Remembrance and prayer the way of the prophet muhammad (saw) by muhammad al ghazali

MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZALi ■■
The Way of Prophet Muhammad
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
al-Ghazali, Muhammad
Remembrance and prayer: the way of the Prophet Muhammad.
1. Muhammad (Prophet) - Teachings
1. Title
297’.63 BP 132
ISBN 0 86037 171 9 pbk
ISBN 0 86037 170 0 hbk
Contents
Cover design: Imtiaz Ahmad Manjra
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham, Wiltshire
Introduction 5
1: How the Prophet Muhammad Taught Us to Know
Allah 11
2: On a Foundation of Love and a Vehicle of Desire 17
3: Twenty-Four Hours in a Far-Reaching Life 21
4: More Than Food and Drink 29
5: The Prophet and the Social Gathering 33
6: White Night 37
7: In the Vastness of Life 47
8: The Foundation of Every Muslim Home 49
9: Breadwinning 59
10: On a Journey and on Return 75
11: Worldly Travails 91
12: Is Du'a' an Ordinary Means? Ill
13: Fundamentals of Worship 119
14: To Remember and Remind 143
15: The Prophet of Peace and the Prophet of War 169
Arabic Text of Du'a’ in the Book 195
Index 231

Introduction
We Muslims know that, if we seek to attain perfection in
worship, we should not only have a proper understanding
of our Lord and fully acknowledge His rights but we should
also possess purity and refinement. Let me explain briefly.
In today’s world are whole nations, including some Muslim
states, based on atheism, the denial of God. Yet we Muslims,
whether asleep or awake, coming or going, feel intuitively
that our hearts beat, our eyes see, our hands move, by the
will of Allah; we perceive that night recedes, that dawn
approaches, that all the wide universe turns, in accordance
with natural laws perfected entirely by His power. Thus the
distance that divides us from the atheists is scarcely to be
measured. Then, there are those whose acquaintance with
their Lord is impoverished or even erroneous, who suppose
that, perhaps God has a son, or some partner, or that there
may be one who oversees His authority, who examines His
decrees!
Such attitudes show ignorance of the true nature of Allah.
True knowledge can neither come about nor be attained,
except that an awareness which properly corresponds to
reality is allowed to grow through the radiance ofHis sublime
attributes and beautiful names.
There are so many who have not even a rudimentary
knowledge of Allah. Indeed the world is filled with them -
. . . most of them believe not in Allah . . . (al-A‘raf 7:
106).
5
A

- and with those whose acquaintance with Allah is co ou
somewhat bv the truth, but they give themselves the rig it
to act independently without any recourse whatevei to d ivine
guidance. But Allah, Exalted is He, requires from His
creatures that they be guided by His commands, that their
relationship to Him be founded on the maxim of ‘hearing
and obeying':
I have not created men and jinn except to worship Me.
I desire of them no provision, neither do I desire that
they should sustain Me. Surely Allah is the Sustainer,
the Possessor of Power, the Wielder of Strength (al-
Dhariyat 51: 56-8).
Thus, explicitly, the duty of all those who live on earth is
to bind themselves to the command of Allah and to express
their commitment to Him.
Allah revealed to His creation an ordered way of life; they
chose for themselves chaos instead. Allah commanded and
prohibited not for His benefit, but rather in the interest of
mankind. Yet people have ignored their obligation, forgotten
their Lord, and legislated for themselves. All to what end.
if not to saddle themselves with hunger and fear? Not long
ago the statesmen of both the East and West exercised
their wisdom so that the earth was about to flow with milk
and honey; but they brought all of that goodwill to nothing
when they directed their energies to developing weapons of
mass destruction instead. Finally, the lesser peoples of a
war-broken world have been left to grovel for the most
meagre of necessities.
How calamitous disobedience can be! Of how pitifully
little benefit! Indeed, it matters not at all how intelligent or
civilized the ignorant one may be. Were even half the effort
spent on obtaining the necessities and pleasures of this life,
spent on propriety where Allah is concerned, on the attain
ment of His pleasure, men might acquire for themselves bot
the good of this world and of the next.
WheneverI ponder the savage struggle for earthly survival,
the tight frowns and the downcast eyes, I am reminded of
what the Prophet taught us, upon him be peace. He said:
Allah, Exalted is He, has decreed: ‘O sons ofAdam! If
you will commit yourselves and worship Me, then I will
enrich your hearts and deliver you from poverty. But if
you refuse, I willfillyour hearts with concern, and allow
you Io stagnate in the poverty ofyour own souls. ’
J understand that certain critics have sought to negate the
value of this teaching by interpreting it as referring to those
who cut themselves off from society and spend their lives in
secluded worship. But these people do not know that the
essence of worship is the commitment of one’s inner and
outer being to Allah, planting one’s feet firmly on the
legitimate battleground of life without fear or shame.
Worship may be said to be supplication and praise. Within
and beyond that, it is the ability to make over one’s life, and
control its direction, for the sake of Allah, and for the
exaltation of His name. Fuller understanding of the rights
of Allah on man is more closely connected to the latter than
the former part of our definition. For, whereas the former
part has to do with knowledge, the latter has to do with
imparting that knowledge, with dissemination of its truths,
and with its defence. That was the task of the Prophets and,
indeed, that is the task of all those who wish to follow in
their footsteps.
Proper worship of Allah is a degree of perfection not
attainable by anyone merely wishing it. It is realizable only
by those who realize in themselves certain qualities of
character and spirit. There are those who ‘know’ Allah. But
‘knowledge’ is something that differs from person to person
in lucidity, depth and substance. And there are those who
‘obey’ Allah. But then ‘obedience’ too differs from person
to person in ardour, diligence and manner. The station of
perfection in worship is attained only by those whose faith
has risen like the sun and then flown to the Lord on the
7

wings of love and desire But for too many, the k f
is allowed to take precedence over all else. From sue | P
Allah, Exalted is He, will remain forever hidden. Assure ly,
no person will attain to perfection in worship except that he
truly loves Allah, for His sake loves others and earnestly
tends to their needs, and strives for the general welfare of
humanity.
In the domain of scholarship and learning there are those
who win the favour of Allah because of their involvement
with the truths of Revelation (wahy) and their steadfast
refusal to compromise them. Of them it is written in the
Qur’an:
Become men of God by spreading the knowledge of
the divine writ, and by your own deep study (thereof)
(Al ‘Imran 3: 79).
In the domain of jihdd there are also those who win the
favour of Allah by shouldering their duty to defend the faith
and by refusing to surrender even in the face of bitter defeat
Of them it is written in the Qur’an:
And how many a prophet has had to fight (in Gods
cause), at the head of many God-devoted men; and
they did not become faint of heart for all that they had
to suffer in God s cause, nor did they weaken, nor abase
themselves (Al ‘Imran 3: 146).
Certainly the soul to which Allah says, ‘Enter among My
servants and enter My Garden’, is of a very special kind;a
soul that finds comfort in Allah and His precepts, chooses
Him above all other considerations of wealth or position,
and so chooses not on a passing whim, but as a way of life,
a definition of sustained purpose, a direction.
O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well P*ea^a
pleasing (Him)! Enter among My servants an
My Garden (al-Fajr 89: 27-30).
Those who persist in acts of wrongdoing or cling to the
fruits of such acts, must fall short of perfection in worship:
necessarily, Paradise is the resting place of those whose inner
beings are pure, whose characters are upright, and whose
devotion to Allah has endured. Of course, I do not claim
infallibility for those who have reached that station. To err
is indeed human. However, when the righteous servants of
Allah err, they altogether cleanse that error with tears of
remorse.
I take great delight in reading accounts of the righteous
servants of Allah, and have always tried to gather out of
them incidents and occasions to give me guidance.
In my mind’s eye I imagine myself with Moses at Madyan
when, feeling the sting of loneliness and want, he cried:
0 Lord! Surely I have need ofwhatever good You might
send down upon me (al-Qasas 28: 24).
Or with Jesus when, confronted by the Lord on the
Judgement Day, he denies ever claiming divinity:
When Allah said: ‘Jesus, son of Mary, have you told
people: “Take me and my mother as two gods along
with Allah?” He said: 'Glory be to You! It is not my
place to say what I have no right to (say). If I had said
it, You would have known it already: You know what
is Yours. You are the Knower of unseen things. I only
told them what You commanded me: “Worship Allah
as my Lord and your Lord! And I was a witness over
them while I remained among them; but when You
raised me up, You became Yourself the Watcher over
them. And You are the Witness over everything’”
(al-Ma’idah 5; 116-17).
I imagine myself with Abraham in the arid valley of
Makkah when, preparing to surrender his son to what
seemed a terrible fate, he appealed to the Lord and Protector
ofhis family:

1Our Lord! I have had some of my offspring settle y
Your Hallowed House in a valley without any crops,
Our Lord, so that they may keep up prayer. Then make
men's hearts fond of them, and provide them with fruits
that they may be grateful (Ibrahim 14: 37).
Yet I lose myself completely when I imagine myself at the
side of the Last Prophet, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, upon
him be peace, as he addresses the Lord in constant supplica
tion. For before him, I feel as if before a limitless genius in
du'a , a genius unequalled in the du'a recorded from the
Prophets that historically preceded him. I do not intend by
this to put forward some sort of judgement on the relative
merits of the Prophets. I am merely stating a fact. I might,
for example, say that the tallest mountain in the world is
Everest, and not intend by saying so to belittle any other
mountain. I mean only to speak the truth.
This book could be described as a short excursion into one
of the many pathways in the awesomely vast territory that
is the life of the Prophet of Islam, upon him be peace; the
way of dhikr and du'a’. Whatever it may contain of value
comes entirely from the bounty of Allah, Exalted is He; and
whatever it may contain in the way of mistakes comes only
from myself.
It is my wish that Allah will accept the words I have put
down in these pages and weigh them on the scale of my good
deeds; as it is my wish that He accept all the prayers 1 have
made for the Prophet Muhammad, and that He grant each
one of us the good fortune to have the Prophet intercede
for us on the Day of Judgement.
Qatar, 1980 Muhammad al-Ghazah
How the Prophet
Muhammad Taught US
to Know Allah
I am one of the many thousands of people who believe in
Allah, recite His praises, avow His glory and majesty, and
are strengthened by His bounty and support. I have come
to know the Almighty through the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace. I read the Qur’an and I studied his
biography; then I discovered my inner self harmonizing with
his message. My heart and mind were refreshed by his call.
Thus I became one of the vast multitude who have accepted
Allah as their Lord, Islam as their way of life, and
Muhammad as their guide and prophet.
There were people who knew nothing about Allah at all.
But Muhammad lighted the way for them, and led them
through their own hearts to their true Master. And those
who knew Him, but did so mistakenly, thinking that He had
a son who could intercede, or a partner who could be of
assistance. Muhammad, upon him be peace, came and
re-established the belief in absolute unity, refuting once and
for all the supposition that Allah could have a son, or
daughter, or a partner, or an opposite, or an analogue in
majesty.
11
10

Or have they taken protectors apart from Him- ,
— He is the only Protector; He revives the dea ,
He is capable of everything. No matter how you ave
differed on anything, the judgement is still with A a .
(Say, therefore:) 'Such is Allah, my Lord; on Him have
I relied, and to Him do I turn.’ Originator of Heaven
and Earth, He has granted you spouses from among
yourselves as well as pairs of livestock by which He
multiplies you. There is nothing like Him! He is the
Alert, the Observant. He holds the key to Heaven and
Earth; He extends sustenance and measures it out to
whom He wills. Surely He is Aware of everything
(al-Shura 42: 9-12).
No one, past or present, knew their Lord the way that
Muhammad knew Allah. Indeed his knowledge sprang from
shuhud, or witnessing. The Muslim who is keen to emulate
the example of the Prophet will be able to discern certain
special characteristics of Muhammad's knowledge m'arifah
in the penetrating and emotionally charged words he used
when speaking to, or about, Allah. Clearly there was nothing
either doubtful or contrived about his utterance. Lacking
within itself a particular metaphorical temperature, the force
of human utterance can miscarry and be forgotten without
ever having influenced anyone. But whoever reads or hears
the words which Muhammad used when addressing his Lord
will immediately sense a quickening of his pulse to the flow
of those words, and a corresponding rise in the intensity of
his emotions. In the end he will have no alternative but to
be humble and to submit to the Lord of all the Worlds.
I remember on one occasion trying to follow the distance*
mentioned in a study of astronomy, distances so great thu
they raced beyond my ability even to imagine them. Indeed
I felt myself growing ever smaller until I looked down to*
earth at my feet and thought of what lay hidden beneatltj
surface. I realized then that I was capable n^r|f
comprehending nor even of perceiving anything.
any idea of the number of things there are in this world about
which we know nothing at all?
Then, as I was thinking these thoughts, I recalled how
Allah, Exalted is He, has described Himselfin the Qur’an:
The Merciful is established on the Throne: to Him
belongs all that is in Heaven and Earth and all that is
between them, and all that is beneath the surface. If
you speak aloud (or not, it is all the same to Him), for
surely He knows the concealed and what is even more
hidden. Allah, there is no god but He. To Him belong
the Glorious Names (Ta Ha 20: 4-8).
The sublime radiance ofthe lote-tree in the seventh heaven
and the tiniest seed in the darkest recesses of the earth are
as one in His knowledge, may His Name be praised. I found
myself so filled with awe for the Great Creator that I was at
a loss to put it into words. But by His will I did discover the
words to express what I felt. These were words (known from
a hadith on the authority of ‘All ibn Abi Talib) used by the
Prophet inhissaldt(ritualprayer). In thehadith, ‘Ali related:
And when he assumed the ruku (the bowing) position,
he wouldsay: '0 My Lord, for You Ihave boweddown,
and in You / have placed my faith, and to You I have
committed myself. My ears, my eyes, my marrow, my
bones, and my sinews have humbled themselves before
You. When he raised his headfrom the ruku‘ position
hewouldsay: 'MayAllah listen to those whopraise Him.
Our Lord, may Your praises fill the heavens, and fill
the earth, and fill everything between them, and fill
whatever else remains to befilled after that. 2 When he
assumed the sajdah position (prostrating himself) he
wouldsay: ‘Our Lord, for You Ihave madesajdah, and
in You I have placed my faith, and to You 1 have
committedmyself. Myfaceliesprostratedbeforethe One
who createdit, andfashionedit, andopened within it its
senseofhearinganditssight. BlessedbeAllah, the Best
ofCreators.(Ahmad, Muslim, AbiiDdud, Ti’rmidhi.)

V .In ruku' and sajdah before the Creator of Heaven
Earth, an inspired servant kneels and whispers exemp ry
words - what every being should utter by way of greeting to
the Possessor of the Perfect Attributes - for in this supplica
tion, one may discern perfect Divinity and perfect servant
hood.
Without a doubt, the first Muslim - and that is the station
of Muhammad among the Prophets, saints, martyrs, and
righteous — was an expert in the art of dhikr and du'a',
without equal in giving thanks or seeking forgiveness. We
shall endeavour to clarify this truth by examining something
of what has been preserved of the du'a’ of the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace.
Recently I looked again through the Sacred Scriptures of
the other religions, and found none of them the equal of the
Qur’an in its glorification of Allah, and its exposition of His
Splendour and Majesty. In the Qur’an the exquisite names
of Allah are mentioned hundreds of times in the course of
its narrations of the stories of the Prophets, in its verses of
legislation, in its description of the wonders of nature, and
in its description of the events of Judgement Day and’whal
is to come thereafter. Furthermore the Qur’an refuses to
allow its glorification of Allah to be merely abstract, without
the energy to stir a heart or project a way of life. Indeed,
the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, translated the
way of the Qur’an in every aspect of his daily life, and became
the ideal ‘man of God’, focusing his attention on Allah alone,
and doing everything that he did in this world in His name.
The person to whom Allah has granted spiritual strength
and richness will not be shaken by fear or desire, nor by
considerations of numerical inferiority or superiority. Hit
spiritually observant person will be equally at home whether
alone or at a wedding feast; if his only concern is the lifeto
come he will never be daunted by the setbacks and obstacles
of the present life.
The heart of Muhammad, upon him be peace,
constantly occupied with his Lord, immersed in the sense
His Majesty. Indeed, this profound awareness was the basis
of his relationship with both God and men. Follow closely
his thought in this du'd’:
Our Lord, by Your Knowledge of the Unseen, and by
Your Power over Your creation, grant me life so long
as You know life to hold good for me, and grant me
death when You know death to holdgoodfor me!’4 Our
Lord, / ask You for the fear of You in public and in
private, and Iask Youfor (the ability to speak) the word
oftruth in tranquillity and in anger, and I ask You for
frugality in wealth and in poverty, and I ask You for
happiness which is never exhausted, and I ask You for
pleasure which is never ending, and I ask You for
contentment with Your decisions, and I ask Youfor the
finer life after death, and I ask Youfor the pleasure of
looking upon Your Face, and meeting You without ever
having undergone great suffering, and without ever
having been subjected to misleading temptation’^
‘Our Lord, adorn us with the adornment offaith, and
make ofus guides who are rightly guided. ’6
And still there are those with the insolence to claim that
Muhammad was a pretender to prophethood! How they
disregard the truth! From the beginning of time to the
present, no human being ever addressed Allah with words
nobler than his words, nor ever devoted himself to Allah
with greater ardour than he. Who then can be accounted
truthful if Muhammad was a fraud? The truth is that those
who seek to discredit him are themselves so deficient in
intellect and religion that they try the patience of even the
most forbearing souls. What they say about Muhammad is
comparable to what a flying insect could tell you about the
suns of the galaxy!
And those who believe not (despite the clarity of the
evidence), in their ears is a deafness (so that they hear

r 2not), and to them it (the Qur'an) remains obscu
are (like people who are) called from a place
away (Fussilat 41: 44).
reJ the
too fa
On « Foundation
ofLove and a Vehicle
ofDesire
Man’s problem is Mto
»■* “» “eeJ' By “
means, least of all while he is subject rathe mechanics of
his body and its never-ending demands. But he is charg
to meet triviality with sublimity, negligence with remem
brance, and selfishness with sharing. He is charged, after
receiving the gift of life, with dedicating it to Allah. His
primary concern is not for himself, but for the Giver of Life,
the source of his vitality, and the basis of his ardour and
industry! Let me explain this further.
Angels do not need to eat, and therefore have no need to
sow or harvest Yet man, for all his worldly needs can
achieve spiritual equality with the angels if he plants and
arvests and eats in the name of Allah Moreover th’t
e spends domg these things will be eouaHn ’ h C
17
16

and that it is through the bounty of Allah that he is fed,
clothed and sheltered.
From the beginning of creation Allah has sent His Prophets
to lead the peoples of various nations along the way outlined
above. He did not send angels, because angels have nothing
to do with such obligations as human beings have. Indeed,
the pagan Arabs were so astonished by this phenomenon
that they said:
Has Allah sent forth a mortal as Messenger?
Say: ‘Had there been on the earth angels walking in
peace. We would have sent down among them from
heaven an angel as Messenger!’
Say: ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you!
Surely He is aware of and sees His servants’ (al-Isra'
17: 9-4-6).
The Last Prophet exemplified in the way he lived his life
how it is possible for a mere mortal to be the equal of the
angels in remembrance of Allah and thanksgiving to Him.
On the highest peak to which mankind can be elevated will
be seen the ranks of either those engaged in prayer and
praise of their Lord, or those mujahidin (soldiers of Allah)
who give their lives and their wealth in the way of Allah.
Muhammad, upon him be peace, was responsible for creating
a whole generation of people to vie with the angels, people
who rose above all the attractions of this world to fall in step
behind the Prophet - a man who had given himself over
entirely to obtaining the pleasure of Allah, whose only call
was to Allah, and whose life was summed up in this verse:
Say: ‘My prayer and my devotions, my living and my
dying are for Allah, Lord of the Universe. He has no
partner. Even so have I been commanded and I am the
first of the Muslims’ (al-An‘am 6: 163-4).
No man fettered by base desires, or who sits idly by rather
than joining in the struggle to uphold truth and right, can
ever know the manner of man Muhammad was.
The emotional and intellectual life of the noble Prophet,
Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, sprang from the fountainhead of
crystal-clear knowledge of Allah, from his constant remem
brance (dhikr) of Him, and from his taking his full share of
the perfection inherent in God’s beautiful names.
God created Adam in His image, made him His deputy
on earth and charged him with the development of whatever
was good within it, and counselled him not to forget his
divine origin lest he descend to the level of mere clay, and
not to accede to the whisperings of the evil Satan. Since the
creation of Adam, the world has not known a human being
so completely absorbed in contemplation of the Sublime,
who retained his humanity, but whose heart was ever in the
skies, as Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, upon him be peace. He
was undoubtedly the finest mortal ever to achieve in his own
person, and in those around him, the ideal of the ‘perfect
man'. The spiritual and intellectual legacies he left contain
the elements by which any man may achieve the ability to
perform his rightful duty here and now.
Consider the energy of emotion in this passionate du'a -
the Imams Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Da’ud and Nasa’I relate,
on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam, that the Prophet, upon
him be peace, after completing his salat, used to say:
‘Our Lord and Lord of everything! I give witness that
You alone are the Lord, and that You have no partner.
Our Lord and Lord of everything! I give witness that
Muhammad is Your servant and Prophet. Our Lord and
Lord of everything! I give witness that all men are
brothers. Our Lord and Lord of everything! Make me
and my family sincere to You in every hour of this life
and the next. 0 Splendid and Majestic One, hear me
and reply! Allah is the Greatest, the Greatest; Light of
the Heavens and the Earth! Allah is the Greatest. Allah
suffices me and there is no one better than Him to trust
in!’'
18 19

3
When mere words were powerless to convey the passionate
current of hjs <iu 'a . the Prophet had no recourse but to say
the same phrases over and ox er in order to release what he
turbecred within him of awe. love and veneration for the
Almighty We have on the surface a mere repetition of
aords. but this is tn truth a stilled rapture, emotional and
spiritual meaning held in ecstasy. A striking moment in this
dud is where the Prophet bears witness to his ow n prophet-
hoed after testifying to Allah’s unity and before testifying
to the brotherhood of man: 'I give witness that Muhammad
is Your servant and Prophet.’ This is a way of reaffirming
hts determination to fulfil the responsibility with which he
had been entrusted — to deliver his message to all men,
however they might refuse to acknowledge him or deny his
message
Twenty-Four Hours in
a Far-Reaching Life
Let us reflect on a dayin the life ofthe Prophet ofIslam.
Without a doubt he awoke from his sleep before the
coming of the dawn. While the darkness of night still
overspread everything, he stirred to greet the first indications
of the coming dawn:
'Praise be to Allah who has returned my soul to me, and
revitalizedmy body, and allowed me to remember Him. ’*
What optimism, what enthusiasm there is in his welcoming
of the day: ‘Praise be to Allah who has returned my soul to
me.’ Certainly the lifetime we possess is a gift for which we
must give thanks to the Lord. Furthermore, we should use
the time wisely because, as long as we have it, the road to
salvation will remain open to those of us who wish to travel
it. That is why God favoured His servants by creating a
sunrise and a sunset each day:
Allah is the One who granted you night that you may
rest in it and the daytime for seeing. Surely Allah has
bounty for mankind, but most men do not give thanks
(al-Mu’min 40: 61).
21

3
When mere words were powerless to convey the passionate
current of his du a'. the Prophet had no recourse but to say
the same phrases over and over in order to release what he
harboured within hint of awe. love and veneration for the
Almighty. We have on the surface a mere repetition of
words, but this is in truth a stilled rapture, emotional and
spiritual meaning held in ecstasy. A striking moment in this
du'a is where the Prophet bears witness to his own prophet
hood after testifying to Allah’s unity and before testifying
to the brotherhood of man: ‘I give witness that Muhammad
is Your servant and Prophet.’ This is a way of reaffirming
his determination to fulfil the responsibility with which he
had been entrusted - to deliver his message to all men,
however they might refuse to acknowledge him or deny his
message.
Twenty-Four Hours in
a Far-Reaching Life
Let us reflect on a day in the life ofthe Prophet of Islam.
Without a doubt he awoke from his sleep before the
coming of the dawn. While the darkness of night still
overspread everything, he stirred to greet the first indications
of the coming dawn:
‘Praise be to Allah who has returned my soul to me, and
revitalizedmy body, andallowedme to rememberHim. ’’
What optimism, what enthusiasm there is in his welcoming
of the day: ‘Praise be to Allah who has returned my soul to
me.’ Certainly the lifetime we possess is a gift for which we
must give thanks to the Lord. Furthermore, we should use
the time wisely because, as long as we have it, the road to
salvation will remain open to those of us who wish to travel
it. That is why God favoured His servants by creating a
sunrise and a sunset each day:
Allah is the One who granted you night that you may
rest in it and the daytime for seeing. Surely Allah has
bounty for mankind, but most men do not give thanks
(al-Mu’min 40: 61).
21
20

Also, it is an established fact that the key to appreciation
of the finer things in life lies in the vitality of the body. What
could be finer than to possess a healthy body capable of
performing all the tasks required of it without fatigue or
strain? Indeed, only then is the Muslim able to satisfactorily
accomplish all that he sets out to do. That, then, is the reason
for offering praise to God for revitalizing our bodies as we
sleep.
Let us pause for a moment to consider the last part of
what the Prophet said, upon him be peace: 'and allowed me
to remember Him’. Such was the decorum of perfect worship
in the character of this servant of Allah. For him the gift of
another day's life was the equivalent of permission to begin
another day’s worship.
Thus the grateful servant begins each day in remembrance
of his Master with words that literally exude perfect faith
and desire.
‘Allah! I ask You for vitality in this life and the one to
come. Allah! I ask You for forgiveness and well-being
in my (practice of) religion, my life, my family and my
wealth. Allah! Cover over my faults and set my fears al
ease. Allah! Protect mefrom before me, andfrom behind
me, and on my right, and on my left, and from above,
and I seek refuge in You from all attempts to undermine
me.7
On the authority of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with
him, it is related that the Prophet, upon him be peace, said:
Recite the following when you sleep and when you
awake: ‘Allah, Knower of the seen and unseen, Creator
of Heaven and Earth, Lord and Master of everything; I
give witness that there is no god but You, and I seek
refuge in You from the evil within me and the evil of
Satan.’3
With the first signs of the coming day the Prophet and his
Companions used to say:
'We have begun the day in the way of Islam and with
the word of devotion, in the religion of our Prophet
Muhammad, in the nation of our father, Ibrahim, the
True Unitarian who was never an idolator. ’4
The affirmation of the Companions and other followers
that they followed the religion of Muhammad, upon him be
peace, is quite clear. But what is the meaning of his making
the same affirmation? Indeed, it occurs in countless other
du'a that the Prophet, upon him be peace, gives witness to
his own prophethood or the truth of his mission.
There are a number of good reasons for this. Among them
is that the Prophet, upon him be peace, was the first to put
into practice the message with which he had been entrusted.
So often we see religious leaders who consider their religion
something to foist upon others, while they themselves act as
if they are above all such considerations. Or he may have
done it as a way of forcing proof on the disbelievers and
other critics, so as to make of it an established truth
impervious to attacks of doubt or conjecture. Or he may
have done it out of a feeling of gratitude for the gift which
Allah had bestowed upon him, as a sign of his satisfaction
and happiness with the position Allah had chosen for him
to fill.
In any case, from the moment he awoke, his heart stirred
with feelings of veneration and appreciation for Allah’s
bounty; feelings which he would then translate into lucid
sentences:
Allah! In whatever favour I or any other of Your
creaturesfind ourselves this morning, it isfrom You and
You alone! You have no partner, and all praise is due
to You and all thanks!’5
'Allah! I awake to favour from You, and vitality, and
protection! Then complete Your favour upon me, and
revitalizeme, andprotectme in this Worldand the Next. ’6
23
22

