Ibn Katheer - Stories of The Quran@Unikl

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Storie
s
Of
The
Quran
By: Ibn
www.islambasics.com
Katheer
Translated by Ali As-Sayed Al-
Halawani
www.islambasics.com
Translator's Note
Publisher's Note
Biography of Ibn
Katheer
Table of Contents
1. The Story of Habil and Qabil (Abel and Cain)
2. Harut and Marut
. !wellers of the Town
". Story of the Heifer
#. Moses and A$%&hadir
'. The Story of Qarun (&orah)
(. )il*is (Queen of Sheba)
+. The Story of Saba, (Sheba)
-. ./0air (10ra)
12. !hul Qarnain
11. 3o4 and Ma4o4
12. 5eo6le of the Ca7e
1. The )elie7er 8 the !isbelie7er
1". 5eo6le of the 3arden
1#. The Sabbath%)rea9ers
1'. Story of :u*man
1(. 5eo6le of the !itch
1+. )arsisa the ;orshi66er (The <ene4ade)
19. =wners of the 1le6hant
Translator's
Note
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, the ord of the !orlds. "e
#annot $nd !ords to praise %i&, A' %e only sees $t ho! laudation
should be addressed to %i&. "e seek refuge in Allah fro& the e(ils
!ithin oursel(es and the e(ils of our bad deeds. "hosoe(er Allah
guides !ill ne(er be led astray, and !hosoe(er %e leads astray !ill
ne(er $nd guidan#e. "e bear !itness that there is no god but Allah,
the )ne !ithout any asso#iate, and "e bear !itness that *uha&&ad is
%is *essenger and bond&an, pea#e and blessings be upon hi&, his
kith and kin, his +o&panions and all those !ho follo! their guidan#e
until the ,ay of
-udg&ent.
The .lorious /ur'an !ill #ontinue to be the sole e(erlasting &ira#le
till the ,ay of -udge&ent. It is the "ord of Allah, 01alted be %e, sent to
%is #hosen Prophet, *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !ho endea(ored
!ith all his &ight and &ain to #on(ey and e1plain it to the !hole
!orld. %e (isuali4es to the !hole !orld its inherent !isdo& and
ad&onition. The .lorious /ur'an, ho!e(er, re#ounts a nu&ber of
stories that took pla#e throughout far5re&ote points of history !hi#h
are full of e(ents that one's eyes and &ind #annot fail to grasp its
ad&onition and ad(i#e. These ad&onitions and ad(i#e, if seriously
#onsidered, #an (erify and restore to the right #ourse a great nu&ber
of false beliefs and #on#epts.Allah the Al&ighty says6 7Thus e
relate to you !O "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' so#e
infor#ation of what ha&&ened before( And indeed e ha)e
*i)en you fro# +s a ,e#inder !this Qur'an'-( 2Ta5%a,
993
.i(en the signi$#an#e of these stories, not a s&all nu&ber of
*usli& s#holars e1erted e8orts to #o&pile, (erify and #o&&ent on
the&. Ibn Katheer 2*ay Allah rest his soul3 is a pioneer in that respe#t.
%is (olu&inous Al5Bidayah !an5Nihayah 2The Beginning and the 0nd3
relates the stories of Allah's prophets and !orld nations sin#e the
beginning of history. Truly, he su##essfully &anaged to $nd the
relationship bet!een the details #ited in the .lorious /ur'an and the
Propheti# %adiths of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that
e1plained and #lari$ed the in#idents that took pla#e. %e also tried his
best to portrait the #hara#ters of heroes of our stories and their
rele(ant ba#kgrounds. 'o doing, he presented a li(ely easy a##ount of
these stories of the .lorious /ur'an.
%ere, I &ust ad&it that translating this book 'tories of the /ur'an !as
not an easy thing. As the original book of Ibn Katheer !as full of
details, the translation under!ent so&e abridg&ent, !ithout i&pairing
the #ontents of the book. Also, I ha(e left out &ost of the In(ented
%adiths, Al5*a!du 9at, that !ere 'falsely' attributed to Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 throughout the book 2by other than
Ibn Katheer of #ourse:3. %o!e(er, it goes !ithout saying that the style
of the Arabi# language is totally di8erent fro& that of 0nglish. This
for#ed &e to &ake so &any #hanges in the for& of presenting the te1t
!ith a (ie! to rendering it &ore readable and easily understood by our
dear reader.
In #on#lusion, I !ould like to thank all those !ho helped to publish
this book. I pray to Allah to a##ept all our e8orts as sin#ere deeds
done solely for %is 'ake, for it is %e alone "hose re!ard is of any real
signi$#an#e.
Translator Ali As5'ayed Al5
%ala!ani
,epart&ent of 0nglish, ;a#ulty of Alsun, *inia
<ni(ersity
$ublisher's
Note
All Praise is due to Allah and &u#h pea#e and &any blessings be
upon the *essenger of Allah, his fa&ily, his #o&panions, his
follo!ers and those !ho disse&inate his #all until the ,ay of
-udg&ent.
%ere !e are !ith the book Stories of the Qur'an by AI5%a$4
Is&a9 il Ibn Katheer Ad5 ,i&ash=i 2*ay Allah rest his soul3, taking a
tour throughout the stories &entioned in the .lorious /ur' an
pertaining to !hi#h Allah the Al&ighty says6 .Indeed in their
stories/ there is a lesson for #en of understandin*-( 2>usuf,
1113 >es, in order to $nd ad&onition, lessons and e1e&plary &odels:
This book of ours handles the stories that are #ited in the .lorious
/ur'an, gathered fro& the book titled, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah 2The
Beginning and the 0nd3. The book also #o(ers a nu&ber of stories that
!ere not in#luded in Al- Bidayah wan-Nihayah, su#h as that of %arut
and *arut. Also, stories of Allah's Prophets and *essengers 2Pea#e be
upon the& all3 are not in#luded here as they are already detailed in Ibn
Katheer's other book Stories of the $ro&hets. )ne should kno! that
0ar Al-"anarah issued three su##essi(e releases of this (aluable
book during the years ?@@@5?@@1.
"e !ould like to thank 1Ali As-Sayed Al-Halawani for his e8orts
in translating and re(ising this !ork. .reat appre#iation is due also to
Sa1id 2ares, our respe#ted re(iser, under !hose guidan#e and
super(ision the subAe#t &atter took proper for&.
;inally, all Praise and Thanks are due to Allah, *ost%igh.
,ar Al5*anarah ,ire#tor, *. 9<th&an
BIO3,A$H4 O2 IBN KATH55,
2B@@ 5BBC A.%.3
2*ay Allah bless his
soul3
9I&ad Ad5,een Is&a9il Ibn 9<&ar IbnKatheer Al5Basri Ad5,i&ash=i !as
born in
B@@ A.%., or shortly after!ards. After the de#ease of his father, Ibn
Katheer, aged se(en then, headed for ,a&as#us, a##o&panied by
his elder brother. %e
o!ed &u#h of his learning to Ibn Ashginah, Al5A&adi, Ibn 9Asakir
and others, &ay Allah be pleased !ith the& all. %e i&&ensely
re(ered Ibn Tai&iyah, &ay
Allah bless his soul, !hose (ie!s he belie(ed, defended and &ostly
abided by, parti#ularly as regards di(or#e. It !as on a##ount of this that
he !ent through an ordeal and !as &ade to su8er a lot.
Ibn Katheer !as !idely a##lai&ed for the subli&e degree of
learning that he so ad&irably attained. '#holars ha(e unani&ously
attested to his !ell5 (ersedness, parti#ularly in the $elds of the
e1egesis of the .lorious /ur'an, %adith and history. Ibn %abeeb
des#ribes hi& as Dthe leader of all &en engaged in the e1egesis 2of the
/ur'an3. %e a&assed and #ategori4ed all 2the kno!ledge3 he heard.
People &ar(eled at his fat!as and bene$ted fro& his tea#hings. %is
fat!as gre! !idely popular all a#ross the #ountry. %e !as reno!ned
for his pre#ision and !as pro#lai&ed as the bea#on of history, %adith
and e1egesis 2of the /ur'an3.D Ibn %iAAi, one of his students, o!ed6 D)f
all our #onte&poraries, he 2Ibn Katheer3 !as the best at &e&ori4ing
authenti# %adiths and the &ost kno!ledgeable as to assessing the
degree of reliability and honesty of %adith5 narrators as !ell as
authenti# and non5authenti# %adiths. %is #o&rades and &entors
a#kno!ledge e(ery !ord of the abo(e. I !ould fre=uently (isit hi&, and
e(ery ti&e I !as in his #o&pany I bene$ted fro& hi&.D
Ibn Katheer lost his eyesight shortly before he died in BBC A. %. %e !as
buried at the 'u$s #e&etery along !ith his &entor Ibn Tai&iyah.
A&ong his best5kno!n !orks is his &asterpie#e in history Al5Bidayah
!an5Nihayah 2The Beginning and the 0nd3 .%e also interpreted part of
Al Bukhari's 'ahih 2book of authenti# %adiths3. By and large, Ibn
Katheer's ad&irable kno!ledge and !ell5(ersedness are best
&anifested to !hoe(er reads his t!o best #elebrated &asterpie#esE his
interpretation and his book of history.
In the Na&e ofAllah, *ost .ra#ious, *ost
*er#iful
213
The Story of Habil and
Qabil
6Able and
Cain7
The 2irst Cri#e on
5arth
Allah the Al&ighty says6
.And !O "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#8 re%ite to the#
!the 9ews' the story of the two sons of Ada# !Habil and Qabil'
in truth: when ea%h o;ered a sa%ri<%e !to Allah'/ it was
a%%e&ted fro# the one but not fro# the other( The latter said
to the for#er: =I will surely >ill you(= The for#er said: =?erily/
Allah a%%e&ts only fro# those who are Al-"utta@un !the
&ious'(= =If you do stret%h your hand a*ainst #e to >ill #e/ I
shall ne)er stret%h #y hand a*ainst you to >ill you: for I fear
Allah/ the Aord of the 1Ala#in !#an>ind/ Binn/ and all that
eCists'(= =?erily/ I intend to let you draw #y sin on yourself as
well as yours/ then you will be one of the dwellers of the 2ire:
and that is the
re%o#&ense of the Dali#in !&olytheists and wron*-doers':= So
the Nafs !self' of the other !latter one' en%oura*ed hi# and
#ade fair-see#in* to hi# the #urder of his brother: he
#urdered hi# and be%a#e one of the losers: Then Allah sent a
%row who s%rat%hed the *round to show hi# to hide the dead
body of his brother: He !the #urderer' said: =oe to #eE A# I
not e)en able to be as this %row and to hide the dead body of
#y brotherF= Then he be%a#e one of those who re*retted-(
2Al55 *a'idah, ?B5F13
Narrated As5'adiy on the authority of Abu *alik and Abu 'alih
after Ibn
'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 and on the authority of Ibn
*as9ud and other +o&panions that Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 used to
get the &ale brought
by one birth &arried to the fe&ale brought by the other. %en#e, it !as
supposed that Abel !ould get &arried to +ain's sister !ho !as better
and &ore beautiful than anyone else. At the sa&e ti&e, +ain !anted to
keep her for hi&self. Ada&
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 ordered hi& to allo!' Abel to &arry her, but he
totally refused. Then, Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 ordered both 2Abel
and +ain3 to o8er a sa#ri$#e to Allah Al&ighty. *ean!hile, Ada& set
forth to!ards *e##a to
perfor& Pilgri&age. -ust before lea(ing, Ada& tried to entrust 2the
a8airs of3 his #hildren to the hea(ens, the earth and $nally to the
&ountains, but all de#lined
to shoulder the 2hea(y3 trust. Thereupon, +ain a##epted the trust and
after
Ada& !ent a!ay they 2Abel and +ain3 o8ered their sa#ri$#es to Allah.
Abel o8ered a fat she5goat, !hile +ain o8ered a bundle of bad plants.
ater, a $re #a&e do!n fro& hea(en and #onsu&ed the sa#ri$#e
o8ered by Abel and left untou#hed that of +ain. +ain be#a&e li(id !ith
rage and said to his brother6 I !ill kill you so as not to &arry &y sister,
Abel said6 .?erily/ Allah a%%e&ts only fro# those who are Al-
"utta@un !the &ious'-(
'Abdullah Ibn 9A&r 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith both of the&3 said6
By Allah: The &urdered 2Abel3 !as stronger 2than the &urderer, +ain3,
but he refused to stret#h his hand against his brother to kill hi& due to
his piety and .od5fearing.
Abu -a9far Al5Ba=ir &entioned that Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as
present there !hen they o8ered their sa#ri$#es. After Abel's sa#ri$#e
!as a##epted, +ain said to his father, Ada&6 DIt !as a##epted only
fro& hi& be#ause you in(oked Allah for his sake.D And, he se#retly
intended so&ething against his brother. )ne day, Abel !as late and
Ada& sent +ain to look for hi&. The t!o brothers &et and +ain said6
D>our sa#ri$#e !as a##epted and &ine !as not.D Abel said6 =.?erily/
Allah a%%e&ts only fro# those who are Al-"utta@un !the
&ious'-.D +ain got angry and hit his brother !ith an iron rod and Abel
fell dead at on#e.
It !as said6 +ain killed Abel by thro!ing a ro#k at his head !hile he
!as asleep. It !as also said6 +ain #hoked Abel (iolently and bit hi& to
death as beasts do. %o!e(er, Abel's saying !hen +ain threatened to
kill hi&6 .If you do stret%h your hand a*ainst #e to >ill #e/ I
shall ne)er stret%h #y hand a*ainst you to >ill you: for I fear
Allah/ the Aord of the= Ala#in !#an>ind/ Binn/ and all that
eCists'- 2Al5*a'idah, ?G3 indi#ated his good &orals and ethi#s, his
fear fro& Allah, and perfe#t piety that he &ay har& his brother, in
#ontrast !ith the odious deed intended by his brother, +ain. ;or this,
Abu Bakrah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 reported Allah's
*essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying6 D'"hen t!o *usli&s
#onfront ea#h other and the one a&ongst the& atta#ks his brother
!ith a !eapon, both of the& get into %ell5
;ire.' %e 2Ahnaf, one of the sub5narrators3 said6 'I said, or it !as said6
*essenger of Allah: It &ay be the #ase of one !ho kills, but !hat about
the slain 2!hy he
!ould be put in %ell5;ire3H' Thereupon, he 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 '%e
also
intended to kill his #o&panion. D
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .?erily/ I intend to let you draw #y sin
!on yourself' as well as yours/ then you will be one of the
deniGens of the 2ire: and that is the re%o#&ense of the
Dali#un !&olytheists and wron*-doers'-( 2Al5*a'idah, ?93 i.e. I do
not intend to $ght against you though I a& &yself far stronger and
tougher than you are, but you !ill .draw #y sin on yourself as
well as yours-/ i.e. you !ill bear the sin of &urdering
&e along !ith your pre(ious sins.
1
Narrated I&a& Ah&ed, Abu ,a!ud and At5Tir&idhi on the authority of
'a'd Ibn Abu "a==as his state&ent upon the ordeal of 9<th&an Ibn
9A8an that reads6 I testify that Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
said6 DThere !ill be soon a period of tur&oil in !hi#h the one !ho sits
!ill be better than one !ho stands and the one !ho stands !ill be
better than one !ho !alks and the one !ho
!alks !ill be better than one !ho runs.D 'o&eone said6 'Allah's
*essenger: "hat is your opinion if so&eone entered &y ho&e and
stret#hed his hand to kill &eH'
Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 'Be Aust like the son of
Ada&
2Abel3. DNarrated by Ibn *ard!iyah after %udhaifah Ibn Al5 >a&an in
another !ording as saying6 DBe Aust like the best of Ada&'s t!o
sons.D
I&a& Ah&ed trans&itted after *u9a!iyah and "aki9 their saying6
"e !ere told by Al5 A 9 &ash on the authority of 9Abdullah Ibn *urrah
after *asru= after
9Abdullah Ibn *as9ud 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 as saying6 The
Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said, DNone 2no hu&an being3 is killed or &urdered
2unAustly3, but a part of responsibility for the #ri&e is laid on the $rst
son of Ada& !ho in(ented the tradition of killing 2&urdering on
earth3. D 2Ah&ed's *usnad3
%o!e(er, there is a #a(e, #alled the DBlood +a(eD, in a &ountain
lo#ated to the northern part of 'yria. It is thought to be the s#ene of
the #ri&e !here +ain killed his brother Abel. The people li(ing there
#a&e to kno! this through the People of the Book 2+hristians and -e!s3
and only Allah Al&ighty kno!s the (alidity or realness of this. .Al5%a$4
Ibn 9Asakir &entioned in the biography of Ah&ed Ibn Katheer that D%e
2Ah&ed3 sa! in a drea& Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, Abu
Bakr, 9<&ar and Abel. Ah&ed #a&e to kno! fro& Abel 5!ho took an
oath of that5 it !as his o!n blood 2that !as spilt there 2in that (ery
#a(e33. Abel said that he had asked Allah Al&ighty to &ake the
in(o#ations and suppli#ations o8ered in that pla#e a##eptable. Allah
a##epted his o!n in(o#ations and %is *essenger, *uha&&ad 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 belie(ed in that and said6 I 2Allah's *essenger3, Abu Bakr
and 9<&ar used to (isit that pla#e e(ery
Thursday. D%o!e(er, it is to be stated that this narration represents only
a
(ision. 0(en if it !ere true, no religious ruling #an e(er be based on
su#h a thingE
and Allah kno!s best:
Allah Al&ighty says6 7Then/ Allah sent a %row who s%rat%hed
the *round to show hi# how to hide the dead body of his
brother( He !the #urderer' said: =oe to #eE A# I not e)en
able to be as this %row and to hide the dead body of #y
brotherF =Then he be%a#e one of those who re*retted-( 2Al5
*a'idah, F13 'o&e interpreters said6 DAfter +ain had killed
1
As for the Propheti# %adith that !as trans&itted by so&e other narrators that reads6 DThe killer
!ill bear
all sins of the slainD, no one e(en kno!s its degree of (alidity6 !hether it be Authenti#, .ood, or
e(en "eak. It #annot be found in any of the Propheti# %adith +o&pilations.
his brother, he #arried hi& on his ba#k for a full year 2not kno!ing
!hat to do !ith his brother's #orpse:3.D )thers said6 %e #arried hi&
on his ba#k for one hundred years till Allah Al&ighty sent t!o #ro!s
!ho fought against one
another. )ne of the& !as killed. The &urderer s#rat#hed the ground to
hide the body of the dead #ro!. 'eeing hi& doing that, +ain said6 "oe
to &e: A& I not
e(en able to do as this #ro! and to hide the dead body of &y brotherH
Then, he buried the body of his dead brother and #o(ered it !ith
earth.
%istorians said6 Ada& be#a&e (ery si#k at heart and felt great
sorro! for his dead son, Abel. *uAahid said6 +ain !as brought
punish&ent (ery soon after!ards. )n the sa&e day he killed his
brother, Abel, his foot !as tied up to his thighbone and his fa#e !as
for#ibly dire#ted up to the sun disk. %is fa#e used to go !here the sun
goes as a !ay of punish&ent and penalty in return for !hat he had
done to his o!n brother. Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6
DThere is no sin &ore re#urring punish&ent 2(ery rapidly3 in the
present life, along !ith !hat a!aits for its doer in the %ereafter, than
transgression and se(ering the ties of relationship. D
I&a& Abu - a' far &entioned in his Tarikh D%istoryD on the authority
of so&e people !ho had said6 0(e ga(e birth to forty #hildren through
t!enty births. Ibn Isha= (ie!ed the sa&e and he &entioned their
na&es in detail. %o!e(er,
nothing is sure of their na&es or nu&bers. )nly Allah kno!s best and
no one else #an kno! their e1a#t nu&ber: )thers said6 there !ere one
hundred and t!enty births, in ea#h one a &ale and a fe&ale !ere
born. The $rst a&ong the&
!ere +ain and his sister /ali&ah, and the last ones !ere 9Abdul
*ughith and his sister <&&ul *ughith. Then, hu&ans in#reased in
nu&ber and spread into the earth. Allah Al&ighty says6 .O #an>indE
Be dutiful to your Aord/ ho
%reated you fro# a sin*le &erson !Ada#'/ and fro# hi#
!Ada#' He %reated his wife HHawwa !5)e'I/ and fro# the#
both He %reated #any #en and wo#en: and fear Allah
throu*h ho# you de#and !your
#utual ri*hts'/ and !do not %ut the relations of' the wo#bs
!>inshi&'( Surely/ Allah is 5)er an All-at%her o)er you-( 2An5
Nisa', 13
%istorians said6 Ada& did not die till he sa! fro& a&ong his
progeny and o8spring four hundred thousand persons 2C@@.@@@3.
)nly Allah kno!s best:
Allah, the Al&ighty says6 .It is He ho has %reated you fro# a
sin*le &erson !Ada#'/ and !then' He has %reated fro# hi# his
wife HHawwa' !5)e'I/ in order that he #i*ht enBoy the &leasure
of li)in* with her( hen he had seCual relation with her/ she
be%a#e &re*nant and she %arried it about li*htly( Then when it
be%a#e hea)y/ they both in)o>ed Allah/ their Aord !sayin*': =If
4ou *i)e us a Salih !*ood in e)ery as&e%t' %hild/ we shall
indeed be a#on* the *rateful(= But when He *a)e the# a Salih
!*ood in e)ery as&e%t' %hild/ they as%ribed &artners to Hi#
!Allah' in that whi%h He has *i)en to the#( Hi*h be Allah/
5Calted
abo)e all that they as%ribe as &artners to Hi#-( 2Al5A'raf, 1G9,
19@3 Ada& !as &entioned $rst to dra! the attention of the reader of
the /ur'an, then
!ho& !as &entioned se#ond !as the !hole ra#e of &ankind. This is
done by !ay of &entioning the !hole ra#e of &ankind after
&entioning the forefather thereofE Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And
indeed e %reated #an !Ada#' out of an eCtra%t of %lay !water
and earth'( Thereafter e #ade hi# !the o;s&rin* of Ada#' as
a Nutfah !#iCed dro&s of the #ale and fe#ale seCual dis%har*e
and lod*ed it' in a safe lod*in* !o#b of the wo#an'-( 2Al5
*u'&inun, 1?, 1F3E and in6 .And indeed e ha)e adorned the
nearest hea)en with la#&s/ and e ha)e #ade su%h la#&s
!as' #issiles to dri)e away the Shayatin !de)ils'-( 2Al5*ulk, I3
"here it is !ell5 kno!n that the Dla&ps as &issilesD are not the sa&e
as la&ps of adorn&ent, but %e turned fro& a single #ategory or person
to the !hole ra#e.
Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as. the father of &ankind. %e !as
#reated by the %and of Allah "ho breathed out of %is 'oul into hi&,
"ho &ade the Angels prostrate the&sel(es before hi&, "ho taught
hi& na&es of e(erything, and "ho &ade hi& d!ell in %is spa#ious
Paradise. Narrated Ibn %ibban in his 'ahih on
the authority of Abu ,harr his saying6 DI said, @ Allah's *essenger:
%o! &any !ere the Prophets of AllahH' %e 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6
')ne hundred t!enty
5four thousands.' I said6 ') Allah's *essenger: %o! &any !ere the
*essengers
a&ong the&H' %e 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 'Three hundred and
thirteen, a great nu&ber:' I said6 ') Allah's *essenger: "ho !as the
$rst a&ong the&H '%e
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 'Ada&.' I said6 ') Allah's *essenger: "as he
a
Prophet sent !ith a *essageH' %e 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 '>es, Allah
the
Al&ighty #reated hi& !ith %is %and, then, breathed into hi& out of
%is 'oul, then, %e fashioned hi& 2in a (ery proper &anner3. D
In the Night -ourney %adith that #an be found in the t!o 'ahihs 5Al5
Bukhari and *usli& 5Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6
D'o the gate !as opened and !e !ent o(er the nearest hea(en and
there !e sa! a &an sitting !ith so&e people on his right and so&e on
his left. "hen he looked to!ards his right, he laughed and !hen he
looked to!ards his left he !ept. Then he said,
'"el#o&e: @ pious Prophet and pious son:' I asked .abriel6 '"ho is
heH' %e replied6 '%e is Ada& and the people on his right and left
are the souls of his
o8spring. Those on his right are the people of Paradise and those on his
left are
the people of %ell and !hen he looks to!ards his right he laughs and
!hen he looks to!ards his left he !eeps. D 2Al5Bukhari and *usli&3
Jegarding the Propheti# %adith that reads6 DThen, I passed by
>usuf 2-oseph3 and I found hi& to be granted half of beauty.D'o&e
s#holars e1plained that it &eans that he !as gi(en half of the beauty
Ada& !as granted. Indeed, this is (ery suitable and #on(in#ing: That
Allah, the Al&ighty #reated Ada&, fashioned hi& by %is %and and
breathed into hi& out of %is 'oul, for all these Allah the Al&ighty &ust
ha(e #reated the best of all things.
It !as narrated on the authority of 9Abdullah Ibn '<&ar and'
Abdullah Ibn
'A&r that6 "hen Allah the Al&ighty #reated Paradise, the Angels said6
D')ur
ord: *ake this for us for >ou #reated for &ankind the present !orld in
!hi#h
they eat and drink.' Allah the Al&ighty said6 'By *y .lory and
oftiness: I !ill not e=uali4e bet!een the pious fro& a&ong those
!ho& I #reated !ith *y %and, and those !ho& "hen I said DBe D, they
!ere:D It !as narrated in the t!o
'ahihs 5Bukhari and *usli& that Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased
!ith hi&3
reported Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying6 Allah, the
01alted and .lorious #reated Ada& in %is o!n i&age !ith %is length
of si1ty #ubits, and
as %e #reated hi& %e told hi& to greet that group, and that !as a party
of
angels sitting there, and listen to the response that they gi(e hi&, for it
!ould for& his greeting and that of his o8spring. Ada& then addressed
the&6 Pea#e be
upon you: They 2the angels3 said6 *ay there be pea#e upon you and the
*er#y
of Allah, and they &ade an addition of D*er#y of Allah D. 'o he !ho
!ould get into Paradise !ould get in the for& of Ada&, his length
being si1ty #ubits, then the people !ho follo!ed hi& #ontinued to
di&inish in si4e up to this day. D2Al5 Bukhari and *usli&3
In the Na&e of Allah, *ost .ra#ious, *ost *er#iful
!J'
Harut and
"arut
.They followed what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out
!falsely of the #a*i%' in the lifeti#e of Sulai#an !Solo#on'(
Sulai#an did not disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils'
disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en #a*i% and su%h thin*s that %a#e
down at Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut and "arut but
neither of these two !an*els' tau*ht anyone !su%h thin*s' till
they had said/ =e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'( =And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le
learn that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an and
his wife/ but they %ould not thus har# anyone eC%e&t by
Allah's Aea)e( And they learn that whi%h har#s the# and
&ro<ts the# not( And indeed they >new that the buyers of it
!#a*i%' would ha)e no share in the Hereafter( And how bad
indeed was that for whi%h they sold their own sel)es/ if they
but >new( And if they had belie)ed and *uarded
the#sel)es fro# e)il and >e&t their duty to Allah/ far better
would ha)e been the reward fro# their Aord/ if they but
>newE-( 2Al5Ba=arah, 1@?,
1@F3
Narrated Al59<$ in his interpretation on the authority of Ibn 9Abbas
2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 pertaining to Allah's 'tate&ent .They
followed what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the
#a*i%' in the lifeti#e of Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not
disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en
#a*i% and su%h thin*s that %a#e down at Babylon to the two
an*els/ Harut and "arut but neither of these two !an*els'
tau*ht anyone !su%h thin*s' till they had said/ =e are only for
trial/ so disbelie)e not !by learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'(7(((-
"hen 'ulai&an lost his kingdo&, great nu&bers fro& a&ong &ankind
and the Ainn renegaded and follo!ed their lusts. But, !hen Allah
restored to 'ulai&an his kingdo& and the renegade #a&e to follo! the
'traight Path on#e again, 'ulai&an sei4ed their holy s#riptures !hi#h
he buried underneath his throne. 'hortly after, 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 died. In no ti&e, the &en and the -inn un#o(ered the buried
s#riptures and said6 This !as a book re(ealed by Allah to 'ulai&an !ho
hid it fro& us. They took it as their religion and Allah the Al&ighty
re(ealed %is 'aying6 .And when there %a#e to the# a "essen*er
fro# Allah %on<r#in* what was with the#/ a &arty of those
who were *i)en the S%ri&ture threw away the Boo> of Allah
behind their ba%>s as if they did not >nowE-( 2Al5Ba=arah, 1@13
and they follo!ed !hat the de(ils ga(e out, i.e. &usi#al instru&ents,
play and all that blo#ks the re&e&bran#e of Allah.
Narrated Ibn Abu %ati&6 I !as told by Abu 'a' id Al5AshaA after Abu
<sa&ah after Al5A' &ash after Al5*inhal after 'a'id Ibn -ubair after Ibn
9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 as saying6 Asif !as 'ulai&an's
s#ribe. %e kne! the
.reatest Na&e of Allah and used to !rite !hat he !as ordered to by
'ulai&an, then, bury it underneath the throne. After 'ulai&an's death,
the de(ils got it out
and !rote bet!een ea#h t!o lines &agi#al and blasphe&ous things.
They said6 Dthis is !hat 'ulai&an used to apply and a#t upon.D The
ignorant a&ong the people regarded 'ulai&an as a disbelie(er and
#ontinued to insult hi& till
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as sent !ith the .lorious /ur'an that
reads6
.They followed what the/ Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out
!falsely of the #a*i%' in the lifeti#e of Sulai#an
!Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not
disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed-(
Narrated Ibn -arir6 I !as told by Abu As5'a'ib 'ala&ah Ibn -unadah
As5 'a!a'i after Abu *u9a!iyah after Al5A9&ash after Al5*inhal after
'a9id Ibn -ubair on the authority of Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased
!ith hi&3 as saying6 "hen 'ulai&an !anted to ans!er the #all of
nature or to &ake lo(e !ith any of his !i(es, he used to gi(e his ring to
a !o&an #alled Al5-aradah. "hen Allah the Al&ighty !anted to aKi#t
'ulai&an, he ga(e his ring to that !o&an. After!ards, 'atan #a&e to
her in the for& of 'ulai&an and took the ring fro& her. "hen 'atan put
the ring on, all &ankind, the Ainn and ,e(ils sub&itted to hi&. Then,
'ulai&an #a&e seeking his ring fro& her and she said6 D>ou are a liar,
you are not 'ulai&an.D Thus, 'ulai&an kne! that it !as a test fro&
Allah the Al&ighty. <pon this, the de(ils !ere free to do !hate(er they
!ished. 'o, they !rote do!n books of bla#k &agi# and blasphe&y
!hi#h they buried underneath the throne of 'ulai&an. After 'ulai&an's
death, they un#o(ered these books and said to the people6 Lerily,
'ulai&an used to pre(ail !ith the help of these books. +onse=uently,
the people de#lared their inno#en#e of 'ulai&an and de#lared hi& to
be a disbelie(er till the ad(ent of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 !ho #a&e !ith the /ur'ani# Lerse that reads6 .Sulai#an did
not disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed-( Then, Ibn
-arir said6 I !as told by Ibn %a&id after -arir after %usain Ibn 9Abdur
Jah&an after 9I&ran as saying6 "hile !e !ere !ith Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith the&3, a &an #a&e and Ibn 9Abbas asked hi&6
"here do you #o&e fro&H The &an said6 fro& Ira=. Ibn 9Abbas asked6
!hi#h #ityH The &an said6 Kufa. Ibn 9Abbas asked6 "hat is the latest
ne!s thereH The &an said6 I left the& talking about 9Ali's departing
for the&. Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 ho! dare
you say so: If !e felt that 2he is departing us for the people of Kufa3,
!e !ould not
&arry his !o&en, or di(ide his properties a&ong us. %o!e(er, I !ill tell
you the
truth6 the angels used to des#end on the #louds and &ention this or
that &atter de#reed in the %ea(en. The de(ils listen stealthily to su#h
a &atter, #o&e do!n
to inspire the soothsayers !ith it, and the latter !ould add to it one
hundred lies
of their o!n. The people belie(e in the& and regard the& trust!orthy.
Allah the
Al&ighty infor&ed 'ulai&an !ith the &atter and enabled hi& to bury
these lies under his throne. After his death, one of the de(ils said6 I
#an lead you to
'ulai&an's dearest and &ost pre#ious treasure. It is under his throne.
+onse=uently, they un#o(ered it and said6 this is &agi#. After!ards, it
#ontinued to be #opied and a#ted upon and !hat the Ira=i people
pra#ti#e no!adays is nothing but its re&nants. Allah the Al&ighty
re(ealed6 .They followed what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out
disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en #a*i% and su%h thin*s that %a#e
down at Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut and "arut but
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'( = And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le
learn that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an/ and
!#a*i%' would ha)e no share in the Hereafter-(
As5'adiy said6 Allah's 'aying6 7They followed what the
Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in the lifeti#e
of Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not disbelie)e/ but the
Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed-/ i.e. the de(ils used to listen
stealthily to the talks of the angels #on#erning !hat happens to those
on earth6 death, unseen &atters or di(ine ordain&ents. Then, they
#o&e do!n to inspire the soothsayers !ith it and the latter !ould tell
the people !ith it. The people belie(e in the& and regard the&
trust!orthy. Ti&e after ti&e, the soothsayers trusted the de(ils !ho
later on used to add to ea#h !ord one5hundred lies of their o!n. The
people started to !rite do!n these &atters and it #ir#ulated a&ong
the +hildren of Israel that the -inn kno! the <nseen. 'ulai&an &o(ed
=ui#kly and gathered all these !ritings
and put the& in a #hest and buried it under his throne. All the de(ils
!ho tried to e(en approa#h the #hest !ere burnt ali(e. 'ulai&an
de#lared that he !ould
behead anyone !ho #lai&s that the de(ils kno! the <nseen. After
'ulai&an's death and that of the godly5s#holars !ho kne! it !ell, a
de(il #a&e in the for&
of a hu&an being to the people and said6 I !ill lead you to an
e(erlasting treasure that !ill ne(er run out. %e ordered the& to dig
under 'ulai&an's throne and he took a side. %e said to the&6 kill &e if
you $nd nothing. They dug it and
found these !ritings. Thereupon, the de(il said6 )nly !ith this &agi#,
'ulai&an #ould o(er#o&e &ankind, the -inn and birds. Then, he Me!
a!ay. It !as
ru&ored and #ir#ulated that 'ulai&an had been a sor#erer. The +hildren
of Israel
kept these !ritings and disputed !ith Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 regarding the&. But Allah the Al&ighty re(ealed to hi& %is
'aying6 7They followed what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out
disbelie)ed-(
Narrated Ar5Jabi' Ibn Anas6 the -e!s used to ask Prophet
*uha&&ad
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 about &atters fro& the Torah, and e(ery ti&e they
ask
hi&, Allah re(eals to hi& that !ith !hi#h he defeats and o(er#o&es
the&. Thereupon, they said6 *uha&&ad kno!s !hat has been
re(ealed to us better than !e do: Then, they asked hi& about sor#ery
and Allah re(ealed %is 'tate&ent6 .They followed what the
of Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not disbelie)e/ but the
Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en #a*i% and su%h
thin*s that %a#e down at Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut
and "arut-( And %e infor&ed %is Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 that the de(ils !rote a book about sor#ery and soothsaying
and buried it under 'ulai&an's throne. Lerily, 'ulai&an !as not
kno!ledgeable about the <nseen. "hen he died, the de(ils got that
&agi# out and de#ei(ed the people by saying6 this is the kno!ledge
!hi#h 'ulai&an used to se#retly keep fro& you. Prophet *uha&&ad
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 infor&ed the -e!s of that narration and they
!ent out lo!ering their heads defeated and hu&iliated.
*uAahid said pertaining to Allah's 'tate&ent6 .They followed
what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in
the lifeti#e of Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not
disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en
an*els/ Harut and "arut-/ the de(ils used to listen stealthily to the
dis#ussions of the angels and add to !hat they heard t!o5 hundred
lies. Then, 'ulai&an sei4ed !hat they !rote and after his death they
regained it and taught it to the people, it !as nothing but bla#k&agi#.
'a'id Ibn -ubair said6 'ulai&an used to look for and #apture the
&agi# of the de(ils and keep it buried under his throne. The de(ils
#ould not rea#h it and thus they inspired to the people that it is the
kno!ledge !ith !hi#h 'ulai&an !as
able to o(er#o&e the -inn, the !ind, et#., and that it is buried under
his o!n throne. After!ards, the people got it out and pra#ti#ed it.
ater, the people of the %eAa4 said6 'ulai&an used to pra#ti#e sor#ery.
<pon this, Allah the Al&ighty
re(ealed %is 'aying6 .They followed what the Shayatin !de)ils'
*a)e out
disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en
an*els/
Harut and "arut-( *uha&&ad Ibn Isha= Ibn >asar said6 !hen
the de(ils kne! of the death of 'ulai&an, they !rote do!n types of
sor#ery 2&agi#3 as
thus6 to ful$ll su#h and su#h &atters, pra#ti#e su#h and su#h
2pro#edures3. They
gathered all these in a book and sealed it !ith a ring bearing the
ins#ription found on 'ulai&an's ring and titled it !ith6 This is !hat
!as !ritten by Asif Ibn
Barkhiya by order of King 'ulai&an Ibn ,a!ud. Then, they buried it
under the
throne 2of 'ulai&an3. After so&e ti&e, the +hildren of Israel got it out
and said6 Lerily, 'ulai&an ruled o(er us only !ith this and they di8used
sor#ery a&ong the
people. "hen Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 &entioned
'ulai&an Ibn
,a!ud as one of the for&er *essengers sent by Allah the Al&ighty, the
-e!s in
*adinah said6 A&a4ingly *uha&&ad #lai&s that 'ulai&an Ibn ,a!ud
!as a
Prophet, by Allah, he !as nothing but a sor#erer. Thereupon, Allah the
Al&ighty re(ealed %is 'aying6 7They followed what the Shayatin
!de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in the lifeti#e of
Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not disbelie)e/ but the
Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en #a*i% and su%h
thin*s that %a#e down at Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut and
"arut but neither of these two !an*els' tau*ht anyone !su%h
thin*s' till they had said/ =e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e
not !by learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'(= And fro# these !an*els'
&eo&le learn
that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an and his
wife/ but they %ould not thus har# anyone eC%e&t by Allah's
Aea)e( And they learn that whi%h har#s the# and &ro<ts
the# not( And indeed they >new that the buyers of it !#a*i%'
would ha)e no share in the Hereafter( And how bad indeed
was that for whi%h they sold their own sel)es/ if they but
>new'(
Narrated Ibn -arir6 I !as told by Al5/asi& after %ussein Ibn Al5%aAAaA
after Abu Bakr after 'hahr Ibn %a!shab
?
as saying6 The de(ils used to
!rite sor#ery do!n !hen 'ulai&an !as absent. DThey !rote6
!hosoe(er !ants to do su#h and su#h, he should stand fa#ing the sun
and say su#h and su#h. And, !hosoe(er !ants to do su#h and su#h, he
should stand gi(ing his ba#k to the sun and say su#h and su#h.D They
!rote this in a book titled6 DThis is !hat has been !ritten by Asif Ibn
Barkhiya by the order of King 'ulai&an Ibn ,a!ud6 fro& the
treasures of kno!ledge.D Then, they buried it under 'ulai&an's throne.
"hen
'ulai&an died, 'atan established hi&self as an orator and said6 D)
people: 'ulai&an !as not a prophetE he !as only a sor#erer: .o and
seek his sor#ery in his d!ellings and luggage.D And he led the& to the
buried DtreasureD. The people said6 DBy Allah: 'ulai&an !as a sor#erer
!ho subAe#ted us through his &agi#.D The belie(ers fro& a&ong the&
said6 DNay, he !as a faithful Prophet.D "hen Prophet *uha&&ad
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as sent and he &entioned ,a!ud
and 'ulai&an, the -e!s said6 D*uha&&ad #onfounds the truth !ith
falsehood6
he puts 'ulai&an !ith the Prophets !hile he !as Aust a sor#erer !ho
!as #arried by the !ind. Thereupon, Allah the Al&ighty re(ealed6
.They followed what
the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in the
lifeti#e of
Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did not disbelie)e/ but the
Shayatin
!de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin* #en #a*i% and su%h thin*s that
%a#e down at Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut and "arutbut
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'( =And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le
learn that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an and
2
'hahr Ibn %a!shab is a "eak 2i.e. not trust!orthy3 Narrator.
