All praises belong to Allah, jaabir ul-qaloob, al-munkasirah min ajlihi, Forgiver of sins, who forgives due to His Grace. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, having no partners; and there is nothing similar to Him. I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger, sent with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that it may prevail over all other religions. And he was given a choice between being a Prophet-King, or a Worshipping-Messenger. So he choose the station of servitude to Allah (al-‘Uboodeeyah) with messengership. He used to say:
| O Allah! grant me life as one of the poor, let me die as one of the poor; and let me be raised-up in the company of the poor. |
Advocating the nobility and virtue of his rank -sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and upon his Family and Companions and those who hold fast to his rope.
Indeed Allah – how free is He from all defects, the Most-High – has praised, in His Book, those that yield to Him and submit to His Greatness. They are those who are subservient (al-khaadi’een) and humble (al-khaashi’een) to Him.
Allah – the Most-High – says:
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Verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. [Surah al-Anbiyaa’ 21:90] |
and He said:
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And for the men and women who humble (before their Lord – Allah)… Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward. [Surah al-Ahzaab 33:35] |
The most honourable worshippers who preserve it are those of the believers having been described with al-Khushoo’, as He says:
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Successful indeed are the believers. Those who offer their prayer with al-Khushoo’. [Surah al-Muminoon 23:1-2] |
And those endued with knowledge have been described with al-Khushoo’ and truthful speech, as He says:
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Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it was recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility. [Surah al-Israa’ 17:107-109] |
The foundation of al-Khushoo’ is: Soft-heartedness, tranquil, humble, subservient and yearning. So when the heart has Khushoo’ it is followed by the Khushoo’ of all the limbs and bones, since they all follow it ( the heart), as he, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
| Indeed in the body there is a piece of flesh, if it is sound then the whole body is sound; and if it be corrupt then the whole body is corrupt. Indeed it is the heart. |
So when the heart has Khushoo’ then the hearing, the sight, the head, the face and all of the bones, even to the extent of the speech, will have Khushoo’. Such that the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would say in the rukoo’ of the Prayer:
| Humbled to You are my hearing, my seeing, my marrow, my bone. In another narration: And whatever my feet carry. |
When some of the Salaf saw a man moving his hand during Prayer, they would say: “If the heart had Khushoo’ the limbs would have Khushoo’.”
This is narrated from Hudhayfah radiAllahu ‘anhu and from Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib. It is related in marfoo’ form. However, its chain of transmission (isnaad) is not authentic.
Al-Mas’oodee relates from Abu Sinaan from a narrator from ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib radiAllahu ‘anhu, that he said about His – Most High saying:
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Those who offer their prayers with all Khushoo’ [Surah al-Muminoon 23:2] |
He said: “It is the heart that has al-Khushoo’ and is gentle towards the other muslim and he does not look around in his Prayer.”
‘Ataa ibn as-Saa’ib related from a man from ‘Alee radiAllahu ‘anhu: “al-Khushoo’ is the khushoo’ of the heart, whereby it does not look to the right nor the left.” ‘Alee ibn Abee Talhaa related from Ibn ‘Abbaas radiAllahu ‘anhumaa that he said about the saying of the Most High:
| Who have Khushoo’ in their Prayer. |
He said: They are fearful and tranquil.”
Ibn Shawdhab related from al-Hasan rahimahullaahu ta’aalaa, that he said: “They had al-Khushoo’ in their hearts, so they could concentrate their sight in the Prayer.” Ibn Abee Najeeh related from Mujaahid rahimahullaahu ta’aala, about His saying:
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Used to humble themselves before Us. [Surah Anbiyaa 21:90] |
That he said: “Those who have humility (al-Mutawaadi’een). ”
Allah – Most High – in His Book, has characterised the Earth with al-Khushoo’, as He says:
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And among His Signs is this: You see the earth barren, but when We send down rain to it, it is stirred to life and yields increase. [Surah Haa Meem 41:39]* |
So it is stirred to life and yields increase shows that the original state of the earth is one of al-Khushoo’ and as such it remains stationary. Likewise is the heart. When it is in the state of al-Khushoo’ the worries and anxieties leave and it becomes tranquil; and the following of desires will be subdued and humbled before Allah. This results in lifting and obliterating pride; and when this tranquility is in the heart, then the bones, limbs and all movements become humbled – even to the extent of the voice. Allah – Most High – describes the voices with al-Khushoo’ in His saying:
| And all voices will be humbled for the Most Beneficent (Allah) [Surah Taa Haa 20:108] |
So al-Khushoo’ of the voice is its silence and lowering, after its being raised. Similarly, the faces and the sight of the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement, has been described with al-Khushoo’ and this is a proof that their whole body will be in a state of al-Khushoo’ (due to fear of Allah). On the other hand, when a person is forced to produce al-Khushoo’ in his body and limbs – whilst the heart is devoid of it – then the person is described as having the Khushoo’ of hypocrisy (al-Khushoo un-Nifaaq). It is this that some of the Salaf sought refuge from, as one of them said:
| I seek refuge with Allah from the Khushoo’ of Hypocrisy. It was said: What is the Khushoo’ of Hypocrisy? He said: That the body is seen to be in the state of al-Khushoo’, but the heart – it is not in the state of al-Khushoo’. |
‘Umar radiAllahu ‘anhu saw a young man lowering his head, so he said to him:
What is this! Raise your head, for indeed this (kind of) Khushoo’ does not increase what is in the heart!
