Author: Abdul Hai Lay'yan
The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 50)
Lesson Twenty-Three: We perform righteous deeds with the fear of failing in them and with the desire for their acceptance by Allah
One of the supplications of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) while building the Kaaba was: “رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِیعُ الْعَلِیمُ” Translation: “Our Lord! Accept (this deed) from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.” [1]
Although they were engaged in a good deed, they asked Allah to accept it from them.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah bless him) narrated from Wahib ibn al-Ward (from the righteous Salaf) that when he read this verse: “And when Ibrahim and Ismael were raising the foundations of the House… Our Lord, accept from us,” he wept and said: “O Khalil al-Rahman, you are raising the foundations of the House of the Most Gracious, and you are worried that it will not be accepted from you!” Then Ibn Kathir added: “This is the state of the true believers about whom Allah says: “وَالَّذِینَ یؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ.” Translation: “Those who give and spend what they can, while their hearts are fearful (that their charity and good deeds may not be accepted), and because they will return to their Lord (for reckoning).” [2]
That is, whatever charity, spending and good deeds they do, their hearts are afraid that it will not be accepted from them. This is what is narrated in the authentic hadith from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). [3]
This is a high degree for a person to do a good deed but fear that it will not be accepted. Shahid Sayyid Qutb (may Allah bless him) in his commentary on the verse “And those who give whatever they have to give, while their hearts are fearful,” [4] describes this state as follows: “This verse presents the image of wakefulness and caution in the hearts of the believer. Here, the effect of faith in the heart is manifested in the form of sensitivity, effort, piety, desire for perfection, and consideration of the consequences; no matter how much they fulfill their duties and obligations. [5]
Why is the believer fearful despite doing righteous deeds?
This group of believers fear their Lord out of fear and piety, believe in His signs, and do not associate partners with Him. They fulfill their duties and obligations and fulfill their obedience to the best of their ability; However, “and those who give whatever they are required to give, while their hearts are fearful,” [6] is due to their sense of shortcoming in the sight of Allah, even after they have done their utmost, and that effort is small in their eyes.
Umm al-Mu’minin Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allah, “those who give whatever they are required to give, while their hearts are fearful,” are they those who steal, commit adultery, and drink wine, while they fear Allah?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No, O daughter of Seddiq, rather they are those who pray, fast, and give charity, while they fear Allah, the Almighty.” [7]
The sign of sincerity in action
The heart of a believer feels the grace and favor of Allah in every breath and heartbeat. For this reason, he considers all his acts of worship and obedience insignificant compared to Allah’s endless blessings. Also, with all his being, He understands the greatness and glory of Allah and feels His presence in everything around him. Therefore, he feels awe and fear, and fears that he will meet Allah while he has failed in His right, has not fully fulfilled his right to worship and obey, and has been deficient in recognizing and thanking His blessings.
On the other hand, this feeling that a believer has certainty and sincerity while performing righteous deeds and yet fears that his work will not be accepted is evidence of his sincerity; because one of the signs of sincerity is the believer’s shame about his actions; meaning that despite all the efforts he has made, he does not consider that action worthy of the divine court. So he has combined goodness with fear and suspicion of himself.
Lesson Twenty-Four: Effort and Sincerity in Prayer and Not Hastening for Answer to it
Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) while building the Kaaba, in this holy place where tears are shed and prayers are answered, turned to their Lord and prayed: “رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِیهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ یتْلُو عَلَیهِمْ آیاتِكَ وَیعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَیزَكِّیهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزِیزُ الحَكِیمُ” Translation: “Our Lord! Raise among them (who are from our lineage and who obey You) a Messenger from among themselves, who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book (the Quran) and wisdom (the secrets of the Sharia and its purposes) and purify them (from polytheism and bad morals). Indeed, You are the Mighty, the Wise (and over all things powerful and victorious, and whatever You do is for the benefit and according to Your wisdom)”. [8]
The answer to this prayer of theirs (peace be upon them) was fulfilled after centuries with the sending of the noble Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). A prophet from the descendants of Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them), who would recite the verses of Allah to the people, teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them from pollution and impurity. A prayer that is answered, is fulfilled at a time that Allah determines with His wisdom. While people rush, those who don’t reach their destination become tired and disappointed.
Regarding the sending of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Allah says: “هُوَ الَّذِی بَعَثَ فِی الْأُمِّیینَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ یتْلُو عَلَیهِمْ آیاتِهِ وَیزَكِّیهِمْ وَیعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِی ضَلَالٍ مُّبِینٍ * وَآخَرِینَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا یلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ وَهُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَكِیمُ.” Translation: “Allah is the One Who raised up a Messenger from among the unlettered, reciting to them His verses and purifying them. He teaches them the Book (Quran) and the Sharia (Law). They were indeed in manifest error before that. He is also sent to others, those who have not yet joined them (and will be born later). Allah is the All-Mighty.” [9]
The Blessing of Sending a Prophet from Among His Ummah
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has stated in his noble Sunnah that he is the same supplication that Prophets Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) prayed for. He said: “I am the supplication of Ibrahim and the glad tidings of Jesus (peace be upon them), and when my mother conceived me, she saw a light coming out of her that illuminated the palaces of Syria.” [10]
Among the great blessings of Allah upon this Ummah is that this Prophet (Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was from among them, and not from another people. The reasons for this are:
– In order to increase their status and rank in honor and religion; because if the Prophet and his audience are both from the same generation, then if their prayers are answered, they will be more honored.