!#a*i%' would ha)e no share in the Hereafter( And how bad
indeed was that for whi%h they sold their own sel)es/ if
they but >new-.
Narrated Ibn -arir6 I !as told by *uha&&ad Ibn9Abdel A9la As5
'an9ani that he !as told by Al5*u9ta&ir Ibn 'ulai&an !ho said6 I heard
9 I&ran Ibn -arir
!ho narrated fro& Abu *aAli4 as saying6 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
took
fro& e(ery li(ing #reature a #o(enant. 'o !hen any person gets
aKi#ted !ith anything, he 2'ulai&an3 asks Allah !ith that #o(enant
and the person re#o(ers. <nfortunately, the people added to this
sor#ery and &agi# and said6 this is !hat 'ulai&an Ibn ,a!ud used to
a#t upon. Thereupon, Allah the Al&ighty re(ealed %is 'aying6 .They
followed what the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the
#a*i%' in the lifeti#e of Sulai#an !Solo#on'( Sulai#an did lot
disbelie)e/ but the Shayatin !de)ils' disbelie)ed/ tea%hin*
#en #a*i% and su%h thin*s that %a#e town at Babylon to the
two an*els/ Harut and "arut but neither of these two !an*els'
tau*ht anyone !su%h thin*s' till they had said/ =e are
only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by learnin* this #a*i% fro#
us'(= And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le earn that by whi%h they
%ause se&aration between #an and his wife/ but they %ould
not thus har# anyone eC%e&t by Allah's Aea)e( And they
learn that whi%h har#s the# and &ro<ts the# not( And
indeed they >new that the buyers of it !#a*i%'
would ha)e no share in the Hereafter( And how bad indeed was
that for whi%h they sold their own sel)es/ if they but >new-(
Narrated Ibn Abu %ati&6 I !as told by 9Isa& Ibn Ja!!ad after
Ada& after Al5*as9udi after Niyad the freed sla(e of Ibn *us9 ab after
Al5%asan pertaining to Allah's 'tate&ent6 .They followed what the
of Sulai#an !Solo#on'-, as saying6 one5third of poetry, one5third of
sor#ery 2&agi#3, and one5third of soothsaying.
And, he said6 I !as told by AI5%asan Ibn Ah&ed after Ibrahi& Ibn
9Abdullah Ibn
Bshshar Al5"asiti after 'urur Ibn Al5*ughirah after 9Abbad Ibn *ansur
after Al5 %asan pertaining to Allah's 'tate&ent6 .They followed what
the Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in the
lifeti#e of Sulai#an !Solo#on'-/ as saying6 they !ere the -e!s
!ho follo!ed !hat they ga(e out in the lifeti&e of 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3. Prior to that the people kne! sor#ery, but it !as only
follo!ed in the lifeti&e of 'ulai&an.
That !as a su&&ary of the sayings and narrations of the godly
earlier s#holars #on#erning this and it is ob(ious that there is no
#lear #ontradi#tion bet!een any of the&, &ay Allah guide us all to
the Jight and 'traight Path of %is:
Allah's 'tate&ent6 .They followed what the Shayatin
!de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%' in the lifeti#e of
Sulai#an !Solo#on'-/ i.e. the -e!s !ho !ere gi(en an earlier
,i(ine '#ripture 5ga(e their ba#ks to it and reAe#ted Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and follo!ed .what the
Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%'-/what the
Shayatin !de)ils' *a)e out !falsely of the #a*i%'/ i(e( what
was narrated and related by the de)ils .in the lifeti#e of
Sulai#an !Solo#on'-(
It is true that &agi# e1isted before the ti&e of 'ulai&an Ibn
,a!ud 2Pea#e be upon the&3 be#ause &agi#ians !ere found in the
lifeti&e of *usa 2*oses3 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and that 'ulai&an #a&e
after *usa 2Pea#e be upon the& both3. Allah the Al&ighty says6
.Ha)e you not thou*ht about the *rou& of the Children of
Israel after !the ti#e of' "usa !"oses'F hen
they said to a $ro&het of theirs/ =A&&oint for us a >in* and we
will <*ht in Allah's ay(= He said/ =ould you then refrain fro#
<*htin*/ if <*htin* was &res%ribed for youF= They said/ =hy
should we not <*ht in Allah's ay while we ha)e been dri)en
out of our ho#es and our %hildren !fa#ilies ha)e been ta>en as
%a&ti)es'F= But when <*htin* was ordered for the#/ they
turned away/ all eC%e&t a few of the#( And Allah is All-Aware of
the Dali#un !&olytheists and wron*-doers'-( 2Al5 Ba=arah, ?CO3
then, Allah &entioned the story in !hi#h, .and 0awud !0a)id' >illed
9alut !3oliath'/ and Allah *a)e hi# H0awud !0a)id'I the
>in*do# Hafter the death of Talut !Saul' and Sa#uelI and Al-
Hi>#ah !$ro&hethood'/ and tau*ht hi# of that whi%h He
willed-( 2Al5Ba=arah,
?I13 and, the people of 'alih !ho e1isted before Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 said to their Prophet 'alih6 .4ou are only of those
bewit%hedE-( 2Ash5'hu' ara', 1IF3
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .and su%h thin*s that %a#e down at
Babylon to the two an*els/ Harut and "arut but neither of
these two !an*els' tau*ht anyone !su%h thin*s' till they had
said/ =e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by learnin* this
#a*i% fro# us'(= And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le learn that by
whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an and his wife'/ i.e.
the -e! falsely #lai&ed that Allah Al&ighty re(ealed &agi# on the
tongues of .abriel and *i#hael to 'ulai&an Ibn ,a!ud, but Allah
belied the& and sho!ed their falsehood. *oreo(er, Allah infor&ed %is
*essenger *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that neither .abriel, nor
*i#hael
has des#ended !ith &agi# and %e de#lared the inno#en#e of 'ulai&an
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 fro& sor#ery and bla#k &agi#. Allah told the
!hole people that &agi#
is nothing but the !ork of de(ils !ho tea#h it to the people in Babylon.
And, that the t!o &en !ho used to tea#h it to the people there !ere
#alled %arut and *arut.
The ,elated Hadith
!And Co##ents'
Narrated I&a& Ah&ed 2*ay Allah rest his soul3 in his *usnad6 I
!as told by >ahya Ibn Bakir after Nuhair Ibn *uha&&ad after *usa Ibn
Iubair after Na$ after 9Abdullah Ibn 9<&ar 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
the&3 that he heard Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying6
D"hen Ada& 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 !as put do!n on earth, the angels said6 @ ord: .ill 4ou &la%e
therein those who will #a>e #is%hief therein and shed blood/
-while we *lorify 4ou with &raises and than>s and san%tify
4ou-( 2Al5Ba=arah, F@3 They #ontinued6 )ur ord: "e obey >ou &ore
than &an does. Allah the Al&ighty said to the&6 Appoint t!o angels
fro& a&ongst you to des#end to earth. The angels said6 )ur ord: 2"e
#hose3 %arut and *arut. They !ent do!n to earth !here
the Mo!er appeared to the& in the for& of the &ost beautiful !o&an
on earth. They asked her to ha(e se1ual inter#ourse !ith the&. But,
she said6 only after
you disbelie(e in Allah. They refused and she !ent a!ay for a !hile.
Then, she #a&e ba#k holding a #hild in her ar&s and they asked her
for the se#ond ti&e.
'he said6 $rst, you &ust kill this boy. They refused to and she !ent
a!ay for a !hile and then, #a&e ba#k holding a glass of !ine. They
asked her for the third ti&e. 'he said6 ;irst, you &ust drink this glass
of !ine. They drank the !ine,
#o&&itted adultery !ith her and $nally killed the boy. "hen they
restored their #ons#ien#e, the !o&an said6 By Allah: After you had
drunk the !ine, you #o&&itted all that !hi#h you refused to do at
$rst. Thereupon, they !ere gi(en
the #hoi#e bet!een re#ei(ing the tor&ent of this like or that of the
%ereafter. They' #hose that of the present life.D
2Narrated by I&a& Ah&ed3 The sa&e !as narrated by Abu %ati& Ibn
%ibban in his 'ahih after Al5%asan after 'ufyan after Abu Bakr Ibn Abu
'haibah after >ahya Ibn Bakir. %o!e(er, this %adith is an <nfa&iliar
F
one fro& this +hain of Trans&ission.
All its narrators are trust!orthy but the one na&ed *usa Ibn Iubair.
?ery I#&ortant:
"any s%holars and trans#itters narrated )arious
stories and narrations &ertainin* to the story of Harut
and "arut/ but all the
details they #entioned %ould be tra%ed down to the narrations
#ade by the Children of Israel( Howe)er/ there is not a sin*le
Hadith or
Narration that %an be tra%ed down to $ro&het "uha##ad
!$ea%e be
u&on hi#'/ the infallible one who says nothin* but the truth(
In addition/ the teCt of the 3lorious Qur'an does not relate
this story in details/ and thus we belie)e in what is
#entioned in the 3lorious Qur'an as it is without any
in%rease or de%rease( 2inally/ Allah >nows bestE
Allah Al&ighty says6 7But neither of these two tau*ht anyone
!su%h thin*s' till they had said/ =e are only for trial/ so
disbelie)e not !by learnin* this #a*i% fro# us' =-/ Ibn 'Abbas
2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 they used to !arn anyone !ho
#a&e to the& to learn &agi# and say to

The <nfa&iliar %adith6 That is narrated only by one narrator e(en if he !ere in one #lass.
*any s#holars na&e the <nfa&iliar %adith as 2the 'ingle3. 2Translator3
hi&6 7e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by learnin* this
#a*i% fro# us'-/ that they kne! !hat is good, bad, belief and
disbelief and thus they kne! that &agi# is of disbelief. Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 #ontinued6 if they #ould not dissuade hi&,
they told hi& to go to su#h and su#h pla#e. There he #ould $nd 'atan
!ho tea#hes hi&. The sa&e ti&e one is taught &agi#, his belief
2sy&boli4ed as light3 gets out of his body and he #ould see it Mying
a!ay in the sky. <pon this, he !ould say6 !oe to &e: In addition6 Al5
%asan Al5Basri said6 the t!o angels !ere sent !ith &agi# to tea#h the
people as a test for the& and Allah took their #o(enant that they do
not tea#h anybody
.till they had said/ =e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'=-( 2Narrated by Ibn Abu %ati&3
Narrated /atadah6 The +o(enant !as taken fro& the& that they
don't tea#h anyone till they say6 .e are only for trial/ so
disbelie)e not !by learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'-( *oreo(er, As5
'adiy said6 they used to !arn anyone !ho #a&e to the& to learn &agi#
and say to hi&6 .e are only for trial/ so disbelie)e not !by
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'-( But, if he insisted, they !ould say6
.o to that pile of ashes and Ds=uee4e the le&on thereonD. If the &an
goes and does !hat he !as ordered, he !ould see a light #o&ing out of
that ashes and Mies till it rea#hes the sky 5(erily, this is belief. Instead,
there !ould #o&e a bla#k obAe#t that !ould look like s&okes and
enters his ears and the !hole of his body 5(erily, this is Allah's "rath.
After that, the &an tells the& of !hat happened and they #onse=uently
tea#hes hi& &agi#. This is the interpretation of Allah's 'aying6 .But
learnin* this #a*i% fro# us'(= And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le
learn that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between
#an and his wife/ but they %ould not thus har# anyone eC%e&t
by
!#a*i%' would ha)e no
share in the Hereafter( And how bad indeed was that for whi%h
they
sold their own sel)es/ if they but >new-(
In the interpretation of this /ur'ani# Lerse, 'unaid Ibn %aAAaA
narrates after
Ibn -uraiA his saying6 there is no one !ho pra#ti#es &agi# but a
disbelie(er. As
for the !ord DtrialD, it &eans a test and an ordeal. 'o&e s#holars found
a te1tual proof in this Lerse that !hosoe(er pra#ti#es &agi#E he
be#o&es a disbelie(er. This is supported by the Propheti# %adith that
has been narrated by Al5%a$4 Abu Bakr Al5Ba44ar after *uha&&ad Ibn
Al5*uthanna after *u'a!iyah after Al5 A'&ash after Ibrahi& after
%a&&a& on the authority of 'Abdullah as saying6 D"hosoe(er attends
hi&self to 2or #o&es to3 a soothsayer or a &agi#ian and belie(es in
!hat he says6 he !ill be#o&e a disbelie(er in !hat has been sent to
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 D. 2An Authenti# %adith3
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And fro# these !an*els' &eo&le learn
that by whi%h they %ause se&aration between #an and his
wife-/ i.e. the people learns fro& %arut and *arut the &agi# by !hi#h
they #ause separation bet!een &an and his !ife though they 2the
&an and his !ife3 ha(e so&e kind of aPnity and passion. This is
#aused by #unning of the de(ils as trans&itted in I&a& *usli&'s 'ahih
fro& the %adith narrated by -abir Ibn 'Abdullah that the Prophet 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 says6 DIblis pla#es his throne upon !aterE he then sends
deta#h&ents 2for #reating dissension3E the nearer to hi& in rank are
those !ho are &ost notorious in #reating dissension. )ne of the&
#o&es and says6 I did so and so. And he says6 >ou ha(e done nothing.
Then one a&ongst the& #o&es and says6 I did not spare so and so
until I so!ed the seed of dis#ord bet!een a husband and a !ife. The
'atan goes near hi& and says6 '>ou ha(e done !ell.
DAl5A'&ash said6 D%e then e&bra#es hi&.D The dissension bet!een a
husband and his !ife #an be #reated through &agi# in that the de(il
let ea#h one of the&
i&agine so&ething bad 5a (ie!, or &anner, et#. 5about the other.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .But they %ould not thus har#
anyone eC%e&t by Allah's Aea)e-/ Abu 'ufyan Ath5Tha!ri said6
they #ould not thus har& anyone e1#ept by Allah's ,e#ree. In
addition, *uha&&ad Ibn Isha= said6 they #ould not thus har& anyone
e1#ept in #ase Allah enables the& to do so.
Al5%asan Al5Basri 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 .But they
%ould not thus har# anyone eC%e&t by Allah's Aea)e-/ i.e.
!ho&soe(er Allah !ants to be a8e#ted, he !ill be a8e#ted. And,
!ho&soe(er Allah does not !ant to be a8e#ted, he !ill not be
a8e#ted. In addition, they #annot har& anyone e1#ept by Allah's
ea(e and ,e#ree.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And they learn that whi%h har#s
the# and &ro<ts the# not-/ i.e. they learn that !hi#h har&s their
religion and faith and pro$ts the& not. Allah says6 .And indeed they
>new that the buyers of it !#a*i%' would ha)e no share in the
Hereafter-/ i.e. the -e!s !ho took &agi# instead of follo!ing Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 kne! that anyone !ho did as !hat
they ha(e done, he !ould ha(e not share in the %ereafter. Allah
Al&ighty says6 .And how bad indeed was that for whi%h they
sold their own sel)es/ if they but >new( And if they had
belie)ed and *uarded the#sel)es fro# e)il and >e&t their duty
to Allah/ far better would ha)e been the reward fro# their
Aord/ if they but >newE-/ that they took &agi# instead of follo!ing
Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, 7And if they had belie)ed
and *uarded the#sel)es fro# e)il and >e&t their duty to Allah/
far better would ha)e been the reward fro# their Aord- / i. e. if
they had belie(ed in Allah and %is *essengers and did not (iolate %is
Boundaries, they !ould ha(e re#ei(ed a far better re!ard fro& Allah
Al&ighty. This is #o&patible !ith Allah's 'aying that reads6 .But
those who had been *i)en !reli*ious' >nowled*e said: =oe to
youE The ,eward
of Allah !in the Hereafter' is better for those who belie)e and
do
ri*hteous *ood deeds/ and this none shall attain eC%e&t those
who are
As Sabirun !the &atient in followin* the truth' =-. 2Al5/asas, G@3
'o&e s#holars found te1tual proof that a &agi#ian is a disbelie(er
in the /ur'ani# Lerse that reads6 .And if they had belie)ed and
*uarded the#sel)es fro# e)il and >e&t their duty to Allah-(
)ther s#holars (ie!ed that a &agi#ian is not a disbelie(er, but his ne#k
&ust be #ut o8. 9A&r Ibn ,ianr narrated fro& BaAabla Ibn 9Abdah as
saying6 9<&ar Ibn Al5Khattab ordered
e(ery &agi#ian and !it#h to be killed. Thereupon, they killed three
!it#hes. In addition, it is true that the *other of the ;aithful, %afsah
!as be!it#hed by a
&aid. +onse=uently, %afsah ordered that she had to be killed.
*oreo(er, I&a&
Ah&ed Ibn %anbal said6 it !as trans&itted fro& three of the Prophet's
+o&panions that a &agi#ian &ust be killed. Besides, At5Tir&idhi
narrated fro& Is&a'il Ibn *usli& after Al5%asan after -undub Al5A4di as
saying6 Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 says6 DThe Pres#ribed
Penalty set for a &agi#ian is a blo! !ith the s!ord.Q
It !as narrated that Al5"alid Ibn '<=bah had a &agi#ian !ho
used to &ake sho!s before hi&. %e used to #ut o8 a &an's head,
then #alls it to get
ba#k to its proper pla#e. The people said6 .lory be to Allah: The
&agi#ian re(i(es the dead. %o!e(er, a &an fro& the pious &igrants
sa! hi& and intended
so&ething. The ne1t day he #a&e and #ut the &agi#ian's head and
said6 if he is truthful, he #an re(i(e hi&self: And, he re#ited Allah's
'tate&ent that reads6
.ill you sub#it to #a*i% while you see it-( 2Al5Anbiya', C3
+onse=uently,
Al5"alid raged be#ause the &igrant did not ask for his per&ission $rst
2to kill the &agi#ian3, he i&prisoned hi& for a !hile, then set hi& free.
Allah kno!s best:
I&a& Abu Bakr Al5Khallal said6 )ne of the prin#es used to ha(e a
&agi#ian !ho &akes sho!s of his &agi# and one day -undub #a&e
and killed hi& saying6 I belie(e he !as a &agi#ian.
In the Na&e of Allah, *ost .ra#ious, *ost
*er#iful
!K'
0wellers of the
Town
.And &ut forward to the# a si#ilitude: the !story of the'
dwellers of the town/ when there %a#e "essen*ers to the#(
hen e sent to the# two "essen*ers/ they belied the#
both: so e reinfor%ed the# with a third/ and they said:
=?erily we ha)e been sent to you as "essen*ers(= They
!&eo&le of the town' said: =4ou are only hu#an bein*s li>e
oursel)es and the "ost 3ra%ious !Allah' has re)ealed nothin*(
4ou are only tellin* lies(= The "essen*ers said: =Our Aord
>nows that we ha)e been sent as "essen*ers to you(= And our
duty is only to %on)ey &lainly !the "essa*e'(= They !&eo&le'
said: =2or us/ we see an e)il o#en fro# you: if you %ease not/
we will surely stone you/ and a &ainful tor#ent will tou%h you
fro# us(=They !"essen*ers' said: =4our e)il o#ens be with
youE !0o you %all it =e)il o#en=' be%ause you are ad#onishedF
Nay/ but you are a &eo&le "usrifun !trans*ressin* all bounds
by %o##ittin* all >inds of *reat sins/ and by disobeyin*
Allah'( And there %a#e a #an runnin* fro# the farthest &art
of the town( He said: =O #y &eo&leE Obey the "essen*ers( =
6Obey those who as> no wa*es of you !for the#sel)es'/ and
who are ri*htly *uided( =And why should I not worshi& Hi#
!Allah Alone' ho has %reated #e and to ho# you shall be
returned(= =Shall I ta>e besides Hi# alihah !*ods'F If the "ost
3ra%ious !Allah' intends #e any har#/ their inter%ession will
be of no use for #e whatsoe)er/ nor %an they sa)e #eF= =Then
)erily/ I should be in &lain error(= 6?erilyE I ha)e belie)ed in
your Aord/ so listen to #eE= It was said !to hi# when the
disbelie)ers >illed hi#': =5nter $aradise(= He said: =ould that
#y &eo&le >new( =That #y Aord !Allah' has for*i)en #e/ and
#ade #e of the honored onesE= And e
sent not a*ainst his &eo&le after hi# a host fro# the hea)en/
nor was it needful for +s to send !su%h a thin*'( It was but one
Saihah !shout'
and loE They !all' were still !silent/ dead/ destroyed'-( 2>a5'in,
1F5?93
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, Ka'b Al5Ahbar and "ahb Ibn *unabih and
&any others narrated a story of a to!n #alled Antio#h 2Antakiyah3,
go(erned by the king Antikhis Ibn Antikhis. This king used to obser(e
idol !orship. Allah Al&ighty sent hi& three *essengers !ho& he
se(erely belied. The *essengers !ere6 'adi=, *asdu= and 'halo&.
It is e(idently apparent that they !ere *essengers sent by Allah
the Al&ighty. /atadah #lai&ed the& to be &essengers sent by -esus
+hrist. The sa&e (ie! !as held by Ibn -arir after "ahb after Ibn
'ulai&an after 'hu' aib Al5 -iba'i !ho added that6 those &essengers
!ere #alled6 'hi&on, -onah and Paul
and the to!n !as #alled Antio#h. This (ie! is groundless be#ause the
people of
Antio#h !hen re#ei(ed three of the dis#iples of -esus +hrist 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3
5!ere the $rst to belie(e in hi& at that (ery ti&e. Thereupon, Antio#h
!as one of the $rst four to!ns in !hi#h there $rst e1isted +hristian
Patriar#hs. These four to!ns !ere Antio#h, -erusale&, Ale1andria and
Jo&e. %o!e(er, the people of these to!ns !ere not destroyed,
!hereas the people of the afore&entioned
to!n in the /ur'ani# (erses !ere totally annihilated, follo!ing the
killing of their #o&panion !ho& Allah sent to ad&onish the&. Allah
the Al&ighty says6 .It
was but one Saihah !shout' and loE They !all' were still
!silent/ dead and destroyed'-( 2>a5'in, ?93 There is no
#ontradi#tion bet!een the t!o
interpretations, if the #ase !as that the three *essengers of Allah
!ere sent to the earlier d!ellers of Antio#h and that they !ere belied,
the &atter !hi#h in#urred #o&plete destru#tion. Then, their land !as
re5inhabited and during the
lifeti&e of -esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 the ne! d!ellers belie(ed in
his three &essengers.
The #lai& that the story &entioned in the .lorious /ur'an is that
of the &essengers of -esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 is (ery absurd and
groundless. )b(iously, the #onte1t sho!s that they, the *essengers
!ere sent by Allah the Al&ighty.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And &ut forward to the# a
si#ilitude- i.e. for your people @ *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3.
7The !story of the' dwellers of the town/ when there %a#e
"essen*ers to the#( hen e sent to the# two "essen*ers/
they belied the# both/ so e reinfor%ed the# with a third- i.e.
"e supported the& !ith a third *essenger, .and they said: ?erily
we ha)e been sent to you as "essen*ers-. The people of the
to!n said that the *essengers !ere only hu&an beings and they set
aside the idea that Allah Al&ighty &ight send hu&an beings as %is
*essengers to &ankind.
The *essengers asserted that Allah kno!s that they ha(e been sent to
the& and that if they lie to %i&, %e !ould #ertainly gi(e the& the
se(erest of all punish&ent. They added6 .our duty is only to %on)ey
&lainly !the "essa*e'- i.e. !hat they !ere sent !ith and that
guidan#e and &isleading are in the %and of Allah the Al&ighty Alone.
.They !&eo&le' said: 2or us/ we see an e)il o#en fro# you- i.e.
fro& !hat you ha(e brought us. .If you %ease not/ we will surely
stone you- with bad words and stones as well: .and a &ainful
tor#ent will tou%h you fro# us- i.e. they threatened the& !ith
aKi#ting hu&iliation 2bad !ords3 and killing 2stoning to death3. .They
!"essen*ers' said: 4our e)il o#ens be with youE- i.e. they !ill
badly
a8e#t you. .!0o you %all it =e)il o#en =' be%ause you are
ad#onishedF-
i.e. be#ause !e re&inded you !ith guidan#e and in(ited you to it you
threatened us !ith killing and aKi#ting hu&iliation. .Nay/ but you
are a &eo&le "usrifun- i.e. you transgress all bounds by #o&&itting
all kinds of sinful deeds, and by disobeying Allah.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And there %a#e a #an runnin* fro#
the farthest &art of the town- to support the *essengers and to
de#lare his faith in the&. .He said: L #y &eo&leE Obey the
"essen*ers( Obey those who as> no wa*es of you !for
the#sel)es'/ and who are ri*htly *uided- i.e. they in(ite you to
the absolute truth !ithout asking !ages or re!ard for the&sel(es of
you. Then he in(ited the& to !orship Allah Alone, and not to !orship
other than %i& that #an do nothing in this present life or in the
%ereafter. .Then )erily/ I should be in &lain error- i.e. if I
abandoned the !orship of Allah and !orshipped anything else besides
%i&.
Then, the belie(ing &an said to the three *essengers6 .?erilyE I
ha)e belie)ed in your Aord/ so listen to #eE-/ i.e. you should
listen to &y state&ent and bear !itness to this before your ord. )r,
@ &y people: isten to &y de#laration of faith of these *essengers.
Thereupon, the people killed hi& either by stoning hi& to death, or
biting, or &aking one sudden assault against hi&. Narrated Ibn Isha=
after so&e of his #ounterparts on the authority of
9Abdullah Ibn *asRud that the people stepped o(er his body till they
broke his ne#k.
Narrated Ath5Tha!ri after 9Asi& Al5Ah!al after Abu *aAla4 his
saying6 The na&e of that belie(ing &an !as %abib Ibn *urriy !ho !as
said to be a #arpenter, or rope5&aker, or shoe5&aker. It is also said
that he used to obser(e his religious rituals in an isolated #a(e.
9Abdullah Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 %e !as
%abib, the #arpenter !ho !as aKi#ted !ith leprosy. %e !as #haritable,
but killed at the end at the hands of his o!n people. Then, Allah the
Al&ighty says6 .5nter $aradise- i.e. !hen he !as killed by his
people, Allah Al&ighty ad&itted hi& into Paradise. "hen he sa! of the
pleasures and Aoys therein, he said6 .ould that #y &eo&le >newF
That #y Aord
!Allah' has for*i)en #e/ and #ade #e of the honored onesE-/
i.e. to
belie(e in !hat I ha(e belie(ed in and thus gain !hat I ha(e Aust
obtained. Ibn
9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 %e ad(ised his people
during his life saying6 7O #y &eo&leE Obey the "essen*ers-/
and after his death
.ould that #y &eo&le >newF That #y Aord !Allah' has
for*i)en #e/ and #ade #e of the honored onesE-( In addition,
/atadah said6 The belie(er al!ays gi(es #ounseling be#ause of !hat he
sees of the re!ards granted by Allah
.ould that #y &eo&le >newF That #y Aord !Allah' has
for*i)en #e/ and #ade #e of the honored onesE-/ i.e. he
!ished that his people !ould kno! the honor Allah besto!ed on hi&.
/atadah added6 By Allah: Allah did not
ad&onish or e(en bla&e those people after killing hi& 2the belie(ing
&an3 .It was but one Saihah !shout' and loE They !all' were still
!silent/ dead/ destroyed'-( Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And e sent
not a*ainst his &eo&le
after hi# a host fro# the hea)en/ nor was it needful for +s to
send !su%h a thin*'-, i.e. it !as not needful for Allah the Al&ighty
to send against the& a host fro& the hea(en to a(enge the
*essengers.
*uAahid and /atadah said6 This &eans that Allah did not send
the& another *essage. Ibn -arir said6 The $rst interpretation looks
&ore proper be#ause Allah the Al&ighty says after this6 .nor was it
needful for +s to send !su%h a thin*'-/ i.e. Allah !as not in need
to send su#h a thing to punish the& !hen they belied %is *essengers
and killed %is godly &an, .It was but one Saihah !shout' and loE
They !all' were still !silent/ dead/ destroyed'-(
Interpreters said6 Allah the Al&ighty sent .abriel 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 !ho &aintained a grasp on their to!n's gate and &ade a single
shout .one Saihah !shout' and loE They !all' were still !silent/
dead/ destroyed'-/ i.e. they turned to be silent, &otionless and
dead.
;inally, all these indi#ate that the to!n &entioned in the /ur'ani#
(erses !as not Antio#h be#ause the people of Antio#h belie(ed in Allah
and follo!ed the &essengers of -esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. *oreo(er,
Antio#h !as said to be the $rst to!n to de#lare faith in -esus 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3.
*er#iful
!M'
Story of the
Heifer
7And !re#e#ber' when "usa !"oses' said to his &eo&le:
=?erily/ Allah %o##ands you that you slau*hter a %ow(= They
said/ =0o you #a>e fun of usF= He said/ =I ta>e Allah's ,efu*e
fro# bein* a#on* Al- 9ahilun !the i*norant or the foolish'( =
They said/ =Call u&on your Aord for us that He #ay #a>e &lain
to us what it isE= He said/ =He says:
'?erily/ it is a %ow neither too old nor too youn*/ but !it is'
between the two %onditions'/ so do what you are %o##anded =
They said/ =Call u&on your Aordfor us to #a>e &lain to us its
%olor(= He said/ =He says: 'It is a yellow %ow/ bri*ht in its %olor/
&leasin* the beholders(7 They said/ =Call u&on your Aord for us
to #a>e &lain to us what it is( ?erily/ to us all %ows are ali>e(
And surely/ if Allah wills/ we will be *uided(= He H"usa !"oses'I
said/ =He says: 'It is a %ow neither trained to tilt the soil nor
water the <elds/ sound/ ha)in* no other %olor eC%e&t bri*ht
yellow( ' =They said/ =Now you ha)e brou*ht the truth(= So they
slau*htered it thou*h they were near to not doin* it( And
!re#e#ber' when you
>illed a #an and fell into dis&ute a#on* yoursel)es as to the
%ri#e( ButAllah brou*ht forth that whi%h you were hidin*( So
e said: =Stri>e
hi# !the dead #an' with a &ie%e of it !the %ow'(= Thus Allah
brin*s the dead to life and shows you His Aya: !&roofs/
e)iden%es/ )erses/ lessons/ si*ns/ re)elations/ et%(' so that you
#ay understand-( 2Al5Ba=arah, OB5
BF3
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, 9<baidah As5'al&ani, Abu Al59Aliyah,
*uAahid, As5 'adiy and other earlier s#holars said6 An old &an fro&
a&ong the +hildren of Israel !as (ery ri#h, and he had so&e nephe!s
!ho !ished he !ould die soon to inherit hi&. )ne day, one of the& on
purpose &urdered hi& at night and thre! hi& on the road 5or at the
door of one of his o!n brothers. In the &orning, the people found the
dead body and they disputed o(er hi&. %is nephe! 5the &urderer
5#a&e and began to !eep and #ry. 'o&e people said6 "hy do you
dispute o(er hi&H "hy do not you go to Allah's Prophet 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3H %is nephe! #a&e and #o&plained to *usa 2*oses 2Pea#e
be upon hi&S. *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 by Allah: Anyone !ho
kno!s anything about this &urdered &an, he should let us kno!. But,
no one kne! anything about it. Thereupon, they asked *usa 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 to ask his ord #on#erning this issue. *usa 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 asked his ord and he !as #o&&anded to order the& to
slaughter a #o!, .?erily/ Allah %o##ands you
that you slau*hter a %ow( They said/ 0o you #a>e fun of usF-
i.e. !e ask
you about the &urdered and you say so: .He said/ I ta>e Allah's
,efu*e fro# bein* a#on* Al-9ahilun !the i*norant or the
foolish'- i.e. I take Allah's Jefuge fro& saying other than that %e
re(ealed to &eE and that !as %is Ans!er to !hat you had !anted &e
to ask %i&.
Ibn 'Abbas,'<baidah, *uAahid, 9Ikri&ah, As5'adiy, Abu Al59Aliyah
and others said6 If they !ere to slaughter any #o!, they !ould ful$ll
the purpose thereof. But, they &ade it diP#ult for the&sel(es 2by
asking so &any =uestions thereof3, and thus Allah the Al&ighty &ade
it diP#ult for the& 2by stipulating so &any #onditions for the desired
#o!3. They asked about its des#ription, #olor and ageE and they !ere
ans!ered !ith !hat !as s#ar#e and dear 2in a !ay to &ake it hard for
the& to $nd it3. The point is that they !ere #o&&anded to slaughter
neither a too old #o!, nor a too young, but 2it is3 bet!een the t!o
#onditions. This (ie! !as held by Ibn 9Abbas, *uAahid, Abu Al59Aliyah,
9Ikri&ah, Al5%asan,
/atadah and others. Then, they pressed the&sel(es !ith their
=uestions through asking about its #olor. And they !ere ans!ered to
&ake it .yellow %ow/ bri*ht in its %olor/ &leasin* the beholders-/
!hi#h is (ery rare and dear.
Then, they asked6 .They said/ =Call u&on your Aord for us to
#a>e &lain to us what it is( ?erily/ to us all %ows are ali>e( And
surely/ if Allah wills/ we will be *uided(= He H"usa !"oses'I
said/ =He says: 'It is a %ow neither trained to tilt the soil nor
water the <elds/ sound/ ha)in* no other %olor eC%e&t bri*ht
yellow(' =They said/ =Now you ha)e brou*ht the truth(= So they
slau*htered it thou*h they were near to not doin* it-. It is said
that they #ould not $nd a #o! !ith all these des#riptions but !ith a
&an !ho !as righteous and good to his father. They asked hi& to
sub&it it to the&, but he refused. They tried to sedu#e hi& as to its
pri#e till they o8ered hi& !hat e=uals its !ieght in gold. But, he
refused. Then, they o8ered hi& an a&ount of gold that e=uals its
!eight ten5ti&es. ;inally, he a##epted their o8er and sub&itted it to
the&. Then, *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 #o&&anded the& to slaughter
it .So they slau*htered it thou*h they were near to not doin*
it- i.e. !hile they !ere hesitant.
Then, *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 instru#ted the& !ith the +o&&and of
Allah to strike the dead &an !ith a pie#e of the #o!. 'o&e s#holars
said6 !ith part of its thighbone, or !ith part of the Mesh bet!een its
shoulders. "hen they stroke hi& !ith part thereof, he !as resurre#ted
by Allah the Al&ighty. *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 asked hi&6 !ho's
your &urdererH %e said6 it !as &y nephe! !ho killed &e. Then, he
died again. Allah the Al&ighty says .Thus Allah brin*s the
dead to life and shows you His Ayat !&roofs/ e)iden%es/ )erses/
lessons/ si*ns/ re)elations/ et%(' so that you #ay understand-
i.e. as you
!itnessed the re(i(al of that dead &an by the +o&&and of Allah the
Al&ighty,
%e #an do the sa&e to all the dead people !hen %e !ishes to. %e,
Al&ighty Allah, says .The %reation of you all and the
resurre%tion of you all are only as !the %reation and
resurre%tion of' a sin*le &erson( ?erily/ Allah is All-Hearer/ All-
Seer-( 2u=&an, ?G3
*er#iful
!N'
"oses and AI-
Khadir
Allah, the Al&ighty says6
.And !re#e#ber' when "usa !"oses' said to his boy-ser)ant:
=I will not *i)e u& !tra)ellin*' until I rea%h the Bun%tion of the
two seas or !until' I s&end years and years in tra)ellin*(= But
when they rea%hed the Bun%tion of the two seas/ they for*ot
their <sh/ and it too> its way throu*h the sea as in a tunnel( So
when they had &assed further on !beyond that <Ced &la%e'/
"usa !"oses' said to his boy-ser)ant: =Brin* us our #ornin*
#eal: truly/ we ha)e su;ered #u%h fati*ue in this/ our
Bourney(= He said: =0o you re#e#ber when we betoo>
oursel)es to the ro%>F I indeed for*ot the <sh/: none but
Shaitan !Satan' #ade #e for*et to re#e#ber it/ it too> its
%ourse into the sea in a stran*e !way'E= H"usa !"oses'I said:
=That is what we ha)e been see>in*:= So they went ba%>
retra%in* their footste&s: Then they found one of Our sla)es/
on who# e had bestowed #er%y fro# +s/ and who# e had
tau*ht >nowled*e fro# +s: "usa !"oses' said to hi# !Al-
Khadir': ="ay
I follow you so that you tea%h #e so#ethin* of that >nowled*e
!*uidan%e and true &ath' whi%h you ha)e been tau*ht !by
Allah'F= He !Al-Khadir' said: =?erily you will not be able to
ha)e &atien%e with #eE And how %an you ha)e &atien%e about
a thin* whi%h you >now not:= "usa !"oses' said: =If Allah wills/
you will <nd #e &atient/ and I will not disobey you in au*ht:=
He !Al-Khadir' said: =Then/ if you follow #e/ as> #e not about
anythin* till I #yself #ention of it to you:= So they both
&ro%eeded/ till/ when they e#bar>ed the shi&/ he !Al-Khadir'
s%uttled it: "usa !"oses' said: =Ha)e you s%uttled it in order to
drown its &eo&leF ?erily/ you ha)e %o##itted a thin* I#r !a
"un>ar -e)il/
bad/ dreadful thin*': = He !Al-Khadir' said: =0id I not tell you/
that you would not be able to ha)e &atien%e with #eF= H"usa
!"oses'I said: =Call #e not to a%%ount for what I for*ot/
M
and
be not hard u&on #e for #y a;air !with you':= Then they both
&ro%eeded/ till they #et a boy/ and he !Al-Khadir' >illed hi#:
"usa !"oses' said: =Ha)e you >illed an inno%ent &erson who
had >illed noneF ?erily/ you ha)e %o##itted a thin* Nu>r !a
*reat "un>ar &rohibited/ e)il/ dreadful thin*'E= !Al- Khadir'
said: =0id I not tell you that you %an ha)e no &atien%e with
"
Narrated Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&36 The Prophet 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 said6 DAllah forgi(es &y follo!ers those 2e(il deeds3 their o!n sel(es &ay
!hisper or suggest to the& as long as they do not a#t 2on it3 or speak.D 2'ahih Al5
Bukhari3 Narrated Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&36 The Prophet 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 said6 DIf so&ebody eats so&ething forgetfully !hile he is fasting, then
he should #o&plete his fast, for Allah has &ade hi& eat and drink.D 2'ahih Al5
Bukhari3
#eF= H"usa !"oses'I said: =If I as> you anythin* after this/
>ee& #e not in your %o#&any/ you ha)e re%ei)ed an eC%use
fro# #e: = Then
they both &ro%eeded/ till/ when they %a#e to the &eo&le of a
town/ they as>ed the# for food/ but they refused to entertain
the#: Then they found therein a wall about to %olla&se and he
!Al-Khadir' set it u&
strai*ht: !"usa !"oses'I said: If you had wished/ surely/ you
%ould ha)e ta>en wa*es for itE= !Al-Khadir' said: =This is the
&artin* between #e and you/ I will tell you the inter&retation
of !those'thin*s o)er
whi%h you were unable to hold &atien%e( As for the shi&/ it
belon*ed to
"asa>in !&oor &eo&le' wor>in* in the sea( So I wished to
#a>e a defe%ti)e da#a*e in it/ as there was a >in* behind
the# who seiGed
e)ery shi& by for%e( And as for the boy/ his &arents were
belie)ers/ and
we feared lest he should o&&ress the# by rebellion and
disbelief( So we intended that their Aord should %han*e hi# for
the# for one better in
ri*hteousness and nearer to #er%y( And as for the wall/ it
belon*ed to
two or&han boys in the town: and there was under it a
treasure belon*in* to the#: and their father was a
ri*hteous #an/ and your
Aord intended that they should attain their a*e of full stren*th
and
ta>e out their treasure as a #er%y fro# your Aord( And I did
the# not of #y own a%%ord( That is the inter&retation of
those !thin*s' o)er
whi%h you %ould not hold &atien%e-( 2Al5Kahf, O@5G?3
'o&e of the People of the Book said6 the one !ho &et Al5Khadir
!as *usa Ibn *isha Ibn >usuf Ibn >a9 ub Ibn Isha= Ibn Ibrahi&, father
of the Prophets. But, the &ost authenti# (ie! is that he !as *usa Ibn
9I&ran, the Prophet sent by Allah to the +hildren of Israel.
