Three advices
نحمده و نصلي على رسوله الكريم
Hadhrat Uqbah bin Aamir (radhiyallahu anhu) once asked Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam):
ما النجاة
“What are the means of gaining salvation?”
أملك عليك لسانك و ليسعك بيتك و ابك على خطيئتك
“Control your tongue, let your house be sufficient for you and cry over your sins.”
This was the salient advice presented by Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Anarchy and corruption are rampant all over the world. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned three actions, which will save us from this evil if they are strictly adhered to. And, it would seem as though these advices were given especially for those sitting in i’tikaaf. The first advice is to control the tongue and not to let it control you. The second is to remain indoors and the third is to cry over one’s sins.
If a riot breaks out and people are getting injured and maimed and the riot police are trying to arrest the culprits, what does a person do in such a scenario? He remains within the confines of his home. He does not emerge from his house lest he should get caught up in the riot. He could get injured or even falsely arrested.
Similarly, today there is a dire need for us to save ourselves from fitnah (corruption) that lurks outside our homes. It is recorded in the hadeeth that some fitnahs are of such a nature that a person lying down has a greater chance of salvation than a person who is sitting, and a sleeping person has a greater chance of salvation than one who is awake.
In another hadeeth, it is recorded that a person lying down in his house has a greater chance of salvation than one sitting, and a person sitting has a greater chance of survival than one who is standing as the one standing gets an urge to go outside and see what commotion is taking place. The person walking has a greater chance of salvation than the one who is running. The more one distances oneself from these fitnahs, the greater are his chances of salvation.
The first type of fitnah
One type of fitnah is that which takes place in the form of riots, armed robbery, murders and arson. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has shown us an excellent way of saving ourselves from such fitnah and that is by remaining indoors. On such occasions, one should lock the door and not even contemplate going outdoors or even witness what is transpiring. Whosoever dares to look at a fitnah, it will draw him towards it. This has been witnessed many a times.
The second type
The second type of fitnah is that of sin and disobedience. We however, do not regard this as a fitnah. Often, a person becomes involved in sin the moment he steps out of the house. Our gazes will fall on na-mahram women (women whom we are supposed to observe purdah from) or on a person not covering his satr (private area). Today, women are sauntering about without observing purdah. There are an abundance of haraam actions that will entice us to commit a sin.
How can we safeguard and protect ourselves? Remain indoors! Don’t come out of your homes unnecessarily.
Under control
أملك عليك لسانك – “Control your tongue.”
Do not allow it to utter any incorrect statements. A Sahaabi (radhiyallahu anhu) once came to Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) requesting some advice. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) pointed towards his tongue and said: “Keep this under control.”
It is mentioned in a hadeeth that in the early part of the morning, all the limbs make the following supplication to the tongue: “O slave of Allah! If you behave yourself, say that which is correct, our day will go well. However, if you say something wrong, we shall all have to face the consequences.”
The chief reason behind disputes and marital arguments, etc., is the incorrect usage of the tongue. If one of the spouses exercises patience by remaining silent, the other will blab on for a while and thereafter also remain silent.
Moulana Yahya’s رحمة الله عليه control over his tongue
Moulana Yahya رحمة الله عليه, Hadhrat Shaikh’s رحمة الله عليه father, used to reside in Gangoh. His duties included being in charge of the night duties in the khanqah, writing the fatwas and making arrangements for the guests. Once, Moulana Yahya رحمة الله عليه was engaged in his work when someone called on him and began using vulgar and obscene language. Moulana رحمة الله عليه turned his attention away from him and continued with his work. The same incident took place on the following two days. There was a Munshi Muhammad Sahib who used to work in Moulana’s bookshop, not as a salaried worker but rather as a friend.
He angrily asked Moulana: “What has happened to you? Have you lost your sense of speech? What has happened to your sense of dignity? He has uttered such evil things about you and you couldn’t reply to him?”
Moulana ignored his chiding as well and continued with his work. This angered Munshi Sahib even more who exclaimed: “Now you have categorised me as that person. I am your friend. I desire to wish well for you and this is how you treat me.”
