and is illogical. The bottom line is that all of these units of measurement are
culturally relative and have no basis in the Qur!n and Sunnah; therefore, there is no
need to act on them in our times.

The second issue Bukh!r" mentions is how long you remain a mus%fir. Suppose you go
for a weekend or a week or two weeks. There are 20 opinions on this issue. Bukh!r" has
mentioned two of them: 10 days and 19 days. The $anaf" position is that you remain a
mus%fir if you are there for 14 days, and if you stay for 15 days then you stop being a
mus%fir. If someone goes to Chicago for up to two weeks, then he is a mus%fir. If he
stays for 15 days, then he is not a mus%fir. Their evidence is that they make qiy%s upon
the menstruating woman and say that the maximum a menstruating woman has her
menses is two weeks. The maximum she will avoid 'al%h is two weeks, so the maximum
a mus%fir can shorten 'al%h is two weeks. This is stretching it and there is nothing
explicit in Qur!n and Sunnah about this.

The M!lik"s, $anbal"s, and Sh!fi"s say four days (with minor differences on when it
begins and ends). If you are going to remain for four days or less the $anbal"s say 20
'al%w%t or less and the Sh!fi"s ignore the day of arrival and leaving and only count the
idle days then you need to pray in full. Their evidence is that they say the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) remained in Makkah for 19 'al%w%t praying qa'r. From this
they derived that had he remained for 20 'alaw%t he would pray full. This is very weak
and contradicted by Bukh!r"s a"ad#th here.

From all of this, we see the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) did not give us a precise
number for how many days one counts as a mus%fir. Ibn Taymiyyah was a free thinker,
and he wanted to be more in the spirit of Islam. If the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
61

sallam) had said a "ad#th, then end of story, but he didnt. The evidences suggest at
times 19 days and at times 10 days. It is authentically reported that Ibn Umar prayed
qa'r for 6 months when he was at the border of Azerbaijan. The majority may say that
he was in a battle and didnt know when he would leave, but he continued to pray qa'r.

Ibn Taymiyyah said that you know you are a mus%fir and when you are not. You know
from your own daily routine. Ibn Taymiyyah says that you dont need to go to an alim
to know that he is a traveler or not. All he needs to ask is what can a mus%fir do.

Ibn Taymiyyah did not agree with any numbers, and for him it was a state of mind and
a frame of reference and culturally relative. This is the grey area which the madh-hab
people didnt like. Two people may undertake the same journey and one may think it is
travel and another will say that it is not safar. Ibn Taymiyyah would allow this
ambiguity and said to use your conscience. There are telltale signs of not being a
mus%fir: buying a house, putting your kids in school, getting a car. There are grey areas
such as if it is only a month.

Qa'r and jam are not the same things. Jam is combining. A lot of people take this too
lax. Jam is sunnah to do when you are physically traveling between point A and point B.
Once you get to point B, it is sunnah to do qa'r but not jam. When you start your
journey back, it is sunnah to do qa'r and jam. We differentiate between actual travel
and arriving at a temporary destination in which you should pray every prayer at its
proper time. If a mus%fir were to do jam at that time, it is j%iz, but it goes against the
Sunnah. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) never did jam in Makkah when he
came from Mad"nah, and he only did qa'r. On the way back, he would then do jam and
qa'r. When you get to your destination, it is Sunnah to stop doing jam and to continue
doing qa'r. If someone does jam, it is not sinful because they are mus%fir, but it goes
against the sunnah.

62

Book 59: The Book of the Begi nni ng of the Creati on

This is a chapter of history.

3191. , Imr%n b. al -(u'ayn narrated, I entered upon the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) and my camel had been ti ed at the door. A group came f rom
the tri be of Ban) Tam# m, and the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d to
them, Accept the gl ad ti di ngs O Ban) Tam# m!
They sai d, You have gi ven us gl ad ti di ngs, so gi ve us (somethi ng)! and they
repeated thi s.
Then, a group came f rom the peopl e of Yemen, and the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, O peopl e of Yemen, accept the gl ad ti di ngs, as the
Ban) Tam# m di d not accept i t!
They sai d, We accept i t, O Messenger of Al l %h! And we have come to you to ask
about thi s creati on.

So the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, Al l %h was there, and there
was nothi ng other than Hi m (i n a l ater versi on: and there was nothi ng bef ore
Hi m), and Hi s Throne was over the water. And He wrote i n the Dhi kr
everythi ng. And He created the heavens and earth
At that poi nt, someone cri ed out (to me), O Ibn al -(u'ayn! Your camel has
gone! So I rushed out, and saw i t runni ng away i n the f ar di stance. By Al l %h,
how I wi sh that I had l ef t i t! !

People are coming to accept Islam and give the oath of allegiance. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is saying, Mabr)k! All!hs blessings on you. The people of
Ban" Tam"m said, You gave us good news, so give us some money. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) remained silent. In a while, another group came from
Yemen, and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, O people of Yemen! Accept
the good news because the people of Tam"m did not accept it! The people of Yemen
were intelligent, and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) praised the people of
Yemen that $m%n is Yemeni and wisdom is Yemenite. The people of Yemen have a
blessing and superiority in this regard. We generally find the people of Yemen to be
humble, friendly, and sincere people.

The people of Yemen accepted it and said, We have come to ask about this existence
and how it came about. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, There was All!h
and there was nothing other than All!h. In a later version: And there was nothing
before All!h. And His Throne was above the water, and He wrote the dhikr in
everything and He created the heavens and the earth. Then someone called out that
the camel of Ibn al-$u'ayn had left. He ran behind it, and he did not hear the rest of
the "ad#th, and we too have been deprived of the rest of the "ad#th. This shows us the
humanity of the 'a"%bah. It shows us the authenticity of "ad#th.

63

sai d, Af ter Al l %h f i ni shed creati ng the creati on, He wrote i n Hi s Book and i t
i s wi th Hi m above the Throne that: My Mercy shal l prevai l over My Wrath.

! The silence of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) shows his manners.
! Natural curiosity of asking about this world.
! Two versions of the tradition. Ibn Taymiyyah prefers the version reported in a later
chapter over this one he allows for the perpetuity of creation.
! The response of %Imr!n when he heard his camel had fled; his later regret. Lesson:
Think long term!

In this chapter, Bukh!r" brings together stories of the beginning of creation. In the first
tradition, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) gave the glad tidings of Islam and
Paradise to the Ban# Tam"m who did not understand, so in his wisdom and perfection
of manners, he remained silent. When the people of Yemen came, they showed their
superiority of the Tam"m"s. They came to ask about this world, showing their curiosity.

The people of Yemen say, We have come to you to ask about the beginning of
creation. There are two versions of this "ad#th, and they have a deep, profound
theological difference. One version said there was nothing along with All!h. The
other version says there was nothing before All!h.

There is a famous controversy between Ibn Taymiyyah and our theological cousins. It
involves an interesting matter. Are there other creations besides us? Did All!h create
other creations besides us? Are we the only creation of All!h?

Another group, which is not ahll-sunnah, had a position about All!h which Ibn
Taymiyyah strongly disagreed with, which was that All!h did nothing for all of eternity
and had no actions until He created this creation and we are the only creation, and
after us there will be no other creation.

Ibn Taymiyyah strongly disagreed with this and said, Of the perfection of All!hs
Divine Nature is that All!h has been creating for all of eternity. The Name Al-Kh%liq
means that All!h has always been creating. Before us there were other creations and
after us there will be other creations. It is arrogant for man to presume that he is the
only creation of All!h. (Note: This is the Judeo-Christian view).

Ibn Taymiyyahs point was that it is a sign of All!hs perfection to create multiple
creations, and there is no evidence to suggest that we are the only creation. In fact,
there are evidences to suggest otherwise. When Ibn Taymiyyah said this, his
opponents accused him of saying that the world is eternal, meaning it hasnt been
created. This is the position of the philosophers, Aristotle and Ibn S"na. They claimed
that the world is uncreated, which is kufr to say. Modern physicists say that matter can
neither be created nor destroyed. For us, All!h created matter and can destroy matter.

64

They said matter is eternal. Ahll-sunnah said this is kufr. Ibn Taymiyyah said that All!h
has been creating forever. Ibn Taymiyyah never argued that matter is eternal, but he
said All!h has been perpetually creating and will continue to create.

His opponents jumped on one wording of the "ad#th: and there was nothing other than
Him. They said that this clearly says there was All!h and nothing along with All!h.
Ibn Taymiyyah said that there are other versions in Bukh!r" in which the word is not
other but rather before. There was nothing before All!h. That changes the
whole equation. Ibn Taymiyyah also said: read the "ad#th. The "ad#th itself refutes
their interpretation. The water and the Throne are mentioned, showing that clearly
there was something with All!h. The "ad#th suggests that there are other creations of
All!h besides this creation, and Ibn Taymiyyah said this "ad#th means when All!h
created our universe there was nothing of this universe and then All!h created it.
When He created it, there was the water and the Throne. There are other evidences as
well.

Ibn Taymiyyahs position does make a lot of sense, and there are indirect evidences
indicating there may be other creations other than ours. Of them is the verse where
All!h says, All!h has scattered creatures in the heavens and earth, and if All!h wanted
to, He could cause them to meet. This is an indirect reference. Another indirect
reference was during isr% wal-mir%j when the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) rode
the bur%kh (the mule that puts its foot where the eyes see). The bur%kh reared upwards
as animals do when ridden by a stranger. Jibr"l smacked it and said, Have you no
shame? No one has ridden you better than this rider. It could be other humans or
other beings who have ridded al-bur%kh.

Another evidence suggesting something of this nature, which is the most explicit
evidence in the Qur!n and makes it clear that there are other creations, is that All!h
(sub"%nahu wa ta%la) says, We have honored Ban" &dam, and We have carried them in
the land and the waters. We have preferred them over many others that We have
created. There may possibly been other beings who have been preferred over us.
All!h doesnt say that He preferred us over everyone but that He has preferred us over
many. This means that there may be beings that even All!h has preferred over us in
what He has granted them. We know from this creation that the righteous are higher
than the jinn and the angels because All!h told the angels to bow down to &dam. Yet,
All!h says, I have made you better than most of the other creations.

What is Islams response to other life forms? All%hu alam. We have no problem
affirming other life firms before, after, or along with us. All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la)
says, There are seven heavens one on top of another. Ibn %Abb!s said, In every one
of these heavens is an earth like your own, and if I were to tell you more, you would
become k%fir. Your minds couldnt bear this. All!h clearly says, I have created seven
heavens and a similar number of earths (wa min al-ar+i mithlahunna). We can say that
the explanation of this is that there are other species and creatures.

65

Ibn Taymiyyah believed that it is more logical and more appropriate that All!h has
always been creating and He shall always continue to create and this world is just our
world, and we will have our own qiy%mah. It makes more sense and gives more power
to All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la).

Article: by Jon Hoover: Ibn Taymiyya's Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism. Islamic Philosophy,
Theology and Science: Texts and Studies

Q&A
The Sh!fi" madh-hab has said women may travel with two conditions. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) did not allow women traveling on their own for their safety
and protection. The first condition is that she is traveling with a group and others, for
example in a (ajj group. It is a safe means. The second reason is that there is a
legitimate Islamic reason for the safar. For example, she is traveling for the sake of
knowledge or to visit her parents. If she is traveling for sightseeing alone, then the
Sh!fi"s would not allow it. When sisters are taking a journey that is Islamic in nature of
visiting family or seeking knowledge and take adequate precautions (i.e. the airplane
and train are safe environments or in a car with other sisters in the daytime). Our
Shar#ah wants to protect our women. If these two conditions are met, then insh%All%h
it is permissible.

66

Book 60: The Book of the Stori es of the Prophets

Chapter One: The Creati on of &dam and Hi s Progeny

3326. Ab) Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
sai d, Al l %h created &dam, and he was si xty cubi ts tal l . And He sai d to hi m, Go
and say sal %m to those angel s, and l i sten to thei r response (f or i t wi l l be) your
greeti ng and the greeti ng of your progeny. So he sai d to them: al -sal %m
, al aykum, and they responded, Wa , al aykum al -sal %m wa ra"matul l %h , and
they added, wa ra"matul l %h. So, everyone who wi l l enter Paradi se wi l l be i n
the f orm of &dam, and the creati on has conti nued to di mi ni sh (i n si ze) unti l
now.

3334. Anas narrated f rom the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am), Al l %h wi l l
say to the one who i s bei ng puni shed l east i n the Fi re of Hel l : If you had
everythi ng on earth to ransom yoursel f of f , woul d you do i t?
He wi l l repl y: Yes!
So Al l %h wi l l say, But I asked you somethi ng much easi er than thi s, even whi l e
you were i n the l oi ns of &dam: that you not commi t shi rk wi th me, but you
ref used (even thi s) and i nsi sted on shi rk.

! All!h created &dam in a larger frame than us.
! Blessings of the sal%m it is even how the angels great one another!
! Were the older generations of man larger in size than ours?
! How desperate the people of the Hell-fire will be.
! Wisdom of harsh punishment.
! There was a type of creation and consciousness before the bodies came down to this
earth.

Dhir%% is a hand span. All!h created &dam and he was 60 dhir%% tall. An average
human is 4-5 dhir%%.

These are two a"ad#th in this chapter on The Creation of &dam and His Progeny. This
"ad#th shows something controversial and which boggles the mind, which is the story
of &dam being 60 cubits tall. All!h created &dam in a larger frame than us. The phrase
in the "ad#th is: creation has continued to diminish (in size) until now. There is no
denying that sometimes we come across problematic a"ad#th. It is not wise to shy away
from controversy because when you dont prepare them for controversy, the mind will
wonder how it is possible.

This is one of those "ad#th that the progressive movement of Islam, which rejects
a"ad#th, use to say that "ad#th cannot be accurate because we know that we have not
been shrinking since the beginning of time. Even Ibn $ajar, the most famous
commentator of Bukh!r", rejected this "ad#th because it goes against scientific evidence.
67

Ibn $ajar says, This "ad#th seems to contradict what we know of the previous
civilizations having been the same size as us because we know their settlements. (The
sizes are the same). This seems to contradict from what we know from previous
cultures and historical remnants, and I dont know as of writing these lines how to
reconcile this "ad#th with what we know of modern science. He does not say the "ad#th
is not authentic but that he doesnt know. If he had difficulty with it, then we have a
million times more. Everything seems to suggest that the earliest humans were of the
same size of us. There is plenty of evidence that the earliest men were all roughly our
size and in fact shorter than us. The earliest human beings we have records of go back
20-25,000 years and their bones are our size and their drawings are at our level and
size.

A cave was discovered in France that was untouched for 20,000 years. It was just
discovered and they have found remnants of humans and painting and drawings.
These are the earliest paintings of people. They even left handprints. The
commentator put his hand on top and it showed it was the same size.

From modern science, nothing suggests that once upon a time humans were giants. It
is a problem. If Ibn $ajar had a problem with it, we have an even bigger problem of
how to resolve it.

There are two primary methodologies:
1. Reject the "ad#th and say it is not authentic. The problem is that this opens up a
Pandoras box and a conundrum that cant be solved. If you dont like this
"ad#th because of something you dont understand, someone else will reject
another "ad#th because they dont understand. Therefore, the science of "ad#th
would be based on what we like and dont like which is not academic and
scientific. This is the methodology of munkarl-"ad#th, the Qur%niy)n and the
progressives and modernists in America. The problem is that the same a"ad#th
and isn%ds tell us to pray five times a day and how to give zak%h and perform
(ajj. This is not a scientific, academic way of rejecting.

2. Try to interpret the "ad#th and provide some way out. Some say, We believe
the first humans were giants and All!h continued to shrink them but hid their
bones from us until they reached our size, and then He allowed us to find the
bones of those our size. Is that impossible? No. Shaykh Yasir doesnt
personally find himself inclined towards this interpretation.

&dam (alayhil-sal%m) was created 60 cubits in length, but when he came down to earth,
then All!h shrunk him to earths size. All!h created him 60 cubits, and when he came
down to earth, then &dam came down in our size and his progeny is of our size. Shaykh
Yasir finds this easier to accept, but the other problem is in the last phrase and the
khalq has continued to diminish. It is problematic unless we interpret this
metaphorically as not in stature but in qadar.

68

Doubt ourselves before doubting the Qur!n and Sunnah. Doubt our limitations before
doubting the sayings of All!h and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). All%hu alam,
there is no watertight, foolproof interpretation, but we believe firmly that the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said this. We dont know how to understand this "ad#th in
the light of modern science, so we say that All!h knows best and we affirm whatever
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said.

We also learn a number of things about the creation of &dam. Of them is the blessings
of sal%m. All!h taught &dam how to speak and communicate. All!h taught &dam
speech and because of this, all mankind learned how to speak. All languages go back to
that one main language. If All!h had not taught &dam speech, mankind would be
grunting and groaning like animals. All!h has taught mankind the roots of all sciences.
All!h taught Idr"s how to write, and if All!h had not taught Idr"s how to write, then we
would never have figured out how to take the sounds coming out of mouths and put
them on paper. All!h taught N#( how to build a ship, and if He had not, we would not
have learned about transportation. All!h taught N#( how to bend metal and make it
malleable, and if He had not, we wouldnt have known how to extract ore and metal.
All!h has made things so easy for us, and of the things He taught us is language and
communication, including etiquettes and sal%m.

and listen to their response (for it will be) your greeting and the greeting of your progeny
The greeting of al-sal%m alaykum is as old as &dam himself. All monotheistic religions
have this greeting. The Jews say shalom, and the Christians say pax obiscum meaning
peace be unto you. The meanings of sal%m have been preserved, and we are the only
ummah who still live up to it.

In this "ad#th, we also learn about the wisdom of harsh punishment. Why does a Just
God punish somebody for eternity for a sinful life that is only 50 years long? The
response to this is that this "ad#th gives us a little wisdom of why this does make sense.
What was required of us was so trivial, yet we refused to do it in the face of so much
evidence and opportunity. Those who do it deserve an extra harsh punishment.

Imagine your elderly mother asks you for a glass of water from the kitchen. It is so
trivial, and you are refusing; this pettiness and hardness of heart cannot be excused
away. All!h is saying, You are willing to give up this whole world now, but when you
had it, I just asked for one thing: acknowledge Me and worship Me. But you refused to
do this and persisted and insisted to worship other than Me.

Also, the creation of &dam is mentioned in other a"ad#th some in Bukh!r" and some in
al-Tirmidh". Tirmidh" has a big section on the creation of &dam. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) mentions that &dam was fashioned from clay and was left
there for a period of time forty. Ibl"s wanted to see this creation he knew that All!h
would prefer over him, which was before the r)" was in &dam. Ibl"s went to this
creation and went in and out of &dam and discovered that &dam has cavities in his
body and veins and stomachs. Ibl"s said, I can surely conquer a species that I can go in
and out of. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Shay*%n runs in you like
69

your blood vessels. When a jinn takes over a person, he resides in a cavity of the body
like the stomach or head.

We also know that there was a time when &dam didnt have the r)" in him. In another
"ad#th, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was asked by a 'a"%b#, When did All!h
decree you were to be a prophet? The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, When
&dam was still in between the r)" and the *#n. Before the two met, All!h had already
declared he would be a prophet. There was a period of time when his lifeless body was
there and his r)" was not there. Then All!h blew his r)" into &dam from the nose. It
entered the nose and into his head. When something tickles your nose, you sneeze.
&dam sneezed, and the fi*rah kicked in, and he said, Al"amdulill%h. The very first
words ever uttered by any human being. The very first words that All!h said to &dam
were, Yar"amakum All%h, ya &dam.

The r)" continued to go into the body of &dam until it reached his stomach and hands.
Before it gets to his feet, &dam tries to get up, but he cant because the feet dont have
the r)" in it. All!h says, Man is always hasty, impatient. How true is that, wall%hi. We
want it right now and cannot even wait.

When the r)" entered in and &dam stood up, this is when All!h said to &dam what is in
the Bukh!r" "ad#th. The previous is from Tirmidh". When &dam stood up, All!h told
him to go say sal%m to the angels and that this would be his greeting and the greeting of
those after him.

This "ad#th also talks about the fi*rah. I asked you something much easier than this
even while you were in the loins of &dam. This means that there was a type of
creation and consciousness before our bodies came to the earth. This creation and
consciousness has been mentioned in the Qur!n and Sunnah. When All!h created
&dam and blew the r)" into him, from &dam All!h extracted the arw%" of every single
human being. This is a type of creation before our creation and a type of consciousness
before our physical beings. All!h asked us in our r)" state, Am I not your Lord? The
response was, Yes, you are our Lord. All!h created within our arw%" something called
the fi*rah. The fi*rah is referenced in the Qur!n and Sunnah and is a type of innate
knowledge. It tells us things without having been taught it. We know things because of
the fi*rah such as: al"amdulill%h, alastu birabbikum. We know from the fi*rah that All!h is
One and is Perfect and worthy of being worshipped. We know from the fi*rah that
idolatry is false. We know from the fi*rah that good is good and evil is evil. Every single
person knows that evil is evil. Nobody thinks that murder is good or that stealing is
good. Everyone knows that being honorable and virtuous is good. Everyone knows
that being good to your parents is good.

Where did mankind agree upon what we call ethics and morality? Modern theologians
call this the moral argument for the existence of God the fact that there is morality.
When we see a person starving on the side of the road, why do we give him food?
When we see an elderly person, why should we take care of them if it is survival of the
fittest? It is the fi*rah kicking in. Our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Every
70

child is born upon the fi*rah, and his parents make him a Jew or a Christian. The fi*rah
and Islam are compatible and fit each other perfectly. The fi*rah does not contradict
Islam but is fulfilled in Islam, whereas it is not in other religions. We firmly believe that
a person of any other faith will never find ultimate happiness in his or her religion
because it goes against the fi*rah and there will always be doubts regarding the
truthfulness of their religion. The Muslim is confident that the Qur!n is true. The
fi*rah is in harmony with the religion of Islam.