Narrated I&a& Al5Bukhari6 I !as told by Al5%a&idi after 'ufyan
after 9A&r Ibn ,inar after 'a9id Ibn -ubair as saying6 I said to Ibn
9Abbas6 DNauf AI5Bakali #lai&s that *oses 2the #o&panion of AI5
Khadir3 !as not the *oses of Banu Israel but he !as another *oses.D
Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 re&arked that the ene&y
of Allah 2NauA3 !as a liar. Narrated <bai bin Ka 9b6 The Prophet 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 said6 D)n#e Prophet *oses stood up and addressed
Banu Israel. %e !as asked6 D"ho is the &ost learned &an a&ongst
the peopleHD %e said6 DI a& the &ost learned.D Allah ad&onished
*oses as he
did not attribute absolute kno!ledge to %i& 2Allah3. 'o Allah inspired
to hi&, DAt the Aun#tion of the t!o seas there is a sla(e of &ine !ho is
&ore learned than
you.D *oses said6 D) &y ord: %o! #an I &eet hi&HD Allah Al&ighty
said6 DTake
a $sh in a large basket 2and pro#eed3 and you !ill $nd hi& at the pla#e
!here you !ill lose the $sh.D 'o *oses set out along !ith his 2ser(ant3
boy, >usha9 bin
Nun and #arried a $sh in a large basket till they rea#hed a ro#k, !here
they laid
their heads 2i. e. lay do!n3 and slept. The $sh #a&e out of the
basket and it took its !ay into the sea as in a tunnel. 'o it !as an
a&a4ing thing for both
*oses and his 2ser(ant3 boy. They pro#eeded for the rest of that night
and the follo!ing day. "hen the day broke, *oses said to his 2ser(ant3
boy6 .Brin* us our early #eal( No doubt/ we ha)e su;ered
#u%h fati*ue in this Bourney-( *oses did not get tired till he
passed the pla#e about !hi#h he !as told. There the 2ser(ant3 boy
told *oses6 .0o you re#e#ber when we betoo> oursel)es to
the ro%>/ I indeed for*ot the <sh-( *oses re&arked6
.That is what we ha)e been see>in*( So they went ba%>
retra%in* their footste&s-/ till they rea#hed the ro#k. There they
sa! a &an #o(ered !ith a
gar&ent 2or #o(ering hi&self !ith his o!n gar&ent3. *oses greeted
hi&. Al5 Khadir replied saying6 D%o! do people greet ea#h other in
your landHD *oses
said6 DI a& *oses.D %e asked6 DThe *oses of Banu IsraelHD *oses
replied in the aPr&ati(e and added6 D*ay I follo! you so that you
tea#h &e of that kno!ledge !hi#h you ha(e been taught.D Al5Khadir
replied6 DLerily: >ou !ill not be able to
re&ain patient !ith &e, @ *oses: I ha(e so&e of the kno!ledge of
Allah !hi#h %e has taught &e and !hi#h you do not kno!, !hile you
ha(e so&e kno!ledge !hi#h Allah has taught you !hi#h I do not
kno!.D *oses said6 DAllah !illing, you
!ill $nd &e patient and I !ill not disobey you in aught. 'o both of the&
set out !alking along the seashore, as they did not ha(e a boat. In the
&eanti&e a boat passed by the& and they re=uested the #re! of the
boa2. to take the& on
board. The #re! re#ogni4ed Al5Khadir and took the& on board
!ithout fare. Then a sparro! #a&e and stood on the edge of the
boat and dipped its beak on#e or t!i#e in the sea. Al5Khadir said6
D) *oses: *y kno!ledge and your
kno!ledge ha(e not de#reased Allah's kno!ledge e1#ept as &u#h as
this
sparro! has de#reased the !ater of the sea !ith its beak.D Al5Khadir
!ent to one of the planks of the boat and plu#ked it out. *oses said6
DThese people ga(e us
a free lift but you ha(e broken their boat and s#uttled it so as to
dro!n its people.D Al5Khadir replied6 D,idn't I tell you that you !ill
not be able to re&ain patient !ith &e.D *oses said6 D+all &e not to
a##ount for !hat I forgot.D The
$rst 2e1#use3 of *oses !as that he had forgotten. Then they
pro#eeded further and found a boy playing !ith other boys. Al5Khadir
took hold of the boy's head
fro& the top and plu#ked it out !ith his hands 2i.e. killed hi&3. *oses
said6 D%a(e you killed an inno#ent soul !ho has killed none.D AI5Khadir
replied6 D,id I not tell you that you #annot re&ain patient !ith &eHD
Then they both pro#eeded
till !hen they #a&e to the people of a to!n, they asked the& for food,
but they refused to entertain the&. Then they found there a !all on
the point of #ollapsing. Al5Khadir repaired it !ith his o!n hands. *oses
said6 DIf you had
!ished, surely you #ould ha(e taken !ages for it.D Al5Khadir replied6
DThis is the parting bet!een you and &e.D The Prophet 2*uha&&ad
2Pea#e be upon hi&33 added6 D*ay Allah be *er#iful to *oses: "ould
that he #ould ha(e been &ore
patient to learn &ore about his story !ith Al5Khadir.D 2'ahih Al5Bukhari3
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And as for the wall/ it belon*ed to
two or&han boys in the town-/ As 'uhaili said6 they !ere Asra&
and 'ari& sons
of Kashih( .And there was under it a treasure belon*in* to
the#-/ i.e. the treasure !as gold, or so&e kind of kno!ledge.
%o!e(er, the &ost likely (ie! is that it !as so&e kind of kno!ledge
ins#ribed on a golden board.
Al5Ba44ar said6 I !as told by Ibrahi& Ibn 'a'id Al5-auhari after Bishr
Ibn Al5 *undhir ufter Al %arith Ibn 'Abdullah Al5 >ahbasi after 'Iyad Ibn
9Abbas Al5 .hassani after Ibn %uAairah after Abu ,harr as saying6 DThe
treasure &entioned in Allah's Book 2the .lorious /ur'an3 !as a solid
golden board !here it !as ins#ribed6 I !ondered at the one !ho
aPr&ed faith in the ,i(ine ,e#ree and then he e1erted hi&selfE and I
!ondered at the one !ho re&e&bered %ell5;ire and then he laughedE
and I !ondered at the one !ho re&e&bered death and then he
be#a&e heedless of the &eaning of 'There is no god but Allah.'D The
like !as narrated by Al5%asan Al5Basri, 9 <&ar the freed sla(e of 9Afrah
and -a9far As5'adi=.
Allah's 'aying6 .And their father was a ri*hteous #an-/ i.e.
their se(enth or tenth grandfather. %o!e(er, this pro(es that the
righteousness of the father bene$ts his o!n #hildren and their #hildren.
Allah's 'aying6 .as a #er%y fro# your Aord- , this is a te1tual
proof that Al5Khadir !as a Prophet and that he did not do anything out
of his o!n desire but as ordered by Allah the Al&ighty.
Al-Khadir's Na#e/ Ainea*e and $ro&hethood: Is He Still Ali)eF
The real na&e, lineage and status of Al5Khadir are #ontro(ersial.
This #an be added to the (ery i&portant =uestion6 is he still ali(eH
Al5%a$4 Ibn 9Asakir said6 %e is said to be Al5Khadir son of Ada&.
Ibn /utaibah said6 %is na&e !as Balya 5or Aylya 5Ibn *alakan Ibn
;aligh Ibn 9Abir Ibn 'halikh Ibn Arfakhshdh Ibn 'a& Ibn Noah 2Pea#e
be <pon hi&3.
Is&a9il Ibn Abu <!ais said6 %is na&e !as Al5*u9a&ir Ibn *alik Ibn
9Abdullah Ibn Nasr Ibn a4d.
)thers said6 %e is Khadrun Ibn 9A&yaiyl Ibn Al5a$4 Ibn AI59Iys Ibn
Isha= Ibn Prophet Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. There are so &any
other (ie!s pertaining to his na&e and lineage.
I&a& Al5Bukhari said6 I !as told by *uha&&ad Ibn 'a'id Al5
Asbahani after Ibn Al5*ubarak after *u9a&ir after %a&&a& on the
authority of Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 that the
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DAl5 Khadir !as na&ed so be#ause
he sat o(er a barren !hite land, it turned green !ith plantation after
2his sitting o(er It3.D
/abisah narrated on the authority of Ath5Thauri after *ansur after
*uAahid as saying6 Al5Khadir !as na&ed so be#ause e(erything
around hi& used to turn into green !hen he stands for prayer. It !as
stated earlier that *oses and
>usha9 2Pea#e be upon the&3 !ent ba#k retra#ing their footsteps, till
they rea#hed the ro#k. There they sa! a &an #o(ered !ith a green
gar&ent 2or #o(ering hi&self !ith his o!n gar&ent3. *oses greeted
hi&. Al5Khadir replied saying6 D%o! do people greet ea#h other in your
landHD *oses said6 DI a& *oses.D %e asked6 DThe *oses of Banu
IsraelHD *oses replied in the aPr&ati(e and added6 D*ay I follo! you
so that you tea#h &e of that kno!ledge !hi#h you ha(e been taught...
et#.D
The Story Indi%ated His $ro&hethood in 2our As&e%ts:
2irst: Allah the Al&ighty says6 .Then they found one of Our
sla)es/ on who# e had bestowed #er%y fro# +s/ and who#
e had tau*ht >nowled*e fro# +s-( 2Al5Kahf, OI3
Se%ond: *oses says to Al5Khadir6 ."usa !"oses' said to hi# !Al-
Khadir': ="ay I follow you so that you tea%h #e so#ethin* of
that >nowled*e !*uidan%e and true &ath' whi%h you ha)e been
tau*ht !by Allah'F= He !Al-Khadir' said: =?erily you will not be
able to ha)e &atien%e with #eE And how %an you ha)e &atien%e
about a thin* whi%h you >now not(= "usa !"oses' said: =If
Allah wills/ you will <nd #e &atient/ and I will not disobey you
in au*ht(= He !Al-Khadir' said: =Then/ if you follow #e/ as> #e
not about anythin* till I #yself #ention of it to you='( 2Al5Kahf,
OO5B@3 'o, !ere he not a Prophet, *oses !ould not address hi& that
!ay, and he !ould not ans!er *oses that !ay as !ell. *oses sought
his #o&pany
be#ause he !anted to get so&e of the kno!ledge Al5Khadir !as
gi(en by Allah and that !hi#h *oses did not get. "ere Al5Khadir
anything but a Prophet, he !ould not be infallible. Thus, *oses !ould
not be keen to a##o&pany hi&
be#ause *oses hi&self !as an honorable Prophet and an infallible
*essenger. "ere Al5Khadir anything but a Prophet, *oses !ould not
take the trouble of sear#hing for hi& for eighty years. "hen *oses &et
!ith Al5Khadir, *oses highly
respe#ted hi& and follo!ed hi& sub&issi(ely to gain as &u#h as
possible of his di(ine kno!ledge.
Third: Al5Khadir intentionally killed the boy. %e !ould not do that
!ithout an inspiration fro& Allah Al&ighty ordering hi& to. This
in#ident #an stand as a separate proof that Al5Khadir !as a Prophet. It
#an stand as !ell, as a proof that he !as infallible. Al5Khadir killed the
boy be#ause he !as inspired that the boy !ould be a disbelie(er !hen
he gro!s up and that his parents !ould follo! hi& due to their
earnest lo(e for hi&. 'o he killed hi& to sa(e the faith of the parents.
This indi#ated that he !as an infallible Prophet.
2ourth: "hen Al5Khadir interpreted and e1plained for *oses the
a#tions he took and #lari$ed e(erything to hi& he added6 7As a
#er%y fro# your Aord( And I did the# not of #y own a%%ord-/
i.e. I did not do that out of &y desire, instead, I !as ordered to by
di(ine inspiration. All these indi#ated his Prophethood and infallibility.
Is Al-Khadir Still Ali)eF
The &aAority of s#holars said6 DAl5Khadir is still ali(e be#ause he
!as the one !ho buried Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 after the ,eluge
and thus he !as a8e#ted by the in(o#ation of Ada& that he !ho buries
hi& !ill li(e long.D 'o&e people said6 Dhe is still ali(e be#ause he
drank of the spring of life.D
There are so &any narrations and stories on !hi#h those !ho
(ie!ed the e1isten#e of Al5Khadir today based their opinion. But, all
the narrations and %adiths pertaining to that issue are !eak and
in(ented and those !ho narrated the& are not infallible.
'Abdur Ja44a= said6 I !as told by *u' a&ir that Abu 'a'id AI5Khudri
said6 D)ne day Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 narrated to us a
long narration about Ad5,aAAal and a&ong the things he narrated to us,
!as6 'Ad5,aAAal !ill #o&e, and he !ill be forbidden to enter the
&ountain passes of *edina. %e !ill en#a&p in one of the salt areas
neighboring *edina and there !ill appear to hi& a &an !ho !ill be the
best or one of the best of the people. %e !ill say6 'I testify that you are
Ad5,aAAal !hose story Allah's *essenger has told us. 'Ad ,aAAal !ill say
2to his audien#e36 'ook, if I kill this &an and then gi(e hi& life, !ill you
ha(e any doubt about &y #lai&H' They !ill reply6 'No.' Then Ad ,aAAal
!ill kill that &an and then !ill &ake hi& ali(e. The &an !ill say6 'By
Allah, no! I re#ogni4e you &ore than e(er: 'Ad5,aAAal !ill then try to kill
hi& 2again3 but he !ill not be
gi(en the po!er to do so. D, *u'a&ir said6 I !as told that the &an
!ho stands against the ,aAAal is Al5Khadir and that his ne#k on that
day !ould be #o(ered
!ith brass.
'heik Abu Al5;araA Ibn Al5-a!4i refuted all these %adiths and pro(ed
the& all to be in(ented, and he pro(ed the +hains of Trans&ission of
the narrations and stories of the Prophet's +o&panions and follo!ers to
be !eak and fallible.
Indeed, Ibn Al5-a!4i !as (ery po!erful and authenti# in doing so.
As for those !ho #lai&ed Al5Khadir to be dead su#h as I&a& Al5
Bukhari, Abu Al5%usain Ibn Al5*unadi and sheik Abu Al5;araA Ibn Al5
-a!4i, they held as their te1tual proofs !hat follo!s6 Allah the Al&ighty
says: .And e *ranted not to any hu#an bein* i##ortality
before you !O "uha##ad !$ea%e be
u&on hi#8: then if you die/ would they li)e fore)erF-( 2Al5
Anbyia', FC3 'o
if Al5Khadir !as a hu&an being, he !ould be a8e#ted by this ruling6 he
is &ortal, he &ust die. Allah the Al&ighty says6 7And !re#e#ber'
when Allah too> the Co)enant of the $ro&hets/ sayin*: =Ta>e
whate)er I *a)e you fro# the Boo> and Hi>#ah !understandin*
of the Aaws of Allah'/ and afterwards there will %o#e to you a
"essen*er !"uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#8 %on<r#in* what
is with you: you #ust/ then/ belie)e in hi# and hel& hi#(= Allah
said: =0o you a*ree !to it' and will you ta>e u& "y
Co)enant !whi%h I %on%lude with you'F= They said: =e
a*ree(= He said: =Then bear witness: and I a# with you a#on*
the witnesses !for
this'='( 2Al 'I&ran, G13 Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3
said6 Allah took the +o(enant of all the Prophets to belie(e in
*uha&&ad and support hi&
if he appears during their lifeti&es. In addition, they should take the
+o(enant of all their o!n nations to belie(e in hi& and support hi& in
the sa&e !ay. Thereupon, !ere Al5Khadir a Prophet or a "ali 2prote#tor
or guardian3, he !ould
be in(ol(ed in that +o(enant and that !ere he ali(e during the
lifeti&e of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, he !ould
follo! hi& and present hi&self before hi& paying allegian#e and
absolute faith.
I&a& Ah&ed narrated6 I !as told by 'huraih Ibn An5Nu'&an after
%ashi& after *uAalid after Ash'hi'bi after -abir Ibn 'Abdullah that the
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DBy %i& in "hose %and &y soul is:
"ere *oses ali(e, he !ould do nothing but follo! &e.D This is the
de#isi(e (ie! !hi#h the earlier /ur'ani# Lerse indi#ates that all
Prophets 5if they happen to li(e during the lifeti&e of Prophet
*uha&&ad 5are ordered to follo! hi& and pra#ti#e his o!n 'hari 9ah.
)n the Night -ourney, he 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as raised far abo(e
the& all.
I
"hen they des#ended to -erusale& and the ti&e for Prayer !as due,
he 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as ordered to lead the& all 2in Prayer3. This
sho!ed that he is
the greatest I&a& and the last Prophet !ho is &ost honored and
respe#ted
2*ay Allah grant hi& and the& all &er#y3.
Thereupon, if Al5Khadir !ere ali(e, he !ould be Aoining for#es !ith
Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, and he !ould follo! his
religion in e(ery &inute detail. This is Prophet 9Isa 2-esus 2Pea#e be
upon hi&33 !hen he !ill des#ends by the end of ti&e, he !ill rule o(er
the !hole !orld in a##ordan#e !ith this honorable legislation of
Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3.
%o!e(er, there is nothing to #ertify that Al5Khadir has &et together
!ith Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 in a single day or e(en !itnessed any
$ght
!ith hi& against the polytheists or the in$dels. )n the day on !hi#h the
Battle of
Badr !as fought, the *essenger of Allah 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 #ast a
glan#e at the in$dels, and they !ere one thousand 21@@@3 !hile his
o!n +o&panions !ere
three hundred and nineteen 2F193. Allah's Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
turned
2his fa#e3 to!ards the /iblah. Then, he stret#hed his hands and began
his suppli#ation to his ord6 ') Allah: A##o&plish for &e !hat Thou hast
pro&ised to &e. @ Allah: Bring about !hat Thou hast pro&ised to &e.
@ Allah: If this s&all band of *usli&s is destroyed, Thou !ill not be
!orshipped on this earth.' %e 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 #ontinued his
suppli#ation to his ord, stret#hing his hands, fa#ing the /iblah, until
his &antle slipped do!n fro& his shoulders. 'o Abu Bakr 2*ay Allah be
pleased !ith hi&3 #a&e to hi&, pi#ked up his &antle and put it on his
shoulders. Then he 2Abu Bakr3 e&bra#ed hi& fro& behind and said6 @
Prophet of Allah: This prayer of yours to your ord !ill suP#e you,
and %e !ill ful$l for you !hat %e has pro&ised you. 'o Allah, the
.lorious and 01alted,
re(ealed 2the /ur'ani# (erse36 .!,e#e#ber' when you sou*ht hel&
of your
#
I.e. Near 'idrat5ul5*untaha 2a lote5tree of the ut&ost boundary o(er the se(enth hea(en
beyond !hi#h none #an pass3. 2Translator3
Aord and He answered you !sayin*': I will hel& you with a
thousand of the an*els ea%h behind the other !followin* one
another' in su%%ession-( 2Al5Anfal, 93 'o Allah helped hi& !ith
angels.D 2'ahih *usli&3 %o!e(er, this' s&all band of *usli&s'
#onsisted, then, of the #hiefs fro& a&ong the *usli&s and the angels,
fore&ost a&ong !ho& !as -ibril 2.abriel 2Pea#e be upon hi&33. Thus, if
Al5Khadir !ere ali(e, his presen#e, then, !ould be the best thing he
#ould e(er do. Narrated Al5/adi Abu >a9la *uha&&ad Ibn Al5%usain Al5
;ara' Al5%anbali6 'o&e people asked so&e of our #o&panions about Al5
Khadir, !as he deadH They ans!ered6 D>es.D
'o&e people #lai& that Al5Khadir !as present during all these past
e(ents but no one #ould see hi& be#ause he !as in(isible. )b(iously,
this #lai& is groundless and is based only on illusions. Indeed, if he !as
still ali(e during the lifeti&e of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3, he !ould #ertainly Aoin hi& in his $ght against the polytheists of
the tribe of /uraish. 'ee the follo!ing %adith6 Narrated 'a'd 2*ay Allah
be pleased !ith hi&36 D)n the ,ay of <hud I sa! on the right side of
Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and on his left side t!o persons
dressed in !hite #lothes and !ho& I did not see before nor after that,
and they !ere .abriel and *i#hael 2&ay Allah be pleased !ith both of
the&3.D 2'ahih *usli&3
In addition, 'Abdullah Ibn 9<&ar 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith both
of the&3 said6 D)n#e the Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 led us in the
9Isha' 2Night3 Prayer during the last days of his life and after $nishing
it 2the Prayer3 2!ith Tasli&, i.e. $nal salutation3 he said6 ',o you reali4e
2the i&portan#e of3 this nightH Nobody present on the surfa#e of the
earth tonight !ill be li(ing after the #o&pletion of one hundred years
fro& this night. D, 2'ahih Al5Bukhari3 And,
9Abdullah Ibn 9<&ar 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith both of the&3
narrated6 DAllah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 led us in the 9Isha'
2Night3 Prayer at the latter part of the night and !hen he had
#on#luded it by salutations he stood up and said6 '%a(e you seen this
night of yoursH At the end of one hundred years after this 2night3 none
!ould sur(i(e on the surfa#e of the earth 2fro& a&ong &y
+o&panions3.' Ibn 9<&ar said6 People !ere 2not understanding3 these
!ords of the *essenger of Allah 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !hi#h had been
uttered pertaining
to one hundred years. Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 in fa#t
&eant 2by these !ords3 that on that day none fro& a&ongst those
!ho had been li(ing
upon the earth 2fro& a&ongst his +o&panions3 !ould sur(i(e 2after one
hundred years3 and that !ould be the end of this generation.D
2'ahih *usli&3 And, -abir Ibn 9Abdullah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
hi&3 reported6 DI heard
Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying this one &onth before
his
death6 '>ou asked &e about the ast %our !hereas its kno!ledge is
!ith Allah. I, ho!e(er, take an oath and say that none upon the earth,
the #reated beings
2fro& a&ongst &y +o&panions3, !ould sur(i(e at the end of one
hundred
years.D This %adith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn -uraiA
!ith the sa&e #hain of trans&itters, but there is no &ention of the
!ords6 Done &onth
before his death.D 2'ahih *usli&3 'o, e(en if Al5Khadir !ere ali(e
during the lifeti&e of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, he
!ould, then, be dead in a##ordan#e !ith these abo(e5&entioned
%adiths. And, Allah kno!s best:
*er#iful
!O'
The Story of
Qarun!Korah'
.?erily/ Qarun !Korah' was of "usa's !"oses' &eo&le/ but
he beha)ed arro*antly towards the#( And e *a)e hi# of the
treasures/ that of whi%h the >eys would ha)e been a burden to
a body of stron* #en( ,e#e#ber when his &eo&le said to hi#:
=0o not eCult !with ri%hes/ bein* un*rateful to Allah'( ?erily
Allah li>es not those who eCult !with ri%hes/ bein* un*rateful
to Allah'( =But see> with that !wealth' whi%h Allah has
bestowed on you/ the ho#e of the Hereafter/ and
for*et not your &ortion of lawful enBoy#ent in this world/' and
do *ood as Allah has been *ood to you/ and see> not #is%hief
in the land( ?erily/
Allah li>es not the "ufsidun !those who %o##it *reat %ri#es
and sins/ o&&ressors/ tyrants/ #is%hief-#a>ers/ %orru&ters'(=
He said: =This has been *i)en to #e only be%ause of the
>nowled*e I &ossess(= 0id he not
>now that Allah had destroyed before hi# *enerations/ #en
who were stron*er than hi# in #i*ht and *reater in the
a#ount !of ri%hes' they
had %olle%tedF But the "uBri#un !%ri#inals/ disbelie)ers/
&olytheists/ sinners' will not be @uestioned of their sins
!be%ause Allah >nows the# well/ so they will be &unished
without bein* %alled to a%%ount'( So he
went forth before his &eo&le in his &o#&( Those who were
desirous of the life of the world/ said: =Ah/ would that we had
the li>e of what Qarun !Korah' has been *i)enE ?erily he is
the owner of a *reat
fortune(= But those who had been *i)en !reli*ious' >nowled*e
said: =oe to youE The ,eward of Allah !in the Hereafter' is
better for those who belie)e and do ri*hteous *ood deeds/
and this none shall attain
eC%e&t those who are AsSabirun !the &atient in followin* the
truth'( =So e %aused the earth to swallow hi# and his
dwellin* &la%e( Then he had no *rou& or &arty to hel& hi#
a*ainst Allah/ nor was he one of
those who %ould sa)e the#sel)es( And those who had desired
!for a &osition li>e' his &osition the day before/ be*an to say:
=Know you not that it is Allah ho enlar*es the &ro)ision
or restri%ts it to
who#soe)er He &leases of His sla)es( Had it not been that
Allah was
3ra%ious to us/ He %ould ha)e %aused the earth to swallow us
u& !also'E Know you not that the disbelie)ers will ne)er be
su%%essful(= That
ho#e of the Hereafter !i(e( $aradise'/ e shall assi*n to those
who
rebel not a*ainst the truth with &ride and o&&ression in the
land nor do #is%hief by %o##ittin* %ri#es( And the *ood end
is for the "utta@un
!the &ious and ri*hteous &ersons'-( 2Al5/asas, BO5GF3
Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 held the opinion that
/arun 2Koran3 !as a paternal #ousin to *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3.
This (ie! is supported by &any other narrators, in#luding Ibn -uraiA
!ho added that he is /arun Ibn >ashar Ibn /ahith, !hile *usa !as the
son of 9I&ran Ibn %a$th. Ibn -uraiA !ent further and reAe#ted the
(ie!point of Ibn Isha= that he !as a paternal un#le to *usa 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3.
/atadah said6 %e !as #alled DAn5NurD 2the light3 for he had a
&elodious (oi#e !hile re#iting the Torah 2Taurat3, but he be#a&e a
hypo#rite Aust like
As5'a&iri !ho be#a&e a hypo#rite too. Thus, /arun !as destroyed
be#ause of his transgression due to the !ealth and ri#hes he had.
'hahr Ibn %aushab said6 he dragged his gar&ent out of pride and
arrogan#e
2#on#eit3.
Allah the Al&ighty &entioned the nu&erousness of his !ealth and
ri#hes so that its keys !ould ha(e been a burden to a body of strong
&en. It !as also said6 the keys !ere &ade of leather and that they
used to be #arried on si1ty &ules. Allah kno!s best:
%o!e(er, he !as ad(ised by the godly &en fro& a&ong his people
saying6
.0o not eCult- i.e. do not be arrogant or #on#eited !ith ri#hes,
being ungrateful to Allah the Al&ighty. .?erily Allah li>es not
those who eCult
!with ri%hes/ bein* un*rateful to Allah'( =But see> with that
!wealth'
whi%h Allah has bestowed on you/ the ho#e of the
Hereafter- they ad)ise hi# to dire%t his endea)ors to *ain
Allah's ,eward in the
Hereafter as it is the best of all rewards( But/ .and for*et not
your
&ortion of lawful enBoy#ent in this world-/ i.e. take thereof
!ith your &oney !hat is &ade la!ful to you and ha(e the
possible la!ful Aoys of this
present life. And .do *ood as Allah has been *ood to you-/ i.e. do
good to
the #reation of Allah "ho has been good to you. And .see> not
#is%hief in the land-/ i.e. do not har& the people regarding !ho&
you !ere #o&&anded
to do good. If you har& the&, %e !ill punish you and take ba#k !hat %e
has
granted you .?erily/ Allah li>es not the "ufsidun !those who
%o##it *reat %ri#es and sins/ o&&ressors/ tyrants/
#is%hief-#a>ers/ %orru&ters'-( %is ans!er to this good ad(i#e
of his people !as nothing but6
.He said: This has been *i)en to #e only be%ause of the
>nowled*e I &ossess-/ i.e. I do not need !hat you ha(e said or
referred to, as Allah only ga(e &e this for %e kne! that I deser(e it
and I a& really =uali$ed thereto.
*oreo(er, !ere it not for that %e lo(es &e, %e !ould not grant or gi(e
&e this.
%o!e(er, Allah the Al&ighty refuted his state&ent saying6 .0id he
not >now that Allah had destroyed before hi# *enerations/
#en who were stron*er than hi# in #i*ht and *reater in the
a#ount !of ri%hes' they had %olle%tedF But the "uBri#un
!%ri#inals/ disbelie)ers/ &olytheists/
sinners' will not be @uestioned of their sins !be%ause Allah
>nows the# well/ so they will be &unished without bein* %alled
to a%%ount'-/ i.e. "e ha(e destroyed before hi& generations be#ause
of their sins and bad deeds and that they !ere stronger than /arun
and they had &ore ri#hes and #hildren than hi&. 'o, if !hat he said
!as true, "e !ould not punish anyone of those !ho had &ore ri#hes
than hi& and his !ealth and ri#hes !ould not be a proof of )ur lo(e or
#are for hi&. Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And it is not your wealth/
nor your %hildren that brin* you nearer to +s !i(e( &lease
Allah'/ but only he who belie)es !in the Isla#i% "onotheis#'/
and does ri*hteous deeds !will &lease +s'/( as for su%h/ there
will be twofold reward for what they did/ and they will reside in
the hi*h dwellin*s $aradise' in &ea%e and se%urity-( 2'aba', FB3
and, %e says6 .0o they thin> that in wealth and %hildren with
whi%h e enlar*e the#( e hasten unto the# with *ood
thin*s( Nay/ Hit is a 2itnah !trial' in this worldly
life so that they will ha)e no share of *ood thin*s in the
HereafterI but they &er%ei)e not-. 2Al5*u'&inun, II,IO3. Allah's
ans!er to /arun's #lai&s
#on$r&s our interpretation of his saying, .This has been *i)en to
#e only be%ause of the >nowled*e I &ossess-( But as for those
!ho #lai&ed that he !as a #he&ist or that he kne! the .reatest Na&e
of Allah the Al&ighty and that
he used it to #olle#t !ealth, all these are falla#ies and not true. ;or
#he&istry #annot #hange the reality of so&ething, and the .reatest
Na&e is of no e8e#t if it is pronoun#ed by a disbelie(er. And, /arun
!as inherently a disbelie(er and
apparently a hypo#rite. *oreo(er, the #onte1t of the ad(i#e gi(en by
his people and his ans!er to the& do not support that #lai&.
Al&ighty Allah says6 .So he went forth before his &eo&le in his
&o#&-, &any interpreters &entioned that he !ent forth before his
people in great lu1uries 2ser(ants, #lothes and riding ani&als3. "hen
those !ho !ere desirous of the life of the !orld sa! hi&, they !ished
to ha(e the sa&e and !ondered
D!hat a great fortune he has:D "hen their saying rea#hed the ears of
the godly righteous &en they said to the&6 7oe to youE The
,eward of Allah is better for those who belie)e and do
ri*hteous *ood deeds-/ i.e. the Je!ard of Allah in the %ereafter is
better and higher than this.
Al&ighty Allah says6 .and this none shall attain eC%e&t those
who are As-Sabirun !the &atient in followin* the truth'-/ i.e.
this 5ad(i#e, saying and high deter&ination regarding the %ereafter in
presen#e of the Aoys of this present life 5none shall attain e1#ept those
!ho !ere guided and those !hose hearts !ere $1ed and &inds &ade
stable by the .ra#e of Allah the Al&ighty. And, nothing is better than
the saying of so&e of our earlier s#holars !ho said6 DLerily, Allah lo(es
penetrati(e insight in ti&e of suspi#ious &atters and perfe#t
reasoning in ti&e of the presen#e of lustsD .
Allah the Al&ighty says6 7So/ e %aused the earth to swallow
hi# and his dwellin* &la%e( Then/ he had no *rou& or &arty to
hel& hi# a*ainst Allah/ nor was he one of those who %ould
sa)e the#sel)es-/ !hen Allah
the Al&ighty &entioned his setting forth in his po&p, %e said .So/ e
%aused the earth to swallow hi# and his dwellin* &la%e-( As
trans&itted by I&a& Al5Bukhari, Allah's Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
said6 D"hile a &an !as !alking, #lad in a t!o5pie#e gar&ent and proud
of hi&self !ith his hair !ell5#o&bed, suddenly Allah &ade hi& sink into
the earth and he !ill go on sinking into it till the ,ay of Jesurre#tion. D
2'ahih Al5Bukhari3
Narrated Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 and As5'adiy
that /arun ga(e a prostitute a su& of &oney to say to *usa 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 !hile he is a##o&panied !ith other people that he 2*usa3
#o&&itted !ith her 2adultery3. It is said that she did it and
#onse=uently, *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 tre&bled !ith fear and he
perfor&ed t!o Jak9ahs 2bo!ing in prayer3 and then said to her6 By
Allah: Tell &e, !ho hired you to do thisH 'he said6 It !as /arun !ho
hired &e to do that. Then, she sought Allah's ;orgi(eness and
repented to %i&. <pon that, he 2*usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&33 prostrated
hi&self and in(oked Allah against /arun. Allah the Al&ighty re(ealed
to hi& that %e subAugated the earth to obey hi&. *usa 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 #o&&anded the earth to s!allo! /arun and his d!elling pla#e.
And it !as: Allah kno!s best:
It !as also said6 That !hen /arun !ent forth before his people in
his po&p6 guards, &ules and #lothes, he passed by *usa 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 !hile he !as re&inding the people of Allah. "hen the
people sa! hi&, the fa#es of &ost of the& turned to!ards hi&. *usa
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 #alled hi& and said6 "hy do you do thisH /arun
replied saying6 ) *usa: >ou ha(e been fa(ored !ith
Prophethood and I ha(e been fa(ored !ith ri#hes. If you !ant, you &ay
go forth and in(oke Allah against &e, and I !ould in(oke %i& against
you. Thereupon, both of the& !ent forth and *usa 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 said6 "ould you like to beginH /arun said6 >es, and he &ade his
in(o#ations but they !ere not ans!ered. "hen *usa 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 in(oked Allah the Al&ighty against hi& saying6 ) Allah: +o&&and
the earth to transgress today. Allah re(ealed to hi& that %e did. Then,
*usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 ) earth: Take the&: And it took the&
to their feet. Then, he said6 take the&: And it took the& to their knees.
Then, he said6 take the&: And it took the& to their shoulders. Then, he
said6 ) earth: Bring their
.ri#hes and treasures: They !ere brought till they sa! the&, then *usa
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 pointed !ith his hand saying6 .o, you sons of
aui: And they sank
into the earth.
It !as narrated fro& /atadah that he said6 DThey !ould sink into
the earth till the ,ay of Jesurre#tion.D Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be
pleased !ith hi&3 said6 DThey sank into the earth till they rea#hed the
se(enth earth.D
Allah the Al&ighty says6 7Then he had no *rou& or &arty to hel&
hi# a*ainst Allah/ nor was he one of those who %ould sa)e
the#sel)es-/ i.e. he #ould not help hi&self or get help fro& others.
Allah the Al&ighty states6
.Then he will ha)e no &ower/ nor any hel&er-( 2At5Tari=, 1@3 "hen
the
people sa! !hat happened to /arun and his treasures of sinking into
the earth and #o&plete destru#tion, those !ho had desired for a
position like his position the day before regretted and thanked Allah
the Al&ighty and hen#e they said6
.Had it not been that Allah was 3ra%ious to us/ He %ould
ha)e %aused the earth to swallow us u& !also'E Know you not
that the disbelie)ers
will ne)er be su%%essful-(
Then, Allah the Al&ighty infor&s us that .That ho#e of the
Hereafter-/ i.e. Paradise is prepared only for those .who rebel not
a*ainst the truth with &ride and o&&ression in the land nor do
#is%hief by %o##ittin* %ri#es- and then %e says6 .And the *ood
end is for the "utta@un !the &ious and ri*hteous &ersons'-(
This story of /arun &ight ha(e taken pla#e before they get out of
0gypt for Allah the Al&ighty says6 .So/ e %aused the earth to
swallow hi# and his dwellin* &la%e-/ or it &ight ha(e taken pla#e
after that during the ,iaspora. Allah kno!s best:
%o!e(er, Al&ighty Allah &entions the dispraise of /arun in se(eral
Lerses on the .lorious /ur'an. Allah says6 7And indeed e sent
"usa !"oses' with Our Ayat !&roofs/ e)iden%es/ ()erses/
lessons/ si*ns/ re)elations/ et%('/ and a #anifest authority( To
2ir'aun !$haraoh'/ Ha#an and Qarun !Korah'/ but they %alled
!hi#': =A sor%erer/ a liarE=-( 2.ha$r, ?F, ?C3 and, in 'urah
Al5'Ankabut after &entioning 'Ad, Tha&ud, Pharaoh, %a&an and /arun,
%e says6 .And !e destroyed also' Qarun !Korah'/ 2ir'aun
!$haraoh'/ and Ha#an( And indeed "usa !"oses' %a#e to
the# with lessons/
%lear Ayat !&roofs/ e)iden%es/ )erses/ si*ns/ re)elations/ et%('/
but they were arro*ant in the land/ yet they %ould not outstri&
+s !es%a&e Our
&unish#ent'( So/ e &unished ea%h !of the#' for his sins/(
of the# were so#e on who# e sent Hasib !a )iolent wind
with shower of stones' Has on the &eo&le of Aut !Aot'I/ and
of the# were so#e who
were o)erta>en by As-Saihah Htor#ent -awful %ry/ !as Tha#ud
or
Shu'aib's $eo&le'I/ and of the# were so#e who# e %aused
the earth to swallow Has Qarun !Korah'I/ and of the# were
so#e who# e
drowned Has the &eo&le ofNuh !Noah'/ or 2ir'aun !$haraoh' and
his-
&eo&leI( It was not Allah ho wron*ed the#/ but they wron*ed
the#sel)es-( 2Al5'Ankabut, F9, C@3 so, he !ho !as s!allo!ed by the
earth !as
/arun, and those !ho& !ere dro!ned !ere Pharaoh, %a&an and their
troops
be#ause they !ere sinful.
I&a& Ah&ed, in his *usnad, reported that on#e the Prophet 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 re&e&bered the prayer and said6 D%e !ho obser(es it
regularly and properly, it !ill be light, e(iden#e and sal(ation for hi&
on the ,ay of Jesurre#tion. And, he !ho does not obser(e it regularly
and properly, there !ill neither be 5for hi& 5light, nor e(iden#e, nor
sal(ation. And, on the ,ay of Jesurre#tion, he !ill be 2gathered3 !ith
/arun, ;ir'aun 2Pharaoh3, %a&an and <baiy Ibn KhalafD.