“Munshi Jee!” replied Moulana. “He was using vulgar language against me. When he uses the same vulgar language on you, you can reply to him. You have a tongue in your mouth as well.”
Moulana had realised that if he had also replied, then Allah Ta`ala alone knows how long they would have carried on with this argument. It is therefore imperative that we control our tongues. When the husband and wife quarrel, it inevitably results in a divorce and in most cases the cause of the quarrel was the incorrect usage of the tongue.
Shaitaan’s loyal deputy
It is recorded in the hadeeth that every evening Shaitaan sets up his throne on the ocean and holds a gathering for all his disciples to report directly to him the day’s work they had done i.e. to mislead mankind. One disciple comes forward and says: “I made a person miss his salaah today.”
“You have not accomplished anything,” replies Shaitaan indignantly.
Another gives his report and Shaitaan tells him the same thing. One by one they give their reports and Shaitaan ruefully says: “You all have not accomplished anything.”
Eventually one disciple comes forward and says: “Today I caused a dispute between a husband and wife. The moment the husband arrived home, I instigated the wife to say: ‘You are the one who has spoilt this thing.’
I then prompted the husband to say: ‘You are a liar. You broke the item, not me.’
I thereafter continued to incite both the wife and the husband to counter reply to each other resulting in the wife leaving her husband and going to her father’s home.”
Shaitaan on hearing this report embraces this disciple and gleefully says: “You are my true deputy! You are my true deputy!”
What is the reason for this overwhelming joy? When this quarrel and this separation take place between the husband and wife, she will go to her father’s home. Some of their children will accompany her whilst the others will remain with the father. The wife will relate all the ‘bad’ things that her husband had told her whilst conveniently forgetting to relate the harsh and obscene language she had spoken. If what she says is true, this is gheebat (back biting). Thus, a special gathering is being held for committing this sin of gheebat. Imagine what a great sin this is! If however, what she says is false, this is a slander against him, the sin of which is greater.
Similarly, the husband will complain to his family and friends that his wife said this to him and said that to him. He will not mention the evil things he said to her. If what he says is true, then this will also be gheebat and, if not, it is slander against as well.
Poisonous tree
It is recorded in the hadeeth that every Monday and Thursday, the actions of Allah Ta’ala’s slaves are presented to Him and the sinners are pardoned. However, those two persons entangled in a quarrel, resulting in them severing ties with one another, will not have their actions presented in the court of Allah Ta’ala. Thus, they will be deprived of his forgiveness. It is recorded in a hadeeth that two people who have severed ties with one another because of a disagreement, their du’aas are rejected and prevented from entering the court of Allah Ta’ala.
Thus, the husband and wife will be deprived of Allah Ta’ala’s forgiveness (and their du’aas will not be accepted).
The husband has desires and passion and so does the wife. If they ‘give in’ to their desires and allow their lust to control them, they will satisfy themselves in haraam avenues and bring disgrace upon themselves.
Their children will also be a means of ruination for them. Those who have an attachment for the father will develop hatred for the mother and vice versa. Shaitaan has planted a seed, which has grown into a gigantic tree whose branches have spread far and wide. These branches are covered with thorns and bears poisonous fruit. The husband and wife will only say those things by means of which they can vent their anger. They will not say anything of deeni benefit.
That is why Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has instructed us to control our tongues. We are sitting in i’tikaaf in the Musjid, which is the house of Allah Ta’ala. Let us control our tongues. We are also fortunate to be comfortably accommodated in this Musjid. Therefore, it should not happen that we leave the Musjid. The i’tikaaf becomes invalid if one steps out of the Musjid unnecessarily. Similarly, if a person emerges from his house, unnecessarily, in the time of fitnah, he will undergo some difficulty.
1947
In the riots of 1947, many such incidents had occurred. At that time in Madrasah Mazaahir-ul-Uloom, Saharanpur, there were just a few rooms where the new dormitory is now built. The people of the Madrasah, the ustaads and students, set up a camp for the refugees. They made arrangements for their food and sleeping.