Whosoever displays al-Khushoo’ that does not stem from the heart, then it is Hypocrisy added to Hypocrisy.
The basis of al-kushoo’ which exists in the heart is brought about when one recognises Allah, realizing His greatness, His power and His Perfection; therefore whoever recognises Allah more, then He has the greater al-kushoo’ towards Him Azza wa Jaal.
The differences of al-kushoo’ that exist are due to the variation of having knowledge of the greatness of Allah Azza wa Jaal and witnessing of the attributes of Allah Azza wa Jaal which bring about this al-kushoo’. As such when a person is in the state of al-kushoo’, the heart is strong in remembering and ‘witnessing’ Allah Azza wa Jaal ; where Allah is ‘near’ {in knowledge} to His slave, the heart is constantly communicating in secret to Allah Azza wa Jaal and the heart is in humility where the person is ever conscious of his movement.
Whoever is in al-kushoo’ contemplating about the Perfection and Greatness of Allah Azza wa Jaal will be immersed in the sea of Love and he will be ever yearning to meet and to look at the Face of Allah. And whoever is in al-kushoo’ meditating about the terror of the punishment of Allah will feel remorse and extremely fearful of Allah. This is how Allah makes the hearts of His creatures bow toward Him.
Where He is near to those of His slaves who ‘speak’ to him through the Salaah, and those who prostrate to Him, as He draws Himself closer to those of His slaves who implore humbly for assistance or seeking forgiveness in the early hours of the dawn, and He responds and answers the supplications of His slaves and He does force anyone of His creatures to bow and prostrate to Him with the way that will be closest to Him though He is the One who answers every supplication.
In the Kitabus-Az-Zuhd, Imam Ahmad narrated from Imraan al-Qasirr {or al-Juni [Malay translators adition] } that Musa asked Allah :
| O Rabb, where can I achieve your pleasure (ridha)?
and Allah replied : Seek My pleasure when the heart of my slave is in humility due to fearing Me. Verily I draw closer to them one handspan everyday and if this does not happen then they are destroyed |
Where as in Kitabul Mahabbah Ibraheem al-Junaid narrated through Jaafar bin Sulaiman who said that he heard Malik bin Dinaar reporting :
Musa once asked Allah O Rabb, where can I achieve your pleasure? and Allah replied as reported above but without the phrase ‘due to fearing Me’
Jaafar reported that he once asked Maalik bin Dinaar as to how does a heart become humble and he replied
I asked the same question to a person who read the Qur’aan to me and he replied that he once asked Abdullaah ibn Salam the same question and he (Abdullaah) replied that the heart becomes humble due to the extreme love of Allah.
Verily in an authentic Sunnah of the Prophet there is the statement that those who are humble are when afflicted with a trial from Allah remain patient to this ordainment (predestination) of Allah and are content (satisfied) (ridha) to this trial.
In a hadeeth of saheeh Muslim from Abu Huraira that the Prophet said :
| O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say, O Lord and how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say, Did you not know that My slave so and so had fallen ill and you did not visit him? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? |
Abu Nu’aim narrated through Hamzah from Ibn Syaudazab who said .
| Allah has revealed to Musa Do you know on what basis have I chosen you above anyone else to carry out my message and to speak directly to? and Musa replied No, my Lord wherewith Allah explained Verily no one becomes humble to Me as you have humbled yourself. |
The word ‘Tawadhu’ which was used here meaning al-kushoo’ where it is one of the branch of the beneficial knowledge, one of the first few knowledge which is lifted.
