Islamic Values
Look before you leap
Abdullah ibn Umar found that he disapproved of certain aspects of an address delivered by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, and resolved to refute what Hajjaj had said. But then, recalling a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, he remained silent. What the Prophet had said was: “It does not befit a believer to disgrace himself.” When Abdullah ibn Umar had asked in what way a believer could disgrace himself, the Prophet had replied: “By taking upon himself such a task as he has not the strength to face.”
(AL-BAZZAR)
Bearing with minor afflictions
Umayr ibn Hubayb admonished his son: “Avoid the company of fools and bear with them when they strew your path with difficulties; for one who cannot bear their trifling misdeeds, will soon find that he has to bear far greater, affliction. “
(AL-TABARANI)
Peace at any price
When the treaty of Hudaybiyah was being drawn up, the Prophet told Ali, to whom he was dictating the terms of the treaty, to write: “In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” The representative of the Quraysh, Suhayl ibn Amr said that he had no idea what the word “Rahman”—the Beneficent-meant. “Write, ‘In Your Name, O God’ as we are accustomed to.” The Muslims were loath to accede to Suhayl’s demand, but the Prophet commanded Ali to write as Suhayl wished, then continued to dictate the terms of the treaty to him. “This is the accord entered into by Muhammad, the Messenger of God.” Again Suhayl objected. “If we had considered you to be the Messenger of God, we would not have barred you from the House of God, neither would we have fought against you; write instead ‘Muhammad, son of Abdullah’.” Ali had already written ‘The Messenger of God.’ The Prophet told him to strike out these words, but he said he could not. So the Prophet himself struck them out, then he told Ali to write in their place, ‘the son of Abdullah,’ which he did. The Prophet continued: “The Quraysh will not prevent us from visiting the House of God.” Again Suhayl objected: “No, this year you must return; next year, you may come and visit God’s House.” The Prophet accepted this demand of the Quraysh also. Next, Suhayl laid down that the Muslims would return any of the Quraysh who had joined them in Madinah, but that the Quraysh would not have to return any of the Muslims who happened to have come to them. Much as it infuriated the Muslims, the Prophet acceded to this demand too. He accepted all the demands of the Quraysh, thus securing a ten-year truce with them.
(AL-BUKHARI, MUSLIM)
The laws of cause and effect applied to the Prophet’s offspring just as they
did to others
The Prophet’s daughter Zaynab was left behind in Makkah when her father emigrated to Madinah, from which place he sent Zayd ibn Harithah to fetch her. On the latter’s arrival in Makkah, he obtained a camel for Zaynab and they set out for Madinah. Two men of the Quraysh, who had been pursuing Zayd and Zaynab, caught up with them a short way out of Makkah, overcame Zayd and frightened Zaynab’s camel so that she fell to the ground. Zaynab, with child at that time, had a haemorrhage as a result of the fall, and miscarried. She was taken to the house of Abu Sufyan, where she was visited by some women of the Banu Hashim, Zaynab’s own kinsfolk, into whose care Abu Sufyan confided her. After a few days, she set forth once again on the journey of emigration. She did succeed in reaching Madinah, but her misadventure had had such a grievous effect upon her health that in the year 7 AH, she finally succumbed to the injuries she had sustained on that day.
(AL-TABARANI)
Tactful answers in delicate situations
During the journey of emigration, the Prophet and Abu Bakr stayed in the Cave of Thur for three days, then both riding on camels proceeded to Madinah by a little-known coastal route.
Sometimes Abu Bakr would go on ahead of the Prophet and sometimes he would drop behind. “Why is it,” asked the Prophet, “that you sometimes ride ahead of me and sometimes behind?” “When I think of pursuers,” replied Abu Bakr, “I ride behind you, but when my thoughts turn to those who may be lying in ambush, I go on ahead.”
Abu Bakr was a well-known, widely traveled merchant, and when he met any of his acquaintances on the way, they would ask him who his companion was. Then Abu Bakr would reply: “A guide to show me the way.”
(AL-TABARANI)
Making straight for the hereafter and leaving
the world by the wayside
An ironsmith of Makkah, Suhayb Rumi by name, having accepted Islam, emigrated to Madinah some time after the Prophet had gone there. On leaving Makkah, he was pursued and detained by a number of the Quraysh. “You had nothing when you came to us, Suhayb,” they reminded him, “and, by God, we will not let you take away all your earnings with you!” “Will you let me go if I hand over my earnings to you?” asked Suhayb. They agreed to this and upon his handing over the small amount of gold he had with him, he was allowed to continue on his way to Madinah. When the Prophet heard of what had befallen Suhayb, he said, several times, “Suhayb has made a good profit!”