On the authority of Abu Hurairah it is related that the
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said:
There is not a person who stirs from his sleep and says:
'Praise to Allah Who has created sleeping and waking.
Praise to Allah Who has aroused me safe and sound! I
give witness that Allah will revive the dead, and that He
is Powerful over everything'J except that Allah replies:
‘My servant has spoken truthfully.'
Is it not an excellent thing that a person should praise his
Lord and then find not only that God has heard his praises,
but that He accepts and confirms the truth of his words, and
in doing so, furthermore, recruits that person to His service
by calling him, ‘My servant’?
On the authority of Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari it is related that
the Prophet, upon him be peace, said:
When you wake up in the morning, say: 'We have
awoken, and all ofcreation has awoken, for Allah, Lord
of all the Worlds. Allah, I ask You for the best the day
has to offer, victory, support, light, blessings and guid
ance; and 1 seek refuge in You from the evil in it, and
the evil to come after it’.8 When you go to sleep at night,
say the same thing.
Most people live their lives as if within a cave filled with
the gloom of real or imagined problems. And it is really a
tragedy that otherwise intelligent minds are able to see no
further than the walls of that cave, and that their worry-rid
den hearts are able to sense only darkness and constraint
The Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, rejected this kind
of defeatist isolationism when he said:
Not a morning passes in which the servants of Allul’
awake except that a caller calls out, ‘Praise to Allah, the
Sacred, the Supreme. ’
In another version of the same narration:
. . . a criercries out, 'O Creation! Praise the Sacred One,
the Supreme!'
It is tempting to say that the heart of Muhammad, upon
him be peace, and only his heart, was the one to listen to
the crier’s warning to mankind to tear away the barriers of
neglect and race to the Sacred, Supreme One. Indeed, his
skill in arousing others was a direct result of his total
immersion in dltikr (remembrance) of Allah, and his constant
awareness of the Possessor of Majesty.
The scholars of law are unanimous that there is no
obligation upon members of the Muslim community to
repeat the du'a' we record in these or subsequent pages.
Their repetition is desirable and commendable, but not
obligatory. And, of course, that is as it should be. Yet, so
it seems to me, for the spiritually weak, an extended
contemplation of these du'a' is more than necessary. They
are remarkably effective in acquainting people with their
Lord and providing them with insight into the meanings of
His beautiful names.
Vague or ambiguous faith is of little benefit to anyone;
and flagging faith is incapable of directing behaviour or
bridling passion. The Companions of the Prophet of Allah
did not reach the summit of faith, or change the history of
the world, or establish a new order, or set new standards of
moral behaviour, except as a result oftheir direct relationship
with the Prophet of Allah, and the diffusion of sincerity and
love of Allah from his heart to theirs.
It is in the nature of mankind that when desire is strong
enough it will have the energy to stir the dying fire of failing
commitment into a new burst of flame. Listening to the
Prophet and penetrating his emotions, as he offers du'a is
a sure way to rekindle the flames, to refurbish a smoked-out
interior, or at least to stir someone into making the attempt
to approach his Lord.
The du'a’ we have mentioned so far have all been of the
25

optional type. There is, in addition, a certain prescribed
amount of another kind of relationship with Allah, associated
with the mosque; the ritual prayers (salat) which must be
performed daily by every Muslim. In the course of ever}'
twenty-four hours each Muslim is required to stand before
the Almighty in prayer five times. Furthermore, the Muslim's
presence in the mosque for the performance of each salat is
either essential or strongly recommended. Obviously the
position occupied by the mosque in Muslim society is a very
eminent one. This might be surprising to certain of our
people who have lost sight of the importance of salat.
The Muslim’s walk to the mosque begins before dawn. As
an encouragement there is the teaching of the Prophet, upon
him be peace:
Give glad tidings to those who walk to the mosques in
the dark of night, that on the Day of Rising they will
have perfect light.
The day when you see the believers, men and women,
their light running before them, and on their right
(al-Hadid 57: 12).
They say, ‘Our Lord, make this our light perfect and
forgive us’ (al-Tahrim 66: 8).
Concerning the Muslim’s journey on foot to the mosque
for the purpose of performing the salat, the authentic
teaching of the Prophet is that whenever anyone raises one
foot and lowers the other, a good deed will be recorded for
him and an evil one erased in the book of his deeds, and he
will be raised up one level in the world to come.
Ibn ‘Abbas related that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
went out to salat after hearing the call to prayer, saying:
Allah! Put light in my heart, and light on my tongue,
and light in my ears, and light in my eyes, and light
behind me, and light before me. A llah ! Give me light!"*
Indeed Allah granted him what he asked, as he was ‘a
Caller to Allah by His leave, and a Light-giving Lamp’
(al-Ahzab 33: 46).
In still another narration it is related that when the Prophet
entered the mosque he would praise Allah, and take His
name and then say:
'Allah, forgive me, and open the doors of Your Mercy
for me.’10
When the Prophet, upon him be peace, left the mosque
he would do the same (praise Allah, take His name) and
then say:
'Allah, open the doors of Your Bounty for me/’11
The Prophet’s love for salat was so great that whenever
he heard the mu'adhdhin say: ‘The time for salat has come’,
he would reply: ‘May Allah perpetuate it forever.’12
As the mu’adhdhin makes his call to prayer, we should
repeat the call (to ourselves), and then add a prayer for the
Prophet, upon him be peace, after which we should say:
‘Allah! Lord of this perfect call, and the salat about to
beperformed; grant to Muhammad al wasilah (a special
place in heaven) and excellence, and raise him up to a
praisedposition (ofinterceding on behalfofhisfollowers
on the Judgement Day), one which You promised to
him.'11
The reason the Prophet taught his followers to say ‘a’
(rather than ‘the’) praised position is because he was pleased
with the wording of the Qur’an in its promise of a reward
for one (the Prophet himself) who regularly performs the
salat of Tahajjud in the hours before dawn:
And at night, perform Tahajjud, a part of it (the night)
as something extra for yourself; it may be that your
Lord will raise you up to a praised position (ai-Isra 17-
79).
26 27

The Prophet held by the words that indicated the position
he would occupy in the next world, and requested of his
followers that they petition the Almighty for that promised
reward. in compensation for his long nightly vigil of standing.
Kissing and prostrating himself in prayer — so much that his
feet swelled up under the strain of it. Undoubtedly the place
that lose for Allah occupied in the heart of this devoted
servant ss as such that it could never be filled by anything else.
Thus he fostered — by means of the mosque — the men
who would lead humanity, culturally and politically, after
him Indeed, the world had never seen a civilization so noble
or so pure, as the one moulded by the men fostered by
Muhammad; a civilization nurtured by the Qur'anic revela
tion which transformed an unknown desert into an institution
capable of producing the most knowledgeable of men with
regard to law’and values, and the most deserving of spiritual
and temporal rule. Those were the men whose hearts soared
in awe whenever the Prophet recited the Qur’an to them,
and whose eyes were filled with love and respect at the sight
of Muhammad, upon him be peace.
It was when the Prophet, in his final illness, looked upon
his followers at prayer in the mosque that he felt that he had
finally completed his mission. When he saw them therein
sincere devotion to Allah, his face lit up like a sheet of
glistening gold. This was all he had ever wanted; to leave
behind him. when called to meet his Almighty Maker, the
living fruit of all his tireless efforts.
Will the mosques again one day produce men as they did
in those days? Certainly the structures are similar, but the
people inside them are not all that we might have hoped for
Our situation recalls the feelings of Maj nun, Layla's lover,
when the poet has him say:
As for the tents, well, certainly they resemble the tents
of her tribe.
But the women of this place, I see, are not the same'
4
More Than Food
and Drink
The Prophets were men who, like everyone else, needed
regular nourishment. It is pointless to dwell on the objection
of the pre-Islamic Arab idolators that a Prophet should be
above such needs, an objection as absurd then as now. Every
human body requires food in order to sustain life. Yet it is
true that those who live for the realization of some noble
objective invariably sacrifice their personal needs to it and,
in their singularity of purpose, can ignore the most tempting
of worldly delights.
As for ourselves, we live in times when securing immediate
pleasures seems to be the only concern. Certainly, we may
find among our contemporaries a few willing to make
sacrifices in order to accomplish one or another great project;
but rarely will we find one who has made that project the
be-all and end-all of his existence.
The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, and the
generation of men who learned from him, were of an
altogether different spiritual and moral fibre. Consider the
following narration:
One day the Prophet ofAllah, upon him be peace, saw
‘Umaribn al-Khattab wearingan attractivegarment. The
Prophet asked, ‘Is that new or just newly washed?’
29
28

Vr*-i washed rrpfrcti I’mor Then the Prophn
*»»"♦ wrrA it du‘n fav you always wear ne*
,--k*r*»r' <m«« Itvr a praised man, and die a martyr.'
Thu<- <knh m the "a of Allah was one of the tokensol
*< ‘k •' '•■MiptH tor ‘Umar. along with a praiseworthy life and
v. ?.h enough to ensure a supply of new clothes. Concern
she htiss the next world so permeated the consciousnev
those r-rst Muslims that they made no distinction between
W and other-worldly pleasures. Is it at all likely that
v,.- -n. r would live for the purpose of indulging their
appetite* at grand feasts?
I would not in any way wish to disparage a man’s just
pursuit of sustenance, for that is a part of human nature
Indeed, everyone has the right to take pleasure from life's
necessities even to savour its luxuries, so long as this does
nos implant greed or so ingrain easy habits that the hardship'
of battle for the faith or the homeland, become too
unbearable to even contemplate, let alone endure.
Undoubtedly, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be
rsace was in a position to command the coarser pleasures
of lite in any measure, including those of gourmandising
But there is nothing in the Traditions to indicate that he
showed the least interest in fine or elaborate cuisine. Nor
conversely, did he ever order anyone to seek out hardship
He never taught asceticism, and he never prohibited what
was lawful He was, on the contrary, always appreciative of
the favour of Allah, and always thankful. Consider this
teaching
Whenever any ofyou eats:, let him take the name of Alw
when he begins; and if he should forget to do so u'lifr
beginning, let him take the name of Allah when finisliinf
saying In the name of Allah, at the beginning and#
the end
AwJ alien the Prophet had finished his meal. he would sa)
Praise to Allah who has given us food and drink, and
who has made us Muslims. ’■
In sum and balance, the Prophet taught that:
Almighty Allah is pleased when His servant partakes of
food and then praises Him for it. and when His servant
drinks and then praises Him for the drink.
But the majonty of people fill themselves to bursting and
then go about their business without any consciousness of
owing something to Allah Such crass, brute indifference is
in no way worthy of a believer
The Imam of all the Prophets expressed a great talent and
variety in the ways that he would praise Allah after taking
his daily meals Among the du'a narrated in the books of
Hadith are the following:
'0 Allah! You have given food and drink, and You have
enriched and satisfied, andguided andgiven life. Thanks
to Pou for all You have given. ’2
Praise to Allah who has fed me this and nourished me
thereby without my having contributed anything, neither
power nor resources. ’3
Praise to Allah who has provided food and drink, then
caused it to be digested and disposed of.
This open-hearted acceptance of bounty and benefit, and
whole-hearted thanksgiving to Him who confers it, has an
especial significance (in Islam) and deserves some elucida
tion
The Last of the Prophets was not afflicted with physical
weakness or infirmities, being instead endowed with strength
and stamina, capable of facing all opponents, a battlefield
warrior who would run to meet the enemy’s charge. When
being well-built means being able to answer any call to duty,
then it is a great blessing and advantage. A fit and healthy
3<J
31

5person is more likely to look at the world, and deal in it,
with generosity and magnanimity, than one who is not. On
this ground, he has the right to help himself to what he needs
to stay fit and healthy. Allah never prohibits the kind of
food that promotes healthy regeneration of cells that break
down under the strain of exertion or long life. Whoever
argues the contrary is essentially misrepresenting Islam
What Islam opposes is damaging excess, gluttony, obesity,
and other derived and related maladies of that nature. Nor,
on this issue, is there any disagreement between the prescrip
tions of religion and those of medical science.
Yet there were many occasions when the Prophet, upon
him be peace, had to be satisfied with no more than a few
morsels of food, or less, a handful of dates. On one occasion,
when he found that there was nothing to be had in the house
except vinegar, he remarked: 'An excellent condiment,
vinegar'.'It is this kind of vigorous, cheerful masculinity that
keeps the mind unscarred by temporary setbacks, and
sustains the body’s vitality even when denied that to which
it has grown accustomed.
The Prophet and the
Social Gathering
There are times when a man feels he has to get away from
it all in order to preserve his emotional balance or intellectual
acuteness. According to most psychologists, people are
unable to sustain an optimum level of intellectual activity
while in the company of others. This is probably true with
respect to most great men. However, the Prophets of Allah
were men who were at their best when in the company of
others; company never made them ‘low’. Indeed, there were
those among the Companions ofthe Prophet who complained
that they could not sustain, outside his company, the level
of consciousness that they attained while with him. In his
company the Companions would become so conscious of
Allah that they enjoined His worship on each other and gave
counsel concerning the duties they owed to Him.
The Prophet detested the meetings of the heedless and
unmindful, because of his aversion to any gathering in which
there was no mention ofAllah. His teaching on the subject is:
Wheneveragroup gets upfrom a meeting in which Allah
is never once mentioned, it is as ifthey get up from the
decaying corpse ofa donkey; and it is for them a great
misfortune.
33
32

Thus all those gatherings in which Allah is forgotten and
only matters of worldly interest, or pleasure, are mentioned
are in effect gatherings of decay. Indeed, what is there about
them .which deserves to be preserved? The only things
deserving of preservation are those which relate in some way
to the Eternal One, may His name be blessed!
Whenever a Muslim finds himself in a gathering where the
major subject of concern is the life of this world (even if
there is some mention of the next world as well), he should
remember the following teaching of the Prophet, upon him
be peace:
Whoever sits in a gathering in which there is a great deal
of clamour and says, before rising, ‘Glory to You, 0
Lord, and praise. I give witness that there is no God but
You. To You I repent, and unto You I return’d will be
forgiven by Allah for whatever transpired in the gathering
he took part in.
In another hadith the Prophet, upon him be peace, said:
If a Muslim is in a gathering where only good is
discussed, then that [his reciting the du‘a mentioned in
the hadith above] will become as an imprint (of good]
for him; whereas if the gathering had elements of both
good and evil, then that will be as an expiation of
whatever transpired in the gathering.
Because socializing might have the effect of stirring up
rivalry in worldly affairs, or ostentatiousness, or even arro
gance; and because it might tend to occupy the minds of
people with trivialities; and because it might make relation
ships which were better not made - for these reasons - as
reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar:
Rarely, ifever, did the Prophet, upon him be peace, rise
from a gathering without reciting the following du'afo'
his Companions: 'O Allah, distribute between us th(
heedfulness necessary to come between us and the
commission of wrong against You, and the obedience
necessary to gainfor us admission to Yourparadise, and
the unswerving faith necessary to minimize for us the
tribulations ofthis world. 0 Allah, allow us to enjoy our
hearing, our sight, and our strength for as long as we
live, and make that enjoyment our heir (so that when we
are gone those who have benefited through us will
remember to pray for us), and place our vengeance on
those who have wronged us, and give us victory over
our enemies, and try us not in our faith, neither make
this world our greatest concern or the extent of our
knowledge, nor give power over us to those who would
oppress us.’2
In this way the Prophet used to call an end to his meetings.
Thus no one who attended would return to his home without
having been immersed in the mercy of Allah!
34
35

6
U uh ih< five dmh proven completed, hts day over, every
rr.ar I.. i< himself free tn return home for rest and relaxation.
But was that the way Muhammad, upon him be peace,
gm ted the toming night’ Had the great philosophers of
nu idph^i. s attained in their dais of work even a fraction
H what Muhammad accomplished in a single night, it would
hast sufficed to make their reputations, and been accounted
a sph ndid i lion on their part For the Prophet, the supreme
worshipper, upon him be peace, nightfall but began a new
stage in the stages of his devotion to Allah Indeed, on the
subject ot his nightly du'a'. the scholars have related a great
many hudith Thus it is relatedon the authority of Hudhaifah
and Abu Dhan that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
whenever he retired to his bed. would say:
In Your name, 0 Allah, I live and die.'1
On the authonty of Abu Hurairah, it is related that the
Prophet upon him be peace, would say:
M neneier urn one ofyou retires to his bed, let him say:
In Y. ur name my Lord. 1 hase laid myselfdown, and
• I. -r name I s'na.'. nse If You take my soul, then
hi>< meru .-n:: and if You release it, then protect it in
h.i h* protect Your faithful servants ’2
n

■>H> haxM h rtsfl'r'" av'mmcniian <-»n thn
rttr <hr 1* Vrt>
KW> t*kr* thf •>'»«’* •’ ’be time of then death
rtr wWh hr reM died in m sleep Hr witbhota. ".h"
Krm w+wJi He h** decreed death
nil « mans’ term (a) Zumnt V>
V » hetrwt o’mtdrt* ’he two together
•Hl fl* Ow wn*. verse h‘ CMMIOt help but feel that hr ||("
.ws nv»menl ’«' ’he next, is a gift from the hand of u,
; r. m M the Worlds
t -ht that when he lav*. himself down for the night
>« »v -v agatn onh on the Day of Resurrection In ths
tW hrnever ' onh request is for mercy Hut if he rtw«
k im anodwr «ta then his only wish is to live under the
-wtertarw <M AUah
_> tw authority ol al Barrft' ibn 'A/.ib, it is related that
a* Fraptert upm him be peace. said
Btrwirr von go io your bed. first perform vuur uiidu
„ aw war *<n that you perform wudu Jor salat, lher
ar 4<'t«r on your right vide and sav '(> Allah. I < i»mmi
}aut keeping. and entrust > mi uilh my tillin’'
’Jf btuk on You in longing ami in iim There r
r and iu> escape from You, except with You'
in Your Hook which You ha c i< scaled. andir
}atir Prophet whom You have sent I hen, if vou du
H» will di< in the natural slate of faith (fifrah)
*-ttk bchrvet closes his eves and prepares to g1'1
.»• z k’fis his will lot a period ol absence thn<llw
hr 08msi dun « long Indeed, there ate many who del|X‘
{heat* .«• i 'be unknown But the believer is the 0,11 *
uaMWL huuadl to the keeping of his Lord, and enl>U|
Hat * ’• all fu: atlaiis' Undoubtedly, Allah ak”ic l"
BMW it whoti. other than Hun van one I'1-1'1
kjpt < ;it »ard rdf evil ot bring about good
htfvem when a person prepare* for
,i, . »,.< —•.(! n tiff txtapred with thcwitht* of what
s- puned -» he thrmt ’be day, or what mistake* he may
. mK-i- r «h»t «ocoe*«e« he may have had One of the
i.,n w r ’he da 4 which the Prophet taught u* i* to relieve
■ ' er»htewsthr<".:th our feelings of awe
- ' ••»’ -o tf-’ 't place at the side of Allah.
• n ■ ■ »e drift off to <leep. certain of one
’hint k »■ Mipphcate tSe lord I believe in Your Book
whi I y h»ve revealed. snd in Your Prophet whom You
h»v< vnt then m the comfortable bed of natural faith,
lb Muslim mat lake tm rest m peace
In another had,th ii i« related that the Prophet, upon him
hr pur would »ay when he went to his bed
<> Allah1 l ord of the heaieru and Lord of the earth
nnd l ord of the (treat Throne1 Our Lord and Lord of
rrr thing1 Splitter of the gram and date-stone1 Revealer
ol iht lorah. the Gospels. and Qur an' I seek refuge in
hue fmm the evd ofevery evil one whose forelock You
have seized You are the First, there is nothing before
You and You are the Last, there is nothing after You.
I ou art the Manifest, there is nothing beyond You, and
You are the Concealed, there is nothing before You. Pay
our debts for us. and relieve us from poverty. '4
in another hadith. on the authority of ‘All, it is narrated
that the Prophet, upon him be peace, would say:
0 Allah. / lake refuge in Your kindness from the evil
eienthing which Von have seized by the forelock
evcnthing rduch comes under Your Power)! Oh Allah,
only You remove debt and sin! Your army is never
it •< an. .nd Your promise is never broken. The wealth
n< - > * J not protect him from You. Glory be
K> You, 0 Allah, and praise!^
In another u o related that he would say:

'In the name ofAllah I lay myselfdown. O Allah, forgiVe
me my wrongdoing, drive away my evil, deliver me of
my responsibilities, and place me in one of the highest
places in heaven. ’6
In each of the above du'a’ we see the Prophet, upon him
be peace, ardently extolling the greatness of his Lord. Indeed
the du'a’ he used, as he prepared to go to sleep, were and
remain inimitable by even the cleverest and most perceptive
of masters. In the first part, he gave praise to Perfect
Godhood in all of its richness and wide power. Then, after
that ardent praise, he summarized the humanity of ever)1
true servant of Allah by asking for relief from poverty, debt,
sin and the whisperings of the evil one; then by asking for
forgiveness and release from every responsibility which binds
one to this world . . . because he sought only to be allowed
entrance to the highest place in heaven, to the court of the
Sublime Companion, ar-rafiq al-a‘la
Yet, we must not suppose that the Prophet, upon him be
peace, after petitioning his Lord in this manner, simply went
off into a deep sleep. By no means! After an hour’s rest he
was up again to obey the call of his Lord, to renew the recital
of His praises in the still of the night, as he had done during
the day. Indeed, he had been commanded to do so by the
Almighty:
Remember the name of Your Lord in the morning and
in the evening, and part of the night — bow down before
Him, and praise Him a long (time at) night (al-Dahr
76: 25).
The Prophet, alone of all the Muslims, was required to
rise for the nightly tahajjud prayer. So, whoever prefers to
sleep is free to do so. But as for the Prophet, upon himte
peace:
Your Lord knows that you keep awake (in prayet)
nearly two-thirds of the night, or one half of it or3
third of it, together with some of those who follow
thee . . . Recite, then, as much of the Qur’an as you
may do with ease (al-Muzzammil 73: 20).
The biographers of the Prophet record that he used to
spend the greaterpart ofevery night in prayer and recitation
of the Qur’an.
It once happened, when the Prophet was in his fifties, that
Ibn ‘Abbas, then only a youth, was spending the night at
the Prophet’s house, and when the Prophet, upon him be
peace, rose for tahajjud prayer, Ibn ‘Abbas fell in behind
him. Then, as the Prophet continued to recite chapter after
chapter from the Qur’an, the boy began to tire until he could
wait no longer for the prayer to be over. But the soul of the
Prophet, the true worshipper, conquered the effect of his
old age so that he was able to continue reciting through the
night. Said Ibn ‘Abbas: ‘I felt like leaving him to pray by
himself, and going my own way.’
The Prophet’s feet regularly became swollen as a result of
these nightly sessions of standing before the Lord of All the
Worlds. But the heart borne on the wings of love may cause
an ageing body to ignore all twinges of pain, and experience
instead the ecstasy ofimmersion in the sweetness ofworship;
as the poet said:
And when the soul is great, in doing its bidding the
body may fail.
But what of the approaching morning? After the still of
the night people rise to meet whatever fate awaits them. The
wordsofthe Prophet longbefore the dawn ofthe new day -
Glory be to Allah! What trials lie ahead? And what
treasures? Awake! You there in the rooms [the Prophet’s
wives]! For many are the well-attired in this world who
will be naked in the next.
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40

- prepared for the approaching day with its good and its evil
by assembling his household to stand together in prayer.
And who is to say that the coming day will not be the last?
‘For many are the well-attired in this world who will be naked
in the next.’ And many are the beggars in this world who
will be kings in the next! The next world is the abode of
Truth; and before entering it certain preparations must be
made.
In another hadith it is related that the Prophet, upon him
be peace, sometimes used to say the following du'a’ as he
lay down to sleep:
'O Allah, praise to You! You are the light of the heavens
and the earth and all that dwell therein. Praise to You!
You are the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all
that dwell therein. Praise to You! You are the truth, and
Your promise is true, and Your word is true, and Your
meeting is true, and the Garden is true, and the Fire is
true, and the Prophets were true, and Muhammad is
true, and the Hour is true! O Allah, to You I commit
myself, and in You 1 believe and place my trust, and
unto You I turn in repentance, and for You I fight, and
through You I pass judgement. Forgive me my sins, past
and future, open and hidden. You are my God; there is
no God but You!’1
The Prophet would urge his Companions to greet the night
in a spirit of purity and virtue by saying:
Cleanse these bodies of yours, may Allah purify you
For whoever washes before going to sleep will have
angel in his hair for the night saying: O Allah, grant
him forgiveness for he sleeps in a state of purity.
Of course, cleanliness of the body is no substitute for pun"
of soul. Thus, when the Muslim settles into his bed f°r'
good night’s sleep, his heart should be with the Lord, alV
his tongue occupied with reciting His praises. It is relate
on the authority of ‘All that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
said to him and his wife Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with
them:
Whenever you go to bed, [or he said] whenever you
betake yourselves to bed, recite 'Allahu Akbar’ (Allah
is Great) thirty-three times, and 'Subhan Allah’ (Glory
be to Allah) thirty-three times, and ‘Al hamdu lillah’
(Praise to Allah) thirty-three times.
In one version of the same hadith they were instructed to
repeat ‘Subhan Allah' thirty-four times. Said ‘All: ‘After
hearing this from the Prophet, upon him be peace, I never
once neglected to practise it.’ When someone asked ‘AIT if
he did not neglect it on the night of the Battle of Siffin he
replied: ‘Not even on the eve of Siffin!’
In other words, ‘All, may Allah be pleased with him,
diligently practised what he had been taught for over thirty
years until the fateful battle took place between him and his
enemies.
No doubt ‘Alt lived a life filled with anxieties; in this world
he knew no rest, and it was only when he died that he really
had his first experience of it. On his tragic death ‘A’ishah
wrote the following verses:
So at last he threw down his staff, the toils of his travels
now left far behind, like a wanderer in rapture at first
sight of home.
But he never permitted his worries to so overwhelm him
as to neglect his nightly recital of what he had learned to
recite before going to sleep. Indeed, it is more than likely
that the recital helped him to overcome, or at least to cope
with, the many worries which beset him.
Among the hadith concerning the Prophet’s urging his
community to practise regular cleanliness before retiring at
night, as well as spiritual purity, is one related on the
authority of Abu Umamah, who said:
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/ heard the Prophet ofAllah say: 'Whoever retires to his
bed in a state ofpurity, and recites the praises ofAllah
until he is overcome by sleep, will be granted whatever
he asks for if he rises during the night to petition Allah
for the good of this world or the next. ’
In another hadith ‘A’ishah said:
When the Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, wentto
his bed, he used to say: ‘O Allah! Allow me to enjoy my
hearing and my sight, and make that enjoyment my heir;
grant me victory over my enemy, and show me the
vengeance I take from him. O Allah, I seek refuge in
You from being overcome by defeat, and from hunger;
for certainly hunger is a terrible bedfellow. ’8
In this hadith the Prophet requested his Lord to present
his senses for the rest of his natural life, especially the senses
of sight and hearing, in addition to requesting deliverance
from debt and the pangs of hunger.
The Prophet was a human being who sought to live a life
of vitality and honour, far removed from self-inflicted
hardship and suffering. Certainly it is the right of every
human being to live such a life. Then let us forget the
religious charlatans who would have us welcome suffering
and deprivation as if they were things to be cherished; or
who would have us believe that religion is some sort of war
on well-being and dignity.
The du'a in the hadith quoted above contains certain
words (. . . grant me victory. . .) which need to be explained.
Before embarking on an explanation, however, there is a
question which must be answered first: Did the Prophet
harbour any personal enmity for anyone? The answer is.
emphatically, no! Where his own rights were concerned the
Prophet was an extremely forgiving person. But what pro
voked him was when the rights of Allah were violated. 1'
was then that the Prophet rose to the defence like an enraged
lion. Thus, when the Prophet requested his Lord to give him
victory over his enemy, it is as ifhe was commenting, through
his request, on the following verse of the Qur’an:
And pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us;
You are our Master, then give us victory over the people
of the disbelievers (al-Baqarah 2: 286).
The disbelievers were a people who left bloody wounds
in the very hearts of the believers; the weak among them
especially, those who were overpowered and forced to split
up, and degraded to such an extent that the wide world
restricted them, and seemed no wider than the eye of a
needle. It was the right of these poor and oppressed believers
to see justice taken from their enemies, and to see the
haughtiness of disbelief fallen in the dust. Indeed, this was
the very reason for the order to make war against the
disbelievers - until their power was broken.
Fight them, and Allah will chastise them at your hands
and degrade them; and He will give you victory over
them, and bring healing to the breasts of a people who
believe, and remove the rage from within their hearts
(al-Tawbah 9: 14-15).
Human nature has certain established characteristics that
may not be effaced or overlooked. There is, however, a kind
of muddled religiosity which seeks to do away with reason
and to underrate roundedness of character. Needless to say,
Islam has nothing to do with such religiosity!
Perhaps this hadith, related by ‘A’ishah, best indicates the
respect accorded by Islam to human nature. She said;
The Prophet ofAllah, upon whom be peace, for as long
as I knew him, never slept without first seeking refuge
from cowardice and indolence, boredom, parsimony,
undue pride, embarrassment in family or financial
affairs, the chastisement of the grave, and from Satan
and associating him (with the Almighty).
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7Thus the Prophet sleeps; but not before making the night
come alive with purity and dhikr, so that after no more than
an hour of sleep he awakes for the dawn prayer and prepares
to meet another twenty-four hours with the following du'a’:
‘We have awoken, and the domain belongs to Allah.
Praise to Allah! He has no partner. There is no God bin
Him; and to Him is the final issuing. ’9
In the Vastness
of Life
Muhammad, upon him be peace, knew Allah and
acquainted mankind with Him through his remembrance of
Him and through thanksgiving. He was able to draw large
numbers of people into the same acts of remembrance and
thanksgiving, kindling, whenever necessary, the flames of
their ardour and calling them back to the path whenever
they strayed. It was he who delivered them from the long
night of Ignorance so that they might know who their Lord
was, and how to live for Him here on earth, and how to
prepare for the final return to Him on the day the doors of
the heavens will be flung open.
Having a relationship with Allah is more than just spending
a few minutes in the morning or evening in making du'a',
and then going out into the world and doing whatever one
pleases. That would make the relationship a fraud. True
religion is a person’s heeding his Lord in every situation, his
keeping his activities within the bounds of what the Lord
has commanded and prohibited, acknowledging his human
frailties, and seeking the help of the Lord whenever he is
beset by difficulties.
The Prophet’s life, upon him be peace, was a vivid
demonstration of the depth and comprehensiveness of his
47
46

relationship with Allah. Whether it was a matter of doing
or of not doing, nothing in his life ever caused him to be
forgetful of Allah. For this reason we find that his du'a'
touch upon so many of the diverse aspects of life, and they
are so’worded as to harmonize with everything he put his
hand to. For example, his charged emotions would cause
him to contemplate the first raindrops and say:
This rain has only recently been with the Lord.
When some people, on discovering the first fruits of the
season had ripened, took them to him, he took one in his
hand and said:
'0 Allah, bless us in our fruit, and bless us in our
settlement, and bless us in our good measure. ’’
Thereafter the Prophet handed the fruit to the youngest
children of his Companions present.
Whenever the wind began to blow, he would say:
‘0 Allah, I ask of You the best of it, and the best of
what is in it, and the best of what You have sent with it;
I seek refuge in You from the evil of it, and from the
evil within it, andfrom the evil You have sent with it. ’2
The Prophet approached whatever came his way with this
kind of overflowing spiritual awareness, and applied the
teachings of heaven exactly as revealed to him. Let us now
examine particular aspects of human society, and the way in
which he reformed them in the name, and with the blessings,
of Allah.
Muslim Home
The sexual instinct is one that can give rise to serious
problems ifsubject to sudden outbursts of passion, transgres
sing the limits set for it by Allah, or violating the basic human
rights of others. If that is allowed to happen, a person may
risk disgrace or even damnation. Indeed, any instinct
unchecked by the Shari'ah or Islamic Law will surely lead
to serious trouble.
Allah did not create our instincts so as to oppress or
deceive us, nor so that some people should worship Him by
attempting to suppress or ignore them. On the contrary. He
created natural outlets for all of our instincts. In the case of
our sexual instincts, He made available to us the institution
of marriage and caused love and mercy to flow from it in
order to establish in the home an atmosphere of tenderness
and grace. And He charged His pious servants to appreciate
the value of this felicity, to delight in its comforts, and not
to allow even their eyes to stray beyond its limits. He charged
them to direct their energies within marriage to the bringing
up of children, to caring for their future, and to raising a
generation of rightly-minded and rightly-behaved youth. In
the Qur’an it is written:
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48

