The Righteous Action – Part 2

Safeguarding against Insincerity

Many people unfortunately neglect the first condition (complying with the Sunnah) because they are astray and believe that bid’ah (innovation) is good in the religion. ^[[4]]But there are those upon whom Allâh has granted His favour, by guiding them to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam). They are those who know the reality of this condition and adhere to it the best they can. Yet they must pay attention to the second condition, which any group may fail to fulfill, and that is riy⒠(insincerity and showing-off). No one is exempt from riy⒠and all people are susceptible to it in their actions.

This matter is a very serious one and must be stressed here, so that we may know that we are in need of making our actions correct and purely for the Face of Allâh – the Exalted and Sublime. Part of this is that we are tested even while making Da’wah to the Qur’ân and the Sunnah, for trials are not only in evil matters, but also in the good matters:

This da’wah has been neglected by Muslims throughout the world so that the du’ât (the callers) have become strangers. Not only are they strangers in foreign countries, but they are strangers even in their own countries; amongst their relatives and brothers. This makes them praiseworthy, but they must not stand up to be praised for this da’wah. This is the reality, for the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

Tûbâ and the Strangers

The meaning of Tûbâ in the Arabic language is: “Praise and thanks.” The meaning according to the Sharî’ah refers to a tree in Paradise, which would take a rider a hundred years to traverse its shade. ^{[[5] ]}This hadîth gives glad tidings to the newcomers of Paradise in which there is:

This tree is mentioned in the Qur’ân in the statement of Allâh:

Therefore, Tûbâ is for the Ghurabâ (the Strangers), but who are they? The answer to this is in the reply of the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam):

The Need for Care

These Strangers call the people to the revival of the Sunnah and eradication of all that differs from it. However, they must still pay attention to the second condition of the righteous action: To be sincere in their da’wah. They must neither seek fame, pride, nor arguments from their da’wah.

They must not seek anything that an-Nafs ul-Amârata bis-Sû’ (the soul that calls them to evil) orders them to do. Whatever they call to is as a result of Allâh – the Most High – having ordered them to make da’wah to the Qur’ân and the Sunnah and to make da’wah to what the Muslims have neglected. They must take care of this da’wah.

However, they stand in danger. It can happen that one may say a word seeking only to have fingers of praise pointed at him, not sincerely advising the people and desiring to guide them. Rather, to do that for fame.

Here we mention a saying of some Sûfîs, who have some wise sayings that can not be denied: “The love of fame breaks backs.” Therefore, I insist, that we who make Da’wah to the Sunnah be sincere in our actions so that when our actions enter the grave with us, it will help us to answer correctly when we are asked:

“Who is your Lord? Who is your Prophet? What is your religion?”

If the deed is evil, when the person enters the grave, he will deny it. His deed will come to him in the worst of forms. He will ask it: “Who are you?”It will say: “I am your deed.”

Wealth – its Reality and Purpose

The next Hadîth is also authentic. Abû Hurayrah said that the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

This Hadîth also emphasises the subject of the previous ahâdîth. It shows us the care taken by people in amassing wealth. Allâh pointed this out in the Qur’ân by His statement:

The Prophet depicted the nature of mankind for us in his saying:

Nevertheless, what is the amount that remains left over for him from his wealth? Is all his wealth for him? No! He gains from his wealth only the examples that the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) specified. The first is defined by the Prophet’s statement:

From his wealth is that which is necessary for him to survive and that which enables him to accomplish the rights of Allâh. These rights are the rights of His Tawhîd (singling out Allâh alone for worship), as Allâh said:

The second is what a person wears until it becomes shabby. Add to this that which he volunteers and does good with, which is mentioned in the statement of the Prophet:

He got rid of his wealth by giving it away to another in charity. Therefore, the wealth that is for the servant is the amount that he eats and the amount that he wears in order to survive. However this is not an end in itself. Rather, one exists solely to accomplish the obligation of worship, as we pointed out previously.

The third kind of wealth that returns with a benefit is not only the obligatory charity, but it also includes non-obligatory charities. Then the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) explained what is left after these categories. He said:

The relation of this Hadîth with the previous one is: Why do people exhaust themselves in amassing wealth, when this is the reality of wealth? They do not benefit from there wealth except the amount that they eat, drink and with which they help other people. All else will be left and it will remain for the people who inherit it.

The following Hadîth is also Sahîh (authentic). Abdullâh Ibn ash-Shikhkhîr said: I came to the Prophet whilst he was reciting:

The Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

This hadîth is also similar in meaning to the previous one, though some of its words are different; and was recorded by Muslim, at-Tirmidhî and an-Nasâ’î. This hadîth is clear in its wording, however, the statement of the Prophet at the end of the hadîth: “or what you give as charity and accomplish” may not be clear to some people.

Generosity and Miserliness

This statement aims at drawing one’s attention to the fact that what is intended for charity is that which he actually gives away. It is not sufficient that a person should just make out a will, that he should give such and such to the poor, or such and such for a specific masjid. However, the Prophet calls our attention to the fact that benefit is in that wealth which a person actually gave away during his lifetime, since he did not really know what would happen with his wealth after he died, if he had made a will.

With this word, the Prophet points to a hadîth in the Sahîh of al-Bukhârî – the meaning of which is that the miser is one who when death comes to him makes a will and says: “Give so and so such amount and for so and so such and such amount.” The Prophet said: “This was already for so and so and so and so.”