(IBN KATHIR, TAFSIR)
Retreat and fight another day
It was at Mutah, a village situated in present-day Jordan, that” a battle took place in 8 AH between the 3,000-strong Muslim and Byzantine forces, numbering 100,000. Three commanders of the Muslim army were slain one after another, whereupon the standard of the Muslims was handed over to Khalid ibn Walid, who took a command and knit the ranks together. The enemy advance was so firmly checked that they drew back enough for the Muslims to beat an orderly retreat. Considering it unwise to advance again, Khalid then returned to Madinah with the one thousand troops who had survived. As they entered Madinah, crowds of men and women lined the route, jeering and throwing dust in their faces as they passed.
“Runaways!” they shouted. “No” said the Prophet; “they are not runaways but soldiers who will return to the fight if God wills it so.”
The importance of learning in Islam
Seventy idolaters were taken captive by the Muslims at the Battle of Badr, some of whom were unable to pay ransom. It was decided, therefore, that they should earn their freedom by teaching ten of the Helpers to write. That was how Zayd ibn Thabit learned to write, after which he became the Prophet’s amanuensis. In later life he learned many other languages besides Arabic, and it is said that he knew six languages altogether.
The cure for anger is silence
Abdullah ibn Abbas records the Prophet as saying: “When anyone of you becomes angry, he should remain silent.” This the Prophet repeated three times.
(AHMAD, MUSNAD)
Dealing with matters
in a tactful manner
Abu Sufyan, who had not yet accepted Islam was standing by the roadside with the Prophet’s uncle Abbas, when Sa’d ibn Ubadah, the Commander of the Helpers’ squadron at the conquest of Makkah approached the city. As Sa’d ibn Ubadah came closer to the two men, he called out: “O Abu Sufyan, today is the day of the slaughter! The day when the inviolable shall be violated. The day of the abasement of the Quraysh by God Almighty!” Abu Sufyan protested to the Prophet about Saad’s remarks, whereupon the Prophet said: “No, this is the day of mercy, the day on which God will exalt the Quraysh and glorify the Ka’bah.”
(IBN HAJAR AL-‘ASQATANI, FATH AL-BARI)
The Prophet then took the standard from Saad and handed it to the latter’s son, Qays, Sad did not feel discountenanced, for, after all, it was his own son who now bore the standard aloft.
(IBN QAYYIM, ZAD AL-MA‘AD)
Rigidity is not the sign of religion
Aishah says of the Prophet: “Whenever he had to chose between two paths, he would always take the easier of the two, so long as this entailed nothing sinful; he, more than anyone, would stay away from sin.
(MUSLIM, SAHIH)
Keeping one’s demands within
the bounds of reason
When the Prophet sent a letter to the people of Najran, inviting them to accept Islam, they conferred amongst themselves and decided to send three envoys, Shurahbil ibn Wadaah, Abdullah ibn Shurahbil and Jabbar ibn Faydh, to assess the situation in Madinah. When they had done so, they discussed the seriousness of their predicament: “If he is really a Prophet, and we reject him, we shall, of all the Arabs, become his worst enemies; he and his companions will not then forgive us.” Abdullah and Jabbar asked Shurahbil for his opinion. “I believe we should discuss peace terms with Muhammad,” he replied, “for I see him to be a man who never makes unreasonable demands of anyone.”
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
Showing tolerance and understanding
Abu Hurayrah recounts how a villager, on entering the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, started urinating. People came running to give him a beating, but the Prophet told them to desist, and said that the place, which had been defiled, should be cleaned by pouring water over it from a vessel. “You have been sent, not to make things difficult for people, but to make things easy.”
(AL-BUKHARI, SAHIH)
Being methodical
During the caliphate of Umar, Abu Hurayrah brought 800,000 dirhams from Abu Musa Ashari to Madinah. After the morning prayer, Umar informed the Muslims about this new intake of revenue. “In all of Islamic history, we have not, till now, received such a sum of money. In my opinion, it should be divided into equal portions and distributed among the people.” When he asked the gathering what they thought, Uthman offered his opinion: “In order to give to everyone, a considerable amount of money will be needed. If people are not counted, it will be impossible to tell who have received their share and who have not. This will result in confusion.” Hearing this, Walid ibn Hisham said, “Commander of the Faithful, when I was in Syria, I saw that the rulers there had compiled registers for this purpose, and had appointed people to maintain them. You might do likewise.” Umar accepted this advice and delegated the task of compiling registers to Aqil ibn Abu Talib, Makhramah ibn Nawfal and Jubayr ibn Mutim.