71

Book 62: The Book of the Bl essi ngs of the Compani ons

Chapter 1: Regardi ng the Bl essi ngs of the Compani ons of the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) and anyone who accompani ed the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) or saw hi m as a Musl i m i s hi s Compani on

3649. Ab) Sa, # d al -Khudr# reported that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) sai d, A ti me wi l l come upon the peopl e, and a group of them wi l l go
f orth i n an expedi ti on and they wi l l ask, Is there any amongst you who
accompani ed the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)? They wi l l say, Yes ,
and vi ctory wi l l be gi ven to them. Then there shal l come a ti me when a group of
peopl e wi l l go f orth i n an expedi ti on and they wi l l ask, Is there any amongst
you who accompani ed anyone who accompani ed the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi
wa sal l am)? They wi l l say, Yes , and vi ctory wi l l be gi ven to them. Then, there
shal l come a ti me when a group of peopl e wi l l go f orth i n an expedi ti on and
they wi l l ask, Is there any amongst you who accompani ed anyone who
accompani ed someone who accompani ed the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am)? They wi l l say, Yes , and vi ctory wi l l be gi ven to them.

3650. , Imr%n b. al -(u'ayn sai d, I heard the Prophet say, The best of my
Ummah i s my generati on, then the generati on that f ol l ows them, then the
generati on that f ol l ows them. And I do not remember i f he menti oned two or
three generati ons af ter hi s. Then, af ter them shal l be a generati on who shal l
testi f y, but thei r testi mony i s not asked! And they wi l l betray thei r trusts and
not be trusted. And they wi l l promi se but not f ul f i l l (those promi ses). And
obesi ty wi l l spread amongst them.

! Definition of a Companion taken from the language.

Bukh!r" has defined a 'a"%b# in the chapter heading. In the time of Bukh!r", there was a
lot of ikhtil%f on who a 'a"%b# is. The Sh"a had their own definition. Bukh!r" defines it,
and it is his definition with a modification or two that is the standard definition. Sa"iba
means to accompany. The bare minimum of accompanying someone is being with
them or seeing them. Bukh!r" says, Anyone who accompanied the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) as a Muslim is his 'a"%b#. This is the definition of a 'a"%b#. Whoever
saw the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) as a Muslim. The scholars who are
academic add in a wakeful state. Seeing him in a dream does not make you a 'a"%b#.

In these a"ad#th, we learn the definition of a 'a"%b#. Everyone who saw the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) in a state of wakefulness is called a 'a"%b#.

! Key hallmark of Sunni Islam main defining feature.
Respect for the 'a"%bah is a key hallmark of Sunni Islam. Once upon a time, Sunnism
was one movement. Other groups did not respect the 'a"%bah. Sunni theology had one
72

understanding. After 300 AH, splits happened within Sunni Islam, starting with the
Names and Attributes of All!h, qadar, and methodological movements. In our times,
Sunni Islam has over 70 groups, and they disagree about everything from taw"#d and
shirk to sunnah and bidah. The one thing all Sunni groups agree about is respect for the
'a"%bah. This is really amazing. Sunni groups will accuse other Sunni groups of shirk,
and some of those accusations are true.

Anybody who makes du% to a saint or invokes a wal# or who worships a grave has
committed shirk. The groups that do this call themselves ahll-sunnah wal-jam%ah, and I
am also using the same term. There are groups within Sunni Islam who have disagreed
about All!h and His Messenger. They say the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is
made out of light. Even about All!h and His Messenger we disagree, but we agree about
the status of the 'a"%bah.

! Many evidences regarding the status of the Companions, from the Qur!n and
Sunnah. Can you think of some evidences?

All!h says in over 11 verses: ra+yAll%hu anhum wa ra+) anh. All!h is pleased with
them, and they are pleased with All!h. This clearly shows they are a generation All!h
is pleased with.

Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat lil-n%s. (You are the best ummah that has ever been
called out for mankind.) No doubt, by extension we also come in, but when this verse
came down, the recipients were primarily the 'a"%bah.

There are a"ad#th like the one mentioned here. The best of my Ummah is my
generation, then the generation that follows them, then the generation that follows
them.

For ahll-sunnah, we respect the 'a"%bah and then tabi)n and then taba tabi)n, which
means we try our best to be faithful to them and their teachings. We respect their
opinions more than we do others, but it doesnt mean we take it to the level of the
Qur!n and Sunnah.

! What is a qarn? Either a generation or a century.

The best generation is my generation.
What is a qarn?
1) A generation of people (fathers, sons, grandsons).
2) A century (100 years)
There is an element of truth to both interpretations. Historically, when we look at the
past, we find that the 'a"%bah, tabi)n and taba tabi)n did what no other generation did.
In the first 300 years, Islam did what it did not do after.

On average, scholars have said a generation is 40 years. Roughly, go back 40 years from
now and you will find that your parents were in a similar frame of time and vitality that
73

we are in now, so this does make sense. The difference between three generations and
three centuries means 120 years versus 300 years.

It is amazing that these a"ad#th predicted the expansion of the ummah in the first 3
generations. The first "ad#th says that if there is a 'a"%bah he will be successful, and if
there is a tabi# he will be successful, and if there is a taba tabi#, then they will be
successful, and then full stop. Roughly 140 years from the time of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), which means 150 AH. If you look at the expansions of
Islam, the borders of what are now Muslim lands were pretty much decided by 150 AH.
Islam began in Mad"nah and by the time the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) died, it
was only in what is now Saudi Arabia. Ab# Bakr just consolidated it. Umar
incorporated Khur!s!n and Damascus and Sh!m. Uthm!n expanded to Afghanistan
and Egypt and Algeria. The Umayyads took it to Morocco and all the way to China.
Then it fizzled out. The amazing spread over 150 years fizzles out. To this day, the
borders of Muslim lands are, by and large, those converted in the first three
generations, including Egypt and Pakistan. Where Islam spread in those three
generations is where it remained. This is a prediction of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam).

This also shows us that having righteous people brings about victory. Having a person
of righteousness in a community, All!h will bless you.

! Is every single Companion better than every single Successor?

Realize that 100,000 people attended the final (ajj. The bulk of these people were
complete bedouins and saw the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) from a distance.
Think of the greatest tabi)n like al-$asan al-Ba'ri and Qat!dah. Does the unknown
bedouin have a higher status than Bukh!r" or A(mad b. $anbal? This is a theological
question.

Scholars have differed. The majority opinion is that every 'a"%b# is unconditionally
better than every tabi#. Other scholars, Ibn Abdul-Barr and others, said that some
tabi)n are better than some 'a"%bah whose names we dont even know. In Shaykh
Yasirs opinion, Ibn Abdul-Barrs opinion makes sense with one addition: status is
relative and a person can be higher in one perspective and not another.

Every 'a"%b# has a blessing that no one else has, which is to see the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam). It is possible the tabi)n have done more academically and zuhd-wise
and may have a higher place than those 'a"%bah because of those other factors. The
'a"%bah are better in the respect that they saw the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).

You cannot compare the blessings of seeing the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam),
and in that perspective, every 'a"%b# is better than every tabi#.

! Prediction regarding the expansion of the Ummah in the first three generations.
! Evils shall spread after these three generations.
74

People will not be trusted. They will promise a lot. The quality of Islam will diminish
after these three generations. Look at Sunni Islam in particular. For the first 300 years,
Sunni Islam was one, and the first split within Sunni Islam was in 320 AH. For the first
time, two different groups claimed to be Sunni and had different opinions among
themselves, and this split exists until today.

Islam reached its political power in the first 300 years. The khil%fah was one. The
Umayyads and early %Abb!sids were one caliphate. It was only in the middle of the
%Abb!sid caliphate that the Umayyads resurrected its fame and the Fatimids began in
Egypt. There was a period of time we had three khal#fas on earth: Cairo (Fatimids),
Baghdad (%Abb!sids), and Andalus (Umayyads). Weve never had one khal#fah ruling the
whole world since that time. For the first three centuries, there was one ummah
politically and theologically. If you werent a Sunni, then you were off the path. Every
other group rejected the 'a"%bah and the "ad#th. It was only after 300 that even within
Sunni Islam splits began. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was predicting things
that are passing in our times.

! Obesity?

Being obese is a sign of loving this world a bit too much. There is no question that a
society of obese people will not make the best defenders of Islam. They are not the best
followers of our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) in any respect. When you are
enjoying this duny% so much and not thinking of the %khirah, this is a problem. The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is criticizing obesity as a whole.

When the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said this "ad#th, the 'a"%bah were
starving to death and could not imagine a time when the whole country would be
obese. For us, obesity is a way of life. Americans in particular are the most obese
nation on earth, and most of our health problems come from obesity. We have a multi-
billion dollar industry on how to lose weight. We pay people money to figure out how
to lose weight.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said obesity would spread. There is a ludicrous
amount of people in America who are obese, and it is difficult not to be obese because
the duny% has opened its doors for us, and the foods offered are rich in every type of
unhealthy product; therefore, the Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) words ring true.
He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said this at a time and place when no one could ever
predict it. It is now hard to imagine a society that is not obese. Obesity in and of itself
is not "ar%m or sinful, but it is definitely not encouraged or musta"ab. It is at least
makr)h, and for a society, it is a sign of weakness of #m%n and of being lazy, gluttonous
and away from the %khirah and immersed in this duny%.

Bukh!r" then goes over the blessings of individual 'a"%b#. He does it in an order, which
is Sunni Islam: Ab# Bakr, Umar, Uthm!n, Al". Then he covered the ten promised
Jannah. Then finally he gets to the next chapter on Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d and it only has
one "ad#th in it.
75

Chapter 25: The Bl essi ngs of Kh%l i d b. al -Wal # d

3757. Anas narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) tol d them of
the deaths of Zayd, and Ja, f ar, and Ibn Raw%"ah bef ore the news reached them,
and sai d, Zayd took the f l ag, but was ki l l ed, and then Ja, f ar took i t, but was
ki l l ed, and then Ibn Raw%"ah took i t, but was ki l l ed and hi s eyes were
cryi ng, unti l a sword f rom the swords of Al l %h took i t, and Al l %h gave them
vi ctory.

! What Battle did this occur in? Lets look it up

What is this cryptic reference? When did this battle occur? Who is Zayd and Jafar and
Ibn Raw!(ah? Who is the sword from the swords of All!h? We need to look up
where the same "ad#th is found in other chapters to find more information.

This "ad#th is very cryptic. One of the first things you need to do is look up the same
"ad#th in other chapters in Bukh!r" and see what else you can find out about the "ad#th.
If you dont have the version of Bukh!r" which lists cross-references, you use your
intelligence to determine which book this will be mentioned in.

76

Book 64: The Book of Magh%z#

Magh%z# is the name of s#rah in the classical time. Magh%z# means expeditions. They
used to call s#rah because most of s#rah dealt with expeditions.

Chapter 44: The Expedi ti on of Mu- tah to the l and of Syri a

4260. Ibn , Umar narrated, I stood over (the body) of Ja, f ar, af ter he had been
ki l l ed, and counted over f i f ty wounds, between stabs and bl ows, not a si ngl e one
of them was i n hi s back.

4261. Ibn , Umar reported, Duri ng the expedi ti on of Mu- tah, the Prophet
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) appoi nted Zayd b. (%ri thah as i ts l eader, and
sai d, In case Zayd i s ki l l ed, then Ja, f ar, and i n case Ja, f ar i s ki l l ed, then
Abdul l %h b. Raw%"ah. And I parti ci pated as wel l i n that expedi ti on, and
(af terwards) we l ooked f or Ja, f ar, and (f i nal l y) f ound hi s body amongst the
dead. And we f ound on hi s body over ni nety stabs and wounds.

4262. [Same as 3757]

4263. & i shah narrated, When the (news) of the death of Ibn (%ri thah, and
Ja, f ar b. Ab# /%l i b, and Abd)l l %h b. Raw%"ah, came, the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) sat down, and gri ef was cl earl y vi si bl e f rom hi m. And I was
l ooki ng at hi m f rom one corner of the door (i . e. , f rom her house i nto the
masj i d), and a man came to hi m and sai d, O Messenger of Al l %h! The women of
Ja, f ar and he menti oned thei r cryi ng. The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) tol d hi m to order them to desi st. The man came and returned, and sai d,
I prohi bi ted them but menti oned that they di dn t l i sten to hi m. So he
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) commanded hi m agai n, unti l the man returned
and sai d, By Al l %h! The women have overpowered us! The Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, Then throw dust i n thei r mouths.

& i shah sai d (to the messenger), May Al l %h throw dust on your nose! For, by
Al l %h, you won t do thi s, and nei ther di d you l eave thi s pai n f rom the Prophet
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am).

4264. , Ami r narrated that whenever Ibn , Umar woul d greet the son of Ja, f ar, he
woul d say, al -sal %m , al ayka, O son of the one wi th two wi ngs!

4265. Kh%l i d b. al -Wal # d narrated, On the Day of Mu- tah, ni ne swords broke i n
my hands, and I onl y had l ef t a Yemeni shi el d.

There are so many a"ad#th about the battle of Mutah and now understand the
reference to Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d a little more. The details will not be found only in
Bukh!r" in Muslim, but we have to look up in s#rah.
77

! Miracle pertaining to the Battle of Mu,tah.
This was the only battle in the lifetime of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) where
the Muslims fought with non-Arab forces. They fought against the Roman soldiers.
This was the precedent the 'a"%bah needed to conquer the other lands after they
conquered Arabia. There was never a question in the minds of the 'a"%bah that they
needed to go beyond Arabia, and this was the precedent they needed.

! What are the details of this Battle? Name some facts that you know about this
Battle.
! The bravery and blessings of Ja%far b. Ab" *!lib.

The battle of Mutah took place in the latter part of the 7
th
/early part of the 8
th
year of
the hijrah. The Arab tribe of the Ghass!nids were Christian and lived north in the
region of Tab#k near Syria. They were the only Arab tribe who were Christians. The
Ghass!nids did a number of things to warrant an expedition to be sent against them.
The Ghass!nids were a large tribe, so the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sent 3,000.
(In the Battle of U(ud, there were 1,000).

When the Ghass!nids heard 3,000 were marching, they panicked. They had an alliance
with the Roman Emperor and were the Romans proxy to the Arabs. They sent a
messenger to the emperor to send their troops to help them. The Romans sent a troop
of Roman infantry and cavalry into the Arabian peninsula to fight the 'a"%bah. Never
before had the 'a"%bah faced non-Muslim armies. The tactics of the Arabs were familiar
to them, but the Romans had different tactics.

When the 'a"%bah reached the land of the Ghass!nids and discovered that the Romans
had come, they began discussing what they should do because the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) told them to fight the Ghass!nids but they had found the Romans.

Abdull!h b. Raw!(ah said, By All!h, Im not going to go back like a coward, and the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) didnt put any condition. He said this knowing
that it was a superior force and larger and better-armed Roman cavalry. The books of
s#rah mention a large number of Romans, and even if it was 4-5,000 Romans, there
would be the same quantity if not more of the Ghass!nids and there were 3,000
Muslims. They were facing an army with larger numbers who were better armed and
had better tactics.

Abdull!h b. Raw!(ah became a shah#d and Jafar and Zayd became shah#ds. All three of
these people are very close to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and of the elite of
the 'a"%bah. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) appointed Zayd b. $!rithah to be
in charge of the army.

In a nutshell: Zayd is the adopted son of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). When
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) married Khad"jah, she gifted him this young
child Zayd. He was from one of the lower class tribes of the Arabs and had been
78

illegally captured and sold into slavery. Eventually he was bought and purchased and
bought and purchased until Khad"jahs brother purchased him for her. This was her
marriage gift to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) treated him like a son. He didnt technically free him, but the treatment he
gave Zayd was loving and kind. Zayd grew up in the house of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) and when the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was in his late
thirties and Zayd was a young man in his 20s, Zayds father and uncle found out where
he had gone.

Zayds father and uncle traveled from their village in Yemen with all the money they
had to Makkah and found the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). They approached
him and said, Ya Mu(ammad [he was not a ras)l at this time], your slave is in fact our
son, and he was captured and sold into slavery. We have come to you so that you will
be generous and sell him back to us. This is all the money we have. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) felt the love of a father for a son with Zayd and then found
out that Zayd is not a legal slave.

He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was silent for a while and said, Zayd is free to do what
he pleases, and I dont need your money. He called Zayd and asked him if he knew this
people. Zayd had some memories. His family said, O Zayd, we have finally found you!
Come back with us! Your master is letting you go. Zayd looked at the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and he confirmed. Zayd said to his father, My father, I will
never leave this man for any reason. His father said, You will choose slavery over
coming to your people? Humiliation over izzah? Bondage over being free? He said,
This man has shown me so much love and tenderness that I will never substitute it for
anything else. I will stay with him. This was the manners of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) before Islam.

When the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) saw Zayd choose him over his own
father, he went in front of the Kabah and lifted Zayds hand and said, O people! Zayd
is no longer my slave, but he is my son! This was allowed in j%hiliyyah. Adopted sons
were treated like real sons before Islam. He did this in front of the people so that
Zayds father would understand that Zayd was a member of the Quraysh and would not
worry that his son was a slave. Zayd became known as Zayd b. Mu(ammad.

Ibn %Abb!s says, Wall%hi, we never knew Zayd except as Ibn Mu(ammad until All!h
revealed S)ratl-A"z%b and All!h said, Call them by their fathers and that is better in the
Eyes of All!h. Thats when I discovered he was not the son of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam). Zayd was the closest of all people to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) and even closer than Ab# Bakr. A 'a"%bah remarked after the death of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), Had Zayd been alive, no one would have chosen
Ab# Bakr over him.

Zayd has the one honor that no other human being has had, which is that he is the only
person All!h mentioned by name in the Qur!n of the 'a"%bah. No other 'a"%b# is
mentioned by name in the Qur!n other than Zayd b. $!rithah. Zayd is mentioned in
79

%yah 37 of S)ratl-A"z%b: falamma qa+% Zayd Even Ab# Bakr came a very distant
second when All!h mentioned him by direct pronoun but not name. All!h recognizes
Ab# Bakr by calling him the 'a"%b# of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). Zayd is
the only one mentioned by name in the Qur!n, and no other companion is referenced
by direct pronoun.

In the battle of Mutah, Zayd died and Jafar died. Jafar is the elder brother of Al". The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and Jafar grew up together in the house of Ab#
*!lib. When the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sent the delegation to Abyssinia,
he appointed Jafar to go. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) invited him back in
the 7
th
year of the hijrah, and this battle took place a month or two later.

Abdull!h b. Raw!(ah was also a major 'a"%b#. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
was so grieved by the loss of Zayd, he had to physically sit down. &ishah said he sat
down out of grief and the tears came down his face. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) told them on the very day it happened that all three had died, which is a miracle
because it was days journey before the message would reach.

Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d had just accepted Islam one month before the battle. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had not assigned him a role in leadership because he needed
to be tested. When the three had died, one of them said that Kh!lid should be the
leader because he was the best person for the role. He reluctantly took the leadership.

This was a certain death for the 'a"%bah because it was a large battle. His genius came
about in saving the 'a"%bah. The Battle of Mutah was not a political victory, but it was
a victory in that the 'a"%bah managed to retreat with minimal losses. The tactic he
employed was genius. He sent a group of the 'a"%bah to come from another area facing
Mad"nah at a prearranged time and kick up the dust in the sand. The impression that
was given was that there was a large contingent coming. In the confusion, the Romans
and Ghass!nids withdrew to think about what was to be done, and in that time the
'a"%bah withdrew and went back to Mad"nah.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called it a victory because the 'a"%bah got out
of the jaws of death.

! This title even mentioned by early non-Muslim historians (such as Theophanes d.
818 (~150 years after the battle) in his Chronicle).

This is one of the earliest chronicles of the Roman Empire. He wrote that: During the
reign of Heraclius, the Romans fought a contingent of the Arabs under their false
prophet (astaghfirull%h) and it was alleged that we killed his son. We were about to be
victorious until the one they called the sword of God took over and saved the rest of
the Arabs. Sub"%nAll%h, the title All!h gave him had reached the Roman ears. Even
the Roman chroniclers knew there was a person called the sword of life.

80

! The life of Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d is an amazing one, full of lessons for us.

A lecture on YouTube by Shaykh Yasir has many details about his life. In a nutshell:
His father is al-Wal"d b. al-Mugh"rah who was one of the leaders of the Ban# Makhz#m.
One of the most famous people of the Ban# Makhz#m was Ab# Jahl. Al-Wal"d b. al-
Mugh"rah was the leader of the Ban# Makhz#m and senior most leader. He was the
equivalent of Ab# *!lib for the Ban# H!shim. All!h revealed many verses in the Qur!n
about al-Wal"d b. al-Mugh"rah in S)ratl-Muddaththir and other references.

Kh!lid was born the son of a chieftain. Because his father was the chieftain, the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was very eager to guide him. Kh!lid was in the
middle of those who converted and those who stooped too low like Uqbah. He was
honorable at times and other times he would do things he shouldnt do. When he
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was talking to al-Wal"d and he was so close to accept Islam, a
staff was heard clicking away, and a blind man came and rushed forward asking a
question. Al-Wal"d said, Do you want me to follow you when you have these people
behind you? He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was so upset, that he abasa watawall%.
The Qur!n came down. As for the one who thought himself all that, what difference
does it make to you if he doesnt purify himself? All!h azza wa jall told us about al-
Wal"d in the Qur!n.

Al-Wal"d died before the battle of Badr. His eldest son fought in the battle of Badr and
was captured as a prisoner of war. The family of al-Wal"d negotiated a ransom, and the
ransom was the largest ransom ever for a prisoner in that battle. Our Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) didnt give a flat rate for the prisoners of war but looked at
the financial status of every prisoner and gave a number based on that. Because al-
Wal"ds family was the chieftain family, his son had the price of 4,000 d#n%rs. The family
sent the money with Kh!lid. Kh!lid was growing up being trained in the arts of war by
his father. Kh!lid went to Mad"nah to hand over the 4,000 d#n%rs.

He sees for the first time the life of the Muslims and the respect and the sincerity.
When he gave the money, they walked outside the city and camped outside the city.
The next morning, his brother had disappeared because he had gone back to convert to
Islam and join the Muslims. He did this after the ransom was paid so that the Muslims
would get the money.

In the battle of U(ud, Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d rose to prominence in that he was assigned
second lieutenantship. The leader in charge of the army was Ab# Sufy!n. Ikr"mah b.
Ab" Jahl and Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d were the second lieutenants. Kh!lid shone in the battle
of U(ud and inflicted a wound upon the Muslims and upon the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam). When the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was inflicted with this
wound and rubbed the blood from his face, he said, How can All!h forgive a people
who have done this to their prophet? All!h said, This is not yours to decide who is
punished and who is forgiven. Whether All!h punishes them or forgives them is not for
you to decide. The very one who inflicted the wound on the Muslims was Kh!lid b. al-
Wal"d, and he later repented.
81

In the Battle of the Trench, Kh!lid was one of the only people to come over to the side
of the Muslims and cross the trench.