*er#iful
!P'
Bil@is!Queen of
Sheba'
.He ins&e%ted the birds/ and said: =hat is the #atter that
I see not the hoo&oeF Or is he a#on* the absenteesF =I will
surely &unish hi# with a se)ere tor#ent/ or slau*hter hi#/
unless he brin*s #e a %lear reason(= But the hoo&oe stayed
not lon*: he !%a#e u& and' said: =I ha)e *ras&ed !the
>nowled*e of a thin*' whi%h you ha)e not *ras&ed and I ha)e
%o#e to you fro# Saba' !Sheba' with true news(= =I found a
wo#an rulin* o)er the#: she has been *i)en all thin*s that
%ould be &ossessed by any ruler of the earth/ and she has a
*reat throne( I found her and her &eo&le worshi&&in* the sun
instead of Allah/ and Shaitan !Satan' has #ade their deeds
fair-see#in* to the#/ and has barred the# fro# !Allah's' ay:
so they ha)e no *uidan%e(= HAs Shaitan !Satan' has barred
the# fro# Allah's ayI so they do not worshi& !&rostrate
the#sel)es before' Allah/ ho brin*s to li*ht what is hidden
in the hea)ens and the earth/ and >nows what you %on%eal
and what you re)eal( Allah/ Aa ilaha illa Huwa !none has the
ri*ht to be worshi&&ed but He'/ the Aord of the Su&re#e
ThroneE HSulai#an
!Solo#on'I said: =e shall see whether you s&ea> the truth or
you are
!one' of the liars(=3o you with this letter of #ine/ and deli)er
it to the#/ then draw ba%> fro# the#/ and see what !answer'
they return(=
She said: =O %hiefsE ?erilyE Here is deli)ered to #e a noble
letter(
=?erily it is fro# Sulai#an !Solo#on'/ and )erily/ it !reads': In
the
Na#e of Allah/ the "ost 3ra%ious/ the "ost "er%iful: =Be you
not eCalted a*ainst #e/ but %o#e to #e as "usli#s !true
belie)ers who sub#it to Allah with full sub#ission'( She said:
=O %hiefsE Ad)ise #e in !this' %ase of #ine( I de%ide no %ase till
you are &resent with #e !and *i)e #e your o&inions'(= They
said: =e ha)e *reat stren*th/ and *reat ability for war/ but it
is for you to %o##and: so thin> o)er what you
will %o##and(= She said: =?erily >in*s/ when they enter a town
!%ountry'/ they des&oil it and #a>e the #ost honorable
a#on*st its &eo&le the lowest( And thus they do( =But
)erilyE I a# *oin* to send
hi# a &resent/ and see with what !answer' the "essen*ers
return(= So
when !the #essen*ers with the &resent' %a#e to Sulai#an
!Solo#on'/ he said: =ill you hel& #e in wealthF hat Allah
has *i)en #e is better
than that whi%h He has *i)en youE Nay/ you reBoi%e in your
*iftE= HThen
Sulai#an !Solo#on' said to the %hief of her #essen*ers who
brou*ht
the &resentI: =3o ba%> to the#( e )erily shall %o#e to the#
with
hosts that they %annot resist/ and we shall dri)e the# out fro#
there in dis*ra%e/ and they will be abased(= He said: =O %hiefsE
hi%h of you %an
brin* #e her throne before they %o#e to #e surrenderin*
the#sel)es
in obedien%eF= A1Ifrit !stron* one' fro# the Binn said: I will
brin* it to you before you rise fro# your &la%e !%oun%il'( And
)erily/ I a# indeed
stron*/ and trustworthy for su%h wor>(= One with who# was
>nowled*e of the S%ri&ture said: =I will brin* it to you
within the twin>lin* of an eyeE= Then when he HSulai#an
!Solo#on'I saw it
&la%ed before hi#/ he said: =This is by the 3ra%e of #y Aord -to
test #e
whether I a# *rateful or un*ratefulE And whoe)er is *rateful/
truly/ his *ratitude is for !the *ood of' his own self/ and
whoe)er is un*rateful/ !he is un*rateful only for the loss of his
own self( Certainly #y Aord is ,i%h !2ree of all needs'/
Bountiful(= He said: =0is*uise her throne for her that we #ay
see whether she will be *uided !to re%o*niGe her throne'/ or
she will be one of those not *uided(= So when she %a#e/ it was
said !to her': =Is your throne li>e thisF= She said: =!It is' as
thou*h it were the )ery sa#e(= And HSulai#an !Solo#on'I said:
=Knowled*e was bestowed on us before her/ and we were
sub#itted to
Allah !in Isla# as "usli#s before her'(= And that whi%h she
used to worshi& besides Allah has &re)ented her !fro# Isla#'/
for she was ofa disbelie)in* &eo&le( It was said to her: =5nter
As-Sarh= !a *lass surfa%e
with water underneath it or a &ala%e': but when she saw it/ she
thou*ht it was a &ool/ and she !tu%>ed u& her %lothes'
un%o)erin* her le*s( !Sulai#an !Solo#on'' said: =?erily/
it is a Sarh !a *lass
surfa%e with water underneath it or a &ala%e'(= She said:
="y
AordE ?erily/ I ha)e wron*ed #yself/ and I sub#it Hin
Isla#/ to*ether with Sulai#an !Solo#on'I to Allah/
the Aord of the
1Ala#in !#an>ind/ Binn and all that eCists'-( 2An5Na&l. ?@5CC3
Allah the Al&ighty narrates !hat had happened bet!een 'ulai&an
and the hoopoe. All kinds of birds had pioneers or #hosen ones !ho
!ere #harged !ith #ertain tasks and !ho periodi#ally attend
the&sel(es before 'ulai&an, as a habit of the troops !ith their kings.
Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 and others &entioned that
the &ission of the hoopoe !as to sear#h for !ater in deserts and
barren areas. Indeed, the hoopoe has the ability 5as granted by
Allah the Al&ighty 5to see and identify the lo#ations of underground
!aters. 'ulai&an's hoopoe used to sear#h for underground !ater
and then to lead his
troops theretoE they dig the land to get the !ater out and use it in
ful$lling their
needs.
)ne day, 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !anted the hoopoe, he
&issed hi& and did not $nd hi& in his appointed position so, he said6
.hat is the #atter that I see not the hoo&oeF Or is he a#on*
the absenteesF- i.e. he is not here, or I #an not see hi&. .I will
surely &unish hi# with a se)ere
tor#ent- 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 threatened that he !ould
punish hi& !ith so&e kind of penaltyE .or slau*hter hi#/ unless he
brin*s #e a %lear reason- i.e. a #lear e1#use that &ay sa(e hi&
fro& &y punish&ent. Allah the Al&ighty says6 .But the hoo&oe
stayed not lon*- i.e. his absen#e !as not so long, then .he !%a#e
u& and' said- to 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 .I
ha)e *ras&ed !the >nowled*e of a thin*' whi%h you ha)e not
*ras&ed- i(e( I *ot to >now that whi%h you did not: .and I ha)e
%o#e to you fro# Saba' !Sheba' with true news-( That .I found
a wo#an rulin* o)er the#: she has been *i)en all thin*s that
%ould be &ossessed by any
ruler on earth/ and she has a *reat throne-/ he is des#ribing
the status of the kings and rulers of 'heba in the >e&en6 they had a
&ighty and glorious
kingdo& along !ith strong and #o&petent troops. ,uring that period,
their king
died and left no heirs but a daughter !ho& they raised as their =ueen.
Ath5Tha9labi and others &entioned that after her father's death, the
people appointed a &an under !hose rule #orruption and &is#hief
pre(ailed. 'he proposed to hi& in &arriage and he &arried her. At their
$rst night together she ga(e hi& !ine till he got drunk and then she
beheaded hi& and hanged his head on her door. Thereupon, the people
raised her o(er the throne as their =ueen. 'he !as Bil=is Bint As5
'airah. %er father !as #alled Al5%udhad, or 'hurahil Ibn ,hi -adan Ibn
As5'airah Ibn Al5%arith Ibn /ais Ibn 'ai$ Ibn 'aba' Ibn >ashAub Ibn >a
9rub Ibn /ahtan. %er father !as one of the noblest kings. %e refused to
get &arried to >e&eni !o&en. It is said that he got &arried to a
!o&an fro&
the -inn !hose na&e !as Jaihanah Bint As5'akan !ho ga(e birth to
that !o&an !hose na&e is Bal=a&ah, to be kno!n later as Bil=is.
Ath5Tha9labi trans&itted on the authority of 'a9id Ibn Bashir on
the authority of /atadah after An5Nadr Ibn Anas after Bashir Ibn
Nahik, after Abu %urairah that Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 said6 D)ne of Bil=is 's parents !as fro& a&ong the Ainn.D 2This is
a strange %adith in !hose +hain of Trans&ission there is so&e kind
of "eakness3.
Ath5 Tha9labi said6 I !as told by Abu 9Abdullah Ibn /abhunah on
the authority of Abu Bakr Ibn -arAah after Abu Bakrah as saying6 )n#e,
Bil=is !as &entioned before Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
!ho said6 D'u#h people as ruled by a lady !ill ne(er be su##essful.D
2That sub5Narrator, Is&a9il Ibn *usli& is *e##an and he is regarded by
the '#holars of %adith as "eak, i.e. not an authenti# narrator3.
It is &entioned in 'ahih Al5Bukhari fro& the narration of 9Auf on
the authority of Al5%asan, after Abu Bakra that6 "hen Allah's
*essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as infor&ed that the Persians had
#ro!ned the daughter of Khusrau as their ruler, he said, D'u#h people
as ruled by a lady !ill ne(er be su##essful.D 2'ahih Al5Bukhari3
And, his saying6 .She has been *i)en all thin*s- that #ould be
possessed by any ruler of the earth, .and she has a *reat throne-
i.e. the #hair she sits
on !as orna&ented and studded !ith (arious Ae!els, pearls, gold and
other &agni$#ent things. Then, he &entioned their disbelief in Allah
the Al&ighty and their !orship of the sun instead of Allah and the
de#ei(e&ent of 'atan to the& by &aking their deeds look fair5see&ing
in their eyes, and barring the& fro& Allah's "ay, .So they do not
worshi& !&rostrate the#sel)es before' Allah/ ho brin*s to
li*ht what is hidden in the hea)ens and the earth/ and >nows
what you %on%eal and what you re)eal- i.e. %e kno!s all se#rets
and re(ealed &atters !hether &aterial or i&&aterial. 7Allah/ Aa
ilaha illa Huwa !none has the ri*ht to be worshi&&ed but He'/
the Aord of the Su&re#e ThroneE- i.e. the .reatest Throne !hi#h
none fro& a&ong %is #reatures e(er has.
Thereupon, 'ulai&an sent the hoopoe !ith a letter #alling the& to
obey Allah and %is *essenger, to repent and sub&it the&sel(es to his
kingship and po!er. %e sent the&6 .Be you not eCalted a*ainst
#e- i. e. do not let your pride pre(ent you fro& obeying &e, .but
%o#e to #e as "usli#s- i.e. true belie(ers !ho sub&it to Allah
!ith full sub&ission. The hoopoe dropped the letter near her and
!aited to see !hat she !as going to do. %o!e(er, she gathered the
nobles, prin#es and &inisters to ha(e &utual #onsultation, .She
said: =O %hiefsE ?erilyE Here is deli)ered to #e a noble letter-/
then she $rst read its title .?erily it is fro# Sulai#an !Solo#on'-/
then she read the rest thereof .and )erily/ it !reads': In the Na#e
of Allah/ the "ost 3ra%ious/ the "ost "er%iful: Be you not
eCalted a*ainst #e/ but %o#e to #e as "usli#s !true
belie)ers who sub#it to Allah with full sub#ission'-( Then she
sought their ad(i#e in a (ery polite &anner .She
said: L %hiefsE Ad)ise #e in !this' %ase of #ine( I de%ide no
%ase till you are &resent with #e- i.e. that you gi(e &e your
opinions, .They said: e
ha)e *reat stren*th/ and *reat ability for war-, i.e. !e #an a8ord
!ar and
all it needs of strength, &aterials, et#. so if you !ant this #hoi#e, !e
are !ell prepared thereto .but it is for you to %o##and: so
thin> o)er what you
will %o##and-/ hen#e, they sho!ed full obedien#e to her and after
sho!ing
and displaying their abilities before her they left the &atter in her
hands to see !hat should be done. Lerily, her opinion !as !iser and
better than theirs as she kne! that the sender of the letter !as not to
be resisted, fooled, or e(en de#ei(ed. .She said: ?erily >in*s/ when
they enter a town !%ountry'/ they des&oil it and #a>e the #ost
honorable a#on*st its &eo&le the lowest( And thus they do-/
i.e. she e1plains to the& that if that king o(erpo!ers this kingdo& of
theirs, she !ould be the one !ho re#ei(es the se(erest of punish&ent
and degradation. .But )erilyE I a# *oin* to send hi# a &resent/
and see with what !answer' the "essen*ers return- she !anted
to bribe 'ulai&an !ith presents and gifts kno!ing that 'ulai&an
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !ould not a##ept fro& the& but Isla&, as she
and her people
!ere disbelie(ers !hile he and his troops are far stronger than the& all.
;or this
7hen !the #essen*ers with the &resent' %a#e to Sulai#an
!Solo#on'/ he said: ill you hel& #e in wealthF hat Allah has
*i)en
#e is better than that whi%h He has *i)en youE Nay/ you
reBoi%e in your *iftE- Then 'ulai&an 2'olo&on3 said to the #hief of
her &essengers !ho brought the present .3o ba%> to the#( e
)erily shall %o#e to the# with
hosts that they %annot resist/ and we shall dri)e the# out fro#
there in dis*ra%e/ and they will be abased- i.e. go ba#k !ith your
gifts for !hat I
ha(e been granted by Allah is far better than these properties, ri#hes
and presents !ith !hi#h you reAoi#e and be $lled !ith arrogan#e and
pride o(er your o!n people. .e )erily shall %o#e to the# with
hosts that they %annot
resist- i.e. troops that are irresistible and #annot be defeated or
en#ountered, and &oreo(er !e shall dri(e the& out fro& their land,
properties and !ealth .in
dis*ra%e/ and they will be abased- i.e. dragging sha&e,
abase&ent and destru#tion.
"hen they heard the ne!s, they rushed de#laring their full
sub&ission and perfe#t obedien#e and !illingness to a##o&pany their
=ueen in her lea(ing for &eeting 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. "hen
he 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 heard of their #o&ing and their intention to
present the&sel(es before his hand, he said to those 2-inn3 fro&
a&ong his present hosts if they !ould bring hi& her throne
before she &anage to #o&e6 .A1Ifrit !stron* one' fro# the Binn
said: I will brin* it to you before you rise fro# your &la%e
!%oun%il'( And )erily/ I
a# indeed stron*/ and trustworthy for su%h wor>' i(e( before
you <nish your rulin* %oun%il( It was said that he used to run
the a;airs of the Banu Israel fro# the be*innin* of the day till
the noon( .?erily/ I a#
indeed stron*/ and trustworthy for su%h wor>- i.e. I a& strong
enough to bring the throne to you, and at the sa&e ti&e I a& to be
entrusted !ith !hat it #ontains of the pre#ious Ae!els and pearls. But
.One with who# was
>nowled*e of the S%ri&ture said- i.e. Asif Ibn Barkhiya !ho !as
'ulai&an's &aternal #ousin, said it !as one of the belie(ers fro&
a&ong the -inn !ho kne! the .reatest Na&e of Allah the Al&ighty. It
is also said that he !as one fro&
a&ong the s#holars of the Banu Israel. *oreo(er, it !as said to be
'ulai&an hi&self, !hi#h is (ery strange and odd opinion and !hi#h As5
'uhaili des#ribed to
be out of #onte1t. A fourth opinion held that it !as .abriel 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3.
.I will brin* it to you within the twin>lin* of an eyeE- i.e. before
you send a &essenger to the farthest pla#e on earth and he #o&es
ba#k to you. It !as
also said6 before the farthest person you #an see rea#hes youE or
before your sight gets !eary of starring at so&e point and your eye
#losesE or before you regain your sight if you look to the farthest
pla#e your sight #an rea#h then you
#lose your eye, 2!hi#h is the &ost likely interpretation3. .Then when
he HSulai#an !Solo#on'' saw it &la%ed before hi#- i.e. !hen he
sa! the throne of Bil=is brought and pla#ed before hi&, in this too
short period, fro& the
>e&en to -erusale&, .he said: =This is by the 3ra%e of #y Aord
-to test #e whether I a# *rateful or un*ratefulE- i.e. this is by
the .ra#e of Allah la& granted and %is .ra#e all people are granted
testing the& !hether they are
grateful or ungrateful. .And whoe)er is *rateful/ truly/ his
*ratitude is for
!the *ood of' his own self- i.e. the bene$t of this returns onto
hi&self, .and
whoe)er is un*rateful/ !he is un*rateful only for the loss of
his own self( Certainly #y Aord is ,i%h !2ree of all needs'/
Bountiful- i.e. %e is neither in need of thanking of the thankful, nor
is %e har&ed by disbelief of the disbelie(ers.
Then, 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 ordered her throne to be altered
and disguised to test her &entality and understanding, saying .that
we #ay see whether she will be *uided !to re%o*niGe her
throne'/ or she will be one of those not *uided( So when she
%a#e/ it was said !to her': Is your throne li>e thisF She said:
!It is' as thou*h it were the )ery sa#e-, this is due to her
understanding and #lear insight that she set aside the possibility that
it !as her o!n throne for she has Aust left it far a!ay in the >e&en,
and that she did not kno! that there is any !ho #an do this &ar(elous
a#t of re&o(ing it to -erusale&.
Allah the Al&ighty says pertaining to 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 and his people .And !Sulai#an !Solo#on'' said: Knowled*e
was bestowed on us before her/ and we were sub#itted to
Allah !in Isla# as "usli#s before her'( And that whi%h she
used to worshi& besides Allah has &re)ented her !fro# Isla#'/
for she was of a disbelie)in* &eo&le- i.e. !orshipping the sun to
!ho& she used to prostrate herself and her people instead of Allah
the Al&ighty in follo! of the religion of her fathers and an#estors !ith
no e(iden#e or proof of this. 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
pre(iously ordered a 'arh 2a glass surfa#e !ith !ater underneath in
!hi#h there are (arious sorts of $sh and other sea#reatures3 to be
built. After!ards, Bil=is
!as ordered to enter the 'arh !hile 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as
sitting
on his throne, .But when she saw it/ she thou*ht it was a &ool/
and she
!tu%>ed u& her %lothes' un%o)erin* her le*s( !Sulai#an
!Solo#on'' said: =?erily/ it is a Sarh !a *lass surfa%e with
water underneath it or a &ala%e'(= She said: ="y AordE ?erily/ I
ha)e wron*ed #yself/ and I sub#it Hin Isla#/ to*ether with
Sulai#an !Solo#on''( to Allah/ the Aord of the= Ala#in
!#an>ind/ Binn and all that eCists'-(
It !as said6 That !hen 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !anted to
&arry her he asked &ankind about a !ay of re&o(ing the hair fro&
her legs, and they &entioned the ra4or, but she feared thereof. Then,
he 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 #onsulted the -inn !ho &ade the bath for hi&.
Thus, he !as the $rst to enter the bath.
At5Tha9labi and others said6 "hen 'ulai&an &arried her he
returned the kingdo& of >e&en to her and he used to (isit her there
and stay for three days a &onth then #o&es ba#k to -erusale& on the
Mying #arpet. In addition, he
ordered the -inn to build hi& three pala#es in the >e&en6 .ha&dan,
'alhin and
Bitun. And, Allah kno!s best:
Ibn Isha= trans&itted after so&e s#holars on the authority of "ahb Ibn
*unabih that 'ulai&an 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 did not &arry her, but he
got her &arried to
the king of Ja&adan and let her ruling o(er the >e&en again, and he
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 subAe#ted to her the king of the -inn in >e&en to
build her the afore&entioned three pala#es. This narration is not
authenti#ated like the pre(ious one, and Allah kno!s best:
*er#iful
!Q'
The Story of
Saba'!Sheba'
.Indeed there was for Saba' !Sheba' a si*n in their
dwellin*-&la%e
-two *ardens on the ri*ht hand and on the left/: !and it was
said to the#:' =5at of the &ro)ision of your Aord/ and be
*rateful to Hi#(' A fair
land and an Oft-2or*i)in* AordE But they turned away !fro# the
obedien%e of Allah'/ so e sent a*ainst the# Sail AI-'Ari#
!Rood released fro# the da#'/ and e %on)erted their
two *ardens into
*ardens &rodu%in* bitter bad fruit/ and ta#aris>s/ and so#e
few lote-
trees( Ai>e this e re@uited the# be%ause they were
un*rateful disbelie)ers( And ne)er do e re@uite in su%h a
way eC%e&t those who
are un*rateful !disbelie)ers'( And e &la%ed/ between the#
and the
towns whi%h e had blessed/ towns easy to be seen/ and e
#ade the sta*es !of Bourney' between the# easy !sayin*':
=Tra)el in the# safely both by ni*ht and day(= But they said:
=Our AordE "a>e the sta*es between our Bourney lon*er/= and
they wron*ed the#sel)es: so e #ade the# as tales !in the
land'/ and e dis&ersed the# all totally( ?erily/ in this are
indeed si*ns for e)ery steadfast/ *rateful !&erson'-( 2'aba', 1I5
193
'#holars of genealogy 5a&ong the& !as *uha&&ad Ibn Isha=
5said6 the na&e of 'aba' is 9Abd 'ha&s Ibn >ashAub Ibn >a9rub Ibn
/ahtan. %e !as the $rst to take #apti(es and he !as (ery generous to
the people. As5'uhaili said6 it is said that he !as the $rst person to be
#ro!ned, and so&e s#holars said he !as *usli& and that he
#o&posed poetry in !hi#h he brought good ne!s to the ad(ent of
Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. This last saying !as
attributed to Ibn ,idya in his book titled6 TAt5Tan!ir $ *aulid Al5Bashir
An5 NadhirU
I&a& Ah&ed said6 I ha(e been told by Abu 9Abdur Jah&an, after
9Abdullah
Ibn uhai9 ah, after 9Abdullah Ibn ,a9lah saying6 I heard 9Abdullah Ibn
Al5
9Abbas as saying6 A &an asked Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
about
'aba', !hether it !as a &an, a !o&an, or a na&e of a landH %e 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 said6 Lerily, he !as a &an to !ho& ten sons !ere born.
'i1 thereof
inhabited the >e&en andfour 'ha& 2'yria3. Those in >e&en !ere6
*adhhaA,
Kindah, Al5A4d, Al5Ash 9ariyun, An&ar and %i&yar. And those !ho
inhabited
'yria !ere6 agh&, -udha&, 9A&ilah and .hassan.D The /uestioner !as
;ar!ah
Ibn *usaik Al5.hati$.
This &eans that the ter& 'aba' #o(ers all these tribesE a&ong the&
also !ere At5 Tababi 9ah 2'ing. Tubba9 3 in the >e&en. Their kings used
to put #ro!ns on as !ere done by kings of Persia. The Arabs used to
#all !ho&soe(er rules o(er the >e&en and %adra&aut DTubba9D, as
they used to #all kings of 'ha& 2'yria3 and the Arab Peninsula
D+aesarD, and the ruler of Persia DKhusrauD, the ruler of 0gypt ;ir9 aun
2Pharaoh3, the ruler of Abyssinia DNegusD, and the ruler of India
DPtole&esD, and Bil=is !as fro& a&ong the %i&yar kings !ho ruled the
>e&en. They li(ed in happiness and easiness, !ith abundan#e of
sustenan#e6 fruits, plants, et#. and they !ere righteous people !ho
follo!ed the 'traight Path, but !hen they altered the .ra#e of Allah
and denied it, they ine(itably in#urred to the&sel(es and their peoples
destru#tion and de(astation.
*uha&&ad Ibn Isha= narrating fro& "ahb Ibn *unabah said6
Allah the Al&ighty sent the& thirteen Prophets. And, As5'adi
#lai&ed that Allah the Al&ighty sent the& t!el(e thousand
Prophets. Allah kno!s best:
The point is, !hen they repla#ed guidan#e !ith &isguidan#e and
prostrated the&sel(es before the sun instead of Allah the Al&ighty,
the &atter !hi#h took pla#e during the era of Bil=is and her an#estors
and that !hi#h #ontinued till Allah sent o(er the& a Mood released
fro& the da&. Allah the Al&ighty e1plained6 .But they turned away
!fro# the obedien%e of Allah'/ so e sent a*ainst the# Sail Al-
1Ari# !Rood released fro# the da#'/ and e %on)erted their
two *ardens into *ardens &rodu%in* bitter bad fruit/ and
ta#aris>s/ and so#e few lote trees( Ai>e this e re@uited
the# be%ause they were un*rateful disbelie)ers( And ne)er do
e re@uite in su%h a way eC%e&t those who are un*rateful
!disbelie)ers'-(
*any s#holars &entioned that the ,a& of *a'rab !as built to keep
!ater behind t!o great &ountains, and !hen the !ater raised, the
people began to i&plant or#hards and fruitful trees and &any kinds of
(egetables. It is said that the originator of the darn !as 'aba' Ibn >a9
rub !ho #hanged the #ourse of se(enty (alleys for#ing the& to pour
out !ater therein. In addition, he for#ed the !ater to get out fro& thirty
springs or holes, but he died before #o&pleting it.
'o, the tribe of %i&yar perfe#ted it and it !as of the spa#e of one
s=uare league. Thereupon, they !ere li(ing in happiness and
abundan#e. /atada and others said6 the !o&an 2fro& a&ong the&3
!ould go putting a basket on her head,
and it !ould be $lled !ith fresh, ripe fruits, and they said that the air
they breathed !as so #lean and pure that neither Mies, nor har&ful
ger&s !ere found in their land. Allah the Al&ighty says6 .Indeed
there was for Saba' !Sheba'
a si*n in their dwellin* -&la%e- two *ardens on the ri*ht hand
and on the left: !and it was said to the#:' 5at of the
&ro)ision of your Aord/ and be *rateful to Hi#( A fair land
and an Oft-2or*i)in* AordE- 2'aba',
1I3 and, 7And !re#e#ber' when your Aord &ro%lai#ed: If you
*i)e than>s !by a%%e&tin* 2aith and worshi&&in* none but
Allah'/ I will *i)e you #ore !of "y Blessin*s': but if you are
than>less !i(e( disbelie)ers'/
)erily "y &unish#ent is indeed se)ere-. 2Ibrahi&, B3 But, !hen
they
adorned other than Allah the Al&ighty and arrogantly dealt !ith %is
.ra#e 5the stages 2of Aourney3 bet!een the& !ere easy in !hi#h they
used to tra(el safely both by night and day 5and asked %i& to &ake
the stages bet!een their Aourneys longer and se(erer. Thus, they
asked to turn the good into !hat is bad
like the +hildren of Israel !ho asked Allah the Al&ighty to turn *anna
and =uails into herbs, #u#u&bers, ;u& 2!heat or garli#3, lentils and
onions. Thereupon,
they !ere depri(ed that great blessing and #o&prehensi(e gra#eE their
land !as
destroyed and they the&sel(es !ere s#attered allo(er the globe. Allah
the
Al&ighty says6 .But they turned away !fro# the obedien%e of
Allah'/ so e sent a*ainst the# Sail Al-1Ari# !Rood released
fro# the da#'-( *any s#holars said6 Allah the Al&ighty sent &i#e or
rats on the bases of the darn, and !hen they dis#o(ered this they
brought #ats to eat the& up, but all !as in (ain. The bases be#a&e
(ery !eak and $nally the darn #ollapsed and the !ater dro!ned
e(erything. Their good fruitful trees turned into 5as e1plained by Allah
the Al&ighty 5bad ones6 .And e %on)erted their two *ardens
into *ardens &rodu%in* bitter bad fruit/ and ta#aris>s-( And
.and so#e few lote-trees- for they produ#e Nabk !hi#h is (ery fe!
a&ong the #ountless thorns they ha(e. Allah the Al&ighty says6 7Ai>e
this e re@uited the# be%ause they were un*rateful
disbelie)ers( And ne)er do e re@uite in su%h a way eC%e&t
those who are un*rateful !disbelie)ers'- i.e. "e only punish 5!ith
this se(ere punish&ent those !ho disbelie(ed in <s, belied )ur
*essengers, disobeyed )ur )rders, and (iolated )ur Boundaries.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .So e #ade the# as tales !in the
land'/ and e dis&ersed the# all totally- i.e. after the destru#tion
of their gardens, properties and land, they needed to tra(el and &o(e
a!ay. Thus, they s#attered in di8erent parts of the land as so&e of
the& &o(ed to the %eAa4, and Khu4a' ah &o(ed to *e##a. 'o&e of
the& also &o(ed to Al5*adinah Al5*una!!arah, they !ere the $rst to
inhabit it. Then, they !ere follo!ed by three tribes fro& the -e!s6 the
Banu /ainu=a', Banu /urai4ah, and Banu An5Nadir. The -e!s &ade
#oalitions !ith the Aus and Kha4raA and li(ed there 2till the ti&e of
Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&33. 'o&e of the&, &o(ed to
'ha& 2'yria3 and after!ards they #on(erted to +hristianity6 .hassan,
A&ilah, Bahra', ukha&, -udha&, Tanukh, Taghlub, and others.
*uha&&ad Ibn Isha=, in his The $ro&het's Bio*ra&hy TKitab As5
'irahU, said that the $rst to =uit the >e&en before the 'ail Al5'Ari& 2the
Mood released fro& the da&3 !as' A&r Ibn 'A&ir Al5ukha&i. ukha&
!as the son of 'Adyi Ibn Al5%arith Ibn *urrah Ibn A4d Ibn Naid Ibn *uha'
Ibn 'A&r Ibn '<raib Ibn >ashAub Ibn Naid Ibn Kahlan Ibn 'aba'. It is said
also by Ibn %isha&6 ukha& Ibn 'Adyi Ibn 'A&r Ibn .harib Ibn 'aba'. Ibn
Isha= said6 the reason behind his &o(ing
fro& >e&en as I !as told by Abu Naid Al5Ansari that he sa! a &ouse or
rat digging beneath the da& of *a'rab !hi#h !as used to keep the
!ater behind, so he reali4ed that the da& !ould not stand so long, so
he intended to &o(e fro& the >e&en. %o!e(er, he tri#ked his people
by ordering his youngest son to slap
hi& on the fa#e before the people. The son did !hat he !as ordered to
and 'A&r said6 I !ould ne(er li(e in a pla#e !here &y youngest son
slapped &e on the fa#e. And he o8ered his property to be sold. The
noble&en of the >e&en said6 sei4e the opportunity of 'A&r's rage and
buy all his property. %en#e, he &o(ed along !ith his #hildren and their
o8spring. The A4d said6 !e ne(er lea(e 'A&r
Ibn 'A&ir, so they sold their properties and a##o&panied hi& in his
Meeing 2!ithout kno!ing his real intentions3. They arri(ed at the land of
9Ak !ho fought against the& and their !ar had its ups and do!ns.
;inally, they departed fro& the land of 'Ak and dispersed in the lands.
Ibn -afnah Ibn 'A&r Ibn 'A&ir !ent to 'ha& 2'yria3, Al5Aus and Al5
Kha4raA !ent to >athrib 2Al5*adinah Al5*una!!arah3, Khu4a'ah !ent to
*arran, A4d As5'arah !ent to
As5'arah, and A4d 'A&&an !ent to 'A&&an, then Allah the
Al&ighty sent the Mood against the da& and it !as totally #ollapsed.
The .lorious /ur'an bears
!itness to this in#ident.
As5'adi narrated the like and *uha&&ad Ibn Isha= said that 'A&r
Ibn 9A&ir !as a priest. )thers said that his !ife !as Tarifah Bint Al5
Khair Al5%i&yariyah
and that she !as a priestess. 'he foretold the destru#tion of their
#ountry as if they sa! an indi#ation in that rat or &ouse, so they did
!hat they did, and Allah kno!s best: %is !hole story !as &entioned
in the 01egesis on the authority of
9Ikria&h after Ibn Abu %ati&.
%o!e(er, not all the people of 'aba' &o(ed fro& the >e&en after
the #ollapsing of the da&, but the &aAority thereof stayed there. )nly
the people of the ,a& 2*a'rab3 !ent a!ay and dispersed in the land.
This is e1pressed in the %adith &entioned earlier that !as narrated by
9Abdullah Ibn 9Abbas, that the &aAority of the >e&enites did not
&o(e& fro& the >e&en. )nly four tribes =uitted and si1 tribes stayed.
They #ontinued to li(e there and the ruling !as kept by the& and the
Tababi9ah till they !ere depri(ed of their o!n self5ruling 5 for about
se(enty years 5by the ar&y sent by the Negus under the #o&&and of
Abraha and Aryat. Then, it !as regained by 'aif Ibn ,hi >a4an AI5
%i&yari shortly before Prophet *uha&&ad's birth. Then, Allah's
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 sent to the >e&en 9Ali Ibn Abu Talib and
Khalid Ibn Al5"alid, then Abu *usa Al5 Ash9ari and *u9adh Ibn -abal to
in(ite the people to e&bra#e Isla&. Then, Al5 As!ad Al59Ansi sei4ed the
>e&en and dro(e out the deputies of Allah's
*essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. ,uring the era of Abu Bakr As5'iddi=,
Al5As!ad
Al59Ansi !as killed and the *usli&s had the upper hand in the >e&en.
*er#iful
29'
1
+Gair!5Gra'
.Or li>e the one who &assed by a town and it had tu#bled
o)er its roofs( He said: =OhE How will Allah e)er brin* it to life
after its deathF= So Allah %aused hi# to die for a hundred
years/ then raised hi# u& !a*ain'( He said: =How lon* did you
re#ain !dead'F= He !the #an' said: =!$erha&s' I re#ained
!dead' a day or &art of a day=( He said: =Nay/ you ha)e
re#ained !dead' for a hundred years/ loo> at your food and
your drin>/ they show no %han*e and loo> at your don>eyE And
thus e ha)e #ade of you a si*n for the &eo&le( Aoo> at the
bones/ how e brin* the# to*ether and %lothe the# with
Resh =( hen this was %learly shown to hi#/ he said/ I >now
!now' that Allah is Able to do all thin*s=-( 2Al5Ba=arah, ?I93
And, .And the 9ews say: '+Gair !5Gra' is the son of Allah/
and the Christians say: "essiah is the son of Allah( That is
their sayin* with their #ouths/ rese#blin* the sayin* of
those who disbelie)ed aforeti#e( Allah's Curse be on the#
how they are deluded away fro# the truthE-( 2At5Taubah, F@3
Al5%a$4 Abu Al5/asi& Ibn 'Asakir said6 %e is '<4air Ibn -ar!ah, or
Ibn 'urai=
Ibn 'Adiya Ibn Ayyub Ibn ,ar4na Ibn '<ra Ibn Ta=yi Ibn <sbu' Ibn ;inhas
Ibn 0I5
'A4ir Ibn %a&n Ibn 'I&ran. Also, he is said to be '<4air Ibn '&kha. 'o&e
narrations state that his gra(e is lo#ated in ,a&as#us. Then, Al5
%a$4Ibn 'Asakir narrated on the authority of Abu Al5/asi& AI5Bagha!i
after ,a!ud Ibn 9A&r after %ibban Ibn 9Ali after *uha&&ad Ibn Kuraib
after his father after 9Abdullah Ibn 9Abbas as saying6 I do not kno!
!hether Tubba9 !as a #ursed one or notH And, I do not kno! !hether
9<4air !as a Prophet or notH Then, he narrated the like fro& the %adith
of *u'a&il Ibn Al5%asan on the authority of *uha&&ad Ibn Isha= As5
'aAi4i after 9Abder Ja44a= after *u9a&ir after Ibn Abu ,hu'aib after
'a9id Al5 *a=baari on the authority of Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be
pleased !ith hi&3.
Then, he narrated fro& Isha= Ibn Bishr 5!ho& is reAe#ted 5after
-ubair and *u=atil after Ad ,ahha, on the authority of 9Abdullah Ibn
9Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 as saying6 9<4air !as 5!hile a
young boy 5a&ong those #apti(ated by Bikhtinassar. "hen he !as
forty, Allah the Al&ighty granted hi& !isdo&. And, none !as &ore
kno!ledgeable than he, pertaining to the Torah, and he !as
&entioned !ith the train of *essengers and Prophets till his na&e
!as erased by Allah the Al&ighty !hen he asked about the ,i(ine
,e#ree. 2This
%adith is "eak and JeAe#ted3 and Allah kno!s best:
Isha= Ibn Bishr narrated after 'a9id after Abu 9<rubah after
/atadah after Al5%asan after 9Abdullah Ibn 'ala& that 9<4air !as the
&an !ho& Allah #aused to die for a hundred years, then raised hi& up
again.
Ibn Isha= Ibn Bishr said6 I !as told by 'a9id Ibn Bashir after "ahb Ibn
*unabih6
9<4air !as a !ise, pious !orshipper. )ne day, he !ent out to look after
so&e of his properties, !hen he $nished he passed by a ruined pla#e
!here he !as
s#or#hed by the bla4ing sun. 'o, he entered that ruined pla#e riding on
his donkey. %e got o8 the donkey holding t!o baskets, one full of $gs
and the other
full of grapes. %e sat do!n and brought out a bo!l in !hi#h he
s=uee4ed the grapes and soaked the dried bread he had therein. %e
ate thereof and then slept on his ba#k, relying his t!o legs against a
!all and started to ga4e at the #eiling
of the house. %e sa! so&e de#o&posed bones and said6 .OhE How
will Allah e)er brin* it to life after its deathF- %e did not doubt
Allah's )&nipoten#e to do this, but he said it in e1#la&ation. <pon
this, Allah the Al&ighty sent the
Angel of ,eath !ho sei4ed his soul, and thus Allah #aused hi& to die
for a hundred years. And, after one hundred years, Allah the Al&ighty
sent to hi& an Angel !ho $rst #reated his heart to &ake hi& heedful,
then, he #reated his t!o
eyes to enable hi& to see and reali4e ho! Allah the Al&ighty re(i(e
the death. Then, the Angel #ontinued to #o&plete his #reation on#e
&ore !hile he !as looking. The, he #lothed his bones !ith Mesh, skin
and hair. Then, he breathed
the soul into hi&. All this !hile he is looking and perfe#tly heedful.
The Angel asked hi& saying6 .How lon* did you re#ain !dead'F
He !the #an' said: !$erha&s' I re#ained !dead' a day or &art
of a day- that he !as #aused
to die in the afternoon and then !as gi(en life again by the end of day
!hile the sun !as still in the skyE that's !hy he said6 7or part of a dayV
i.e. not e(en a !hole day. The Angel said6 .Nay/ you ha)e re#ained
!dead' for a hundred
years/ loo> at your food and your drin>- i.e. the dried bread and
the s=uee4ed grapes that did not alter or turn bad, .they show no
%han*e- , and
the grapes and the $gs did not #hange as !ell. As if he began to deny
the &atter by his heart, the Angel said6 do you deny !hat I ha(e saidH
7and loo> at your don>eyE- he looked at his donkey and found his
bones to be de#o&posed and
be#a&e totally ruined. The Angel #alled upon the donkey's bones and
they ans!ered his #all and gathered together fro& all dire#tions till he
!as &ade one !hole again W!hile '<4air !as looking and he #lothed
the& !ith Mesh, skin and
hair. Then, the Angel breathed life into it and it roused ere#ting his ears
and head to!ards the sky thinking the ast %our had #o&e. That !as
stated in %is 'aying6 .and loo> at your don>eyE And thus e
ha)e #ade of you a si*n
for the &eo&le( Aoo> at the bones/ how e brin* the#
to*ether and %lothe the# with Resh-( And .hen this was
%learly shown to hi#/ he said/ I >now !now' that Allah is Able
to do all thin*s- .Then, he rode on
his donkey ba#k to his (illage !here he see&ed unfa&iliar to the people
and the
people looked unfa&iliar to hi&. 0(en, he did not $nd his o!n house
easily. "hen he rea#hed the house, he found a #rippled blind old
!o&an at the age of one hundred t!enty years old. 'he !as a &aid
o!ned by hi& in the past and he left her !hile she !as only t!enty
years old. %e asked her saying6 is this the house of '<4airH 'he said6
>es, it is. 'he !ept and said6 Today, no one e(er re&e&bers 9<4air. %e
told her that he !as '<4air and Allah the Al&ighty #aused &e to die for
one hundred years then %e ga(e &e life again. 'he said6 .lory is to be
to Allah: "e lost '<4air one hundred years ago and ne(er heard
anything
about hi&. %e said6 Lerily, I a& '<4air. 'he said6 '<4air !as a &an
!hose suppli#ations !ere a##eptable by Allah the Al&ighty, so in(oke
Allah to return &y sight to &e to look at you, so if you !ere '<4air, I
!ould #ertainly kno! you. +onse=uently, he in(oked Allah the
Al&ighty, then, he !iped o(er her eyes and they !ere re#o(ered and
took her by the hand and said6 'tand up by the ea(e
of Allah: 'he stood up by the ea(e of Allah. 'he looked at hi& and
said6 I bear !itness that you are '<4air. Then, she set out for the
+hildren of Israel in their &eetings and gatherings and '<4air's son !ho
!as about one hundred and eighteen years old and his grandsons, and
she #alled the& saying6 This is '<4air !ho #a&e ba#k to you. They
belied her, but she said6 I a& so and so, your &aid. %e in(oked Allah for
&e and %e re#o(ered &y eyesight and legs. 'he added6 he #lai&s that
Allah #aused hi& to die for one hundred years and then %e ga(e hi&
life again. The people rose up and !ent to look at hi&. %is son said6 &y
father had a bla#k &ole bet!een his shoulders. %e dis#losed his
shoulders and they reali4ed that he !as '<4air. The +hildren of Israel
said6 '<4air !as the only one !ho #o&&itted the !hole Torah to his
heart and Bikhtinassar burnt it and
nothing is left thereof but. !hat the &en #an re&e&ber, so 2if you are
the true
'<4air3 !rite it do!n for us. %is father, 'urukha buried the Torah during
that era of Bikhrinassar in a pla#e kno!n to nobody but '<4air. Thus,
he took the& to that pla#e and brought it out, but unfortunately, the
papers !ere rotten and
ruined. +onse=uently, he sat under the shade of a tree #ir#ulated by
the +hildren of Israel and he reno(ated the Torah for the&. At that
ti&e, t!o stars des#ended
fro& the sky and entered into his &outh !hereby he re&e&bered the
!hole te1t of the Torah and thus reno(ated it to the +hildren of Israel.