Those who say, 'Our Lord, may our spouses and 0Ut
offspring be a joy to our eyes and make us leaders of
the heedful’ (al-Furqan 25: 74).
The true Muslim is one who shows genuine concern fOr
how his children relate to their Lord and their Muslim
brothers and sisters; not one whose only preoccupation is to
crowd society with his own undisciplined offspring!
Consider the du'a’ of the Prophet Ibrahim, upon whom
be peace.
My Lord, cause me and my offspring to remain constant
in prayer, and accept this my prayer (Ibrahim 14:40).
To have success in raising children who stand up for the
rights of Allah is great prosperity. It is a measure of the
magnitude of the faith in the heart of Ibrahim that his dearest
wish was to have righteous children. Ordinarily, men wish
for children who will become wealthy or powerful or other
wise successfully occupied with the stuff of this world.
Beyond that nothing much matters to them. But the Prophets
of Allah were of a different mettle, because their concern is
with the matter of faith.
You were witnesses that when death presented itself to
Ya'qub, he said to his sons: ‘Whom will you worship
after I am gone?' They said: ‘We will worship your God.
and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim, Isma'il and
Ishaq, the One God; and to Him do we surrender
ourselves’ (al-Baqarah 2: 133).
The first foundation of the Muslim home is made in the
choice (made after seeking the help of Allah) of a good
spouse. It is the custom in Islam, a Sunnah (Islamic tradition)
that, when husband and wife meet for the first time, th£
husband should take the name of Allah, place his hand on
the forehead of his wife, and say:
May Allah bless each one of us in our partnership. 0
Allah, I seek from You her good, and the good You
created in her; and I seek refuge in You from her evil
and the evil You created in her. ’’
All of us have weaknesses and shortcomings that need to
be concealed and forgiven. Anyone who claims to be blessed
with a flawless character is surely self-deceived! Further
more, if man and wife are truly friends, they must, to
preserve their love for one another, learn to overlook the
other’s faults and seek help from Allah.
Among the many distinguishing features of Islam is its
association ofthe natural human urges with the remembrance
of Allah, dhikr, so that the Muslim satisfies, for example,
hunger or thirst, in the name of Allah. So too, in the matter
of sexual contact, each partner is expected to link his or her
desire to the name of Allah. The Prophet of Allah, upon
him be peace, said:
If, whenever any one ofyou makes sexual approach to
his or her mate, you say: '0 Allah, keep Satan away
from us, and keep him away from any offspring You
may bless us with', then the Satan will never harm any
offspring you are destined to produce.’2
Then, in the ordinary course of things, the woman will be
subjected to the labours of child-bearing, and the man to the
toils of providing for the family. Quite often the trials will
be severe; and in particular the woman, in the course of
pregnancy, childbirth and breast-feeding, must undergo
great hardship. Through all of this it is best to turn to Allah
and ask for relief and protection from mishap and harm. The
following du'a’ might be proper on such occasions - in truth,
the du'a' of the Prophet in which he lays bare his heart and
seeks release are so many:
'0 Allah, have mercy on me! Do not leave me alone for
even a moment, and put my affairs in order, there is no
God but You.’3
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50

O Living, O Eternal One! I beseech You for y0((r
Mercy!'*
‘There is no God but You, Glory to You, I have been
among those who wrong themselves. ’5
The subject of relations between the sexes is one that
deserves further explanation.
According to some Christians, the highest piety is the
severance of these relations, and the turning of a deaf ear,
by good men and women, to the call of the hated sexual
instinct. The institution of monasticism was raised, and still
stands, on this unnatural foundation. But if we look more
closely at this question, we see that some people are
possessed of a naturally weak sexual instinct so that absten
tion has little meaning for them, while others are possessed
of strong instincts so that they must either resort to satisfying
their desires illegitimately or to a vicious battle with those
instincts which rarely, if ever, leaves them physically or
psychologically unscarred. To say that a person has attained
true piety in either of these cases is unacceptable.
Islam, by contrast, in addition to making marriage lawful,
and within the compass of every adult Muslim has also
declared it to be an act of worship. Furthermore, if it is
satisfactorily established that the man can give certain
natural guarantees, he will be permitted to take more than
one wife; otherwise he will not.
It is its perversity that the Western world, under the
influence of Christianity, should have sought to confuse the
issue by wagging its loose tongue and making a mockery of
the teachings of Islam on the subject. Still more perverse
when we consider that the Western world itself has a fearfull!
confused set of values in the matter of sexual relationships
Thus the number of illegitimate children born each year if
the West is so great as to approach, in some countries the
number of legitimate births. A person’s wandering from out
sexual partner to another is now commonplace in the West
According to the widow of the former American President
John F. Kennedy, her husband had sexual relations with
between two and three hundred women. Of course, even
more than those in power, the playboys in the West are able
to thieve the honour of women by the hundreds! Is it not
more than a little absurd that making what amounts to a
small multitude of sexual conquests is normal or socially
acceptable, while taking more than one wife in a well-
defined, religious framework of marriage is condemned as
some sort of ‘womanizing’ perversion?
Among the men esteemed in the West as their greatest
and most popular political figures are many whose promis
cuity is well known, but in spite of that they continue to
enjoy general respect and admiration. The well-known
Egyptian author, Anis Mansur, writes:
It comes as no surprise that a book on the life of the
tiger of French politics, Georges Clemenceau (1841—
1929) should have been released in France. Indeed the
man entered the century’s most frightful political battles
and managed to emerge victorious from them all.
Furthermore, his ability to speak simultaneously to
twenty different people on twenty different subjects is
well known. But who could have imagined that the same
man had over eight hundred lovers, and more than forty
bastard sons!
But when Clemenceau discovered that his American
wife had been unfaithful to him, he opened the door in
the middle of the night and threw her out on the street
dressed in nothing but a nightgown!
1 cannot help but be shocked by this striking example of
what Westerners themselves call a ‘double standard’.
The reviewer, Anis Mansur, goes on to say:
Clemenceau, like any other human predator, had almost
no respect for women. No one has ever said anything
worse about women than what he said about them.
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52

Yet, in spite of all that (the French Deputy Minister of
Defence has eulogized him in a book) the leaders of the
Western world still number him among their greatest men!
Why? Because he was an adulterer for whom the institution
of marriage meant nothing? Adultery is a trifling matter!
But polygamy? Ah, that is a blemish which degrades -
degrades even the great!
Such is the traditional Western attitude, created and
nurtured by the Crusades, and now exported to the East by
the same people.
In fact, Islam has elevated the meaning of marriage to
heights deserving of every acclaim. Marriage is not an
institution by means of which a man is entitled to full control
over the life of a woman! On the contrary, it is a free contract,
beginning and ending with the permission of Allah and with
His guarantee. In his famous address at the ‘Farewell
Pilgrimage’the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said:
And heed Allah in the matter of women; for ofa certainty
you take them in the trust of Allah, and you enjoy their
persons in the Word of Allah!
The marriage contract in Islam is, by its nature, both
material and spiritual, worldly and other-worldly, so that the
home which is established by it will thrive with tranquillity,
love and mercy between the partners. And it also has asocial
dimension, by which human development is sustained in
purity and divine guidance.
Collectively, these natural elements of marriage in Islam
are referred to in the Qur’an as the ‘Rights of Allah', because
Allah wants the foundations of the home to be foundations
of righteousness and heedfulness, and unselfish sharing of
all of life’s responsibilities.
We shall here reproduce the marriage khutbah, or sermon,
so that people may know something of the high esteem io
which marriage is held in Islam. According to the scholars,
it is best to recite a brief and befitting khutbah at the time
of marriage, the best example of which was related by
'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud who said:
The Prophet of Allah, upon whom be peace, taught us
the following khutbah:
‘Praise to Allah! We praise Him and seek His help! We
seek His forgiveness and in Him seek refuge from the
evil within ourselves! Whoever Allah guides will not be
led astray by anyone; and whosoever Allah leads astray
will not be guided by anyone! I give witness that there
is no god but Allah, who is One and has no partner.
And I give witness that Muhammad is His slave and
His Prophet whom He sent with the truth as a giver of
good tidings and as a warner before the coming of the
Hour! Whosoever obeys Allah and His Prophet will be
rightly guided. But whosoever disobeys them will bring
harm onlyto himself, and will bring no harm to Allah.’
0 mankind, heed your Lord, who created you from a
single soul, and created from it its mate, then caused
to issue forth from them many men and women. Heed
Allah in whose name you seek your rights from one
another, and (take heed that you do not violate the
rights of your) relations; surely Allah ever watches over
you (al-Nisa’ 4: 1).
0 you who believe, heed Allah as He should be heeded
and do not allow death to overtake you before you have
surrendered yourselves to Him (Al ‘Imran 3: 102).
0 you who believe, heed Allah, and speak the truth,
He will set right your deeds for you and forgive you
your sins. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Prophet has
succeeded with a great success’ (al-Ahzab 33: 70—1).6
Thereafter, when the khutbah has been completed, the
contract may be solemnized and the marriage partners
reminded to heed Allah, to live together in harmony, and
to remain within the limits set for them by Allah.
55

The verses cited in the marriage khutbah are an excellent
introduction to married life. They direct the Muslim’s atten
tion toward founding a family which will contribute to the
strength of Islam and the community. Indeed, marriage isa
contract with very far-reaching consequences. As the years
pass and the couple become parents devoted to the up-bring-
ing of a new generation, the family develops and grows in
number. Then, as the age of the two parents increases, the
children mature and set out on their own. But how will the
younger generation treat those who went before them? In
the Qur’an it is written:
We have counselled man that he show kindness to his
parents; his mother carried him painfully, and painfully
she gave birth to him; his bearing and his weaning may
take thirty months. Until, when he is fully grown, and
reaches forty years, he says, ‘O my Lord, inspire me to
be thankful for Your blessings wherewith You have
blessed me and my parents, and to do good by which
You will be pleased; and make my children to do right
by me. I have turned to You in repentance: for, verily.
I am one of those who have surrendered themselves to
You’ (al-Ahqaf 46: 15).
ment of the Fire. Our Lord! and admit them to the
Gardens of Eden that You promised them and those
who are righteous oftheir fathers, their wives, and their
children. Surely You are the All-Mighty and All-Wise
(al-Mu’min 40: 7-8).
We shall see how the first Muslim home, the home of the
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, and those who
inhabited it, the wives of the Prophet, was the best example
for all who live to seek the next world, and to draw nearer
to Allah in truth. It was not a place of ease and luxury, but
of constant dhikr and Qur’anic recitation, of standing long
in prayer at night, and of praise for Allah.
in sum, then, the Muslim home constitutes the single most
important factor in the proper upbringing and orientation of
the new generation. The preservation of this institution is
then a guarantee of uprightness in faith.
And so the present generation should celebrate the praises
of the Great Creator, gratefully remembering the favours
bestowed by Him on the preceding generation and constantly
urging Him to bestow His bounty and mercy on the coming
generation. This is the function of the Muslim home; the
home in which the relationship between the Lord and
mankind is zealously preserved through diligent observance
of all forms of regular worship. Small wonder, then, that the
angels at the throne of Allah should pray for those who
inhabit such homes:
Our Lord! You encompass everything in mercy and
knowledge, therefore, forgive those who repent and
follow Your way, and guard them against the chastise-
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57

9
The Muslim leaves his home to attend to the duties he is
required to perform - the professional man or civil servant
to his office, the labourer to his factory, the merchant to his
store, the farmer to his fields. Generally, when people set
out for their daily work they are weighed down by the
anxieties of having to earn a living. Indeed, some want ever
more for themselves and for their families, regardless of
whether they be rich or poor. The desires of a lifetime never
stand still, and the energy spent in realizing them eventually
drains the individual of all inward resources. Indeed, it is
hard to calculate the human energy expended in this single
pursuit.
It may be that the Prophet too, upon him be peace, had
this in mind, for whenever he left his house, he never failed
to recite this du'a:
In the name ofAllah (Igo out); Iplace my trust in Allah!
0 Allah, I seek refuge in You from being made to
stumble, from straying and from being made to stray,
from doing wrong to others and from being wronged by
others, and from misunderstanding and from being
misunderstood. ’*
The Prophet did not seek supremacy over anyone else; he
wanted only to avoid falling into error or causing someone
else to fall into it. He wanted guidance for himself and for
59

others, he sought Allah's protection so that he might not
misunderstand the intentions of someone else and so that he
might not have his own intentions misinterpreted by one who
might cause him harm, and he disliked every form o(
wrongdoing. These were the matters he uttered before his
Lord, and for which he sought His help.
It was the Prophet’s wish, upon him be peace, that even
Muslim should bind himself to his Lord before leaving the
house to attend to the day’s affairs.
Anas related that the Prophet, upon him be peace, said:
Whoever says - when leaving his home - 'In the name
of Allah; I place my trust in Allah, there is no power
and no strength save in Allah’,2 will have it said to him
(as if in answer), ‘You will be guided, you will be
provided for, and you will be protected.'
What is there to stop any of you, when you are visited
by hard times, from saying whenever you go out from
yourhomes: ‘In the name ofAllahfor myself, my wealth,
and my religion. 0 Allah, make me happy with what
You decidefor me, and bless me in whatever You decide
formeso that I desire neither the expediting of what You
havepostponed, nor thepostponement ofwhat You have
expedited!’4
In the normal course of things, as a result of coming into
close contact with others some problems must be expected
to arise. It sometimes happens that a little friction will
generate great evil. Further, no amount of mental awareness
- regardless of how finely tuned it may be - can obviate
one’s need for Allah’s protection. He is the safeguard.ma;
His name be praised, of all those who put their faith in Him.
and seek shelter in Him. No Muslim should ever rely
exclusively on his own resources. Rather he should ever seel
to draw the support of the Almighty, saying, as the Prophet
taught him to say:
'0 Allah, nothing is easy except that which You make
easy; and, when You will, You can make any difficult*
easy.’3
Praise be to Allah! The Prophet's understanding of the
human condition was truly profound. Into what limitless
storehouse of faith did he delve, in order to steady and
preserve the relationships that all those who came to him
had with Allah? It is related on the authority of Barra- ibn
‘Azib that a man went to the Prophet complaining of feelings
of alienation. The Prophet asked the man to repeat the
following very often:
Glory to the Holy Monarch, Lord of the Angels and
the Soul! You honour the heavens and the earth with
Your Power and Glory!'5
Barra- further reports that when the man repeated these
words, the feeling left him. He must have been one of those
sensitive souls who incline naturally toward solitude and
away from company. Life is not something that reassures
such people nor even pleases them, and they generally live
in fear of it in spite of their need to partake in it. So this
man went to the Prophet complaining of his persistent feeling
of alienation. Then the Prophet advised him to repeat the
du'i’ which urged the man to intimacy with Allah.
In times of hardship and anxiety the Muslim's attachment
to his Lord naturally grows more tenacious. On the authont)
of Ibn ‘Umar it is related that the Prophet, upon him be
peace, said:
But, of course, the Prophet neither liked to see solitude
become a weakness, nor to see the practice of constant dhikr
used as acover for a certain sort of psychological inadequacy.
It is related on the authority of ‘Awf ibn Malik that once,
when the Prophet had decided a legal case between two men,
the one against whom the decision had gone turned away
61
60

and said: ‘Allah suffices for me and He is the most Trust
worthy.’ Upon which the Prophet said: ‘Allah reproach^
people for their weakness. You should be more astute
(intelligent, firm, patient) so that if ever you are realh
overcome by something, you may say, “Allah suffices nit
and He is the most Trustworthy”,’
The state of mind of the man who had lost the case had
not escaped the notice nor the understanding of the Prophet
In truth, the man, overcome by his defeat, had sought only
to hide his disappointment by saying, ‘Allah suffices for me
and He is the most Trustworthy.’ The words, used in this
way, could be described as words of truth intended to convei
a falsehood.
By contrast, when the Muslims who lost the Battle of Uhud
uttered these words, as they rose the next morning, dressed
their wounds, and threw themselves into preparations to
avenge their defeat at the hands of the Makkan idolators.
they did not do so out of weakness. When it was said to
them: ‘All the people have gathered against you’ (Al ‘Imran
3: 173), they replied, ‘Allah suffices for us and He is the
most Trustworthy’ (Al ‘Imran 3: 173). So used, the dud
bears its true and accepted meaning.
It is in no way permissible to say these words in mete
acceptance of the status quo, while standing idly by in the
hope of some miracle to somehow accomplish what oneis
unable, or unwilling, to accomplish for oneself. There isno
securing the aid of heaven without endeavour, no realizing
hopes without expending effort. That is why the Khalifah
‘Umar said, ‘Let no one who desists from working for to
daily bread say, “0 Allah, give me my daily bread”, whet
he is old enough to know that gold and silver do not fall as
rain from the sky.’
It is of course true that in our times this can be at best a
very rare complaint - that people voice trust in God and
then do nothing. The trouble with the modern world is rathei
the great number of people who do do things but without
trusting in God. Everywhere people leave their houses i»
the morning in busy quest of some precious thing or other;
and if the opportunity should arise to grab some new
valuable, their mouths instantly begin to water again. Thus
they eat without ever satisfying their appetite. Trapped in
this fervent delirium the heart has no desire but for ever
more acquisitions.
But should a person turn away from this decline, should
his finer senses function again so that he can distinguish the
face of the Almighty through the heaped and folded mists
of worldly desire, and then remember His name, and His
revelation, and take hold of his verses and teachings - then
what would be his reward? The Prophet, upon him be peace,
said:
Whoever goes into the marketplace and says, ‘There is
no God but Allah, He is one and has no partner, His is
the Glory and His is the praise, Giver of life and death;
He is the Living who does not die. In His hand is all
good, and He is Powerful over everything’,6 that man
will have a thousand thousand good deeds credited to
him, and a thousand thousand bad deeds erased, and he
will be elevated a thousand thousand ranks.
Such a huge reward will not be attained by the mere
utterance of a few words, but by those who achieve a state
of certainty regarding the presence of the Almighty and His
beneficence, so that they rely on the One in whose Hand is
all Goodness without ever having to resort to cunning or
deception. The scholars of Islam have emphatically stated
that such great rewards are never promised in return for
insignificant deeds or faltering resolutions.
In the matter of earning a living for one’s self and one’s
family, good and bad may often become confused. However,
the true Muslim is one who realizes that a soul nourished
on ill-gotten gains will never be admitted to Paradise, and
that since Allah is Himself Pure, He will accept only those
who are themselves pure. Therefore, it is essential that the
62 63

Muslim should exercise caution in all his dealings. In
regard, the Prophet, upon him be peace, taught us to uSe
the following du'a'-.
‘0 Allah, suffice me with Your halal (lawful) froni
seeking Your haram (unlawful), and free me by y0«r
beneficence from seeking the help of others. ’7
‘0 Allah, I ask You for knowledge that is useful,
sustenance that is pure and deeds that are accepted.’*
The nature of this world is such that, in the crush of it,a
man sometimes finds himself in a situation where he could
be corrupted, or where the ignorance of certain people tempi
him to behave foolishly toward them, or to seek revenge on
them. It is a far better thing, however, that he leave his
home each morning prepared to tolerate and forbear. Anas
ibn Malik related that the Prophet, upon him be peace, once
asked his Companions:
Are you unable to follow the example of Abu Damdam’1
They said, ‘Who is Abu Damdam?' The Prophet replied.
‘Every morning he used to say, “O Allah, I make a gift
to You of my life and my honour”,9 so that he new
cursed anyone who cursed him, or wronged anyone who
wronged him, or molested anyone who molested him.
This world is indeed full of things that stir up individual
men and women, even whole communities. Involvement in
them stems from deep within the human personality. Let us
then consider the attitude of the Prophets with regard to
these matters, as a sort of prelude to the position of the
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace.
The Prophets were human beings like ourselves, their
elevated positions in no way exempted them from the saint
sort of trials and tribulations, the same duties and respon
sibilities. Rather, the truth of the matter is that their trials
and tribulations were far more severe than those suffered b)
ordinary men.
The Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), like any other man, hated
prison and longed for his freedom, and so he said to his
about-to-be-released cell-mate, ‘Remember me to your mas
ter, the King.' And why shouldn’t he have asked this favour?
Yusuf was innocent, and wrongly imprisoned. And since his
cell-mate knew him to be a good and righteous man, why
shouldn’t he speak of Yusuf with his master, the King? But
Allah willed that the cell-mate should forget Yusuf, who
then remained in prison for a number of years.
The fated day did arrive, however, and the King did send
for Yusuf. But by that time Yusuf had attained such a degree
ofself-reliance and maturity that he hesitated before answer
ing the King’s call, and demanded that first of all the King
should recognize his position as a man wrongly accused and
imprisoned. Only after this did Yusuf agree to leave prison
and, thereafter, take on the responsibility of overseeing the
wealth of Egypt.
The Prophet Musa (Moses) too was a man, like any other,
in no way immune to the sting of loneliness when he found
himselfa fugitive in the land of Madyan. After drawing water
for two girls, he retreated to the shade of a tree and called
to his Lord: ‘0 Lord! Surely I have need of whatever good
You might send down upon me’ (al-Qasas 28: 24).
At last help did come to him when he found the refuge
he had been seeking with the headman of Madyan, who said
to him: ‘You have escaped from a wicked people’ (al-Qasas
28:25).
Then Musa married the headman’s daughter, and lived
there with them in preparation for his divine mission.
And the Prophet Lut (Lot) was a man, like any other,
when he felt distressed at the way the wrongdoers from
among his people cast lascivious glances toward the angels
who had come to visit him. Indeed, he wished that he had
the power to somehow teach those wrongdoers a lesson;
untiltheangelsassured him that the end was near for them.
64 65