Imam an-Nisai narrated a hadeeth from Jubair bin Nufair, from Anas bin Maalik who reported that one day the Prophet looked towards the heaven and mentioned a matter saying : that will be a day when knowledge departs.’ Zaid bin Labid al-Ansari asked O Messenger of Allah will the knowledge depart even though the heart is strong and witness to the the truth? and he said I thought you were the most knowledgeable in Madeena? and he explained that the Jews and Christians went astray even though they have the books with them. Ziyaad said that he met Syadaabol bin Aus and told him a a hadeeth from Auf bin Maalik where he (Syadaad) then said
| What was said by Auf is true, would you not like tell you what is the first thing that will depart from mankind? whereupon Ziyaad replied affirmatively and he said : It is al-Kushoo’ in the prayer where you will not see any man being al-Kushoo’ (Ahmad) |
Whereas Imam at-Tirmidhi brought almost a similar hadeeth as above from Jubair bin Nufair who received it from Abi Dardaa where the companion who heard it then said It is true what Abu Darda said. If you want, I will tell you what is the first knowledge that will be lifted from mankind, and he further said It is al-Kushoo’, where you will approach a big masjid and not a single one of them will be in al-Kushoo’. Some scholars are of the opinion that the narration from an-Nisai is more authentic.
Said bin Basyir reported from al-Hasan from Syadad bin Aus who received it from the Prophet who said :
The first knowledge that will depart from mankind will be al-Kushoo’.
The hadeeth of the same meaning was also reported by Abu Bakr bin Maryam from Hamzah bin Habiib in mursal form. The same is reported from Hudaifah.
The beneficial knowledge (Ilmu an-Naafi) is described as the knowledge that affects the heart where its owner of this knowledge becomes serene (sahinah), fearful (khasy-yah), subservient to Allah (ikhbaatlillaah), humble (tawadhu) and obedient (inhisaar).
When a knowledge does not affect the heart but only exsist in the mouth (and does not go beyond the throat), then it will be an argument against that owner who should take appropriate measures to overcome it.
Ibn Masud said :
| Verily there are certain groups of people who read the Qur’aan but it does not go beyond the throat. However if it occurs in the heart, then it will stick there and this will benefit the owner. |
al-Hasan said :
| Knowledge is of two types : knowledge which is acquired through the tongue and knowledge acquired through the heart, and the knowledge which sticks in the heart is the beneficial knowledge whereas the former will be the argument (hujjah) of Allah against the son of Adam.
[This report is narrated from al-Hasan in Mursal form. Also reported from Jaabir in marfu form. The same is narrated from Anas but the chain is not authentic.] |
In parallel with this, the Prophet have described how the Jews and the christians who though possessed the Books revealed to them did not benefit them at all since the objective of these knowledge is lost as they do not use it, and this objective if once acheived by their hearts would have made them taste the sweetness of faith and this could only be attained through fear of Allah and the return of theis heart to Allah. { Return to Allah means that at its climax, the soul is washed and immersed in the extreme love of Allah that it does not require anything else but the feeling of complete yearning and love to Allah —– Malay translators interpolation }. As such their tongues will be an argument against them. This fear is the fear which Allah has described about the ulemaa who posses it as in
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And of men and “Ad-Dawab” (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and cattle, in like manner of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving. Surah Faatir : 28 |
Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? say :
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“Are those who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah’s Signs and verses). Surah Zumar : 9 |
Allah described the al-Kushoo’ which some of the Ulemaa of Ahlul Kitaab posses in the Ayah
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And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility. Surah al-Israa 109 |
Who when they are given the knowledge, would cry while bowing and prostrating and as such their Kushoo’ increases. Allah praises those who listen and are affected by the Qur’aan and their hearts then become Khusyu.
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Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islaam, so that he is in light from His Lord (as he who is non-Muslim) ? So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah! They are in plain error! Allah has sent down the Best statement, a Book (this Qur’aan), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith whom he pleases and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide. Surah Zumar 22-23 |
This softness of the heart occurs when its hardness disappears through Khusyu and when the heart melts while praying. Verily in the above Ayah, Allah is angry at those whose hearts are not humbled when they hear the Qur’aan and do not contemplate its meaning.
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Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islaamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah’s reminder (this Qur’aan), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture (the Torah and the Gospel) before (i.e. Jews) and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were “Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” Surah al-Hadeed 16 |
Ibn Masud said :
| We have not been humiliated with this ayah until 4 years having embraced Islam.