Kh!lid began flirting with the idea of Islam. All!h knows when. His closest friend was
Ikrimah b. Ab" Jahl. They were both sons of chieftains and of the Ban# Makhz#m. They
were childhood friends. One day he confessed to Ikrimah that, What is so wrong with
the message of this man? Ikrimah panicked and rushed to the elders of Makkah and
said that Kh!lid was thinking of converting. A meeting was called and Kh!lid was
harshly rebuked and he pretended to give in. In the middle of the night, Kh!lid packed
his bags and jumped on his horse and made his way to Mad"nah. He had decided to
leave the people of Makkah.

There was only one road to Mad"nah. Along the way, he met two people who had the
same thing in mind: converting to Islam secretly. This was the last batch to convert
before the conquest of Makkah. It was Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d, Amr b. al-&' and Uthm!n b.
*al(ah. Through this, All!h sealed their status because All!h says, The ones who
convert before the conquest are higher than those who convert after. By making
these three the last three people, All!h wanted to raise their status. Within a month,
the Battle of Mutah occurred. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sent him as an
infantryman, but circumstances dictated that he become the leader instantaneously.

This was the plan of All!h that he would start a career. There is no question that All!h
chose him to conquer the world for us. The greatest victory of Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d was in
the Battle of Yarm#k. It was as if All!h was preparing Kh!lid to face the Romans again
in Yarm#k. A leader needs to have passion to drive you through. The Battle of Yarm#k
was a decisive battle in the time of Abu Bakr and Umar and All!h opened up the Roman
Empire and 1/4
th
of the Roman Empire entered into Muslim lands. The jewels of the
Roman Empire, Damascus (the right-hand of the Roman Empire) and Alexandria (the
intellectual capital of the Roman Empire), came into Muslim lands.

A rumor began that the army didnt want to find unless Kh!lid was present. A
superstition developed around Kh!lid, so Umar b. al-Kha))!b decided to call him back.
Our religion is not based on persona. The victories continued, showing that the victory
is from All!h and not Kh!lid. Eventually Kh!lid fell sick and in the 21
st
year of the
hijrah. On his deathbed, people came to visit and console him. He cried to one of his
visitors and said, Look at my whole body! You will not find a single inch except that
you will find scars and blows and wounds in the cause of All!h, yet here I am dying on
my bed like a commoner (i.e. someone who hadnt been doing jih%d). Scholars point
out that Kh!lid had to die on his bed and couldnt die in a battle because he is the sword
of All!h, and no one can break the sword of All!h except All!h Himself. It was not
befitting that the sword of All!h be destroyed in a battle. Once he is the sword of All!h,
no one can defeat him. Only All!h can take His sword back.

82

! Ibn %Umar actually counted the marks on Ja%fars body!

Why do you think Ibn Umar is counting the wounds on a body of a dead man? This is a
true badge of honor for Jafar and his children. They are told that their father died with
so many wounds. It was a symbol of pride. He wants to record it for posterity. Their
father died a brave man with so many wounds.

In the first "ad#th, it mentions 50 wounds and the second one is that there are 90. There
were 50 on the front and 40 on the back, so there are 90 total.

! The Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) clear grief at what has transpired.

Of the things we see in this "ad#th is the humanity of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) to be so visibly grieved. He had to sit down in the masjid because it was so
overwhelming and a difficult loss for him. He couldnt stop crying when he mentioned
that Zayd was killed, clearly showing the love he had for Zayd. This also shows that
&ishah is hurt that her husband is hurt, and she raised up the curtain to see what was
happening.

! The directions of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) to grieve only in
permissible manners (what is permissible?)
! The phrase to throw dust is a symbolic expression in Arabic, and is meant to show
irritation at a wrong action.
! The pragmatism of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) during this time of grief.
! The irritation of &ishah at the messenger.

A man comes to the house of Jafar and all of his family was there. He says, The
women of Jafar &ishah does not go into detail, which is the adab to cover up the
faults of the women of Jafar. It was understood that they were not just crying. To cry
is a sign of mercy. They must have been wailing, and we know that wailing is "ar%m in
Islam. She summarizes this. You dont expose your Muslim brothers and sisters.

The messenger tells the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) that they are wailing.
Wailing had been made "ar%m a year or two before this incident. The women had
crown up accustomed to wailing. Wailing means you are beating yourself and
screaming, How will I live? Who will feed us? This is j%hiliyyah because All!h takes
care of you. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called wailing minor kufr. The
women have grown up in a culture of wailing and have imbibed this culture. The first
calamity after it becomes "ar%m is the Battle of Mutah, and sadly they dont pass the
test. The law had just come down. When they found out that their husband / brother /
father had died, they all revert to their practices of wailing.

The man tries to stop them and reminds them it is "ar%m. &ishah does not mention
his name because she doesnt want to embarrass him further. The man said, Ya
Ras)lull%h, the women of Jafar are wailing. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
83

said, Go tell them to stop. The man came back and said, I prohibited them Once
again she doesnt elaborate in her perfection of adab and trying to cover the faults of
the women of Jafar. Once again, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) tells him to go
back and stop. The third time, the man comes back and said, The women have won
over us. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Then go throw dust on their
faces. This is an Arabic expression meaning that they are doing something wrong and
you should show them your displeasure. This is an Arabic expression that you should
be irritated at what they are doing. It is an expression not meant to be done in practice
but is a sign of irritation.

As the messenger leaves, &ishahs blood is boiling at the messenger. She said, Rather than
throwing dust on their faces, you should be the one we throw dust on because you are acting very
foolishly! Neither can you control your own women, and neither do you have the sense to leave
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) out of this minor matter when he has bigger things to
worry about. You are at fault for bothering him when it is none of his business. You should take
charge of your women. Have some mercy on him.

In this very beautiful "ad#th, we see the humanity of everyone. We see that indeed the
'a"%bah are the best, but it doesnt mean that they are super human. The women of
Jafar knew this was "ar%m but had grown up wailing and crying. When the first test
happens, they dont live up to it. This is very interesting. What the women were doing
was clearly "ar%m. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) attempted to stop them in
this "ar%m, and when it failed, he basically said, Khal%s, what are you going to do?
There is an element of pragmatism and practicality. He understood that somebody had
just died and they had lost their minds for a while, so what else are you going to do?
There is a time and a place to give dawah and a methodology to give dawah. When
somebody dies, it is not the time and place to give long detailed talks on sunnah and
bidah. They are facing a traumatic loss. If you have some status like this man or the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), try in an appropriate manner to reason with them.
You cant solve every problem in the world, so if you cant do it, then let things go their
course.

When a relative dies, some of us may have perceptions of what is sunnah and bidah and
our elders may not agree with our definitions of sunnah and bidah. If you are a senior
family member, then maybe you can reason and rationalize. If you are a 20-year old
kid, then there is a time and place to give dawah, and this is not the wisest time to split
hairs over relatively trivial issues. The harm you cause may be more damaging than
any potential good, and as a kid, you cant enforce your opinion on elders.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) gave them three days to calm down and visited
them on the third day, which is mentioned in other a"ad#th. He prayed for the children
of Jafar. The son of Jafar narrates this. I remember when I was a young kid, the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) rubbed our faces and made du% for us. He advised
them and told them on the third day, From now on you should not cry for our
brother. He gave them some time to regain their senses, which is pragmatism and
reality. We cant live in a utopia thinking we are going to solve every problem. The
84

Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) understood that there is a time, place, and
methodology for giving dawah.

Kh%lid b. al-Wal#d narrated, On the Day of Mu-tah, nine swords broke in my hands, and I only
had left a Yemeni shield.
Why doesnt Bukh!r" mention this in the chapter on the blessings of Kh!lid b. al-Wal"d?
This is not a blessing but an act of bravery that Kh!lid has shown. Blessing comes from
All!h. Kh!lid is narrating this himself, and you dont include ones testimony of ones
own bravado. In Islam, we dont praise ourselves. Anything Kh!lid did as an act of
bravery is talked about in the history of the battle but is not included in the blessings
because we dont take the testimony of yourself for yourself. We take the testimony of
Ras)lull%h ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) when he calls him the sword of All!h. He was
fighting so hard that nine swords broke until he ran out of swords.

Whenever Ibn Umar would great the son of Jafar, he would say al-sal%m ,alayka, O son
of the one with two wings! This is because both hands of Jafar had been chopped off,
and Ibn Umar knew that All!h had given him two wings. The only way he could know
this is because the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) told him this. The statement of a
'a"%b# regarding ilml-ghayb (knowledge of the unseen) is taken as a "ad#th because it
must have come from the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) telling him.

85

Book 65: The Book of Taf s# r

The methodology of im%m al-Bukh!r" in this chapter is really interesting. Bukh!r" has
divided the book into exactly 114 chapters. This means every s)rah has one chapter.
His methodology is that in the chapter heading, he will list all of the difficult words in
the s)rah and their explanations from the 'a"%bah, tabi)n and taba tabi)n. The problem
comes is that what is difficult is relative. For those who dont know Arabic, every word
is difficult. He is referencing words that he thought would be difficult to understand
for the people of his time.

He explains every difficult word direction from the 'a"%bah, tabi)n and taba tabi)n.
This is in the entire chapter heading, so sometimes the chapter heading is longer than
the chapter itself. In the chapter content, Bukh!r" will bring explicit and implied
a"ad#th related to the s)rah. Sometimes there is nothing explicit about the s)rah. You
need to understand what Bukh!r" is doing with this "ad#th. This means you need to
understand the s)rah inside out. Realize that for those who studied Islamic knowledge
at the time of Bukh!r", being a "%fi. was like being in kindergarten. It was the standard.
You could not go beyond until you memorized the Qur!n from cover to cover.

For the "%fi. to be given a reference is different than for the one who is not a "%fi.. For
example, there is no explicit "ad#th about S)rah Ibr!h"m. Bukh!r" has a number of
implicit a"ad#th, and of them is the "ad#th of the date-palm tree. The average Muslim
amongst us will wonder what this has to do with S)rah Ibr!h"m because there is no
reference to Ibr!h"m and there is no reference to any verses in S)rah Ibr!h"m. There is
no direct reference, but the "%fi. will realize that All!h says in the Qur!n that there is a
shajarah, and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said the shajarah of the date-palm
is a blessed shajarah, so Bukh!r" is saying the shajarah referenced in S)rah Ibr!h"m is the
date-palm. You need some ingenuity in this section to figure out what the "ad#th
applies to, especially for the longer s)rahs.

Shaykh Yasir wanted to choose a chapter that is relevant to all of us. He chose a chapter
everyone knows very well.

Chapter 108: The S)rah of We have Gi ven you al -Kawthar .

And Ibn , Abb%s sai d: Sh%ni - ak means your enemy

4964. Narrated Anas: When the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) was made
to ascend to the Heavens, he ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d (af ter hi s
return), I came upon a ri ver the banks of whi ch were made of tents of hol l ow
pearl s. I asked Ji br# l : What i s thi s (ri ver)?

He repl i ed, Thi s i s the Kawthar.

86

4965. Ab) Ubaydah sai d, I asked & i shah regardi ng the verse, Veri l y we have
granted you al -Kawthar.

She repl i ed, The Kawthar i s a ri ver whi ch has been gi ven to your Prophet
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) on the banks of whi ch there are (tents of ) hol l ow
pearl s, and i ts cups are as numberl ess as the stars.

4966 Narrated Ab) Bi shr:
Sa, # d b. Jubayr sai d that Ibn , Abb%s sai d about Al -Kawthar: That i s the
bl essi ngs that Al l %h has bestowed upon Hi s Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am).

I sai d to Sa, # d b. Jubayr. But the peopl e cl ai m that i t i s a ri ver i n Paradi se?
Sa, # d sai d, The ri ver i n Paradi se i s part of the good whi ch Al l %h has bestowed
on Hi s Messenger ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am).

! Methodology of al-Bukh!r" in this Book.
! RULE: The narration of a Companion is considered to be a had#th when it deals with
ghayb matters.

We will discuss this s)rah in order to illustrate that we think this s)rah to be light, but it
is a weighty and mighty s)rah. If we understood its real meaning, we could not gloss
over it without thought and deep contemplation.

Notice that he says, The s)rah of We have given you al-kawthar. He doesnt say
S)rat al-Kawthar. This leads us to an interesting tangent: Where did the s)rah names
come from? Who originated the s)rah names of the Qur!n? This is a question that has
plagued our scholars for many centuries. In Shaykh Yasirs 4
th
year of Mad"nah in his
Uluml-Qur%n class, the final paper he chose was on the s)rah names of the Qur!n and
where they originate. The conclusion that he reached and his professor, who was a
well-known mufasir, agreed with was: Some of the s)rah names are from the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), and the bulk of them are from the 'a"%bah. This is the
exception and not the rule. Examples of names the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
gave are Baqarah and %le-Imr%n. From this, the concept of naming the s)rah comes from
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), but many of the actual names are not found in
a"ad#th.

We still have many differences until our time. The Indian-Pakistanis know that the
mu'"afs printed there do not match with the commonly available mu'"af. Examples: al-
Ins%n, Fu''ilat, al-Isr%, Gh%fir, Tawbah have other names.

For Bukh!r", this s)rah was S)rah inna a*ayn%kal-kawthar. It is a trivial difference. The
concept of naming the s)rahs comes from the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) but
most of the names dont. Usually he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would reference the
s)rahs by the first verse. In an authentic "ad#th, he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said,
87

There is a s)rah composed of 30 %y%t. Whoever memorizes it, it will protect him from
the punishment of the grave. It is tab%rakalladhi bi yadihil-mulk.

Can we give alternative names to the s)rah? Response: Why reinvent the wheel? You
will cause more confusion. In and of itself, there is nothing inherently wrong because it
is not coming from All!h, but you will cause confusion. Historically, the s)rah names
have now been assigned to them. There is a spectrum of names. The 'a"%bah had given
over 20 names to S)ratl-F%ti"ah.

Ibn %Abb!s said, Sh%niaka means your enemy. Bukh!r"s methodology is to quote
difficult words and explain them. In Bukh!r"s opinion, in this s)rah there is only one
difficult word that needs explanation. He then mentions the a"ad#th meeting his
criterion for S)ratl-Kawthar.

Sa"d b. Jubayr is the main student of Ibn %Abb!s and a great tabi# and great mufasir.

Notice that the first "ad#th mentions the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) going on
isr% wal-mir%j and seeing al-kawthar. The second "ad#th is &ishah saying that al-
kawthar is a river. Its not said by the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). The reason
why Bukh!r" can quote it is because there is a rule: the statement of a 'a"%b# regarding
knowledge of the unseen takes on the status of a "ad#th. It is not just an opinion
anymore. Why? A 'a"%b# cannot speak about ilml-ghayb from an opinion. When a
'a"%b# says something, then we assume that the 'a"%b# must have heard it from the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). This only applies to the 'a"%bah and not the
tabi)n. Therefore, this is a "ad#th even though it comes from &ishah.

When a 'a"%b# gives a fiqh opinion, it does not take the status of a "ad#th but remains the
opinion of a companion. The opinion of a companion is a respected opinion but is not
binding and not obligatory to follow. Qur!n and "ad#th are obligatory to follow. We
differentiate between the fiqh of the 'a"%bah and when they say something of ilml-
ghayb.

! The two types of differing opinion: ikhtil%f tanawwu, (differences that are
complementary), and ikhtil%f ta+%d (differences that are contradictory).

There is a difference of interpretation of what is al-kawthar. Ibn %Abb!s said al-kawthar
is all of the blessings that All!h gave to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). When
somebody questioned a student of Ibn %Abb!s and said, I thought that al-kawthar was a
river, Sa"d b. Jubayr said, This river is a part of the kawthar. This type of difference
is called ikhtil%f tanawwu,. It is important that we understand the two types of
differences in early Islam. The two types of differences are ikhtil%f tanawwu, and ikhtil%f
ta+%d. Ikhtil%f tanawwu, means complimentary differences. Most of the differences of
the 'a"%bah are complimentary in nature. Ikhtil%f ta+%d means contradictory
differences you cannot hold both opinions simultaneously.

An Example:
88

Ikhtil%f tanawwu,: ihdin%l-'ir%*l-mustaq#m
A 'a"%bi says that it is the Qur!n. Another 'a"%bi says it is the Sunnah. Another says it
is Islam. Is there any contradiction? There is no difference. It is all the same thing.
Each one helps the other. This is ikhtil%f tanawwu,.

Ikhtil%f ta+%d: One of the verses of inheritance says that in such a case, a sister will get
1/6
th
and one of the 'a"%bah said this is only the paternal sister. Others said that this is
the full blood sister. This has to be one or the other. Only one can be valid, and the
other is not valid.

Most of the differences of the 'a"%bah are ikhtil%f tanawwu,. Most of the differences of
our fiqh go back to the differences of the 'a"%bah in their fiqh. The basis of the
differences goes back to the 'a"%bah themselves.

! Some benefits from S)rat al-Kawthar

This is a deep and profound s)rah. One of Shaykh Yasirs colleagues did a masters
dissertation entitled The Theological Benefits that We can Derive from S)rat al-Kawthar. This
is just aq#dah from this s)rah. The Qur!n is a deep book. We should not trivialize any
s)rah.

All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la) begins by saying, inna a*ayn%kal-kawthar. Inna is the
plural. There are two interpretations about why All!h references Himself in the plural.
The first is the concept of the royal pronoun and the pronoun of dignity and respect.
The referencing in plural is done to show the majesty of All!h. This is a valid opinion
and has evidence in Arabic and remnants in other languages. The Queen of England
always refers to herself in the plural. The second opinion about plurality is the opinion
of Ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn Taymiyyah says that whenever All!h references Himself in the
plural, He is referencing Himself and the angels. Whenever All!h references Himself in
the singular, He is only referencing Himself.

Look at all of the plurals in the Qur!n. For example,
All!h says, We have revealed the Qur!n, and We will protect it. This is All!h
revealing Qur!n.

All!h says, We created the heavens and the earth. All!h is the One who commanded
the creation, and the angels executed the command.

All!h says, We send the rain down. All!h sends it and the angels guide every single
drop where it is supposed to go.

All!h never says in the Qur!n worship us but He always says worship Me. The
plural is never used with the commands of worship. For Ibn Taymiyyah, the notion of
royalty is not the strongest opinion.

There is no problem affirming both opinions.
89

A*a is different from payment and any other verb meaning to give. It means giving
without expecting anything back and without having done anything to earn it. Many
Arabic words have the connotation of giving and expecting something back. Ajr is
something that you will get once you have done something to earn it. A*a means you
have done something without expecting anything in return and without having done
something to earn it. All!h references the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) in the
singular and Himself in the plural to signify the majesty of Himself and the recipient.
We are bestowing upon you this noble gift that you have not earned and nor do We
expect anything back from you. By this, we see the nobility of the recipient because
All!h is the One doing the giving. We see the blessings on the one being given to
because All!h references him. We also derive from this that all blessings All!h gives us,
He gives us without expecting anything back and without us deserving it. This shows
All!h is Al-Kar#m and Al-Mann%n.

Notice that the reference is in the past tense. We have already given you This is a
bash%ra (good news) because it is comforting to know it has already been done rather
than it being given in the future.

Al-kawthar comes from kath#r, which means a lot and frequent and copious
quantity. Kawthar is the verbal noun indicating the origin of kath#r. Kawthar is the
source of kath#r and from al-kawthar comes kath#r.

By saying to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) that We have already given you
al-kawthar, All!h is telling the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) that it is already
prepared and ready for him and al-kawthar already exists and has been gifted to him
before he came into this world. It is waiting for him in the next life. There is also an
indication that once the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) knows he has al-kawthar,
his status is guaranteed. This is a sense of calming down the grievances of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). This s)rah was revealed in Makkah when a lot of pain and
suffering is happening. This will calm the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) down
and give him great comfort that it has already been prepared. This shows us, in
contrast to the Mutazilah and philosophers, that heaven and hell exist right now.
There is al-kawthar right now because it has been gifted to the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam).

The Mutazilites say: How can heaven and hell exist right now? It is foolish for All!h
to create an empty heaven and hell and leave it there. All!h will create it after the Day
of Judgment.
Response: The evidences from the Qur!n and Sunnah clearly show that heaven and
hell exist right now, and this is one of them. There is wisdom in having heaven and hell
empty right now. The fact that it has to be filled will fill us with eagerness for Jannah
and fear of Jahannam. It is there waiting for us. The incentive is right there. Heaven
and hell exist now because it brings about more eagerness to get there and more dread
for the fire of hell.

90

The alif-l%m for al-kawthar means that the origin of everything that is kath#r comes from
kawthar. Every type of kath#r comes from kawthar. The reason why al-kawthar is called
al-kawthar is because it is the source of all water in Jannah and all streams in Jannah go
back to it. Everyone in Jannah has to drink from those streams forever. Al-kawthar is
the source of this kath#r water. It will never stop. The river is called kawthar because of
the quantity and quality of its water and because it will feed large quantities of people
forever.

Ibn %Abb!ss interpretation is saying that al-kawthar is everything the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) was given: Qur!n, miracles, manners. There is nothing wrong with
affirming this opinion, but we say that since the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) has
explicitly called it a river in Jannah, it is safer to restrict it.

Fa is a clausal condition, which means therefore, because of what has preceded, do
this. The word a*a means We arent expecting anything in return for this, and the
word fa means: what should you do once you get it? What is the logical response from
you?

Therefore, you should pray to your Lord and wan"ar. You should increase and be
persistent in your 'al%h and na"r. This shows that when the worship is mentioned after
kawthar, kawthar was not given because of the worship. It was given independently
because the worship would not earn him al-kawthar. Al-kawthar is given; therefore, he
should worship more.

Even for us, Jannah is not earned because of our good deeds. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) said, None of you will enter Jannah because of your good deeds. All!h
must surround you with His Mercy. They said, Even you, ya Ras)lull%h? He said,
Even I cannot earn Jannah.

Notice All!h doesnt say therefore be thankful. All!h commands exactly what is
being thankful. The ultimate thanks is to show that thankfulness in action and not
speech. The easiest thing to do is to say thank you. Real thankfulness is showing
your appreciation in your actions. This is ultimate thanks. All!h tells the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) what to do.

