By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat dāmat barakātuhum
The noble and graceful character of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam is in total conformity to all the natural needs of man. His perfect human nature, sublimity of character, long suffering and forgiveness, magnanimity and grace, valour, benevolence, trust in Allāh ta‘ālā, modesty, honesty, humility, purity of heart, self-denial and forbearance, devotion and piety, fear of Allāh ta‘ālā, mercy, compassion and generosity, in all he is a perfect and beautiful example and a complete code of life for everyone.
For rulers and heads of states, the life of the chief and king of the Arabs holds a perfect example. For the poverty stricken, the life of the one in whose house the fire was not lit for two months holds an example. For the liberators, the life of the liberator of Makkah holds a beautiful example, who forgave even his bitterest enemies. For those who have turned their backs on this world, the life of the lone worshipper in the solitude of the cave of Hirā is an example. For the labourers, the one who laboured strenuously in the digging of the trench is an example. The orphans can find solace if they look at the orphan of Āminah. The businessmen may inculcate honesty and piety within them, by looking at the life of the one who handled business in Syria. For the imām and judges, the great imām and judge of Al-Masjid An-Nabawī, who pronounced justice, without distinguishing between strong and weak is a worthwhile lesson.
In a nutshell, there remains no facet of life which has not been covered by the noble life of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam and in which there is not a beautiful example to follow.
Verily in the Messenger of Allāh you have a good example for the one who looks unto Allāh and the last day, and remember Allāh abundantly. (33:21)
We must all study this great life which is a beacon light for every human, and imitate this greatest personality in every mode of our lives. May Allāh ta‘ālā enlighten our hearts with the love of His Rasūl sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam. Āmīn.
By Shaykh-ul-Hadīth Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh
Indeed, We have sent down the Dhikr [the Qur’ān], and indeed We are its guardians. (15:9)
In this verse Allāh ta’ālā proclaims that it is He, and He alone, who has revealed the Glorious Qur’ān to mankind, which means it is His Word. This claim is followed by a proof to validate it: that Allāh ta’ālā Himself is its guardian and protector. When Allāh ta’ālā protects something, nothing and no one can ever interfere with it, so the continual preservation of the Qur’ān is a proof that it is the Word of Allāh ta’ālā. There are many other proofs of the Divine origin of the Qur’ān, including its i’jāz (inimitability) – the challenge to mankind to invent even a single verse to match the Qur’ān in its perfection. However, the preservation of the Qur’ān is a proof that even a child can understand.
Over 1,400 years have passed and it is still plain for everyone to see that not a single change has occurred in the Qur’ān. To fulfil the promise of protecting the Qur’ān, Allāh ta’ālā has created a comprehensive system consisting of scribes who accurately copy the text; huffāz who accurately memorise its words; qurrā who preserve its mode of recitation; and mufassirūn, muhaddithūn, fuqahā and ‘ulamā who protect its meaning and message.
Non-Muslim experts, while arguing over the authorship of the Qur’ān, nevertheless acknowledge that despite the passage of over fourteen centuries it has not undergone even the slightest alteration – not of a single letter or diacritical mark.
It is obvious that a very powerful being must be safeguarding the Qur’ān for it to have been preserved over so many centuries.
The Protected Book
‘Allāmah Al-Qurtubī rahimahullāh narrates an interesting story about the preservation of the Qur’ān. Once a stranger attended one of the debates that the ‘Abbāsid Khalīfah Ma’mūn Ar-Rashīd used to hold at his court. The man spoke eloquently during the debate, and afterwards Ma’mūn summoned him. Sensing that he was not a Muslim he asked him whether he was a Jew. The man replied that he was. Ma’mūn then invited him to embrace Islām and, as a test, offered him incentives for doing so. However, the man preferred to keep his religion, the religion of his forefathers.
A year later the same man attended the court of Ma’mūn as a Muslim and spoke learnedly on Islamic jurisprudence. Afterwards, Ma’mūn called him and asked him if he was the same man who had come the year before. He replied in the affirmative, and upon being asked how he had come to become a Muslim he told his story.
After he had left the debate the previous year he had decided to examine the different religions. Being a good calligrapher he made three copies of the Tawrāt, making some additions and omissions in the process. He took the copies to the Jews and they bought them from him. He then made three copies of the Injīl, again making some additions and omissions, and took them to the Christians, who bought them. Then he did exactly the same with the Qur’ān and took the copies to the Muslims. They checked them and when they noticed the additions and omissions they discarded the copies and refused to buy them. “I realised then that this was a Protected Book, and that was how I came to embrace Islām,” concluded the man.