What the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) meant was that the deceased did not own anything anymore. He had left this dunya (life of this world) and had entered into the Akhirah (the Hereafter) and his inheritance will remain for those people who are still alive. Then should not the person have made his will earlier? Should he not have given charity whilst he was strong, hoping to be rich and fearing poverty?

This is the nature of the people today, they say: “Hoard your white Dirham for your black day.” They hoard this money for themselves for when they become old. They are covetous of this wealth. The generous person is the one who gives away his own wealth when his own soul is attached to it.

As for the one who is on the brink of death and who says: “Give so and so such and such amount,” he is a miser and is not generous. Rather, a truly generous person is one who gives charity whilst he holds onto his life and also whilst he loves this wealth very much.

The Insignificance of this World

The next hadîth is narrated by Jâbir Ibn ‘Abdullâh:
The Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) passed by the market place coming from the direction of ‘Âliyah and people were around him. He passed by a dead kid goat (i.e. a baby goat) which had very short ears. He held it by its ears and said:

They (the Companions) said: “We would not want it even for less than that! What can we do with it?” He said:

They said: “By Allâh, even if it were alive it (we would not want it), as it has very short ears, let alone now when it is also dead!”

The Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

Let us return to the hadîth. He passed by the market place “and the people were around him.” Here I would like to pause a little in order to remind people about some of the guidance of the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) that most of the Shayukhs of today have neglected.

The Shayukhs of today walk with their students behind them. This was not the way of the Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam). The ahâdîth describing this are many and the following is from them:

Moreover, it is authentically proven that the Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) used to say to his Companions (radi-Allâhu ‘anhu)m, when he used to walk with them:

Here he highlights two matters from one saying. People do not see angels, they see only people. Therefore, if anyone saw the Messenger (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) walking, they would only see people walking in front of him. The Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said in the authentic hadîth:

His humbleness raised him to a degree whereby the angels walked behind him. Therefore, is a noble person one behind whom people – good or bad – walk; or is he the one who is followed by those described by Allâh in the following verse:

The nobility of the Prophet manifested itself in a visible and an invisible side. The visible side is that the Companions used to walk in front of the Prophet and not behind him. The invisible side is that the angels walked behind him.

Of course, the first phenomenon is the one in which we are ordered not to act proudly with our companions and our brothers in faith, even those who may be less than us in knowledge, morals, worship and righteousness. This is enough for us, because Allâh says:

It is sufficient for us at least, to walk with people side by side. Whosoever intentionally goes against this Sunnah, without doubt, does not truly love the Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam). This is because one’s degree of love from him, is based upon following him. This is established in the Qur’ân by the statement of Allâh:

So, if this was the case with the Prophet who was infallible and protected from the whispering of the Shaytân and this was an indication of the level with his Companions, then what can we say about ourselves? We are not infallible and are not protected from the Shaytân. We must adhere to this Sunnah as if it were obligatory. It is better for us to walk with people around us than to walk looking with our eyes at the backs of their shoulders. The statement of the Prophet, at the end of the hadîth:

is to be reflected upon by people of intellect!
The next authentic hadîth is similar to the previous hadîth. Ibn ‘Abbâs said: The Prophet passed by a dead goat that had been thrown away by its owners. He said:

Sahl Ibn Sa’d said that the Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

Salmân said:

This is the similitude of this world. What is the eventual outcome of food and drink? They change to stool and urine. Therefore, a person hates the smell for himself. This is the similitude of the outcome of this World.

The following hadîth has the same meaning. Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab said that the Messenger of Allâh (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

What is the eventual outcome of spices and seasoning in his food? Look at what it becomes! Likewise, this world becomes a similar thing except that which is for Allâh. The next hadîth explains this.
Abû Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

In Conclusion

This is the reality of this world in the Sharî’ah, it has no value. The similitude of this world is like good food and drink: its outcome is decay. The exceptions arc those things which are done for Allâh whether remembrance of Allâh, knowledge or even food because it helps to support the worship of Allâh. These things are among the deeds of man that endure in this fleeting life.

The goal behind these ahâdîth is that a person should not be overly concerned about this world, except with which is sufficient to keep him alive and strong; and sufficient enough to be able to accomplish the worship of his Lord. For if his wealth is greater than this, it will only benefit him by the amount of good that he does by helping others; otherwise, he is going to leave this wealth behind and it will not benefit him at all. However, what will benefit him are the righteous actions that he has done.

We ask Allâh not to put love of this world in our hearts, but to guide us to earn in this life what helps us to worship and obey Him. And all praise is for Allâh, Lord of the Worlds.

Footnotes

[4] The evidence to refute the notion of Bid’ah Hasanah (good innovation) are many. However, for the sake of brevity, only one will be mentioned:- The Sahabî ‘Abdullâh Ibn ‘Umar (radi-Allâhu ‘anhu) said – as is related by ad-Dârimî in al-Madhkal ilas-Sunan (no.191) with a Sahîh isnâd:

[5] Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (3/71) and authenticated by al-Albânî in as-Sahîhah (no.1241) that the Prophet was asked: What is Tûbâ? So he (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

[6] Part of a hadîth Qudsî related by al-Bukhârî and Muslim from Abû Hurayrah (radi-Allâhu ‘anhu) in which the Prophet (sal-Allâhu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said that Allâh said:

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