Early in the morning there came upon them a lastjn
punishment: ‘Taste, then, the suffering which I
when My warnings are disregarded!’ (al-Qamar 5;
38-9).
The comments of the Last Prophet, upon him be peace
concerning certain of the stories we have related above reveal
an interesting aspect of his personality. Concerning Lut,he
said, ‘Allah had mercy upon Lut; for he sought refuge io
Him alone.’
In other words, Allah had no intention of deserting Lut,
just as Lut had no real regrets over his own inability to teach
a lesson to his people.
As a matter of fact, Muhammad's perception of the
Almighty and His support was without equal. The Prophet
was called ‘the trusting’ for this very reason. It waste
extraordinary sense of total reliance upon Allah that gave
strength to his call to faith, and to the propagation of te
message, in an entirely hostile world. The first person to
threaten him and attempt to shout him down was hisow
uncle, Abu Lahab. So there would never have been the
remotest chance of success for the nascent call had it not
been for the faith and confidence of Muhammad in his Lord
The Prophet’s comments on the story of Lut imply strength
and confidence as against his comments on the story ofYusuf
which imply humility and pride. The Prophet said: ‘If I had
been in prison for as long a time as Yusuf, I would haw
answered the King’s summons right away.’ In other words
he would have sought immediate release from prison without
waiting for his innocence to be established - through tin
questioning of the women and their well-known answer
Here, the Prophet, upon him be peace, with obvious mod
esty, allows his human nature to express its longing aftf’
freedom, and its dislike for restraint and confinement.
Therefore, we can say that the Prophets, though wellabk
to overcome the natural susceptibilities that stir the gen^
run of mankind, nevertheless had no assurance, when the.'
plunged headlong into battle, that they would survive, or
when they spent of their wealth, that they would never find
themselves in want. Indeed, their exemplary characters
required of them that they pay the price of greatness, just
like anyone else. It only remains to point out that the
Prophets lived on a pinnacle from which they were never
allowed to descend. The position they occupied was the
purest and the most elevated position ever held by man.
Let us now turn to the nature of the relationship that
Prophet Muhammad had with the material world - was he
attracted by it, or was he above it? The answer is that he
knew the world for what it is, tasting of it in a healthy,
unaffected manner, while occupying himself at the same time
with what is greater and more noble. He was absorbed by
the majesty of the Almighty; his greatest satisfaction was in
performing salat, and his soul found in fasting its natural
feeding-place.
The Prophet required his wives to adopt the same sort of
approach to the world that he had, explaining to them that
there was no place in his house for the seekers of the things
of this world:
If you desire the worldly life and its attractions, then
come, I will make you provision, and set you free with
kindliness (al-Ahzab 33: 28).
His wives did occupy themselves as he desired, sparing
little effort to attain his level of worship and dhikr and
drawing near to Allah.
It is related on the authority of Juwairiyyah, may Allah
be pleased with her, that once the Prophet, upon him be
peace, left her in her place of prayer when he went out for
morning prayer at the mosque. When he returned sometime
beforenoon, he found herin the same position, and asked:
Have you been in the same position all day long? She
replied ‘Yes’. Then the Prophet, upon him be peace,
said: ‘After leaving you I repeated one sentence three
66 67

times. If those words were placed on the scales, they
would outweigh all that you have done today. "Glory
be to Allah, and praise Him, in the expanse of His
creation, as much as Ide pleases, as much as the weight
of His throne, and as much as the ink it would take to
record all His words”. ’,o
On the authority of Abu Hurairah it is related that the
Prophet said:
For me to say, ‘Glory to Allah, Praise to Allah, There
is no God except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest’," is
more dear to me than everything under the sun.
His happiness in repeating these words and weighing their
meaning was more appealing to him than possession of
everything the world had to offer. And even if he had had
tons of gold and silver, what would he have done with them’
He himself once said that if he had a mountain of gold, he
would spend it all on the needs of the poor before three
nights and days had passed; if anything remained he would
keep it in reserve against times of famine and pestilence.
No, his love was for something else; for Allah, for His
Book, for His pleasure, for exchange with Him. His feelings
for the Qur’an, the Prophet expressed thus;
‘O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant,
the son of Your maid-servant, and entirely at Your
service. You hold me by my forelock. Your decree is
what controls me, and Your commands to me are just.
I beseech You by every one of Your names, those which
You use to refer to Yourself, or have revealed in You'
Book, or have taught to any one of Your creation, o'
have chosen to keep hidden with You in the Unseen, io
make the Qur’an al-Karim the springtime of my heart,
the light of my eyes, the departure of my grief, and th'
vanishing of my affliction and my sorrow. ’12
When his life’s foundation was Divine Revelation (wahy),
how could it not also be his constant companion? At home
and abroad, Revelation was with him in his prayers, and in
the very fabric of his consciousness.
It is related that the Prophet, upon him be peace, once
asked his close companion, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, to recite
the Qur’an for him.
‘Abdullah said: ‘Me? Read it to you? And it is you to
whom it is revealed!’
The Prophet said: ‘It is just that I would love to hear it
from someone else.' So ‘Abdullah began reciting from the
beginning of the Surah entitled ‘Women’, until he reached
the following verse:
How then shall it be, when We bring forward from
every nation a witness, and bring you forward as a
witness to the witnesses? (al-Nisa’ 4: 41).
He glanced up to see the Prophet’s eyes filled with tears,
and then the Prophet said, ‘Enough!’
Sometimes the Prophet, upon him be peace, would fast
on consecutive days without breaking his fast in the evening.
When some of his Companions attempted to do the same,
he forbade them, saying:
You are not the same as me. I spend the night with my
Lord, and He gives me sustenance.
We can explain this by saying that his utter devotion to
Allah had brought about a physical change in the Prophet
so that he was able to drastically reduce the amount of food
and sleep he needed each day and night. Yet, in spite of his
overwhelming spiritual authority, he was a man among men,
familiar with their natures, and awake to their problems. He
lived in this world in the name of Allah, and never strayed
a hair’s breadth from the straight path.
It is inconceivable that we too could achieve the same
relationship with the material world. We are neither able
69
68

nor required to do so. Certain ascetics have attempted to
quarrel with the world, living on its fringes, and emulating
(in their own estimation) the elevated lives of the Prophet
of Allah. But what a difference!
No make-up can ever reproduce the redness of a true
blush. And artificial flowers, while they may resemble the
real thing and last longer, have nothing of a true flower's
sap of life, or delicacy, or fragrance. If a man sleeps on a
reed mat so that he awakes with the imprint of it clear!)
visible on his skin, has he thereby successfully emulated the
way of life of a Prophet — one who never gave the world
more than a vacant stare because his heart was in constant
communion with his Lord, awake in His presence, absorbed
in His contemplation? A man does not become a general
because he wears a general’s uniform.
The position of man with regard to the material world was
explained for us by the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace
Let it suffice as eminence enough for any man to live his lilt
as one who has truly aspired to this position.
Qarun was a man of great material wealth. Those who
loved the world would look at him in envy and say: ‘If onlj
we had as much as Qarun!’
Now Allah never required that Qarun should abandon^
wealth. The demands He did make of him can be counted
on the fingers of one hand. ‘Who made you wealthy wta
you could have been a beggar?’ Certainly it was Allah.Then
look at your wealth and say: ‘It is the will of Allah! There
is no power except in Allah.’ But the man (Qarun) was
deluded, so he said, ‘My genius is the secret of my wealth.'
Let us accept, for argument’s sake, that his genius was^
reason for his wealth. But then who, in his estimation^
him the gift of genius? Certainly it was Allah. But the careless
are ever unmindful.
When Allah gives something to someone He expects tl>3'
His gift be acknowledged. Is there anything difficult in th’1
Then, He expects those who take of His bounty to
merciful and not severe, just and not tyrannical, upright
not corrupt. Allah said, Exalted is He:
Seek, amidst that which Allah has given you, the Last
Abode, and forget not your portion of the present
world; and do good, as Allah has been good to you,
and seek not to work corruption in the earth (al-Qasas
28: 77).
Unfortunately, however, so many of those to whom Allah
has given material wealth think only of themselves and never
give a thought to others; rather, they multiply their own
wealth at the expense of the poor:
0 believers! Let not your wealth nor your children
distract you from remembrance of Allah; whoever does
that, they will be the Losers. And spend of what We
have provided you before death comes to one of you
and he says, ‘0 Lord, if only You would grant me a
delay for a short while so that I may spend and become
one of the righteous!’ (al-Munafiqun 63: 9-10).
The Prophet, upon him be peace, constantly urged his
Companions to spend whatever they could on those less
fortunate than themselves. Miserliness was intolerable to
him.
The new agnostic philosophies which have managed to
sweep the modern masses off their feet were founded in
circumstances of extreme niggardliness, harshness and blind
selfishness. It is related on the authority of Abu Hurairah
that the Prophet, upon him be peace, said:
Nota morningpasses in which the servants ofAllah arise
butthat two angels descend; one of whom says: 'O Allah,
give increase to those who spend’, while the other says,
'0 Allah, destroy those who withhold. ’
And he taught that Allah says:
0 my servant 1 spend and spend on you. But the hand
ofAllah is everfull, its bounty undiminishing throughout
70 71

the day and night. Can you imagine how much I have
spent since I created the heavens and earth? Still, what
I hold in my Hand has not decreased.
The Prophet also made it explicit that only that wealth
which was come by honestly could be accepted as legitimate
expenditure in His way. Allah required all Prophets in
particular, and mankind in general, to seek to earn their
living by halal means only:
O Prophets, partake of the wholesome things, and do
righteousness fal-Mu’minun 23: 51).
and:
You who believe, eat any wholesome things we have
provided you with, and thank Allah, if it is Him that
you serve (al-Baqarah 2: 172).
In the light of these teachings a whole generation
developed amongst whom the rich cared for the under
privileged, shunned the worship of wealth, and refused all
doubtful dealings.
The shining example of the Prophet, upon him be peace,
has always been an inspiration to the society to which that
generation gave rise. The Prophet, in relation to the world
and its wealth, showed gratitude in times of affluence and
patience in times of poverty. And he was indeed a wealth)
man:
He found you destitute and made you rich (al-Duha 93.
8).
wealth. He would always distribute his wealth among the
needy. Sometimes his constant generosity, and that of his
righteous wives, would exhaust all of his income, so that
when they awoke the next morning there remained nothing
even for their breakfast.
One of the better-known incidents of the Prophet’s life,
upon him be peace, is how he was unable to take rest during
his final illness until assured that the little bit ofgold he had
in his house had been distributed among the poor. ‘How can
Imeet my Lord when I still have this in my possession?’, he
rhetorically asked his Companions.
It is also well known that his possessions were not to be
inherited by his family. Everything was distributed in the
way of Allah. The Prophet used to say this prayer:
0 Allah, grant the family of Muhammad sufficient
provision.
When he made his choice in favour of The Sublime
Companion,* he resembled the inhabitants of Heaven, even
before he reached there - so aloof had he become from the
world and its attractions.
His wealth came, in his youth, from his successful manage
ment of the commercial affairs of his wife Khadijah. Later
on, his position as Commander-in-Chief entitled him to a
fifth share of the spoils of war, which were considerable even
at that early date in the history of Muslim conquests. 2“""^ iiiness the Prophet was visited by an angel who gave h.m
Yet he never took personal possession of any of tW “ belWe«nrestoration to health and the companionship of the Almighty
72 73

10
On a Journey and on
Return
To facilitate travel, tremendous projects have been under
taken the world over, and people make journeys more and
more often, for diverse purposes, social and material. Yet,
for all the progress and innovation, parting from home and
loved ones, exposing oneself to changes in daily routine and
dietary habits, the risk of the journey itself, fear of accident,
uncertainty of how it may turn out - all of these things
contribute to making travel a source of concern in the life
of any human being.
The Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, travelled many
times in his early youth, during his management of Khadijah’s
trade, and then during his prophetic mission. He thus had a
very true understanding of the traveller’s feelings and
anxieties. In his du'a' and dhikr he shows the most sensitive
perception of the traveller’s need for company and solace,
and in sublime words answers that need. He said:
Let whoever intends to set out on a journey say to those
he leaves behind: ‘I leave you in the keeping of Allah,
the One who never fails His trust. ’*
The Prophet explained this in another hadith:
75

Certainly, whenever Allah takes charge of someth^
Heprotects it.
The important thing is to always remember that whenever
you are away from your home, there is One there whoneif,
leaves, and He is Allah; and if you want your family to hart
protection, then put them in the safe keeping of Allah. W'hfu
you return, you will find them safe.
It is a fact that, in most cases travel has the effect ofliftine
the veil concealing a person’s true identity, and of remove
the artificial props with which so many people support
themselves. For these reasons while a person is on a triphis
awareness of what he finds and what he has left behind is
significantly heightened.
The du‘a of the Prophet, upon him be peace, reflect tins
fact with astonishing subtlety.
Once a man came to him and said:
‘I want to set out on a journey. Will you give m
provisions?’
The Prophet answered, ‘May Allah provide you with
store oftaqwa. ’
The man said, ‘Give me more.'
The Prophet said, ‘And may He forgive your sins.'
The man said, ‘Give me more. ’
The Prophet said, ‘And may He facilitate goodforyou
wherever you may be. ’2
Abu Hurairah related that a man said, ‘0 Rasulullahll
want to go on a journey. Please give me some advice.’Tht
Prophet said, ‘Heed Allah, and make takbir as you reach
the top of every hill.’ And as the man turned to go, he went
on: ‘0 Allah, fold the distances for him, and make his
journey easy for him.’3
Travel today is not as arduous as it used to be. RouK-
have been fixed for mechanized vehicles in which peofr-
travel in comfort. If they wish, they may move over
surface of the earth in these wonderful inventions, or far
above it amid the clouds. Also, travel times have dwindled
so much that what used to take many months and great
exertion, now takes a few hours and costs only a little
inconvenience. But, in spite of all these readily available
comforts, the dangers to be encountered on land, on sea,
and in the air, have not vanished, though they have certainly
diminished.
While even the slightest danger remains, there is always
a possibility that one will fall into it. Stories of the disasters
which befall people on their travels continue to be told. Thus
it is sheer madness for a person to think that he is somehow
beyond the need of God’s protection. Even today the death
toll from highway and other travel-related accidents is far
greater than the toll exacted by plague and contagious
diseases.
Death waits in ambush for every man, wherever he may
wander to;
His time will come and then, he’ll find, there’s nothing
that a man can do.
The addb or code of exemplary conduct of the Prophet,
upon him be peace, with regard to travel encourages the
traveller to actively seek the protection of Allah, and to
expect to see the workings of His infinite mercy.
Whenever one ofhis people set out on a journey, ’Abdullah
ibn ‘Umar would say to him:
Come close to me so that I may say goodbye to you the
way that the Prophet used to say goodbye to us. He used
to say: ‘I commit your din (religious conviction) to the
keeping ofAllah, and (so also) your responsibilities, and
the outcome of your doings. ’4
‘Abdullah said: ’Whenever the Prophet said goodbye to
anyone, he would grasp his hand. Finally, it would be the
one departing who would disengage his hand from the grasp
01 Prophet, upon him be peace.’
T6
11

Here we encounter emotions both stirring and animated
The Prophet retains the traveller’s hand in his own and the
traveller himself decides that the time has come to go about
his business. It is then that the Prophet asks of Allah three
things for the traveller; to protect his din, to aid him in living
up to his responsibilities, and to ensure that his efforts result
in a fruitful outcome. The traveller may make a mistake or
even stumble headlong, but he will pull himself up again,
straighten himself out, and then go on to complete, in the
best possible manner, whatever it was he set out to do.
Indeed, what more could a traveller need? Except,
perhaps, the continually renewed perception that Allah is
blessing him with gift after gift. In another hadith it is related
by ‘Air ibn Rabl'ah that:
/ saw ‘Ali ibn Abt Talib, may Allah be pleased with
him, presented with a horse to ride. When he placedhis
foot in the stirrup (to mount), he said: ‘Bismillah’. When
he had settled himself in the saddle, he said: 'Al hamdu
lillah, Glory be to the One who has made all this
subservient to our use — since (but for Him) we would
not have been able to attain to it. Hence, it is unto our
Lord that we must always turn. *5
Then he said ‘Al hamdu lillah’ three times, and ‘Allahu
Akbar’ three times, and then he recited the following:
‘Glory to you, O Allah, I have done wrong, so forgive
me. Surely no one can forgive me of my wrongdoing
except You. ’6
Then ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib laughed. When he was asked
what it was that caused him to laugh, he replied:
‘Once 1 saw the Prophet do exactly as I have done just
now, and then laugh, so I asked him why he had laughed.
He replied, "Your Lord is pleased with His servant
when, in the knowledge that there is no one else who can
forgive him, he asks the Lord to forgive him his
wrongdoing”. ’
When a servant commits a wrong, he does something most
unsavoury and unbecoming. In relation to Allah, that wrong
doing takes on the further aspect of transgression and
insolence. He does these things as a result of being overcome
by passion, or by distorted thinking. But for how long will
he remain under the influence of his passions, or his warped
ideas? Undoubtedly Allah awaits the return of those who
stray, and rejoices with the repentance of His servant, and
appreciates every step in His direction taken by that servant.
It is an excellent thing that a servant acknowledge his
mistake, feel the enormity of what he has done, and then
return in shame to his Master, the Controller of his destiny.
Some people remain stationary, enveloped in their own
mistakes like some defeated army surrounded by an enemy
waiting to deliver the final blow! Others come to their senses
before it is too late, and hasten to their Lord, saying:
0 Lord, we do believe. Then forgive us our sins, and
deliverus from the torment ofthe Fire (Al ‘Imran 3:16).
In so saying, the forgetful man remembers, the stray
returns, and he learns that he has a Lord who seizes and
forgives, who punishes and blesses. How did he forget in the
first place? What caused him to stray? Now he feels his own
weakness and depravity, aware that it is Allah alone who
can treat his wounds and restore his health:
And those who, when they commit an indecency or do
wrong to themselves, remember Allah and seek forgive
ness for their sins - and who but Allah can forgive one’s
sins-and do not knowingly persist in what they do (Al
‘Imran 3: 135).
Assuredly, those who turn to God are better guided than
those who persist in their wrongdoing, or those who seek
forgiveness from people like themselves.
One might ask here why this particular du'a’ should have
been prescribed for recital at the beginning of a journey?
79
78

The reason is that the prospect of a lengthy journey will
often create great anxiety in the traveller, especially if he
has to leave his family and loved ones behind. His state at
that time is one which takes him closer to his Lord and makes
him more acutely aware of the wrong he has done in the
past, so that his lips naturally move in quest of mercy and
forgiveness.
In another hadith it is related that when the Prophet, upon
him be peace, mounted his camel with the intention of setting
out on a trip he would say, after beginning with ‘Allahu
Akbar’-.
‘0 Allah, we ask You of this, our journey, righteousness
and taqwa; and of deeds, those which are pleasing to
You. 0 Allah, make this, our journey, easy for us, and
fold its distances (so as to make it shorter for us). You
are our Companion in travel and the Protector of those
we leave behind. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the
hardship of the journey ahead, and from wandering into
evil, and from harm befalling my family or wealth.’'1
On return from the journey, he would repeat the same
du'a and then, upon him be peace, add the following:
‘Returning, repenting, worshipping, praising Our
Lord. ’8
It is also recorded that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
and his Companions would say ‘Allahu Akbar' whenever
they journeyed over the crest of a hill, and that they said
‘Subhan Allah’ whenever they reached the valley floor. It
was as if the entire caravan was performing salat, saying
‘Subhan Allah’ in sajdah on the valley floors and ‘Allahu
Akbar’ on every hill.
What a noble life it is that makes its chief occupation the
glorification of Allah. And makes dhikr and praise of Him
the sort of wealth which soothes the aching body and causes
time to pass unnoticed! Indeed, Muhammad, peace be upon
him, transformed the face of the earth into a heavenly place,
filled with angels, and not mere mortals!
I once travelled with a small group ofArab students. When
our plane began its descent toward one of the large Arabian
cities, I suddenly felt anxious for the future of the young
people with me after our landing, thinking to myself: Where
will they stay, what kind of people will they live with, what
manner of human demons lie in wait for their arrival? Even
as I was engaged in these musings, I heard the voices of a
group of them beseeching Allah with the du‘a’ which is
recommended for recital on such an occasion. And I said to
myself: They will not be lost, be it the will of Allah.
Now, of that du'a' they recited. It is related that the
Prophet, upon him be peace, never caught sight of a town
he proposed to enter without immediately uttering the
following words:
‘0 Allah, Lord of the Seven Heavens and all that they
shadow, Lord of the Seven Earths and all that they
conceal, Lord ofthe Satans and all that they lead astray,
Lord ofthe winds and all that they carry, I ask you for
the good of this village, the good of its people, and
whatever good is within it, as I seek refuge in You from
the evil of the village, the evil of its people, and what
ever evil is within it. '9
In another hadith it is recorded that, whenever he
approached a village he intended to enter, he would say,
upon him be peace:
'0 Allah, I ask You for the good of this (place) and the
good You have gathered within it. I seek refuge in You
fromtheevilofit, and the evil You have gathered in it. ’
‘0 Allah! Sustain us through those who live here, and
protect us from disease in this place, and make the
inhabitants to love us as you make us to love the righteous
ones among them.’10
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These supplications encompass all the desires of a travels,
newly arrived in an unknown place; they animate him inu,.
knowledge that his ultimate return is unto Allah, that his
affairs are in His hands, and that he can rest assured that
regardless of the direction in which he may be travelling,the
Almighty will suffice him.
Even when breaking a journey, the Prophet, upon him be
peace, never once diverted his attention from seeking the
company and protection of Allah. Total dependence oj
Allah is an essential characteristic of every believer, and one
which frees him from dependence on other humans, and
which shields him from their troubles. Khawlah bint al-
Hakim related that she heard the Prophet, upon him be
peace, say:
Whoever breaks a journey and says ‘J seek refuge in the
comprehensive promises of Allah from the evil of what
He created’,'1 will come to no harm for as long as hi
remains at that stopping place.
The ‘comprehensive promises’ of Allah are the meansbj
which He perfects His bounty on His creation from the
treasure troves of His mercy so that they never have need
of any other. Consider the following verses of the Qur'an:
And thus your Sustainer’s good promise to the children
of Israel was fulfilled as a result of their patience in
adversity (al-A'raf 7: 137).
For, truly and justly has your Sustainer’s promise been
fulfilled. There is no power that could alter (the
fulfilment of) His promises (al-An‘am 6: 116).
Of course, the promises referred to here are formal rathet
than binding in any way, so that in fact Allah fulfils then
out of His benevolence for those who supplicate and seek
Him.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar related that whenever the Prophet,
upon him he peace, set out on a journey at night, he would
first say:
‘0 Earth! Your Lord and my Lord is Allah. So I seek
refuge in Allah from your evil, from the evil within you,
from the evil created within you, and from the evil of
what creeps over you.’'2
‘Iseek refuge in Allah from lion and shadow, from man
and beast, from snake and scorpion, from city-dweller,
andfrom the begetter and what he begets.1,3
As to the meaning of ‘the begetter and what he begets’,
it has been said that it is Iblis and his offspring who are
intended: ‘Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring
for (your) masters instead of Me, although they are your
foes?’ (al-Kahf 18:50).
Empty terrain - especially the desert - abounds in flying
and creeping vermin, so that the traveller naturally seeks
protection from the things which lie hidden within it, and
which flit across its surface.
When at last the traveller returns to his home and loved
ones, it is only fitting that he should give thanks to his Lord
by saying:
‘All praise lo Allah by whose blessings all good things
are brought to fulfilment!'14
Indeed, these are words which should be said on every
happy occasion. And the traveller's family should reply with
the following words:
‘Allpraise to Allah who has gathered through you what
was scattered.’15
or
‘AllpraisetoAllah who has (broughtyou back) safely. ’>6
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It is related that when the Prophet, upon him be peace
returned from one of his military campaigns, he was greeted
by his wife, ‘A’ishah, who took his hand and said:
All praise to Allah who has led you to victory, caused
you to be respected, and treated you with honour!
The people of his time perceived that the Prophet ofAllah,
upon him be peace, was the most devoted of all God's
creatures, the most hopeful of His mercy, and the most
constant in His remembrance and praise. It should corneas
little surprise, then, that those people used to go to him.
whenever they were beset with difficulties, in order to seel
his du'a’ (to Allah on their behalf) and to anticipate with
him the descent of divine blessings.
It is related on the authority of ‘A'ishah that the people
complained to the Prophet, upon him be peace, of drought
So the Prophet ordered that a minbar be erected in the place
out of doors reserved for prayer on festival days, and that
everyone should congregate there on an appointed day. On
that day the Prophet, upon him be peace, came out shortly
after sunrise and sat on the minbar. After beginning by saying
‘Allahu Akbar' and 'Al hamdu lillah', he said:
You have complained of drought in the land, and tht
failure of the rains to arrive in their usual time. Allnh
has commanded you to supplicate Him, and He to
promised that (if you do so) He will answer you.
Thereafter he said:
'Praise to Allah! Lord of the Worlds, Merciful
Mercy-Giving, Master of the Day of Reckoning! Th<rl
is no God but Allah, He does as He wills. O Allah!
are Allah, and there is no God but You. You are
Self-Sufficient and we are the needful! Send the rt^
down upon us, and make of what you send down1011
our strength and sustenance for a time. ’17
Then he lifted his hands so high that one could see the
white of his armpits, turned his back to the people, tossed
his cloak from one shoulder to the other, and then again
faced the people. After that he stood and prayed two rak'at
of salat.
Then Allah, Exalted is He, caused clouds to form in the
sky, and lightning and thunder, after which it rained by His
will. The Prophet, upon him be peace, had not reached his
mosque when the rains became a flood. He said:
/ give witness that Allah is Powerful over everything,
and that I am Allah’s servant and Prophet.
A foolish youth once asked me if I could give rational
proof of the existence of Allah. I answered him as kindly as
I could, saying: ‘I know Him through direct experience.’ He
said, ‘What do you mean by direct experience?’ I said, ‘A
wandering orphan knows by reason that he has a father,
even though he may never have seen him. But a son who
lives with his father has no need for such reasoning since he
has the constant love and affection of his father day in and
day out. Such a one knows his father through direct experi
ence, like I have explained to you.’
During my lifetime I have asked Allah for things which
only He could have brought about. And He, may He be
praised, has always answered my requests. So how can I not
know Him after all of that? An Arab poet once wrote to the
effect that a favour shown to a snarling dog will work
wonders. What, then, of a favour done for an intelligent
human being?
Let us return to the Sahabah when they were confronted
with drought, and the heat threatened to destroy their crops
and livestock. They went to the Prophet Muhammad so that
he could petition the Lord. He had barely finished leading
them in prayer before the skies began to overflow and give
tidings of a gleaming springtime. After this, and all that they
had witnessed, can you imagine what kind of faith they must
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84

have had? Surely they had gone beyond the stage of fa^
based on reason to a purer and more advanced stage. All
that the Prophet, upon him be peace, said after the rain
began to pour down was:
/ give witness that Allah is Powerful over everything
and that I am Allah’s servant and Prophet.
Obviously, witnessing (shahadalP), under such cir
cumstances, is a stage far beyond merely nominal faith.
The naive youth then said to me: ‘We have learned in
school that matter is eternal, constant, the particles of which
are both indestructible and incapable of being reproduced
This is something which has rocked my faith to such an extent
that had I not felt the conviction in your words, I would
never again have been a believer.’
‘Young man’, I said, ‘the people who formulated that
theory have propounded a half-truth after giving a distorted
version of the facts’.
‘The truth of the matter is that the Lord of all matter is
eternal; He has neither been created nor will He ever be
destroyed. You and I, on the other hand, came into existence
after being nothing. You and I are anything but eternal. Can
you tell me who created us in our mothers’ wombs? Can you
tell me what it was that pushed us out into the world when
our bodies had formed completely after being foetuses and.
before that, merely groupings of cells?’
I do not care for unreasonableness in argument; may I be
spared the ridiculing of the materialists.
A child might suppose that movement in a mirror W
comes directly from the image itself, or from the polished
surface of the glass. But, certainly, it will not be long before
the same child realizes that the movement he sees coi”es
from the body reflected in the mirror, and not from >h;
reflection itself!
Yet, countless people in their intellectual childhood ascri^
to dull matter things of which it is utterly incapable.1
such people: ‘Who fashioned the infinite variety of finger
print designs so that no two are ever alike? Or, for that
matter, who created skin? These things are brought into
existence and are not, on their own, capable of bringing
themselves (or anything else) into existence.’
But let us forget about the world of the body, and all that
is within it of seemingly miraculous order, for an even more
sublime world. Who created intelligence? Or the rashness
or patience in our personalities? Should we look around for
some kind of ‘Unknown Soldier’ who is responsible for all
this? Or a chemical formula?
Unreasoning people deliberately turn themselves away
from Allah and attempt to ignore His supreme power with
simple-minded impudence. But that is not what is so amazing.
The amazing thing is that those same people insist on
describing themselves as ‘educated’, ‘modem’ and other such
epithets.
The fact is that people from the earliest times to the present
have denied the works of Allah in His creation and, instead,
ascribed those works to the nearest available cause/manifes-
tation, like a child ascribing the motion of a reflection in a
minor to the reflection itself.
Zain ibn Khalid al-Juhani related that once, at
Hudaibiyyah, as the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace,
led the Muslims in morning prayer after a light rain, he
turned to those assembled and said:
'Do you know what your Lord says?’ The Muslims
replied: ‘Allah and His Prophet know best. ’ He said:
'Allah says, “Some ofMy servants have risen as believers
in Me, while others have risen as kafir. As to those who
said that the rain has fallen by the bounty and mercy of
Allah, those are the believers in Me. But as to those who
said that the rain came due to a certain alignment in the
heavens, those are the kafir, believers in the stars”.'
Without a doubt, those who suppose that things come into
existence without divine decree or supervision - and such
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people today are clearly in the majority - are truly disbeliev
ers. As for those who know that Allah is the Creator of all
things, the Giver of all Good, they are truly believers. And
they are believers regardless of whether they ascribe His
works to Him directly or to a secondary cause from among
His creation, figuratively. For example, one who says that
the summer ripened the fruit, meaning that the summer sun
was a secondary cause for the ripening of the fruit, is a
believer. His words are not blasphemous because he saw
them in the knowledge that Allah is the One who causes
seeds to germinate and then, of His bounty, brings the plants
to fruition.
The fault is with the one whose heart and mind are barren
so that they contain nothing of the remembrance of Allah;
those who ascribe things and events to the most obvious of
causes and refuse to acknowledge the role of the Almighty
behind all that occurs. Indeed, from time to time the
Prophet, upon him be peace, used to lift the veil from over
the normal causes of certain phenomena so as to explain
their true value and thereby bring people closer to their
Lord, and to remembrance of Him.
Allah, in His kindness, sometimes deprives His servants
of the things they need so that they turn to Him in
supplication, and implore Him to help them. Then when He
gives them what they want, their hearts are watered from
the well of true thanksgiving. It is in this way that they gain
an increase in their faith.
The different prayers of Istisqa (seeking rain), Istikharah
(seeking guidance) and Hajah (need) were all prescribed for
this very reason.
I myself have seen how the people of Makkah hasten to
prayer (Istisqa) whenever the rains are late in coming,so
that within a matter of days the rains come tumbling down.
And we recorded earlier how quickly Allah answered the
prayer of the Prophet, upon him be peace, so that he was
nearly carried away in a flood after having, only minutes
before, prayed for rain to be sent to the dry and parched
land around Madinah.
Is it not strange that while the eastern part of Africa, and
parts of the West, should be continually caught in the grip
of drought and famine, the idea of prayer (Istisqa) has yet
to occur to anyone, as if Allah is neither known nor sought?
These are the signs of a materialist civilization and its
influence as carried by the colonialist powers to lands they
victimized.