Enthusiasm for Memorising the Qur’ān
The preservation of the Qur’ān is a great miracle, and the means Allāh ta’ālā employs in its preservation are also amazing. Parents who encourage their children to memorise the entire Qur’ān are aware of the rewards they and their children will receive for doing so, but the children themselves are not. If you were to ask the students of a typical tahfīz-al-Qur’ān class what the rewards for memorising the Qur’ān are, majority would not be able to reply. Despite this, the desire Allāh ta’ālā places in their hearts to memorise the Qur’ān is such that very few if any would dream of giving it up.
Wherever you go you will see that there are never enough tahfīz-al-Qur’ān classes and that they are always oversubscribed! Just think, what power is there besides Allāh ta’ālā that is keeping our children committed to memorising the Qur’ān? There are countless other well-known good deeds that promise great rewards, yet people do not adhere to them with such commitment and dedication as to memorising the Qur’ān. Allāh ta’ālā Himself puts the love of memorising His Word into the hearts of young people!
Nowhere in the whole world will you see classes full of children memorising a book that they do not understand. It is a miracle of the Qur’ān that people are able to learn a whole foreign alphabet and how to read in the foreign language, without learning to understand the language; furthermore, then they memorise a whole book in that language, and then keep it memorised for the rest of their lives.
Remarkable Huffāz
Throughout history there are examples of people who memorised the Qur’ān at a very young age and also in a very short time. Ibn Labbān rahimahullāh memorised the entire Qur’ān in just one year, remarkable in itself, but even more amazing is that he completed his memorisation at the age of five! Hāfiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalānī rahimahullāh became a hāfiz by the age of nine, and at the age of eleven led the Tarāwīh Salāh in Al-Masjid Al-Harām. Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī rahimahullāh memorised the Qur’ān in just one month. When Imām Muhammad rahimahullāh went to study under Imām Abū Hanīfah rahimahullāh he was asked whether he had memorised the entire Qur’ān or not, for admission to his classes was conditional on being a hāfiz. He replied that he had not, but his desire to acquire knowledge was so great that he returned after just one week and told Imām Abū Hanīfah rahimahullāh that he was now a hāfiz!
Connect Yourself to the Qur’ān
After learning something of the miraculous nature of the Glorious Qur’ān, we need to take some practical steps to connect ourselves with it:
Reciting the Qur’ān regularly. Recite one juz daily, or if that is not possible then half a juz or a quarter, but recite daily. If the remembrance of Allāh ta’ālā in its various forms such as tasbīh, tahmīd, salāt ‘alan-Nabī, du’ā etc. are compared to individual ‘vitamins’ beneficial to a person’s spiritual health, the Qur’ān can be likened to a multivitamin, for it contains them all.
Attend tajwīd classes in your locality in order to learn how to recite the Qur’ān properly, which is one of the rights of the Qur’ān.
Attend the Durūs (lessons) of the Qur’ān delivered by the ‘ulamā in your locality in order to understand the message of the Qur’ān.
Practise upon the teachings of the Qur’ān.
Propagate the teachings of the Qur’ān.
Respect the people of the Qur’ān, i.e. the huffāz and ‘ulamā. Refrain from disrespecting them and talking ill of them at all costs. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd-al-‘Azīz rahimahullāh used to say, “Become an ‘ālim if you can. If you cannot then become a student of ‘ilm. And if you cannot then have love for them [the ‘ulamā and students]. And if you cannot then do not have hatred for them.”
May Allāh ta’ālā grant us love for and affinity with the Qur’ān, the ability to memorise it, recite it in the proper manner, understand it and act according to it. Āmīn.
By Shaykhul-Hadīth, Hadrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat dāmat barakātuhum
Recently, I was approached by a concerned brother who had been facing some difficult times with regards his provision and sustenance. This is something that many of us face at some time in our lives. Naturally, when we are in this situation, we begin to panic and look for ways out. Some bear the situation remaining within the laws of Sharī’ah and with patience make it through, whilst others fail in this test from Allāh ta’ālā and take to prohibited means to try to solve their problems.
So, when the brother asked the question, I pondered for a while and the following advices, all based on the Qur’ān and hadīth, came to mind:
At such difficult times it is paramount to adopt taqwā, which is to stay away from each and every sin. Remember, what is thought of to be a tough financial situation will differ from person to person, but in these circumstances it is necessary that we stay compliant with the Commands of Allāh ta’ālā. Both the dos and don’ts commanded by Allāh ta’ālā have to be adopted. Salāh, Sawm, Zakāh, Hajj and all farā’id must be performed. Similarly, we must refrain from all sinful activities. In return for this adoption of taqwā, Allāh ta’ālā has promised that He will see to our needs:
Whoever adopts taqwā, Allāh brings forth a way out for him and provides him (with what he needs) from where he does not even imagine. And whoever places his trust in Allāh, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allāh is to accomplish His purpose. (65:2)
If the people of the towns believed and adopted taqwā, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth, but they disbelieved. So, We seized them because of what they used to earn for themselves. (7:96)
A second point to keep in mind is to make istighfār (seek forgiveness) abundantly. A person should look towards his own misdeeds and take them to be the reason for finding himself in the predicament he is in. He should turn to Allāh ta’ālā and repent. Sometimes, such circumstances are caused by Allāh ta’ālā in order to make His servant turn towards Him. Such is the Mercy of Allāh ta’ālā!