(IBN SA‘D, TABAQAI)
Speech is silver: Silence is golden
“Learn how to remain silent, just as you learn how to speak,” said Abu Darda, “for silence is an act of great forbearance. And be more eager to listen than to speak; particularly avoid speaking about that which does not concern you. Do not allow yourself to turn into the kind of person who laughs insensitively, or who travels without any objective.
(IBN ASAKIR)
The price of preaching
what is good
Admonishing his son, Umayr ibn Hubayb ibn Hamashah said: “Anyone who wishes to command what is good and forbid what is evil should have trust in God’s reward, for he shall have to remain patient in the face of persecution; persecution will not harm one who trusts in God’s reward.”
(AL-TABARANI)
Refusing power to avoid dissension
It was suggested to Abdullah ibn Umar, the son of Caliph Umar, that everyone would be pleased if he were to stand for the Caliphate. “Will you tell me if even one person opposes me in the east?” Asked Ibn Umar, “Anyone who opposes you will be killed,” he was told, “and what is one death when the betterment of the entire Muslim community is at stake?” “By God,” replied Ibn Umar, “even if you were to give me all the world, I should not like a single Muslim to be killed by a spear whose shaft was wielded by the followers of Muhammad and the tip held by me.”
A man came to Ibn Umar and accused him of being the worst of all Muslims. “God knows,” said Ibn Umar, “that I have not shed the blood of Muslims, nor have I divided or weakened them. So why do you accuse me in this way?” The others explained to him that if he wished, no two Muslims would disagree over him, meaning thereby that they wish him to stand for the Caliphate. But Ibn Umar said that he would not like to be Caliph without having everyone’s wholehearted support.
(IBN SA‘D, TABAQAT)
Killing Muslims to gain
power is to be abhorred
Abu Areef was one of the vanguard of the Imam Hasan’s 12,000-strong army, which, led by Abu Umar Taha, faced Muawiyah on the battlefield. He recalls how, with their swords still dripping with the blood of the Syrians, they were overcome by fury when Hasan made peace with Muawiyah. “When Hasan came to Kufa, one of our number-a man by the name of Abu Amir Sufyan ibn Layl-went up to him and greeted him as the humiliator of the Muslims. “Do not say that, Abu Amir,” said Hasan. “I have not humiliated the Muslims. I would hate to kill Muslims in order to gain power, and I have simply lived up to that principle.”
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
Man’s greatest struggle is
with his own desires
According to Jabir, when the Muslims returned from an expedition, the Prophet said to them: “You have returned from a minor struggle (Jihad) to a major one.” They asked him what that major struggle was. “The struggle engaged in by a servant of God to control his own desires,” replied the Prophet.
(JAMI‘ AL-ULUM WA AL-HIKAM)
The devil in man
Sulaym ibn Hanzalah once went to hear some words of advice from Ubayy ibn Kaab. Ubayy arose and walked away, leaving Hanzalah and his companions to follow him. On their way, they met Umar ibn Khattab, who said to them, “Do you not see how trying it is for one who is followed, and how humiliating it is for one who follows?”
(IBN ABI SHAYBAH)
The actions most pleasing to
God are those, which are
persevered in
According to Aishah, the Prophet possessed a mat, which he used to sit on during the day and pray on by night. The number of people who came to sit and pray with him increased considerably. To them the Prophet said, “You can do only as much as you are able to. God does not tire so long as you do not tire. The actions most pleasing to God are those, which are persevered in, no matter how inconsiderable they are. Another tradition has it that when the Prophet’s household did anything, they did it with the utmost regularity.
(AL BUKHARI, MUSLIM)
God stays with one who is
failed by his fellow men
The Prophet said that on the Day of Judgement, God would thus address mankind: “I was sick and you did not visit Me.” God’s servant would say: “Lord God of all creation, how could I have visited You?” The Lord would answer: “Did you not see that My servant was sick and yet you failed to visit him?” Had you visited him, you would have found Me there with him.” Once again the Lord would address mankind: “I asked you for bread and you did not give it to Me.” “Lord, how was I to give You bread?” God’s servant would ask. “Did not My servant ask you for bread, and yet you failed to give it to him? Had you granted his request, you would have found Me there with him.” Again the Lord would address mankind: “I asked you for water and you did not give Me any.” “Lord, how was I to give you water?” God’s servant would ask, adding “You are Lord of all creation.” “My servant asked you for water,” the Lord would reply, “and you did not give it to him. If you had done so, you would have found Me there with him.”