This demonstrates for us the importance of 'al%h. In return for al-kawthar, you should
be increasing your 'al%h. Look at how important 'al%h is: al-kawthar is linked to
increasing in 'al%h. Pray to your Lord. The command is in the singular. The
command of wan"ar has a number of interpretations to it:

1. The most common interpretation is that wan"ar means to sacrifice. The most
common word for sacrifice in Arabic is .aba"ah. In"ar is a different verb than i.bah
because .aba"ah is generally applied to goats, lambs, and cows. 0aba"ah means
slaughtering on the neck. In"ar means you slaughter above the collarbone, which is
only done for the camel. All!h is saying, Dont just sacrifice a goat; sacrifice a
camel. This is the most expensive and gives the most meat to give to the poor.
91

0aba"ah is done on the upper portion of the neck and in"ar is done above the
collarbone. You only slice the collarbone of a camel, not of a cow, sheep or goat.
All!h is telling the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) to give the greatest sacrifice,
which is that of a camel. Notice the linking of a reward with good deeds in the
Qur!n is constant throughout.

Another example is maq%m% ma"m)d, which is the greatest position on the Day of
Judgment. !al%h is linked with maq%m% ma"m)d All!h says in the Qur!n, Pray
tahajjud at night, and perhaps All!h will give you maq%m% ma"m)d. Ib%dah and
blessings are linked together, and usually it is 'al%h. This again shows the
importance of 'al%h.

The camel is the most expensive, has the most meat, and is the most beneficial.
In"ar is the sacrifice above the chest.

2. Na"r means chest in Arabic. Another meaning of wan"ar is: Al" b. Ab" *!lib said
wan"ar means placing the right hand on the left hand on the chest. His opinion was
that 'al%h should be done with the hands on the chest. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) said, The prophets have been commanded to place the right hand
on the left hand on the chest. This is a "ad#th of Ibn Khuzaymah.

3. Raise your hands up in du% because the proper way to make du% is your hands at
the level of your chest. Pray 'al%h to your Lord and make sure to make du% to Him
as well. Make 'al%h and du%.

Du% is done a number of ways, and you dont have to raise your hands. Sometimes
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would just raise his finger, especially for
istighf%r. The most common was that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would
raise his two hands to his chest level. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said,
Ask All!h with the inner part of your hand and not the outer part. [Ab# D!w#d]
We are supposed to beg All!h with flat hands and open palms. It is done at the level
of the na"r (chest).

The most extreme type of du% was rarely done by the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam): he would raise his hands up to All!h. This was done before the Battle of
Badr. He was begging and reaching out for help. This should be done on Araf!t or
at times of great trial and distress. It is done in exceptional circumstances and not
as the general rule.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is being told to pray extra and to make du%
and pray properly with khush) or to sacrifice. This is ikhtil%f tanawwu,. The differences
are not contradictory.

This s)rah came down in Makkah, and at the time, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) did not own any camels. All!h is telling him to do something he cannot do at
the time; therefore, implied in this is that a time will come when he will have camels
92

and can sacrifice them for the sake of All!h. Even when he went on the hijrah, he had to
purchase Ab# Bakrs camel. All!h is telling him that a time will come when he will have
plenty of camels. In (ajjl-Wad%, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sacrificed 63
camels himself.

Another interpretation: Sa"d b. Jubayr said this is in reference to the (ajj and that one
day the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) will come back to Makkah and do (ajj
properly. The only time you pray and then sacrifice is on $d al-A+"a. This is ikhtil%f
tanawwu, and is all allowed.

Another interpretation is: fa'alli li rabbika at Araf!h and wan"ar at Mina.

Notice that the common opinion is that wan"ar is sacrifice. !al%h and wan"ar indicate
two different types of ib%dah. !al%h is the most praiseworthy of deeds that the body
can do, and wan"ar is the most praiseworthy of deeds that can be done with money.
The highest amal of the badan is 'al%h and the highest amal of the m%l is sacrifice. The
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is being told to do the best of ibad%t badaniyyah and
ibad%t m%liyyah. By telling him the best, everything else is automatically implied.

It is understood that sacrifice is for your Lord. All of your ibad%t should be done for
All!h. Dont do your deeds for anyone else. Be sincere in all that you do.

Inna sh%niaka huwal abtar.

Inna is "arf al-tawk#d, which there is no English equivalent for. This is why when we
translate the Qur!n, there are awkward phrases in English. Arabic has ways to
emphasize which English doesnt. Inna emphasizes.

The word shanaa does occur in the Qur!n in different forms but is rare. The word
shanaa according to Ibn %Abb!s means your enemy. It means irrational hatred, hating
without a legitimate reason. It is a phobia hatred and a hatred of irrationality.
Therefore, sh%niaka means the one who has this irrational hatred of you. Therefore,
this means that anyone who hates the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is an
irrational lunatic. You cannot have a legitimate hatred for the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam). Anyone who hates the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), there is
something wrong with his mental capabilities. No one can hate him for legitimate
reasons, which is why All!h didnt use the word a+u (enemy).

Huwa is an emphasis that the one who hates you is the one who is al-abtar. Batara
means to cut off and to amputate. Abtar is the one who is the most amputated. What
does this reference to? We go back to the reason why the s)rah was revealed.

Theological note: the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) couldnt have
had sons who lived to adulthood. He said, If Ibr!h"m had lived to an
adult, he would have become a prophet. The son of Ras)lull%h would
have to be a nabiyy but because there are no anbiy% after him, there must
93

be no sons after him. Also, if the sons of the daughter of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) became such a fitnah for the ummah, what do
you think the sons of the sons would have done? We need to
understand. Q!sim died before Islam.

Those who opposed the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) him in a very vulgar and
crude manner were never guided to Islam. Those who opposed him but with some
nobility, many were guided and many were not. Look at Ab# Sufy!n and Ab# Jahl. The
ones who really stooped low and became uncouth and barbaric generally were not
guided and not worthy of guidance. The ones who opposed but with some nobility and
manners, these were the ones who if All!h guided, they were from this batch.

It is narrated in the books of s#rah that when the Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
son Abdull!h died in early Islam, al-&' b. W!hil (the father of Amr b. al-&') went
around Makkah rejoicing at his death. This shows no shred of humanity. He gloated
over the death of the Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) son. He has now been
amputated. This means that in their j%hiliyy minds, legacy only lived on through sons.
Imagine the grief and pain our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would have at this
type of gloating. It was in response to this gloating that All!h revealed this s)rah.

Now contextualize the s)rah. Your son may have died, but We have given you al-
kawthar. So get over this and pray to All!h and increase your sacrifice to Him. Realize
that this mad-man and irrational hatred of you, he is the one who is not just bata but al-
abtar. The greatest amputee is this man. This means: what legacy will he leave
behind? It is said that Ab# Jahl also participated in this happiness at the death of his
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) son. Notice that no one knows the name of Ab# Jahl except
those who hate him. Who is the one who has no legacy? This is in this world, so where
is their legacy in the %khirah?

From this, we also derive the opposite. The one who loves you will be full and fulfilled
and will have a legacy. This in Arabic is the opposite of what is stated is accepted as
well. If the one who hates is amputated and cut off, the one who loves you will be
fulfilled and have the ultimate legacy. This is also implied in this verse.

All!h has raised the remembrance of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). He is
beloved by all. Never is All!h mentioned except that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) is mentioned next. Across the world, never does an instant take place except
that millions are giving adh%n, saying 'al%h, sending 'al%w%t upon the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam).

Once the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) closed his eyes and then opened them and
said, A s)rah has just been revealed to me that is more beloved than this whole world
and all that it contains. [Muslim] He then recited the entire s)rah. It was revealed to
him at a time of personal tragedy and death and gave him great comfort and caused his
grief to be minimized. Next time you read this s)rah in 'al%h, read it with tadabbur
(contemplation).
94

In !a"#" Muslim, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) described the "aw+, which is
the pool on the Day of Judgment. It will be the only water available for the Muslims on
the Day of Judgment. It is a rectangular fountain and one side will be as long as Makkah
to Sana or Hadhramawt. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Its cups are
more numerous than the stars in the sky, and its water is whiter than milk, sweeter
than honey, and colder than ice. It is being fed from al-kawthar with two spouts from
Jannah (one gold and one silver).

95

Book 67: The Book of Marri age

We will discuss certain a"ad#th in the book of marriage and the book of divorce. We will
do a topic that by and large most of us are not familiar with, and then the class will
come forth with their own explanations.

Chapter 18: A f reed l ady under a sl ave

5097. & i shah narrated, There were three l aws (reveal ed) because of Bar# rah:
she was f reed, so she coul d make a choi ce; and the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi
wa sal l am) sai d, Wal % bel ongs to the one who f rees; and once the Prophet
('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) entered the house whi l e there was a pot on the
stove, but he was gi ven bread and a condi ment, so he asked, Di dn t I see a pot?
so he was tol d, It was meat that was gi ven as chari ty to Bar# rah, and you don t
eat chari ty! to whi ch he sai d, It i s chari ty f or her, and a gi f t f or us.

What is this cryptic "ad#th? Lets see where else this "ad#th is mentioned. It is also in
the Book of Divorce.

Book 68: The Book of Di vorce

Chapter 15: The Choi ce of a Freed-l ady marri ed to a sl ave

5282. Ibn , Abb%s sai d, Bar# rah s husband was an Af ri can sl ave by the name of
Mugh# th he was a sl ave f or such-and-such a tri be. And I remember hi m
wal ki ng behi nd her i n the al l eys of Mad# nah.

Chapter 16: The Intercessi on of the Prophet f or the husband of Bar# rah

5283. Ibn , Abb%s sai d, Bar# rah s husband was a sl ave cal l ed Mugh# th I sti l l
remember seei ng hi m wal ki ng behi nd her, cryi ng so much that hi s tears were on
hi s beard! So the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, O Abb%s! Aren t
you amazed at how much Mugh# th l oves Bar# rah, and how much Bar# rah hates
Mugh# th?!
And the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d (to her): Why don t you
take hi m back?
She sai d, Are you commandi ng me, O Messenger of Al l %h?
He ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d, No! I am j ust acti ng as an i ntercessor
So she repl i ed, I have no need of hi m!

! Wal% is a concept that existed before Islam and Islam came and codified.
96

! &ishah purchased Bar"rah from her previous owners, and decided to free her. Her
previous owners insisted that they retain the wal%, but the Prophet denied them
this.

When you come across a strange "ad#th, find out what else there is about it, and dont
just isolate it. Then you may have to go to other books as well to understand.

From this incident, we learn about Bar"rah and Mugh"th. Bar"rah and Mugh"th were
slaves and had married each other. Bar"rah used to belong to a neighbor of &ishah.
&ishah wanted to free a slave to do a good deed, so she asked the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) about freeing Bar"rah. &ishah went to the owners of Bar"rah and
said, I want to purchase Bar"rah for you in order to free her. The owner said, You
can do this but al-wal% will remain for us. What is al-wal%? It is a pre-Islamic concept
that Islam came and modified. It is a type of relationship between a freed slave and an
ex-master. This relationship is a type of family relationship, and there are even laws of
inheritance that on occasion, the freed slaves property will go to the master and vice
versa. Therefore, it was advantageous for both the ex-slave and ex-master to have
some type of wal% with each other.

They said, Well free Bar"rah but will keep the wal%. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, Wal% belongs to the one who frees. Therefore, &ishah would get the
wal%. Bar"rah was married to Mugh"th. &ishah purchases Bar"rah and frees her.

The title of the chapter: the choice of a freed lady married to a slave. What is the
choice? She has the choice to remain married or to get a divorce. When she is freed,
she immediately decides to divorce her husband, Mugh"th. Mugh"th is completely
heartbroken and was wandering around walking behind her in the alleys of Mad"nah
begging her to take him back, so much so that his beard becomes wet from crying. He
begs her to take him back, and Bar"rah is not even giving him 'adaqah with her looks.
She has nothing to do with this man any more. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
remarks to Ibn %Abb!s, Arent you amazed at the love Mugh"th has for Bar"rah and in
return she is not even looking at him?

Bar"rah was given 'adaqah, and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) walked in and
asked where the meat was. He said, It was 'adaqah for Bar"rah, and now that she is
cooking it in our house, she has the right to give it to us. Bar"rah owns it once she has
it and is cooking it. It was her property and she could gift it to them.

This "ad#th is a very famous "ad#th. Ibn $ajar says, Scholars have written treatises just
on this one "ad#th. Some have derived over 300 benefits from the "ad#th and the
incident of Bar"rah.

97

Cl ass Proj ect

Divide yourselves into groups of 3 or 4. Then, discuss and write down as many benefits
as you can that can be derived from this had#th.
[Note: Ibn $ajar comments that scholars have written treatises just on this had#th, and
some have derived over three-hundred benefits and rules!!!]

Benefits that can be derived:
- The right of a freed female slave to get a divorce annulment
- Whoever pays the money gets the wal%
- Charity doesnt get carried over
- !adaqah can be gifted
- The right of a freed woman to remain married to a slave
- If the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) commands the 'a"%bah, the companions
would have to obey. This comes from Bar"rah asking, Are you commanding me, ya
Ras)lull%h?
- It is allowed for a 'a"%b# not to accept the recommendation of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam)
- You cannot force someone to remain married to someone else
- It is allowed for a man to cry
- The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) cannot eat 'adaqah
- The Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) house served simple meals
- The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would ask for food if it appealed to him.
Like every human being, he had a desire for food.
- Certain peoples lives were spoken about for us to derive laws from. Their lives are
made public for us.
- A person can go to another slave owner to free a slave
- Women have the right to purchase slaves
- A husband can ask for a different type of food than his wife
- Wal% can belong to a woman
- Laws of wal% were modified compared to j%hiliyyah
- Food can be given as charity
- Interracial marriages are allowed. Bar"rah was not an African and had married
someone from Africa
- Slaves can marry slaves
- Men are allowed to walk behind their wives
- Love is a necessary part of marriage. Bar"rah didnt love Mugh"th so she wanted to
walk away.
- Love is not a necessary part of marriage. She hated him and she was still married to
him. Marriage is also utilitarian.
- Divorce is in the womans hand when she is freed from slavery. (Otherwise, a
woman needs to petition the judge and present a legitimate excuse, which could be
not having love for him)
98

- Despite the fact the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) admitted and saw that
Bar"rah hates Mugh"th, he still asked her to go back to him, clearly showing that
marriages are possible with the complete absence of love.
- Divorce does not need to be mutually agreed upon
- Intercession is sunnah. Helping married couples through difficult times is sunnah.
Friends and acquaintances should get involved. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) got involved in a marriage of people who are not of the elite of the 'a"%bah
but were mainstream Muslims. This shows that every one of us has a duty to our
friends and family members.
- The humility of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) in not exercising his
position as a prophet and not commanding Bar"rah
- The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was in tune with the emotions of others
- A man can cry in public in front of his wife
- It is possible for one spouse to love and for the other spouse to hate.
- He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) stood for Bar"rahs rights as a woman
- He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) recognized the humanness of grieving and sadness
- Bar"rah had more rights than her husband
- Love is natural
- Men should not be ashamed of expressing emotions
- A person madly in love leads them to do things
- The #m%n of Bar"rah in asking the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) if it was a
command. Bar"rah asked the question despite the fact that she hated him, and if he
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had commanded her, she would have married him even
though she hated him.
- Islam gave more options to slave than j%hiliyyah
- Every marriage doesnt have to work out.
- The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) supported &ishah (ra+yAll%hu anha) to do a
good deed
- The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and &ishah were generous
- Dont be shy to ask questions

This incident is a very deep one. There are many different types of benefits: fiqh, adab,
u'ull-fiqh. This is the way to derive benefits. There are benefits of fiqh, benefits of
history (i.e. alleyways in Mad"nah), human psychology and emotion, u'ull-fiqh (the
Prophets ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) commands necessitate obligation). Categorize the
benefits.

99

Book 77: The Book of Cl othi ng

Chapter 76: A Menstruati ng Woman Combi ng Her Husband s Hai r

5925. & i shah narrated, I used to comb the Prophet s ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) hai r (even) whi l e I was menstruati ng.

! In contrast to Ahl al-Kit%b, a woman in her menses is not abandoned.
! The service of &ishah to the Prophet.
! The love between them.

From this, many things are derived. The woman in her state of menses doesnt become
najas like the ahll-kit%b ruled. To this day, for orthodox Jews, when a woman in is in her
menses, she has to sleep and eat separately. Our religion came and showed that this is
ridiculous.

The relationship between husband and wife remains. The hair of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) is being combed by &ishah. She would take care of his chores that
needed to be done and didnt need to be done, like combing the hair. This shows love
and compassion. These details show the love, romance, tenderness, and care that
&ishah and the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had.

Sometimes when the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was in the masjid, he would
take a break and lower his head into his house while his body was in the masjid. She
would oil his hair and comb his hair. This shows romance and tenderness that they had
for one another.

100

Book 78: The Book of Manners

Bukh!r" wrote a bigger book outside of the !a"#" called al-Adab al-Mufrad. The criterion
in that book is not the same as in the !a"#", so he includes Grade B a"ad#th in that book.

Chapter 90: What i s permi tted of poetry, prose and propaganda poetry, and
what i s di sl i ked.

And Al l %h says, And the poets onl y the wayward f ol l ow them! Do you not see
that they wander about i n every val l ey? And they say thi ngs that they do not
do? Except f or those who bel i eve and do good, and remember Al l %h
f requentl y [26: 224-7]

6145. Ubayy b. Ka, b narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
sai d, Veri l y, some poetry has wi sdom!

sai d, The most truthf ul l i ne of poetry any poet ever uttered i s the phrase of
Lab# d, Indeed, everythi ng, except f or Al l %h, i s of no val ue. And Umayyah b.
Ab# al -!al t al most accepted Isl am.

6149. Ab) Qi l %bah narrated f rom Anas b. M%l i k that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) was once (travel i ng) wi th some of hi s wi ves, and Umm
Sul aym was wi th them, and he sai d, O Anj ashah! Sl ow down be gentl e wi th
the crystal gl asses.
Ab) Qi l %bah sai d, So he ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d somethi ng that
some of you woul d have f ound worthy of cri ti ci sm.

6153. Al -Bar%- b. , &zi b sai d, The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d to
(ass%n b. Th%bi t, Wri te your poetry agai nst them, and Ji br# l i s wi th you!

Prose is nathr. Nathr is a rhythm and rhyming that is not poetry (for example, rap). The
syllables match but it is not rhyming. There was also a type of poetry done for
propaganda purposes. From the title, Bukh!r" is saying that some types of this are j%iz
(allowed) and some types are not allowed. This is the chapter heading.

He begins with verses of the Qur!n:
And the poets only the wayward follow them
He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) calls those who follow poets those who have nothing
better to do with their lives.

they wander about in every valley
This means that they have no goals or purpose in life. This is a metaphor and means
they dont have a purpose in life.

101

they say things that they do not do
Their poetry was about honor, bravery, and courage, yet the poets themselves are the
furthest people from imitating what they are preaching to others. In our times, poets
have abandoned all sense of shame and talk about the most vulgar, ignoble and
f%"ishah, and they proudly embody the f%"ishah they are preaching to others. In the old
times, their poetry would be calling people to virtue even if they didnt practice it.
All!h points out that the poets themselves rarely practiced what they preached.

remember All%h frequently
Their poetry did not stop them from making dhikr.

The general rule is that poets do not have a life or a goal. The people who follow them
are the riffraff, the lost, and the aimless. They themselves are not role models to look
up to, but there is an exception. Some of the poets are good if they remember All!h a
lot and practice what they preach. Bukh!r" is laying the foundation that every single
"ad#th that will be quoted should be understood in light of this %yah. Some a"ad#th
criticize poetry unconditionally. Bukh!r" begins by pointing out that it is not
unconditional. Every "ad#th that criticizes poetry should be understood in light of the
Qur!n.

Chapter 92: Regardi ng the f act that i t i s di sl i ked f or a person to be i mmersed i n
poetry such that i t prevents hi m f rom the remembrance of Al l %h, and
knowl edge, and the Qur %n

6154. Ibn , Umar reported that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sai d,
Were the i nsi des of one of you to be f i l l ed wi th pus, i t i s better than f or i t to be
f i l l ed wi th poetry.

This "ad#th seems to criticize poetry unconditionally, but look at the chapter heading in
Bukh!r". He is putting it after Chapter 90 in which he says some poetry is good and
some is bad. Of the signs of a true student of knowledge is to take everything and then
derive an opinion.

Bukh!r" in his chapter heading is telling us to understand it in context. The "ad#th
applies to when poetry prevents a person from dhikr and the Qur!n. If poetry doesnt
do that, then the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said some poetry has wisdom and
used poetic language and quoted poetry.

! Most of poetry is lahw and laghw, not all of it.

From all of this, we learn that most of poetry is lahw (amusement, playful time) and
laghw (utter waste of time).

! The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sometimes quoted poetry and listened to it,
and encouraged others to write it.

102

Lab"d eventually accepted Islam. Umayyah b. Ab" al-.alt was a contemporary of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and he would always praise All!h and never
mentioned the idols. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said his poetry was so
pure, he almost accepted Islam. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) commented on
his poetry, which shows that he had heard his poetry. He quotes Lab"d, which shows
that to say poetry is not sinful.

! $ass!n b. Th!bit was the official poet of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).

He was from the an'%r. He was of the most well-known poets of Mad"nah. The Quraysh
composed poetry to criticize the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and it reached
Mad"nah. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) told $ass!n to write something
against them; he commanded them to respond in kind.

This poetry consists of making fun of their accomplishments and legacy. $ass!n said
that he doesnt know the ins and outs, so he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) told Ab# Bakr to
go with him and help him and tell him what he needs to know. The two of them did
this. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Go and Jibr"l will be helping
youbut $ass!n, make sure that when you criticize the Quraysh, be careful what you
say because I am part of the Quraysh. $ass!n said, I will take you out of my poetry
like hair is gently taken out of the dough. [When you are kneading dough and a hair
falls into it, they take the hair out of the dough.]

The 'a"%bah are the best as a generation, but they do have their faults and sins as well.
$ass!n b. Th!bit is one of those 'a"%bah who has quite a lot of positives, but he also has
the contrary as well. Despite ones shortcomings, one can still be beneficial for the
ummah. $ass!n b. Th!bit was known for many things. Of them was the fact that he
could not carry arms in battle. In the Battle of Khandaq, when the 'a"%bah thought the
Yahud would come and massacre them, they sent the woman and children to a house to
be protected, and the only man with them was $ass!n b. Th!bit. When a Yahudi
actually began climbing up to harm the women, the women begged him to do
something, and he began trembling, so Safiyyah (the aunt of the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam)) took the dagger from him and climbed down and stabbed him herself.
He was also known for other things that were not the best. He propagated the slander
of &ishah. He passed it along. Because of this, he was punished with 100 lashes.

