| By SisM,
on 08-03-2003 16:28
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With the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Imagine for a moment, a person brings you happiness and gets rid of your most serious worries.
How would you reward such person?
Now, think of a person who would arrange for you the Eternal happiness?
"… and those who believe and do good shall be in the meadows of the gardens; they shall have what they please with their Lord: that is the great grace. " Holy Quran 42:22
Having what you please with your Lord, in return of being good? Can you get a better deal than that?
Now, would that news be possible without all the sacrifice that Prophet went through?
Of course not.
He was kicked out of his town, tortured, stoned, almost killed, humiliated, starved, injured, and ridiculed. Yet with patience and perseverance, he managed to give us this great deal.
If you see the Prophet, how would you reward him for all the trouble he went through to give you this news? Remember, he didnt have to be patient. He had a perfect chance to curse all of his enemies like other Prophets did. But he didnt.
He had a choice to stay silent, mind his own business and retire. But he didnt.
It is for all the trouble he went through that we know right from wrong, good from bad.
So, back to the question:
How should we reward the Prophet?
The next verse of the Holy Quran, in the same Sura, answers this question:
"… Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives …" 42:23
Ibn Abbas narrated: When the above verse (42:23) was revealed, the companions asked: "O the Messenger of Allah! Who are those near kin whose love Allah has made obligatory for us?" Upon that the Prophet said: "Ali, Fatimah, and their two sons." He again repeated "Ali, Fatimah, and their two sons." And for the third time, he said: "Ali, Fatimah, and their two sons." (Sources: Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi; Tafsir al-Thalabi; Tafsir al-Tabari; Tafsir al-Qurtubi; Tafsir al-Kashshaf; Tafsir al-Baidhawi; Tafsir al-Kalbi; al-Madarik; Dhakhair al-Uqba; Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal; al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami; Shawahid al-Tanzeel; Hakim Hasakani; al-Hanafi; and many others such as Ibn Abi Hatam, al-Tabarani, etc.)
That is it. In return of all the trouble he went through, in return of such great deal, he was commanded by Allah in the Quran to tell us that the only reward is love for Prophets near kin.
Can we love people without caring for them? Or caring about what they went through? Or can we love people without knowing any details about their lives?
Later in his life, Prophet said: "I am leaving with you the two weighty things: The first is the Book of Allah, in which you find guidance and enlightenment, and the people of my household. I remind you, by Allah, of the people of my household... I remind you by Allah of the people of my household." (Sahih, Muslim; Sahih, al Tirmdhi; Mustadrak, al Hakim; Musnad, Ahmed Hanbal)
Do we remember the people of the household?
Narrated Mother of the Faithful, Aisha (ra):
One day the Prophet came out afternoon wearing a black cloak (upper garment or gown; long coat), then al-Hasan Ibn Ali came and the Prophet accommodated him under the cloak, then al-Husain came and entered the cloak, then Fatimah came and the Prophet entered her under the cloak, then Ali came and the Prophet entered him to the cloak as well. Then the Prophet recited: "Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you a perfect purification (the last sentence of Verse 33:33)." (Sahih Muslim)
In reference to that same incident, Sahih Tirmidhi reports:
The verse "Verily Allah intends to ... (33:33)" was revealed to the Prophet in the house of Umm Salama. Upon that, the Prophet gathered Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husain, and covered them with a cloak, and he also covered Ali who was behind him. Then the Prophet said: "O Allah! These are the Members of my House (Ahlul-Bayt). Keep them away from every impurity and purify them with a perfect purification." Umm Salama (the wife of Prophet) asked: "Am I also included among them O Apostle of Allah?" the Prophet replied: "You remain in your position and you are toward a good ending."
Ibn Hajar, a well-known scholar, reports in his al-Sawaiq al-Muhriqah that Prophet said, "Do not salute for me in short!" The companions asked, "What is saluting in short?" The Prophet replied, "Saying that Blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad." They asked, "What should we say?" the Prophet answered, "Say: Blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad and his family." In another wordings in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet replied: "Say: O Allah bless Muhammad and his family the same way as you blessed Abraham and his family. Verily you are worthy of all praise full of all glory!".
Dear faithful reader, it is an obligation to know them and love them. This is the only reward Prophet was commanded to ask us. How could we know them without teaching them to our children and youth? Without mentioning them in our Khutbas and Halaqas? Without writing and reading about them? Without following them? Are we that miser that we do not pay the reward? Or are we generous and pay our dues? Are we that lazy that we do not send a complete salutation on our Prophet? Or do we take a proper step and send salutations properly as commanded by our Prophet?
Oh Allah! Send the greatest peace, the most beautiful blessings, the highest salutations, and the most delightful greetings upon our Holy Prophet, his family, and companions. Verily, You are worthy of all praise full of all glory! And give us strength to reward Your dear Prophet with what he asked, as You commanded.
Ameen!
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Last update : 08-03-2003 16:28
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