11
Worldly Travails
Very often it happens that a man is so weakened by his
troubles that he becomes pitiful; or so strengthened by his
successes that he becomes tyrannical. But the intelligent
believer should not go astray, nor should he exceed the
proper bounds; he should persevere in his practise of Islam
in both adversity and prosperity.
No man, as long as he remains alive, will ever be wholly
free of trial. This is simply the nature of things in this world.
Suffering uncovers human frailties and literally pushes the
reasonable person to his knees, so to speak, at Allah’s door,
in quest ofreliefand the mercy of his Lord. The true believer
is expected to seek refuge in Allah in every trouble which
befalls him, regardless of how insignificant it may seem. The
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said:
Let each ofyou turn unto Allah in every troublesome
matter; even when you are pained by the thong ofyour
sandal, for even that is a trial.
In other words, the Muslim must rely, in all of his affairs,
upon Allah’s assistance, and not suppose that any of these
affairs can be settled except by His leave. The greater the
misfortune, the more ardent the Muslim’s desire for refuge
in Allah, and the more protracted his entreaty. Thauban
related that the Prophet, upon him be peace, whenever he
encountered anything awesome, would say:
91

He is Allah. Allah is my Lord. He has no partner
The Prophet taught his Companions, whenever theyf^
the presence of fear, to say:
7 seek refuge through Allah’s perfect words from His
wrath, from the evil of His servants, and from the
whispering of satanic forces and from their presence. '
Zaid ibn Thabit related that when he complained to the
Prophet, upon him be peace, of insomnia, he urged him to
repeat this du‘a’:
‘O Lord! the stars are out, the eyes are at rest, and you
are the Living, the Everlasting who is never taken by
drowsiness or sleep.
0 Living! O Everlasting! put peace into my night, and
sleep into my eyes. ’2
Zaid related that, after he had recited this du'a that same
evening, Allah relieved him of the burden He had set upon
him.
It would seem that the Prophet, upon him be peace,has
here interpreted the Ayat al-Kursi, or at least the first feu
words of it, in such a way as to help the man in need of sleep
to address the Heavenly Monarch who directs all that occurs
in the day and the night, and yet is never wearied, never
negligent. When a person stands, in the frame of his own
weakness, before the possessor of Majesty and Sovereignly,
he cannot but come away with a full share of goodness.
We are commanded to call Allah by His beautiful names,
and He loves to be praised. For this reason the Prophet,
upon him be peace, has taught us to ‘persist, implore, by
saying, “O Possessor of Majesty and Honour” ’.
We have said earlier that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
was the most learned of all mankind in the ways of Allah
the most heedful of Him, the best endowed with insight into
the domains of Allah’s beautiful names, the quickest1(1
perceive what those names demand in the way of patience,
thanksgiving, greetings and praise. It has become apparent
to all historians and biographers of the Prophet, upon him
be peace, that his experiences, both before and after receiv
ing his prophetic mission, contributed to produce in his
person such a level of human perfection as had never before
been attained on earth. But, of course, no one in creation,
no matter what his powers, may impose his friendship on
the Almighty. Rather, it is the Creator Allah who, if it be
His wish, appoints friends from among His creatures. After
making His choice, the Almighty brings about events which
heighten the creature’s appreciation and so increase his
reward. Usually, these events come in the form of major
calamities which banish both ease and stability.
Thus, the Last of the Prophets, upon him be peace, began
his life as an orphan in need of someone to care for him and
cherish him. But Allah took him in. He began his life as a
stray, unable to find his way and knowing nothing of the
meaning of life. But Allah taught and guided him. Indeed,
he was a poor man toiling to make a living and travelling
throughout the land in order to maintain himself and his
honour. But Allah sufficed him. To confirm this, Allah,
Exalted is He. revealed these verses:
Has He not found you an orphan and given you shelter?
And found you lost on your way, and guided you? And
found you in want, and given you sufficiency? There
fore, the orphan, never wrong him. And he who seeks
your help, never repulse. And of your Lord's blessing,
ever speak (al-Duha 93: 6-11).
The middlemost of these three, that of guidance after
straying, required an entire Qur'anic chapter for its proper
explanation. This is the chapter entitled Al-Inshirah, or the
Expansion. For, indeed, the Prophet of Islam, upon him be
peace, grew up in an atmosphere clouded by the backward
practices of the pagan Arabs. Though even that was prefer-
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able to an atmosphere polluted with deception and falsehood
such as that maintained by the Christians and Jews of those
times.
The Prophet loathed the pagan ways, just as he refused
to accept the distortions of the Christians and Jews. Then,
what was there for him to do? Nothing? Through the purity
of his nature he gravitated toward isolation, anguished at his
own situation and the state of those around him. Unable to
enlighten others, or even himself, where could he turn?
A person of fine sensibilities is inevitably distressed by
personal or intellectual problems. Indeed, life for such a
person would appear more constricting than even the eyeof
a needle. And the riches of the world, were they offered to
him, would be of no consolation to him at all. This is the
way that Muhammad lived until Revelation came upon him
unexpectedly.
In reference to his state at that time, the Almighty said:
Have We not opened up your heart? (al-Sharh 94:1).
That is, by inspiring you with spiritual truths.
And lifted from you the burden that had weighed so
heavily on your back (al-Sharh 94: 2-3).
The burden was such that you w'ere forced to flee the
society of others, and grieve for yourself and for them, alone
and bewildered, and suffer through your incapacity and your
exile from your native surroundings.
Then Allah chose you; and who could be more exalted
than one chosen by the Lord of the heavens and earth tobe
His instrument of guidance for all the world?
And have We not raised you high in dignity? (al-Sharh
94: 4).
And. behold, with every hardship comes ease: and,
verily, with every hardship comes ease (al-Sharh 94:
5-6).’
Finally, what is sought of you, after you have finished your
work, is to begin it afresh:
Hence, when you are freed (from distress), remain
steadfast, and unto your Lord turn with love (al-Sharh
94:7-8).
And thus we witness accommodation after estrangement,
guidance after confusion and hesitation, sufficiency after
want. Without a doubt the deprivations suffered by the
Prophet, upon him be peace, in his own lifetime made him
all the more sensitive to the troubles of others. Thus, he
shared their grief, and always did his best to eliminate, or
al least to lessen, the troubling factor, regardless of whether
the trouble was material or spiritual in nature. His desire
was to free his life of it, and the lives of others.
And whose countenance and succour are sought in times
ofhardship and tribulation? Allah, and none other! Surely,
He is the secure refuge, the fortified sanctuary!
The Prophet, upon him be peace, regularly remembered
his Lord, and supplicated Him earnestly and with civility.
And, when he took the name of the Lord in fervent prayer,
he was urging the multitude: this is the way, so follow it;
this is the goal, so seek after it.
And if My servants ask you about Me - behold, I am
near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever
he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and
believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way
(al-Baqarah 2:186).
Certainly, Muhammad, upon him be peace, was not a
Pr|es( who would say to the sinners: ‘Come to me in
°n Bsion, and I will forgive you’, or ‘Come to me burdened
And so is human life:
95

and oppressed, and I will set you free.’ On the contrary,^
would say: ‘Pray to Allah with me. Pray to Allah fOl
yourselves. You and I, and everyone in the heavens are zeros
but that Allah wills to make something out of us. It is He
who grants aid and is never aided, and He who ordersand
never has His orders reversed.’
And if Allah should touch you with misfortune, there
is none who can remove it but He; and if He should
touch you with good fortune, it is He who has the power
to will anything (al-An‘am 6: 17).
In this connection, I shall list some of the du'a the Prophet
used, upon him be peace, to supplicate his Lord, and urged
his followers to do the same:
‘O Allah! I seek of You that which will make certain
(for me) Your mercy, and the resolution of Your
forgiveness, as well as freedom from every offence ml
a share in every virtue, and entry to Paradise, and
freedom from the Fire. ’3
‘O Allah! Inspire me with guidance, and spare me the
evil of my selfishness. ’4
‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from hunger; for itisi
terrible bedfellow. And I seek refuge in You from
treachery; for it is indeed a fold inner-lining. ’5
‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from leprosy, madness,
and all horrible illness. '6
‘0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of m.l
hearing, the evil of my sight, the evil of my tongue, and
the evil of my heart. ’7
‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the trial ofthe Fir<-
and the torment of the Fire, and from the evils ofpoverb
and of wealth. ’8
‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from reprehend
morals, actions and desires. ’9
0 Allah! Iseek refuge in Youfrom incapacity and sloth,
from miserliness and decrepitude, and from the torment
'0 Allah! Grant my soul consciousness of You and
purify it. You are the Best to purify. You are the soul’s
Compassion and its Master.’"
'0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from knowledge which
does not benefit, from a heart which is not humble, from
on inner self which is never satisfied, and from a prayer
which is not answered.,|2
0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from the withdrawal of
Your favour, the decline of the good health you have
given, the suddenness of Your vengeance, and from all
forms of Your wrath.’n
0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I
have done, and the evil of what I have not done. ’14
'Forgive me my wrongs and my ignorance, my excesses
with myself, and all that You know better than 1.1,5
'Forgive me (all the wrongs I have committed) in jest
and in earnest, intentionally and inadvertently; and all
ofthis isfrom me.,|6
0 Allah! Verily I have wronged my soul greatly. And
no one can forgive sins but You. So forgive me with
Yourforgiveness, and have mercy upon me. You are the
Merciful, Forgiving.’17
'0Allah! Guide me, and put me aright. ’18
0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from incapacity, sloth,
cowardice, miserliness and decrepitude. And I seek
refuge in Youfrom the torment of the grave. And I seek
refuge in Youfrom the trials oflife and death, the burden
ofdebt and the domination of men. '19
'0 Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me
wll-being, and sustain me. ’20
96 97

O Allah! Change our hearts! Change our hearts to be
obedient to You. ’21
'O Allah! We seek refuge in You from the pains of
affliction, the depths of misery, the misfortunes offate,
and the malice of enemies. ’22
‘O Allah! Forgive me, and have mercy on me, and guide
me, and grant me well-being, and sustain me.’23
O Allah! Verily I ask of You guidance, heedfulness,
chastity and self-sufficiency. ’24
‘O Allah! Forgive me my sins totally, the major ones
and the minor, the old ones and the new, the manifest
ones and the inner. ’25
‘O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of creation,
concern over sustenance, and immorality. ’26
0 Allah! 1 seek refuge in You from controversy,
hypocrisy and immorality. *27
'O Allah! All praise is due to You. Yours is all
sovereignty. All good is in Your hands, both the hidden
good and the manifest. All praise to You, You are
powerful over everything. Forgive me those of my sins
which have already occurred, and safeguard me (from
sin) for what remains ofmy lifetime, and sustain me with
pure deeds which will earn me Your pleasure, and make
me penitent. ’2S
'O Allah! I seek refuge in You from need except of You,
and from meekness except before You, and from fear
except of You. I seek refuge in You from my ever telling
an untruth, or perpetrating indecency, or becoming
overweening because of (my relationship with) You. 1
seek refuge in You from the malice ofenemies, incurable
disease, shattered hope, withdrawal offavour, and the
sudden fall of vengeance. ’29
‘0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from ruin and ordeal,
and Iseek refuge in Youfrom the hardships oftravelling
andfrom a final destiny of evil. ,3°
'0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from perversity and
anxiety, andIseek refuge in Youfrom aspiring after that
which is beyond aspiration.31
'0Allah!Iseek refuge in Youfrom all trials, those which
arepublic and those which are secret. And I seek refuge
in the complete word of Allah from the evil which He
created.32
‘0 Allah! I seek refuge in You from doing wrong and
being wronged, from envying and being envied, and
from tyrannizing and being tyrannized.33
‘0Allah!Make me (live anddie)for You, oft-remember
ing You, grateful to You, obedient to You, humble
before You, sighing, repentant. My Lord, accept my
repentance, cleanse (me of) my misdeeds, answer my
prayer, substantiate my plea, guide my heart, straighten
my longue and banish all ill-willfrom my breast.134
‘0Allah! Grant us increase and do not deprive us. Grant
us honour and do not abase us. Grant us preference and
do notprefer (others) over us. Grant us Your pleasure
and do not be displeased with us.35
This much should suffice as a measure of the attention
with which Muhammad turned to his Lord. But, before we
goon to consider some of what has been reproduced above,
let me pose the following question: Was there ever a man
in the history of the five continents who loved the Almighty
with a greater degree of emotion? Was there ever a man in
history who humbled himself before Allah with words more
sincere than these?
We Muslims have only this to say to those who find it
strange that we follow Muhammad: Show us someone to
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compare with him, someone who had a purer relations!)
with Allah, and we will follow him!
It is we, rather, who mourn those who do not recogn^
Muhammad and, out of ignorance, oppose him. What
find strange is the blindness which prevents them from seeing
him (as he truly was).
The hearts of men, when they find guidance in the hean
of Muhammad, pulsing, as it were, with the Unity and
glorification of Allah; and their limbs, when they submitto
his being as they follow him in the postures of prayer (which
he taught them to perform) assume, at such moments,then
most pure and noble states.
Yes, indeed, mature humanity found its finest expression
in this eminent individual who had given himself over
wholeheartedly to the remembrance of Allah, and to obedi
ence to Him.
Should we assume that everything which possesses a mans
heart other than his Lord is an idol, regardless of whether
it be wealth, or desire, or love of self, or love of another,
then the person who most thoroughly smashed every last
idol, and showed man how best to dedicate his life to Allah
and no other, was Muhammad, upon whom be the peace
and blessings of Allah.
From these du'a a number of important attitudes standout
The first of these is that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
hated illness, and incurable disease in particular. Whoamonf
us enjoys a fever, or cancer? The desire for good healths
both natural and human - only a pervert enjoys pain. Quilt
rightly then, the Prophet, upon him be peace, asks his Lord
for the well-being of his senses and organs, seeking refuge
in Him from illness, incapacity and decrepitude.
It is a well-known aspect of the Prophet's biography that
he was well built and could throw a wrestler, was capable
of travelling great distances without tiring, and fully c*
ditioned to bear the hardships of armed struggle in the"2!
of jihad. It is then quite bizarre to find people arguing
emaciation and gauntness are signs of true piety. The Hind°
were the first to give currency to this belief, followed by the
monastic Christians. In the end, it was the ignorant among
the Sufis who brought the notion to Islam, giving rise to the
belief that robust masculinity is somehow a disgrace and
implies some sort of corresponding deficiency in spirit. As
if the sexually infirm and their like could rise to the rank of
angels.
The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, was the
sublime examplar and true to human nature in his beseeching
the Lord to distance him from all calamity and illness. So,
whenever a Muslim (in spite of his constant beseeching of
the Lord in the manner of the Prophet) is beset by worldly
troubles, he bears with them, and submits to the will of
Allah, while repeating what the Prophet taught us to say at
such a time: ‘Verily, unto Allah is what He takes, and unto
Him is what He gives.’ Or we may repeat what was taught
in the Qur’an: ‘Verily, we are of Allah. And verily, unto
Him shall we return’ (al-Baqarah 2: 15).
Secondly, the Prophet, upon him be peace, openly
declared his dislike for poverty, debt and similar troubles
which confound the normal state of affairs and lead to
degradation. In my opinion, it is the height of folly to call
people to poverty in the name of Allah and Islam. The
difference between sufficiency and undue excess is well-
defined; though the definition of sufficiency itself may differ
from person to person. The important thing is that the
Prophet, upon him be peace, would ask his Lord, as
documented in the hadith literature, for ‘a life of stability,
regularsustenance, and good deeds’. Furthermore, he would
often repeat this Qur’anic du'a':
0 Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the
life to come, and keep us safe from suffering in the Fire
(al-Baqarah 2:201).
Yet, if he was ever besieged, or called upon to do battle,
he endured deprivation resolutely without losing his good
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nature or sense of judgement. When plenty came his way
he gladly shared it with others. And it is well known that he
had no real worldly possessions of his own. His own condition
was rather the contrary, as this du'a sums up:
'O Allah! Make love of You dearer to me than mysty,
my family, my wealth and my offspring; and dearer to
me than cool water to a thirsty wayfarer.>36
Thirdly, the attitude of those who show dislike for those
above them in life, and contempt for those below. Sadly,
this kind of person can be found in all walks of life. The
Prophet, upon him be peace, explicitly stated that he could
have nothing to do with any such person:
He is not one of us who shows no respect for our elden,
or who has no compassion for our young, or who ta
no appreciation for the rights of our learned.
The noble Prophet, upon him be peace, met everyonein
the same spirit. Most certainly, he had no desire to be a
tyrant on earth or a king over men; nor did he ever entertain
ambitions of personal grandeur. On the contrary, what he
desired was for Allah to deliver him from the arrogance of
the ignorant, and from the injustice of aggressors. He
frequently sought refuge in Allah from trials, envy,
treachery, ignorance, all those things that detract from the
dignity of a human being. Nonetheless, he was able to and
did accept abuse or insults from others - for the sake ofhis
attachment to the Lord. What concerned him above all was
that he should never become the object of the Almighty's
wrath. In his prayers he would often say:
'If Your wrath be not upon me, 1 worry not. But You'
favour would be far more liberal. *37
Let us here affirm the right of the Prophet, upon him
peace, to have us seek blessings for him. What exactly doo
it mean to seek blessings for him? It means our seeking
mercy for him, combined with praise of him. The believers
are to beseech Allah to favour their Prophet with higher
standing and greater precedence, in return for all that he did
for them, and all that he struggled for. Allah Himself has
commended us to bless the Prophet and has informed us,
praised be His name, that He and His angels bless the
Prophet and the believers: it is written in the Qur’an. Then,
what is the meaning of all these blessings?
The obvious meaning of blessings for the believers is the
success and fruition of their efforts, their receiving divine
assistance to change confusion, wandering, anxiety, depriva
tion, to plenty, enlightenment, uprightness; all of these
spring from the mercy and bounty of the Lord, as this verse
makes clear:
He it is who bestows His blessings upon you, with His
angels, so that He might take you out of the depths of
darkness into the light. And, indeed, a dispenser of
grace is He unto the believers. On the day when they
meet Him, they will be welcomed with the greeting
‘Peace’; and He will have prepared for them a most
excellent reward (al-Ahzab 33: 43-4).
The reward will be increased for the afflicted believers
who, though subjected to trial through their possessions or
their lives, have not been shaken in their belief, in their
devotion to Allah, but have remained firm in their commit
ment to Him through self-surrender, and who acknowledge
that their ultimate return is unto Him:
It is they upon whom their Lord’s blessings are bes
towed, and it is they, they who are on the right path
(al-Baqarah 2: 157).
Ifthisisthe kind ofattention to be received by the steadfast
Mievers, then what of the man who shouldered the respon
sibility of planting the seeds of faith, and then stood over
102 103

them, repelling the attacks of men and Satan alike, sothai
his entire life was dedicated to this single cause? Indeed,
Prophet’s only concern was for the enlightenment and
guidance of mankind, as his only pleasure was to see peop|e
regularly involving themselves in the proper worship 0[
Allah. The heavenly hosts follow his efforts in admiration
wondering how one man, in the frailty of his single human
form, is able to defeat so many enemies, to erase their
culture, and to establish the state of tawhid (divine unity)
and the community of Islam. That is the meaning of Allali's
saying:
Verily, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet: (hence)
0 you who have attained to the faith, bless him and
give yourselves up (to his guidance) in utter self-surren
der (al-Ahzab 33: 56).
Thus, our asking the Lord to bless him is affirmation of,
and support for, his mission, devotion to his person, anda
form ofgreeting of love and reverence. It is the binding fore
between the leader and his army, or the master and his
followers, in obedience to the Almighty, commitment to His
way, and abiding to it to the very end. In the same way,
everything in creation is bound to the Creator, and partici
pates in glorifying Allah and praying to Him:
Are you not aware that it is Allah whose limitlessglon
all that are in the heavens and on earth extol, even the
birds as they spread out their wings? Each (creaturel •'
knows indeed how to pray unto Him and glorify Him:
and Allah has full knowledge of all that they do (al-Nur
24: 41).
Prophet invented - names for which Allah has revealed no
legitimation. Surely it is not the mere repetition of eloquent
phrases that is important. What matters is one’s acknow
ledgement of the favour done by the Prophet, upon him be
peace, forthe betterment of the believers, one’s appreciation
of the jihad he waged against the forces of ignorance, and
one's allegiance to the nation which he founded in the name
of ultimate truth.
This is the real meaning of seeking blessings for the
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace. And only those who
give practical evidence of their appreciation of this meaning
willreceive the rewards promised to those who seek blessings
for the Prophet, upon him be peace. Certainly those self-
acclaimed ‘lovers of the Prophet’ who hollowly echo set
phrases, yet who are unable to stand in defence of the
Sunnah, cannot ever be eligible for such rewards. It is with
regard to the defenders of the faith, those who truly
appreciate the Prophet, upon him be peace, that this hadith
is related:
Whosoever seeks blessings for me will be blessed ten
times over by the Almighty.
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud related that the Prophet, upon him
be peace, said:
On the Day ofJudgement, the people most deserving of
(a relationship with) me will be those who have most
often sought blessings for me.
Abii Hurairah related that the Prophet, upon him be
peace, said:
It is preferable to use those lucid, yet simply-worded
blessings for the Prophet which have been passed down to
us by the first generations of Muslims, rather than
affected, abstruse formulas for which missals have been
written, group recitations convened, and names for
o not make my grave a place of festivity; and seek
®lnl>sfor "U- For verily your blessings reach me no
aI,en erey°umay happen to be when you seek them.
firbey^^i'Ihe sP‘r’t wor'd has rules of its own which are
1 e comprehension of mortals here in the material
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world. Suffice to say that our blessings reach him with the
greatest facility. We need not delve into the question ofho#
this is accomplished.
In what we have read of the du‘a of the Prophet, upon
him be peace, we see that he spared no breath in asking
forgiveness for himself. Even the Qur’an, in absolving him
from sin, attributes it to him by the implication (that he
needed absolution). What possible meaning can this have1
What can he possibly have done that he should have to ask
forgiveness for it?
We shall answer these questions calmly. There can beno
doubt that Muhammad’s page on the Book of Deeds isthe
most immaculate of all. This is true in spite of out not
knowing of anyone who was more closely observed in his
youth and old age, his waking and sleeping hours, or his
public and private affairs. What, if anything, did his enemies
say about him that might have led to his disgrace, ot
detracted from his honour? Nothing. Indeed, the most that
his enemies could say about him was that the blows he aimed
against falsehood have continued to echo over the centuries,
and that no one, past or present, has ever presented to
mankind a programme of more perfect worship. Not even
by way of calumny were any of the misdeeds attributed to
the other Prophets, quite falsely, by the Bible writers-like
drunkenness, murder, adultery, incest and deception - ever
attributed to the Prophet of Islam.
Then what was the reason for the Prophet’s seeking
forgiveness? Let us begin by realizing that the differences
between one person and the next may be very great indeed
It is only natural that certain individuals are possessed o!
greater physical or intellectual powers than others. Asa
general rule, then, the individual’s success or failure,progress
or decline, is determined in some relation to the natural
ability with which he is endowed.
Since human beings are not equal insofar as their resolu
tion, intellectual perceptions and overall capabilities art
concerned, their accountability before Allah must be propor
tionate to their natural ability. Thus, what is accepted of one
may be rejected in the case of another. Indeed, owing to
this disparity, what might be seen as a good deed, coming
from one man, might be considered a misdeed, coming from
another. In this regard the well-known saying was coined:
‘The best deeds of the pious, may well be the worst deeds
ofthose most intimate.’ It is a matter of ordinary experience
thatsomething that might be acceptable, or at least tolerable,
coining from an ordinary person might be the greatest of
insults coming from an extremely clever one.
Thus, we may say that what is sometimes attributed to the
Prophets of Allah as sin is in reality ‘sin’ only in relation to
the elevated positions which they held. Their ‘sins’ were
certainly not of the order of those committed by ordinary
men.
The great Egyptian scholar Mahmud ‘Abbas al-’Aqqad
once wrote, in an essay on literary standards, that under
certain circumstances one should look not at what is said,
but at who has said it. (In contravention of the general rule
that would have one look at what is said or written, rather
than at who has said or written it.)
‘Aqqad’sobservation is a good one. It would be the height
of folly to suppose that the Prophets committed the same
kind of errors as ordinary people do. What they seek
forgiveness for is undoubtedly something else, something
more in keeping with their natural instinct for virtue.
Even an ordinary individual, as he advances through
different degrees of achievement, is bound to feel aghast
when he looks back and considers how meagre were his
attainments then in relation to the present. It is at this point
that he asks forgiveness of his Lord, and feels distain for
what he had done before, accounting his former deeds as
repugnant and unworthy of himself in his present state. In
thesame way, the further the Prophet advanced in righteous
ness, and the more the signs of the Almighty were revealed
tohim,the more washis rapture in the praise and glorification
ol his Lord, and the greater his fervour in seeking His
forgiveness.