Yet, he played a role no one else could play: a poet. Every one of us has our $ass!n b.
Th!bit type of issues. Yet, that side of him did not prevent him from contributing
positively to the ummah, and neither did the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) care
about those issues when it came to him doing something positive for the ummah. He
had talents despite his weaknesses. Everyone has talents that no one else has. We all
have sins, but let not those sins hold you back. Let not those deficiencies make you feel
shy that you cannot do this. He realizes he has a God-given talent. To appreciate your
blessings that All!h has given you is not arrogance. Every one of us has talents, and to
acknowledge those talents as from All!h is not arrogance. To say, All!h blessed me
with a good voice. All!h blessed me with knowledge. All!h blessed me to give a good
103

lecture. You will never benefit people until you acknowledge your strengths and use
them to benefit the ummah. Modesty has its place and is a part of our religion, but
sometimes there is false modesty. Sometimes Shay*%n comes and makes you do nothing
because of some sins. Every one of us has our weaknesses and our strengths.

! How the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) described women

In some cultures, women are ignored in the vernacular of men. Ab# Qil!bah is saying to
his generation that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is using poetic language to
talk about women, and they would have considered it to be effeminate and not
befitting. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is using poetic, beautiful language to
talk about women and calls them crystal vessels.

Also notice that he ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called women fragile vessels. One word
can pierce her heart with a damage that will never heal. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) acknowledged this. One needs to be very careful in ones treatment of
women. It is not effeminate to think of your wifes feelings. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) does not want to cause discomfort on the women on the camel.

! The importance of using the cultural methods of ones time to defend Islam.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) had no problems using the cultural methods of
his time to defend Islam and to spread a positive image of Islam. They used poets,
nathr, and poetic propaganda. When $ass!n b. Th!bit composed these verses of
poetry, the beat of that poetry would be paralleled after the rhythm, rhyme and beat
the Arabs would be used to.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) did not have any problems with $ass!n
conforming to the meters and beats of the Arabs of his time. So what is the problem for
us in 21
st
century America to take the rhythms and beats of our times to spread the
message? With this, we get to the issue of utilizing not just the medium but even the
styles as long as they are permissible in Islam.

What is impermissible? Music (wind and string instruments). Duff is allowed. If a
person utilizes the rhythm and the rhyme that are common in our times, such as
getting into rap, which doesnt involve music, there is nothing wrong. There is nothing
wrong with a Muslim rapping about something Islamic as long as the content is good
and no "ar%m imagery is used. This is being completely consistent with the Sunnah of
the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). Just because you arent used to listening to
Islamic rap doesnt make it "ar%m. Our backgrounds dont dictate what the Shar#ah says
is "ar%m. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) used what was available to him and
did not reinvent the wheel.

The dress code of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) reflected the culture of his
time, and he didnt reinvent fashion. Ibn al-Qayyim said, The sunnah in terms of
dressing is to dress according to the culture of ones people.
104

Book 81: The Book of Heart-Softeners

Chapter 30: Let one l ook at someone who i s l esser than hi m, and not someone
who i s hi gher

sai d, When one of you sees someone who has been bl essed more than hi m i n
money or appearance, then l et hi m l ook at someone l esser than hi m, whom he
has been pref erred over.

This book gives an #m%n boost and confidence boost. It is a confidence boost that you
can understand and benefit from it. These a"ad#th are all heart softeners. Our tradition
has always emphasized heart-softeners. Some people in our tradition began to
overlook this chapter, and other traditions sprang forth and specializing in raq%iq
rhetoric, and because they didnt have academic knowledge, they said things that were
not precise.

Our spirituality is not emotional spirituality. It is based upon Qur!n and Sunnah. The
other groups have experiential spirituality. Many people of our own tradition began to
overlook raq%iq and considered it to be something not emphasized, and because of this,
a vacuum was created, causing people to go to other understandings of Islam. Classic
books of our tradition emphasize raq%iq. Every single major book of "ad#th has a
section on heart-softeners.

The point here: how does one minimize jealousy and get rid of "asad? Look at someone
who is lower and not higher. To minimize jealousy, stop contemplating about those
who have been given more than you, and start concentrating and looking at those who
have been given less than you.

! How great the world would be if we all practiced this habit!

Stop aggrandizing the people who are above you. The fundamental problem of this
society is greed and materialism. Look at the economic collapse of the last year. Are
you surprised that this economy collapsed when everyone is told to flaunt their
wealth?

! The two greatest jealousies are: money and good looks (men and women!)

The one thing men always look at in other men is always money. The first thing
women see is beauty. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) pointed this out
explicitly because these are the two main jealousies of humanity. Look to those who
have been blessed over.

105

! Whatever you have, there are people above you and below you. Also, those whom
you think are above you will not realize they are blessed, just like you do not realize
you are blessed with respect to those who are below you!

There is a beautiful irony in what the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is saying: just
like you are looking up to certain people, whether you realize it or not, others are
looking up to you, but you take this for granted and dont realize it. Others are looking
up to you and feeling jealous for you.

! True happiness is the contentment of the heart.

Be content with the level that All!h has given you and look at those given less than you
to thank All!h for what you have. This clearly shows us that true happiness is found in
the contentment of the heart. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Richness
is not in the quantity of possessions you own but richness is to be content in the heart.

The one you are looking up to himself is not satisfied with his place, and he wants to go
higher. Just like that, wherever you are, people are looking up to you. A high
percentage of children dont even have three meals a day. A mother and father would
give anything to be in your shoes and to be able to feed their children. Wherever you
are, there are people jealous of you. Thank All!h for what you have. This is the essence
of being content.

106

Book 90: The Book of Tri cks

This book begins with the basic premise that everyone shall get what they intended,
and you cannot trick All!h. All!h knows what is inside. In this book, the first "ad#th is
the "ad#th on intentions. If your intention is evil, you will get the sin for that evil.

Chapter 1: Regardi ng l eavi ng tri cks, and that every person wi l l get what he
i ntended, i n oaths and i n al l other i ssues.

6953. [Same as had# th 1]

Chapter 4: Tri cks i n Getti ng Marri ed

6960. N%f i reported that Ibn , Umar narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu
al ayhi wa sal l am) f orbade shi gh%r.
N%f i was asked what shi gh%r was. He repl i ed, It i s when a man marri es of f hi s
daughter or si ster to another man, i n return f or the daughter or si ster of that
man, wi thout any dowry.

And some peopl e sai d: If he worked out a tri ck to do shi gh%r, the marri age i s
permi ssi bl e, and the condi ti on i s i nval i d.

And he sai d f or mut, ah: The marri age i s nul l , and the condi ti on i s i nval i d.
And some other sai d: Both mut, ah and shi gh%r are val i d and the condi ti on i s
i nval i d.

! Purpose of this chapter is primarily a refutation of some opinions and schools of
law.
! A trick is an attempt to make the impermissible permissible, through a ploy but
All!h knows the intention! (e.g., the story of the fishermen in the Qur!n)
! The adab of Im%m al-Bukh!r" in saying Some people said

In the days of j%hiliyyah, two men would be greedy for another wife, and they would be
willing to swap each other their daughters or swap each other their sisters, and the
mahar of each nik%" is the other woman. This is pure j%hiliyyah and a disgusting
practice. Disclaimer: if two brothers and two sisters marry each other with two nik%"s
and two dowries, this is "al%l as long as there are two separate contracts and two
separate dowries.

Shigh%r is one contract and the dowry is the women. According to the Sh!fi"s,
$anbal"s, and M!lik"s, if a person is found guilty of shigh%r, the judge will punish them
and annul the marriage.

107

Bukh!r" says, Some people said, Of the adab of Bukh!r" is that he never mentions a
name of someone when he is criticizing them. Bukh!r" says, Some people said, if he
worked out a trick to do shigh%r and they are taken to the judge, the judge must say the
marriage is permissible and the condition is invalid. The reference here is to the
$anaf" madh-hab. Suppose the two brothers worked out some type of trick to hide this
marriage of shigh%r from the public and to simply swap the two sisters with the same
contract and each sister is the dowry. When they are discovered, they are taken to the
judge. According to this scholar (the reference is to the $anaf" madh-hab), the judge
will declare the condition of swapping to be invalid, but the marriage remains. If these
two had come to the judge in the beginning, the judge will say that shigh%r is "ar%m and
he cannot do it. They do it without the judges consent and are then brought in front of
the judge. In this case, according to the $anaf"s, the shar* (condition) becomes b%*il,
and the judge will say that they need to give mahar to each other and the marriage will
last.

Ab# $an"fah considered this to be a trick and not permitted. To show that this madh-
hab is inconsistent, Bukh!r" says, The same person [Ab# $an"fah] said for mutah
Mutah is telling a woman that you will marry her for a period of time it was allowed
in j%hiliyyah.

Mutah became "ar%m. Mutah is a nik%" contract with a condition that is invalid. The
condition is the period of time. Bukh!r" says, The same person [Ab# $an"fah] said that
if a man is brought in front of a judge and it is discovered he had a nik%" with a period
of time, the judge will say the marriage is b%*il. Bukh!r" is saying: what is the
difference? If the condition is b%*il then the nik%" must be b%*il. Shigh%r is a nik%" with
an invalid condition (swapping the two women) and mutah is a nik%" with an invalid
condition (the time period). Bukh!r" says this is a contradiction in the $anaf" madh-
hab.

For the shock and awe factor at the end:
And some other said This is the opinion of Zufar, one of the three main students of
Ab# $an"fah. Zufar had a position that said that for even mutah if it is done and
brought in front of a judge, they will say the nik%" is valid and he has to give a mahar
and the condition is made null and void and everything is ok. The condition is made
b%*il. This is Zufars position.

Bukh!r" is showing what will happen if you allow invalid conditions. Bukh!r"s position
is that an invalid condition invalidates the contract. For example: shigh%r and mutah.
He points out that in his mind, Ab# $an"fahs madh-hab in this regard is inconsistent.

This demonstrates that Im%m Bukh!r" knows his fiqh. He is a scholar of usull-fiqh. He is
not just a literalist. This is very clear in the way he is doing this. He first shows
inconsistency, and then he brings the shock and awe factor that if you say this, then
mutah would be considered valid.

108

Book 91: The Book of Interpreti ng Dreams

Chapter 18: Draggi ng one s garments bel ow the ankl e duri ng a dream

7009. Ab) Sa, # d al -Khudr# narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) sai d, As I was sl eepi ng, I saw peopl e bei ng presented to me weari ng
shi rts. Some of them reached down to the chest, others were l ower. And , Umar
b. al -Kha**%b was presented to me, and hi s garment was draggi ng behi nd hi m.
They sai d: And how di d you i nterpret that, O Messenger of Al l %h?
He ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) repl i ed: The rel i gi on.

! The purpose of al-Bukh!r" in this book.
! The types of dreams (from All!h, from oneself, from Shay*%n).
! Symbolisms of dreams (things are not as they appear!!)
! The blessings of %Umar b. al-Kha))!b.

This chapter deals with dream interpretation. Refer to The Best of Stories: Pearls of
Surah Yusuf | Part 2 on MuslimMatters: http://muslimmatters.org/2011/04/29/the-
best-of-stories-pearls-from-surah-yusuf-part-2/.

There are three types of dreams:
1. A dream from your imagination. The sign of a dream from your imagination is that
you forget about it very quickly. Within a few minutes, you forget what the dream
is about. By the end of the day, you dont even remember that you had a dream.
Scientists say that such a type of dream is common and a nightly occurrence and
something every human being gets.

2. A dream from Shay*%n ("ulum). The sign of a nightmare is that you wake up in
complete panic mode or the dream is sexual in nature. Having a sexual dream
doesnt mean you are a bad person. It just means that Shay*%n is playing with you.
You dont tell people about bad dreams. The purpose of this dream is to terrify you.
Therefore, the Muslim never acts upon such a dream. If you have a dream where
you see yourself in a terrible accident, do not be scared to take your car to work the
next day. If you are, then Shay*%n will be laughing at you. Shay*%n does not know
the future, and he wants to make your life difficult for you. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) said that when you see such a dream, turn around and say a)dhu
bill%h and bismill%h and spit 3 times on the left to get rid of the evilness, and if it
is really bad, then make wu+) and pray 2 raka,%t. Any dream that is terrifying and
vulgar is a dream from Shay*%n.

3. A dream from All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la). These types of dreams are what Bukh!r"
is talking about in this chapter. Dreams are 1/46
th
of prophethood, and the only
thing left of prophethood is true dreams. How do we know a dream is from All!h?
We get a positive feeling and a feeling of good and peace, or when the same dream
109

is repeated over and over and is cryptic and we dont understand what it is. It is
also possible for a dream to be mildly frightening in an Islamic manner, but it is not
frightening in a worldly manner. For example, if a righteous person commits a sin,
he may see a dream showing some type of punishment for that sin. This is a dream
and a blessing because it is warning him to stop before it is too late.

One of Shaykh Yasirs teachers narrated a dream that a man did something that he
should not have done with a woman (looked at a woman with passion) and he saw
himself in front of a throne and heard a voice from the throne saying, The one who
commits zina is going to be whipped one hundred times. Then he woke up. He felt
so guilty just for simply looking at a woman, and All!h blessed him with a dream
that is mildly terrifying in an Islamic manner.

Dreams from All!h can be divided into two categories:
1) Dreams in which you see something happening to you. This is a nonsymbolic
and actual dream. For example, you see yourself in a beautiful Jannah. This is a
sign that you are on a good path. For example, if you are going through a tough
time and you see in your dream that the relative is cured. This is a bushr% (good
news). There is no symbolism.
2) Symbolic dreams. This means that everything that you see represents
something else. For symbolic dreams, you need someone to unlock the symbols
for you. This is where this chapter of Bukh!r" comes into place. It gives basic
knowledge of interpreting dreams.

Dream interpretation is one of the only sciences in Islam that cannot be taught. You
can teach some basic, rudimentary aspects about it, but you cannot teach the entire
science of dream interpretation because All!h says, This is a knowledge We give to
those who We want. Dream interpretation is not book knowledge. Every other
science in Islam is book knowledge. There is no such thing as an academic book with
dream interpretation. Ibn Sir"ns dictionary of dreams is a well-known fabrication.

Any book that is an encyclopedia of dream interpretation is something you should
avoid. Some books compile the dream interpretations of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam), which is good. The reason why you cant have a dream interpretation guide
is because symbols are relative and vary from culture to culture, civilization to
civilization, place to place, and even season to season. Seeing an apple in the spring is
not the same as seeing an apple in the fall. It is very relative to ones culture and
understanding.

This is a science that All!h blesses His chosen servants with. Generally speaking, the
more pious and the more truthful you are, the more you will understand this dream
interpretation. The symbols that you see are never taken at face value. You may see
something sacrilegious or blasphemous, but dont interpret it in that manner. There
might be something you dont understand.

110

In the chapter on clothing, Bukh!r" says that dragging ones clothing beneath the ankle
is forbidden. Then in this chapter, he mentions what it means if it is in a dream. In this
"ad#th, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is saying that a shirt means the religion,
and the longer the shirt, the better the religion. Umar b. al-Kha))!b has such a long
shirt, it is dragging behind him.

If someone says that the shirt generally means the religion, we say yes because the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) himself interpreted it. However, not every shirt
means religion and it could mean something else in another context. Therefore, you
cannot even make a general rule out of it. In this "ad#th, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) interpreted the shirt to mean religion. Also, the point Bukh!r" wants to
derive is that you may see something sacrilegious or "ar%m in a dream, but that is
interpretation. Bukh!r" believed that dragging the garments below the ankles is always
"ar%m, but when you see it in a dream, it has a positive connotation.

There was a program in Saudi on the radio in which scholars would give fat%wa. Shaykh
Bin B!z would appear on this show, and a lady called in one day and said, I saw a
dream. I saw a man doing *aw%f around the Kabah naked. Realize that if a dream is
from All!h, you will not see the vulgarity but will know it. Shaykh Bin B!z said, This is
a very positive dream! This is a dream signifying that this man is forgiven. Where did
he derive this from? He is referencing a "ad#th: Whoever does (ajj or Umrah, he goes
back as if it was the day his mother gave birth to him. This is a man whose sins have
been forgiven. The lady said, Should I tell this man what I saw? He said, Yes. She
said, Shaykh, it was you. The shaykh then began crying.

This is a gift that All!h gives to people. If someone comes to you with a positive dream,
do not interpret the dream if you are not qualified to interpret it. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) warned, A dream is like something hanging over you and
waiting to fall. If someone interprets it, it falls down. Let qualified people interpret
dreams.

Having good dreams is a sign of piety. Having other people have good dreams about
you is also a sign of piety. It is possible to see the living or dead in dreams.

111

Book 94: The Book of Desi res

Chapter 5: Desi ri ng the Qur %n and knowl edge

sai d, There i s no j eal ousy except f or two: a man whom Al l %h has gi ven the
Qur %n to, and he reci tes i t throughout the day and ni ght, and so someone says,
If onl y I too had what he had, I woul d do as he di d; and a man whom Al l %h has
gi ven money to, and he spends i t f or Al l %h s sake, so someone says, If onl y I too
had what he had, I woul d do as he di d.

! The Book of Desires?
! The meaning of the phrase There is no jealousy
! Being given the Qur!n (or knowledge) is not enough one must preach it and act
upon it.

This is the first motivational self-help book written by man. Bukh!r" is telling us what
our goals in life should be. It tells us what we should be our motivational factors. As a
Muslim, your motivations should be Islamic in nature. This is a "ad#th we all know, but
Bukh!r" puts it in the Book of Desires to show that this is the sign of a true Muslim:
having desire for the Qur!n and knowledge. Every single Muslim should feel greedy
for more Qur!n and more knowledge. Just like many of us feel greedy for more money
and want to earn more to spend more, we should have positive greediness and never be
satisfied with knowledge.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Two seekers are never satisfied: the one
who is seeking this duny% and the one who is seeking ilm. (Mustadrak of al-$!kim,
authentic). Knowledge is addictive, and once youve tasted it, you will never let go.
Bukh!r" is saying that the true Muslim should always have desires for more Qur!n and
knowledge.

(asad means you want to be like somebody else. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) is saying that if someone is wealthier than you, you shouldnt have a desire to be
like him just because he is wealthy. If somebody is more powerful than you, you
shouldnt be wondering how you can be like him. You should want to emulate the one
who is always involved with the Qur!n and recites it throughout the day and night and
a person who is generous with his money and gives it for the sake of All!h. The true
Muslim sets as his role model righteous people: people of knowledge, #m%n and taqwa.

What is your vision in your life? Where is your goal taking you? You should have a
vision of more Qur!n and more money for the sake of charity. More knowledge and
more action. This is a book all of you should read from cover to cover.

112

Book 95: The Chapter of Akhb%r al -&"%d

Chapter 4: Regardi ng the f act that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am)
woul d send envoys and messengers, one by one.

And Ibn , Abb%s sai d, The Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sent Di "yah
al -Kal b# wi th hi s l etter to the governor of Bosra to del i ver to the Emperor of
Rome.

7264. Ibn , Abb%s narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) sent
hi s l etter to the Khusraw so he (f i rst) sent i t to the rul er of Bahrai n, who then
del i vered i t to Khusraw. When the Khusraw read i t, he tore i t up. (One of the
narrators sai d: So the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) prayed agai nst
them that they too be torn up i n each and every way. )

! What is the purpose of this Book?
! Definition of khabar al-w%"id.
! Opinions regarding acceptance of khabar al-w%"id.
! Some evidences for the correct opinion
! The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) reached out to the two mightiest rulers of
his time; what have we done?

What is akhb%r al-%"%d, and why does Bukh!r" put this in the third to last chapter? In
the time of Im%m Bukh!r", many people began rejecting "ad#th, but it was not in the way
people reject "ad#th in our times. For modernists and progressives today, all a"ad#th are
out the window. In Bukh!r"s time, they would reject "ad#th by rejecting one section of
it: akhb%r al-%"%d, which means solitary chains and one isn%d. They only accepted
a"ad#th if they had lots of chains (mutaw%tir), and they would not accept them if there
was only one or two chains. This group is the precursor to the modern group of the
Qur%niy)n. The purpose of this chapter is to prove that when you have an authentic
isn%d, then you will believe in the "ad#th and act upon it. This is of the tenets of our
religion.

He has many different evidences. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would send
messengers one by one. The very fact that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
would send one person to Heraclius, Khusraw, and leaders and the the rulers did not
say that they would not accept one messenger. The very fact that one trustworthy
person is being sent shows that when a trustworthy person comes to you, you must
accept what he says and follow and believe in it. The same applies to the "ad#th of the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam).

In this chapter, he mentions in the chapter heading Ibn %Abb!ss statement. Bosra is a
city in modern Syria. It is the closest Syrian city to Arabia. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) sent a letter to Bosra, and the purpose was to deliver to the emperor of
113

Rome. He sent one person with the letter, which shows that one trustworthy person is
enough to convey the message.

Ibn ,Abb%s narrated that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) sent his letter to the Khusraw
so he (first) sent it to the ruler of Bahrain, who then delivered it to Khusraw. When the Khusraw
read it, he tore it up. (One of the narrators said: So the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
prayed against them that they too be torn up in each and every way.)
The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Tear them to shreds as they tore my
letter to shreds. The collapse of the Sasanid Empire was such an amazing
phenomenon that until this day, people are wondering how it happened. This mighty
nation crumbled in two or three years. The Romans fought them for 400 years. Within
three years, this mighty nation collapsed. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
made du% against them, which is why it collapsed.

The purpose here is to show that each and every solitary narration with an authentic
isn%d must be acted upon and believed. He mentions many evidences with regards to
this and of them is sending solitary messengers to Rome and Persia. Also of the
evidences is the famous story of changing the qiblah. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) was facing Jerusalem in 'al%tl-fajr. Between fajr and .uhr, All!h revealed that
you have to face Makkah, so he prayed .uhr facing Makkah. The people who prayed
.uhr with him spread out into Mad"nah and reached what is now Masjid Qiblatayn where
they were praying 'al%tl-a'r facing Jerusalem. One person screamed out and said, O
people of the masjid, I just came from .uhr in the masjid of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) and we had changed our direction to Makkah. That is when they turned
upon. Bukh!r" says they acted upon one or two people.