Thus, 7The -e!s
say6 '<4air 204ra3 is the son of AllahV. 2At5Taubah, F@3 for the &atter of
the t!o
stars, reno(ating the Torah and #harging the a8airs of the +hildren of
Israel. %e reno(ated the Torah for the& in the land of As5'a!ad. The
to!n in !hi#h he died is said to be #alled D'airabadh.D
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 Thus
he !as as said by Allah the Al&ighty6 7And thus "e ha(e &ade of you
a sign for the peopleV i.e. for the +hildren of Israel. That he !as !ith
his sons a young &an a&ong old people for he died !hen he !as only
forty and !as re(i(ed on the sa&e age and status. 'Abdullah Ibn
'Abbas said6 he !as resurre#ted after the ti&e of Bikhtinassar. The
sa&e !as related by Al5%asan.
as He a $ro&hetF
It is !ell kno!n that '<4air !as one of the Prophets sent to the
+hildren of IsraelE he #a&e during the inter(al bet!een ,a!ud and
'ulai&an, and Nakariya and >ahya. At his ti&e, none fro& a&ong the
+hildren of Israel happened to &e&ori4e the Torah, Allah the Al&ighty
inspired hi& to #o&&it it to his heart
and then he re#ited it to the +hildren of Israel. "ahb Ibn *unabih said6
Allah the Al&ighty ordered an Angel to des#end !ith light to thro! on
'<4air .In doing this, he #opied the Torah letter by letter till he !as
$nished.
Ibn 'Asakir narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 that he asked' Abdullah Ibn 'ala& about
Allah's 'tate&ent6
.The 9ews say: '+Gair !5Gra' is the son of Allah-( 2At5Taubah, F@3
!hy did they say soH Ibn 'ala& &entioned his 2'<4air's3 !riting do!n
of the Torah out of his &e&ory, and the saying of the -e!s that *usa
2*oses3 #ould not get the&
the Torah but in a book, and that '<4air got it !ithout a book.
Thereupon, so&e of the& said6 '<4air 204ra3 is the son of Allah. ;or
this reason, &any s#holars say6 there !as a dis#ontinuation pertaining
to the trans&ission of the Torah at
the ti&e of '<4air. This is (ery likely if '<4air !as not a Prophet !hi#h is
adopted by 'Ata 'Ibn Abu Jabah and Al5%asan Al5Basri, and that !as
narrated by Isha= Ibn Bishr after *u=atil Ibn 'ulai&an after 'Ata 'Ibn
Abu Jabah as saying6 that
period !itnessed nine things6 Bikhtinassar, 'anaa garden, 'aba'
garden, )!ners of the ,it#h, .asura, )!ners of the +a(e, )!ners of
the 0lephant, Antio#h, and Tubba'.
Isha= Ibn Bishr said6 I !as told by 'a'id after /atadah after Al5
%asan as saying6 That period !itnessed the issues of '<4air and
Bikhtinassar. *oreo(er, it is trans&itted in the 'ahih *usli& that
Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 Dl a& &ost akin to the
son of *ary a&ong the !hole of &ankind and the
Prophets are of di8erent &others, but of one religion, and no Prophet
!as raised bet!een &e and hi& 2-esus +hrist3. D
"ahb Ibn *unabih said6 %e !as raised bet!een 'ulai&an and 'Isa
2-esus3 2Pea#e be upon the&3. Ibn 'Asakir narrated after Anas Ibn
*alik and' Ata 'Ibn As5'a'ib as saying6 '<4air !as raised during the
ti&e of *usa Ibn 'I&ran, and that he asked for per&ission to &eet
!ith *usa 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, but he refused be#ause of his asking
about the ,i(ine ,e#ree. %e left !hile saying6 to die a hundred
ti&es, is easier than tasting the hu&iliation for an hour.
As for !hat !as narrated by Ibn 'Asakir and others on the authority
of Ibn
'Abbas, Nuf AIBakali, 'ufyan Ath5Tha!ri and others that he asked
about the
,i(ine ,e#ree and #onse=uently his na&e !as erased fro& a&ong the
na&es of the Prophets. It is a reAe#ted and unauthenti# %adith that it is
likely to be #opied fro& the tales and stories that !ere in(ented by the
Israelites.
Narrated 'Abdul Ja44a= and /utaibah Ibn 'a' id after -a'far Ibn
'ulai&an after Abu 'I&ran Al5-uni after Nuf Al5Bakali as saying6 '<4air
said to his ord6 @
ord: >ou fashioned the #reation, and >ou &islead !ho& >ou !ill
and guide
!ho& >ou !ill. It !as thus said to hi&6 Turn a!ay fro& this: But, he
returned ba#k. It !as again said to hi&6 Turn a!ay fro& this or your
na&e as a Prophet !ould be !iped outE I a& not to be =uestioned
about *y ,oing, !hile they 2all #reatures3 are brought into a##ount
pertaining to !hat they do.
The .roup, all but At5Tir&idhi, narrated fro& the %adith of >unus
Ibn >a4id after A45Nuhri after 'a'id and Abu 'ala&ah after Abu
%urairahE also it !as narrated by 'hu' aib after Abu A45 Ninad after Al5
A'raA after Abu %urairah as saying6 Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 said6 DAn ant had bitten a Prophet 2one a&ongst the earlier
Prophets3 and he ordered that the #olony of
the ants should be burnt. And Allah re(ealed to hi&6 Be#ause of an
ant's bite you ha(e burnt a #o&&unity fro& a&ongst the #o&&unities
!hi#h sings *y glory D.
This Prophet !as narrated to be '<4air by Isha= Ibn Bishr after Ibn -uraiA
after*uha&&ad Ibn 'Abdel "ahhab Ibn *uAahid after his fatherE also
this !as narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah
be pleased !ith
hi&3 and Al5%asan AIBasri. Allah kno!s best:
*er#iful
!SL'
0hul
Qarnain
7And they ask you about ,hul5/arnain. 'ay6 DI shall re#ite to you
so&ething of his story.D Lerily, "e established hi& in the earth, and "e
ga(e hi& the &eans of e(erything. 'o he follo!ed a !ay. <ntil, !hen
he rea#hed the setting pla#e of the sun, he found it setting in a spring
of bla#k &uddy 2or hot3 !ater. And he found near it a people. "e
2Allah3 said 2by inspiration36 D) ,hul5/arnain: 0ither you punish the&,
or treat the& !ith kindness.D %e said6 DAs for hi& 2a disbelie(er in the
)neness of Allah3 !ho does !rong, !e shall punish hi&, and then5 he
!ill be brought ba#k unto his ord, "ho !ill punish hi& !ith a terrible
tor&ent 2%ell3.DBut as for hi& !ho belie(es 2in Allah's )neness3 and
!orks righteousness he shall ha(e the best re!ard, 2Paradise3, and !e
2,hul5/arnain3 shall speak unto hi& &ild !ords 2as instru#tions3.D Then
he follo!ed another !ay. <ntil, !hen he #a&e to the rising pla#e of the
sun, he found it rising on a
people for !ho& "e 2Allah3 had pro(ided no shelter against the sun. 'o
2it !as3: And "e kne! all about hi& 2,hul5/arnain3. Then he follo!ed
2another3 !ay.
<ntil, !hen he rea#hed bet!een t!o &ountains, he found, before 2near3
the&
2those t!o &ountains3, a people !ho s#ar#ely understood a !ord.
They said6 D) ,hul5/arnain: Lerily >a'AuA and *a'AuA 2.og and *agog3
are doing great &is#hief
in the land. 'hall !e then pay you a tribute in order that you &ight
ere#t a
barrier bet!een us and the&HD %e said6 DThat 2!ealth, authority and
po!er3 in !hi#h &y ord had established &e is better 2than your
tribute3. 'o help &e !ith strength 2of &en3,U !ill ere#t bet!een you
and the& a barrier. D.i(e &e pie#es 2blo#ks3 of ironED then, !hen he
had $lled up the gap bet!een the t!o &ountain5#li8s, he said6 DBlo!ED
then !hen he had &ade the& 2red as3 $re, he said6 DBring &e &olten
#opper to pour o(er the&.D 'o they 2>a'AuA and *a'AuA 2.og and
*agog333 #ould not s#ale it or dig through it. ,hul5 /arnain3 said6 DThis
is a &er#y fro& &y ord, but !hen the Pro&ise of &y ord #o&es, %e
shall le(el it do!n to the ground. And the Pro&ise of &y ord is e(er
true. DV. 2Al5Kahf, GF59G3
as He a $ro&hetF
Allah the Al&ighty praised ,hul5/arnain in the .lorious /ur'an for
his
Austi#e. %e ruled o(er the easts and !ests and &any regions !here he
subAe#ted their peoples and ruled the& !ith perfe#t Austi#e. The &ost
likely opinion is that
he !as Aust a king.
Also, he !as said to be a Prophet, or a *essenger. %o!e(er, the &ost
unlikely opinion thereof !as that he !as an Angel. The latter !as
narrated after the eader of the ;aithful, '<&ar Ibn Al5Khattab 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 !ho heard a &an #alling another saying6 @
,hul5/arnain: %e 2'<&ar3 said6 'hut up: "as it not enough !ith you to
na&e yoursel(es after the Prophets, that you take na&es after those
of the AngelsHD
It is reported that' Abdullah Ibn 'A&r said6 ,hul5/arnain !as a
Prophet. +on(ersely, Abu %urairah narrated that Allah's *essenger
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DI do not kno! !hether Tubba' !as a #ursed
one or notH And, I do not kno! !hether %udud 2the Pres#ribed
Penalties3 are e1piatory for their people or notH And, I do not kno!
!hether ,hul5/arnain !as a Prophet or notHD 2This %adith is )dd and
'trange3
In other narration, Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3
trans&itted a report that goes to the saying that ,hul5/arnain !as a
good king !hose !ork !as praised in Allah's Book 2the .lorious
/ur'an3E he !as &ade (i#toriousE and
Al5Khadir !as his &inister, leader of his ar&y, and his #onsultant.
Al5A4ra=i and others &entioned that ,hul5/arnain e&bra#ed Isla&
at the hands of Ibrahi& 2Abraha&3 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and that he
#ir#u&a&bulated around the Ka' bah !ith hi& and his son, Is&a'il
2Pea#e be upon the&3. Also, it !as narrated after '<baid Ibn '<&air
and his son, 'Abdullah and others6 that
,hul5/arnain set out on foot to perfor& Pilgri&age. <pon hearing this,
Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !el#o&ed hi& and in(oked Allah for his
sake and ga(e hi& ad(i#e as !ell. In addition, Allah the Al&ighty
subAugated for ,hul5/arnain the #louds to #arry hi& !here(er he
!ished. Allah kno!s best:
hy was he %alled =0hul-Qarnain= !i(e( Owner of the two
horns'H
This is a #ontro(ersial issue, that there is not a de$nite kno!n
reason behind this. 'o&e said6 he had so&ething on his head that
looked like t!o horns. "ahb Ibn *unabih said6 %e had t!o horns of
brass on his head. 2This interpretation is (ery !eak3
'o&e s#holars fro& a&ong the People of the Book 2+hristians and
-e!s3 said6 This is be#ause he ruled o(er Persian and Jo&an territories.
It !as also said6 that he rea#hed the $rst ray of the rising sun on the
east and that on the !est and he ruled o(er all that !as in bet!een.
2The latter opinion is &ore likely true, !hi#h is the saying of A45Nuhari3
Al5%asan Al5Basri said6 %e had t!o braids of hair that he used to
fold up and thus !as #alled D,hul5/arnainD. And, Isha= Ibn Bishr
narrated that the grandfather of '<&ar Ibn 'hu' aib said6 ,hul/arnain,
on#e, in(ited a tyrant king to the !ay of Allah. The king hit hi& on the
head and broke one of his horns. ,hul5/arnain in(ited hi& again and
the tyrant broke the se#ond horn. Thus, he !as #alled D,hul5/arnainD .
Narrated Ath5Tha!ri that 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib 2*ay Allah be pleased
!ith hi&3 !as on#e asked about ,hul5/arnain. %e replied saying6 %e
!as a rightly5guided and pious &an. %e in(ited his people to Allah, but
they hit hi& on his horn 2side of the head3 and he !as killed. Allah the
Al&ighty resurre#ted hi& and he in(ited the& again, again they hit hi&
on his se#ond horn and he !as killed 2for the se#ond ti&e3. Allah the
Al&ighty re(i(ed hi& and thus he !as #alled D,hul5 /arnainD. In other
narrations, it !as narrated by Abu At5Tufail after 'Ali Ibn Abu Talib that
he said6 %e !as neither a Prophet, nor a *essenger, nor an Angel, but
!as a godly, pious !orshipper.
hat's his Na#eF
'#holars disagreed regarding his na&e. A4 Nubair Ibn Bakkar
narrated after' Abdullah Ibn, Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&36
%is na&e !as 'Abdullah IbnAd5,ahhak Ibn *a'dE or *us'ab Ibn
'Abdullah Ibn /inan Ibn *ansur Ibn
'Abdullah Ibn Al5A4d Ibn .hauth Ibn Nabt Ibn *alik Ibn Naid Ibn Kahlan
Ibn
'aba' Ibn /ahtan.
It has been narrated in a %adith that he !as fro& the tribe of
%i&yar and that his &/ther !as Jo&an, and he !as #alled the
Philosopher for the e1#ellen#e of his &entality. %o!e(er, As5'uhaili
said6 his na&e !as *ar4aban Ibn *ar4abah. This !as &entioned by
Ibn %isha& !ho &entioned in another lo#ation that his na&e !as6 As5
'a'b Ibn ,hi *ara'id !ho !as the grandfather of the Tababi'ah and it
!as hi& !ho ga(e the (erdi#t to the bene$t of Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 pertaining to the !ell of As5'ab' .
It !as said6 %e !as Afridun Ibn As$yan !ho killed Ad5,ahhak. Al5
/ass Ibn 'a' idah Al5Iyadi said in his fa&ous ser&on6 @ folk of Ayad Ibn
As5'a'b: ,hul5 /arnain ruled o(er the !est. and east, subAugated the
-inn and &ankind, and he li(ed for t!o thousand years. %o!e(er, all
this !as Aust like a t!inkle of the eye.
Ad5 ,ara=utni and Ibn *akula &entioned that his na&e !as
%ir&is, or %ir!is Ibn /itun Ibn Ju&i Ibn anti Ibn Kashaukhin Ibn
>unan Ibn >a$th Ibn Nuh 2Noah 2Pea#e be upon hi&33, and Allah
kno!s best:
Isha= Ibn Bishr narrated after 'a'id Ibn Bashir on the authority of
/atadah as saying6 Ale1ander !as 2#alled3 ,hul5/arnain, his father
!as the $rst +aesar,
and he !as fro& a&ong the o8spring of 'a& Ibn Nuh 2Noah 2Pea#e
be upon hi&33.
At this #onAe#ture one should distinguish bet!een t!o people !ho
!ere #alled ,hul5/arnain. The $rst is our pious ,hul5/arnain !hile the
se#ond is Ale1ander Ibn Philips Ibn *asri& Ibn %ir&is Ibn *aitun Ibn
Ju&i Ibn anti Ibn >unan Ibn >a$th Ibn >unah Ibn 'harkhun Ibn Ju&ah
Ibn 'harfat Ibn Tu$l Ibn Ju&i Ibn AI5As far Ibn >a=4 Ibn Al5'lis Ibn Isha=
Ibn Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. This lineage !as stated by Al5%a$4
Ibn' Asakir in his Tarikh 2%istory3. *oreo(er, he !as the *a#edonian,
.reek, 0gyptian leader !ho established Ale1andria and basing on
!ho& the Jo&ans set their +alendar. %e #a&e after the $rst ,hul5
/arnain !ith a (ery long ti&e. This !as three hundred years before
-esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. %is &inister !as the fa&ous Philosopher
Artatalis. *oreo(er, he !as the one !ho killed ,ara Ibn ,ara, and
subAugated the Persian kings and sei4ed their lands. "e only dre! the
reader's attention to this be#ause &any people think that the t!o &en
#alled D,hul5/arnainD are &e, !hi#h is a big &istake for there !ere
great di8eren#es bet!een both. The $rst !as a godly, pious, righteous
!orshipper of Allah the Al&ighty, and he !as a
Aust king !hose &inister !as the pious &an, Al5Khadlr. *oreo(er, so&e
s#holars stated that he !as a Prophet as !ell. "hereas, the latter !as
a polytheist !hose
&inister !as a philosopher as &entioned earlier. In addition, the ti&e
elapsed bet!een the& both !as &ore than t!o thousand years.
%en#e, none #an &iss the great di8eren#es and (arian#e bet!een
both of the& but an ignorant idiot
!ho kno! nothing at all:
Allah's 'aying6 .And they as> you about 0hul-Qarnain- !as
re(ealed be#ause the people of /uraish asked the -e!s of so&ething
about !hi#h they !ould ask the Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 to test his kno!ledge. The -e!s told the&6 Ask hi& about a &an
!ho tra(eled through the earth, and about so&e young &en !ho set
out and no one kne! !hat happened to the&H Thereupon, Allah the
Al&ighty re(ealed the stories of the )!ners of the +a(e and that of
,hul5/arnain. Thus, %e said6 .Say: I shall re%ite to you so#ethin*
of his story-/ i.e. enough and suP#ient ne!s about hi& and his
status. Then, %e said6 .?erily/ e established hi# in the earth/
and e *a)e hi# the #eans of e)erythin*-, i.e. Allah the
Al&ighty e1panded his kingdo& and pro(ided hi& !ith !hat &ight
enable hi& to gain !hat he !ished to. Narrated /utaibah that 'Ali Ibn
Abu Talib !as on#e asked about ,hul5 /arnain6 ho! #ould he rea#h
the east and !estH 'Ali replied6 The #louds !ert
subAugated for hi&, the &eans 2of e(erything3 !ere pro(ided to hi&,
and he !as gi(en e1tension pertaining to the light. 'Ali added6 ,o you
!ant &e to go onH
The &an be#a&e silent and thereupon, 'Ali 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
hi&3
be#a&e silent.
Narrated Abu Isha= As5'ubai'i after 'A&r Ibn 'Abdullah Al5"ada'i6 DI
heard
*u'a!iyah as saying6 four persons ruled o(er the earth6 'ulai&an Ibn
,a!ud the
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon the&3, ,hul5/arnain, a &an fro& the people of
%ul!an, and another &an. 'o&eone said6 !as it Al5KhadirH *u'a!iyah
said6 No.D
A45Nubair Ibn Bakkar narrated that 'ufyan Ath Tha!ri said6 I ha(e
#o&e to kno! that four persons ruled o(er the !hole earth6 t!o of
the& !ere belie(ers and the other t!o !ere disbelie(ers. The
belie(ing t!o !ere6 Prophet 'ulai&an and ,hul5/arnain. And, the
disbelie(ing t!o !ere6 Na&rud and Bikhtinassar.D The sa&e !as
narrated by 'a' id
Ibn Bashir.
Narrated Isha= Ibn Bishr after 'a' id Ibn Abu '<rubah after /atadah
after Al5 %asan as saying6 D,hul5/arnain !as a king after Na&rud. %e
!as a pious, righteous *usli& !ho tra(eled through the east and
!est. Allah the Al&ighty prolonged his life and granted hi& (i#tory
o(er the ene&ies and to ge1 hold of their properties. %e #on=uered
the land, subAugated the people and tra(eled through the earth till he
rea#hed the east and !est. Allah the Al&ighty says6
.And they as> you about 0hul-Qarnain( Say: =I shall re%ite
to you so#ethin* of his story(= ?erily/ e established hi# in
the earth/ and
e *a)e hi# the #eans of e)erythin*-/ i.e. kno!ledge of seeking
the
&eans of ful$lling things. Ibn Isha= said6 *u=atil #lai&ed that he
used to #on=uer the lands and #olle#t treasures, and used to
o8er the people t!o
#hoi#es6 !hether they e&bra#e his religion and follo! hi&, or they be
killed.
Ibn 'Abbas, *uAahid, 'a'id Ibn -ubair, 'Ikri&ah, '<baid Ibn >a' la, As5
'adyi, /atadah and Ad5,ahhak said6 7and "e ga(e hi& the &eans of
e(erythingV, i.e. kno!ledge. /atadah and *atar Al5"arra= said6 This
&eans land&arks, lo#ations, &ilestones and tra#es of the land. 'Abdur
Jah&an Ibn laid Ibn Asla& said6 this &eans languages as he used not
to #on=uer a people but he $rst speaks !ith the& in their o!n
language. The &ost possible and true e1planation is that he kne! all
&eans through !hi#h he #ould ful$ll his need or desire. As he used to
take fro& e(ery #on=uered region the pro(isions that enabled hi& to
sei4e the ne1t region, and so on.
'o&e s#holars fro& a&ong the People of the Book 2+hristians and
-e!s3 &entioned that he spent one thousand and si1 hundred years
tra(eling through the land in(iting people to the !orship of Allah the
Al&ighty "ho has no partner in %is ,o&inion. But, it see&s that there
is so&e e1aggeration in spe#ifying that lengthy period, and Allah
kno!s best:
Allah's 'tate&ent .So he followed a way( +ntil/ when he
rea%hed the settin* &la%e of the sun- i.e. he rea#hed the pla#e
that no one #an e(er o(erpass, and he stood on the edge of the
!estern o#ean #alled )=yanus !herein the islands #alled Al5Khalidat
DThe 0ternal )nesD. There, he #ould !at#h
the setting of the sun. .He found it settin* in a s&rin* of bla%>
#uddy !or hot' water-, i.e. the sea or o#ean, as one !ho stands
ashore sees the sun as if it rises fro& and sets in the sea. ;or this he
said .he found it-, i.e. as he thought.
I&a& Ah&ed narrated after >a4id Ibn %a&n after Al5'A!!a& Ibn
%aushab as saying6 I !as told by a freed5sla(e of 'Abdullah Ibn 'A&r
after 'Abdullah as saying6 Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
looked at the sun !hen it sat and said6 DIn Allah's bla4ing $re. "ere it
not for its pre(ention by Allah's +o&&and, it !ould burn all that is on
earth.D 2This %adith is (ery 'trange and )dd and surely it is not an
Authenti# one3
0hul-Qarnain is See>in* the 5ye of Aife:
Ibn 'Asakir reported a lengthy narration in !hi#h6 ,hul5/arnain
had a friend fro& a&ong the Angels #alled Jana=il. ,hul5/arnain
asked hi&6 ,o you kno! the pla#e on earth #alled Dthe 0ye of ifeDH
The Angel des#ribed to hi& its lo#ation. ,hul5/arnain set out seeking
it appointing Al5Khadir as his harbinger.
Al5Khadir #a&e upon it in the land of darkness and he drank thereof.
But, ,hul5 /arnain did not &ake it. %o!e(er, ,hul5/arnain &et !ith a
group of Angels in a pala#e there and he !as gi(en a stone. "hen he
returned to his ar&y, he asked the s#holars !ho put it on a s#ale and
put on the other one thousand stones of the like 2!eight and shape3.
%o!e(er, the s#ale #ontaining the $rst stone tilted. %e, then, asked Al5
Khadir !ho put on the other s#ale a single stone and a
handful of dry dust. Al5Khadir's s#ale tilted this ti&e. %e then
#o&&ented saying6 DThis is like the son of Ada&, he is ne(er satis$ed
till he is buried 2#o(ered !ith dust3D. Thereupon, the s#holars
prostrated the&sel(es before hi& as a sign of respe#t and honorE and
Allah kno!s best:
Then, Allah the Al&ighty infor&s us that ,hul5/arnain ga(e (erdi#ts
pertaining to the people of that region .e !Allah' said !by
ins&iration': =L 0hul- QarnainE 5ither you &unish the#/ or
treat the# with >indness(= He said: =As for hi# !a disbelie)er
/ in the Oneness of Allah' who does
wron*/ we shall E &unish hi#/ and then he will be brou*ht ba%>
unto his
Aord/ ho will &unish hi# with a terrible tor#ent !Hell'- i.e.
he tastes the tor&ent in this present life and in the %ereafter. %e
began !ith the tor&ent of the present life for its &ore diP#ult in the
sight of the disbelie(er. .But as for hi# who belie)es !in Allah's
Oneness' and wor>s ri*hteousness he shall ha)e the best
reward/ !$aradise'/ and we !0hul-Qarnain' shall s&ea> unto
hi# #ild words !as instru%tions'- !here he started !ith the
re!ard of the %ereafter !hi#h is &ost i&portant and he added thereto
kindness, i.e. Austi#e, kno!ledge and faith. Allah the Al&ighty says
.Then he followed
another way-, i.e. he follo!ed a !ay to return ba#k fro& the !est to
the east. 'o&e say that it took hi& t!el(e years to return to the east.
.+ntil/ when he %a#e to the risin* &la%e of the sun/ he found
it risin* on a &eo&le for who# e !Allah' had &ro)ided no
shelter a*ainst the sun-/ i.e. they do not ha(e houses or any
shelters to sa(e the& fro& the bla4ing sun. 'o&e s#holars say6 they
used to resort to tren#hes dug in the earth to shelter then fro& the
burning rays of the sun. Then, Allah the Al&ighty says6 .So !it was'E
And e >new all about hi# !0hul-Qarnain'-, i.e. Allah kno!s all
about his a8airsE %e preser(es and keeps hi& during his tra(els
through the land fro& the !est to the east and (i#e (ersa.
It !as narrated after' <baid Ibn '<&air, his son 'Abdullah and others
that ,hul5 /arnain perfor&ed Pilgri&age on foot. <pon hearing that,
Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 &et hi& and on their &eeting he in(oked
Allah for his sake, and ad(ised hi&. It !as said also that he !as
brought a horse to ride, but he said6 I do not ride 2on the ba#k of
horses3 in a land !herein Prophet Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3.
%en#e, Allah the Al&ighty subAugated for hi& the #louds, and Ibrahi&
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 ga(e hi& the glad tidings pertaining to this. The
#louds used to #arry hi& any!here he !ished for. Allah the Al&ighty
says6
.then/ he followed !another' way( +ntil/ when he rea%hed
between two #ountains/ he found/ before !near' the# !those
two #ountains'/ a &eo&le who s%ar%ely understood a word-/ i.e.
they !ere ignorant. It !as said that they !ere the Turk,
O
#ousins of .og
and *agog. %o!e(er, they told
hi& that .og and *agog !ronged the& and pra#ti#ed &is#hief in their
land. They o8ered hi& a tribute for that he builds a barrier 2da&3
pre(enting the& fro& raiding o(er the&. %e refused to take the tribute
they o8ered hi& $nding suP#ien#y in that !hi#h Allah the Al&ighty
has gi(en hi&, so .He said: =That !wealth/ authority and &ower'
in whi%h #y Aord had established #e is better !than your
tribute'-. Then, he asked the& to bring hi& &en and tools to ere#t
the barrier bet!een the&. .og and *agog #ould only rea#h the& fro&
that pla#e lo#ated bet!een t!o &ountain5#li8s. The other paths !ere
either (ast seas, or high &ountains. +onse=uently, he ere#ted it using
iron and &olten #opper6 he put iron instead of bri#ks and &olten
#opper instead of #lay. Allah the Al&ighty #o&&ented, .So they !3o*
and "a*o*' %ould not s%ale it- !ith es#alators, .or di* throu*h
it- !ith a1es or pi#ks. .!0hul-Qarnain' said: =This is a #er%y
fro# #y Aord- i.e. Allah the Al&ighty de#reed this to be a &er#y
fro& %i& to %is sla(es that they no longer assaulted by .og and
*agog.
.But when the $ro#ise of #y Aord %o#es- i.e. the ti&e %e
de#ided for the& 2.og and *agog3 to de&olish it and get out
atta#king &ankind near the
ast %our, .He shall le)el it down to the *round- this !ill
ine(itably take pla#e. As %e says .And the $ro#ise of #y Aord is
e)er true-/ and .+ntil/ when 3o* and "a*o* are let loose !fro#
their barrier'/ and they swoo&
'
These are not the inhabitants of Turkey. 2Translator3
down fro# e)ery #ound( And the true &ro#ise !0ay of
,esurre%tion' shall draw near !of ful<ll#ent'( Then !when
#an>ind is resurre%ted fro# their *ra)es'/ you shall see the
eyes of the disbelie)ers <Cedly starin* in horror( !They will
say': oe to usE e were indeed heedless of this nay/ but we
were Dali#un !&olytheists and wron*doers'-. 2Al5 Anbiya', 9O,
9B3 Allah the Al&ighty says6 7e shall lea)e the# to sur*e li>e
wa)es=on one another- i.e. on the day .og and *agog !ill #o&e
out, .and the Tru#&et will be blown/ and e shall %olle%t the#
!the %reatures' all to*ether-(
Narrated Abu ,a!ud At5 Tyalisi after Ath5Tha!ri saying6 I ha(e
been infor&ed that the $rst hu&an being to shake hands 2!ith
so&eone else3 !as ,hul5/arnain. *oreo(er, it !as narrated on the
authority of Ka'b Al5Ahbar that he said to *u'a!iyah6 ,hul5/arnain on
his death5bed told his &other, after his death, to prepare food and
gather the !o&en of the #ity and in(ite the& to eat sa(e anyone !ho
lost any of her #hildren 2she should not eat thereof3. The &other did
as she asked, and none of the& stret#hed a hand to!ards the food.
'he said6 .lory be to Allah: ,id you all lost #hildrenH They ans!ered6
By Allah: >es !e did. And, this !as a great #ondolen#e for her.
Isha= &entioned after Bishr Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn Niyad after so&e of
the People of the Book 2+hristians and -e!s3 the !ill of ,hul5/arnain,
an elo=uent and lengthy ad(i#e, and that he died at the age of three
thousand years. 2This is (ery odd and strange3
Ibn 'Asakir said6 I !as infor&ed that he li(ed for about thirty5si1
years. )thers said6 he li(ed for thirty5t!o years and that he #a&e
se(en hundred and forty years after ,a!ud 2,a(id3 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3. %e #a&e after Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !ith $(e thousand
and one hundred eighty5one years and that his reign lasted for
si1teen years. But, that !hi#h he related is true as for the *a#edonian
Ale1ander and not our ,hul5/arnain. %e thus &i1ed the for&er !ith
the latter and this is perfe#tly !rong.
A&ong those !ho &i1ed the& and de#lared both to be Aust one,
!as I&a&
'Abdul *alik Ibn %isha& 2Narrator of the Prophet's Biography3, !hi#h
!as denied and reAe#ted by Al5%a$4 Abu Al5/asi& As'uhaili. %e
se(erely refuted his sayings
and set #lear boundaries bet!een the t!o persons as &entioned
earlier. %e said6 *ay be so&e of the for&er kings #alled the&sel(es
D,hul5/arnainD follo!ing the e1a&ple of the $rst true oneE and Allah
kno!s best:
*er#iful
2113
3o* and
"a*o*
.They said: =L 0hul-QarnainE ?erily 4a'BuB and "a 'BuB !3o*
and "a*o*' are doin* *reat #is%hief in the land( Shall we then
&ay you a tribute in order that you #i*ht ere%t a barrier
between us and the#F= He said: =That !wealth/ authority and
&ower' in whi%h #y Aord had established #e is better !than
your tribute'( So hel& #e with stren*th !of #en'/ I will ere%t
between you and the# a barrier( =3i)e #e &ie%es !blo%>s' of
iron:= then/ when he had <lled u& the *a& between the two
#ountain-%li;s/ he said: =Blow:= then when he had #ade the#
!red as' <re/ he said: =Brin* #e #olten %o&&er to &our o)er
the#(= So they !4a
'BuB and "a 'BuB !3o* and "a*o*'I %ould not s%ale it or di*
throu*h it( !0hul-Qarnain' said: =This is a #er%y fro# #y
Aord/ but when the
$ro#ise of #y Aord %o#es/ He shall le)el it down to the *round(
And
the $ro#ise of #y Aord is e)er true=-( 2Al5Kahf, 9C59G3
And, .+ntil/ when 4a'BuB and "a'BuB !3o* and "a*o*' are
let loose !fro# their barrier'/ and they swoo& downfro#
e)ery #ound-. 2Al5 Anbiya', 9O3
No doubtE D.og and *agog are fro& a&ong the #hildren of Ada&
2Pea#e be upon hi&3. In proof of this, #o&es the %adith that is
trans&itted in the t!o 'ahihs 2Bukhari and *usli&3 fro& Al5A'&ash,
after Abu 'alih, after Abu 'a' id Al5 Khudri !ho narrated the Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 to ha(e said6 DAllah !ill say 2on the ,ay of
Jesurre#tion3, ') Ada&:' Ada& !ill reply, 'abbaik !a 'a'daik, and all
the good is in >our %and.' Allah !ill say6 'Bring out the people of the
$re.' Ada& !ill say6 ') Allah: %o! &any are the people of the ;ireH'
Allah !ill reply6
';ro& e(ery one thousand, take out nine5hundredand ninety5nine.' At
that ti&e #hildren !ill be#o&e hoary headed, e(ery pregnant fe&ale
!ill ha(e a
&is#arriage, and one !ill see &ankind as drunken, yet they !ill not be
drunken,
but dreadful !ill be the "rath of Allah.D The +o&panions of the Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 asked, D) Allah's *essenger: "ho is that
2e1#epted3 oneHD %e said, DJeAoi#e !ith glad tidingsE one person !ill
be fro& you and one thousand !ill be fro& .og and *agog.D The
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3
further said, DBy %i& in "hose %ands &y life is, hope that you !ill be
one5fourth of the people of Paradise.D "e shouted,
DAllahu Akbar:D %e added, DI hope that you !ill be one5third of the
people of
Paradise."e shouted, DAllahu Akbar:D %e said, DI hope that you !ill be
half of the
people of Paradise.D "e shouted, DAllahu Akbar:D %e further said, D>ou
2*usli&s3 2#o&pared !ith non *usli&s3 are like a bla#k hair in the skin
of a !hite o1 or like a !hite hair in the skin of a bla#k o1 2i.e. your
nu&ber is (ery s&all as #o&pared !ith theirs3.D 2Al5Bukhari and
*usli&3
This %adith denotes the nu&erousness of their nu&bers and that they
are a hundred5fold the nu&ber of all &ankind. *oreo(er, they are fro&
a&ong the o8spring of Nuh 2Noah 2Pea#e be upon hi&33 in parti#ular
for Allah the Al&ighty infor&s us in %is .lorious /ur'an that Nuh
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 in(oked %i& against the people of the earth
saying6 .And Nuh !Noah' said: ="y AordE Aea)e not one of the
disbelie)ers on the earthE- 2Nuh, ?O3 And, Allah the Al&ighty
%i&self says6 .Then e sa)ed hi# and those with hi# in the
shi&-( 2Al5'Ankabut, 1I3 And, .And/ his &ro*eny/ the# e #ade
the sur)i)ors-( 2As5'a8at, BB3 This is in addition to the %adith
trans&itted in I&a& Ah&ed's *usnad and the 'unan of Abu ,a!ud
that &entioned6 that there !ere three sons born to Nuh 2Pea#e be
upon hi&36 'hell, %a& and -apheth. 'he&
!as the father of the ArabsE %a& !as the father of the 'udanE and
-apheth !as the father of the Turk.
B
*oreo(er, .og and *agog are Aust
a part of the Turk fro& a&ong the *angols !ho !ere stronger and
spread &is#hief in the land. 'o&e people #lai&ed that .og and *agog
!ere #reated out of the se&en of Ada& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that
&i1ed !ith the earth and thus they !ere not fro& 0(e. But, this #lai&
5!hi#h !as held by 'heik Abu Nakariya An5Na!a!i in his e1planation
of 'ahih *usli& and by other s#holars !ho de#lared it to be
!eak and strange 5is too !eak. As, there is not any proof on this and
&oreo(er, it #ontradi#ts the ob(ious te1t of the .lorious /ur'an
5&entioned earlier 5that all &ankind of today are fro& the o8spring of
Nuh 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. In addition, so&e people #lai&ed that they
2.og and *agog3 are of di8erent shapes and $gures6 so&e are as tall
as pal&5trees, so&e are too short, and so&e take one of their ears as
a bed and the other as a #o(er or blanket. %o!e(er, all these #lai&s
are groundless and #annot stand the slightest refutation. But, the
#orre#t (ie! is that6 they are fro& a&ong the #hildren of Ada& 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 and that they bear the sa&e =ualities and shapes.
Allah's Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DAllah #reated Ada&,
&aking hi& O@ #ubits tall. "hen %e #reated hi&, %e said to hi&, D.o
and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it !ill be
your greeting 2salutation3 and the greeting 2salutations of your
o8spring. D 'o, Ada& said 2to the angels3, As5 'ala&u 'Alaiku& 2i.e.
Pea#e be upon you3. The angels said, DAs5'ala&u' Alaika !a Jah&atu5
l5lahiD 2i. e. Pea#e and Allah's *er#y be upon you3. Thus the angels
added to Ada&'s salutation the e1pression, '"a Jah&atu5l5lah.' Any
person !ho !ill enter Paradise !ill rese&ble Ada& 2in appearan#e and
$gure3. People ha(e been de#reasing in stature sin#e Ada&'s
#reation.D This %adith blo#ks the !ay before those !ho falsely #lai&
things that are groundless.
(
The XTurkR here does not &ean those of Turkey. 2Translator3
A ?ery I#&ortant Question:
If it is said6 %o! does the pre(iously5&entioned %adith 5that !as
agreed upon 5 denote that they !ill be treated as ranso& for the
Belie(ers on the ,ay of Jesurre#tion and that they !ill enter %ell$re,
!hile no *essengers !ere sent to the& and Allah the Al&ighty says6
.And e ne)er &unish until e ha)e sent a "essen*er !to
*i)e warnin*'- 2Al5Isra', 1I3H
The ans!er is that6 They !ill ne(er be punished until they
are gi(en
!arning. Thereupon, if they !ere e1isting before the ti&e of Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and *essengers !ere sent to the&,
thus, they !ere gi(en !arning. And, if no *essengers !ere sent to
the&, they !ould be treated as DPeople of the ;itrahD and those to
!ho& the *essage of Isla& did not rea#h or be #on(eyed. %o!e(er, it
is indi#ated by the %adith trans&itted by so&e of the +o&panions of
the Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that he said6 DThose and the
like !ill be tested on the path!ays of the Jesurre#tion6 and !hoe(er
responds to the #aller, he !ill enter Paradise. And, !hoe(er refuses, he
!ill enter the ;ire.D %o!e(er, testing the& neither ne#essitates their
sal(ation, nor #ontradi#ts !ith the saying that they !ill enter %ell5$re.
;or Allah the Al&ighty re(eals to %is Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !hat
%e !ills of the <nseen, and hen#e, %e infor&ed hi& that they !ill be
fro& a&ong the people of %ell and that their nature denies the truth
and sub&ission thereto, as they do not respond to the #aller till the
,ay of -udg&ent. This indi#ates that, they !ould be &ore stubborn in
reAe#ting the truth if they !ere to #o&e to kno! it in this present life. In
the path!ays of Jesurre#tion, so&e of those !ho used to belie the
truth in the present life !ill sub&it the&sel(es to the truth. Al&ighty
Allah says6 .And if
you only %ould see when the "uBri#un !%ri#inals/
disbelie)ers/ &olytheists/ sinners' shall han* their heads
before their Aord !sayin*': =Our AordE e ha)e now seen and
heard/ so send us ba%> !to the world'/ that we will do
ri*hteous *ood deeds( ?erilyE e now belie)e with %ertainty
=-( 2As5'aAdah, 1?3 %o!e(er, the Propheti# %adith indi#ating that the
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 in(ited the& on the Night -ourney to
e&bra#e Isla& and they refused, this %adith is an in(ented and
fabri#ated one. The one !ho fabri#ated it !as the liar, 9A&r Ibn As5
'ubh.
The !0a#' Barrier:
It !as &entioned earlier that ,hul5/arnain has built it out of iron
and #opper and ele(ated it to a (ery high point that is e=ual to the (ery
lofty &ountains. %o!e(er, there is no on earth an e=ual building in
ter&s of loftiness or
bene$ting to &ankind. I&a& Al5Bukhari trans&itted in his 'ahih the
follo!ing
%adith saying6 22A &an told the Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that he
had seen the da& 2of .og and *agog3. The Prophet 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 asked6 2%o! did
you $nd itH' the &an said6 2I found it like Al5Burd Al5*uhabbar 2stripped
gar&ents3.' The Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 2>ou ha(e seen it
like that. 'D
In Ibn -arir's e1egesis of the /ur'an, a slight di8erent narration !as
reported by /atadah !ho said6 2'I !as told that a &an said6 2@ Allah's
*essenger: I ha(e seen the da& of .og and *agog. 'The Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 2des#ribe it to &e. The &an said6 'It looked
like stripped gar&ents, !ith red and bla#k stripes.' The Prophet 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 said6 '>ou ha(e seen it. 'D
It !as &entioned that the +aliph, Al5"athi= sent so&e &essengers
!ith &essages to di8erent kings to allo! the& tra(elling fro& one
#ountry to another till they rea#h the da& and stand on its reality.