[Muslim] |
Imam an-Nisai also reported the same hadeeth and added that then some of the believers started criticising others. Whereas Ibn Majah reported from az-Zubair (or is it from Ibn Umar – Malay translator interpolation ) who said : We have not been criticised after embracing Islaam until the revelation of this Ayah which occurred 4 years later.
When this Ayah is read to many of the righteous people it brings out various consequences : some of them died due to extreme Kushoo’ that occurs in their hearts and others would not stop from seeking forgiveness and repenting. We have told some of these reports in our book Istageenah bil Qur’aan
Allah says :
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Had We sent down this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. Surah Hashr 21 |
Abu Imraan al-Juni once said :
| Verily Allah has brought our attention in the Qur’aan a type of trust (Amanah) which if it is endowed to the mountain it would have pulverised it and smashed it to smithereens. (The English translator was being too clever here, trying to use certain bombastic words!). |
Maalik bin Dinaar said when reading this Ayah :
| I stress that no single person who believes in the Qur’aan but his heart should cleave asunder (due to kushoo’). |
It was reported that al-Hasan once said :
| O son of Adam, when Shaitan whispers in your heart to commit a sin or when you are inclined to commit a sin (due to the evil desire of the heart), then you should remember about the trust which was endowed to you which if it had been given to the mountain, it would have cleft asunder due to its extreme fear of Allah …..Haven’t you heard that Allah said : |
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Had We sent down this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. Surah Hashr 21 |
| It was deliberate on our part to bring this analogy for us to reflect upon and to obtain the reason not to commit any transgression where by you o men, are more appropriate to be more kushoo’ (fearful) because the trust has been given to you as are the rules and regulations of the Qur’aan where you will be justly accounted for and you will be rewarded either with Jannah or Jahannam.
More over the Prophet is reported to have seek refugee with Allah from possessing a heart that does not possess kushoo’ as given in Saheeh Muslim from Zaid bin Arqam where he used to pray : O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the non-beneficial knowledge, from a heart that does not possess kushoo’ from the evil desire which is never satisfied and from supplications which are not accepted. Muslim, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nisai, Ibn Majah, Ahmad. |
Furthermore it was reported from Ka’b al-Ahbaar who said that in Kitab Injeel there was a statement which read :
| O Esa, those whose hearts are not kushoo’, then their knowledge are not beneficial, their requests will not be listened to and their supplications will not be lifted (thereby not answered). |
In Kitab al-Wara Asad bin Musa reported from Mubarak Ibn Fudhaail who narrated that al-Hasan once said :
Verily the believers when summoned and reminded with the commandments of Allah they testified to its truth and their hearts become overwhelmed with certainty and this is followed by their hearts, body and sight becoming kushoo’ to Allah.
As for me, by Allah when I look at them, I look upon a group of people as if I am looking with my own two eyes. By Allah they are not of those who argue a lot neither are they of those who falsify things. They do not bow but only to the commandments of the Book of Allah and they do not say except what is contained in their hearts; but they when a commandment is brought forward they testified to its truth and these are the people whom Allah has praised with an excellent praise as stated in the Qur’aan :
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And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness. Furqan 63 |
al-Hasan explained that these humble people are not ignorant; in fact when they do not know something they remain courteous and polite; their daytimes are spent by sitting in the company of the slaves of the Most Merciful listening to their wisdom and their night time does not pass without them remembering Allah.
Allah says :
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and those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing Furqan 64 |
whereby tears flow readily and wet their cheeks due to the extreme love of Allah. { literal translation because they have to separate from their Rabb – English translator sentence to bring readers attention}.
al-Hasan describing them said they, in their night time, remain awake for certain function (the remembrance of Allah) and they are kushoo’ in the day time for certain other functions.
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And those who say : Our Lord ! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily! Its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment. Furqan 65 |
Further more al-Hasan said :
| Something will hit and effect the sons of Adam and then it will leave him, and this is not a loss. Verily the greatest loss is something perpetual as long as the heavens and earth endure. How true it is the stance of certain group of people. By Allah, whom there is none worthy of worship except Him, you have to work righteousness and keep hoping but keep away from wishful thinking! For verily when you hope, you will be loved by Allah for Allah will not provide a servant a better hope than one that will prosper oneself both in this world the next. If only there are hearts which are alive that could receive this lesson. |
Among the many forms of worship which could engage the feeling of unworthiness and submissiveness before Allah is Dua’.
Allah says :
| Invoke your Lord with humility and ion secret. [al-Ar’af 7 : 55] So We answered his call, and we bestowed upon him Yahyaa (John), and cured his wife (to bear a child) for him. Verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us |
| Verily Allah will not answer the supplication of a person whose heart is not conscious of what is being asked and who forgets.
