Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Science (Part 65)
The beauty of the house, the street and the city
The house, the street and the city constitute the environment in which humans live, and this environment is known among humans today as the “environment”.
What is noteworthy is that Allah has made the beauty of this environment one of the goals of human existence in life; as Allah, quoting His Prophet Salih (peace be upon him), says: “هُوَ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَاسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فيها” Translation: “He created you from the earth and made you dwell therein.” [1]
Ibn Kathir (may Allah bless him) says: “He made you dwellers on the earth so that you might cultivate it and make use of it.” [2] Also, Hazrat Zaid bin Aslam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “That is, He commanded you to build and plant whatever you need from building and planting trees, and some have also said: Allah inspired you to cultivate the earth by farming, cultivating, digging rivers, etc.” [3]
Even the lowest manifestations of beauty on the path are linked to faith in the hearts of believers; As the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) introduced removing harm from the path as part of faith, saying: “الإيمان بضع وَسَبْعُونَ، أَوْ بِضْعٌ وَسِتُّونَ شُعْبَةٌ، فَأَفْضَلُهَا قَوْلُ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَدْنَاهَا إِمَاطَةُ الْأَذَى عَنِ الطريق” Translation: “Faith is more than seventy or more than sixty branches, the best of which is saying: There is no god but Allah, and the lowest of which is removing harm from the path.” [4]
And the meaning of “removing harm from the path” is removing any harmful thing such as stones, thorns, etc. from the path of people.
Removing harm from the path even has the reward of charity; As narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “يُمِيطُ الْأَذَى عَنْ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ” Translation: “Removing harm from the path is charity”. [5]
Even more than this, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reported that Allah forgave the sins of one of his servants because he pushed aside a thorny branch from the path and entered him into paradise. It is stated in the hadith: “بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ وَجَدَ غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَأَخَّرَهُ، فَشَكَرَ اللهُ لَهُ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ” Translation: “While a man was walking on the road, he found a thorny branch on the road, so he removed it. God was grateful to him and forgave him.” and in a narration from Ibn Majah it is said: “كَانَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ غُصْنُ شَجَرَةٍ يُؤْذِي النَّاسَ، فَأَمَاطَهَا رَجُلٌ، فَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ” Translation: “A man was passing by and saw a thorny branch. He pushed it aside. God was pleased with his action and forgave him.” [6]
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) listed such an act among the best deeds of the nation and said: “عُرِضَتْ عَلَيَّ أَعْمَالُ أُمَّتِي حَسَنُهَا وَسَيْتُهَا، فَوَجَدْتُ فِي مَحَاسِنِ أَعْمَالِهَا الْأَذَى يُمَاطُ عَنِ الطَّرِيق” Translation: “The deeds of my nation were presented to me, their good and bad deeds; and among the best of their deeds I found: removing harm from the path.” [7]
It is amazing that the noble companion, Abu Barzah, asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to guide him to something beneficial, and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: “اعْزِلِ الأَذَى عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ” Translation: “Remove harm from the path of the Muslims”. [8]
And perhaps even more amazingly, the Prophet gave a stern warning against anyone who harms people in their path, saying: “مَنْ أَذَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي طُرُقِهِمْ، وَجَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ لَعْنَتُهُمْ” Translation: “Whoever harms the Muslims in their path, their curse will be upon him.” [9]
Did you notice?! Seven hadiths on the subject of removing obstacles from the path were narrated without the intention of being comprehensive, and we do not know of any Sharia, school, or philosophy that has paid so much attention to the beauty of the path. Now, if such a thing were to happen somewhere, is there anyone who would say: Removing obstacles from the path is done there with the motive of forgiveness of sins and entry into Paradise?! Let us pause here for a moment: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not see a female companion whose only specialty was that she cleaned the mosque, so he went to see her. When he learned that she had passed away, he blamed his companions for not informing him, saying: “Why did you not inform me? … Guide me to her grave?” And when they did, he prayed over her. Then He went to his grave and prayed for her. [10]
This woman, whose name has been preserved in the history of Islam and recorded in the books of hadith, only cleaned the mosque and became immortal in the Islamic school of thought, as the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) blamed the companions for her death and prayed over her after her death.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade urinating in places where people frequent and said: “اتَّقُوا اللَّعَانَيْنِ. قَالُوا: وَمَا اللَّعَانَانِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ؟ قَالَ: الَّذِي يَتَخَلَّى فِي طَرِيقِ النَّاسِ أَوْ فِي ظلهم” Translation: “Fear the two curses.” They said: “And what are the curses, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Whoever urinates himself in the path of people or in their shade.” [11]
That is, whoever relieves himself in the path of people or where they sit causes people to curse him.
Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi said: «لعانین» refers to two actions that attract people’s curses, anger them, and cause them to curse. [12]
The more sacred a place is, the greater the concern for its purity, such as the mosque, about which the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him,) said: “الْبُزَاقُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَطِيئَةٌ، وَكَفَّارَتُهَا دَفْنُهَا” Translation: “Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to cover it”. [13]
Since the Jews did not clean their houses, the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his companions (Sahaba): “طَهِّرُوا أَفْنِيَتَكُمْ؛ فَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ لَا تُطَهِّرُ أَفْنِيَتَهَا” Translation: “Clean your courtyards; for the Jews do not clean their courtyards.” And in another narration: “نَظُفُوا أَفْنِيَتَكُمْ؛ فَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ أَنْتَنُ النَّاسِ” Translation: “Clean your courtyards; for the Jews are the most fetid of people”.
This advice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) shows that beauty in Islam was genuine and not the result of the influence of the tropical climate – as some Western researchers have assumed – nor was it influenced by previous religions or schools.
Islam emphasized performing the recommended prayers at home; As Jabir narrated that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “إذا قَضَى أَحَدُكُمُ الصَّلاةَ فِي مَسْجِدِهِ، فَلْيَجْعَلْ لِبَيْتِهِ نَصِيبًا مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ؛ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَاعِلٌ فِي بَيْتِهِ مِنْ صَلاتِهِ خَيْرًا” Translation: “When one of you prays in his mosque, he should also set aside a portion of his prayer for his house, for Allah makes good in his house from that prayer.” [14]
Accordingly, houses became small like mosques, so it was necessary for them to be clean. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also ordered his nation to do this; As Hazrat Samrah ibn Jundab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “أمرنا رسول الله أن نتخذ المساجد في ديارنا، وأمرنا أن ننظفها” Translation: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered us to have mosques in our homes and to keep them clean.” [15]
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also forbade anyone from urinating in the bathing place and said: “لا يَبُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي مُسْتَحَمِّهِ، ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ فِيهِ” Translation: “No one should urinate in his bathing place and then perform ablution in it.” [16]
These are examples of texts that have been mentioned regarding the prohibition of pollution in the house or on the roads.
However, the command was not limited to the prohibition of pollution; Islam also emphasized planting trees; As it is narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “مَا مِنْ مُسْلِم يَغْرِسُ غَرْسًا أَوْ يَزْرَعُ زَرْعًا، فَيَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ طَيْرٌ أَوْ إِنْسَانٌ أَوْ بَهِيمَةٌ، إلا كَانَ لَهُ بِهِ صَدَقَةٌ” Translation: “There is no Muslim who plants a tree or cultivates and a bird or a human being or an animal eats from it, unless a charity is recorded for him.” [17]
And in the narration of Muslim: “وَمَا سُرِقَ مِنْهُ لَهُ صَدَقَةٌ … وَلَا يَرْزَؤُهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا كَانَ لَهُ صَدَقَةٌ.” Translation: “Even if it is stolen from a person, it is still charity for him… and no one takes away from it except that it is charity for him.”
Even the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advised that if the Day of Resurrection is about to occur and someone has a sapling in his hand, he should plant it if he is able to; As Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “إِنْ قَامَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَفِي يَدِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَسِيلَةٌ، فَإِنِ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ لَا يَقُومَ حَتَّى يَغْرِسَهَا فَلْيَغْرِسْهَا” Translation: “If the Day of Judgment comes and one of you has a sapling in his hand, he should plant it as long as he is able.” [18]
There is no stronger motivation to encourage planting trees than this, because this hadith introduces the Muslim as an active, benevolent, and generous being; someone who, like a gushing spring, constantly gives and does not stop working until the last moment of his life. Even if he knows that no one will benefit from the fruit of his tree.
In Islamic jurisprudence, the development of land is known as “reviving the dead land.” And the dead land means land that is abandoned and uninhabited. This term is taken from the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “مَنْ أَحْيَا أَرْضًا مَيِّتَةً فَهِيَ له” Translation: “Whoever revives dead land, it belongs to him.” [19]
So, on the one hand, Islam has commanded cleanliness and purity, and on the other hand, it has encouraged planting and development. Therefore, Islamic houses and cities during the flourishing period of Islam were a manifestation of beauty and freshness.
Continues…
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References:
- 1.Surah Hud, verse 61.
- Ibn Kathir, Abu al-Fida Ismail ibn Umar, Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim, vol. 4, p. 286, Dar al-Kutb al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Abu Hayyan, Muhammad ibn Yusuf, Al-Bahr al-Muhit, vol. 6, p. 175, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Sahih Muslim.
- Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
- Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
- Sahih Muslim.
- Sunan Abu Dawud.
- Sahih Muslim.
- Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
- Sahih Muslim.
- What have the Muslims brought to the world? P. 650.
- Sahih Bukhari.
- Sahih Muslim.
- Sunan Abu Dawud.
- Sunan Tirmidhi.
- Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.
- Musnad Ahmad.
- Sunan Abu Dawud.