Effort was also undertaken to teach the refugees the kalimah, salaah, tahaarat (wudhu and related aspects), etc., which were foreign to them. As they assisted them, the astonishing thing they discovered was that the items which the refugees regarded as valuable and brought along with them, were bottles of alcohol. Thus their actions were continuously monitored by the Madrasah. But alas, the refugees considered being taught the kalimah and the principles of deen to be a worse punishment than the burning of their homes and belongings, since they could not get the opportunity of fulfilling their desires (drinking alcohol). Hence, they ventured out of the camp and were shot at or stabbed.
What was the need for them to go out when all the necessary arrangements were made for them in the camp?
و ليسعك بيتك – “And let your house suffice you.”
Do not go out of your homes. If you do, then remember that Shaitaan has laid his traps everywhere. He (Shaitaan) has pledged:
قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿١٦﴾ ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ
O Allah! Because You had misguided me This is precisely what happens. The moment one steps out of the house, he is surrounded by fitnah. Therefore, one should not unnecessarily leave the house and, once inside, do not look at what is happening outside. If you want to look at anything, then look into the pages of the Qur’aan Shareef or the hadeeth shareef. If you look outside, you are most likely to become entrapped in the fitnah as well. Moulana Gangohi رحمة الله عليه in the market During Moulana Gangohi’s رحمة الله عليه student days in Delhi, he used to take the side streets and small avenues to go to the Madrasah and not the main street through the market place. Someone asked him the reason for this action of his. “The market is filled with many different items,” explained Moulana رحمة الله عليه. “It is possible that my gaze may fall on something resulting in the desire to purchase it. But I don’t have the money to purchase it. Thus, the desire for acquiring it will settle in my heart. Therefore, I don’t take the main road through the markets to save myself from these desires.” Guaranteed! “Don’t use your tongue unnecessarily.” If there is a need to speak, then refrain from exceeding the boundaries of the specific subject. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has mentioned in a hadeeth: “There are two limbs in the body which Allah Ta’ala created without a bone – the tongue and the private part. Whoever guarantees me the protection of these two limbs from haraam, I will guarantee his entrance into Jannah.” و ابك على خطيئتك – “And cry over your sins.” Read Qur’aan, make zikr, engage in ibaadat and whatever extra time you have, cry over your sins. Remember the sins that you have committed and cry and plead to Allah Ta’ala for His forgiveness. If one doesn’t cry when pondering over one’s sins, he will then fall under the malady of ‘picking out’ the faults and sins of others, thereby committing gheebat and slander. Ultimately, he has gained nothing but amassing a huge pile of sins which is more detrimental to him than being torn apart by bullets in a riot. Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has showed us and informed us of these three actions being a means of salvation for us. If we indulge in beneficial talks, recite the Qur’aan Shareef and make the zikr of Allah Ta’ala, this is certainly better than silence, and silence is better than permissible talks because one will be taken to account for even permissible actions, and maintaining silence is undoubtedly better than impermissible talks. It is, in fact, fardh to withhold the tongue from impermissible talks. If we study the lives of our pious predecessors, we will discover what great precaution they had exercised in their speech. It is recorded that one of the Khulafaa-e-Raashideen (radhiyallahu anhum) used to catch hold of his tongue and say: “This is the means of putting oneself into danger. If it behaves itself, everything will be fine. If it says that which is incorrect, it will have to face the consequences for it.” When we have come to the house of Allah Ta’ala, for i’tikaaf, it is a sanctuary for us. The verse: وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا “Whoever enters therein shall be safe” (Aal Imraan:97) refers to the Haram Shareef. There are two meanings for the word ‘safe.’ One is that if a criminal enters the Haram Shareef, it will be improper for anyone to arrest him. The second is that the animals of the Haram Shareef cannot be hunted down or captured. The Musjid is also a place of safety. When one enters the Musjid, he will be saved from many fitnahs. He will be saved from looking at na-mahram women, from being sworn at, from swearing others, from making immoral statements and indulging in incorrect actions. We need to appreciate this safety. If we appreciate it, it will yield beneficial results for us. May Allah Ta’ala benefit the speaker and the listener. Aameen.