To this day, there are many groups who wont accept akhb%r al-%"%d in theology, but
Bukh!r" has an entire chapter proving akhb%r al-%"%d.

114

Book 96: The Book of Hol di ng on to the Qur !n and
Sunnah

Chapter Ten: Regardi ng the statement of the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am), There shal l remai n a group f rom my Ummah cl earl y upon the truth,
and they are the peopl e of knowl edge.

7311. al -Mugh# rah b. Shu, bah narrated that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa
sal l am) sai d, There shal l remai n a group f rom my Ummah, cl earl y upon the
truth, unti l the decree of Al l %h comes, even whi l e they are sti l l apparent.

! What is the purpose of this Book?
! All!hs blessings on the Ummah by protecting the truth.
! What is the Victorious Group?
! What is the meaning of clearly upon the truth?
! What is the decree of All!h?

Bukh!r" is building up to a conclusion and giving us a lot of theology. He wants us to be
firm in our Islam and says we need to hold onto the Qur!n and Sunnah. He quotes the
famous "ad#th regarding the statement of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam):
There shall always remain a group from my Ummah clearly upon the truth. Bukh!r"
says the saved group who will always be guided are the people of knowledge (ahll-ilm).

There shall remain a group from my ummah clearly upon the truth until the decree of All%h
comes, even while they are still apparent.
The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) predicted that the ummah will always have the
truth clearly known. This shows that if anyone comes with a new fiqh opinion that has
never been heard before or new aq#dah that no one has heard before, then we tell this
person that he is severely misguided. We will have the truth open and clear. Sunni
theology has always been the majority theology of the ummah, and it has been clear
about its aq#dah from day one. Overall, the respect of the 'a"%bah, the following of the
Qur!n and Sunnah, and the basic tenets of aq#dah have been clear.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, There shall remain a group from my
ummah clearly upon the truth... Notice that it has nothing to do with political power.
He didnt say that they will be the rulers or that they will always have the upper hand
in any battle. He said they shall be speaking the truth. The truth will not remain
hidden. Sometimes they will have political power and sometimes they wont.
Sometimes theyll be the majority in some lands and sometimes the minority. Neither
quantity nor political victories have anything to do with the truth.

The truth has continuity and consistency. The same theology from the very beginning
of time. There will not be a change in the fundamentals of Islam. Therefore, anybody
who comes with a new interpretation (Islam v. 2.0), we tell him that there is something
115

wrong with him. Our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) has predicted that there will
be a continuity from the beginning of time until the end of time.

The end of times is until the decree of All!h comes. Ibn $ajar said, The decree of All!h
is the wind that will blow from Yemen. It is not the Day of Judgment. When the
trumpet is blown, no Muslim will hear the trumpet blown. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) said, The trumpet will be blown on the worst of humanity. No
Muslim will be alive when the trumpet is blown. When +sa b. Maryam will return and
kill al-Dajj%l and the followers of al-Dajj%l and when he will be with the Muslims, this will
be the best time on earth. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The wolves
will play with the sheep and the children will play with the lions. Ultimate peace on
earth. There will be no fitnah for a period of time. Then All!h will send a beautiful
wind from Yemen (and some said Syria). This wind will cause every believer to die, and
the only people left will be those with no #m%n and that is when the Qur!n will be lifted
up. This is when the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said dogs will be going into his
masjid. There will be no Muslims on earth. The Kabah will be destroyed. The Qur!n
will be lifted up. Nobody on earth will say, All!h, All!h. This will be the worst of
times.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) called it clearly upon the truth and said that
they are the helped party / aided party. Who is the aided party? Im%m Bukh!r" says,
They are the ulem%. The truth will always be amongst the ulem% of our religion.
Realize that when Bukh!r" is writing this book, there is only one group in all of Islam
who had ulem%, which is Sunni Islam. The Qadariyyah did not study "ad#th or Qur!n.
The Sh"a had no academic books at all at this time. The Mutazilah are reading
Aristotle and Plato. There is only one group at this time who had ulem%. No other
groups had academic study of Islam at this time. This is why the Sh"a have no books
written before 250 AH. Afterwards they wrote books. After Bukh!r" they have to
pretend to be academic and have their own aq#dah and fiqh and books of "ad#th. When
Bukh!r" wrote his book, there was only one group that studied with scholars and took
notes and memorized the Qur!n and Sunnah, which was ahll-sunnah wal-jamaah and
what we call Sunni Islam.

Bukh!r" says, This group are the ulem% of Islam. We can retranslate that as the
ulem% of Sunni Islam. The truth will always be found amongst them. If somebody
wants to know which movement is the correct movement, look at which movement
goes back to the beginning and which movements theology goes back to the beginning.
In Islam, we always emphasize theology. In fiqh, even the 'a"%bah differed. Aq#dah has
never had any ikhtil%f. The 'a"%bah did not have differences in theology. Go back and
see who has the continuous theology.

This second to last book is on holding onto the Qur!n and Sunnah, which is only ahll-
sunnah wal-jam%ah.

116

Book 97: The Book of Taw"# d (and refuti ng the
Jahmi tes and others)

Chapter 23: Regardi ng the statement of Al l %h The angel s ascend up, and the
Spi ri t wi thi n them [70: 4], and Hi s sayi ng, To Hi m ascends up a good word,
and He i s the one who rai ses up a ri ghteous deed. [35: 10]

It reached Ab) Dharr that the Prophet ('al l al l %hu al ayhi wa sal l am) had
decl ared hi msel f a prophet, so he asked hi s brother, Fi nd out f or me
i nf ormati on about thi s man who cl ai ms that news comes to hi m f rom the
Heavens.

And Muj %hi d sai d, A good deed rai ses up a good word.
And the phrase The One of Ascensi on Dhi -l -ma %ri j , means: the angel s ascend
to Hi m.

sai d, The angel s of the day and the angel s of the ni ght take shi f ts, and they
meet together at , A'r ti me and Faj r ti me. So the batch that spent the ni ght (or
ti me ) wi th you ascends up, and He asks them even though He i s more
knowl edgeabl e than them: How di d you l eave My servants? So they say, We
l ef t them and they were prayi ng and we came to them and they were prayi ng.

! The purpose of the Book and the status of al-Bukh!r" as a theologian.
! The title of the Book.
! Who are the Jahmites? And who are the others?
! The Jahmites opinion regarding the question Where is All!h and the controversy
that it began.
! Im%m al-Bukh!r"s opinion and some of his evidences.

Ibn $ajar said, In some ancient manuscripts, I found this subtitle as well. In the time
of Bukh!r", there was a group called the Jahmiyyah (also called the Mutazilah), and
their main criterion was that they would understand All!hs Attributes allegorically
and metaphorically. In this book, Bukh!r" lays out his theology refuting the deviant
groups of the Jahmiyyah and Mutazilah. Anyone interested in theology should study
this book and compare our theology with their theology and see which one has the
most Orthodox theology.

A "ad#th is in the chapter heading of Chapter 23. This chapter is about a simple
theological concept. In the time of Bukh!r", the Jahmiyyah were the first group to say
that All!h is everywhere. Jahm b. .afw!n said, All!h is everywhere. He is like the air
all around us. Bukh!r" wanted to show the Islamic opinion that All!h is above us. In
Bukh!r"s time, there were only two opinions: All!h is everywhere (Jahmiyyah) and
All!h is above us. After the time of Bukh!r" in 320 AH, a third opinion came, which is
117

the opinion of the groups of kal%m: All!h is not everywhere but All!h is nowhere, All!h
is neither above nor below nor left nor right nor in the front nor in the back, All!h has
no direction.

Bukh!r" clearly has the position that All!h is above. The Qur!n is full of hundreds of
references to All!h being above us. They fear their Lord who is above them. He is
the One who is incomparable above His creation. To Him goes up the good word, and
He raises up the good deeds. The angels go up to Him. The Qur!n comes down.
The ra"mah of All!h comes down. The concept of isr% wal-mir%j: why does the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) need to go up if All!h is everywhere? There are
hundreds of thousands of references in the Qur!n and Sunnah is that All!h is above. Of
His Names is Al-Ala (The Highest). Bukh!r" in this chapter also quotes that the highest
of the Jann%t is Jannatl-Firdaws and above it is the Throne of All!h and above the Throne
is All!h. All!h is the Highest of all. Nothing is above All!h.

Im%m Muslim also has a chapter saying that All!h is above us, and in it he has the
famous "ad#th of the deaf slave girl: A 'a"%b# has to free a Muslim slave because he has
committed a sin. He wants to test if she is Muslim but she cannot speak, so the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) says, Where is All!h? She points to the heavens. He asks,
Who am I? She makes a signal meaning All!h has sent you. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) said, Free her, she is a mumin.

All of these evidences clearly show that All!h azza wa jall is above. The persons fi*rah
shouts this out. Even the k%fir when he makes du% looks up because he knows that
All!h is above. The Qur!n, Sunnah, ijm%, 'a"%bah, fi*rah, common sense, aql all of the
evidences tell us that All!h is above us. Bukh!r" refutes this claim that All!h is
everywhere and says that All!h is above.

The angels of the day and the angels of the night take shifts, and they meet together at ,A'r time
and Fajr time. So the batch that spent the night (or time) with you ascends up, and He asks them
even though He is more knowledgeable than them: How did you leave My servants? So they
say, We left them and they were praying and we came to them and they were praying.
The angels of the night go up at fajr, and the angels of the day are coming down, so they
meet each other at that time. At ,a'r time, the angels of the day go back up and the
angels of the night come back down. They take shifts. All!h asks the batch that spent
the night with you when they go up even though He knows the answer How did
you leave My servants? If you are good Muslims praying fajr and praying ,a'r, the
angels wil say, O All!h, we left them when they were praying, and we came back to
them and they were praying. The point is that the angels are going up to All!h, and
All!h is asking them. The entire Qur!n and Sunnah are full of evidences that All!h
(sub"%nahu wa ta%la) is above us.

A lot of people ask: If the earth is round, how can All!h be above? What is above for
us is below for Australia. The simple answer is: Dont put All!h in a 3D coordinate
system. All!h created time and space and is free of the imperfections of time and space.
If anybody studies a little bit of physics and Einsteins theory of relativity, your mind
118

automatically begins to wonder about different dimensions. If our minds can
comprehend that there are other dimensions beyond three, then we begin to
understand that when you look at the world from a 2D or 3D perspective and the
difference between them, there may be other ways that All!h is above the entire
creation in its dimensions in a way that befits Him. All!h is above in a manner that
befits Him. This clearly shows us Bukh!r"s theological position which goes against the
Jahmiyyah and the modern group of kal%m who say that All!h is nowhere and you
cannot describe All!h with a direction.

Chapter 58: Regardi ng Al l %h s statement: And We shal l pl ace the scal es wi th
j usti ce f or the Day of Judgment [21: 47], and that both the acti ons and
statements of the Chi l dren of &dam wi l l be wei ghed.

And Muj %hi d sai d: Qi s*%s means j usti ce i n Lati n.

sai d, Two words are bel oved to al -Ra"m%n, l i ght on the tongue, heavy i n the
scal es: sub"%n Al l %h wa bi "amdi h, sub"%n Al l %h al - a.# m.

! The English word justice comes from a word in Middle English from the 1200,
which itself comes from ancient French, which itself comes from the Latin noun
i)stus. This Latin noun is also the basis for the Arabic word qis*%s. So: Are there are
equivalent English/Arabic words in the Qur!n?

Bukh!r" in the chapter heading mentions Muj!hids statement that qis*%s means justice
in Latin. Bukh!r" likes to interpret difficult words as part of his methodology. Then he
mentions the very last "ad#th in Bukh!r".

This "ad#th seems to be completely out of place just like the "ad#th on intentions was
out of place in the beginning. This "ad#th has nothing to do with All!hs Attributes, and
the whole book is about All!hs Attributes. He finishes with the weighing of the scales
on the Day of Judgment. It seems out of place.

In reality, we see the genius of Bukh!r" by finishing this book with this "ad#th. If you
think about it, there is not a more perfect "ad#th to conclude such a work of genius.

Qis*%s means justice in Latin. Qis*%s is not an Arabic word. It comes from the Latin
i)stus. There are some words in the Qur!n whose origins go back to non-Arabic
languages, but these non-Arabic words have been adopted by the Arabs and they have
used them. The Arabs adopted words from other languages (Sanskrit, Roman, Latin,
Persian). They began using them, and the Qur!n has references to them. Istabraq is a
Persian word. Sundus is a Hindi/Sanskrit word.

There are some words that go back to Latin. Our own language, English, goes back to
ancient and middle English to a version of Latin. Our language goes back to some of the
words that may have made their way down to the Qur!n. We can say rather crudely
119

it is not exactly true that there may be English words in the Qur!n (this is not exactly
true). There may be words in English that originated from something that also went
into Arabic and are found in the Qur!n.

I)stus became qis*%s in Arabic and justice in English. There are some parallels between
English and Qur!nic words. Another example: al-s%tt#r and history.

! This is the last had#th in al-Bukh!r" why?
- The emphasis on qis*%s
- The deeds of a human will be weighed, and he wants his deeds in compiling this
book to be weighed
- He begins with intentions, and he ends with reward for that intention.
- He also alludes to the fact that the last word should be praising All!h.
- And especially, the last words of praise should be tasb#".

Why is this "ad#th the last "ad#th of Bukh!r"? What is so profound about it? This is
where Bukh!r"s genius comes into play. This "ad#th appears out of place at first glance.
When you think about it, you get an amazing series of facts that makes complete sense,
and there is a profound message that Bukh!r" wants to impart.

The first "ad#th was: All actions are judged by intentions. The last chapter title is the
actions and statements of the Children of &dam will be weighed. i.e.: If you had the
right intentions and did your job properly, by the time you get to the end of this book
and if you have acted upon it, - and for his sake, by the time he finished writing the
book I hope and pray that all of my actions and statements will be weighed properly
on the Day of Judgment and cause me to enter Jannah. The very last thing before
Jannah is the weighing of the scales. The actions will be weighed if the intentions were
right. By now, if you have finished the book and in his case he has finished writing the
book, he hopes and prays his entire life spent with this book will be weighed on the Day
of Judgment. He begins the book with niyyah, and he ends it with the fruits of the
niyyah, which is physically showing and demonstrating that those deeds will be
weighed.

Also, it is of our Sunnah that we should conclude everything with praising All!h and
saying tasb#". By concluding his book with praising All!h (sub"%nahu wa ta%la), he is
emphasizing that the last phrase should always be tasb#". With this beautiful "ad#th, he
summarizes everything by bringing forth the tasb#" of All!h, the praise of All!h, and by
showing and demonstrating that he wants to have his deeds weighed on the Day of
Judgment.

! Although this is the conclusion, let this be the beginning of our real relationship
with the traditions of our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), and especially with
the !a"#" of Im%m al-Bukh!r"

I sincerely pray this is the beginning of the relationship with the a"ad#th of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) and especially with the !a"#" of Bukh!r".
120

What have we covered in this course? Aq#dah, history, 'a"%bah, s#rah, the beginning of
creation, issues of fiqh, tafs#r of Qur!n, sciences of "ad#th, dreams, heart-softeners,
human psychology and emotion and dreams. By studying a"ad#th, you enter into the
realm of all of Islam, and it is as if you lived with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam).

All!h azza wa jall blessed the 'a"%bah to see the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). We
do not have that luxury, but the closest we can come is to live in the "ad#th and to make
hijrah intellectually to the time of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). It is as if we
can imagine being in front of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) seeing these
a"ad#th happen in front of us and seeing the incidents of the life of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). It is as if we are living with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) and experiencing his times.

Shaykh Yasirs sincere advice to all of us is to let this be the beginning of a new
relationship with the "ad#th and s#rah of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). Every
day read a little bit of "ad#th. If the !a"#" is still daunting for you, start with Riyadh al-
Saliheen and then move on to summarized Bukh!r" and then summarized Muslim.
Then you will have a healthy relationship with the "ad#th and s#rah of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam). As you learn, try to implement so that perhaps in All!hs
Mercy because of our love for the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) we might be
resurrected with him even if our deeds dont take us to that level. Perhaps our love for
him and the feelings of tenderness we have raises us to a level above our deeds.

I sincerely pray, brothers and sisters, that as All!h has gathered us here today to study
the a"ad#th of the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), I pray that All!h (sub"%nahu wa
ta%la) gathers us with the Prophet Mu(ammad ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) on the Day of
Judgment and that we drink from his hands at al-"aw+ a drink that will make us never
thirsty after that. I pray that we are with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) as he
crosses over the 'ir%*. I pray that we are with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) as
he enters into Jannah. I pray that we are with the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
in Jannatl-Firdaws al-Al%.

Everything that was said that is of benefit to you is from All!h, and everything that was
said that is a mistake is from me and the whispers of Shay*%n.

121

Appendi ces
Yasi r Qadhi | The Defi ni ti on of Travel (saf ar) Accordi ng to
Isl ami c Law | Part 1

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/07/01/yasir-qadhi-the-definition-of-
%E2%80%98travel%E2%80%99-safar-according-to-islamic-law-part-1/

One of the five main principles upon which Islamic law is based (i.e., the Legal Maxims,
or al-Qaw%,id al-Fiqhiyya) is: Difficulty begets ease (al-mashaqqa tajlib al-tays#r). This
principle is manifested throughout all of the rules of fiqh, and in particular that of
travel (safar). A traveler may shorten the prayers (qa'r), combine them (jam,), and be
legally permitted to break the fast of Ramadan (fi*r).

There are explicit evidences from the Quran, the Sunnah, and unanimous consensus of
the scholars of Islam that allow a traveler to shorten his or her prayers.

The Quran says, And if you travel in the land, there is no sin on you that you shorten
your prayers (taq'ur) min al-'al%t) if you fear that the unbelievers may harm you. [S)ra
al-Nis%-:101].

The verse seems to suggest that fear is a necessary condition, along with travel, in
order to shorten the prayer. However, even though the verse mentions fear as a
condition, it is no longer a requirement. Umar b. al-Kha))!b was asked how it was still
permissible to shorten prayers even though there was no fear remaining. He replied,
I asked the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam the exact same question, and he said,
This is a charity that Allah has given to you, so accept His charity [Reported by
Muslim]. In other words, Allah has graciously lifted the condition mentioned and
allowed Muslims to shorten even if there is no fear of impending attack by enemy
forces.

It is narrated in numerous traditions that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam
would shorten every four-unit prayer to two-units whenever he was traveling in fact,
he never prayed any four-unit prayer while in a state of travel.[1]

Hence, there is unanimous consensus amongst all the scholars of Islam that a traveler
who is undertaking a legitimate journey may shorten the four-unit prayers to two.[2]
[Note that the issue of combining (jam,) is a separate one, and there is a difference of
opinion regarding the permissibility of combining prayers while traveling].

The question that arises, however, is: when does one legally become a traveler? And
for how long may one continue to shorten the prayer?

To answer this question, we will divide this article into two sections. Firstly, we shall
discuss the opinions of scholars regarding the distance that constitutes travel. This
122

will also require us to go into a tangent and convert the distances narrated in the
classical and medieval textbooks into modern measurements. Secondly, we shall
discuss the opinions of the scholars regarding the time-duration that is required for the
status of a traveler to change into a resident once he arrives at some destination.

1. The Distance that Constitutes Travel

The distance that constitutes travel is one of the most highly contested issues amongst
the early scholars of Islamic law, so much so that Ibn al-Mundhir (d. 310/922)
mentioned close to twenty opinions on this matter. For the purposes of our article, we
shall concentrate on the four most famous opinions.

1.1 First Opinion: A three-day journey

What is meant by a three-day journey is the distance that a traveler on a camel of
average speed would traverse in three complete days.

This is the position of the Companion Ibn Mas%#d, some of the famous scholars of Kufa
such as al-Sha%b" (d. 105/723) and al-Nakha%" (d. 96/714), and the standard position of
the $anaf" school of law.

They based this figure on the famous hadith in which the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa
sallam said, It is not allowed for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day that
she travel for a distance of three days without her father, son, husband, brother or any
ma"ram [Reported by Muslim]. They reasoned from this hadith that the Prophet
called the distance of three days a travel, hence this can be taken as a definition for
what constitutes traveling.

Another evidence that they used was the hadith pertaining to wiping over the socks, in
which the Prophet allowed a traveler to wipe over his socks for a period of three
days and nights [Reported by Muslim]. The $anaf"s reasoned that since the Prophet
'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam set a particular time limit in place, this demonstrates that
anyone traveling a distance less than a three-day journey would not be allowed to wipe
over his socks, which would then imply that he would not be a traveler.

1.2 Second Opinion: A two-day journey

This is the famous opinion of the $anbal"s, Sh!f%"s and M!lik"s (note that even within
these schools there are other opinions as well, as shall be pointed out in the next
section). This opinion has also been reported from Ibn %Abb!s, Ibn %Umar, Ibn Shih!b al-
Zuhr" (d. 129/746), and others. From amongst the modern scholars, this is the opinion
of Ibn Baz (d. 1999) and the fatwa of the Permanent Committee of Scholars of Saudi
Arabia. It is claimed that this is the majority opinion of the classical scholars of Islam.

Their evidence is the fact that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam said, It is not
allowed for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day that she travels for a
123

distance of two days without a ma"ram [Reported by Muslim]. They also used the
action of Ibn %Umar as an evidence, for it is reported that he would shorten his prayers
if he traveled the distance of four bar#ds (i.e., two days, as we shall discuss later in this
article) [Reported by Imam Malik in his Muwa**a].

1.3 Third Opinion: A one-day journey

This was the opinion of Imam al-Bukhar" (d. 256/869) which he explicitly mentions in
his !a"#". It has also been attributed as a second opinion within the three schools of the
last opinion (viz., the $anbal"s, Sh!f%"s and M!lik"s). [It will be explained later why this
second opinion for these three schools is not in essence different from their first one].

The famous scholar of Syria, al-Awz!%" (d. 151/768), said, This is the opinion of the
majority of scholars, and we hold it as well. Amongst the modern scholars, this is the
opinion of our teacher Mu(ammad b. Mu(ammad al-Mukht!r al-Shanq")".

Their evidence for this is the fact that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam said, It
is not allowed for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day that she travels for a
distance of one day without a ma"ram [Reported by al-Bukh!r"]. Al-Bukh!r"
commented on this hadith by saying, So it is clear that the Prophet called [the
traveling of] one day and night a travel.