"hen they #a&e ba#k to the +aliph, they des#ribed it to hi& saying
that it has a huge door !ith &any lo#ks.
It is a (ery high and tight building and that the re&nants of its building
&aterials and tools are kept there in a to!er. Also, there are still guards
keeping an eye on
it. They added that its lo#ation is on the northern5east side of the earth.
It !as
also said that their land is (ery spa#ious and that they li(e on
far&ing and hunting and that their nu&bers are #ountless.
%o! #an !e #o&pro&ise bet!een the /ur'ani# Lerse that reads6
.So they !4a'BuB and "a'BuB !3o* and "a*o*'' %ould not s%ale
it or di* throu*h it-( 2Al5Kahf, 9B3 and the Propheti# %adith that is
trans&itted by I&a& Al5 Bukhari and I&a& *usli& on the authority of
*other of the Belie(ers, Nainab Bint -ahsh 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
her3 as saying6 That the Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 on#e #a&e to
her in a state of fear and said6 2'None has the right to be !orshipped
but Allah. "oe unto the Arabs fro& a danger that has #o&e
near. An opening has been &ade in the !all of .og and *agog like
this,D &aking a #ir#le !ith his thu&b and inde1 $nger. Nainab Bint
lahsh said6 2'@ Allah's
*essenger: 'hall !e be destroyed e(en though there are pious persons
a&ong
usHD %e said6 D>es, !hen the e(il persons !ill in#rease.D And in another
narration6 The Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DAllah has &ade an
opening in the !all of the .og and *agog 2people3 like this, and he
&ade !ith his hand 2!ith the help of his $ngers3.D 2Al5Bukhari and
*usli&3
The ans!er is that6 this &eans one of t!o things6 the $rst is that
this is an indi#ation of the opening of gates of e(il and tur&oil and
hen#e, this is a &ere e1a&ple set for us. The se#ond (ie! #onsiders
this as narrating a #on#rete &atter for %is 'tate&ent, .So they
!4a'BuB and "a'BuB !3o* and "a*o*'I %ould not s%ale it or di*
throu*h it-/ i.e. at their ti&e for the senten#e is in the past tense,
the &atter !hi#h does not #ontradi#t the possibility of its taking pla#e
in the future !ith the Per&ission of Allah the Al&ighty. But, as for the
other %adith that is narrated by I&a& Ah&ed in his *usnad that the
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 DLerily, .og and *agog dig
through the da& e(ery
day, till they #ould see the sun rays 2through it3, their leader !ould say6
'.o ba#k and you !ill $nish it to&orro!. ' )n the ne1t day, they $nd it
as strong as
before. Till !hen their appointed ter& #o&es and Allah desires to send
the&
against &ankind, they dig it till they #ould see the sun rays 2through it3
and their leader says6 '.o ba#k and you !ill $nish it to&orro!, if Allah
!ills:' )n the ne1t day, they $nd it as they had left the day before and
they dig through it and #o&e against &ankind. They !ill drink 2e(ery
drop of !ater they pass by3. The people !ill resort to strongholds. And,
.og and *agog !ill thro! their arro!s to!ards the sky. "hen they
#o&e ba#k to the& stained !ith !hat looks like blood, they !ill say6 '!e
ha(e defeated the people on earth and those in the hea(en as !ell.R
Then, Allah the Al&ighty sends against the& !or&s in their ne#ks that
kill the& all. Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 'By "ho& in
"hose %and *uha&&ed's soul rests: i(ing #reatures of the earth
!ould go fat and be thankful due to eating their Mesh and 2drinking
their3 blood. D, I&a& Ah&ed trans&itted it also on the authority of
%asan Ibn *usa after 'ufyan after
/atadah. At5Tir&idhi trans&itted the sa&e %adith on the authority of
Abu, A!anah after /atadah, then he said6 it is a 'trange %adith that
rea#hed us fro&
none but this +hain of Trans&ission.
*er#iful
!SJ'
$eo&le of the
Ca)e
.0o you thin> that the &eo&le of the Ca)e and the
Ins%ri&tion !the news or the na#es of the &eo&le of the Ca)e'
were a wonder a#on* Our Si*nsF !,e#e#ber' when the youn*
#en Red for refu*e !fro# their disbelie)in* fol>' to the Ca)e(
They said: =Our AordE Bestow on us #er%y fro# 4ourself/ and
fa%ilitate for us our a;air in the ri*ht wayE= Therefore/ e
%o)ered u& their !sense of' hearin* !%ausin* the# to *o in
dee& slee&' in the Ca)e for a nu#ber of years( Then e raised
the# u& !fro# their slee&'/ that e #i*ht test whi%h of the
two &arties was best at %al%ulatin* the ti#e &eriod that they
had tarried( e narrate unto you !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be
u&on hi#'' their story with truth: Truly they were youn* #en
who belie)ed in their Aord !Allah'/ and e in%reased the# in
*uidan%e( And e #ade their hearts <r# and stron* !with the
li*ht of 2aith in Allah and bestowed u&on the# &atien%e to
bear the se&aration of their >ith and >in and dwellin*s(' when
they stood u& and said: =Our Aord is the Aord of the hea)ens
and the earth/ ne)er shall we %all u&on any llah !*od' other
than Hi#/' if we did/ we should indeed ha)e uttered an
enor#ity in disbelief(=These our &eo&le ha)e ta>en for worshi&
alihah !*ods' other than Hi# !Allah'( hy do they not brin* for
the# a %lear authorityF And who does #ore wron* than he
who in)ents a lie a*ainst Allah( !The youn* #en said to one
another': =And when you withdraw fro# the#/ and that whi%h
they worshi&/ eC%e&t Allah/ then see> refu*e in the Ca)e: your
Aord will o&en a way for you fro# His "er%y and will #a>e
easy for you your
a;air !i(e( will *i)e you what you will need of &ro)ision/
dwellin*'(= And you #i*ht ha)e seen the sun/ when it rose/
de%linin* to the ri*ht fro#
their Ca)e/ and when it set/ turnin* away fro# the# to the left/
while
they lay in the #idst of the Ca)e( That is !one' of the Ayat
!&roofs/ e)iden%es/ si*ns' of Allah( He who# Allah *uides/
he is the ri*htly
*uided/' but he who# He sends astray/ for hi# you will <nd no
ali
!*uidin* friend' to lead hi# !to the ,i*ht $ath'( And you
would ha)e thou*ht the# awa>e/ whereas they were aslee&(
And e turned the#
on their ri*ht and on their left sides/ and their do* stret%hin*
forth his
two forele*s at the entran%e Hof the Ca)e or in the s&a%e near
to the entran%e of the Ca)e !as a *uard at the *ate'I( Had you
loo>ed at the#/
you would %ertainly ha)e turned ba%> fro# the# in Ri*ht/ and
would
%ertainly ha)e been <lled with awe of the#( Ai>ewise/ e
awa>ened
the# !fro# their lon* dee& slee&' that they #i*ht @uestion
one another( A s&ea>er fro# a#on* the# said: =How lon*
ha)e you stayed !here'F= They said: =e ha)e stayed
!&erha&s' a day or &art of a day(= They said: =4our Aord !Alone'
>nows best how lon* you ha)e stayed !here'( So send one of
you with this sil)er %oin of yours to the town/ and let hi# <nd
out whi%h is the *ood lawful food/ and brin* so#e of that to
you( And let hi# be %areful and let no #an >now of you( =2or/
if they %o#e to >now of you/ they will stone you !to death or
abuse and har# you' or turn you ba%> to their reli*ion: and in
that %ase you will ne)er be su%%essful(= And thus e #ade
their %ase >nown !to the &eo&le'/ that they #i*ht >now that
the $ro#ise of Allah is true/ and that there %an be no doubt
about the Hour( !,e#e#ber' when they !the &eo&le of the
%ity' dis&uted a#on* the#sel)es about their %ase/ they said:
=Constru%t a buildin* o)er the#/( their Aord >nows best about
the#/(= !then' those who won their &oint said !#ost &robably
the disbelie)ers': =e )erily shall build a &la%e of worshi&
o)er the#(= !So#e' say they were three/ the do* bein* the
fourth a#on* the#: and !others' say they were <)e/ the do*
bein* the siCth/ *uessin* at the unseen: !yet others' say they
were se)en/ and the do* bein* the
ei*hth( Say !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'': ="y Aord
>nows best their nu#ber: none >nows the# but a few(= So
debate not !about their nu#ber' eC%e&t with the %lear &roof
!whi%h e ha)e re)ealed to you'( And %onsult not any of the#
!&eo&le of the S%ri&ture -9ews and Christians' about !the a;air
on the &eo&le of the Ca)e( And ne)er say of anythin*/ =I shall
do su%h and su%h thin* to#orrow(= 5C%e&t !with the sayin*'/
=if Allah willE= And re#e#ber your Aord when you for*et and
say: =It #ay be that #y Aord *uides #e unto a nearer way of
truth than this(= And they stayed in their Ca)e three hundred
!solar' years/ addin* nine !for lunar years'( Say: =Allah >nows
best how lon* they stayed( ith Hi# is !the >nowled*e on the
+nseen of the hea)ens and the earth( How %learly He sees/
and hears !e)erythin*'E They ha)e no ali !Hel&er/ 0is&oser of
a;airs/ $rote%tor' other than Hi#/ and He #a>es none to
share in His 0e%ision and His ,ule(=!Al5Kahf, 95?O3
The reason behind the re(elation of these (erses and those relating
the story of ,hul5/arnain !as #ited by *uha&&ad Ibn Isha= in his
biography of the Prophet6 that the people of /uraish sent to the -e!s
asking the& for things to test the Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !ith.
The -e!s said6 ask hi& about a
group of people !ho disappeared in the past and none has any
kno!ledge about the&E about a &an !ho tra(eled through the landE
and about Ar5Juh 2the
'pirit3. Thereupon, Al&ighty Allah re(ealed %is 'tate&ent, .And they
as> you !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' %on%ernin* the
,uh !the S&irit': Say: =The ,uh !the S&irit' is one of the thin*s/
the >nowled*e of whi%h
is only with #y Aord( And of >nowled*e/ you !#an>ind'
ha)e been *i)en only a little=- 2Al5Isra', GI3 and, .And they
as> you about 0hul-
Qarnain( Say !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'': =I shall
re%ite to you so#ethin* of his story=- 2Al5Kahf, GF3 and here %e
says6 .0o you thin> that the &eo&le of the Ca)e and =Ar-
,a@i#= the Ins%ri&tion !the news or the na#es of the &eo&le
of the Ca)e' were a wonder a#on* Our Si*nsF-/ i.e. they are
not &ore a&a4ing than !hat "e ha(e gi(en you of the great ne!s,
astonishing signs and giganti# !onders. %o!e(er, a #a(e is a hole in
the &ountain. *entioned 'hu' aib Al5-iba'i6 their #a(e !as #alled
D%ai4a&D. As for DAr5Ja=i&D, Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
hi&3 said6 I
do not kno! !hat it &eans: 'o&e s#holars su#h as Ibn -arir and others
said6 it is the re#ord!here their ne!s and na&es are !ritten thereafter.
It !as also said6 it is the na&e of the &ountain their #a(e !as in.
%o!e(er, &any other things !ere said pertaining to this, but the
kno!ledge thereof rests only !ith Allah the Al&ighty "ho kno!s the
best: 'hu'aib Al5-iba'i said6 their dog !as #alled D%i&ranD.
The fa#t that the -e!s kne! about the& nulli$es the #lai& of so&e
interpreters that they !ere after -esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 and that
they !ere +hristians. %o!e(er, it is #lear that their people !ere idol5
!orshippers. *any interpreters and historians said that they li(ed
during the lifeti&e of a king #alled D,i=yanusD and that they !ere sons
of so&e nobles or kings. They &et on a
feast day and sa! the rituals their people !ere perfor&ing in Norship
of the idols. At this (ery &o&ent, Allah re&o(ed the (eils fro& their
hearts and they reali4ed hat their people !ere !rong5doers.
+onse=uently, hey deserted the religion of their people and resorted to
the !orship of Allah Alone. It is also laid6 that ea#h one of the& !hen
guided by Allah to he True Jeligion, abandoned his people and they
#oin#identally gathered in one pla#e. I&a& *usli& trans&itted in his
'ahih the follo!ing Propheti# %adith !hi#h supports that &eaning6
DAbu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 reported Allah's
*essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying6 'ouls are troops #olle#ted
together and those !ho fa&iliari4ed !ith ea#h other 2in the hea(en
fro& !here these #o&e3 !ould ha(e aPnity, !ith one another 2in the
!orld3 and those a&ongst the& !ho opposed ea#h other 2in the
%ea(en3 !ould also be di(ergent 2in the !orld3.D That, they asked one
another about their a8air and hen#e, they agreed on deserting and
abandoning their people and Meeing !ith their true religion. Allah the
Al&ighty says6 .e narrate unto you !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be
u&on hi#'' their story with truth: Truly they were youn* #en
who belie)ed in their Aord !Allah'/ and e in%reased the# in
*uidan%e( And e #ade their hearts <r# and stron* !with the
li*ht of 2aith in Allah and bestowed u&on the# &atien%e to
bear the se&aration 'f their >ith and >in and dwellin*s(' when
they stood u& and said: =Our Aord is the Aord of the hea)ens
and the earth/ ne)er shall we %all u&on any Ilah !*od' other
than Hi#: if we did/ we should indeed ha)e uttered an
enor#ity in
disbelief( =These our &eo&le ha)e ta>en for worshi& alihah
!*ods' other than Hi# !Allah'( hy do they not brin* for the#
a %lear authorityF
And who does #ore wron* than he who in)ents a lie a*ainst
Allah-( 2Al5
Kahf, 1F51I3 D+lear authorityD here &eans ob(ious e(iden#e or proof.
.And who does #ore wron* than he who in)ents a lie a*ainst
Allah( !The youn* #en said to one another': =And when you
withdraw fro# the#/ and that whi%h they worshi&/ eC%e&t
Allah/- 2Al5Kahf, 1I, 1O3 i.e. !hen you deserted the& and their idols
that they used to !orship others instead of Allah the Al&ighty. )ur
Prophet Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 .And !re#e#ber' when
Ibrahi# !Abraha#' said to his father and his &eo&le: =?erily/ I
a# inno%ent of what you worshi&/ eC%e&t Hi# !i(e( Allah
Alone I worshi& none' ho did %reate #e: and )erily He will
*uide #e =-( 2A45Nukhruf, ?O, ?B3 Thus, so&e of these young &en
said6 as you did desert your people's religion, you should also desert
the& in body and $gure so as to
be safe fro& the possibility that their e(il &ay tou#hes you, .then
see> refu*e in the Ca)e/( your Aord will o&en a way for you
fro# His "er%y and will
#a>e easy for you your a;air !i(e( will *i)e you what you will
need of &ro)ision/ dwellin*'-/ 2Al5Kahf, 1O3 i.e. Allah !ill dra! on
you %is #o(er, prote#t you and re!ard you !ith the best of all
re!ards. Then, Allah des#ribed
the #a(e to !hi#h they resorted stating that its door is to the north
saying6 .And you #i*ht ha)e seen the sun/ when it rose/
de%linin* to the ri*ht fro# their Ca)e/ and when it set/ turnin*
away fro# the# to the left-/ i.e. the
sun rises on the !estern side of their #a(e, then it de#lines to the
right side thereof. And, !hen it sets its rays #o&e to!ards the #a(e
fro& its eastern side. %ere, the !isdo& is that the sun enters their
#a(e on its rising and setting in
order to refresh the air fro& ti&e to ti&e( .hile they lay in the
#idst of the Ca)e( That is !one' of the Ayat !&roofs/ e)iden%es/
si*ns' of Allah-/ i.e. their stay on this state for a (ery long period of
ti&e !ithout eating and
drinking is one of the 'igns of Allah and a proof of %is *agni$#ent
Ability. .He who# Allah *uides/ he is the ri*htly *uided/( but he
who# He sends astray/ for hi# you will <nd no ali !*uidin*
friend' to lead hi# !to the
,i*ht $ath'( And you would ha)e thou*ht the# awa>e/
whereas they were aslee&-, for their eyes !ere open in order to
be kept sound. .And e
turned the# on their ri*ht and on their left sides-, it !as said6
they used to be turned fro& one side to the other on#e e(ery year.
%o!e(er, the nu&ber of the turnings is kno!n only to Allah the
Al&ighty "ho kno!s best:
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And their do* stret%hin* forth his
two forele*s at the entran%e Hof the Ca)e or in the s&a%e near
to the entran%e of the Ca)e !as a *uard at the *ate'I-/ i.e.
their dog !hi#h a##o&panied the& !hen they abandoned their
people did not enter the #a(e !ith the&, instead, it stayed at the
entran#e stret#hing forth his t!o forelegs thereat. This is for it !as
highly dis#iplined and also as a sign of honor to the& be#ause the
angels do not enter a house in !hi#h there is a dog. Thus, the dog
!as blessed be#ause he !as in their #o&pany. %o!e(er, &any
tales and narrations !ere in(ented !ith regard to the dog's
na&e and #olor.
'#holars di8ered on the lo#ation of this #a(e. 'o&e of the& said6 It is in
the land of Aylah 2i.e. -erusale&3. )thers said6 It is in the land of
Nina!a. And others
said6 it is in the 'ha& 2'yrian territories3 !hi#h is &ore proper and
Allah kno!s best:
G
After Allah the Al&ighty ga(e us perfe#t and
#o&plete des#ription of the& and &ade us as seeing the&, %e said:
.Had you loo>ed at the#/ you would %ertainly ha)e turned
ba%> fro# the# in Ri*ht/ and would %ertainly ha)e been <lled
with awe of the#-, i.e. be#ause of the dignity and loftiness of their
appearan#e. The addressed her is not only Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3 but also all &ankind be#ause it is a hu&an nature to feel
a!e
!hen seeing a &agni$#ent or digni$ed thing. Then, Allah the Al&ighty
a!akened the& 2fro& their long deep sleep3 after three5hundred and
nine yearsE then a
speaker fro& a&ong the& said6 .=How lon* ha)e you stayed
!here'F= They
said: =e ha)e stayed !&erha&s' a day or &art of a day(=
They said: =4our Aord !Alone' >nows best how lon* you ha)e
stayed !here'( So
send one of you with this sil)er %oin of yours to the town- the
#oins they
had !ere #alled D,afsusD. .And let hi# <nd out whi%h is the
*ood lawful food/ and brin* so#e of that to you-/ i.e. to eat
thereof. This is a sign of
their piety and godfearing. .And let hi# be %areful- during entering
that to!n
.and let no #an >now of you( 2or/ if they %o#e to >now of
you/ they will stone you !to death or abuse and har# you'
or turn you ba%> to
their reli*ion: and in that %ase you will ne)er be su%%essful-/ i.e.
if you
turn ba#k to their religion after you are sa(ed by Allah the Al&ighty. All
this be#ause they thought they slept a day or part of a day, and they
did not i&agine
to ha(e slept for &ore than three5hundred years. The period in !hi#h
al&ost
e(erything ha(e #hanged and their generation passed a!ay and other
generations inhabited the land. Thus, !hen one of the& !ent to the
to!n to get
the food, he feared that the people !ould re#ogni4e hi&, so he
disguised.
Instead, the to!n and its people found hi& to be a stranger and feared
that he &ight be a spy or that he #ould har& the& in any !ay. 'o&e
s#holars said that he es#aped fro& the&. But, others said6 he infor&ed
the& !ith the ne!s and took the& to the #a(e to see his #o&panions.
"hen they approa#hed the #a(e, he entered it and told his
#o&panions all about the period they spent sleeping in the #a(e and
they #onfessed it to be the ,i(ine ,e#ree of Allah the Al&ighty. It !as
said6 They !ent on sleepingE and others said6 They all fell dead.
+
)n the si1ties, an ar#heologist #alled *uha&&ad Tayseer Nabyan dis#o(ered a #a(e in -ordan,
si1 &iles a!ay fro& A&&an, in a region #alledD Ar5JaAeebD !hose des#ription goes !ith that
!hi#h is &entioned in the (erses. The great s#holar, Abu Al5A' la Al5*aududi (isited it and
agreed !ith &any s#holars !ho (ie!ed the sa&e opinion. And, I &yself (isited it in 19GO.
2*aAdi *. Ash'haha!i3
As for the people of the #ity, it !as said that they #ould not see
their pla#e in the #a(e. )r, they #ould not enter the #a(e be#ause of
their #o!ardi#e, or feeling their lofty dignity. %o!e(er, they 2the people
of the #ity3 disputed a&ong the&sel(es about their #ase, so&e of the&
said6 .Constru%t a buildin* o)er the#-/ i.e. blo#k the #a(e's gate
to pre(ent the& fro& getting out or anyone fro& tou#hing the& !ith
har&. But, those !ho !on their point said6 that !ill be blessed
be#ause its nearness to these righteous and godly people. This !as
#o&&on in the pre(ious eras and periods prior to Prophet *uha&&ad
2Pea#e be upon hi&3. But, Isla& reAe#ts this deed 2building pla#es of
!orship o(er the gra(es of anyone e(en if it is a Prophet36 the Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 D*ay Allah #urse the -e!s and +hristians for
they built the pla#es of !orship at the gra(es of their Prophets.D The
Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 !as !arning 2*usli&s3 against !hat the
pre(ious nations used to do !ith the gra(es of their pious people.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And thus e #ade their %ase >nown
!to the &eo&le'/ that they #i*ht >now that the $ro#ise of
Allah is true/ and that there %an be no doubt about the Hour-/
i.e. to let the people kno! that resurre#tion is true and that there #an
be no doubt about the %our if they kno! that these young &en slept
for &ore than three hundred years then they !ere a!aken un#hanged.
'o, %e "ho kept the& in this state all that period, is #apable to
resurre#t and gi(e life again to the dead bodies after they undergo
de#o&position. Jeally, the belie(ers do not doubt this in the least6
.?erily/ His
Co##and/ when He intends a thin*/ is only that He says to it/
TBeEU -and it isE-( 2>a5'in, G?3
Then, %e says6 .!So#e' say they were three/ the do* bein*
the
fourth a#on* the#/' and !others' say they were <)e/ the do*
bein* the siCth/ *uessin* at the unseen/' !yet others' say they
were se)en/ and the do* bein* the ei*hth-, as Allah #ited the
dispute of the people a&ong the&sel(es as to their nu&ber. %e #ited
three sayings, the $rst t!o %e refuted and the third %e stated, a &atter
!hi#h indi#ates that the third is the true one. %o!e(er, Allah guided
%is Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 to the good &anners to be follo!ed in
su#h a #ase6 that one should say DAllah kno!s best:D ;or this,
Allah the Al&ighty says6 ."y Aord >nows best their nu#ber-(
%is 'tate&ent6 .None >nows the# but a few-/ fro#
a#on* the &eo&le( !So debate not !about their nu#ber'
eC%e&t with the %lear &roof !whi%h e ha)e re)ealed to
you'-/ i.e. an easy debate and do
not e1ert yourself in su#h &atters. .And %onsult not any of the#
!&eo&le of the S%ri&ture -9ews and Christians' about !the a;air
oB' the &eo&le of the
Ca)e-/ as %e #on#ealed their nu&ber fro& the (ery beginning of the
story, saying6 .Truly they were youn* #en who belie)ed in their
Aord !Allah'-(
2Al5Kahf, 1F3 'o, if there !as any bene$t in &entioning their nu&ber,
Allah the
Al&ighty !ould #ertainly re(ealed it to us fro& the (ery beginning:
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And ne)er say of anythin*/ =I shall
do su%h and su%h thin* to#orrow(= 5C%e&t !with the sayin*'/ =if
Allah willE= And re#e#ber your Aord when you for*et and say:
=It #ay be that #y Aord *uides #e unto a nearer way of truth
than this =-/ this is a great and high &oral lesson taught by Allah the
Al&ighty that !hen anyone !ishes to do so&ething, he should say DIf
Allah !illsD, be#ause &an #annot kno! !hat is hidden !ith Allah for
to&orro! or for the future. Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith
hi&3 reported Allah's Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 as saying that
D'ulai&an lbn ,a!ud, the *essenger of Allah, obser(ed6 I !ill ha(e an
inter#ourse !ith se(enty !i(es during the nightE all of the& !ill gi(e
birth to a &ale #hild !ho !ill $ght in the #ause of Allah. %is #o&panion
or the angels said to hi&6 'ay, DIf Allah !ills.D But he 2'ulai&an3 did not
say so, and he forgot it. And none of his !i(es ga(e birth to a #hild, but
one !ho ga(e birth to a pre&ature #hild. Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be
upon hi&3 said6 %ad he said lnsha'Allah 2if Allah so !illed3, he !ould
not ha(e failed and his desire !ould
ha(e been &ateriali4ed. D
Allah the Al&ighty says: .And re#e#ber your Aord when you
for*et-/ for forgetting &ay be #aused by the ,e(il, and re&e&bering
Allah gets the ,e(il out of one's heart and thus he re&e&bers !hat he
has forgotten. .And say: =It #ay be that #y Aord *uides #e unto
a nearer way of truth than this=-/ i.e. if there !ere #ontro(ersies
and disputes about so&ething, one should resort to Allah "ho #an
fa#ilitate it and &ake it so easy. Then, Allah the Al&ighty says6
.And they stayed in their Ca)e three hundred !solar' years/
addin* nine-, i.e. for lunar years. .Say: Allah >nows best how
lon* they stayed-/
i.e. if you are asked about this and you do not kno! e1a#tly the ans!er,
you
should only attribute the &atter to Allah the Al&ighty .ith Hi# is
!the >nowled*e on the +nseen of the hea)ens and the earth-,
i.e. %e kno!s
the <nseen and gi(es kno!ledge thereof to none but "ho& %e !ishes
fro&
a&ong %is #reaturesE .How %learly He sees/ and hears
!e)erythin*'E-/ i.e. %e puts e(erything in its proper pla#e !ith %is
Perfe#t Kno!ledge and -usti#e. Then, %e says6 .They ha)e no ali
!Hel&er/ 0is&oser of a;airs/ $rote%tor' other than Hi#/ and He
#a>es none to share in His 0e%ision and His ,ule-/ i.e. %e is the
only ,isposer of a8airs and %e is the King "ho rules o(er e(erything.
*er#iful
21F3
The Belie)er V The
0isbelie)er
.And &ut forward to the# the eCa#&le of two #en: unto one
of the# e had *i)en two *ardens of *ra&es/ and e had
surrounded both with date &al#s: and had &ut between the#
*reen %ro&s !%ulti)ated
<elds'( 5a%h of those two *ardens brou*ht forth its &rodu%e/
and failed not in the least therein/ and e %aused a ri)er to
*ush forth in the
#idst of the#( And he had &ro&erty !or fruit' and he said to his
%o#&anion/ in the %ourse of #utual tal>: =I a# #ore than
you in wealth and stron*er in res&e%t of #en(= And he went
into his *arden
while in a state !of &ride and disbelief'/ unBust to hi#self( He
said: =I
thin> not that this will e)er &erish( And I thin> not the Hour
will e)er %o#e/ and if indeed I a# brou*ht ba%> to #y Aord/
!on the 0ay of
,esurre%tion'/ I surely shall <nd better than this when I return
to
Hi#(= His %o#&anion said to hi# durin* the tal> with hi#: =0o
you disbelie)e in Hi# ho %reated you out of dust !i(e( your
father Ada#'/
then out of Nutfah !#iCed se#en dro&s of #ale and fe#ale
dis%har*e'/
then fashioned you into a #anF=But as for #y &art/ !I belie)e'
that He is Allah/ #y Aord/ and none shall I asso%iate as
&artner with #y Aord(
=It was better for you to say/ when you entered your
*arden: 'That whi%h Allah wills !will %o#e to &ass'E There is no
&ower but with AllahE If you see #e less than you in wealth/
and %hildren( =It #ay be that #y
Aord will *i)e #e so#ethin* better than your *arden and will
send on it
Husban !tor#ent/ bolt' fro# the s>y/ then it will be a sli&&ery
earth( =Or the water thereof !of the *ardens' be%o#es dee&-
sun>en !under*round' so that you will ne)er be able to see>
it(= So his fruits were en%ir%led !with ruin'( And he re#ained
%la&&in* his hands !with sorrow' o)er what he had s&ent u&on
it/ while it was all destroyed on its trellises/ and he %ould only
say: =ould that I had as%ribed no &artners to #y AordE= And
he had no *rou& of #en to hel& hi# a*ainst Allah/ nor %ould he
defend !or sa)e' hi#self( There !on the 0ay of ,esurre%tion'/
Al-alayah !&rote%tion/ &ower/ authority and >in*do#' will be
for Allah !Alone'/ the True 3od( He !Allah' is the Best for
reward and the Best for the <nal end( !Aa ilaha illallah -none
has the ri*ht to
be worshi&&ed but Allah'-( 2Al5Kahf, F?5CC3
'o&e s#holars said6 This is a &ere e1a&ple that has not
ne#essarily taken pla#e in real life. But, the &aAority of s#holars hold
that it really took pla#e and
happened in this present life of ours. %is 'tate&ent, .And &ut
forward to the# the eCa#&le-, i.e. for the polytheists of /uraish
as they !ear pride and sho! arrogan#e to the !eak and poor. This is
like Allah's 'tate&ent that reads,
.And &ut forward to the# a si#ilitude: the !story of the'
dwellers of the town/ Hit is said that the town was Antio%h
!Anta>iya'I/ when there
%a#e "essen*ers to the#-( 2>a5'in, 1F3 It is !ell5kno!n that one
of these t!o &en !as a belie(er, !hile the other !as a disbelie(er. It
is also said that ea#h one of the& !as (ery ri#h. The belie(er spent
all his ri#hes and !ealth in
the +ause of Allah. +on(ersely, the disbelie(er, though granted
gardens and or#hards 2of !hi#h are the t!o gardens &entioned in the
.lorious /ur'an in full
details3, %e di(erted fro& Allah's Path. %is t!o gardens #ontained
grapes and date5pal&s surrounding his plants and grapes, along !ith
o(erMo!ing ri(ers and !ater strea&s running e(ery!here along !ith
his property. The fruits of his trees
and plants !ere nu&erous and #ountless 2only by Allah's .ra#e3, and
the sight of his gardens !as (ery pleasant. %o!e(er, the o!ner of the
t!o gardens be#a&e proud and dealt arrogantly !ith the belie(ing &an
saying6 .I a# #ore than
you in wealth and stron*er in res&e%t of #en-/ i.e. I a& better
than you as you spent all your !ealth in (ain and you did not do as I
did6 buying gardens
and or#hards and in(esting the &oney therein to gain the pro$ts later.
>ou
should ha(e follo!ed &y (ery steps: And, .he went into his *arden
while in a state !of &ride and disbelief'/ unBust to hi#self'/ i(e(
in a state that is not &leasin* to Allah the Al#i*hty !with &ride
and arro*an%e'( And he
.said: I thin> not that this will e)er &erish-/ that is be#ause
there is plenty of its plants and trees and if any of these !ere to
perish, he !ould #ertainly 2as he thought3 get it repla#ed !ith a better
and &ore $ne one. ;or 5he thought 5he
has e(erything6 plentiful !ater, #ountless fruits, and (arieties of plants.
Then, the disbelie(er said6 .And I thin> not the Hour will e)er
%o#e-, as he put his perfe#t trust in the (ain pleasures of this life of
ours and belied the e1isten#e of the e(erlasting %ereafter. Then, he
said6 .and if indeed I a# brou*ht ba%> to #y Aord/ !on the 0ay
of ,esurre%tion'/ I surely shall <nd better than this when I
return to Hi#-, i.e. if there is indeed a %ereafter and a ast ,ay, he
!ill $nd there better than !hat he has been gi(en in the present life.
As he !as de#ei(ed by !hat he !as gi(en and thought that Allah the
Al&ighty granted hi& all these blessings be#ause %e lo(es hi& and
fa(ors hi& to other people. The sa&e !as said by Al5'As Ibn "a'il in
%is 'aying6
.Ha)e you seen hi# who disbelie)ed in Our Ayat
!this Qur'an and "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#' and said: =I
shall %ertainly be
*i)en wealth and %hildren Hif I will be ali)e !a*ain'I(= Has he
>nown
the +nseen or has he ta>en a %o)enant fro# the "ost 3ra%ious
!Allah'F- 2*arya&, BB, BG3. And, Al&ighty Allah says pertaining to
the one %e granted !ith blessings, .And truly/ if e *i)e hi# a
taste of #er%y fro# +s/ after so#e ad)ersity !se)ere &o)erty
or disease/ et%(' has tou%hed hi#/ he is sure to say: =This is
due to #y !#erit': I thin> not that the Hour will be
established( But if I a# brou*ht ba%> to #y Aord/ surely/
here will be for #e the best !wealth' with Hi# =- 2;ussilat, I@3
and,
.Then/ e )erily/ will show to the disbelie)ers what they
ha)e done/ and e shall #a>e the# taste a se)ere tor#entV
2;ussilate, I@3, and
/arun 2Korah3 said, .This has been *i)en to #e only be%ause of
the
>nowled*e I &ossess-. 2Al5/asas, BG3 i.e. for Allah kno!s that I
deser(e it. But, Allah the Al&ighty says6 .0id he not >now that
Allah had destroyed
before hi# *enerations/ #en who were stron*er than hi# in
#i*ht and
*reater in the a#ount !of ri%hes' they had %olle%tedF But the
"uBri#un
!%ri#inals/ disbelie)ers/ &olytheists/ sinners' will not be
@uestioned of their sins !be%ause Allah >nows the# well/ so
they will be &unished without bein* %alled to a%%ount'-. 2Al5
/asas, BG3 And, Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And it is not your wealth/
nor your %hildren that brin* you nearer to +s !i(e( &lease
Allah'/ but only he who belie)es !in the Isla#i% "onotheis#'/
and does ri*hteous deeds !will &lease +s'/ as for su%h/ there
will be twofold reward for what they did/ and they will reside
in the hi*h dwellin*s !$aradise' in &ea%e and se%urity- 2'aba',
FB3 and,
.0o they thin> that in wealth and %hildren with whi%h e
enlar*e
the#( e hasten unto the# with *ood thin*s( Nay/ Hit is a
2itnah !trial'
in this worldly life so that they will ha)e no share of *ood
thin*s in the
HereafterI but they &er%ei)e not-( 2Al5*u'&inun, II, IO3
"hen this ignorant !as deluded by !hat he has been gi(en in this
present life, he denied the %ereafter and #lai&ed that if it is to be
there, he !ould $nd that !hi#h is better than !hat he !as $rst gi(en.
"hen his #o&panion 2the belie(ing &an3 heard hi& saying so, he said
to hi& .durin* the tal> with hi#-, i.e. during their debate. .0o you
disbelie)e in Hi# ho %reated you out of dust !i(e( your father
Ada#'/ then out of Nutfah !#iCed se#en dro&s of #ale and
fe#ale dis%har*e'/ then fashioned you into a #anF-, i.e. do you
disbelie(e in the ,ay of Jesurre#tion !hile you kno! that %e, Allah, is
%i& "ho #reated you out of dust, then out of Nutfah, then fashioned
you in stages till you be#a&e a sound and !ell5ere#ted &an !ith
hearing, sight, understanding and organs you transgress !ith: Then,
ho! #ould you deny the Jesurre#tion !hile you kno! that Allah is
#apable of #reating you out of nothingness. .But as for #y &art/ !I
belie)e' that He is Allah/ #y Aord-/ i.e. I belie(e in other than !hat
you belie(e in or e(en think of. As .!I belie)e' that He is Allah/ #y
Aord/ and none shall I asso%iate as &artner with #y Aord-/ i.e. I
do not !orship other than %i& and I belie(e in that %e !ill
resurre#t the dead and gather the s#attered and rotten bones
together, and I kno! that there is no partner !ith Allah in %is
,o&inion or #reation, and that there is no god but %i&.
Then, he guided hi& to!ards !hat should ha(e been said upon
entering the garden saying6 .It was better for you to say/ when
you entered your *arden: 'That whi%h Allah wills !will %o#e to
&ass'E There is no &ower but with AllahE'-/ for this, it is better for
anyone !ho be#o&es ad&irer of any
of his !ealth, household, #hildren or status, he should say these
!ords6 2That !hi#h Allah !ills 2!ill #o&e to pass3: There is no po!er
but !ith Allah:3.
Then, the belie(er said to the disbelie(er6 .If you see #e less
than you in wealth/ and %hildren( It #ay be that #y Aord will
*i)e #e so#ethin* better than your *arden-/ i.e. in the
%ereafter. 7And !ill send on it %usban 2tor&ent, bolt3 fro& the skyV,
i.e. tor&ent or hea(y rain that uproots
its trees and plants/ .then it will be a sli&&ery earth-/ i.e. soft dust
that does not gro! plants or anything. .Or the water thereof !of
the *ardens'
be%o#es dee&-sun>en !under*round'- that is opposite to the
o(erMo!ing !ater, .so that you will ne)er be able to see> it-/
i.e. you !ill ne(er be
able to restore or regain it. Then, Allah the Al&ighty says: .So his
fruits were en%ir%led !with ruin'-/ i.e. all his fruits and plants !ere
ruined and totally destroyed. .And he re#ained %la&&in* his
hands !with sorrow' o)er
what he had s&ent u&on it/ while it was all destroyed on its
trellises-/ i.e. totally destroyed and perfe#tly ruined. That !as really
against his hopes and !ishes as he pre(iously said6 .I thin> not that
this will e)er &erish-. 'o, he
regretted his pre(ious a#ts and sayings that de#lared hi& as a
disbelie(er in Allah the Al&ighty and he #ould only say6 .ould that I
had as%ribed no &artners to #y AordE-( Then, Allah the Al&ighty
says6 .And he had no *rou& of #en
to hel& hi# a*ainst Allah/ nor %ould he defend !or sa)e'
hi#self-, i.e. he #ould neither be helped by others, or e(en help
hi&self. This is as the 'tate&ent of Allah that reads: .Then he will
ha)e no &ower/ nor any hel&erV, 2At5
Tari=, 1@3 and %is 'aying, .There !on the 0ay of ,esurre%tion'/
Al- alayah !&rote%tion/ &ower/ authority and >in*do#' will be
for Allah !Alone'/ the True 3od-, i.e. the irrefutable Audg&ent and
irresistible ruling on
this and on all #onditions !ill be for Allah the Al&ighty Alone. .He
!Allah' is the Best for reward and the Best for the <nal end-/
i.e. trading !ith Allah is better than anything else as %e gi(es the best
of all re!ards and !ith %i&
rests the best of all ends and goals. ;inally, this story denotes three
things6
!a' )ne should not sell hi&self out to the lu1uries of this present
life of ours and should not be deluded thereof. *oreo(er, one should
trust !hat is in Allah's %and &ore than !hat is in his o!n hand. )ne
should put his entire trust in Allah Alone. )bedien#e of Allah should be
one's $rst and $nal goal. Anyone !ho prefers anything to Allah and %is
obedien#e surely !ill be tor&ented thereof.
!b' )ne should !hole5heartedly a##ept the ad(i#e of his
#o&passionate brother, as in reAe#ting his #ounselor ad(i#e there rests
#o&plete destru#tion and perfe#t ruin.
!%' Jegretting goes in (ain if the ,i(ine ,e#ree is already done.