[Ahmad at-Tirmidhi] |
to overcome this one should supplicate with complete humility and asking repeatedly (without stopping).
al-Auzai once said that the best Dua’ Supplication is to repeatedly ask Allah with humility and humbleness.
Some of the righteous people used to read while supplicating : With Your greatness and my Unworthiness and Your self sufficiency and my neediness.
Taawus reported that once Ali entered into his room [I think Taawus–english translator] for his night (tahajjud ) prayer and heard him saying during prostration.
This is your slave feeling unworthy before You. This is Your slave who long for You and feels insignificant before You. This is Your deprived slave who needs You. This is Your slave imploring with all sincerity feeling ashamed before You.
Taawus further said that he memorised this supplication and not a single trial that befell him and he used this supplication but the trial is lifted from him.
[ Reported by ibn Abi Dunya]
whereas Ibn baahawaih as-Sufi reported that some of the slaves of Allah (Eeebadur Rahmaan ) used to perform hajj for eighty years by walking and once when he was circumbulating the Kaba’h he said : O my beloved and instantly he heard a loud cry which said : are you not pleased that you are a poor man and he has become my beloved? He, the slave of Allah then said : I became unconscious immediately and when I regain consciousness I then said I am poor before You and I repent from my saying the word my beloved.”
Ibn Majah reported a hadith from Abu Said al-Kudhri that the Prophet once supplicated
| O Allah, let my life be as that of a poor person, as my death, and let me be resurrected together with the poor people. |
at-Tirmidhi narrated the same but through Anas and he further added that when was Aisha heard this, she asked why that so and he replied : verily they will enter the Jannah 40 years before the rich and O Aisha do not disappoint the poor; even with a piece of date and O Aisha have mercy on them and be close to them for verily Allah will then make you be closer to Him in the Day of Judgement.
Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet had told him to have mercy upon to poor and be close to them.
[Ahmad & others]
Muadh reported that the Prophet once supplicated during the night (prayer)
| This slave of Yours is imploring that I practise every goodness and shun every evil (Munkar) and that I love the poor people.
[at-Tirmidhi] |
The meaning of poor people in the preceding ahadith are those who are poor in their hearts where their hearts are humble and submissive before Allah as are their physical states. This is usually attainable when one possess little material wealth for verily wealth produces, many times, rebellion against the orders of Allah [There is a hadith from Anas concerning this but the Isand (chain) is weak]
Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said :
| Verily the impoverished are those who are poor in their hearts and the affluent are those who are rich in their hearts
[an-Nisai] |
and another saying of the Prophet :
| Verily the affluent is the one rich in heart
[Bukhari & Muslim] |
It is because of this that Imam Ahmad, Ibn Uyaiynah, Wahb and other scholars said that verily the poverty which the Prophet asked for is the poverty of the heart (not the material wealth); therefore whoever is humble and submissive to Allah then he is considered poor even though he may be rich in material wealth; and whoever whose outer body exhibits kushoo’ but his heart is devoid of it possesses a hardness of heart. (the English translator thinks that this is an interpolation by the Malay translator. please check the Arabic if this athar exists.
In an-Nisai and others ,there is a report that once Prophet and his companions were walking on a road and there was a black woman by it and one of the companions then said : This is a good road. Where the woman then said : Choose whether to use the right side or the left. and the Prophet then said : Leave her for she is a very stern (hard) woman { does not possess kind-heartedness} The companions then said : verily she is a poor woman. The Prophet then said : That is the state of her heart.
al-Hasan once said : There are certain groups of people who in their outer appearance exhibit humility but their hearts are proud – they wear black wool attire. By Allah, their conceitedness against their neighbours are more than the owner of a bed of his bed or the owner of silk of his dress (made of silk).
Moreover it is **** what has been reported from the Prophet that he despised (or opposed) the donning of good clothes and shoes with the intention of conceitedness and he once said : Pride is the disdaining of truth and contempt of people.
[at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood & Ahmad]
This shows that beautifying clothes (or wearing beautiful clothes) does not in itself constitute pride; rather is something located in the heart.. that is not obeying (or following) the truth due to one’s ego and looking upon people mean to degrade and not honouring them. As such whoever does posses in his heart a feeling of contempt upon others and looking at himself with puffed up pride and not following the truth when it is presented to him then he is a vainglorious person (takabbur) even though he might not be donning (wearing) beautiful and expensive clothes or shoes. In retrospect, whoever shuns oneself from expensive and beautiful clothes merely to humble oneself to Allah for he fears conceitedness on his part, then he has done the best for verily Ibn Umar used to do it. The Prophet once wore a clothe (consisting of patterns and others) and said : Verily this clothe has distracted me from my prayers.