Shortly, when we look at the Prophet Muhamm^
worship and leadership, we shall see how he advancedfr^
horizon to horizon as the verses of the Qur an increased
number, as his struggle was carried forward phase after
phase, and as the burden of the message he brought greii
more and more onerous. The man who once addressed his
clansmen from a hillock in Makkah, later went on toaddress
his message to the rulers of vast empires - and the sameman
who debated with a mere handful of critics at the outsetof
his mission, later mustered armies to fight the forces of
ignorance and darkness. And for the sake of whom didhe
undertake these unceasingefforts? For Allah and no other.
From the beginning of his mission he spent nearly the
whole night in worship, and he kept up long years in regular
prayer and fasting. But did he ever stop to rest, as though
his need had been satisfied? By no means. Rather, the mon
he accepted that he had been chosen by Allah for His
message, the more he exhausted himself in the way of
struggle and propagation. No wonder, then, that the fob-
ing verses should have been revealed to him shortly before
the fall of Makkah:
Verily We have laid open before you a manifest victon.
so that Allah might show His forgiveness of all you
faults, past as well as future, and thus bestow uponyou
the full measure of His blessings... (al-Fath48:l-2).
The forgiveness referred to here is not for ‘faults' commu
ted or about to be committed. It is, rather, the communica
tion of good tidings to the Soldier of the Lord that he has
successfully completed the mission with which he has been
charged, and that his feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy
with regard to that great responsibility are only natural and.
as such, should be accepted.
We are no longer speaking of sins, in the ordinary sense
such as are committed daily by ordinary men, but lh;
perception on the part of the Prophet, upon him be peaee.
that he has been somehow remiss in the fulfilment of his
obligations to the Almighty, lax in the performance of his
awesome duties. For that reason Allah honoured him with
podtidings of‘forgiveness'. Indeed, when Allah says to His
servant, ‘I forgive you your sins, past as well as future it
does not mean that the servant is excused from his duties,
or that he is free to perform or neglect them as he pleases.
Such an interpretation is obviously foolish. What is meant
is that, as the servant has attained such a high degree of
devotion, he will not be allowed to tumble, and that his
future will be an extension of his present, in goodness and
in the strength of his attachment to Allah.
The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, was prom
ised this kind of all-encompassing forgiveness, and he, in
turn, promised it to those who took part in the Battle of
Badr. Likewise, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan was promised the same
when he gave so much of his wealth to outfit the Muslim
armyfor the Tabuk campaign which was called a Campaign
ofHardship.
It is related in authentic hadith that Allah promises this
forgiveness to a repentant man who, immediately after
commission of a sin, seeks the forgiveness of Allah:
My servant knows that he has a Lord who can forgive
orpunish himfor his sins. Do, then, as you please; for
Ihaveforgiven you (Bukhari).
The sense ofthe above is that Allah has inscribed for each
repentant servant his due, or his description, based on the
established condition which he had attained during his
lifetime, and that He then registers it for him before his
death; because Allah knows that that particular servant will
never lapse again into error.
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12
IsDu‘d’ an Ordinary
Means?
We could say that du'a’ is an ordinary means, if we suppose
the matter to be no more than the weak asking for help from
the powerful. When a boy asks his father to get him this or
that, he is using the most convenient agent or causative
factor, a loving father. Obviously, if left to his own devices,
the boy would never be able to produce the desired object.
When the Prophets turned to Allah for protection against
the injuries and insults of the disbelievers, their usual
resource was a du‘a’ — as in this celebrated instance in the
Qur'an:
Long before those (who now deny resurrection) did
Noah’s people call it a lie, and they gave the lie to Our
servant and said, ‘Mad is he!’ and he was repulsed.
Thereupon he called out to his Lord, ‘Verily, I am
defeated; come to my aid!’ And so We caused the gates
of heaven to open with water pouring down in torrents,
and caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so that
the waters met for a purpose pre-ordained (al-Qamar
54: 9-12).
However, our discussion here is not immediately con
cerned with this. What we do propose to consider are the
111

dhikr and incantations, related in authentic hadith, which
are to be recited by believers at specific times, or in the event
of their being beset by difficulties which trouble them and
cause them to seek the help of Allah.
In one such authentic hadith it is related that the Prophet
of Allah, upon him be peace, would blow* on his hands, on
getting into bed but before sleeping, recite the last two surahs
of the Qur’an, and then run his hands over his entire body,
In another version of the same hadith, it is related that when
the Prophet, upon him be peace, went to bed at night, he
would clasp his hands together, and blow into them, and
then recite Surat al-Ikhlas and the last two surahs of the
Qur’an, and then run his hands over as much as he could of
his body beginning with his head, face and the front of his
body, repeating this three times.
The three surahs referred to mention tawhid or the Unity
of God, and the purity of His person and attributes. In
addition, they urge one toward divine providence, and away
from the evils of body and mind.
We shall refer, in what follows, to a number of incantations
or verbal formulas which may be resorted to by the Muslim
for the purpose of curing disease. Obviously, these must
have some connection with the realm of the Unknown,
otherwise the secret of sufflation or repetition of certain
words and phrases are matters which altogether defeat
understanding.
I feel I must mention here some established medical facts
which will themselves take us to the brink of the Unknown.
Viruses, lethal or fatal to almost every organism they come
into contact with, are observed to have no effect on certain
people, who have either developed or naturally possess, a
resistance to that particular strain, no matter how deadly.lt
can and does happen that a person can be the carrier of an
extremely deadly micro-organism for years without ever
becoming ill because of it.
" According to the scholars, this blowing or sufflation is merely a gentle expiring
without the emission of moisture.
How is this so? And how is it that these micro-organisms
ate stripped of their virulence?
We Muslims would answer: ‘Of course, Allah! Who else?’
In relation to the realm of the Unknown, the measured,
physical world is so small as to be insignificant. And while
it is within our abilities to treat many diseases, the greater
portion still remains beyond them. Remedy by medicine is
certainly effective. Indeed, the Prophet himself, upon him
be peace, prescribed medicines, and various foods and
brinks, as cures for disease. Nonetheless, after all is said and
bone, there still remains one final authority which makes a
disease dormant or active, infectious or non-infectious.
Therefore, du'd’, prayer to the Lord above, remains the
force that it is. Should He will, the disease will take its course.
And should He will, it will amount to nothing, and vanish
without a trace.
In the light of the above, we shall now attempt to
understand the efficacy of some of the remedies related in
the With.
Itisrelated that ‘Uthman ibn Abi al-‘As complained of pain
lotheProphet, upon him be peace, who told him: ‘Put your
hand on that part of your body which is painful, and say
“Bismillah” three times, and seven times “I seek refuge in
the honour of Allah and His power from the evil which I
Hand watch out for”.’1
It is related that Anas said to Thabit, may Allah have
mercy on both of them, ‘May I incant for you the incantation
ol the Prophet, upon him be peace?’ When Thabit had
Rented, Anas repeated the following: ‘0 Lord, Lord of
mankind. Remover of difficulties, cure me, for You are the
w-there is no curer other than You - with such a cure
s’’ill never be followed by illness.’2
Ishould like to pause here to consider an interesting event,
55'dated by Imam Bukhari in his collection of authentic
s^.on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri:
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A group of the Companions of the Prophet of Allah
were on a journey, and had stopped at a bedouin
settlement in the hope of being received as guests. The
bedouins, however, refused to have them. Shortly there
after, the bedouin chief was bitten (by a snake or a
scorpion), and the tribe did all they could to save him,
but to no avail. Then they decided among themselves to
approach the travellers to see if they might have some
thing which might be of use.
So they went to them and said, ‘Listen, O band of
travellers! Our chief has been bitten, and nothing we do
for him seems to help. Perhaps one of you has some
thing?’ Then one of the travellers said, By Allah, 1 can
cure him. But, by Allah, we had asked to be received as
guests and you refused. So I will not cure him until you
have made us an offer. ’
So they agreed upon a number of goats and the man
went to the chief, and sufflated, and then recited the
opening chapter of the Qur’an over him.
It was as if the man had been released from his bonds
(as a camel is released), so that he got up and walked
away without the least discomfort. Then the bedouins
gave them all that they had agreed upon.
Some of the Muslims said, 'Distribute the goats.' But the
one who had done the incantation said, ‘No, not until
we have consulted the Prophet of Allah, upon him be
peace, in the matter, and seen what he decides. ’
So, on their return, they went to the Prophet, upon him
be peace, and told him their story. The Prophet, upon
him be peace, said to the one who had recited the
Opening Surah over the sick man, How did you know
that it would cure him?’ Then he said, ‘You have done
well. Distribute the goats, and set aside a share for me
as well.’ Then the Prophet laughed at all that had
occurred.
In a similar version of the same W/7A, the Prophet, upon
Imn be peace, is reported to have said, ‘Eat up! Because,
for the life of me, so many consume the wages of black
magic, whereas you will eat from the magic of the Truth.’
This is a story which, for many reasons, has never failed
ioarrest my attention. The Opening Surah of the Holy Book
iscertainly ofgreat importance for its praise of the Almighty
and for the du'a it contains. But I had always supposed that
its benefit was limited to the one reciting it. Yet this story
showed me that it could also benefit one for whom it was
especially recited.
The story tells us that the party of travellers from among
the Companions of the Prophet camped near a tribe who
refused to accept them as guests. Among the bedouin Arabs,
in particular, this kind of behaviour is so ignoble as to be
unspeakable. For myself, I think they behaved no less out
of miserliness than out of dislike for Islam, and for those
whoembraced it. By the will of Allah something poisonous
bit the tribal chieftain and left him in such helpless agony
that his people were compelled to turn to the Prophet’s
Companions forhelp. Most remarkably, the one who actually
treated the sick man by performing the incantation of the
Opening Surah was the first to hesitate about taking the
negotiated fee, and to doubt its permissibility. Indeed, his
behaviourindicated that he was a man who combined true
f^hwith extreme prudence. And that is the crucial point,
fw not every incanter is a healer, and not every incantation
bacure. Yet Allah has servants who, when they will. He
and when they call down His bounty, it comes.
^Prophet, upon him be peace, was pleased with the
affair, and desired to please the incanter. So he joined
bepl^'n Partaking of the fee. And why should he not
b«.„ , 'he result produced by Revelation accompanied
f«h and good deeds!
1|,isstorj.P?s'*,'e 10 deny 'he element °f the Unknown in
tl°nregardi ’mPossible to generalize its applica-
gPeoPle of higher or lesser spiritual merit, those
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who maintain firm relationships with the Almighty and those
who attribute themselves to Him only through the weakest
of connections. The most successful of the pious surely derive
their physical well-being and their resistance to disease and
pain from the gushing spring within their hearts, drawing
upon the pardon of Allah and His vitality.
We return to the most pious of all, Muhammad ibn
‘Abdullah, upon him be peace, to relate that he used to
overcome all temporary complaints by turning to Allah and
seeking refuge in Him. At this point someone might argue:
We know of his physical well-being and strength, and that
he was endowed in this regard with what no other has ever
been endowed. How is it that he should be beset with illness
or infirmities which caused him to seek refuge in Allah?
Our answer is that the Last of the Prophets, upon him be
peace, was indeed endowed with exceptional physical and
intellectual powers in order to assist him in the most onerous
mission ever undertaken. But his nightly vigils in tahajjud
prayer and recitation of the Qur'an, his daily exertion in
worship and labour, in unending jihad, in bearing the
problems of others, and all of this continuously for a full
quarter century, increasing all the while and never subsiding,
in addition to an amazingly light ration of food and drink-
all of these factors contributed to wearing down his sturdy
body and its decline in health.
I have studied the lives of a number of leaders and found
them to consume great quantities of stimulants and restora
tives, not to mention food and drink. While in the biography
of Muhammad, upon him be peace, I find it recorded that
he was once in need of nourishment, and so vinegar was
brought to him, as there was nothing else. The Prophet
dipped whatever crusts of bread he had in the vinegar and
said, ‘Vinegar, what a fine condiment!’ While, on other days,
perhaps, he found nothing at all to eat, so that he fasted
from before sunrise to sunset.
What body could bear, in spite of such deprivation, the
hardships of struggle against the idolators, and of giving
lrajning and education to a generation of desert Arabs
destined to illumine the globe? Surely, behind this extraor-
dinary steadfastness and endurance, was a great deal of
spiritual succour, sent from on high, through the dhikr of
Allah.
In an authentic hadith it is related that whenever the
Prophet, upon him be peace, had a physical complaint, he
would recite over himself the last two chapters of the Qur’an
andsufflate. Imam Zuhri, one of the narrators of this hadith,
ns asked how the sufflation was performed. He answered
that the Prophet, upon him be peace, would blow into his
tads and then rub his face with them.
Pie Prophet, upon him be peace, continued this practice
throughout his lifetime. In another hadith it is related that
h, upon him be peace, recited and sufflated in his final
illness. Said 'A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, ‘When
itbecame too much for him to bear, I recited and sufflated
over him myself; but I used his own hand to rub him with,
lor the sake of barakah'. That is, ‘A’ishah, may Allah be
pleasedwith her, would take the Prophet’s hand in her own,
andrubitover his body in the confidence that more blessings
would issue from his hand.
Piis was the Prophet’s personal physician in the world of
mortals, where every leader has his own personal physician!
lithis way, the Prophet, upon him be peace, used to
overcome his illnesses, until he took his final repose with
hAlmighty.
M)references, earlier in this chapter, to the realm of the
“town were made in relation to the perceptive faculties
f|kordinary person. This is because, generally, we see
l3ll'he shadows of reality, as reality itself is nearly perma-
obscured by our personal longings and desires, even
*°fan admixture of faith and sincerity. However, in
n^1"01^ Prophets, peace be upon them all, the matter
C’is^us. Rather, theirs is a witnessing which
fercePtlon the Lord of creation before the
P"°n ofcreation itself.
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13The Prophet of Prophets, upon him be peace, possessed
a spirituality of tremendous proportions, the divine radiance
of which never diminished. It was his mission to ever strive
for the betterment of those around him, and to overcome
their materialism with his purity and effulgence.
This now prompts us to take a brief look at the pillars of
Islam; to see how they can become the stairway to spiritual
progress, and the source of constant remembrance of Allah.
And to see, further, how the Prophet, upon him be peace,
was unique in performing them.
Fundamentals of
Worship
When the Prophet, upon him be peace, began his prayer,
hewould first recite the following:
'Allah is the greatest in the greatest measure; and the
fullest praise to Allah and glory be to Allah, early and
late!
(Asalrue Muslim,) / direct my attention toward the One
who treated the heavens and earth, and I am not one of
the idolators. Verily my prayer, my devotion, my life
end my death arefor Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He has
no partner. That is what I have been charged with, and
1 am the first among Muslims. ’’
0 Allah, You are the Sovereign, there is no god but
bu. You are my Lord and I am Your slave. I have
doneinjustice to myself, and admit my wrong, so forgive
tit all my sins. No one but You can forgive sins. And
Snide me to the finest morality. No one can guide me to
the finest morality but You. And divert the worst of it
Wayfromme. Noone can divert the worst ofit but You. ’2
1 am present and ready to obey. All good is in Your
liMds, and evil is not of You. I am of You and (will
unto You. You are blessed and exalted. I seek
0Ur forgiveness and unto You I repent.3
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The meaning of ‘and evil is not of You’ is that Allah does
not introduce evil into the life of a servant, but that the
servant brings it upon himself through his misdeeds.
Whatever calamity befalls you is an outcome of what
your own hands have wrought, although He pardons
much (al-Shura 42: 30).
Alternatively, the Prophet, upon him be peace, sometimes
began his prayer with the following:
‘O Allah! Distance me from my sins as You have
distanced the East from the West. O Allah! Cleanseme
of my sins as a white cloth is cleansed of dirt. 0 Allah!
Wash me of my sins with water, ice and cold.M
And sometimes he, upon him be peace, would begin:
‘Glory be to You, O Lord, and praise. Blessed is Your
name, and exalted is Your state. There is no god bui
You. ’5
When he, upon him be peace, assumed the bowing
position in prayer, he would say:
‘O Lord, for You I have made ruku' and in You 1 have
placed my faith, and to You I have committed myself.
My ears, my eyes, my marrow, and my sinews have
humbled themselves before You. ’6
When he raised himself from the bowing position, he
would say:
'May Allah listen to those who praise Him. O Lord, may
Your praises fill the heavens, and fill the earth, andfill
everything between them, and fill whatever else remains
to be filled after that.
You alone are deserving ofpraise and majesty. The most
truthful thing any servant ever said (and we are all Y°“r
servants) is-' there is no one to withhold what You give,
andno one to give what You withhold. And no wealthy
oerson's wealth will avail him with You. ’7 [That is, that
no manner of wealth or property which You have given
m someone will be of any benefit to him. Rather, it is
only his deeds which will be accounted when he meets
You for the final reckoning.]
When he assumed the sajdah prostration position, he
0ildsay, upon him be peace:
'Glory to the Possessor of might, of sovereignty, of
majesty and ofgreatness. ’8
‘0 Lord, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your
wrath, and in Yourforgiveness from Your punishment,
and in Youfrom You. Glory be to You! I am incapable
ofcounting Your praises. You are as You have praised
Yourself.’’
As I read these lines I cannot help but feel that all the
Prophets, upon them be peace, and the heavenly hosts as
well, have arranged themselves in lines behind the Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace, as he recites the du'a which
Allah inspires his heart and tongue to utter. I wonder, is
there an element among the many elements of worship, or
ofdesire and fear of the Lord, which escaped Muhammad,
upon him be peace, while he was thus engaged in prayer?
Didany of the angels of the heavenly hosts, or the blessed
Prophets of Allah, ever greet the Lord of the Worlds with
a greeting purer and more sincere than Muhammad’s, or
praise Him with praise more sublime, or beg His pardon for
shortcomings’in a more sensitive and befitting manner?
Io worship of Allah, through seeking knowledge of Him
_ ^oncoming, here, can have but one of two possible meanings; either that a
’Wily is limited, whereas his duty is awesome; or that the Majesty of the
tarbeyond comprehension that no words may adequately express it, or
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and giving thanks unto Him, we see a unique individual, one
striding so far ahead of his fellow men that they seem to be
but at the crawling stage, so to speak, and gasping for breath
to keep up, while in their ears there echoes the continually
exhilarating sound of a man praising and glorifying Allah.
And who is this man, so immersed in the worship of Allah;
who is this returning and repentant one? Indeed, it is
Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, upon him be peace, Exalted is
He.'
But, when we turn and descend from this pinnacle, we
still hear the hissing of the prevaricators: ‘Muhammad was
not a prophet. ’ We have heard baseless claims from them
before, when they have alleged: ‘God has a son, and His
son is also God.’ Greater is their misfortune! There is no
god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah!
Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. This is not, however,
the place to go into the details of how to perform salat. As
to the du‘a and dhikr cited above, it should be understood
that they are not wajib or necessary elements of salat, as
salat may be completed with far simpler and briefer prayers
and recitations. Our purpose in citing them was merely to
direct attention to the sure skill and fullness of Muhammad,
upon him be peace, in dhikr and du'a’.
In nearly every religion, prayer is considered the foremost
form of worship. To the Prophet of Islam, upon him be
peace, it was his foremost preoccupation. Indeed, he made
of it a sign of heedfulness, a token of submission and
captivation, and a mark of absolute allegiance to Allah, Lord
of the Worlds. But there can be no prayer if it is accompanied
by faulty understanding, or refusal to submit to the will of
the Almighty. Thus, it is kufr (disbelief) to imagine that
there is more than one possessor of divinity, or to rebel
against the commandments of Allah.
There are places and ways of worship for each of the
various religions. Islam, however, teaches that worship is
exclusively for the One, true God, that succour is to be
sought from the One God, and that the ultimate return of
jll mation is unto that same One God. The Prophet
Muhammad, upon him be peace, was the finest person ever
to acquaint mankind with the One God, to evoke in them
love for Him, and to impart to them the knowledge that
theirLordis more merciful to them than a parent to its child,
milmore caring than the most intimate companion.
Ihave explained on other occasions that the Islamic way
ofinstruction is to combine attributes of awesomeness and
lllKtion. In fact, man cannot do without this combination.
Hit worldis full ofPharaohs seduced into tyranny through
lit exercise ofpower, beggars in need of aid, and people
pneastrayin search ofguidance. In the following Qur'anic
m there is something for each group.
Verily, Your Lord’s grip is exceedingly strong! Behold,
it is He who creates in the first instance, and He it is
who will bring forth anew. And He alone is Truly-For-
giving, All-Embracing in His love, in sublime almighti-
nessenthroned (al-Buruj 85: 12-15).
Those aspects of the mission of Muhammad.whi^h ev°^
beforthe Almighty, and establish within the hearts of men
teelor one another are as an all-engulfing flood, unparal-
Min history. , • .
Wnaproblem confronts us, and we are unable to e^i e
tatonsolve it, should we not turn to our Lord? Ask Him
10 us in the right direction? After all, no one can be
^'lousthan He is. So why do we ignore Him?
ll,srelated on the authority of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah that
‘.'Mei,upon him be peace, used to teach his Compan-
through a special du'a', the guidance of Allah
I’ltr?5*1’'011 affected them. He said, upon him be
’ice,?0you are confused about what you should do
'’Naiorv'n110'’'?^ Pray tW0 rak‘“l Of nafl
■0 and read Allowing dic'd’
f°r Stance
■ and / ask You of Your
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excessive generosity. Certainly You are powerful and I
am not, and You are the Knower of the unknown. 0
Allah, ifyou know this matter (here the supplicant should
substitute for the words, ‘this matter’ whatever it is
specifically that he has in mind, for example, this
journey, or marriage, etc.) to be good for my religion,
my worldly life, my life in the next world, my present
state of affairs or my future state, then decree it for me
and make it easy, and bless me in it. And if You know
this matter to be detrimental to my religion, my worldly
life, my life in the next world, my present state of affairs
or my future state, then divert it from me, and turn me
away from it, and decree for me that which is good,
wherever it may be. And then make me to be pleased
with it.’10
..^uinan being, should perform wudu’ (ablution) and two
l’'['jl of (Prayer)' Then he should praise Allah and
;'^e His blessings on the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Jsay the following du‘a:
•[here is no god but Allah, the Clement, the Generous.
I (ilebrate the glory of Allah, Lord of the Magnificent
'[krone. All praise be unto Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Iseek of You that which will make certain (for me) Your
forgiveness, as well as a share of every virtue, and
freedom from every offence. Do not leave me a wrong
without relieving me ofit, or a need that meets with Your
pleasure without providing for it. 0 Most Merciful of
the Merciful.’11
I am astounded at the enemies of Muhammad who
derisively say that the Lord of Muhammad is a high-handed
oppressor. My reply to them is: Be it so; who else could
bring low the tyrants of the earth, if not the Almighty? And
who, other than the Majestic, could efface their arrogance?
Surely, the deliverance of this world from the clutches of
tyranny would be a mercy conferred! And yet, the Chastiser
of tyrants can say to their broken subjects, ‘1 will mend you',
and to those in quest of the right way, ‘I will guide you’, and
to those who seek good, ‘Ask for the bounty of Allah. Surely
Allah has knowledge of everything.’
And so, if ever you find yourself in need of anything, turn
to Your Lord. It is written:
The exclusiveness of his creative Being is such that when
He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, ‘Be’ - and
it is (Ya Sin 36: 82).
It is related on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa
that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, ‘Whoever
among you has any kind of need, whether it be of Allah or
At last, this world with all its joys and sorrows comes to
an end, and man returns to his Lord after completing his
period of trial on earth.
As it was He who brought you into being in the first
instance, so also unto Him you will return: some of you
He will have graced with His guidance, whereas for
some a straying from the right path will have become
unavoidable (al-A‘raf 7: 29-30).
lhe world becomes a collection of memories, and man
thensteps on the threshold of the world to come.
Whenever a Muslim died in the Prophet’s city of Madinat
Wunawwarah, the Prophet, upon him be peace, would
Roverhim at his funeral with the following words:
'OAllahforgive and have mercy on him (on her). Grant
himeaseand respite. Make his resting place a noble one,
nnd facilitate his entry. Cleanse him with water, snow
•nd coolness, and purify him of wrongdoing as a white
doth is purified of grime.
him an abode finer than his worldly one, and
I'Mhim entrance to Paradise and protect him from the
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chastisement of the grave, and protect him from th
chastisement of the Fire. ’12 he
The narrator of the hadith in which the above funeral
prayer was recorded comments:
I wished that I could have been the one who had died
so as to have had this blessed prayer said at myfuneral.
Of the Prophet’s various funeral prayers, this is the one
most favoured by Imam Shafi'i:
'O Allah! This is Your slave, the son of Your slave, gone
out from the ease of this world and its spaciousness,
leaving behind both those he loved and those who loved
him, for the darkness of the grave and whatever is in
store for him.
He used to give witness that there is no god but You,
and that Muhammad is Your slave and Prophet, and
You know all about him.
O Allah, now he has alighted at Your door, and You
are the most generous ofhosts; he has become as a beggar
for Your mercy, and You have no need to punish him.
We approach You as Your votaries, and as petitioners
for him.
O Allah, if this man was indeed a doer of good, then
increase him in his good. And if he did wrong, then
overlook it, and, in Your mercy, show him Four
pleasure, and protect him from the chastisement of the
grave and its torments, until such a time as You take him
into Your Garden, O Most Merciful of the Merciful!'™
For all believers, prayer {salat) is indeed a sacred duty
linked to particular times of the day as indicated by the
visible movements of the sun; before sunrise by about a hour
and a half, after it has passed its noonday peak, at the
^•afternoon descent, just after its setting, and after the
appearance of the post-sunset red on the horizon. In the
pije way that the believers look toward the sun for the
Rationoftheir daily worship, they look toward the moon
l^eregulation of their fasting and pilgrimage. Thus time,
^rewaysthan one, isfor the believer a mode of transition
idlie world to come.
Hie Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, often drew the
aHentionofhis Companions to the sun and moon in all their
resplendent glory, and told the believers that, in the next
the beatific sight of their Lord would be granted them
ulliequalclarity. Is it not befitting, then, that the believer
imuldprepareforthat meeting by doing as many good deeds
emay ensure for him a handsome consequence?
Piemost important of all good deeds is to remember one’s
lad, and never to be negligent of Him; to thank Him and
ra be ungrateful, and to never allow His creation to
tome as a veil before Him, or an obstacle in the way of
performing one’s duties to Him. The Prophet Muhammad,
spon him be peace, was a true man of God in both his
taghts and his behaviour, so that he took advantage of
noy opportunity to remember Allah, to greet Him, to
erpresshislove for Him, and to give witness to His oneness.
This, it is related on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that
'taw the Prophet, upon him be peace, saw the new
should say, 'Allah is the Greatest! 0 Allah, let this
-’Muse above us in good fortune and faith, in peace and
Landin success in the achievement of that which is
to. and loved by You! Our Lord, and the Lord of
is Allah!’14 In another narration it is related that
’^say.upon him be peace:
‘^llr moon of blessings and guidance! A new moon
'^^^ingsand guidance! A new moon of blessings and
^ce! I believe in Allah, the one that created you!
ricel' Praise to Allah who has taken away the month
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127

of..................* and ushered in the month of...................fis
Such is the heart of the true believer. A heart which beats
in constant anticipation of the time appointed for the praising
of the One who changes night into day; which awaits with
optimism the coming favour of the Lord and bids farewell
to favours past. Time, to such a believer, is a grant to be
spent in the service of Allah. Thus, not a moment of that
ephemeral quantity is spent in negligence or frivolity; but
rather in prayer, in fasting, in jihad, and in unending effort
to lead mankind to (knowledge of) their Creator.
Whenever fasting is mentioned, most people think
immediately of the month of Ramadan, because Ramadan
is the month of fasting. But the Prophet of Allah, upon him
be peace, used to fast so often that some thought he was
always fasting. The words of the du'a’ he said, upon him be
peace, when breaking his fasts, give an indication of the kind
of discomfort he underwent when fasting in the Arabian
summer with its scorching and shrivelling heat. On the
authority of Ibn ‘Umar this du'a is recorded;
‘Gone is the thirst, moist are the veins, and assured is
the reward, if it be the will of Allah!’x(>
Occasionally he would simply say, upon him be peace: 0
Allah, for You have I fasted and, with what You have
provided, do I break fast.’17
‘Abdullah said, ‘I heard the Prophet of Allah, upon him
be peace, say, “The prayer of the one who fasts, at the time
of his breaking fast, will surely be answered”.’ Ibn Mulaikah
said, ‘I heard ‘Abdullah, the narrator of this hadith, break
his fast with the following prayer, “O Allah, I ask You of
Your mercy which is all encompassing, so forgive me”.’18
On the subject of Hajj (the pilgrimage to Makkah), I once
heard someone, as if he were apologising for it, say that
Allah tests us in both what we can rationally understand and
* Should name the outgoing month,
t Should name the incoming month.
0ecannot, in order to see our obedience. I asked him,
pj you mean to say that the rites of pilgrimage are
tjonal?’ After a moment’s timid silence, the man
n0£d, ‘That is what I mean. And I give Allah my
lienee in everything that He requires me to do.’
y(yreply to him was to say that there are any number of
ajjsin this world which have nothing to do with reason in
dijfi a positive or negative way. Yet to describe these
Stiers as irrational would be more than incorrect. For
{ample, we write in our own Arabic language from right
uleft, whereas Western languages are written from left to
at. Now these are matters which are never described as
iiwalorirrational. Rather, they have simply been agreed
bypeople, and certainly no one would even think to
spoach another over such a matter. In a military parade,
itroopsare required to salute in a certain way. They may,
staple,jerk their weapons up, twirl them to the left or
$1,placethemon theirshoulders and then turn their heads
atie direction of the commander’s review stand, and so
tai. What is all this? Nothing more than convention,
atersagreed upon and accepted by people. We may find
teethings agreeable or disagreeable according to our own
ymaldispositions. Yet they are in no way connected to
saesofreason and logic.
tatsunquestionably opposed to all that is irrational or
twal. But it has no objection to matters of convention
tdaccepted use unless these are used in the service of
j<W.
Titian then asked me if I meant to say that the rites of
■pimage were of this conventional, inexplicable nature.
KIsaid.
^trlty’, he asked, ‘does tawafconsist of exactly seven
'^ambulations?’
'^principle of logic, since we are discussing logic,
;la circular question is automatically inadmissible’, I
Madded, 'If a number of circumambulations was
'"’re, the question would be the same. Why is your
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129

name ‘All and not Rashid? The question leads nowhere, is
circular, and requires no logical reply. Yet, in spite of all
this, the rites of pilgrimage, all of them, are logical. Further
more, each of them has its own rationale.’
I went on to explain to the man that it is the right of
mankind to take pride in the remembrance of their heritage,
and to preserve those memories by erecting around them
walls of reverence and awe ; especially where those memories
pertain to their values and beliefs. Now the rites of pilgrimage
are part of a glorious history, in addition to their being the
keys to a treasury of effusive spirituality. For this reason the
pilgrimage is counted among the five pillars of Islam.
And anyone who honours the symbols set up by Allah
shall know that, verily, these symbols derive their value
from the God-consciousness in the believers’ hearts
(al-Hajj 22: 32).
Allow me to elaborate upon the foregoing. Why is it that
every year pilgrims with hearts aflame and eyes aglow set
out in caravans from every continent, by land, sea and air,
in the direction of the Ancient Temple? As a matter of fact,
that ‘Temple’ deserves that kind of esteem. After all, it was
built by Ibrahim, the father of the Prophets, as a citadel of
monotheism and a meeting place for the worshippers of the
One True God. Indeed, after a life-and-death struggle with
the forces of idolatry, Ibrahim emerged the victorious
champion of monotheism. Then, in substantiation of that
spiritual triumph, Ibrahim and his son, Isma‘il erected the
temple.
Behold, the first Temple ever set up for mankind was
indeed the one at Bakkah; rich in blessing, and a source
of guidance unto all the worlds, full of clear signs. It is
the place whereupon Ibrahim once stood; and whoever
enters it finds inner peace. Hence pilgrimage to the
Temple is a duty owed to Allah by all people who are
able to undertake it. And as for those who deny the
130
verily, Allah does not stand in need of anything
worlds (Al ‘Imran 3: 96-7).
l a doubt, the first mosque in the world deserves
"®J(|e the objective of one’s travels, to be visited from
those who wish to pay their respects. And
Ming that every mosque built after it should face
<iion. This is why the Sacred Mosque at Makkah
' made the qiblah or direction of prayer for all
llrflUS'
Ufnce, from wherever you may come forth, turn
i#face in prayer towards the Sacred Mosque; and
nherever you all may be, turn your faces towards it
(al-Baqarah 2:150).
tot is still another historical aspect which attracts
fetastothe Sacred Mosque. At the time of its construc
ts huge community of believers was no more than a
.“iin,and this ultimate revelation no more than a fervent
aa Ibrahim and Isma‘11 said:
OourLord!Make us commit ourselves unto You, and
make out of our offspring a community that shall
commit itselfto You, and show us the ways of worship,
adaccept our repentance. Surely, You alone are the
Acceptor ofrepentance, the Dispenser of Grace. O our
Lord!Raise upfrom the midst of our offspring a prophet
‘■omamongthemselves who shall convey to them Your
■Maud impart to them revelation as well as wisdom,
‘“tausethem togrow in purity (al-Baqarah 2: 128-9).
.^Myitis we who are meant to be the committed
.^iioned in this prayer; and Muhammad, upon
Pr0Phets> is our spiritual and
Stoniehnu,11 Suipns*n8> then> that we should feel
visitit wh113^6^t0 l^*S $acred Mosque, or that
wheneverwefind the means to do so?
131