They also use as evidence the statement of Ibn %Abb!s, when he was asked by a person
residing in Makkah, Should I shorten when I go to Mina or Arafat? He said, No! But if
you go to Taif, or Jeddah, or travel an entire days journey, then do so. But if you travel
less than that, then do not shorten.[3] Therefore, he expressed an entire days
journey as being the minimal limit for shortening the prayers.

1.4 Fourth Opinion: It is not defined by distance but by experience

What is meant by this opinion is that a journey is not defined by how much one has
traveled but by what one does and how one prepares for it. According to this opinion, a
journey is not a particular distance as much as it is a physical and psychological
experience.

This is the opinion of Ibn $azm (d. 456/1064) (although he placed a minimum of one
mile), Ibn Qudama (d. 610/1213), Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1327), Ibn al-Qayyim (d.
756/1355), al-.an%!n" (d. 1182/1768), al-Shawkan" (d. 1250/1834), and others. It has been
interpreted to be the opinion of Ibn Mas%#d, %Uthm!n b. %Aff!n, and Ibn Sir"n. In fact,
there is an explicit statement from Ibn Sir"n which shows that this opinion might have
been more prevalent in the past, for he states, They used to say that a travel in which
one may shorten the prayer is a journey in which one takes provisions and baggage.[4]
Amongst the modern scholars, it is the opinion of Ibn %Uthaym"n (d. 2000) and Ibn Jibr"n
(d. 2010).

Their evidence is the lack of any Scriptural evidence that defines travel, and hence the
124

necessity of resorting to what is culturally understood to be travel.

Ibn Taymiyya was perhaps the most vocal proponent of this opinion. He disagreed with
any specific distance that other scholars sought to derive. According to him, there is no
explicit evidence from the Quran, Sunnah, language or custom of that generation that
would be binding on later Muslims. He views the distances that the legal schools and
other scholars adopted as having been resorted to because these scholars did not find
anything more explicit to demarcate the distance required to be considered a traveler.
In fact, all three of the previous opinions use the same basic hadith that prevents
women from traveling without a male companion yet, as is obvious, each hadith uses
a different limit. This in itself shows that the intention of the hadith is not to define the
distance of what constitutes travel.

Ibn Taymiyya writes,[5]

So demarcating a specific distance does not have any basis in the Shariah, or in the
language, or in the intellect. Most people, in fact, do not know the distance of the earth,
so it is not allowed to link something that the average Muslim is in need of (i.e., when
to shorten the prayer) with something that he does not know (i.e., how much he has
traveled). No one measured the earth during the time of the Prophet, nor did the
Prophet himself put limits, neither in m#ls nor in far%sikh (units of measurement). And a
person might leave his village to go to the desert in order to collect wood, and he leaves
for two or three days, and he will be a traveler, even though the distance might be less
than a mile! In contrast to this, another person might go [a longer distance] and come
back the same day, and he will not be a traveler. This is because the first person will
take provision for the journey, and bags [with his necessities], whereas the second
person will not. Therefore, even a near distance can be considered a travel if someone
stays for a period of time, and a longer distance will not be considered a travel if a
person stays for a short period. A travel is therefore defined by the actions that are
required in order for that journey to be called traveling and this is a matter that
people recognize by their own customs.

Ibn Taymiyya did, however, place a condition that such a travel be considered a travel
according to ones custom, such that a person would prepare for a journey and travel
into the wilderness (meaning, an uninhabited area). Hence, if a person visited an
outlying district of a city (in Ibn Taymiyyas explicit example, if a person living in
Damascus visited a small population outside of Damascus), even if this distance was
considered large, this would not constitute travel, as this is not considered traveling
for a person in this situation.

Therefore, according to Ibn Taymiyya, a travel is not merely a distance but also a
frame of mind. Someone who leaves his house, intending to return the same evening, is
not a traveler, even if (as in our times) he travels to another country and then returns.
Ibn %Uthaym"n also holds the same position.[6]

Ibn Taymiyya also pointed out that this interpretation was in accordance with the very
125

word safar in Arabic, because this word indicates exposure. Thus, a woman who
exposes her face is called s%fira. Therefore, a safar would be a journey in which a
person exposes himself/herself to the wilderness by abandoning the cities and towns
and journeying into an uninhabited area.

To be continued

Part Two deals with converting these measurements into modern units.

[1] Ibn Taymiyya, Majm)- al-Fat%w%, 24/8.

[2] Ibn Hubayra, al-If'%", 2/55. There is some disagreement regarding someone who
travels for an impermissible purpose, such as a businessman who travels to engage in
an impermissible transaction; that tangent will not be discussed in our article.

[3] %Abd al-Razz!q, al-Mu'annaf, # 4296.

[4] Ibn Ab" Shaybah, al-Mu'annaf, # 8153. Also see Ibn Taymiyya, Majm)- al-Fat%w%1,
24/86-7.

[5] Majm)- al-Fat%w%, 24/15.

[6] Ibn %Uthaym"n, Majm)- Fat%wa, 15/255.

126



Continued from Part 1

1.5 The Distance in Modern Measurements

So what exactly does a days journey mean? Not surprisingly, there is no easy method
of converting classical measurements into modern ones. It appears that many
researchers (classical and modern) did not pay due attention to scientifically
converting such measurements into modern ones. What follows is my brief attempt to
illustrate the hurdles that one faces.

The standard units of measurement for travel during early Islam were the farsakh and
the bar#d. However, the Prophetic traditions use the term days travel. So the first
issue at hand is to convert the Prophetic days travel into the classical terms of farsakh
and bar#d. Before we even begin that, let us first define these terms and establish a
relationship between them.

A bar#d was a distance that a messenger fcould travel before he needed to stop to allow
his animal to rest. If the message was urgent, then at the end of every bar#d there would
be a fresh animal waiting for him. Eventually, the term began to be applied to the
messenger himself and then to the actual message, hence modern Arabs still call the
postal service bar#d.[1]

A farsakh appears to be a Persian measurement that the Arabs adopted (it was also
adopted by the British and called a league). Most early works mention that four
farsakhs make up one bar#d.[2] So it can be said that each bar#d is divided into four
smaller units of a farsakh (plural is far%sikh).

1 bar#d = 4 far%sikh

So far, so good. Now the real confusion begins.

The first real issue is: How many bar#ds can be traversed in a 24-hour period?
Unfortunately, this is not something that is unanimously agreed upon, and it is this
difference of conversion that results in one difference of opinion over the number of
days required to consider someone a traveler.

Collectively, the $anbal"s, Sh!f%"s and M!lik"s all agreed that the distance of travel was
four bar#ds. However, they disagreed amongst themselves as to what exactly this meant
in terms of days of travel. Some within these schools said that in any 24-hour period, a
127

maximum of two bar#ds could be traversed; other scholars within these same schools,
however, said that four bar#ds could be traversed in one 24-hour period. It is because of
this conversion difference that these three schools of law had opinions of both one-day
and two-days as being the minimal amount of travel.

One days travel = EITHER two bar#ds OR four bar#ds [both opinions held]

What is important for us to note is that these three schools were in agreement with the
limit as being four bar#ds.

Therefore, for the three schools,

Shar%" distance of travel = 4 bar#ds = 16 far%sikh [For the 3 schools]

This is the opinion of the schools of law other than the $anaf" school. As for the
$anaf"s, they also disagreed regarding how many farsakhs can be traversed in a day
[and there is significant disagreement amongst their own scholars as well].

In order to simplify matters, the majority opinion within the $anaf" school appears to
be that five far%sikh can be traveled in a 24-hour period [note that some $anaf" scholars
said six, some said seven].[3]

Thus, for this school:

Shar%" distance of travel = 3-day journey = 3 days x 5 far%sikh/day = 15 far%sikh [$anaf"
school]

Ironically, even though the $anaf"s have a larger quantity in terms of travel days,
because the actual journey traveled per day is shorter, the net difference was not of
great significance.

Therefore, in the end, all four schools of law are relatively close to one another in terms
of far%sikh (16 or 15).

The second dilemma that we face is: How exactly does one translate a farsakh into the
modern measurements of miles and kilometers? Obviously, depending on ones
estimate of a farsakh, the distance of a days journey will vary accordingly.

Here is where we encounter our first serious problem.

We begin by pointing out that many medieval texts define a farsakh as being 3 m#ls. M#l
is, of course, how the Arabs pronounce the word mile. This would be absolutely
perfect, until we understand that this m#l is not the equivalent of the modern mile! It
appears that the Arabs got this word (as did the Romance languages) from the Roman
m#llia, which they (i.e., the Romans) measured as a thousand paces by foot. A pace was
defined to be a full stride of a Roman soldier (in our understanding, that would be two
128

steps, one with each foot). It has been estimated that this Roman mile was actually
around five-thousand feet (in our current understanding of feet). It was only centuries
later that the English Parliament standardized the exact length of miles and feet, and
decreed that 1 mile = 5280 feet (around 1.6 km). [Why and how they came up with
number is really beyond the scope of this article our readers are already confused by
now, and those who are interested may look this tidbit up in any encyclopedia].

While the Arabs took the name from the Romans, they did not take the same
measurement. It is also claimed that the Roman soldiers step was considerably larger
than the average step of other ethnicities, especially those who had shorter statures.

The Roman m#llia was adopted by many different cultures. Therefore, to distinguish this
Arab version of the mile from other adopted versions, it was called the Hashemite
mile. Other versions of the mile were the Russian, the Danish, the Portuguese, and the
German (not to mention the Nautical Mile, which is different from land equivalents).

Our scholars did attempt to define this Hashemite mile (a.k.a. a m#l); however, in the
days before scientific measurements and international treaties that governed such
matters, they could not come up with a unified definition. Some classical texts mention
that a m#l consists of twelve-thousand steps; others claimed that a m#l was as far as the
eye can see; yet others claimed that it was the distance where one could recognize a
figure of a human in the distance but could not tell whether it was a male or female.[4]

What is clear from all of this is that not only is a m#l undefined, even if one of these
definitions were to be taken, it would not be scientifically precise. The bottom line is
that the Arab m#l, a.k.a. Hashemite mile, had never been scientifically defined. How
could it, in an era before the Newtonian scientific revolution that we are all familiar
with and upon whose standards we conduct experiments?

In the 16th century, the British parliament offered a precise definition that has stuck to
this day: that 1 mile = 5280 feet (around 1.6 km). Remember that this conversion factor
was a relatively recent one, offered by the British. However, when some of our modern
scholars attempted to then translate these ancient distances of far%sikh and bar#d into
modern units, they appeared to have read in the British conversion units into the
ancient terms. Hence, they simply chugged and plugged away, using the ancient
definition of one farsakh being three medieval Hashemite m#ls, and every mile (sic.)
being 5280 feet. Thus, they moved from an ancient term (farsakh) to a medieval one
(m#l) to a British definition of another (mile).

This was not the only attempt to translate the farsakh into a recognizable unit. The
famous scholar Ibn %Abd al-Barr (d. 463 AH) stated that a farsakh is roughly 10,500 arm-
lengths (dhir%-).[5] Very well, but what does that mean for us in our units of
measurement? An average arm-length has been estimated in our times to be around 48
centimeters (i.e., 0.48 meters).[6] It appears that a large group of later scholars accepted
Ibn %Abd al-Barrs conversion factor and based modern calculations on it.

129

Other scholars, such as al-Nawaw", al-Raml", and al-$ajj!w" all held the position that a
farsakh is in fact eighteen-thousand dhir%-.[7]

Hence, plugging and chugging away:

- With the conversion factor of one farsakh = 3 m#l = 3 standard miles

Four bar#ds = 16 farsakhs x 3 m#l/farsakh = 48 m#l = 48 miles = 77.25 km

- With the conversion factor of Ibn %Abd al-Barr:

Four bar#ds = 16 farsakhs x 10,500 dhir%-/farsakh x 0.48 meters/dhir%, =
80.64 km (50.4 miles)

- With the conversion factor of al-Nawaw":

Four bar#ds = 16 farsakhs x 18,000 dhir%-/ farsakh x 0.48 meters/dhir%- =
138.24 km (86.4 miles)

For reasons that I could not understand, the modern $anafi position typically
calculates a distance of 15 farsakhs to be 77 km (or 48 miles).

It can be seen that the conversion factor of al-Nawaw" actually yields almost double the
distance of the first conversion factor. It can also be seen that all of these conversions
are rather tenuous; none of them could have been known or measured with such
precision during the time of the first generations of Islam.

Now that we have successfully (?) translated these ancient units into three possible
distances (and note that there are even more possibilities if we were to discuss other
conversion factors), let us return to the issue of the distance required for one to be
considered a traveler.

1.6 The strongest opinion

Now that we have discussed the actual distance of these measurements, let us return to
the original question: which of these opinions appears to be correct?

The strongest opinion and Allah knows best appears to be the last one (viz., that a
traveler is one who customarily understands his situation to be one of travel), for a
number of reasons:

1) Ibn Taymiyyas point that the Prophet did not specify any distance is a very poignant
one. He neither ordered that the earth be measured, nor did most of the travelers of the
time calculate the distance that they traveled. It does not make sense, therefore, that
the Shariah would place a numerical value when such unit-definitions were not known
130

or followed by the majority of that generation.

2) Even in the hadiths that the majority use (about a woman traveling without a
ma"ram), there are discrepancies between one-day, two-days and three-days all
three wordings are reported in one or both of the Sa"#" works. So which one should be
resorted to?

Additionally, all three hadiths use the word travel; would it not, therefore, be safe to
assume that the Prophet was not trying to link the word travel to any distance, but
rather simply discussing the issue of a woman traveling without a ma"ram?
Furthermore, the tradition about permitting wiping over the socks has nothing to do
with setting a limit for traveling it merely sets a time-limit for allowing someone to
wipe over ones socks.

Therefore, there is nothing in the hadith literature that one can safely use as a defining
distance for travel.

3) As can be clearly seen, there is no precise and agreed upon conversion factor for
translating a days journey into a tangible and precise measure. There are a number of
grey areas in this calculation. What exactly is a days journey? How many bar#ds are
in such a journey? How many farsakhs can be traveled in a day? How long is a farsakh?
What exactly is a m#l? And so forth.

If this is the case, it does not make sense that our Shariah would have obligated us to
measure travel in units that to this day remain undefined and ambiguous.

4) To place a precise measurement on travel seems to contravene the purpose of the
law and hence the maq%'id of the Shariah. The purpose of this ruling is to ease the
burden upon the traveler by allowing him to shorten and join the prayer. If a traveler is
engrossed in figuring out how far he has traveled (imagine in the days before car
odometers gave this information), it is as if the Shariah is placing a bigger burden on
him by asking him to calculate a distance that he is, in all likelihood, not capable of
doing.

5) This distance really makes very little sense in modern times. A distance of 80 km is
more akin to a picnic than to a travel and according to Ibn Taymiyyas definition, if
one were to go to a park outside of ones city with the express intention of returning in
a short period of time, this would not constitute travel. If we look at the frame of mind
of a family who is going on a day-trip to a park outside the city versus going on a
journey, there is a significant difference. When one goes on a day-trip, the house is left
as is, the neighbors are not told, life at home is not assumed to be interrupted, and so
forth. On the other hand, when one goes on a travel, miscellaneous factors must be
taken care of before embarking on a journey. All of this is known to and experienced
by the people of our time.

6) Before even beginning to convert such ancient units into modern ones, an even
131

more profound dilemma can and should be discussed. For those who follow one of the
standard opinions, the issue must be raised: is it not too literalistic to measure a
days- journey by the means and methods of eras gone by? In other words, if the
primary means of travel of the time were horses and camels, and based on that one
extrapolates a days journey, would it be permissible (in fact, would it not be more in
line with the goals of the Shariah) to measure a modern days journey in car-travel
time?

Personally, if I were to follow this opinion (meaning, if I were to follow a two-day
journey opinion), it would make more rational sense to me to measure a days journey
in the standard travel-means of our times, namely: a car. This then raises a further
question: Does this mean we can eventually extrapolate to a passenger plane? How
about a private jet? Questions abound; answers, on the other hand, are not so easy to
bring forth.

All of this lends further credence to the position of Ibn Taymiyya: that a traveler is one
who is customarily considered one. An average Muslim does not need to resort to a
scholar, or to a map, in order to find out if s/he is a traveler or not: you know it by what
you do to prepare for a trip and your psychological frame of mind.

To be continued

In our next and final installment, we will discuss how long one remains a traveler at a
non-resident location.

[1] There are other opinions on the origin of this word as well. See Lis%n al-,Arab, 3/86-8.

[2] Most because there is also an opinion that two farsakhs make up a bar#d.

[3] Al-Tah!naw", I-l%, al-Sunan 7/282; al-%Ayn", Shar( al-Hid!ya 3/4.

132



In our previous parts, we discussed the travel distance required to be considered a traveler. In
this article, we shall discuss the time duration that one remains a traveler.

2. For How Long Does One Remai n a Travel er?

The final issue that we need to discuss is the time duration for which one is allowed to
shorten the prayer while one remains a traveler. In other words, once one has arrived
at ones initial destination and intends to remain there for a duration before returning
home, for how long can s/he shorten and combine? Once again, we face a myriad of
opinions on this issue (I have come across at least eighteen different opinions, and
there are more); for the purposes of this article, we shall restrict ourselves to the more
common ones.

2. 1 The State of Travel Ceases af ter 15 days

The $anaf"s considered a traveler to be someone who intends to reside at a place for
fifteen days or less (inclusive of the day that he intends to travel). They based this
on qiyas, or analogy, with the longest possible days of a womans period. At first glance,
this analogy does seem rather bizarre. However, they reasoned that both a traveler and
a woman in her menses must return to a more permanent state of worship (the
menstruating woman returns to her prayers after desisting from them, and the traveler
returns to the full prayer after ceasing to be a traveler), hence there is a commonality
between these two scenarios that would allow us (or so the $anaf"s felt) to extrapolate
the same ruling to these two scenarios.

They also use as evidence a tradition of Ibn %Abb!s in which he stated that the
Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam stayed in Makkah for fifteen days, praying qa'r
(Reported by Abu D!w#d; most scholars of hadith consider this version to be
inauthentic for a number of reasons, one of which is that more authentic versions of
this hadith mention even higher numbers.)

The $anaf"s also attributed this position to Ibn %Abb!s and Ibn Umar,[1] and it is also
one opinion of Sa"d b. al-Musayyib.

2. 2 The State of Travel Ceases af ter 4 days

The M!lik"s, Sh!f%"s, and $anbal"s claimed that the time that makes a traveler into a
resident is four days.

133

Note that the $anbal"s have qualified this as twenty prayers and not four days; also
there is some difference of opinion between the M!lik"s and the Sh!f%"s over when this
time frame should start and end and whether the day that one arrives and leaves
counts or not. For the purposes of this article, all of these differences will be ignored.
What is important to note is that these three schools have a similar time frame of four
days.

Their main evidence is the command of the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam that
the Emigrants (Muhajir)n) who were performing Hajj with him should not stay in
Makkah for more than three days [Reported by Muslim].

In order to understand the reasoning of these three schools with respect to this
tradition, an important fact must be understood. The Emigrants who had left Makkah
for Madinah during the hijra were prohibited from returning to Makkah as residents,
since they had given up that land for the sake of All!h. The point derived by the
majority, therefore, is that the reason the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam
prohibited them to stay more than three days is that it is the staying of four days or
more that converts a traveler into a resident. To buttress this point, these schools also
mention that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam m himself prayed qa'r when he
remained in Makkah for three days, after performing Umrah.

Another evidence that is used is the travel restrictions that Umar b. al-Kha))!b placed
on non-Muslim traders who wished to conduct business in Makkah or Madinah: he only
allowed them permission to remain for three days.[2] Once again, the interpretation
given is that it is four days or more that converts a traveler to a resident, hence he
forbade them from remaining for more than three days.

And it is also reported from Sa"d b. al-Musayyib (d. 95), who said, If you want to stay
for four, then pray four![3] This is also the opinion of the Permanent Committee of
Scholars, the fatwa of Shaykh Ibn B!z, and the opinion of our Shaykh Mu(ammad al-
Mukht!r al-Shanq")".

2. 3 The Opi ni on of Ibn Taymi yya

Ibn Taymiyya, extrapolating from many of the same premises as his earlier position on
the distance of travel, felt that there exists no explicit evidence or reasoning that would
specify a particular time period that effectively converts a traveler into a resident.
Therefore, he felt that a traveler would remain a traveler even if he stayed at a specific
location for a longer period of time, as long as his lifestyle was that of a traveler.

As part of his evidences, Ibn Taymiyya also pointed out that there are authentic
narrations that indicate the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam would pray qa'r for
more than fifteen days. Of them is the hadith of J!bir that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh#
wa sallam camped at Tabuk praying qa'r for twenty days (Reported by Abu D!w#d).
Another is the hadith of Ibn %Abb!s in which he reported that the Prophet 'alla Allahu
,alayh# wa sallam stayed in Makkah nineteen days, praying qa'r (Reported by al-Bukh!r").
134

The four schools all re-interpreted these evidences (by claiming, for example, that the
Prophet did not know how long he would camp at Tabuk during that expedition, so he
did not intend to stay for more than x number of days; and so forth). However, Ibn
Taymiyya clearly takes an unbiased and apparent reading of these evidences to suggest
that there is no specific number that the Prophet 'alla Allahu ,alayh# wa sallam suggested
and that at times he prayed qa'r for more than four or fifteen days.

Nonetheless, perhaps understanding that this open-ended response also had potential
problems, Ibn Taymiyya did feel that the majority opinion of four days was safer to
follow.

In one fatwa, Ibn Taymiyya was asked about a traveler who intends to remain for one
month in a city: is he permitted to shorten? He replied that it was safer for him not to
shorten but to pray in full.[4] In another fatwa that he was asked, he explicitly
permitted a person in a similar situation to shorten the prayer for this longer period,
even while saying that it is safer to pray the full amount.[5]

In other words, Ibn Taymiyya himself did not unequivocally allow such a person to
pray qa'r for a limitless number of days. Even though he said that it is permitted and
that one should not rebuke those who do this, he also said that it was better to pray full.

However, a modern follower of Ibn Taymiyya, Shaykh Ibn Uthaym"n, took this fatwa to
a possible logical conclusion. According to Ibn Uthaym"n, as long as a person did not
intend to remain permanently in a city, such a person would be considered a traveler,
even if he remained in that city for years on end. Based on this fatwa, numerous Saudi
students (some of whom I personally met) would pray qa'r for years while students
overseas. They reasoned that since they had the full intention of returning to Saudi
Arabia after their four or five years of study, they were, in fact, in the state of travel,
even if they purchased houses and cars, and put their kids in a local school. When Ibn
Uthaym"n was asked about this scenario, he agreed with this interpretation and
reasoned that since there was no actual time limit, even the duration of ten years
would constitute travel as long as one wished to return to a place called home.