(MUSLIM, SAHIH)
Grievances arising from
misunderstanding
During the reign of Muawiyah, a man came before Suhayl ibn Saad and told him that the Amir (Governor) of Madinah, Marwan ibn Hakam, was abusing Ali “What does he say?” asked Suhayl. “He calls Ali ‘Abu Turab’ (father of the earth),” replied the man. Suhayl laughed and said: “The Prophet himself gave Ali that name; it was the Prophet’s favourite name.
(AL-BUKHARI, SAHIH)
Speak no ill of the dead
After the conquest of Makkah, Umm Hakim bint al Harith ibn Hisham, wife of Ikremah ibn Abu Jahal, became a Muslim. She told the Prophet that her husband had fled to the Yemen in fear of his life, and she begged the Prophet to grant him immunity. He agreed to do so, although Ikremah was still at war with him. Taking her Byzantine slave with her, Umm Hakim went in search of her husband. He had just reached the shores of Tahamah and was about to cross the Red Sea when she caught up with him. She told him that she had just come from seeing the greatest of all men, the Prophet Muhammad. It was not easy to persuade him to return with her, instead of risking his life at sea, but when he heard that the Prophet had guaranteed his safety in Makkah, he fell in with her wishes. When the two were approaching Makkah, the Prophet told his companions that Ikremah was coming to them as an emigrant and a believer: “Do not speak ill of his father, for, although speaking ill of the dead cannot hurt the dead, it hurts those who are alive.”
(IBN HISHAM, SIRAH)
Allowing for others’ self-respect
When the Prophet neared Madinah, at the end of his journey of emigration from Makkah, people hurried out of their houses to welcome him. Crowds of men, women and children could be seen on the roads and rooftops of Madinah, praising God for his arrival. The helpers, for their part, vied with each other as to who should have the honour of accommodating him, but because the Prophet had some relatives of his maternal grandmother staying in Madinah, he chose to spend his first few days with them, thus publicly honouring them. He said, “At present, I am going to stay with the Banu Najjar, the family of Abd al Muttalib’s maternal uncle, so that they should be shown due respect.” The first few months were spent with a member of the same family, Abu Ayub Ansari, whose full name was Khalid ibn Zayd Najjari Khazraji. When rooms were built around the Prophet’s mosque, the Prophet moved into them.”
(AL-BIDAYAH WA AL-NIHAYAH)
Satan arouses suspicion
Safiyyah bint Huyy, one of the Prophet’s wives, went to see the Prophet one night while he was in retreat in the mosque. She talked to him for a while then arose to leave. The Prophet also arose to see her off. Just then, two of the helpers passed by. Seeing the Prophet with a lady, they made to pass by quickly, but the Prophet called to them: “Do not hurry, this is my wife Safiyyah.” “Glory be to God, Messenger of God!” the two men exclaimed. “Satan runs in man’s veins like blood,” said the Prophet. “I was afraid that he might put some wicked thoughts about me into your hearts.”
(AL-BUKHARI, MUSLIM)
Charity is for everyone to give
The Prophet said: “Everyday, when the sun rises, every joint of the human body has its act of charity to perform. To make a just settlement between two men is an act of charity. So is the helping of a man on to his mount, or the unloading of his baggage, or just saying a kind word. Every obstacle removed from another’s path is an act of charity.”
God’s favourite servants are
those of the finest character
Usamah ibn Shurayk tells of how the companions were sitting so silently in the presence of the Prophet that it was as if they had birds perched upon their heads. Just then, certain people came and asked the Prophet which of God’s servants was dearest to him. “The one who has the finest character,” replied the Prophet.
(AL-TARGHEEB WA AL-TARHEEB)
Paying others what is due to them
A few days before his death, the Prophet delivering an unusually lengthy sermon, at the end of which he said: “I wish to be able to give a perfect account of myself to God. If I have forgotten to repay a debt or if I have hurt anyone in body or in mind, he should either claim his dues or forgive me.” On completing his sermon, the Prophet waited for some time, but no one spoke up. Then the hour came for the early afternoon prayer, which the Prophet offered in congregation. When it was over, he repeated his earlier question. This time, a man stood up and said: “Messenger of God! You owe me five dirhams.” The Prophet immediately gave instructions for the man to be repaid, and this was promptly done.
Justice for all
Muawiyah asked Dharar Sadai to tell him about Ali. Amongst other things, Dharar told him that he lived among them just like anyone of them. “If a powerful man were in the wrong, he could not hope to sway Ali, but if a weak person sought justice, he could certainly hope to have it.”
It is a wise man who fears God
“Wisdom comes from fear of God,” said Abdullah ibn Masud. Commenting on the verse of the Quran, “He grants wisdom unto whom He will,” Abul Aliyah said that here wisdom meant fear of God, for true wisdom could come only from fear of God.”
(IBN KATHIR, TAFSIR)