Indeed, what a glorious past it has had. Imagine the
multitudes that have travelled long and hard for a glimpse
of it. and for a chance to partake of its goodness and blessings.
The ways we observe the rites of the Temple are by
circumambulating it and facing it in prayer. In circumambu-
lation (tawaf) we place the Black Stone to our left side and
go round the Temple seven times. And what do we say as
we walk around? We say, ‘Glory be to Allah, and praise be
to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the
Greatest.’ And of course, we pray to Allah for whatever we
wish in this or the next world.
You will be committing no sin if (during the pilgrimage)
you seek to obtain any bounty from your Lord (al-
Baqarah 2: 198).
Before the Almighty, man is a mere beggar. And the
treasuries of Allah are never exhausted.
Yet, according to certain Christian missionaries, the
attachment of the Muslims to the Ka'bah is of a material
nature, and especially our attachment to the Black Stone!
This assertion is self-evidently ridiculous - the kind of
monotheism which dwells in the hearts of Muslims is of a
degree of conviction unparalleled in this world.
The cry of the pilgrim from the moment he begins is: ‘Here
I am, O Lord, here I am! Here I am, there is none that is
a partner to You, here I am! Surely, all praise, all bounty
is Yours, and all power. There is none that is a partner to
You . . .’
Whenever the pilgrims ascend a hill, or descend into a
valley, or meet another group of pilgrims, and whenever
they are shaded by the quiet of the night or the calm of the
ocean, the cry surges to become an uproar! At such times
the pilgrim is possessed by the feeling that the entire universe
is ringing out in harmony with his cry, as is related in the
following hadith:
^tn the ptlgri,n calls out Here 1 am, O Lord, here I
then everything on his right and everything on his
Id'l, indnding trees, stones, and clay even unto the ends
earth call out as well.
v( 1S ji surprising that the universe, itself in constant
^ofAliah, should harmonize with a person devoid of
'(0re and embarked on a pious journey whose only
^5lie pleasure of Allah.
'^Prophet, upon him be peace, would never set out on
without first praying:
OAllah!Unto You have Idirected myself, and by You
to I protected myself. Then suffice me in all that
Mansmeandin all that Ihave not concerned myself
4 0Allah!Provideme with heedfulness andforgive-
anformysins, and direct me to goodness regardless
iflitdirection Iset out in. 0 Allah! be my companion
nytravels, and my guardian in my family, wealth,
adthildren.’19
Iplmisone who dedicates himself to the sole purpose
'iriipping Allah, who yearns for His pleasure, who
■stoeam His favour, and who lives in dread of His
ia Thus everything that is in his body functions
'J lie sensations of desire, longing and love. In fact,
Mnogroup of people more deserving of the mercy
Misforgiveness than those who make the annual
‘-'fcircumambulation, it is customary for the pilgrim to
forth between the two mounds called Safa and
rite is essentially a commemoration and a
(Mlhe feelings of trust in Allah which obtained
JWHajar, mother of Isma'il, and of Ibrahim
’‘''■“Pon all of whom be peace.
>^u,e trustin Allah is a fine and rare sentiment,
40found permeating just any heart. Rather,
132
133

no one but the most firm in his relationship with Allah, the
most sensitive of his own dependence upon Him, is capable
of such a sentiment. At times when all hope of human aid
has been severed, when one’s means and abilities amount
to nothing, when the depths of the soul are overwhelmed by
desolation, then what remains save abiding trust in the
Almighty? Indeed, at such times it is faith and faith only
that can allay misgivings and assuage anxieties.
In my mind's eye, I follow Hajar as she looks to her thirsty
child, then scrambles bewilderedly to and fro in search of
heaven’s succour. Of course, she trusted Allah. She had even
said to Ibrahim as he was about to depart and leave her in
that dry and desolate valley, ‘Is this what Allah ordered you
to do?’ ‘Yes’, he answered. And just as decisively, she
responded: ‘Then He will not allow us to go to waste.’ And
now here she is, face to face with the trial, awaiting the
intervention of heaven. Heaven intervenes, the spring called
Zamzam gushes from the desert floor, the valley becomes
rich after ages of barrenness, and from the suckling infant
grows a community of great numbers and untold wealth,
amongst whom is born the last and greatest of the Prophets,
upon them all be peace! Therefore is it accounted among
the signs of Allah in the rites of pilgrimage, running between
the two mounds of Safa and Marwah in imitation of the
mother of Isma‘11 as she strove with unfailing hope to catch
a glimpse of the Unseen.
How pressing is the need of the would-be believer for an
appreciation of trust which can, of itself, bring plenty where
there was paucity, honour where there was ignominy; and
then (the need) to make of his relationship with the Almighty
an esteemed reality. This is, perhaps, at least part of what
is meant in the following verse:
Behold, Safa and Marwah are among the symbols set
up by Allah; and thus, no wrong does he who, having
come to the Temple on pilgrimage or on a pious visit,
strides to and fro between these two, for, if one does
moregood than one is bound to do - behold, Allah is
rf5ponsive to gratitude, All-Knowing (al-Baqarah 2:
!.«)■
Riding to the historians, when Ibrahim, upon him be
left Hajar and her son to face an unknown fate in
,..(juiote wilderness, Satan appeared to him at the place
Mina and said, ‘Is one truly capable of abandoning
Zanilytodieofhunger and thirst in this manner! Return,
^wyourkin.'But Ibrahim, upon him be peace, pelted
jmiiilh stones and went on his way, praying:
Our Lord! I have had some of my offspring settle by
Your Hallowed House in a valley without any crops,
ourLord, so that they may keep up prayer. Then make
h's liearts fond of them, and provide them with fruits
lbttliey might be grateful (Ibrahim 14: 37).
tdsoAllah answered His servant’s prayer, and foiled
j'sstrategem so that he was unable to sully the heart of
i wg believer.
M,lie rite of pelting with stones at Mina during the
-Jijtis for the purpose of informing those who might
Mat the promise of Allah is a real one, that the
^nijsofSatan are meaningless, and that such whisper-
affect only those whose hearts are devoid of the
-We ofAllah.
HoM,he (Satan) has no power over those who have
:J»ed to faith and in their Lord place their trust: he
power only over those who are willing to follow
-'■andwho thus ascribe to him a share in God’s
S'(al-Nahl 16:99-100).
L^point to note in this connection is that the
is not mentioned by name in the Qur’an,
?Cale(*1,1 verse Porting the pilgrims to
appointed days of pilgrimage (at
must be spent by the pilgrims at Mina).
135

And bear Allah in mind during the appointed days; but
he who hurries away within two days shall incur no sin,
and he who tarries longer shall incur no sin, provided
that he is conscious of Allah, and know that unto Him
you shall be gathered (al-Baqarah 2: 203).
1
It is as if the point of the entire exercise is the vocal
remembrance of the Lord of all the Worlds, and the pelting
a mere symbol. Indeed, the whole of pilgrimage is the
continuous rumble of waves of humanity in constant remem
brance of Allah.
However, it is disturbing to note that the pelting with
stones has recently become such a difficult rite to perform
that only the most daring and adventurous of pilgrims are
now capable of completing it, whereas the great majority
including the old and infirm are made to suffer greatly
because of it. Why! Because, in the opinion of the classical
jurists, the rite may be performed only from when after the
sun has passed its zenith until it actually sets. Thus, in a very
limited period of time, a sea of surging humanity comes face
to face with danger in a headlong rush to perform a symbolic
rite. Personally, I refuse to accept the opinion of the jurists
in this particular matter because I know of no basis for it in
either the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Thus, I have performed
this rite at times in which both the crowds and the heat of
the sun have been negligible.
Conditions have been ameliorated somewhat recently by
the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which
constructed a two-tier platform for the rite, regulated the
ways of approach and departure, and instructed the pilgrims
that the rite may be performed at any time of day or night,
thereby relieving untold suffering and easing the perform
ance of an act of worship.
Yet there are any number of Muslims who would have us
believe that pilgrimage is an incredibly complex and difficult
matter. These are people who take pleasure in making
ardous that which is essentially simple, and in giving currency
136
are devo>d of any religious basis. Some
Leven daim that there is a special du'a for each
.^mbulation of the Ka bah, and a set of others for each
J,efTOni Safa to Marwah and back. Books have been
^00 the subject listing all the special du'a, none of
'.jlusanyclaim to legitimacy. These same people insist
'.^reward for running between Safa and Marwah on
' .juDij floor of the colonnaded promenade erected
Anthem by the Saudi Government is greater than that
,flngon the second floor. Likewise, the rite of pelting
^supposed to be more meritorious when performed
,^11(1 rather than from the platform! Perhaps they
^knowthat the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace,
the circumambulation while mounted on his
dtsturingwith a walking stick at the Black Stone from
hta,pilgrimage is a loving and gentle form of worship
angprimarilyofthe standing at ‘Arafah, the circumam-
•jioflheKa'bah, and a handful of lesser rites easily
sdwithout the least difficulty or worry. Indeed, the
iaoffademands the individual believer's sincerity,
-tturity of his character, and the excellence of his
-shipwith his Lord, and of His worship,
smingpilgrimage, it is written:
Mjrimage shall take place in the months appointed
Whosoever undertakes the pilgrimage in those
shall, while on pilgrimage, abstain from lewd
Somali wicked conduct, and from quarrelling;
'Clevergood you may do, Allah is aware of it.
provision for yourselves - but, verily, the
^provisions is God-consciousness; remain,
J^ous of Me, 0 you who are endowed with
^!(’IM2:197).
lC’*0,he holy places undoubtedly polishes the
le heart, and engenders love for Allah and
137

His Prophet, and for all believers! It is then not surprising
that the Prophet, upon him be peace, said, ‘Whoever
undertakes a pilgrimage to this temple and abstains from
lewd speech and wicked conduct, will shed his sins and
become as pure as the day his mother gave birth to him.'
It is an established fact that Makkah is the centre of the
civilized world. Recently, Dr. Husain Kamal ad-Din, Pro
fessor of Engineering at Riyadh University was able toprove
through sophisticated mathematical calculations that Mak
kah is located at the physical centre of the inhabited
continents, and that its position, as established by modern
science, is a true commentary on the following verse of the
Qur’an:
So We have revealed unto you a discourse in the Arabic
tongue in order that you may warn the foremost of all
cities and all who dwell around it - warn them of the
Day of the Gathering, the coming of which is beyond
all doubt (al-Shura 42: 7).
Around the glorious Ka‘bah, then, extends a series of
concentric circles of bowing and prostrating worshippers for
whom the Sacred Mosque is their qiblah. Thus, on all
latitudes and longitudes one can hear the call to prayer and
witness the faithful in postures of submission to the One
deserving of all Praise and Glory, the Lord of the Eastsand
the Wests, the Lord of all the Worlds.
During the pilgrimage season Makkah plays host to
incoming delegations from every far-away point on earth, to
individuals united in their humanity, faith, and love for Allah
and the first of all mosques, the foremost among mosques
in the world. There, in Makkah, amidst a sea of surging
faces, believing souls become acquainted with one another
in harmonious reply to the call to pilgrimage, the call that
has gone out since ancient times, and the call that has been
strengthened and sharpened by Islam.
ptoclaim unto all people the pilgrimage: they will come
idyou on foot and on every kind of fast mount, coming
{rom every far-away point on earth so that they may
experience much that is of benefit to them, and that
they might remember the name of Allah on the days
appointed... (al-Hajj 22: 27-8).
HidAllah's incoming delegations transform Makkah into
jliuan society whose only interest is the remembrance of
#and the calling out to Him by His blessed names.
11 a commercial area the exchange of goods and com
mits is the prevailing enterprise, while in government
fathe movement of files from desk to desk is the most
parentsignoflife. But the pilgrims in Makkah are engaged
alhebusiness ofoutbidding one another in good deeds with
jdijiousshouts of ‘Allah is the Greatest’, as if the earth
istransformed with them into a far horizon teeming with
tailangels.
Concerning the pilgrimage, Imam Nawawl wrote:
Ilispreferable (musta/M) that the pilgrim frequently
calls out’Here I am, 0 Lord!, here lam.. .’. This is
preferable under all conditions, standing or sitting,
silking or riding, reclining or descending, in a state of
flinty (rf) or in need of ablutions or a bath (during
monthlycourses), at the renewal of conditions and their
changing either in time or space, like the coming of the
day and night, at the time of dawn, at the meeting of
^uaintances, at the completion of prayers, and in
('tty mosque...
"!'-epilgrim sees something which amazes him, he
say,‘Here I am! The only life is the life of the
’ ""'oild!' in emulation of the Prophet of Allah, upon
Sue.
b^nl^hiad this was recorded by Imam Shafi'i on
°fMujahid who said, ‘The Prophet of Allah,
138
139

upon him be peace, was saying, “Here I am, O Lord, Here
lam... !” throughout the rites of pilgrimage until one day
the crowd pressed so hard upon him that those closest to
him had to push people away from him. On realizing this
situation, the Prophet was amazed, and said, “Here I am'
The only life is the life of the afterworld”.’*
It was the right of those tens of thousands of pilgrims to
gather round their Prophet, upon him be peace, as he
fervently supplicated the Lord. He was, after all, their guide
and leader. But Muhammad was not content to be crowded
around by adoring followers. He was a leader of another
sort. Indeed, his heart, attached as it was to the Almighty,
and ever in anticipation of meeting Him, induced him to
think of the afterlife, and wish that its morrow would draw
closer.
At Safa, the Prophet, upon him be peace, was heard to say:
‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the
Greatest! To Allah is all praise! Allah is the Greatestfor
that to which He guided us, and to Allah is all praisefor
the favour He has rendered us.
There is no god but Allah, He is One and has no partner,
His is the domain and His is the praise. He gives life and
takes it away. In His hand is all that is good, and He is
powerful over everything.
There is no god but Allah. He fulfilled His promise and
gave victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates
singlehandedly.
There is no god but Allah! We worship none but Him,
in all sincerity, though this be distasteful to the unbeliev
ers!
on Your promise, and so I entreat You, as You guided
me to Islam, to never take it away from me; until finally
Youtakemy lifeand 1 depart this world as a Muslim. ’20
God be praised! Is this not exactly the wish expressed by
a||the Prophets before him, upon all of whom be peace.
After the Prophet Yusuf attained to power, his prayer to
Allah was that he die a believer:
0 my Lord! You have bestowed upon me something
of power, and have imparted to me some knowledge
oftheinner meaning of happenings. Originator of the
heavensand the earth! You are near unto me in this
world and in the life to come: let me die as one who
has committed himself to You, and make me one with
the righteous (Yusuf 12: 101).
lit the same way Muhammad prayed to his Lord during
the Farewell Pilgrimage, having triumphed over idolatry,
dicedthe ways of the ‘Days of Ignorance’, and established
utatebased on the Oneness of Allah.
fcisreally beautiful about his prayer is his mentioning,
fctyears after the event, how Allah had given him victory
wiheconfederates at the Battle of theTrench in Madinah;
O Lord! You are the One who said, ‘Call Me and I will
answer you’ (al-Mu’min 40: 60) and You never go back
* Commenting on this hadith,
Day of ‘Arafah.’
Ibn Juraij said, ‘I think this event occurred on*
tbevictorythatcame as a bright, welcome dawn after a long
0ôf adversity and fearful struggle.
is Allah! The One who fulfilled His promise and
^dehandedly defeated the confederates when no one else
‘“caPable of blunting their cutting edge, or renting the
^hheirunity, or foiling their conspiracy. This is Allah!
I ;](< ^ne worthy of thanks and of praise, the Fount of
I îhe0(SC'OUSness’anc' Fount of all forgiveness.
1S'am’or ôse wh° had attained to it, sit
iêfVi|terêSetr’umP^s^ By n0 means! The forces
Iîhepeo?1 '°alê 1 e truth anc* those who stand
i&i'Mss nt °Jlslam w’11 walk tJle’r Pat11to very
X. h»» distasteful this may be to the
140
141

14In citing the words and prayers used by the Prophet during
the pilgrimage, 1 had expected to record a great number of
du‘a’, and was therefore all the more surprised to discover
the economy of words he, upon him be peace, actually used
Yet Muslims have since contrived different prayers and
supplications for every circumambulation, and for every turn
between Safa and Marwah; and for the Day of‘Arafaha
virtual deluge of prayers! Nonetheless, I can appreciate the
feelings behind this insistence. After all, it is not surprising
that a pilgrim whose only desire is to please Allah should
seek the assistance of any word which effectively translates
his innermost emotions, or hold fast to any letter he feels
may be the key to Allah’s mercy.
Any Muslim who seeks for himself and his family the
pleasure of Allah as well as stability in this world, should
repeat the du‘a’ of the Prophet Musa, upon him be peace:
O Lord! Surely I have need of whatever good You might
send down upon me (al-Qasas 28: 24).
As for the du‘a which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him
be peace, never tired of repeating, during circumambulation,
and between Safa and Marwah, it is this:
O our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in
the life to come, and keep us safe from suffering through
the fire (al-Baqarah 2: 201).
And the hymn which echoes between the mountain sum
mits and valleys is:
‘There is no god but Allah! He is One and has no partner.
His is the dominion, and His is all praise, and He is
Powerful over everything. ’2I
Thousands upon thousands call it out, and come together
in doing so.
To Remember and
Remind
From scorching heat, a man might seek refuge in the cool
andcomfort of an air-conditioned room. But more fortunate
ishe who can seek refuge in some cool, breezy resort where,
regardless of the direction in which he might turn, there
obtains an abiding freshness.
The relationship of a Muslim with his Lord, the Light of
the Heavens and Earth, alternates between similar stages.
Thus, a worshipper might live in a hermitage, secluded from
the hubbub and temptations of society, in full communion
with the Ever to be Praised, the Sublime, the Doer of what
He Wills. Such a man is happy with his Lord, content to
contemplate Him with his inward eye, far removed from the
distorted and distorting heat of worldly life.
Or the Muslim might live in an entire environment of
M a place where Satan has acknowledged defeat and
*^re truth abides in every nook and cranny so that its
^Panses ring with the praise and glorification of Allah.
ete he can walk in the light of his faith and in that of his
°*s who help him in the doing of good and in remaining
of Allah.
^a/t, may Allah be pleased with them, enjoyed
Sl(*e of the Prophet, upon him be peace, such an
142
143

environment of abiding freshness in intimacy with Allah
the constant remembrance of His name.
The Prophet of Allah, as described by the Lord HimSe)f
was 'a light-giving Lamp' (al-Ahzab 33: 46) whose bea^
stretched to every horizon and united all men in animated
worship of the One True God. Thus, his light presided over
an extensive world in which everything sang the praises of
the Lord.
I have come to know something through my study of the
life of the Last Prophet, upon him be peace, of the vast
scope of the worship upon which his life was based. Yet 1
could not help but pause in wonder at the profundity of his
worship represented in the hadith related by Ibn ‘Abbas:
A man went to the Prophet, upon him be the peace and
blessings of Allah, and said, 'Last night, in a dream, I
saw myself praying beneath a tree. When I prostrated
myself, the tree prostrated too, and I heard it say: “0
Lord! Write for me the recompense (of the prayer), delete
because of it a sin, make of it a treasure for me, and
accept it of me as You accepted it of the Prophet Dawud,
upon him be peace”.
I later witnessed the Prophet of Allah, upon him be
peace, prostrate and repeat the words of the tree as related
by the man from his dream.
*
..pilaws of cause and effect, and that a;, ■
omy Lord! Bestow upon me too, out of Your grace
ingift ofgoodly offspring; for You, indeed, hear all
prayer (Al ‘Imran 3: 38).
i Helies which bind Muhammad, upon him be peace, to
djehtofthe Heavens and Earth are beyond all counting.
■>tt)effortwasdevoted to transforming his environment
■one ofworship, submission to Allah, remembrance of
SMme. and thanksgiving.
himNasa'i related on the authority of Ya'qub ibn ‘Asim
ynoofthe Prophet’s Companions heard him say, upon
nkpeace:
Ibeliever never says: ‘There is no god but Allah. He is
Om and has no partner. His is the dominion and His is
flpraise; and He is Powerful over everything^ with the
mity of his soul, the veracity of his hea^’ a^d ,heh
(illpower of utterance of his tongue, excep “
hi
Now, as is apparent, the man who had the dream had so
completely absorbed the teachings of Islam that even in his
sleep they gave fruit to his soul. But, more importantly,we
learn that the heart of the Prophet, the Master, enveloped
in the love of Allah, could be moved by anything spiritual
so that it picked up the words of the du'a ascribed to the
tree, and so retained them that the Prophet could repeat
them in his own prostration.
Indeed, the harmony of the Prophets with their Lord is
one that reverberates at the slightest touch. Thus, when the
Prophet Zakariyya discerned that a higher law had suspended
'^"oteiretomar the meaning of this hadith by
Wtxpto the W of what it contains. What
■;1Jmtosay is that a believing heart, overflow-
todtruth,will propel a declaration of belief
the believer directly to the throne of the
'^thereafter the believer will never want
'5iit^Oneness o{ as mentioned in this
"i tues out of a deeP understanding of the
^Su^ul names of Allah, and out of
eir meanings. Certainly, a believer
144
145

who learns how to give praise to Allah will never go aw^
empty-handed. I recollect the answer of one of Allah sgift^
servants when asked about the best du a for the Day Of
'Arafah: ‘There is no god but Allah. He has no partner. His
is the dominion and His is all praise; and He is powerful
over everything.’ 'But that is praise’, objected the ques
tioner. ‘Are you not familiar with what the poet said?’ came
the response. ‘“Need I mention my request, or will your
modesty suffice me? Indeed, your most outstanding feature
is your modesty. If today a man is lavish in his praise ofyou,
his reward will come from the one his praise is directed to".’
Tabram relates that one of the du‘a said by the Prophet,
upon him be peace, on the Day of ‘Arafah, is this:
‘O Lord, You see my position, and hear my petition,
and know my inner and my outer condition! Nothing
about me is hidden from You. I am a wretched beggar,
a caller for help, fearful, anxious, and one who admits
his sins. I supplicate You as a miserable sinner, and I
pray to You the prayer of a frightened blind man whose
head is bowed, whose body is humbled and whose face
is dusty.
O Lord! Do not make me one of the damned, but be
Merciful and Compassionate towards me, O the Finest
of those Petitioned and the Finest of Bestowers!'3
The link between praise and petition is also evident in this
du‘a’ of the Prophet, upon him be peace:
7 seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and I
seek refuge in Your favour from Your punishment, and
I seek refuge in You from You, Glory be to You! 1 am
incapable of counting Your praises. You are as You have
praised Yourself!’*
And the same link is illustrated in this hadith'.
The best dhikr is ‘There is no god but Allah , and the
best du‘a is ‘All praise to Allah.’
146
always worthwhile remembering that mere moving of
I means nothing unless what is being said is really an
(ttsion ofinner reality.
Heartless of how fine or how many the blessings, they
/ ftinto nothing in comparison with one’s praise of the
ftofBlessings, and with one’s appreciation ofHis fa vour.
Witlala that the Prophet ofAllah, upon pjm pe peace
gt Whenever Allah grants His favour to a servant and
ygrvantsays, “Allpraise to Allah” then he who receives
. ^better than he who takes. ’ And in another hadith:
ymildandall that is in it were in the hand of a believer
community, and he said “All praise to Allah” then
■.praise ofAllah would be better than all that he held in
stand.'
Commenting on that hadith, Imam Qurtubi (of Cordova)
ridthat the believer’s receiving divine guidance to say
niofpraise is greater than the world and all it contains,
iitaard for praise is eternal, whereas the bounty of
M is bound to perish. This is certainly a good
daalton.Perhaps amore readily understandable explana-
bwHbe that the praise of Allah, blessed be His name,
iifficient as appreciation of His favour, and the means of
it, regardless of how vast that favour may be.
’wevejyone, obviously, is proficient in praising and
Me Lord. Is it possible to give sincere praise to
does not know? Or thank someone one has
Mith? The matter, as I explained earlier, is one
.Mesadeep understanding of the significance of
names of Allah. Only then can one appreciate
S’?sbLein8 and attributes. Such an understand-
fc^lements.
consideration of the Qur’an in
S?Mpers0?eaksof and shows His
* ^t’at hn "OtlCes the coming day
W1H d° so without much
a" this tS ?Stir his consciousness by
t0 happen.
147

He is the One who causes the dawn to break; and He
has made the night to be a source of stillness, and the
sun and the moon to run their appointed courses; all
this is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All
knowing (al-An‘am 6: 96).
One often sees, without really noticing, prodigious
expanses of fields and gardens in which the solid earth splits
open to push up every variety of grain and fruit. Who caused
this wondrous process and filled this greenery with sugar,
foodstuffs and perfume?
And He it is who has caused waters to come down from
the sky; and by this means have We brought forth all
living growth, and out of this have We brought forth
verdure. Out of this do We bring forth close-growing
grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in
thick clusters; and gardens of vines and the olive tree,
and the pomegranate: all so alike, and yet so different!
(al-An‘am 6: 99).
In this way, after clearly directing the attention of His
servant to such evidences, the Master subtly wins him over;
the Lord of all the Worlds subtly wakes the many from their
negligent slumber:
Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens!
Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people
who will believe! (al-An‘am 6: 99).
The contemplation of nature is most certainly a wide
doorway, opening directly upon knowledge of the beautiful
names of Allah and their meanings and relation to Him.
Beside the contemplation of nature comes the contempla
tion of the condition of individuals and societies, the study
of history, past and present; how our Lord gives and ho«
He takes away!
The distance is not very great between Pharaoh’s indignant
statement:
lj1(jnot know that you could have any deity other than
iêlf (ai-Qasas 28: 38)
^|asiwordsbefore the angry waves swallowed him up:
lhave come to believe that there is no deity save Him
unborn the children of Israel believe (Yunus 10: 90).
jui»ehuman beings are ever the victims of the present
■ j, s though we had been given no means to study the
..jIAIIah with individuals or groups. How many societies
âttained the highest peak of accomplishment and
ation, only to stumble into oblivion not long after?
to We requited them for their having denied the
inilh. But do We ever requite (thus) any but the utterly
ugate? (Saba’34:17).
IkQur anisfulJ ofevery kind of example whose purpose
iiotajpeople closer to knowledge of their Lord, to
sikthem to contemplate and heed Him, and to plant
riiihem the seeds of desire and awe. The Prophet, upon
alt peace, once said - and this shows how desire and
»«stressed simultaneously -
l/lhtbelievercame to know of the kind ofpunishment
Unsprepared, his thought would never turn toward
ibeattractions of Paradise. And if the disbeliever came
Ibowofthemercy ofAllah, then never would anyone
tytofattaining it!
^’iialthatall theoretical knowledge of the universe,
and of its inhabitants, science or history, be
into experience and action. Otherwise it
.‘ânelectriccurrent prevented by some non-con-
. al£r|al,so that it is incapable of lighting a light or
.^Mine.
^^t be actualized.] Let me here affirm that
148
149