2. 4 The Strongest Opi ni on

Before mentioning what appears to be the strongest opinion, it should be mentioned
that there are many other opinions on this issue as well. For example, some have said
that the time duration is twenty days; Is(!q b. R!hwayh said this period was nineteen
days; others said seventeen; yet others thirteen; al-Awz!" said twelve; al-$asan b. .!li(
said ten; al-$asan al-Ba'ri said three; and Rab"a al-Ray said a stay of one day converts
one from a traveler to a resident. However, for the purposes of our discussion, we will
limit the opinions to these famous and mash")r ones.

Also note that the issue of one who is not certain about the time that he is remaining in
a land is a separate one, and even within these schools, the majority would
allow qa'r for much longer periods in this case. The classic example mentioned in legal
135

books is that of the soldiers of the army guarding the borders; they could be called for
duty at any time, and they are most certainly not residents considering the harsh
conditions they live in. There are authentic reports that some of the Companions
prayed qa'r for months on end (perhaps even for years). It is reported that Ibn Umar
prayed qa'r for six months while in Azerbaijan.[6] However, this was done in a state of
war, and therefore when one is in such a state that one can leave at any time, obviously
this would take a separate ruling from the one who intends a particular number of
days.

Returning to our discussion, once again, Ibn Taymiyya points resonate strongly with
the open-minded researcher. The four-day rule seems derived, and not intended.
There are numerous authentic traditions in which the Prophet 2alla 'alla Allahu ,alayh#
wa sallam stayed at a location for more than four days while shortening the prayers.
Therefore, even though the majority of the schools of law did stipulate four days, there
really seems no evidence whatsoever to limit such a ruling to a specific time period. In
our times, it is extremely common for office workers (in particular, consultants) to
travel for five days of the week to an on-site location, and such workers are travelers in
every sense of the word, despite the fact that they are remaining in the same location
for more than four days.

Yet, to allow no limit whatsoever (as our respected Shaykh Ibn Uthaym"n did) really
does not seem to be either in the spirit or the intent of the Shariah. Yes, it is true that a
traveler cannot be defined by a particular time-frame, but surely s/he can be defined as
a resident by actions that s/he undertakes. A traveler does not buy a house, or settle
down, or take care of his childrens long-term education. Therefore, a person who
comes to a town, knowing that he will stay for a few years, is clearly not a traveler
anymore, since he must take care of all of these matters and more. Owning or renting a
house is not the same as living in a motel.

No doubt, such a distinction is not a black-and-white one, and there are many shades of
grey in between. It is precisely because of such grey areas that most legal scholars are
prone to give solid numbers (48 miles, or 4 day) rather than the more ambiguous
yardsticks of Ibn Taymiyya. And therefore, should someone prefer to follow one of
these standard opinions mentioned in our classical schools, this is something that
should be encouraged and not looked down upon. Nonetheless, if someone were to
follow the more academic position of Ibn Taymiyya, this (in my humble opinion) would
be closer to the intent of the laws of the Shariah.

And in the end, it is indeed All!h alone who knows best.

NOTES:

This article did not discuss the following issues in detail; for the sake of completeness,
they will be mentioned in passing:

136

Fi rstl y, the legal status of shortening the prayer (qa'r). The $anaf"s deemed it to be
obligatory for the traveler and stated that if the traveler prays the regular prayer, he
will in fact be sinful. The majority said that shortening the prayer was preferred, but
not obligatory.

Secondl y, the legal status of joining between two prayers (jam), specifically of course,
.uhr and a'r, and maghrib and ish%. [No school of law allowed jam for any other two
combinations of prayers].

The $anaf"s did not allow any joining of the prayers except for the pilgrims during the
days of Hajj. They did not view joining as one of the concessions granted to the traveler
and claimed that the joining together during the days of Arafat and Mina are related to
the rites of Hajj and not to the issue of traveling.

The vast majority of other scholars allowed .uhr and a'r to be joined, and maghrib and
ish% to be joined, based on explicit, authentic traditions on this matter. Additionally,
they said that this should preferably be done only during the actual travel. Once a
traveler arrives at his temporary destination, it is preferred (but not obligatory) to pray
each prayer at its proper time.

Ibn Taymiyya writes, after mentioning some traditions that describe the Prophets
prayer during travel,[7]

So all of this shows that combining the prayers (jam) is not from the sunnahs of
traveling, unlike shortening them (qa'r), rather, combining the prayers is only done
where there is a need to do so, regardless of whether one is traveling or not, for it is
also permissible for the resident to combine. Therefore, if a traveler needs to combine,
he may do so, for example: if he will be engaged in the act of travel during the first or
second prayer time, or he needs to sleep or rest. However, as for someone who stops for
a few days in a village or city, then his ruling is the same as that of the people of that
village. So such a person, even though he should pray qa'r as a traveler, should not
combine, just like he should not pray on an animal, or resort to tayammum, or eat a
dead animal. All of these matters are only allowed when there is a need to do so, unlike
shortening the prayer, for this is a sunnah for all travelers.

Note that this is contrary to what most travelers do: they assume that combining the
prayers takes the same ruling as shortening does and regularly combine for the entire
duration of the travel.

Thi rdl y, when precisely is it allowed for a traveler to begin shortening and combining
the prayers? A small minority said that he may do so as soon as he commences the
travel, even if he still be in his house (i.e., immediately before he leaves). However, the
majority said that he may only begin shortening and combining once he has left the
city walls (or, in our times, when he has exited the last settlements that are still
considered a part of his city).

137

[1] Al-Kas!n", Badi al-!an% ; al-Tah!naw", Il% al-Sunan, 7/312-5.

[2] Ibn Qud!ma, al-Mughn#, 3/148.

[3] Ibn Ab" Shayba, Mu'annaf.

[4] Ibn Taymiyya, Majm)- al-Fat%w% 24/17.

[5] Ibid., 24/18

[6] Reported in the Sunan of al-Bayhaq" (3/152).
%e2%80%98travel%e2%80%99-safar-according-to-islamic-law-part-3/ - _ftnref
[7] Ibn Taymiyya, Majm)- al-Fat%w% 24/64-5.

138

Excerpt from The Best of Stori es: Pearl s from Surah Yusuf |
Part 2

http://muslimmatters.org/2011/04/29/the-best-of-stories-pearls-from-surah-yusuf-
part-2/

What is so important about dreams? Why do dreams play a role in the story of Y#suf?
We learn in the Qur!n and Sunnah that dreams can occur from All!h (subhanahu
wataala), and they can occur from Shay*%n, and they can occur from your own
imagination. Dreams fall into three categories. Dreams can occur from All!h, and this
type occurs to the prophets. The prophets dont get the other two types of dreams.
The only type of dreams that the prophets have are from All!h. All!h has protected
their dreams from Shay*%n, and All!h has protected their dreams from their own
imagination; therefore, every time a prophet sees a dream, it is wa"y (inspiration from
All!h).

We have already seen this in the family of Ibr!h"m before. Ibr!h"m (alayhi salaam) sees
a dream about Ism!"l and that he is sacrificing him. The Prophet Ibr!h"m has already
told us the reality of dreams. Now, his great-grandson Y#suf sees a dream. Dreams are
something related to the prophets of All!h, but they are not only related to the
prophets. It is possible that people who are not prophets also get these types of
dreams.

In one "ad#th in al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Nothing has
been left of nubuwwa other than mubashir%t. The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
was asked, What are mubashir%t, ya Rasulull%h? He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, A
dream that you see. Either you or somebody else sees you in it. You see yourself in it,
or somebody else sees you in it and comes and tells you, Akhi, I saw you in a dream,
and this is what I saw. This is a mubashir. What does mubashir mean? Mubashir means
good news. From this we learn that the dreams that All!h blesses a person with
always have something positive. There is a positive message in what All!h tells you in
your dreams.

To talk about dreams a little bit more we said dreams are of three types:

1. (ad#thl-nafs - Dreams from your imagination.
For example, if one of us wants a very fancy car and wants to by the latest model of
the Mercedes or Jaguar and is thinking about it and daydreaming, and when you go
to sleep, lo and behold, you are driving that car. This is your "ad#thl-nafs and
imagination.

There is a special group of scientists who study dreams. I find it very tickling that
m%sh%All%h if they fall asleep on the job, they are the only group of people that can
say, We are working while we fall asleep. There are scientists who study dreams,
and these scientists tell us that this type of dream occurs every night. There is a
139

phase in our sleep called REM (rapid eye movement) when everybody dreams. The
sign of this dream is that when you wake up, the dream is absolutely fresh but
within a few seconds it is gone. This is the indication that it is this type of dream; it
is your imagination.

External impulses affect this type of dream. If somebody throws water on your
face, then you dream that you are drowning. If you hear your alarm clock go off, it
will somehow affect your dream. If somebody is calling you, Wake up! Wake up!
It is time for fajr!, in your dream, it will be translated that somebody is waking you
up.

This type of dream has nothing to do with good or bad and is your own imagination.
The sign of it is that you do not remember it at all. You wake up and by the time it
is the middle of the day, you dont remember anything about it.

2. (ulum - a nightmare / evil dream
(ulum is an evil dream, and in English, we call it a nightmare. These types of dream
are from Shay*%n. The sign of this dream is that it terrifies you. You see something
evil or disgusting. You see a loved one die a miserable death. You see yourself in a
car accident. You see yourself being chased by evil aliens or beasts or something
like this.

This type of dream is just the shay%*#n wanting to irritate you. They are playing a
practical joke on you. They are irritating you. Why? Because you are a Muslim, or
even if you are not a Muslim. The non-Muslims have nightmares as well. This is the
shay%*#n playing with you at your expense. These types of dreams are never, ever
true. Nobody should believe these dreams. Nobody should believe nightmares.
The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said that nightmares should not be told to
anybody. If you see an evil dream dont go tell other people about it. Why?
Because Shay*%n is making a fool of you. Once a man came to the Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) and said, Oh Messenger of All!h, I saw my head cut off in a dream
and it was rolling like a ball and I am running after it to pick it up. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Dont tell other people how the Shay*%n played
with you last night. He is laughing now when you go tell other people because you
believe this dream.

What is the sign of this type of dream? The sign of this type of dream is that you
wake up terrified and in a sweat. Shay*%n does not know the future. If you see
yourself in a car accident and the next morning you call and say that you are not
going to go to work because you do not want to drive, then Shay*%n is the one
laughing at you because you believed him. You have to reject nightmares. There is
not an element of truth in them. If you follow it and believe it, Shay*%n is the one
who will be the winner.

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said that if you wake up from a nightmare,
then seek refuge in All!h from the Shay*%n and you are allowed to spit on the left
140

hand side as you do this. This spit that the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
talked about is where the noise is made and nothing comes out. This is to expel
Shay*%n from you. Say: a)dhu bill%h min al-Shay*%n al-raj#m. Also, the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said to turn from whatever side you are on to the other
side because when the Shay*%n is teasing you, he is around you or sitting on you, so
when you say a)dhu bill%h and turn around, he has to flee and run away. If it is
really bad, then the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said to stand up and pray
two rakah to seek refuge in All!h from the Shay*%n and to establish that relationship
with All!h. Whatever you do, you do not tell anyone: not your loved ones and not
your spouse and not your friends.

Dreams of a vulgar nature (wet dreams) are also from Shay*%n. A man or woman is
not sinful from these types of dreams. The fiqh is that when you wake up from this
type of dream, then you must perform an entire ghusl. This dream is from Shay*%n
even though there is no sin on you because you do not control your dreams. None
of the prophets have wet dreams because this is from Shay*%n. There is no reason
for us to feel guilty about this type of dream. It is natural for a person to go through
this, and it is not something to feel any issue about. We should realize that this type
of dream is coming from Shay*%n, and the Shay*%n is showing us such images in our
head and causing this to happen. We wake up in the middle of this freezing cold
weather and have to go take a shower, and this is not something that is from us or
from All!h, but this is from Shay*%n. This is another type of evil dream. Once again,
we dont tell people about these dreams, but if we wake up in that state, then
obviously we have to do ghusl.

3. Mubashir%t / ruyah - Vision from All!h
The third type is mubashir%t, or it is also called ruyah in Arabic, which is a vision
from All!h. It is a positive dream. No dream from All!h will cause you to wake up
in a frightened state. You will not wake up terrified, or else it would not be a
mubashir. What does mubashir mean? It is from bash#r and bashara. Glad tidings,
good news, something optimistic. Even if it is not positive, it will be a factual
statement. It will be something true and not something terrifying.

What is the sign of this type of dream? You will wake up and remember the dream
vividly, so it is not "ad#thl-nafs. You will not wake up in a terrified state. When
these two conditions are met, then it is very possible and likely that it is a mubashir.
Sometimes you will wake up in a positive state because you saw something positive.
Sometimes you will wake up in a neutral state (not scared and not happy) and you
may be confused about what you saw, but you will never wake up terrified. If you
wake up terrified, it is not from All!h, but it is from Shay*%n.

Dreams from All!h are one of two types:
1) The first of them, which is less common, is that you see an actual event with you
in it without any symbolism. You see something that will happen in the future,
and there is no symbolism in it. It is an enactment of the future. The Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) saw a dream that he was doing *aw%f around the
141

Kabah in the sixth year of the hijrah. There was no symbolism, and when he
saw the dream, he knew that it was not a symbolic dream. He ('allall%hu alayhi
wa sallam) said, Oh Muslims, I saw a dream that I was doing *aw%f around the
Kabah. Lets go make Umrah. That year they were stopped from entering
Makkah, and the Treaty of Hudhaybiyah took place.

[That we will talk about in perhaps maybe one or two years from now insh%All%h
if All!h gives us every Wednesday to come, there will be long time ahead to the
Treaty of Hudhaybiyah. Maybe even actually three or four years, but we will get
there sometime insh%All%h. We will talk about in detail where the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) was prevented from going into Makkah.]

The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) saw a dream with no symbolism. He
saw himself doing tawaf and shaving his hair and it would happen. All!h said in
the Qur!n: This *aw%f that you saw is a true dream. You will enter Masjidl-
(ar%m. It happened in the next year.
This first type of dream where you see an actual enactment of what will happen.
This is rare but happens. It is more common to the prophets. The Prophet
Ibr!h"m saw himself sacrificing his son there was no symbolism, and it was
clear cut.

With regards to such types of dreams, &ishah (ra+yAll%hu anhu) tells us that the
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) narrates that for six months before the
revelation of the Qur!n, every single night, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa
sallam) would see one of these dreams. For six months non-stop, every time our
Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) would go to sleep, he would dream what was
going to happen tomorrow. He might dream being in the souq buying and
selling, and the next day the exact same thing happens. He dreams he is going
to meet somebody and the next day that person comes and he meets him. He
sees the dream, and the next morning it happens. For six months non-stop,
why? All!h (subhanahu wataala) is telling him that something special and great
is going to happen, and He is preparing him for the revelation of iqr%. For six
months, this happens, and then iqr% is revealed.

2) Symbolism
This is the more common type. Sometimes the prophets have this type of dream.
More commonly, non-prophets have this type of dream. In this type of dream,
every object that you see symbolizes and represents something else. For example,
an ear of corn represents a year of water according to the story of Y#suf. A very fat
cow and a very thin cow represent a year of surplus and a year of drought. A tree
represents this, or the Kabah represents that. Light represents something else.

In one "ad#th, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, I saw men wearing
robes of different sizes, and some of the robes were up to their necks and some
were up to their stomachs. I saw Umar b. al-Kha))!b and his shirt was dragging
behind him. They said, How did you interpret this? He ('allall%hu alayhi wa
142

sallam) said, The religion. People have different sizes of religion. The religion of
some is small and the religion of some is big. Umars religion was so strong, it was
going all the way back there. A shirt means religion in this dream. By the way, this
does not mean that in every single dream a shirt symbolizes religion, but in this
dream it did. This type of dream is a symbolic dream.

We see it right now in the story of Y#suf because he sees eleven stars and the sun
and the moon. This is symbolic. Every color, animal, image, plant and inanimate
object that you remember represents something. Not everybody can unlock or
explain this type of representation.

This leads us to the topic of interpreting dreams (tafs#r al-ruyah or taw#l of dreams).
Contrary to common perception, interpreting dreams is not something that you can
simply look up in a book and practice. Many books say The Dictionary of Interpreting
Dreams, The Encyclopedia of Dream Interpretation. There is a fabricated book
attributed to Ibn Sir"n titled Ibn Sir"ns Dictionary of Dreams, which is a fabrication.
Ibn Sir"n never wrote any such book. It was written 700 years after Ibn Sir"n passed
away. This book is not correct. In any case, if you go to any Islamic bookstore, in
Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, or English, you will find books about interpreting dreams.

Let me be very clear here: The interpretation of dreams is not a science that can be
taught by men to men. It is one of the few sciences that All!h blesses you with innately.
There is no way you can study the science of interpreting dreams. For example, I
studied in Madinah and some scholars studied in Azhar and some scholars studied in
Deoband. There are classes there for tafs#r, "ad#th, fiqh, and there are classes for history
and seerah and for Arabic language, but there are no classes for dream interpretation. I
studied for ten years there, and I never heard of any class being offered even privately
on interpreting dreams. Why?

Dream interpretation is not a book science. It is a blessing from All!h, which All!h
clearly says in these verses, I will teach you how to interpret dreams. He says it to
Y#suf [12:6].

Therefore, dream interpretation is something that All!h blesses the chosen of His
servants with. Some people have it, and some people dont. If you dont have it, you
cannot learn it. You can ask All!h to give it to you and you can make dua, but you
cannot read a book. It is not like engineering, and it is not like "ad#th, and it is not like
fiqh, and it is not like medicine. These are sciences that are codified. Dream
interpretation is real, and the prophets of All!h, especially the Prophet Y#suf knew this
science fully. Of course our Prophet Muhammad ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) knew this
science.

Not everybody is blessed with it. How do you know if somebodys interpretation is true
or not? By experience. Another point here is the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam)
143

said, When you see such a dream from All!h [the beautiful dream, mubashir%t], dont
tell anyone except someone whom you trust. You only tell the good dreams to those
whom you trust because people might get jealous like we learn right now in the story
of Y#suf and because people might think evil thoughts. Only tell the ones who are
close to you. You are allowed to tell, and you should tell, but you only tell those whom
you trust.

When you tell those whom you trust, if you do not know how to interpret dreams, then
you should be quiet. There is a danger for incorrectly interpreting dreams. In one
"ad#th, the Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, A dream that has not been
interpreted is like a bird flying above you. As soon as someone interprets it, the bird
will fall down. You only want the most qualified person to interpret the dream. You
may tell your loved ones, but the loved ones who are not knowledgeable of dream
interpretation should be quiet. You should only go to those whom you trust who are
knowledgeable to interpret the dreams.

As we said, this is known by experience. In the community, there might be a person
who is m%sh%All%h muttaqi and praying five times a day by the way, generally
speaking, the more righteous you are, the more likely you will have this knowledge.
The closer you are to All!h, the more this knowledge will be innate and natural to you.
You go to those people and they interpret the dream, and then you will find out
whether the dream was true or not.

If somebody sees a dream, the dream interpreter tells him this dream means that he
will pass the exam he is studying for, and lo and behold, he passes the exam, or this
dream means that such and such will happen, and lo and behold, it happens. From
experience we learn that this person m%sh%All%h knows dream interpretation.

However, nobodys dream interpretation can be 100% accurate other than the prophets
of All!h. It is only the prophets of All!h who have 100% accurate dream interpretation.
What is the evidence for this? A long "ad#th in Sahih Bukhari. The Prophet ('allall%hu
alayhi wa sallam) saw a dream and he told it to the people. Abu Bakr (ra+yAll%hu anhu)
raised his hand and said, Oh Messenger of All!h, I beg you by All!h to let me interpret
the dream! The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Okay, interpret it. Abu
Bakr took every symbol and said this means this, and this means this, and this means
this and then asked, Am I right, oh Messenger of All!h? He said, You are right in
some and you are wrong in others. If Abu Bakr al-.idd"q could not fully master the
science of dream interpretation, then no other human being after the prophets can.
This means that even the greatest dream interpreter doesnt have 100% solid dream
interpretation.

One of the reasons why dream interpretation is not book knowledge is because symbols
vary from society to culture to place. Therefore, you cannot just open up a book and
look up what this symbol means. To give you a funny example, what a coconut
symbolizes to a person living in a desert island is not the same as what it symbolizes to
a person living in the city. For the person on the island, the coconut symbolizes life,
144

water, and food. For me, a coconut does not symbolize any of those things. It is a very
different thing.

For example, in our culture in India and Pakistan, a white elephant symbolizes
something those of us who are from there, we know that but if an American sees a
white elephant, it doesnt symbolize to him what it symbolizes to people of other
cultures. The point being symbols will be relevant to the culture of the people because
All!h is communicating to him. There is no concept of a universal dictionary of dreams
or a universal encyclopedia of dreams. Rather, dreams are very personal, and you go to
the local people who know you and your background and tell them your dreams, and if
they know they will interpret it.

A very interesting "ad#th: The Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Dreams from
All!h are the only thing that remain from prophethood, and they represent 1/46
th
of
prophethood. It is a very precise fraction. He ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) is saying
that to be a prophet, you need 46 things, and one of them is true dreams. The door has
been shut for the other 45 things, and they will not happen anymore in mankind.
Maybe Jibreel coming down was one of them and seeing the angels was another, but we
do not know the list.

There are 46 things that all prophets do, and 45 have been shut for everybody until the
Day of Judgment except for one door, and that is the door of good dreams. Where did
this fraction come from? Scholars say that if you look at the life of the Prophet
('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam), he received wa"y for 23 years (13 in Makkah and 10 in
Madinah), and for six months before the wa"y began, he saw true dreams. Six months
is half a year, and 0.5 / 23 years = 1 / 46. This is the exact fraction. This is exactly what
our Prophet ('allall%hu alayhi wa sallam) said that nothing is left of prophethood except
dreams, and these dreams are 1/46 of prophethood.

A Ī Al-Bukhāri (Collector's Edition)

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Judul Asli

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

A Ī Al-Bukhāri (Collector's Edition)

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Qabeel at Hosna | Cl ass Notes

Anda mungkin juga menyukai