*er#iful
!SM'
$eo&le of the
3arden
.?erily/ e ha)e tried the# as e tried the &eo&le of the
*arden/ when they swore to &lu%> the fruits of the !*arden' in
the #ornin*( ithout sayin*: Insha'Allah !If Allah wills'( Then
there &assed by on the !*arden' a )isitation !<re' fro# your
Aord at ni*ht and burnt it while they were aslee&( So the
!*arden' be%a#e bla%> by the #ornin*/ li>e a &it%h dar> ni*ht
!in %o#&lete ruins'( Then they %alled out one to another as
soon as the #ornin* bro>e( Sayin*: =3o to your tilth in the
#ornin*/ if you would &lu%> the fruits(= So they de&arted/
%on)ersin* in se%ret low tones !sayin*': No "is>in !&oor #an'
shall enter u&on you into it today( And they went in the
#ornin* with stron* intention/ thin>in* that they ha)e &ower
!to &re)ent the &oor ta>in* anythin* of the fruits therefro#'(
But when they saw the !*arden'/ they said: =?erily/ we ha)e
*one astray(= !Then they said': =NayE Indeed we are de&ri)ed
of !the fruits'E= The best a#on* the# said: =0id I not tell you:
why say you not: Insha' Allah !If Allah wills'(= They said: =3lory
to Our AordE ?erily/ we ha)e been Dali#un !wron*-doers'(=
Then they turned one a*ainst another/ bla#in*( They said:
=oe to usE ?erily/ we were Ta*hun !trans*ressors and
disobedient'( e ho&e that our Aord will *i)e us in eC%han*e a
better !*arden' than this( Truly/ we turn to our Aord !wishin*
for *ood that He #ay for*i)e our sins and reward us in the
Hereafter'( Su%h is the &unish#ent !in this life'/ but truly the
&unish#ent of the Hereafter is *reater if they but >new-( 2Al5
/ala&, 1B5
FF3
This is an e1a&ple set by Allah the Al&ighty for the polytheists of
/uraish as %e fa(ored the& !ith sending the honorable and great
Prophet, *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, but they belied hi& and
reAe#ted !hat he had brought the&. Al&ighty Allah, says6 .Ha)e you
not seen those who ha)e %han*ed the Blessin*s of Allah into
disbelief !by denyin* $ro&het "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'
and his "essa*e of Isla#'/ and %aused their &eo&le to dwell in
the house of destru%tionF Hell/ in whi%h they will burn/ -and
what an e)il &la%e to settle inE-( 2Ibrahi&, ?G, ?93 Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 They are the polytheists of /uraish
!ho& !ere likened to the people of the garden that #ontained (arious
fruits and plants that !ere ripe and the ti&e of their har(esting has
#o&e. Thus, %e, .lory be %is,
says6 .hen they swore- se#retly .to &lu%> the fruits of the
!*arden'- i.e. to har(est itE .in the #ornin*- in order not to be
seen by either a poor, or a needy and be for#ed to donate to or gi(e
the& any of its fruits. 'o, they s!ore to this !ithout saying DIf Allah
!illsD. +onse=uently, Allah the Al&ighty disabled the& and sent o(er
their garden $re that burnt it and left nothing thereof. %e, .lory be %is,
says6 .Then/ there &assed by on the !*arden' a )isitation !<re'
fro# your Aord at ni*ht and burnt it while they were aslee&(
So the !*arden' be%a#e bla%> by the #ornin*/ li>e a &it%h dar>
ni*ht !in %o#&lete ruins'-(
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .Then they %alled out one to another
as soon as the #ornin* bro>e-/ i.e. they got up in the &orning
and they #alled out one to another saying6 .3o to your tilth in the
#ornin*/ if you would &lu%> the fruits-, i.e. go early to your
garden and plu#k the fruits before the poor and needy persons #o&e
to ask you for #harity. The story goes6 .So they de&arted/
%on)ersin* in se%ret low tones-/ i.e. talking one to another in lo!
tones saying6 .No "is>in !&oor #an' shall enter u&on you into
it
today-, i.e. they agreed upon that and &ade &utual #onsultations
thereto. The story goes on6 .And they went in the #ornin* with
stron* intention/ thin>in* that they ha)e &ower !to &re)ent
the &oor ta>in* anythin* of the fruits therefro#'-, i.e. they
!ent forth !ith seriousness, po!er and strong bad intention.
9Ikri&ah and Ash5'hu9abi said6 .And they went in the #ornin*
with stron* intentionV, i.e. rage and bad intention against the poor.
.But when they saw the !*arden'-/ i.e. !hen they rea#hed their
garden and found !hat had happened to it, upon this .they said:
?erily/ we ha)e *one astray-, i.e. !e ha(e lost our !ay to our o!n
garden, then they said6 .NayE Indeed we are de&ri)ed of !the
fruits'E-/ i.e. !e ha(e been punished be#ause of our bad intentions
and !ere depri(ed of the blessing of our tilth.
And, .the best a#on* the# said- Ibn 9Abbas 2*ay Allah be
pleased
!ith hi&3, *uAahid and others said6 %e !as the best and the &ost
&oderate and Aust one a&ong the& all. .0id I not tell you: why say
you not: Insha'Allah
!If Allah wills'-/ it !as said6 To say a good !ord instead of !hat you
ha(e
intended. .They said: =3lory to Our AordE ?erily/ we ha)e been
Dali#un
!wron*-doers'(= Then they turned one a*ainst another/
bla#in*( They said: =oe to usE ?erily/ we were Ta*hun
!trans*ressors and disobedient'-, they regretted and sho!ed
sorro! !hen both #ould do the& nothing, and they #onfessed their
sinful deed after they had been punished and all that !ent in (ain.
It !as said6 That they !ere brothers and they inherited that
garden fro& their late father !ho used to gi(e &u#h and &u#h in
#harity. But, !hen they possessed the garden they denied the a#ting
of their late father and intended to depri(e the poor of its fruits.
Thereupon, Allah the Al&ighty punished the& and ga(e the& the
se(erest of penalties. ;or this, Allah the Al&ighty #o&&anded
that #harity &ust be taken out of fruits and it is preferably to be paid
on the day of har(esting. %e says6 .5at of their fruit when they
ri&en/ but &ay the
due thereof !its Da>ah/ a%%ordin* to Allah's Orders lWlOth or
SWJLth' on the day of its har)est-( 2Al5An'a&, 1C13
It !as said6 They !ere fro& the >e&en, fro& a to!n #alled
D,ar!anD. It !as also said6 They !ere fro& Abyssinia. Allah kno!s
best:
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .Su%h is the &unish#ent-, i.e. like
this "e punish !hose !ho disobey )ur +o&&and and does not sho!
kindness to the needy fro& a&ong )ur #reatures. .But truly the
&unish#ent of the Hereafter is *reater- than that of the
&resent life .if they but >new-(
This story rese&bles Allah's 'aying6 .And Allah &uts forward
the eCa#&le of a townshi&/ that dwelt se%ure and well-
%ontent: its &ro)ision %o#in* to it in abundan%e fro# e)ery
&la%e/ but it !its &eo&le' denied the 2a)ors of Allah !with
un*ratefulness'( So Allah #ade it taste eCtre#e of hun*er
!fa#ine' and fear/ be%ause of that !e)il/ i(e( denyin* $ro&het
"uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' whi%h they !its &eo&le'
used to do( And )erily/ there had %o#e unto the# a
"essen*er !"uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' fro# a#on*
the#sel)es/ but they denied hi#/ so the tor#ent o)ertoo>
the# while they were
Dali#un !&olytheists and wron*-doers'-( 2An5Nahl, 11?, 11F3 It
!as said that this e1a&ple !as of the people of *e##a set for
the&sel(es and (erily, there is no #ontradi#tion in this. Allah kno!s
best:
*er#iful
21I3
The Sabbath-
Brea>ers
.And as> the# !O "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' about
the town that was by the sea: when they trans*ressed in the
#atter of the Sabbath !i(e( Saturday': when their <sh %a#e to
the# o&enly on the Sabbath day/ and did not %o#e to the# on
the day they had no Sabbath( Thus e #ade a trial of the#/
for they used to rebel a*ainst Allah's Co##and !disobey
Allah'( And when a %o##unity a#on* the# said: =hy do you
&rea%h to a &eo&le who# Allah is about to destroy or to &unish
with @ se)ere tor#entF= !The &rea%hers' said: =in order to be
free fro# *uilt before your Aord !Allah'/ and &erha&s they #ay
fear Allah(= So when they for*ot the re#indin*s that had
been *i)en to the#/ e res%ued those who forbade e)il/ but
e seiGed those who did wron* with a se)ere tor#ent be%ause
they used to rebel a*ainst Allah's Co##and !disobey Allah'(
So when they eC%eeded the li#its of what they were
&rohibited/ e said to the#: 6Be you
#on>eys/ des&ied and reBe%ted-. 2Al5A' rat, 1OF51OO3
And, .And indeed you >new those a#on*st you who
trans*ressed in the #atter of the Sabbath !i(e( Saturday'( e
said to the#: =Be you #on>eys/ des&ised and reBe%ted(= So e
#ade this &unish#ent an eCa#&le to their own and to
su%%eedin* *enerations and a lesson to those who are Al-
"utta@un !the &ious'-( 2Al5Ba=arah, OI, OO3
CB3
And, 7)r %urse the# as e %ursed the Sabbath brea>ers-(
2An5Nisa',
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, *uAahid,' Ikri&ah, /atadah, As5'adiy and others
said6 they !ere the people of Aylah. Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased
!ith hi&3 added6 it !as lo#ated bet!een *edian and At5 Tur. They said6
the people of Aylah !ere adhering attenti(ely to the tea#hings of the
Torah and the prohibition of the 'abbath at that ti&e 2the prohibition of
$shing on 'aturdays3. A&a4ingly, the
$sh used to e1pose itself openly on 'aturdays and disappear on the
other days
of the !eek, .when their <sh %a#e to the# o&enly on the
Sabbath day/ and did not %o#e to the# on the day they had
no Sabbath-( Al&ighty
Allah says .Thus e #ade a trial of the#-/ i(e( e test the#
throu*h
sendin* *reat nu#bers of <sh on the Sabbath( .for they used
to rebel a*ainst Allah's Co##and !disobey Allah'-/ i.e.
be#ause of their
disobedien#e and rebellion. "hen they sa! this, they &ade a tri#k to
#at#h the $sh on the 'abbath. They $1ed their $shing nets and ropes
and e1#a(ated strea&s allo!ing the sea !ater to run through and the
$sh to get in but ne(er go ba#k to the sea. They &ade all this on
;riday, in preparation for the #o&ing of
the $sh on 'aturday. And thus, the $sh #a&e on the supposedly5
pea#eful day
2kno!ing not !hat has been prepared against the&3. They !ere #aught
in the nets, ropes and arti$#ial strea&s. "hen the 'aturday #a&e to an
end, the people of Aylah !ere present to take their fat #at#h.
+onse=uently, Allah the Al&ighty !as angry !ith the& and %e #ursed
the& be#ause of their tri#kery and
de#eption. "hen this !as done by a group thereof, the rest !ho did not
parti#ipate in their sinful a#ting !ere di(ided into t!o se#ts6 a se#t that
reAe#ted their a#ting and tri#kery against the a! and +o&&and of
Allah the Al&ighty at that ti&e. The se#ond se#t did not reAe#t or forbid
the&, rather they disappro(ed of the rea#tion of the se#t that forbade
the sinful ones saying6 .hy do you &rea%h to a &eo&le who#
Allah is about to destroy or to &unish with a se)ere tor#entF-/
i.e. !hat is the gain in prea#hing to a people !ho& !ill ine(itably be
punished by Allah the Al&ightyH But, the se#ond se#t 2the prea#hers3
replied saying6 .In order to be free fro# *uilt before your Aord
!Allah'-/ i.e. as !e are #o&&anded by %i& to enAoin !hat is good and
forbid !hat is e(ilE thus, !e obser(e this for our fear of %is Tor&ent.
.And &erha&s they #ay fear Allah-, i.e. perhaps those !ho &ade
these sins &ay repent to Allah and regret !hat they ha(e done and
thus be sa(ed fro& the punish&ent of Allah and that %e forgi(es the&
all.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .So when they for*ot the
re#indin*s that had been *i)en to the#-/ i.e. !ere heedless
to!ards the godly prea#hers,
.e res%ued those who forbade e)il-/ i.e. the prea#hing se#t, but
.e seiGed those who did wron*-/ i.e. doers of the sinful deed,
.with a se)ere tor#ent-/ i.e. a painful punish&ent, .be%ause
they used to rebel a*ainst
Allah's Co##and !disobey Allah'-( Then, Allah e1plained the
tor&ent that befell the& saying, .So when they eC%eeded the
li#its of what they were
&rohibited/ e said to the#: =Be you #on>eys/ des&ised and
reBe%ted-(
%ere, the point is that Allah the Al&ighty infor&ed us that %e
destroyed the !rong5doers, sa(ed the prea#hing belie(ers and left the
belie(ers !ho did not pra#ti#e enAoining the good and forbidding the
e(il. '#holars disputed regarding the third group. 'o&e said they !ere
granted sal(ation. And others said that
they !ere destroyed !ith the !rong5doers. But, the $rst (ie! is the
a##epted one by the !ell5(ersed s#holars, in#luding Ibn 'Abbas head
of the interpreters 5
!ho referred to this opinion on a debate !ith his &aster 'lkri&ah !ho
upon the
(i#tory of Ibn 'Abbas 5 granted hi& a (aluable gar&ent as a re!ard.
It should be noted here that the third group !ere not &entioned
!ith those gi(en sal(ation e(en though they despised the sinful deed,
!ith their hearts, be#ause they should ha(e #o&pelled their organs
2hand or tongue3 to a#t thereupon and de#lare their reAe#tion of the
!rong5doers' a#t. 'o, they !ere
sa(ed !ith the prea#hers be#ause they the&sel(es did not #o&&it
the sinful deed, rather they reAe#ted it !ith their hearts.
Narrated 'Abdur Ja44a= after -uraiA after a &an 2!hose na&e is not
kno!n3 after 'Ikri&ah after Ibn 'AbbasE and *alik trans&itted fro& Ibn
Ju&an, 'haiban, /atadah and 'Ata 'Al5Kharasani !hat &eans6 Those
!ho #o&&itted the sinful deed !ere abandoned by the rest of the
people of the to!n. 'o&e of the& de#lared their reAe#tion and denial
of their deed. They did not listen to the prea#hers. After!ards, they
used to stay the night apart fro& the rest of the people of the to!n
and there !ere doors or barriers bet!een the& and the rest of the
people !ho !ere anti#ipating the befalling of punish&ent o(er the&.
)ne day, their doors did not open till the noon. The people got an1ious
and sent one of the& to see !hat happened to the& fro& abo(e the
barrier. "hen he looked he found the& turned into &onkeys !ith tails,
shouting. They opened the doors 2barrier3 and the &onkeys
re#ogni4ed their relati(es !hile their relati(es #ould not re#ogni4e
the&. Thereupon, the prea#hers said6 ,id not !e forbid you fro&
doing thisH The &onkeys &ade a sign !ith their heads denoting6 >es.
Then,
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 !ept and said6
(erily, !e see &any !rong5doings !hi#h !e do not reAe#t or deny or
e(en &ake a #o&&ent:
Narrated Al5'<$ after Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3
saying6 the young &en of the to!n !ere turned into &onkeys, !hile
the old &en into pigs. *oreo(er, Ibn Abu %ati& narrated fro& *uAa/id
after Ibn 'Abbas his saying6
they did not li(e long and they left no o8spring. Also, Adpahha=
narrated fro& Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&36 no
&onster has li(ed &ore than three days. In addition, they did not
eat, drink or lea(e o8spring.
Narrated Ibn Abu %ati& and Ibn -arir after Ibn Abu NuAaih fro&
*uAahid his saying6 only their hearts and not their $gures !ere turned
into &onkeys and pigs. This is Aust like %is 'tate&ent that reads6 .The
li>eness of those who were entrusted with the !obli*ation of
the' Taurat !Torah' !i(e( to obey its %o##and#ents and
&ra%ti%e its laws'/ but who subse@uently failed
in those !obli*ations'/ is as the li>eness of a don>ey whi%h
%arries hu*e burdens of boo>s !but understands nothin* fro#
the#'-( 2Al5-u&u' ah,
I3 But, this (ie! see&s to be (ery strange and it #ontradi#ts the
apparent
&eaning of the .lorious /ur'an and the #on#ession of the earlier
s#holars and those !ho follo!ed the&. Allah kno!s best:
*er#iful
21O3
Story of
Au@#an
.And indeed e bestowed u&on Au@#an AIHi>#ah !wisdo#
and reli*ious understandin*' sayin*: =3i)e than>s to
Allah(=And whoe)er *i)es than>s/ he *i)es than>s for !the *ood
of' his own self( And whoe)er is unthan>ful/ then )erily/ Allah is
All-,i%h !2ree of all needs'/ orthy of all &raise( And
!re#e#ber' when Au@#an said to his son when he was
ad)isin* hi#: =O #y sonE 9oin not in worshi& others with Allah(
?erily/ Boinin* others in worshi& with Allah is a *reat Dul#
!wron*' indeed( And e ha)e enBoined on #an !to be dutiful
and *ood' to his &arents( His #other bore hi# in wea>ness and
hardshi& u&on wea>ness and hardshi&/ and his weanin* is in
two years -*i)e than>s
to "e and to our &arents( +nto "e is the <nal destination( But
if they !both' stri)e with you to #a>e you Boin in worshi& with
"e others that of whi%h you ha)e no >nowled*e/ then obey
the# not: but beha)e with the# in the world >indly/ and follow
the &ath of hi# who turns to "e in re&entan%e and in
obedien%e(Then to "e will be your return/ and I shall tell you
what you used to do( =O #y sonE If it be !anythin*' e@ual to the
wei*ht of a *rain of #ustard seed/ and thou*h it be in a ro%>/
or in the hea)ens or in the earth/ Allah will brin* it forth( ?erily/
Allah is Subtle !in brin*in* out that *rain'/ ell-Aware !of its
&la%e'( =O #y sonE
A@i#-As-Salat !&erfor# As-Salat'/ enBoin !on &eo&le' Al-"a'ruf
!Isla#i% "onotheis# and all that is *ood'/ and forbid !&eo&le'
fro# Al- "un>ar !i(e( disbelief in the Oneness of Allah/
&olytheists of all >inds
and all that is e)il and bad'/ and bear with &atien%e whate)er
befalls
you( ?erily/ these are so#e of the i#&ortant %o##and#ents
!ordered by Allah with no eCe#&tion'( =And turn not your fa%e
away fro# #en
with &ride/ nor wal> in insolen%e throu*h the earth( ?erily/ Allah
li>es
not any arro*ant boaster(= =And be #oderate !or show no
insolen%e' in your wal>in* and lower your )oi%e( ?erily/ the
harshest of all )oi%es is
the brayin* of the ass=-( 2u=&an, 1?5193
%e is u=&an Ibn 'An=a' Ibn 'adun. )r, as stated by As5'uhaili
fro& Ibn -arir and Al5/utaibi that he is u=&an Ibn Tharan !ho !as
fro& a&ong the people of Aylah 2-erusale&3.
%e !as a pious &an !ho e1erted hi&self in !orship and !ho !as
blessed !ith !isdo&. Also, it is said that he !as a Audge during the
lifeti&e of Prophet ,a!ud 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. And, Allah kno!s
best.
Narrated 'ufyan Ath5 Tha!ri fro& Al5Ash'ath after 'Ikri&ah on the
authority of Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 as saying6 %e
!as an 0thiopian sla(e !ho !orked as a #arpenter. /atadah narrated
fro&' Abdullah Ibn A45Nubair as saying6 I asked -abir Ibn 'Abdullah
about u=&an. %e said6 D%e !as short
!ith a Mat nose. %e !as fro& NubiaD
Narrated >ahia Ibn 'a' id Al5Ansari after 'a' id Ibn Al5*usayib his
saying6 u=&an belonged to the bla#k &en of 0gypt. %e had thi#k lips
and Allah the Al&ighty granted hi& !isdo& but not Prophethood. Al5
A!4a'i said6 I !as told by
'Abdur Jah&an Ibn %ar&alah6 that a bla#k &an #a&e to 'a' id Ibn
AI*usayib asking hi& for #harity. 'a' id said6 do not feel distressed
for your bla#k #olor
be#ause there !ere fro& a&ong the best of all people three
bla#k&en6 Bilal Ibn Jabah, *ahAa' 2the freed5sla(e of '<&ar Ibn Al5
Khattab3, and u=&an, the !ise !ho !as bla#k, fro& Nubia and !hose
lips !ere thi#k.
Narrated Al5A'&ash after *uAahid6 u=&an !as a bla#k huge
sla(e, thi#k5 lipped, and #ra#kedfooted. '<&ar Ibn /ais said6 Du=&an
!as a bla#k sla(e, thi#k5lipped and #ra#ked5footed. It happened !hile
he !as prea#hing so&e people, a &an #a&e to hi& and said6 aren't
you the one !ho used to look after the sheep !ith &e at su#h and
su#h pla#eH u=&an said6 yes, I a&: The &an said6 then, !hat &ade
you of that positionH u=&an said6 telling the truth and keeping silent
regarding !hat does not #on#ern &e.D 2This %adith !as narrated by
Ibn - arir after lbn %a&id after Al5%aka&3
Ibn Abu %ati& said6 I !as told by Abu Nar' ah that he !as told by
'af!an after Al5 " alid after 'Abdur Jah&an Ibn Abu >a4id Ibn -abir !ho
said6 DAllah the Al&ighty raised u=&an's status for his !isdo&. A &an
used to kno! hi& sa! hi& and said6 Aren't you the sla(e of so and so
!ho used to look after &y sheep not so long in the pastH u=&an said6
yes: The &an said6 "hat raised you to this high state I seeH u=&an
said6 the ,i(ine ,e#ree, repaying the trust, telling the truth and
dis#arding !hat does not #on#ern &e. D
Narrated Ibn "ahb6 I !as told by 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ayyash Al5;ityani
after' <&ar, the freed sla(e of 'Afrah as saying6 DA &an #a&e to
u=&an, the !ise and asked6 Are you u=&anH Are you the sla(e of so
and soH %e said6 D>es:D The
&an said6 >ou are the bla#k shepherd: u=&an said6 As for &y bla#k
#olor, it is ob(iously apparent, so !hat &akes you so astonishedH The
&an said6 >ou
be#a&e fre=uently (isited by the people !ho pleasingly a##ept your
Audg&ents: u=&an said6 @ #ousin: If you do !hat I a& telling you, you
!ill be like this. The &an said6 "hat is itH u=&an said6 o!ering
&y ga4e, !at#hing &y tongue,
eating !hat is la!ful, keeping &y #hastity, undertaking &y pro&ises,
ful$lling &y #o&&it&ents, being hospitable to guests, respe#ting &y
neighbors, and dis#arding !hat does not #on#ern &e. All these &ade
&e the one you are
looking at.D
)ne day Abu Ad5,arda' &entioned u=&an the !ise and said6 %e
!as not granted !isdo& be#ause of !ealth, #hildren, lineage, or gi(en
habits, but he !as
self5restrained, ta#iturn, deep5thinking, and he ne(er slept during the
day. In addition, no one has e(er seen hi& spitting, #learing his throat,
s=uee4ing the le&on, ans!ering the #all of nature, bathing, obser(ing
tri(ialities, or foolishly laughing. %e !as (ery elo=uent and !ell5(ersed.
%e did not !eep or #ry !hen all his #hildren died. ;inally, he used to
fre=uent the prin#es and &en of authority to &ediate and think
thoroughly and $nd ad&onition. 'o, be#ause of all these he !as
granted that great !isdo&.
'o&e people #lai&ed that he !as o8ered Prophethood, and that
he feared not to be able to #arry out its re=uire&ents and obligations.
Thus, he #hose to ha(e !isdo& for it is easier 5this #annot be totally
true 5and Allah kno!s best:
'Ikri&ah also narrated that6 u=&an !as a Prophet.S
1This narration is (ery !eak for the sub5narrator, Al5-a' $ is &entioned by I&a&s Al5Bukhari
and An5Nasa'i a&ong the "eak Narrators.
%o!e(er, the &aAority of s#holars are of the (ie! that he !as a
!ise &an and not a Prophet. *oreo(er, he !as &entioned in the
.lorious /ur'an and !as highly praised by Allah the Al&ighty "ho
narrates his ad(i#e to his o!n son in !hi#h he says6 .O #y sonE 9oin
not in worshi& others with Allah( ?erily/ Boinin* others in
worshi& with Allah is a *reat Dul# !wron*' indeed-/ so he
forbade his son and !arned hi& against Aoining others in !orship !ith
Allah. I&a& Al5Bukhari said6 I !as told by /utaibah after -arir after Al5
A'&ash after Ibrahi& after 'Al=a&ah after 'Abdullah as saying6 D"hen
the Lerse6 .It is those who belie)e and do not %onfuse their
belief with wron* !i(e(
Boinin* others in worshi& with Allah- 2Al5An' a&, G?3 !as re(ealed,
!e said6 D@ Allah's *essenger: "ho is there a&ongst us !ho has not
done !rong to
hi&selfHD %e 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 replied6 DIt is not as you say, for
'!rong' in the Lerse and' do not #onfuse their belief !ith !rong' &eans
'SHI,K' 2i.e. Aoining others in !orship !ith Allah3. %a(en't you heard
u=&an's saying to his son/ .O
#y sonE 9oin not others in worshi& with Allah/ )erily Boinin*
others in worshi& with Allah is a *reat wron* indeed-.D
2u=&an, 1F3
Then, Allah infor&s us of %is ad(i#e to &ankind to take #are of
parents. %e states their rights on the #hildren and orders us to be kind
!ith the& e(en if they !ere polytheists. But, one should not obey
the& if they in(ite hi& to Aoin others in !orship !ith Allah. Then Allah
resu&es u=&an's ad(i#e to his son saying6 .O #y sonE If it be
!anythin*' e@ual to the wei*ht of a *rain of #ustard seed/ and
thou*h it be in a ro%>/ or in the hea)ens or in the earth/ Allah
will brin* it forth( ?erily/ Allah is Subtle !in brin*in* out that
*rain'/ ell-Aware !of its &la%e'-, i.e. he forbids hi& to do !rong
to the people e(en in the slightest !ay, for Allah !ill bring it forth and
bring hi& to a##ount on the ,ay of Jesurre#tion. Allah Al&ighty says6
.SurelyE Allah wron*s not e)en of the wei*ht of an ato# !or a
s#all ant'- 2An5Nisa',
C@3 and, .And e shall set u& balan%es of Busti%e on the 0ay of
,esurre%tion/ then none will be dealt with unBustly in anythin*(
And if
there be the wei*ht of a #ustard seed/ e will brin* it( And
SuX%ient are e to ta>e a%%ount- 2Al5Anbiya', CB3 and, he told
hi& if that !rong deed !as e=ual to the !eight of a grain of &ustard
seed, or if it !as in a solid ro#k, or in the hea(ens or in the earth, Allah
!ill bring it forth for %e kno!s its e1a#t pla#e, 7?erily/ Allah is Subtle
!in brin*in* out that *rain'/ ell-Aware
!of its &la%e'-( Allah Al&ighty also says6 .And with Hi# are the
>eys of the 3haib !all that is hidden'/ none >nows the# but He(
And He >nows whate)er there is in the land and in the sea: not
a leaf falls/ but He >nows it( There is not a *rain in the
dar>ness of the earth nor anythin* fresh or dry/ but is written
in a Clear ,e%ord- 2Al5An'a&, I93 and, .And there is nothin*
hidden in the hea)en and the earth but it is in a Clear Boo> !i(e(
Al-Aauh Al-"ahfuG'- 2An5Na&l, BI3 and, .the All-Knower of the
+nseen/ it will %o#e to you: not e)en the wei*ht of an ato# !or
a s#all ant' or less than that or *reater es%a&es His Knowled*e
in (the hea)ens or in the earth but it is in a Clear Boo> !Al-Aauh
Al-"ahfuG'- 2'aba', F3.
As5'adiy #lai&ed that the ro#k &entioned in the Lerse is that
!hi#h lies beneath the se(enth earth. But, this #lai& is totally
reAe#ted for the !ord Dro#kD is inde$nite and if his #lai& !ere true, it
!ould be Dthe ro#kD. 'o, Dro#kD here
&eans any ro#k !hate(er and not a parti#ular one. Narrated Abu 'a'id
Al5 Khudri after Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be up9n hi&3 as saying6 DIf
any of you
perfor&s deeds in a solid ro#k that has no door or hole, his deeds,
!hate(er they
are, !ill #o&e out 2to the publi#3.D Then, u=&an said6 .O #y sonE
A@i#-As- Sa(lah !&erfor# As-Salah'-/ i.e. perfor& it properly and
in due ti&e. Then,
he said6 .enBoin !on &eo&le' Al-"a'ruf !Isla#i% "onotheis# and
all that
is *ood'/ and forbid !&eo&le' fro# Al-"un>ar !i(e( disbelief in
the
Oneness of Allah/ &olytheists of all >inds and all that is e)il
and bad'-, i.e. !ith your full po!er, !ith your hand, tongue and if you
#ould not, let it be !ith your heart 2i.e. reAe#t and resent it3. Then, he
ad(ised hi& to obser(e patien#e saying6 .and bear with &atien%e
whate)er befalls you-/ for if one enAoins !hat is good and forbids
the e(il, he !ill probably regarded as ene&y to #ertain people 2but, the
$nal re!ard !ould surely be his3. ;or this, he #o&&anded hi& to
obser(e patien#e. .?erily/ these are so#e of the i#&ortant
%o##and#ents !ordered by Allah with no eCe#&tion'- that are
ine(itable and #annot be negle#ted.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .And turn not your fa%e away fro#
#en with &ride-/ narrated Ibn 9Abbas, *uAahid, 9Ikri&ah, 'a9id Ibn
-ubair, Ad5,ahhak, >a4id Ibn Al5Asa&, Abu Al5-a!4a' and others6 This
&eans one shouldn't be sho!y or arrogant.
Allah the Al&ighty says6 .nor wal> in insolen%e throu*h the
earth( ?erily/ Allah li>es not any arro*ant boaster-/ here,
u=&an forbids his son to strut in his !alk. Allah the Al&ighty says6
.And wal> not on the earth with %on%eit and arro*an%e( ?erily/
you %an neither rend nor &enetrate the earth/ nor %an you
attain a stature li>e the #ountains in hei*ht-( 2Al5
Isra', FB3 i.e. you !ill neither be able to tread the !hole earth, nor
penetrate it !ith your fast !alking or strong footsteps, nor !ill you be
as high as &ountains !ith your sho!ing5o8 or arrogan#e. 'o, kno!
yourself !ell, for you are only a hu&an being 2#reated to !orship
Allah Alone3. The Propheti# %adith states6 D"hile a &an !as !alking,
dragging his dress !ith pride, he !as #aused to be s!allo!ed by the
earth and !ill go on sinking in it till the ,ay of Jesurre#tion.D
2Trans&itted by I&a& Al5Bukhari in his 'ahih3 Another Propheti#
%adith states that6 DBe!are dragging your dress !ith pride, for this is
boastfulness !hi#h is not lo(ed 2liked3 by Allah D Allah the Al&ighty
says6 .?erily/ Allah li>es not any arro*ant boaster-(
After u=&an forbids his son to !alk boastfully, he orders hi& to be
&oderate in his !alking, saying6 .And be #oderate !or show no
insolen%e' in your wal>in*-/ i.e. do not !alk fast or too slo!, rather
take a #ourse in5 bet!een, .And the !faithful' sla)es of the "ost
3ra%ious !Allah' are those who wal> on the earth in hu#ility
and sedateness/ and when the foolish address the# !with bad
words' they re&ly ba%> with #ild words of *entleness-. 2Al5
;ur=an, OF3 Then, u=&an says6 .and lower your
)oi%e-, i.e. if you talk, do not raise your (oi#e (ery loudly be#ause
the braying of the ass is the harshest of all (oi#es.
Narrated Abu %urairah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&36 The Prophet
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 D"hen you hear the #ro!ing of #o#ks, ask
for Allah's Blessings for 2their #ro!ing indi#ates that3 they ha(e seen
an angel. And !hen you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Jefuge
!ith Allah fro& 'atan for 2their braying indi#ates3 that they ha(e seen
a 'atan.D 2Trans&itted by I&a& Al5Bukhari in his 'ahih3. ;or this, it is
forbidden to raise one's (oi#e needlessly. But, raising the (oi#e !ith
the Adhan 2the +all to Prayer3 and in the battle$eld is per&itted.
These are the pie#es of ad(i#e gi(en by u=&an to his son that are
&entioned in the .lorious /ur'an. *any others ha(e been &entioned
in a book titled %ik&at u=&an 2u=&an's "isdo&3. ;ro& this (aluable
book, !e #ite the follo!ing6 Narrated I&a& Ah&ed that Ibn '<&ar 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith both of the&3 said6 "e !ere told by Allah's
*essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 that6 Du=&an,
the !ise used to say6 If anything !as entrusted to Allah, %e !ould
preser(e it.Q
9
Narrated Ibn %ati& that Al5/asi& Ibn *ukhai&irah reported
that Allah's *essenger 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 said6 Du=&an said to
his son !hen he !as ad(ising hi&6 D@ &y son: Be!are of &asking
for it is treason by night and dispraise during the day. D
Narrated ,a&urah after As5'ariy Ibn >ahia as saying6 u=&an said
to his son6 D)n &y son: Lerily, !isdo& has brought the indigent to the
#ourts of kings. D
-
This narration has a !eak sub5narrator in its #hain, i.e. /a4'ah Ibn 'u!aid Ibn %uAair AI5
Bahili 2as &entioned in An-Nasa'i's ea> and ,eBe%ted Narrators3
I !as told by &y father after 'Abdah lbn 'ulai&an after Ibn Al5
*ubarak after
'Abdur Jah&an Al5*as' udi after 'Aun Ibn 'Abdullah as saying6 u=&an
said to his son6 D@ &y son: If you #o&e to a people's setting, start
the& !ith salutation
2'aying As5'ala&u 'Alaiku& 2Pea#e be !ith you33, then, take a side and
do not
utter a !ord till they speak. If you $nd the& obser(ing the
Je&e&bran#e of
Allah, Aoin the&. But, if they obser(e anything else, turn a!ay fro&
the& and seek others 2!ho re&e&ber Allah Al&ighty3. D
I !as told by &y father after 'A&r Ibn '<th&an after ,a&urah Ibn %afs
Ibn
'<&ar as saying6 Du=&an pla#ed a bag of &ustards beside hi& and
started to ad(ise his son, gi(ing hi& !ith e(ery pie#e of ad(i#e a
&ustard till it all ran out. %e said6 @ &y son: I ga(e you ad(i#e that if a
&ountain !as gi(en, it !ould split. %e said6 then, his son !as as if
stru#k. D
Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 narrated6 DTake #are of
the
bla#k &en for three fro& a&ong the& are of the people of Paradise6
u=&an the !ise, Negus and Bilal 2the +aller to Prayer3.D 2%o!e(er,
this %adith is odd and reAe#ted3.
I&a& Ah&ed, in his book A45Nuhd 2As#eti#is&3, &entioned
u=&an' s biography and &any other (aluable things. %e said6 I
!as told by "aki' after 'ufyan after an unidenti$ed &an after
*uAahid as saying6 Allah's 'tate&ent6
7And indeed e bestowed u&on Au@#an Al-Hi>#ah-, i.e.
!isdo& and religious understanding. %e added6 he !as not a
Prophet. The sa&e !as
narrated by "ahb Ibn *unabih.
"aki' told us after 'ufyan after Ash'ath after 'Ikri&ah after Ibn
'Abbas 2*ay
Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 that he said6 u=&an !as an 0thiopian sla(e.
As!ad told us after %a&&ad after 'Ali Ibn >a4id after 'a'id Ibn Al5
*usaiyb as saying6 u=&an !as a tailor.
'aiyar told us after -a'far after *alik Ibn ,inar as saying6 u=&an
said to his son6 D@ &y son: Take Allah's )bedien#e as your trade, and
you !ill gain pro$ts !ithout ha(ing any &er#handises.D
>a4id told us after Abul Ashhab after *uha&&ad Ibn "asi' as
saying6 u=&an said to his son6 D@ &y son: ;ear Allah and do not let
the people noti#e that you fear %i& to gain honor 2fro& the&3 !hile
your heart is sinful.D
> a4id Ibn %a&n and "aki' told us after Abul A'hhab after Khalid
Ar5Jab'i as saying6 Du=&an !as an 0thiopian sla(e !ho !orked as a
#arpenter. )ne day,
his &aster ordered hi& to slaughter a goat and bring hi& the &ost
pleasant and deli#ious t!o parts thereof. u=&an did so and brought
hi& the tongue and
heart. The &aster asked6 ,id not you $nd anything &ore pleasant
than theseH u=&an said6 No: After a !hile, the &aster ordered hi& to
slaughter a goat and to thro! the &ost &alignant t!o parts thereof.
u=&an slaughtered the goat
and thre! the tongue and heart. The &aster e1#lai&ed and said6 I
ordered you to bring &e the &ost deli#ious parts thereof and you
brought &e the tongue and
heart, and I ordered you to thro!a!ay the &ost &alignant parts
thereof and you thre! the tongue and heart, ho! #an this beH u=&an
said6 Nothing #an be
&ore pleasing than these if they !ere good, and nothing #an be &ore
&ali#ious than these if they !ere &alignant.D
,a!ud Ibn Jashid told us after Ibn Al5*ubarak after *u'a&ir
after Abu
'<th&an, a &an fro& Basrah, as saying6 u=&an said to his son6 D@
&y son: ,o not !ish for befriending a fool that he &ay think you
appro(e his foolishness. And, do not take the !ise &an's rage easily
that he &ay abstain fro& you.D
,a!ud Ibn <said told us after Is&a'il Ibn 'Ayyash after ,a&da&
Ibn Nar'ah after 'huraih Ibn '<baid Al5%adra&i after 'Abdullah Ibn Naid
as saying6 u=&an said6 DLerily, Allah's %and is on the &ouths of !ise
&enE none of the& speaks but !ith !hat Allah assigned for hi&.D
'Abdur Ja44a= told us that he heard Ibn -uraiA as saying6 I used to
&ask &y head at night and 9<&ar said to &e6 ,id not you hear that
u=&an had said6 &asking during the day is hu&iliation and at night is
dispraise. 'o, !hy do you &ask yourself at nightH %e said6 Du=&an
!as not indebted.D
I !as told by %asan after Al5-unaid after 'ufyan as saying6
u=&an said to his son6 D@ &y son: I ha(e ne(er regretted be#ause of
keeping silent. If !ords are sil(er, silen#e is golden.D
I !as told by 'Abdul 'a&ad and "aki' after Abul Ashhab after
/atadah as saying6 u=&an said to his son6 D@ &y son: 'et apart
!ith e(il and it !ill set apart !ith you, for e(il begets nothing but
e(il.D
Narrated I&a& Ah&ed6 I !as told by 'Abdur Jah&an Ibn *ahdi
after Na$' Ibn '<&ar after Ibn Abu *alikah after '<baid Ibn '<&air as
saying6 u=&an said to his son !hen he !as ad(ising hi&6 D@ &y son:
+hoose bet!een gatherings 2of people3 pre#isely: If you $nd a
gathering in !hi#h Allah is &entioned, sit yourself
!ith the&. Thus, if you are kno!ledgeable, your kno!ledge !ill bene$t
youE but, if you are ignorant, they !ill tea#h youE and if Allah !ishes to
do the& good, you
!ill be bene$ted there!ith. @ &y son: ,o not sit in a gathering in
!hi#h Allah is not &entioned: Be#ause if you are kno!ledgeable, your
kno!ledge !ill not
bene$t youE and if you are ignorant, they !ill add to your ignoran#eE
and if Allah !ishes to aKi#t the& !ith har&, you !ill be aKi#ted !ith
the&. @ &y son: ,o not reAoi#e at seeing a strong &an !ho sheds the
blood of the faithful, for Allah
appoints for hi& a killer that does not e(er die.D
Abu *u'a!iyah told us after %isha& Ibn '<r!ah after his father as
saying6 D"isdo& di#tates6 @ &y son6 et your spee#h be good and your
fa#e be s&iling, you !ill be &ore lo(ed by the people than those !ho
gi(e the& pro(isions.D And, he said6 DIt is stated in the !isdo& 5or the
Torah 5 6 DKindness is the head of !isdo&.D And, he said6 DIt is stated in
the Torah6 DAs you sho! &er#y 2to
others3, &er#y !ill be sho!n to you.D And, he said6 DIt is stated in the
!isdo&6
D>ou !ill gain !hat you gi(e 2or, har(est !hat you gro!3.D And, he
said6 DIt is stated in the !isdo&6 Do(e your friend and the friend of
your father.D
9Abdur Ja44a= told us after *u'a&ir after Ayyub after Abu /ulabah as
saying6 u=&an !as on#e asked6 "ho is the best one in ter&s of
patien#eH %e said6 It is the one !ho pra#ti#es no har& after obser(ing
patien#e. Those !ho asked hi& said6 "ho is the best one in ter&s of
kno!ledgeH %e said6 It is he !ho adds to his o!n kno!ledge through
the kno!ledge of others. They asked6 "ho is the best fro& a&ong the
!hole peopleH %e said6 It is the !ealthy. They said6 Is it
the one !ho has properties and ri#hesH %e said6 No: But, it is the one
if !hose good !as sought, he !ould not hold it ba#k or pre(ent it.