[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Ahmad]
Verily the Prophet chose Maqam al Ubudiyyah (throne of enslavement) rather than being a king. Once, a man stood up in front of the Prophet (out of reverence) on the day of the conquest of Makkah… he was shocked at this gesture and quickly said :
| Do not trouble yourself, for I am not a king rather I am a son of a woman of Quraish who eats dry meat.
[Ibn Majah] |
Further he said :
| do not exalt me like how the Nasara (christians) treat Isa son of Maryam … for I am only a slave. Therefore you should say : Slave of Allah and His Messenger.
[Bukhari, Ahmad & Darimi] |
Imam Ahmad reported from Muhammad bin Fudhail from Imarah from Abi Zar’ah from Abu Hurairah who said :
Once Jibrail was sitting with the Prophet and he Jibrail looked towards the sky and it could be seen a angel descended towards the two. Jibrail then introduced this angel to the Prophet saying : This angel has never before descended (and this is its first time) this angel then said to the Prophet O Muhammad I have been sent to you by your Rabb to enquire whether He should make you a Nabi or a slave and a Messenger. (Explanation by the Malay translator – whether he wanted to be a messenger and at the same time a king or to be a Messenger and a slave whereupon he chose the latter – end of explanation)
This is a mursal hadith from Yahya bin Kathir who reported that the Prophet once said :
| The condition of my eating is like that of a slave and the condition of my sitting is like that of a slave for verily I am a slave.
[Also reported by Ibn Saad in Tabaqat] |
Ibn Saad reported from Abi Masyar from al-maqburi through Aisha who narrated that the Prophet said :
| Once a angel came to me and said Allah gave Salaam {here it means sending blessing} to you and enquired whether you desire to be a Prophet and at the same a king or to be a slave and a Prophet? whereupon Jibrail then said place yourself and he replied : A Prophet and a slave. Aisha then explained that ever since then the Prophet never ate leaning back then he said My eating … for I am a slave. |
[wording similar to the mursal hadith before] There is another mursal hadith but through az-Zuhri when said ….(and narrations are similar like the previous report but the only difference is the wording that the Prophet looked towards Jibrail as one consulting for an advice and jibrail then said that he should humble himself …..the rest of the wording is the same. az-Zuhri further added that the companions reckoned that ever since then he never ate leaning back until his death.
In Musnad Ahmad and in Sunan at-Tirmidhi there is a report from Abu Umamah that the Prophet said
My Rabb has given me the option for the valley of Makkah to be filled with gold but I replied this is enough, (in Arabic no O Rabb) rather I am pleased that I should be filled up not so hungry for one day and hungry the next. He further added Three things like this …when I am hungry I bow down with humility before You and when I am full-up, I thank You (or am grateful to You).
Some of the wise people used to say Whoever considers oneself to possess the characteristics of a slave but has need of the worldly pleasures, then he has falsified his claim. Verily the characteristics of a slave are, for one to obliterate every single whims and desires of oneself and then to fulfil the commandments of his master (Allah) where his name is that of the name endowed by Him (i.e. eebadur Rahman) and his characteristics are like that of his master (Malay Translator — that is to take in certain attributes of Allah with respect to the capacity of a slave such as to be grateful, to forgive etc. end). where when one seeks help using his Names, it would be responded as that of a Master to a slave.
Therefore not a single name or writing and nothing will be responded unless one were to implore with the feeling of utter (or absolute) and complete humility as that of a slave.
al-Hafidh Abu Nuaim in his book Asmaa’ as-sahabah narrated from as-Sheikh Abi Sulaiman ad-Daaraani who narrated from al-qamah binal-Harith al-azadi from his father from his grandfather who said and there occurred a transmission of report that Luqman al-Hatim once advised his son as follows:-
I will condense my wisdom to you in 6 verses :
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Ibrahim al-Khawaas once shared his wisdom and said The medicine (or remedy) of the heart are five:-
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Waliyullaah Ibrahim once said as an advice of those who asked him concerning Allah’s statement
| And on the day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah (i.e. attributed to him sons, partners) – their faces will be black. Is there not in Hell an abode for the arrogant ? [Mu’min (Ghaafir) : 60] |