Pray to your Lord for your forgiveness. Indeed, He is Very-Forgiving; and He will cause the heavens to rain upon you in abundance, and will help you with riches and children, and will cause gardens to grow for you, and cause rivers to flow for you. (71:10-12)
O my people, seek forgiveness from your Lord, then turn to Him in repentance, and He will release the heavens pouring upon you, and will add strength to your strength, and do not turn away like sinners. (11:52)
The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said:
He who holds firm to seeking forgiveness, Allāh will make an exit for him from every tight situation, will grant him relief from every trouble and will provide for him from where he does not even imagine. (Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, Ahmad)
Another point is to ensure that we keep our transactions free from sin. For this, we must consult the ‘Ulamā, learn from them in regards to what is halāl and what is harām and act accordingly. Any transaction which is contrary to the teachings of Allāh ta’ālā and His Messenger sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam will be devoid of barakah (blessings); therefore, no matter how great the profit or benefit seems, it will soon disappear. The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:
The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return the goods until they part. And if both parties spoke the truth and described the goods accurately, then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost. (Al-Bukhārī)
Similarly, the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam also says:
Taking (false) oaths improve the sales, but it eradicates the blessings. (Al-Bukhārī)
Nowadays, many people look for wazā’if (the recitation of certain verse(s), name(s) of Allāh ta’ālā etc. a certain number of times to fulfil a particular need) to solve their problems. Whereas, within the boundaries of Sharī’ah, this is permissible, there can be no better solutions than those shown by the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam regarding whom Allāh ta’ālā says:
He does not speak out of (his own) desire. It is but revelation revealed (to him). (53:3-4)
In a hadīth the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam mentions that whoever recites the following 100 times between subh sādiq and Fajr salāh, wealth shall come to him unwillingly and humbled. (Ihyā)
Pure is Allāh and for Him is praise. Pure is Allāh, the Great. I seek forgiveness from Allāh.
In another hadīth, the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam passed by a person who was dishevelled and worried, at which the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam told him to recite the following words through which his worry and poverty would go away. The words were:
I place my trust in the Ever Living who is not to die, Praise belongs to Allāh who has neither had a son, nor is there any partner to Him in His kingdom, nor is anyone (needed) to protect Him from (any) weakness. And proclaim His greatness, an open proclamation. (Abū Ya’lā, Ibnus-Sunnī)
Read Sūrah Al-Wāqi’ah every night:
Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān radhiyallāhu ‘anhu visited Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd radhiyallāhu ‘anhu during the last stages of the latter’s life. Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān radhiyallāhu ‘anhu asked him, “What is your illness?” Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd radhiyallāhu ‘anhu replied, “My sins.” He then asked him, “Is there anything you desire?” Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd radhiyallāhu ‘anhu replied, “The Mercy of my Rabb.” Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān radhiyallāhu ‘anhu then asked if he would like him to re-issue the allowance that was allocated for him during his life that he had refused. When he declined, Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān radhiyallāhu ‘anhu said, “Let it be for your daughters for after your death.” Upon this, Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd radhiyallāhu ‘anhu asked, “Do you fear poverty upon my daughters after my death? I have instructed them to recite Sūrah Al-Wāqi’ah every night; for I have heard the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam say, ‘Whoever recites Sūrah Al-Wāqi’ah every night shall never be afflicted with poverty.'” (Al-Qurtubī)
Imām At-Tabarānī rahimahullāh has quoted a hadīth in which the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said:
Washing hands, before and after food, safeguards against poverty.
We should constantly make du’ā to Allāh ta’ālā, for in du’ā lies the solution to all our problems. The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam has said:
Indeed, du’ā is of benefit for those things that have descended and (also) for those things that have not yet descended. O servants of Allāh, hold fast to du’ā. (At-Tirmidhī)
One important point to ponder upon here is that to be afflicted with financial difficulties is not an everlasting problem, for tomorrow we may be relieved; either our problem may ease or we may not live for long. Why then do we have so much concern for this temporary issue? If a solution is guaranteed, we will be prepared to do anything. On the other hand, the life hereafter is inevitable and definite, but we do not have the same concern. How surprising it is that for something inevitable we have no concern, yet that which is uncertain occupies our hearts and minds all the time. Surely, we have set our priorities incorrectly!