– When the Prophet is from among them, they know his birth and upbringing, and it becomes easier for them to understand his honesty and trustworthiness.
– When the Prophet is from among his people, he wants their goodness more than anyone else, and is more compassionate towards them, compared to a Prophet sent to them from a foreign people.
Lesson Twenty-Five: supplication is worship, and the best of them are the supplications recited by the Prophets (peace be upon them).
It is appropriate for a Muslim to pray with the Ma’thour prayers in the Holy Quran or on the tongues of the Prophets (peace be upon them). As we have seen, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) prayed for himself and his son to be Muslims, and he asked for the same for the generations after him. A Muslim should also pray with such prayers, because these prayers have power and remind us that human is connected to Allah.
Therefore, a Muslim must pray for his parents, because this is from goodness to them. He must also ask for goodness and purity for his children, because this is from the ties of kinship, and then pray for all Muslims. This prayer reminds him of the bond of faith he has with other Muslims, their rights, and his concern for them. It is permissible for the supplicant to ask for the good of the world for himself and others, provided that his intention in asking for this is to seek help from it in worshipping Allah Almighty.
Characteristics of the supplications of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)
One thing that is noticeable in the supplications of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is that they all appeal to Allah, ask Him, and mention His names and attributes. These supplications begin with «ربنا» or «رب», which is a confession of Allah’s Lordship over everything and the supplicant’s servitude to the Lord of the worlds. [11] Also, this supplication includes an expression of supplication to Allah and shows that each supplication has a specific purpose. For this reason, he did not repeat this supplication except when moving from one supplication to another. The first supplication was for acceptance of the deed, the second for seeking guidance and steadfastness, and the third for seeking the completion of guidance by raising a prophet among their descendants. [12]
Important points in supplication
Therefore, it is appropriate for every Muslim supplicant to call upon his Lord in the same way that Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) supplicated, and not to turn to anyone other than Allah; because no one except Allah can benefit or harm himself or anyone else. Also, it is necessary for the callers and educators to explain to their followers the importance of supplication and what is hidden in it (the acknowledgment of the Lordship and Divinity of Allah and the supplicant’s servitude to his Lord). [14] For this reason, it is stated in the noble hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: “Supplication is the core of worship.” [15]
Lesson twenty-six: Honoring guests is part of the ethics of the prophets and the righteous
Hospitality is part of the ethics of the prophets, messengers, and righteous servants of Allah. The verses of the Quran inform us of the generosity, forgiveness, and kindness of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in dealing with his guests. As soon as the guests arrived, and before he even recognized them or asked them whether he should bring them food or not, he quickly prepared the best food he had and presented it to them. When he asked them to eat, he used a phrase with elegance, taste, hospitality, and the utmost generosity.
Allah the Almighty says: “فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ سَمِینٍ * فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَیهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ.” Translation: “Then he went to his family secretly and brought a fattened calf (which they had roasted for them). And he placed It near them. (But he was surprised to see that they did not come near the food and did not eat anything from it!) He said: “Do you not eat?” [16]
Lesson twenty-Seven: It is part of the guest’s etiquette to eat from the food that has been brought to him
It is proper for a guest to eat from the food that has been prepared for him, even if it is only out of respect for the host. The custom of a noble guest is to eat from any Type of food that the host has prepared for him. However, a lowly guest does not eat from the host’s food, and in this way, he casts doubt and suspicion in the heart of the host and creates in him the feeling that the guest may intend to betray or break his promise.
Hospitality Etiquette in Different Cultures
According to the custom of the Bedouins and villagers in Egypt, they avoid “betraying food”, that is, betraying the person with whom they have eaten. Therefore, if someone does not eat another person’s food, it means that they have bad intentions towards him or do not trust his intentions. There is a proverb in this regard that says: “He who does not eat from your food does not keep your promise.”
But the guests of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did not eat from the food, because they were angels, and angels do not eat or drink.
Continues…
References:
- Al-Baqarah: 127.
- Al-Mu’minun: 60.
- Imad al-Din Abu al-Fida Ismail, Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, vol. 1, p. 175.
- Al-Mu’minun: 60.
- Muhammad, Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, vol. 2, p. 2472.
- Al-Mu’minun: 60.
- Narrated by al-Tirmidhi in the Book of Tafsir al-Quran, Hadith 3175.
- Al-Baqarah: 129.
- Al-Jumu’ah: 3-2.
- Narrated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihain, vol. 2, p. 600, and he said: Its chain of transmission is authentic, and al-Zahabi agreed with him.
- Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Husain, Al-Fakhr al-Razi, Keys to the Unseen (Al-Tafsir al-Kabir), Vol. 4, p. 65.
- Abdul-Karim, Zaydan, Benefits from the Stories of the Qur’an, Vol. 1, pp. 217-218.
- Muhammad Tahir, Ibn Ashur, At-Tahrir wa’l-Tanwir, Vol. 1, pp. 719-722.
- Abdul-Karim, Zaydan, Benefits from the Stories of the Qur’an, Vol. 1, p. 218.
- Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3371.
- Al-Zariyyat: 26-27.