And, it is the one !ho does not need anything fro& others.
Narrated 'ufyan Ibn '<yaynah6 u=&an !as asked6 "ho is the
!orst of all peopleH %e replied6 It is the one !ho does not feel sha&e
if found #o&&itting a sinful deed.
Abu As5'a&ad told us after *alik Ibn ,ianr as saying6 I found so&e
pie#es of5!isdo& as follo!s6 DAllah Al&ighty s#atters and !astes the
bones of those !ho gi(e religious opinions that go !ith the people's
lusts and desires.D And, DThere is no good for you that you learn
so&ething ne! !hile you do not pra#ti#e !hat you ha(e learnt
pre(iously. This is like a &an !ho gathere.d a pile
of dry !ood, then tried to #arry it but #ouldn't. Thereupon, he #olle#ted
a se#ond one.D
'Abdullah Ibn Ah&ed said6 I !as told by Al5%aka& Ibn Abu Nuhair
Ibn *usa after Al5;araA Ibn ;udalah after Abu 'a'id as saying6 u=&an
said to his son6 D@ &y son: et only the pious &en eat your food, and
#onsult the s#holars o(er
your a8airs.D These !ere !hat I&a& Ah&ed =uoted fro& the !isdo& of
u=&an, and I added so&e that he did not trans&it and indeed, he
5I&a&
Ah&ed 5=uoted things that I did not. And, Allah kno!s best:
Ibn Abu %ati& said6 I !as told by &y father after Al5'Abbas Ibn Al5
"alid after Naid Ibn >ahya Ibn '<baid Al5Khu4a'i after 'a'id Ibn Bashir
after /atadah as saying6 Allah Al&ighty enabled u=&an to #hoose
bet!een Prophethood and !isdo& and he 2u=&an3 preferred !isdo&
to Prophethood. Then, .abriel #a&e !hile he !as asleep and poured
the !isdo& o(er hi&. And, he began to pronoun#e it the ne1t &orning.
'a'id said6 I heard /atadah as saying6 It !as said to u=&an6 %o!
did you prefer !isdo& to Prophethood !hen you !ere enabled to
#hoose bet!een the&H %e said6 If Allah !ere to assign &e !ith
Prophethood, I !ould a##ept it and try hard to !in %is Pleasure, but %e
enabled &e to #hoose. I feared of being too !eak for Prophethood, so I
#hose !isdo&.
This narration is not perfe#tly authenti# or sound for that sub5
narrator, 'a' id Ibn Bashir, is not a trust!orthy one. %o!e(er, &any
fro& a&ong our earlier s#holars, fore&ost a&ong !ho& !ere6
*uAahid, 'a'id Ibn Al5*usayyb and Ibn
'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 !ere of the (ie!point that
Allah's
'tate&ent that reads6 .And indeed e bestowed u&on
Au@#an Al- Hi>#ah !wisdo#'-, &eans6 dis#retion and
religious understanding.
Thereupon, he !as not a Prophet and nothing has been re(ealed to hi&
Al5 "ahi
2,i(ine Inspiration3.
*er#iful
21B3
$eo&le of the
0it%h
.By the hea)en holdin* the bi* stars( And by the $ro#ised
0ay !i(e( the 0ay of ,esurre%tion'( And by the itnessin* day
!i(e( 2riday'/ and by (the itnessed day !i(e( the 0ay of 'Arafat
!HaBB' the ninth of 0hul- HiBBahI( Cursed were the &eo&le of the
0it%h !in the story of the Boy
and the Kin*'( Of <re fed with fuel( hen they sat by it !<re'(
And they witnessed what they were doin* a*ainst the
belie)ers !i(e( burnin* the#'( And they had no fault eC%e&t
that they belie)ed in Allah/ the All- "i*hty/ orthy of all
$raiseE To ho# belon*s the do#inion of the hea)ens and the
earthE And Allah is itness o)er e)erythin*( ?erily/ those who
&ut into trial the belie)in* #en and belie)in* wo#en !by
torturin* the# and burnin* the#'/ and then do not turn in
re&entan%e !to Allah'/ then they will ha)e the tor#ent of Hell/
and they will ha)e the &unish#ent of the burnin* 2ire-. 2Al5
BuruA, 151@3
*uha&&ad Ibn Isha= #lai&ed that they li(ed after the ad(ent of
-esus 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, but other s#holars disagreed !ith hi&
#lai&ing the& to li(e before hi& 2Pea#e be upon hi&3. %o!e(er, &any
s#holars &entioned that this in#ident !as repeated &ore than on#e.
There is a Propheti# %adith narrating the story of those &entioned in
the .lorious /ur'an. I&a& Ah&ed said6 I !as told
by %arnrnad Ibn 'ala&ah after Thabit after' Abdur Jah&an Ibn Abu
aila as saying6 'uhaib 2*ay Allah be pleased !ithhi&3 reported that
Allah's *essenger
2Pea#e be upon hi&3 thus said6 'There li(ed a king before you and he
had a
2#ourt3 &agi#ian. As he 2the &agi#ian3 gre! old, he said to the king6 I
ha(e gro!n old, send so&e young boy to &e so that I should tea#h
hi& &agi#. %e 2the king3 sent hi& a young boy so that he should train
hi& 2in &agi#3. And on his !ay 2to The &agi#ian3 he 2the young boy3
found a &onk sitting there. %e listened to the &onk's lalk and !as
i&pressed by it. It be#a&e his habit to pass by the &onk and spent
the ti&e !ith hi& listening to his tea#hings and then lea(e to the
&agi#ian late. %e 2the &agi#ian3 beat hi& be#ause of delay. %e &ade
a #o&plaint of that to the &onk and he said to hi&6 "hen you feel
afraid
of the &agi#ian, say6 *e&bers of &y fa&ily had detained &e. And
!hen you feel afraid of your fa&ily you should say6 The &agi#ian had
detained &e. It so
happened that there #a&e a huge beast 2of prey3 and it blo#ked the
!ay of the
people, and he 2the young boy3 said6 I !ill, #o&e to kno! today
!hether the &agi#ian is superior or the &onk is superior. %e pi#ked
up a stone and said6 @
Allah, if the a8air of the &onk is dearer to Thee than the a8air of the
&agi#ian,
#ause death to this ani&al so that the people should be able to &o(e
about freely. %e thre! that stone to!ards it and killed it and the people
began to &o(e about 2on the path freely3. %e 2the young &an3 then
#a&e to that &onk and infor&ed hi& and the &onk said6 'onny, today
you are superior to &e. >our a8air has #o&e to a stage !here I $nd
that you !ould be soon put to a trial, and in #ase you are put to a trial
don't gi(e &y #lue. That young &an began to treat the blind and those
su8ering fro& leprosy. %e in fa#t began to #ure people fro& 2all kinds3
of illness. "hen a #o&panion of the king !ho had gone blind heard
about hi&, he #a&e to hi& !ith nu&erous gifts and said6 If you #ure
&e, all these things #olle#ted together here
!ould be yours. %e said6 I &yself do not #ure anyone. It is Allah "ho
#ures and if you aPr& faith in Allah, I shall also suppli#ate Allah to #ure
you. %e aPr&ed his faith in Allah and Allah #ured hi& and he #a&e to
the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The king said to
hi&6 "ho restored your eyesightH %e said6 *y ord: The king got
astounded6 should it &ean that your ord is another )ne besides &e.
%e said6 *y ord and your ord is Allah, so he 2the king3 took hold of
hi& and tor&ented hi& till he ga(e a #lue of that boy. The young &an
!as thus su&&oned and the king said to hi&6 @ boy, it has been
#on(eyed to
&e that you ha(e be#o&e so &u#h pro$#ient in your &agi# that you
#ure the blind and those su8ering fro& leprosy and you do su#h and
su#h things. The boy
said6 I do not #ure anyoneE it is Allah "ho #ures. The king took hold of
hi& and
began to tor&ent hi&. 0(entually the boy ga(e a #lue of the &onk.
The &onk !as thus su&&oned and it !as said to hi&6 >ou should
turn ba#k fro& your
religion. %e, ho!e(er, refused to do so. %e 2ordered3 for a sa! to be
brought
2and !hen it !as done3 he 2the king3 pla#ed it in the &iddle of his head
and tore it into parts till a part fell do!n. Then the #ourtier of the king
!as brought and it
!as said to hi&6 Turn ba#k fro& your religion. And he refused to do so,
and the
sa! !as pla#ed in the &idst of his head and it !as torn till a part fell
do!n. Then that young boy !as brought and it !as said to hi&6 Turn
ba#k fro& your
religion. %e refused to do so and he !as handed o(er to a group of his
#ourtiers.
The king ruled6 Take hi& to su#h and su#h &ountain,' &ake hi& #li&b
up that &ountain and !hen you rea#h its top 2ask hi& to renoun#e his
faith3 but if he refuses to do so, then thro! hi& 2do!n the &ountain3.
'o they took hi& and &ade hi& #li&b up the &ountain and he said6 @
Allah, sa(e &e fro& the& 2in any !ay3 Thou likest and the &ountain
began to =uake and they all fell do!n and that person #a&e !alking to
the king. The king said to hi&6 "hat has happened to your
#o&panions 2the #ourtiers3H %e said6 Allah has sa(ed &e fro& the&.
%e again handed hi& to so&e of his #ourtiers and said6 Take hi& and
#arry hi& in a s&all boat and !hen you rea#h the &iddle of the o#ean
2ask hi&
to renoun#e3 his religion, but if he does not renoun#e his religion thro!
hi& 2into the !ater3. 'o they took hi& and the boy said6 @ Allah, sa(e
&e fro& the& and !hat they !ant to do. It !as =uite soon that the
boat turned o(er and they !ere dro!ned and he #a&e !alking to the
king, and the king said to hi&6 "hat has happened to your #o&panions
2the #ourtiers3H %e said6 Allah has sa(ed &e fro&
the&, and he said to the king6 >ou #annot kill &e until you do !hat I
ask you to do. And he said6 "hat is thatH %e said6 >ou should gather
people in a plain and hang &e by the trunk 2of a tree3. Then take hold
of an arro! fro& the =ui(er
and say6 In the na&e of Allah, the ord of the !orlds, then shoot an
arro! and if you do that then you !ould be able to kill &e. The king
#alled the people in an
open plain and tied the boy to the trunk of a tree, then he took hold of
an arro! fro& his =ui(er and then pla#ed the arro! in the bo! and
then said6 In the Na&e of Allah, the ord of the young boyE he then
shot an arro! and it bit his
te&ple. %e 2the boy3 pla#ed his hands upon the te&ple !here the
arro! had bit hi& and he died and the people said6 "e aPr& our faith
in the ord of this
young &an, !e aPr& our faith in the ord of this young &an, !e aPr&
our faith in the ord of this young &an. The #ourtiers #a&e to the king
and it !as said to hi&6 ,o you see that Allah has a#tually done !hat
you ai&ed at a(erting.
They 2the people3 ha(e aPr&ed their faith in the ord. The king
#o&&anded dit#hes to be dug at #ertain points in the path. "hen
these dit#hes !ere dug, and the $re !as lit in the& it !as said 2to
the people36 %e !ho !ould not turn
ba#k fro& his 2the boy's3 religion !ould be thro!n in the $re or it
!ould be said to the& to Au&p in it. 2The people #ourted death but did
not renoun#e religion3 till a !o&an #a&e !ith her #hild and she felt
hesitant in Au&ping into the $re
and the #hild said to her6 @ &other, endure 2this ordeal3 for it is the
Truth.D 2Trans&itted by I&a& Ah&ed, I&a& *usli& and An5Nasa'i
fro& the %adith of %a&&ad Ibn 'ala&ah3.
'o&e s#holars #lai&ed that the in#ident of the dit#h !as re#urred
or repeated in the past &ore than on#e. Ibn Abu %ati& said6 I !as told
by &y father after Abul >a&an after 'af!an Ibn 'Abdur Jah&an Ibn
-ubair as saying6 the in#ident of the dit#h took pla#e in the >e&en
during the lifeti&e of Tubba'. And, it took pla#e in +onstantinople
during the lifeti&e of +onstantine !ho set the $res in !hi#h he thre!
the +hristians !ho !ere sti#king to the religion of -esus 2Isla&i#
*onotheis&3. It also took pla#e in Ira=, in the land of Babylon during
the lifeti&e of Bikhtinassar !ho ere#ted an idol and ordered the people
to prostrate the&sel(es before it. ,aniel, 'I4rya and *ashayl refused
and
thereupon, he set a great $re and thre! the& into it. %o!e(er, Allah
Al&ighty sa(ed the& fro& the $re and #aused the nine &en !ho
transgressed o(er the& to fell into the $re they the&sel(es &ade.
+on#erning Allah's 'tate&ent that reads: .Cursed were the
&eo&le of the
0it%h-/ As5'adiy said6 There !ere three dit#hes6 one in 'ha&
2'yria3, another in Ira=, and the third in the >e&en. 2Narrated by Ibn
Abu %ati&3
*er#iful
!SQ'
Barsisa the
orshi&&er
!The
,ene*ade'
Allah the Al&ighty says in %is .lorious /ur'an6
.!Their allies de%ei)ed the#' li>e Shaitan !Satan'/ when he
says to #an: =0isbelie)e in Allah(= But when !#an' disbelie)es
in Allah/ Shaitan !Satan' says: =I a# free of you/ I fear Allah/
the Aord of the
1Ala#in !#an>ind/ Binn and all that eCists'E= So the end of both
will be that they will be in the 2ire/ abidin* therein( Su%h is
the re%o#&ense of the Dali#un !i(e( &olytheists/ wron*doers/
disbelie)ers in Allah and in
His Oneness'-( 2Al5%ashr, 1O, 1B3
Ibn - arir said that 'Abdullah Ibn *as'ud interpreted the /ur'ani#
Lerse that reads6 .!Their allies de%ei)ed the#' li>e Shaitan
!Satan'/ when he says to #an: =0isbelie)e in Allah(= But when
!#an' disbelie)es in Allah/ Shaitan !Satan' says: =I
a# free of you/ I fear Allah/ the Aord of the 'Ala#in !#an>ind/
Binn and all that eCists'E= So the end of both will be that they
will be in the 2ire/ abidin* therein( Su%h is the re%o#&ense of
the Dali#un !i(e( &olytheists/ wron*-doers/ disbelie)ers in
Allah and in His Oneness'-( 2Al5%ashr, 1O, 1B3
Ibn *as'ud 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 said6 )n#e upon a
ti&e, there !as a !o&an gra4ing sheep and goats. 'he had four
brothers. 'he 2for so&e reason3 used to spend the night at a &onk's
#ell. The &onk #o&&itted adultery !ith her and she got pregnant.
'atan #a&e to hi& and said6 Kill the !o&an and then bury her for you
are a reputable and highly respe#ted &an 2i.e. don't risk your o!n
reputation for su#h a si&ple !o&an3. The &onk killed her and then
buried her. Thereupon, 'atan (isited her four brothers in a drea&
!hile they !ere asleep and said to the&6 the &onk #o&&itted
adultery !ith your sister, and be#ause she got pregnant, he killed her
and buried her in su#h5and5su#h lo#ation. In the &orning, one of the&
said6 DBy Allah: ast night I drea&t of so&ething and I do not kno!
!hether to relate it to you or Aust keep it to &yselfHD They said6 Jelate
it to us. %e did so and one of the& said6 By Allah: I sa! the sa&e
drea&. Another said the sa&e. And the fourth one said the sa&e
thing. They agreed on that there &ust be so&ething serious about
that drea&.
They !ent to the king and appealed for his help against the &onk.
The king's troops #a&e to arrest hi& and he !as taken a!ay. )n the
!ay, 'atan #a&e to the &onk 2and !hispered in his ears36 I set you
up. No one else #an sa(e you fro& this. Prostrate yourself before &e
Aust for on#e and in return, I !ill sa(e
you fro& this. Thereupon, the &onk prostrated hi&self before 'atan.
"hen they presented the&sel(es before the king, 'atan said to hi&6 I
a& free of you:
;inally, the &onk !as killed.
The sa&e story !as narrated by the eader of the Belie(ers, 'Ali Ibn
Abu Talib 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith hi&3 in another !ording. Ibn -arir
said6 I !as told by Khallad Ibn Asla&, on the authority of An5Nadr Ibn
'ha&il after 'hu'bah, after Abu Isha=, after 'Abdullah Ibn Nahik saying6
I heard 'Ali as saying6 A &onk !orshipped Allah Alone for si1ty years.
'atan e1erted hi&self to sedu#e hi&, but #ould not. %e !ent to a
!o&an and tou#hed her !ith e(il 2&addened her3. The !o&an had
brothers !ho& !ere (isited by 'atan !ho told the& to take her to that
&onk to re#ei(e treat&ent and #ure. They took her to the &onk and he
treated her. After!ards, she stayed for a !hile at his #ell 2house3. )ne
day, he !as attra#ted to her and he #o&&itted adultery !ith her. 'he
got pregnant and he killed her 2to #on#eal his $rst #ri&e3. %er brothers
#a&e 2after kno!ing the &atter3 and 'atan appeared again for the
&onk and said6 I a& your friend, I did not $nd a solution or !ay to
&islead you, but 2$nally3 I set you up. 'o, obey &e and I !ill sa(e you
fro& this. Prostrate yourself before &e and you !ill be sa(ed. The
&onk did so. Then, 'atan said6 7DI a& free of you, I fear Allah, the ord
of the9Ala&in 2&ankind, Ainn and all that e1ists3: DV .2Al5 %ashr ,1O3
This is the interpretation of Allah's 'aying6 .!Their allies de%ei)ed
the#' li>e Shaitan !Satan'/ when he says to #an: =0isbelie)e in
Allah(= But when !#an' disbelie)es in Allah/ Shaitan !Satan'
says: =I a# free of you/ I fear Allah/ the Aord of the= Ala#in
!#an>ind/ Binn and all that eCists'E= So the end of both will be
that they will be in the 2ire/ abidin* therein( Su%h is the
re%o#&ense of the Dali#un !i(e( &olytheists/ wron*-doers/
disbelie)ers in Allah and in His Oneness'-( 2Al5%ashr, 1O, 1B3
*er#iful
2193
Owners of the
5le&hant
.Ha)e you !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' not seen
how your Aord dealt with the owners of the 5le&hantF HThe
5le&hant ar#y whi%h %a#e fro# 4e#en under the %o##and of
Abraha Al-Ashra# intendin* to destroy the Ka1bah at
"a>>ahI( 0id He not #a>e their &lot *o astrayF And He sent
a*ainst the# birds/ in Ro%>s( Stri>in* the# with stones of SiBBil
!ba>ed %lay'( And He #ade the# li>e !an e#&ty <eld on stal>s
!of whi%h the %orn has been eaten u& by %attle'-( 2Al5Pil, 15I3
At 5Tabari said6 The $rst one to ta&e elephants !as Ifridun Ibn
Ath=iyan !ho killed Ad5 ,ahha=. %e !as the $rst to use saddle for
horses. But, the $rst one to ta&e and ride on horses !as Tah&uris, the
third king on earth. It is also said that Is&a'il Ibn Ibrahi& 2Pea#e be
upon the&3 !as the $rst to ride horses. It is probably that he !as the
$rst one to ride on the& fro& a&ong the Arabs, and Allah kno!s the
best.
It is said6 Though the elephant is so huge, he fears fro& #ats.
Thereupon, so&e !arlords, during their $ght against the Indians,
brought so&e #ats to the battle$eld the &atter that for#ed the
elephants to bolt.
Ibn Isha= said6 the go(ernor or (i#eroy, Abraha Al5Ashra& built a
huge and (ery lofty #hur#b, and !rote to the king of Abyssinia, Negus
that DI ha(e built
you a #hur#h that is unpre#edented, and I a& intending to di(ert
pilgri&age fro&
*e##a to Abyssinia D .
Al5'uhaili said6 Abraha Al5Ashra& subAugated the >e&enites to
build that &ean #hur#h and for#ed the& to taste se(eral sorts of
hu&iliation. %e used to #ut o8 the hand of the one !ho #o&es late for
labor till the sun rises. %e took &any (aluable things fro& the pala#e
of Bil=is to add thereto. %e took &arbles, pre#ious stones, and
(aluable luggage. *oreo(er, he ere#ted gold and sil(er #rosses, built
ebony and i(ory pulpits, and raised the #hur#h's stature and
e1panded its !idth. After!ards, !hen Abraha !as killed, !hosoe(er
tried to take anything out of its body or orna&ents, the -inn !ere
relu#tant and hesitant to do
hi& har&. ;or, it !as built abo(e the burial of t!o idols #alled Ku'aib
and his
!ife, the height of !hi#h !as about si1ty #ubits. 'o, the >e&enites left
it untou#hed till the era of Al5'a8ah, the $rst Abbaside +aliph. %e, Al5
'a8ah, sent a
group of pious s#holars of !ill $r& !ho totally de&olished it, and it !as
destroyed then till the present day.
Ibn Isha= said6 "hen the Arabs heard of the letter of Abraha sent to
Negus, a &an fro& Kinanah got angry. %e set out till he rea#hed the
#hur#h !here he urinated on its !alls.l No body noti#ed hi&, and upon
that he returned ho&e safely. The ne!s rea#hed Abraha !ho asked
about the doer. %e !as ans!ered6 this !as done by one of those Arabs
!ho perfor& pilgri&age to the Ka'bah at *e##a !hen he heard of your
de#lared intention that you !ould di(ert pilgri&age fro& their 'a#red
%ouse to your 2re#ently5built3 #hur#h. %e 2the Arab3 got angry and
#a&e to e1#rete therein de#laring it to be un=uali$ed 2to the e(ent3.
<pon hearing this, Abraha burst !ith rage and took oath that he !ould
de&olish the Ka'bah. Then, he ordered the Abyssinians 2+hristians3 to
get prepared for !ar.
%e led a big e1pedition against *e##a a##o&panying an elephant or
elephants in his train. The Arabs heard of the ne!s and they !ere
terri$ed, but they de#ided to $ght hi& !hen the ne!s !as aPr&ed
that he intended to destroy the 'a#red %ouse. A &an fro& a&ong the
noble&en of >e&en #alled ,hu Nafar set out for hi& a##o&panied !ith
his o!n #lan and those !ho ans!ered his #all to $ght against Abraha.
The t!o parties &et, ,hu Nafar and his follo!ers !ere defeated and he
hi&self !as taken as a prisoner of '!ar. %e !as then brought before
Abraha !ho !as about to kill hi&, but ,hu Nafar said6 D@ king: ,on't
kill &e, I &ay be of any use to you.D Abraha did not kill hi& and he
kept hi& tied up in #ustody. Then Abraha !ent on intending !hat he
set out for. %e arri(ed at the land of Khath'a& !here he en#ountered
!ith Nufail Ibn %abib Al5Khath' a&i !ho !as leading his t!o tribes
5'hahran and Nahis5 along !ith his follo!ers fro& a&ong the Arabs.
Nufail !as defeated and taken as a prisoner of !ar to be brought
before Abraha. Abraha intended to kill hi&, but Nufail said6 D@ king:
,on't kill &e. I &ay guide you to the destination you desire. %ere you
are: *y pledge of allegian#e. 9Abraha set hi& free and took hi& as a
guide. "hen they passed by Ta'if, there #a&e to hi& *as' ud Ibn *u'
tab Ibn *alik Ibn Ka' b Ibn
'A&r Ibn 'a'd Ibn 'Auf Ibn Tha=if along !ith his follo!ers !ho said6 D@
king: "e are nothing but your sla(es, !e listen and obey, no hostility
is e(er there bet!een you and us, and our %ouse is not that !hi#h you
!ant 5i.e. Al5at 5 you
only !ant the %ouse in *e##a. %en#e, !e send !ith you so&eone !ho
leads you thereto.
1As a sign of sho!ing anger and &o#kery.
Ibn Isha= said6 Al5at !as a 'sa#red' %ouse in Ta'if, it !as to the&
Aust as the Ka' bah !as to the rest of the Arabs. They sent a &an
#alled Abu Jughal to sho! hi& 2Abraha3 the !ay to *e##a. They !ent
on till they arri(ed at a pla#e #alled Al5*agh&as !here Abu Jughal
died. Abu Jughal !as buried there and after!ards, the Arabs used to
stone his gra(e. %o!e(er, I &entioned on the 'tory of Tha&ud that
Abu Jughal !as a&ong the train of Abraha and that he sheltered
hi&self !ith the 'a#red %ouse 2Ka' bah3 and !hen he #a&e out, a
stone hit hi& and he !as dead. The Prophet 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 told
his +o&panions6 DAs a sign on this, he !as buried !ith t!o bran#hes
of goldD. They dug and (erily, they found the&. To #o&pro&ise
bet!een this and the narration of Ibn Isha= I say6 the later Abu Jughal
had the sa&e na&e as his higher
an#estor !hose gra(e used to be stoned by the Arabs. *oreo(er,
the people used to stone his gra(e as they stone that of the for&er.
Ibn Isha= said6 "hen Abraha arri(ed at Al5*agh&as, he sent a
&an #alled Al5As!ad Ibn *a=sud !ith a #a(alry dispat#h. Al5As!ad
sei4ed so&e of the Arab's property !hi#h in#luded t!o hundred
#a&els that belonged to 'Abdul *uttalib, the Prophet's un#le, !ho
!as, then, the prin#ipal &an a&ong the nobility. <pon this, /uraish,
Kinanah and %udhail de#ided to $ght against Abraha, but they
#o&prehended that they #annot a8ord that and thus =uitted the idea.
Then, Abraha sent %anatah Al5%i&iari to *e##a ordering hi& to ask
about the #hief of the people and tell hi&6 DI 2the king3 did not #o&e
to $ght
against you, 1 only #a&e to destroy the 'a#red %ouse. If you do not
stand in our !ay, !e !ill not har& any of you all. 9Abraha added to his
&essenger6 'And if he
sho!ed his desire not. to $ght, bring hi& to &e.' "hen %anatah entered
*e##a,
he asked about its #hief and &aster. %e !as told6 it is 'Abdul *uttalib
Ibn
%ashi&. %e sa! hi& and thus deli(ered the &essage. 'Abdul *uttalib
said6 DBy Allah: "e do not intend to $ght. Jeally !e #annot a8ord it.
This is the 'a#red %ouse of Allah and %is Khalil 2friend3 Ibrahi& 2Pea#e
be upon hi&3, only %i& Alone #an prote#t it if %e !ills to.D <pon
hearing this, %anatah said6 D+o&e !ith &e to &eet !ith hi& 2Abraha3,
he ordered &e to do so.D 'Abdul *uttalib set out for hi& a##o&panied
!ith so&e of his sons till they approa#hed the #a&p. %e asked about
,hu Nafar !ho !as a friend of his. %e entered upon hi& in his prison
and said6 D@ ,hu Nafar: +an't you do anything for us in this plight of
oursHD ,hu Nafar said6 D"hat #an a prisoner do !hile !aiting for death
to #o&e either in the &orning of at nightH All that 1 #an do is to send
to the stable&an of the elephant, Anis, !ho is a friend of &ine to
re#o&&end you, say a good !ord of you, inter#ede for you before hi&,
and to seek per&ission for you to &eet
!ith Abraha.D 'Abdul *uttalib said6 DThat's enough !ith &e.D ,hu Nafar
sent to Anis saying6 Lerily, 'Abdul *uttalib is the #hief of the
/uraishites, he is generous to both hu&ans and ani&als and the king
2Abraha3 sei4ed t!o hundred #a&els that belong to hi&. 'o, seek
per&ission for hi& to &eet Abraha and do !hate(er you see useful for
hi&. Anis said6 'urely, 1 !ill do. Anis presented hi&self before Abraha
and then said6 @ king: The #hief of /uraish is here and !ants to present
hi&self before you,so gi(e hi& per&ission to, please: Abraha ga(e his
#onsent.
'Abdul *uttalib !as (ery handso&e and grand and !hen seen by
Abraha, Abraha sho!ed great respe#t and !as highly i&pressed. 'o, he
refused to &ake hi& sit
lo!ly in front of hi&, and also disliked to let the Abyssinians see hi&
allo!ing
hi& to sit on his o!n #hair 2throne3. +onse=uently, he des#ended fro&
abo(e his #hair and sat besides hi& on the ri#h #arpet. Then, he said to
his interpreter6 Ask
hi& !hat does he !antH %o!e(er, Abraha !as surprised to hear fro&
'Abdul
*uttalib through the interpreter that all he !anted !as a
#o&pensation for his t!o hundred #a&els, but did not ask hi& to
lea(e the Ka' bah alone. "hen
Abraha e1pressed surprise, 'Abdul *uttalib ans!ered6 DI a& the
&aster of the #a&els, !hereas the Ka' bah house of !orship 5has its
lord to defend itD. Abraha said6 No one #an defend it fro& &e. 'Abdul
*uttalib said6 >ou are on your o!n: ;inally, Abraha ga(e hi& the
#a&els ba#k.
Ibn Isha= said6 It is said that !hen 'Abdul *uttalib entered upon
Abraha he !as a##o&panied !ith >a'&ur Ibn Nafa'ah Ibn 'Adiy Ibn Ad5
,ail Ibn Bakr Ibn
'Abd *anah Ibn Kinanah the #hief of the Banu Bakr tribe and Khu!ailid
Ibn
"a'ilah the #hief of the %udhail tribe !ho o8ered Abraha one5third of
the properties of Tiha&ah distri#t in return for his going ba#k and
lea(ing the Ka'bah
alone. But, Abraha refused their o8er. Ibn Isha= added6 DI a& not #ertain
about
the authenti#ity of this:D
"hen 'Abdul *uttalib returned ho&e he told the /uraishites about
!hat happened bet!een hi& and Abraha and ordered the& to
e(a#uate *e##a and &o(e to the &ountains. Then, he a##o&panied
!ith so&e &en stood holding the ring of the Ka 'bah' s door in(oking
Allah and seeking %is Aid against Abraha and his troops.
Ibn Isha= said6 then, 'Abdul *uttalib let the door's ring and set out
!ith his #o&panions to the &ountains seeking shelter and a!aiting for
!hat !ould happen ne1t. In the &orning, Abraha got prepared to
enter *e##a, and got his elephant and troops prepared. The
elephant's na&e !as *ah&oud. "hen he !as dire#ted to!ards
*e##a, Nufail Ibn %abib #a&e near hi& and !hispered in his ear6
Kneel do!n *ah&oud and go ba#k ho&e safe, you are in Allah's
'a#red To!n. %e let go his ear and the elephant kneeled do!n.
As5'uhaili said6 this &eans that the elephant fell to the ground, as
elephants do not kneel do!n. It is said6 that so&e elephants &ight
kneel do!n Aust as #a&els. And, Allah Kno!s Best.
Nufail Ibn %abib !ent a!ay and #li&bed up the &ount till he !as
far and safe. The Abyssinians beat the elephant for#ing hi& to stand
up to his feet, but he refused. They hit his head !ith a1e5like
!eapons, but he refused. They tried their best to for#e hi& to stand
up to his feet, but they #ould not. They dire#ted
his fa#e ba#k to!ards the >e&en and he stood up and ran thereto. They
dire#ted hi& to!ards the 'ha& 2'yria3 and then to!ards the east and
he stood up to his
feet and ran thereto. They again dire#ted hi& to!ards *e##a, but he
refused. Thereupon, Allah the Al&ighty sent upon the& birds fro& the
seaside rese&bling ha!ks. 0a#h bird held three stones6 one in his beak
and t!o in his t!o legs. The
stones !ere like #hi#k5peas and lentils, and none fro& a&ong the
Abyssinians !as hit by a stone, but he !as killed. *oreo(er, the
birds did not hit the& all. The rest of the& Med a!ay seeking the
!ay they $rst #a&e fro& and asking
about Nufail Ibn %abib to guide the& ba#k to >e&en.
Ibn Isha= said6 the Abyssinians Med a!ay !hile death pursuing
the& on e(ery path and in e(ery !ay and Abraha !as hit !ith a
stone as !ell. They #arried hi& and his body began to tear up part
after part till they rea#hed 'an'aa. After a short !hile, his #hest
#ra#ked 2as #lai&ed by historians3 and he died.
Ibn Isha= said6 I ha(e been told by >a' =ub Ibn '<tbah that that year
!as the $rst in !hi#h &easles, s&all5bo1, and bitter trees su#h as
#olo#ynth and Afri#an rue appeared in the Arab Peninsula.
Ibn Isha= said6 "hen Allah the Al&ighty sent %is Prophet
*uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3, %e re&inded the /uraishites !ith
%is .ra#e and ;a(or besto!ed on the& through defeating the
Abyssinians and defying the& saying6 .Ha)e
you !L "uha##ad !$ea%e be u&on hi#'' not seen how your
Aord dealt with the owners of the 5le&hantF HThe 5le&hant
ar#y whi%h %a#e fro#
4e#en under the %o##and of Abraha Al-Ashra# intendin* to
destroy the Ka'bah at "a>>ahI( 0id He not #a>e their &lot *o
astrayF And He sent a*ainst the# birds/ !Ababil' in Ro%>s(
Stri>in* the# with stones of
SiBBil !ba>ed %lay'( And He #ade the# li>e !an e#&ty <eld of'
stal>s !of whi%h the %orn has been eaten u& by %attle'-(
Then, Ibn %isha& and Ibn Isha= started to interpret this 'urah and
the ne1t stated as follo!s6 Ibn %isha& said6 The !ord DAbabilD &eans
Din Mo#ksD, though the Arabs ne(er used that !ord before the
Je(elation of the .lorious /ur'an. But as for the !ord D'iAAilD, I !as told
by >unus An5Nah!i and Abu' <baidah that it !as used by the Arabs to
&ean6 solid and strong. *oreo(er, so&e interpreters #lai&ed that this
!ord !as originally t!o in Persian, but the Arabs rendered
the& a single !ord that is D'inAD and DlilD. ''inA' &eans stone and lil'
stands for #lay and hard stones #onsist of these t!o &aterials, stone
and #lay. %e added,
Y9AssfQ stands for lea(es. AI5Kasa'i said6 I ha(e heard so&e
gra&&arians saying6
DThe singular for& of 'Ababil' 2Mo#k3 is 9Abil'. Besides, &any of our
early s#holars said6 9Ababil' are Mo#ks of birds gathering group after
group fro& here and
there.
Narrated 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith the&36
Their beaks !ere like those of the birds and their legs !ere like those
of the dogs. In addition, 'Ikri&ah trans&itted6 their heads !ere like
those of the lions and they #a&e fro& the seaside and their #olor !as
green. Also, '<baid Ibn '<&air said6 they !ere &arine bla#k birds,
holding stones in their beaks and legs. 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 2*ay Allah
be pleased !ith hi&3 said also6 they looked like the Phoeni1, and the
s&allest stone they #arried !as e=ual to the head of a hu&an being
and other stones !ere e=ual to #a&els. The sa&e (ie! !as held by
>unus Ibn Bakir after Ibn Isha=. 'o&e interpreters said6 The stones
!ere too s&all. Allah kno!s best:
Ibn Abu %ati& said6 Abu Nar'ah told us on the authority of
*uha&&ad Ibn
'Abdullah Ibn Abu 'haibah after *u'a!iyah after Al5A'&ash after Abu
'ufyan
after '<baid Ibn '<&air saying6 "hen Allah the Al&ighty !anted to
destroy the o!ners of the elephant %e sent against the& birds in
Mo#ks fro& the seaside rese&bling ha!ks, ea#h one of the& #arried
three stones6 one in his beak and t!o in his t!o legs. They Me! o(er
till they !ere dire#tly abo(e the .ar&y, then they s#rea&ed and let go
of the stones. The stones used to #ut o8 or #ra#k !ho& they hit fro&
his head to his toes. In addition, Allah the Al&ighty sent a se(ere
!ind that hit the stones and added to their speed and strength, the
&atter that #aused the &aAority of the ar&y to perish.
Ibn Isha= said as stated earlier that not all of the& !ere hit by the
stones. Jather, so&e of the& &anaged to return to the >e&en and
related to their people !hat had happened to the& and to the !hole
ar&y. And Abraha hi&self !as hit !ith the stones and !as #arried till
he rea#hed the >e&en !here he died, &ay Allah the Al&ighty da&n
hi&:
Narrated Ibn Isha= saying6 I !as told by 9Abdullah Ibn Abu Bakr after
'a&urah after 'A'ishah 2*ay Allah be pleased !ith her3 that she said6 DI
ha(e seen the rider and stable&an of the elephant at *e##a blind,
#rippled and asking the people to feed the& up.D %o!e(er, it !as
&entioned earlier that the stable&an !as #alled Anis, but the rider
!as unidenti$ed. Allah kno!s best:
In his Tafsir 2interpretation3, An5Na==ash &entioned that the Mood
#arried a!ay their dead bodies and thre! the& into the sea. At the
sa&e year of this great in#ident, Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 !as born. 'o&e s#holars say that it took pla#e t!o years' prior
to his 2Pea#e be upon hi&3 birth.
Then, Ibn Isha= #ited the poetry the Arabs #o&posed pertaining to
that great in#ident in !hi#h Allah the Al&ighty &ade (i#torious %is
'a#red %ouse !hi#h %e !anted to grant honor, dignity, puri$#ation and
respe#t through sending %is *essenger *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon
hi&3 and the egislation %e sends !ith hi&. )ne of the funda&ental
pillars of this egislation is the Prayer !hose /iblah dire#tion !ould be
&ade to the honorable Ka' bah. That !hi#h Allah the Al&ighty did to
the o!ners of the elephant !as ne(er for the sake of the /uraishites
the&sel(es. As the +hristians !ho !ere represented in the Abyssinians
!ere really nearer to the Ka' bah than the polytheists of /uraish, but
the (i#tory !as granted to the 'a#red %ouse itself in preparation for
the ad(ent of Prophet *uha&&ad 2Pea#e be upon hi&3.
Added Ibn Isha= and others6 After the death of Abraha, the
Abyssinians !ere ruled by his son, >aksu&, then by his brother,
*asru= Ibn Abraha !ho !as their last king.
The in#ident of the elephant took pla#e in Al5*uharra&, GG?
a##ording to the Jo&an +alendar. ;ollo!ing the death of Abraha and
his su##eeding t!o sons, the Abyssinian rule o(er the >e&en #a&e to
an end, the #hur#h built by Abraha
!as deserted. No one #ould e(en approa#h it for it !as built o(er the
burial pla#e
of t!o idols 5that of Ku'aib and his !ife. The t!o idols !ere &ade of
!ood, their height !as about si1ty #ubits and they !ere tou#hed !ith
the Ainn. ;or this (ery reason, no one #ould take the risk to #o&e near
the #hur#h or to take anything of its building or orna&ents fearing the
e(ils of the Ainn. It stayed deserted till the ti&e of the $rst Abbaside
+aliph, As5'a8ah !ho& the ne!s of the ri#hes
found inside the #hur#h rea#hed. %e sent his ruler o(er the >e&en,
Al5'Abbas Ibn
Ar5Jabi' to destroy it and bring hi& all the pre#ious obAe#ts he &ight
$nd there.
;inally, one should raise his hands to Allah the Al&ighty and
suppli#ate, saying6 D@ Allah: All the Praises are for >ouE >ou are the
ight of the %ea(ens and the 0arth. And all the Praises are for >ouE >ou
are the Keeper of the %ea(ens and the 0arth. All the Praises are for
>ouE >ou are the ord of the %ea(ens and the 0arth and !hate(er is
therein. >ou are the Truth, and >our Pro&ise is the Truth, and >our
'pee#h is the Truth, and &eeting >ou is the Truth, and Paradise is the
Truth and %ell 2;ire3 is the Truth and all the prophets are the Truth and
the %our is the Truth. @ Allah: I surrender to >ou, and belie(e in >ou,
and depend upon >ou, and repent to >ou, and in >our #ause I $ght and
!ith >our orders I rule. 'o please forgi(e &y past and future sins and
those sins !hi#h I did in se#ret or in publi#. It is >ou "ho& I !orship,
None has the right
to be !orshipped e1#ept >ou. D

Ibn Katheer - Stories of The Quran@Unikl

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