He is the One who causes the dawn to break; and
has made the night to be a source of stillness, andt^
sun and the moon to run their appointed courses; a//
this is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All
knowing (aI-An‘am 6: 96).
One often sees, without really noticing, prodigious
expanses of fields and gardens in which the solid earth splits
open to push up every variety of grain and fruit. Who caused
this wondrous process and filled this greenery with sugar,
foodstuffs and perfume?
And He it is who has caused waters to come down from
the sky; and by this means have We brought forth all
living growth, and out of this have We brought forth
verdure. Out of this do We bring forth close-growing
grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in
thick clusters; and gardens of vines and the olive tree,
and the pomegranate: all so alike, and yet so different!
(al-An‘am 6: 99).
In this way, after clearly directing the attention of His
servant to such evidences, the Master subtly wins him over;
the Lord of all the Worlds subtly wakes the many from their
negligent slumber:
Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens!
Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people
who will believe! (al-An‘am 6: 99).
The contemplation of nature is most certainly a wide
doorway, opening directly upon knowledge of the beautiful
names of Allah and their meanings and relation to Him.
Beside the contemplation of nature comes the contempla
tion of the condition of individuals and societies, the study
of history, past and present; how our Lord gives and how
He takes away!
The distance is not very great between Pharaoh s indignant
statement:
I ^islastwordsbefore the angry waves swallowed him up:
I [have come to believe that there is no deity save Him
I mwhom the children ofIsrael believe (Yunus 10: 90).
But we human beings are ever the victims of the present
yw, as though we had been given no means to study the
ijijofAllah with individuals orgroups. How many societies
toe attained the highest peak of accomplishment and
station, only to stumble into oblivion not long after?
Thus We requited them for their having denied the
truth. But do We ever requite (thus) any but the utterly
mgrate? (Saba’34:17).
lieQuran is full ofevery kind of example whose purpose
stobnng people closer to knowledge of their or ,
stile them to contemplate and heed Him, an P
nihinihem the seeds of desire and awe. The Prophet, up
tabe peace, once said - and this shows how desire ana
neare stressed simultaneously -
If the believer came to know of the kind of punishment
Allah hasprepared, his thought would never turn toward
thtattractions of Paradise. And if the disbeliever came
Mnowofthemercy ofAllah, then never would anyone
‘Mr ofattaining it!
^^'ialthat all theoretical knowledge of the universe,
Untied*tS *n^a^’tants’ science or history, be
Silta111'0 exPer'ence and action. Otherwise it
"|'lear;cc"rrent prevented by some non-con-
“iS incapable of “Ehting a light or
^must')e actualized.] Let me here affirm that

no man knew his Lord nor realized that knowledge
fully or greatly than Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, so entity
had every atom of his physical existence been transfer^
into the power of surrender to Him. His whole charactCf
and personality were composed of the Qur’an so that
internalized its meanings and moved entirely within its orbit
For this reason he was ever-drawn toward the signs ofAllah
through the guidance of revelation and the vastness of hj5
own spirituality. For this reason, too, he drew whoever he
came into contact with to the same elevated level of purity,
and raised him into a spiritual master, a custodian of the
authority of Allah. That is why his Companions were the
most certain of all people in faith, and the purest in nature.
It is hard to believe that anyone could ever find a way that
leads to Allah, if he knows nothing about Muhammad,upon
him be peace.
The most prominent aspect of the life of this Prophet,
upon him be peace, is that his love for Allah, his exaltation
of Allah, and his self-annihilation in Allah were transmitted
to those around him. Thus, it was as if they were engaged
in a race to praise Allah and to extol Him. Consider this
hadith:
Imam Ahmad related on the authority of‘Abdullah ibn
'Umar that a servant from among the true servants of
Allah said: 'O Lord! Praise to You as is befitting ofthe
majesty of Your countenance and the magnificence of
Your authority!’5 This so puzzled the man’s two guardian
angels that they did not know how to write itflown, and
they flew up into the heavens where they said, ‘0 Lord!
Your servant has said something today which we know
not how to record!’ The Lord replied, and He knows
best what His servant said, ‘What did My servant say!'
They replied, ‘He said, “O Lord! Praise to You as is
befitting of the majesty of Your countenance and the
magnificence of Your authority!’” So Allah said to them,
‘Write it as My servant has said it; and when he meets
Me, I will recompense him for it.'
Manifestly, this servant had been on a spiritual journey
tthich took him to horizons known only to Allah, and
fathered there such signs and wisdom as charged his heart,
anddrowned his senses, and so overcame his inner and outer
being that he could see only to greet his Lord with those
»ords. And the two angels, realizing that what he had said
wsbeyond the scope of the instructions they had concerning
feentry ofrewards for words spoken in the book of deeds,
didwhat they did.
Abu Ayyub related that a man said, in the presence of
the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, ‘Praise to Allah,
praisethatis abundant, good and blessed?’ When the Prophet
asked the man where he had learned these words, the man
remained silent, thinking that in some way he had offended
(lieProphet. So the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace,
said. Whose words are they? For, indeed, he has said only
what is correct!’ At that, the man replied, ‘I said them, O
Prophet of Allah, and I only meant well by them.’ The
Prophet, upon him be peace, said, ‘By the one who holds
sylife in His hand! I saw thirteen different angels vying
»ilhone another for the privilege of bringing your words to
the attention of the Almighty!’
Anasibn Malik related that Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: ‘I will
•oiothemosque and pray, and then praise Allah with praises
Kverusedbefore by anyone!’ When Ubayy had finished his
prayer and was sitting, about to begin his praise, he heard
avoicebehind him saying, ‘0 Lord, Yours is all praise in
nsentirety. Yours is all dominion in its entirety, and in Your
handisallgood in its entirety. Unto You returns all authority
^entirety, whatis manifest of it and what is secret. Praise
k into You! You are Powerful over everything. Forgive
»hathaspassed ofmy sins, and prevent me from sinning
'estofmy life. Bless me With deeds of purity which will
for me Your pleasure, and accept my repentance.’
C?^yywenttotheProPhetof Ahah, upon him
S'Hate'S 5™ f3d haPPened- The Prophet
W nSel of the Lord, Jibril, upon whom
150
151

no man knew his Lord nor realized that knowledge more
fully or greatly than Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, so entirely
had every atom of his physical existence been transformed
into the power of surrender to Him. His whole character
and personality were composed of the Qur’an so that he
internalized its meanings and moved entirely within its orbit
For this reason he was ever-drawn toward the signs of Allah
through the guidance of revelation and the vastness of his
own spirituality. For this reason, too, he drew whoever he
came into contact with to the same elevated level of purity,
and raised him into a spiritual master, a custodian of the
authority of Allah. That is why his Companions were the
most certain of all people in faith, and the purest in nature.
It is hard to believe that anyone could ever find away that
leads to Allah, if he knows nothing about Muhammad,upon
him be peace.
The most prominent aspect of the life of this Prophet,
upon him be peace, is that his love for Allah, his exaltation
of Allah, and his self-annihilation in Allah were transmitted
to those around him. Thus, it was as if they were engaged
in a race to praise Allah and to extol Him. Consider this
hadith:
Imam Ahmad related on the authority of‘Abdullah ibn
‘Umar that a servant from among the true servants of
Allah said: ‘O Lord! Praise to You as is befitting ofthe
majesty of Your countenance and the magnificence of
Your authority!’5 This so puzzled the man’s two guardian
angels that they did not know how to write it down, and
they flew up into the heavens where they said, ‘0 Lord!
Your servant has said something today which we know
not how to record!’ The Lord replied, and He knows
best what His servant said, ‘What did My servant saf
They replied, ‘He said, “O Lord! Praise to You as is
befitting of the majesty of Your countenance and the
magnificence of Your authority!”’ So Allah said to them,
‘Write it as My servant has said it; and when hemeels
Me, I will recompense him for it.’
this servant had been on a spiritual journey
jm to horizons known only to Allah, and
such signs and wisdom as charged his heart,
"jdrowned his senses, and so overcame his inner and outer
^ng that he could see only to greet his Lord with those
0(|S. And the two angels, realizing that what he had said
beyond the scope of the instructions they had concerning
(heentry of rewards for words spoken in the book of deeds,
didwhat they did.
Abu Ayyub related that a man said, in the presence of
the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, ‘Praise to Allah,
praisethatisabundant, good and blessed!’ When the Prophet
asked the man where he had learned these words, the man
remained silent, thinking that in some way he had offended
Ike Prophet. So the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace,
said,‘Whose words are they? For, indeed, he has said only
shat is correct!' At that, the man replied, ‘I said them, O
Prophet of Allah, and I only meant well by them.’ The
Prophet, upon him be peace, said, ‘By the one who holds
my life in His hand! I saw thirteen different angels vying
withone another for the privilege of bringing your words to
the attention of the Almighty!’
Anas ibn Malik related that Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: ‘I will
gotothe mosque and pray, and then praise Allah with praises
leverused before by anyone!’ When Ubayy had finished his
prayer and was sitting, about to begin his praise, he heard
ivoice behind him saying, ‘0 Lord, Yours is all praise in
itsentirety. Yours is all dominion in its entirety, and in Your
handisallgood in its entirety. Unto You returns all authority
mitsentirety,what is manifest of it and what is secret. Praise
It unto You! You are Powerful over everything. Forgive
wewhathas passed of my sins, and prevent me from sinning
torestof my life. Bless me With deeds of purity which will
for me Your pleasure, and accept my repentance.’
Miately, Ubayy went to the Prophet of Allah, upon him
Peace, and told him what had happened. The Prophet
^Jwasthe An§el of Lord, Jibril, upon whom
150

Nor is there anything extraordinary about an ai)
descending with the words of a du'a for the expresspurpOsc
of transmitting them to a heart which trembles with thedesire
to give praise to Allah in a manner in which He has never
been praised before. Indeed, the descent of angels attimes
when the Sahabah were reciting the Qur’an is mentioned in
numerous hadith.
Rather, the question which one is led to ask is who was
it that impelled the Sahabah to apply themselves so intensely
in the way of Allah’s Unity and worship that their tongues
flowed with springs of wisdom and words of great purity in
His praise and glorification? It was the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace! Who else could have been responsible
for such ardour? This was the man, the ever-worshipping,
ever-prostrating, ever-remembering, ever-thanksgiving,who
was inspired to praise and glorify the Lord with every
movement of breath. Truly, this was the man who trans
formed the earth into an arena for competition with the
heavenly hosts in remembrance and thanksgiving.
Nu'man ibn Bashir related that the Prophet of Allah, upon
him be peace, said, ‘Whatever you mention in the way of
exalting Allah, be it praise, glorification or the creed ofIslam
(there is no god but Allah), will circle around the throne of
the Almighty and buzz like the buzzing of bees with the
name of the one who mentioned it. Would anyone of you
like to be mentioned in this manner?’
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said, ‘Whenever I relate a hadith
to you, I verify its meaning with a verse from the Book of
Allah. Whenever a believer says “Glory be to Allah, and
praise to Allah, and there is no god except Allah; Allah is
the Greatest and blessed is Allah!”, an angel grasps his
words, places them safely under his wing, and soars heaven
ward with them. Along the way, all the angels that he passes
ask forgiveness for that believer until, finally, the wordsart
offered in greeting to the All-Merciful.’ Then ‘Abdullah
recited the following verse of the Qur’an: ‘Unto Himascd1
all good words, and the righteous deed does He e^1
(al-Fatir 35: 10).
piey say ^at one who himself is not in possession of
filling cannot possibly give that something to another,
^complete the meaning of this saying, I might add that
^hogives a great deal must himself possess a great deal
Dried up streams will only begin to flow following a
jeavydownpour that continues day and night.
ft truth is that our pious predecessors, those who took
dieirlessons directly from the Prophet, and each successive
teneralion of the righteous who follow in their footsteps to
liHndoftime, both groups were, are or will be, influenced
Ji lliepersonality of Muhammad, upon him be peace, take
tlieirinner light from his spirituality, and draw their strength
from the stability of his faith.
Undoubtedly, his companionship during his lifetime, or
itampanionship of his intellectual and moral legacies after
Is death could, and still can, work miracles. It is in
proportion to the amount ofthe charge taken from the source
fclthepowers ofspirit or intellect may develop. Obviously,
fc foundation of those powers is the magnitude of the
source.
Between the sun and the earth are one hundred and fifty
million kilometres. This is in regard of distance. We have
io idea, in regard of time, when the sun first shone.
Nonetheless, neither the remoteness of space nor of time
teappreciably altered the ability of the sun to illuminate,
•oripen, or to support life on this planet. So too, the effect
'■■Muhammad. upon him be peace, on early and later
iterations; the effect of his worship and leadership, the
'“Wof his example and message, regardless of how much
h*has passed, or distance.
is need for further explanation of the way of
prance and reminding in the mission of the Last of
roPhets, upon him be peace. The first principle of this
Hit|S|'|lellecllJ^ inte8rity- Thus, the words and phrases
encoura8es *ts ^Howers to repeat are all based
1^1 s°und propositions. For example, the phrases:
°8°d but Allah’or‘Glory be to Allah’ or ‘Exalted
152
153

be Allah’, the meaning of each of these phrases is essentially
the affirmation of the truth of the most important principles
of belief. Consider the words of Allah:
Never did Allah take unto Himself any offspring, nor
has there ever been any deity side by side with Him;
for, had there been any, lo! each deity would surely
have stood apart from the others in whatever it had
created, and they would surely have tried to overcome
one another! Limitless in His glory is Allah, far above
anything that man may devise by way of definition,
knowing all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s
perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a
creature’s senses or mind - and, hence, sublimely
exalted is He above anything to which they may ascribe
a share in His divinity (al-Mu'minun 23: 91-2).
Allah has no mother, and no father, and no son, and no
daughter. He is One. Besides Him there is the slave whois
subservient to His authority. Should the Master will, the
favour of His slave’s existence could be withdrawn, so that
he perishes and fades.
Indeed, everything other than Allah is merely a speck in
a vast universe which is sustained by the will of Allah, after
He willed it into being in the first instance. Like a light, it
could go out at the figurative flick of a switch!
Nothing, no one, shares in His divinity; there is no power
and no strength save in Allah. His alone is grace, dominion
and majesty. And Muhammad, upon him be peace, was the
most outspoken of all men in proclaiming these truths.
Through his words and deeds he was able to remove any
number of the crude superstitions with which these truths
had become contaminated, thus delivering multitudes that
had gone astray.
No one in the history of humankind ever undertook the
labour that he undertook, or achieved the success that he
achieved. Nor do I know of anyone who more enraged, or
^tructed the wrongdoing of, the devils and the recalcitrant
(r0(n among men and jinn than the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace. Thus was the truth established over
falsehood; and thus the right way became distinct from the
#ay of error.
The Prophet who stood so long in nightly prayer, upon
jim be peace, gathered together an army of believers whose
resounding cry of ‘Allah is the Greatest’ would all but split
asunder the clouds in the sky — the cry that Allah is One,
nd that all creatures including the first among them,
Muhammad, are His slaves, slaves to the One whose blessings
hover them, and whose wisdom orders their lives.
Ifreligion can be said to be a good heart, then even before
lint it is a healthy mind, sound reflection, and correct
towledge.
Allah Himself proffers evidence — and so do the angels
and all who are endowed with knowledge — that there
is no deity save Him, the Upholder of Equity; there is
no deity save Him. The Almighty, the Truly Wise (A.1
Imran 3: 18).
Muslims never tire of repeating that statement because
iheworld is full of people who say that God has a mother,
ora father, or that He is the union of three divine persons:
Father.Son and Holy Spirit. Now this is a statement which
alolally devoid of truth. The source of its currency could
Miyhave been infirm minds with fantastic ideas bordering
miheabsurd! Certainly no Prophet before or after ever said
aha thing; and no one who respects his intellect would
He People of the Book, and I mean the Christians in
'War, cannot tolerate the Islamic creed of Allah’s Unity,
topastthey have crusaded against it, and they continue
today. Nevertheless, we shall hold fast to it, and
i(°ur Lord with it.
Ahmad related on the authority of Shaddad ibn
154
155

Aws, whose narration was verified by ‘Ubadah ibn Sam.t
who said. ‘Once we were with the Prophet, upon him be
peace and blessings, when he said, “Are there any strangers
among us?”, meaning from the People of the Book, we said.
“No. O Prophet of Allah.” Then he ordered that the door
be closed and said, “Raise your hands and say There is no
god but Allah'” - as if taking a pledge of our allegiance.
When we had held our hands up for some time he said, “All
praise to Allah! O Lord, verily have You sent me with this
creed, and charged me with it, and promised me by means
of it Your paradise - and You never go back on a promise!”
Then he said, “Rejoice, for Allah has forgiven your sins!”’
Yet no matter how sound or keen our intellects, there is
no substitute for purity of heart and soul. Even Satan, Iblts,
knew that Allah is One. But he refused to be obedient,
refused to be humble and deny himself, refused to suppress
his eruptions of hatred and malice for others, refused to be
a true slave to Allah.
The vast moral framework erected by the Last of the
Prophets, upon him be peace, can be supported only by
those whose hearts are unblemished. That is why the
Prophet, upon him be peace, pointed to his heart and said,
‘Heedfulness is here! Heedfulness is here! Heedfulness is
here!
After the Qur’an has explained these intellectual truths,
it explains spiritual and moral truths and the conduct
necessary to their maintenance.
Verily your Lord is Allah, who has created the heavens
and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the
throne of His Almightiness. He covers the day with
night in swift pursuit, with the sun and the moon and
the stars, subservient to His command; Oh, verily, His
is all creation and all command. Hallowed is Allah, the
Lord of all the Worlds! Call unto your Lord humbly,
and in the secrecy of your hearts. Verily, He loves not
those who transgress the bounds of what is right. Hence
jo not spread corruption on earth after it has been
^-ordered. And call unto Him with fear and lonEine
ufl|y. Allah’s grace is near unto the doers of EOod>
(al-A'raf 7:54-6).
Aianother place in the same surah, Allah says:
And bethink yourself of your Lord humbly and with
awe. and without raising your voice, at morn and at
evening; and do not allow yourself to be heedless
(al-A'raf 7; 205).
Pie kind of remembrance which is sought here is the
movement of the heart, not the movement of the tongue; a
movement of the heart which points one in this or that
direction, which animates him or slows him down.
It is related that the mother of Anas said, O Prophet of
Allah! Give me some good advice’, to which he, upon him
be peace, replied, ‘Emigrate from sin, for assuredly that is
the best kind of emigration! Be diligent in the performance
of the obligatory duties, for assuredly that is the best in
of jihad'. And remember Allah often, for assure y you
cannot meet Allah with anything better than His remem
brance!’ . .
The kind of remembrance (dhikrj recommen e in is
hadith is not the same as that commonly known as remem
brance. It is, rather, one’s source of contentment an
stability in the face of worldly adversities and har s ips. n
our own contemporary civilization, there are many educate
people, each with his own set of intelligent aquaintances.
Yet, in spite of all our sophistication, nervous disorders and
depression are common ailments. For the reason that the
hearts of men are devoid of Allah. Hearts which never
remember Allah, or incline His way, are not likely to
establish for their possessors even the frailest sort ofrelation
ship with Him. And. ’
someone they do not (
modern civilization is
alter all ho* can |hey remen]b
Weed, for the most oart
MofffromAW P
156
157

Vet man, regardless of how strong he may be, is essentially
weak; and regardless of how knowledgeable he may be. is
essentially inadequate. Indeed, man’s need for his Lord is
no less than that of a child for its parent.
For the believer, remembrance of Allah at times of crisis
and difficulty provides solace and hope.
Those who believe, and whose hearts find their rest in
the remembrance of Allah — for. verily, in the remem
brance of Allah men’s hearts do find their rest - they
who attain to faith and do righteous deeds are destined
for happiness (in this world) and the most beauteous
of all goals (in the life to come) (al-Ra'd 13: 28-9).
Muhammad, upon him be peace, was the most trusting of
all people, and the closest, in his relationship to Allah. In
the earliest days of his mission, he was told:
And remember your Lord’s name, and devote yourself
unto Him with utter devotion. The Lord of the East
and the West is He; there is no deity save Him. hence,
take Him as your Guardian (al-Muzzammil 73: 8-9).
And from that day onward he put all his trust in Allah,
and faced the forces of disbelief and idolatry steadfastly, and
without wincing. He taught mankind to be confident of
Allah’s compassion for them, and of His mercy toward them
Why, he asked, when Allah is more compassionate and
merciful to them than a mother is to the child she feeds at
her breast, why should people stray, and seek to flee from
Him?
The single most important element in a conscience which
abhors sin and shields its possessor from deviation is the
remembrance of Allah. There arc people who literally strain
their vocal cords shouting the name of Allah, but I would
not wish to say that those are the ones who truly remember
Allah. I mean, rather, those who are ever-conscious that
Allah is watching over them:
e shall most certainly reveal unto them Our know-
ledK of their doings: for never have We been absent
(from them) (al-A'raf 7: 7).
man who remembers in this way will, when confronted
anopportunity to do wrong, abstain; and if Satan makes
itabominable appear attractive to him. he will uncover the
jeeptionand refuse to follow him. remember the majesty
ffe Lord. His commandments and His prohibitions, and
to, remain upnghl.
Such a man is the noble and chaste rememberer referred
»in the Quranic verse:
But unto him who shall have stood in fear of his Lord's
presence, and held back his inner self from base desires,
paradise will truly be the goal (al-Naziat 79: 40-1).
How numerous the tongues that move with the name of
Allah! Buthow meagre the benefit! And how rare the hearts
that become genuinely humble at the mention of Allah! 'i et
bow desperate the need of the world for those rare hearts!
Undoubtedly, the ruin of religion comes about when it
Stresses into empty words and forms. And the mission of
religion will not have been accomplished until the day it
creates in all men living conscience, pure mind and hearts
that aim in awe at countenancing the divine. That is what
true dhikr is!
Accounted among the influences of this kind of dhikr is
that it curbs man’s appetite for wealth. Thus, those who
remember Allah are never obsessed by greed for more and
more, and are certainly never demeaned by greedy or
covetous constitutions Rather, they earn their money hon
estly, and spend it on their legitimate needs without ever
thinking to hoard or accumulate it. In this way nothing but
good awaits them in money matters.
It would seem that all religious imposters inevitably get
caught up in the snare of wealth, in amassing or accumulahng

it. Often, for the sake of it, they co-operate with, or turn a
blind eye toward, corrupt rulers and officials; thus paving
the way for atheistic philosophies to come in and rule where
the reputation of religion, and those who speak in its name,
has been tarnished.
By contrast the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace,
distributed among the people every bit of wealth which came
his way. Indeed, when he departed this world, there was
nothing to be distributed among his heirs! In addition, he
brought up an entire generation of people who preferred the
countenance of the Lord to the riches of the world:
Who give food, however great be their own want of it,
unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive, (saying
in their hearts) we feed you for the sake of Allah alone.
We desire no recompense from you, nor thanks (al-Dahr
76: 8-9).
It is interesting to note that the ten from among the
Companions who received good tidings of their acceptance
in Paradise were people of considerable wealth who had
relinquished it for the sake of Allah.
This is not to say that salvation lies in renouncing one s
wealth and family. On the contrary, salvation lies in one’s
having great wealth and a large family, and then while
fulfilling all responsibilities to them, not allowing them to
distract one from remembrance of the Lord.
O you who have attained to faith! Let not your worldly
goods or your children make you oblivious to the
remembrance of Allah: for if any behave thus, it is they,
they who are the losers! And spend on others out of
what We have provided for you as sustenance, ere there
comes a time when death approaches any one of you,
and he then says, ‘O my Lord! If only You would grant
me a delay for a short while, so that I could give in
charity and be among the righteous!’ (al-Munafiqun 63-
9-10).
jhe remembrance of Allah influences character and per-
sonality in many ways. But this is not the place to attempt
io list them all. Suffice to say that remembrance of the
Almighty elevates one’s standing with Him, restrains one
from tyranny, and moves one to regard all things in their
proper perspective.
Who taught mankind to know their Lord, and reminded
them of their duties toward Him, and put to rest the baseless
tumours concerning belief in religion, and clarified that there
isno god save Allah? Of course, Muhammad, upon him be
peace. But how did he achieve success in leading successive
generations along the straight path?
When he first began to preach the new religion in Makkah,
theoverwhelming majority of people were furious with him:
And yet, they say: ‘O you unto whom this reminder
has (allegedly) been bestowed from on high: verily, you
are mad’.’ (al-Hijr 15: 6).
But he marched on toward his goal, battling the forces of
obsessive pride and egotism, until finally, through Allah s
deliverance, he established the state of the truth. Throughout
this time, the Qur’an was his morality. The study of its
meanings was the core of his thought and the current of his
consciousness; its teachings, its commandments, and its
prohibitions were the substance of his behaviour and the
basis of all his relations with people. But the recitation of
the Qur’an was the felicity of his soul!
In a hadith it is related: ‘Never has Allah allowed to anyone
what He allows to a Prophet who recites the Qur’an
melodiously.’
In this way the revelation emanating from Allah is applied
on earth in legal and moral codes, and then returns to heaven
in the notes of a melodious recitation.
It will not be out of place here to mention a story of the
impact that the Qur’an had on the soul of a .
was still an idolater. 01 3 maH While he
160 161

it. Often, for the sake of it, they co-operate with, or turn a
blind eye toward, corrupt rulers and officials; thus paving
the way for atheistic philosophies to come in and rule where
the reputation of religion, and those who speak in its name,
has been tarnished.
By contrast the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace,
distributed among the people every bit of wealth which came
his way. Indeed, when he departed this world, there was
nothing to be distributed among his heirs! In addition, he
brought up an entire generation of people who preferred the
countenance of the Lord to the riches of the world:
Who give food, however great be their own want of it,
unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive, (saying
in their hearts) we feed you for the sake of Allah alone.
We desire no recompense from you, nor thanks (al-Dahr
76: 8-9).
It is interesting to note that the ten from among the
Companions who received good tidings of their acceptance
in Paradise were people of considerable wealth who had
relinquished it for the sake of Allah.
This is not to say that salvation lies in renouncing one s
wealth and family. On the contrary, salvation lies in ones
having great wealth and a large family, and then while
fulfilling all responsibilities to them, not allowing them to
distract one from remembrance of the Lord.
O you who have attained to faith! Let not your worldly
goods or your children make you oblivious to the
remembrance of Allah: for if any behave thus, it is they,
they who are the losers? And spend on others out of
what We have provided for you as sustenance, ere there
comes a time when death approaches any one of you.
and he then says, ‘O my Lord! If only You would grant
me a delay for a short while, so that I could give in
charity and be among the righteous!’ (al-Munafiqun 6V
9-10).
phe remembrance of Allah influences character and per
sonality in many ways. But this is not the place to attempt
(o list them all. Suffice to say that remembrance of the
Almighty elevates one’s standing with Him, restrains one
from tyranny, and moves one to regard all things in their
proper perspective.
Who taught mankind to know their Lord, and reminded
them of their duties toward Him, and put to rest the baseless
rumours concerning belief in religion, and clarified that there
is no god save Allah? Of course, Muhammad, upon him be
peace. But how did he achieve success in leading successive
generations along the straight path?
When he first began to preach the new religion in Makkah,
the overwhelming majority of people were furious with him:
And yet, they say: ‘O you unto whom this reminder
has (allegedly) been bestowed from on high: verily, you
are mad!’ (al-Hijr 15: 6).
But he marched on toward his goal, battling the forces of
obsessive pride and egotism, until finally, through Allah s
deliverance, he established the state of the truth. Throughout
this time, the Qur’an was his morality. The study of its
meanings was the core of his thought and the current of his
consciousness; its teachings, its commandments, and its
prohibitions were the substance of his behaviour and the
basis of all his relations with people. But the recitation of
the Qur’an was the felicity of his soul!
In a hadith it is related: ‘Never has Allah allowed to anyone
what He allows to a Prophet who recites the Qur’an
melodiously.’
In this way the revelation emanating from Allah is applied
on earth in legal and moral codes, and then returns to heaven
in the notes of a melodious recitation.
It will not be out of place here to mention a storv of tko
impact that the Qur’an had on the soul of n m Ot
was still an idolator. 3 While he
161

Jubair ibn Mut‘im related that his father travelled to
Madinah as a negotiator for the Quraish entrusted with the
mission of ransoming captives taken at the Battle of Badr.
Obviously, his father was one of the most important leaders
of the Quraish. No less important was the purpose for which
he undertook the journey: the freeing of upwards of seventy
of the notables of the Quraish whose arrogance had landed
them in the power of the Muslims.
It so happened that the man overheard the Prophet of
Allah as he recited from the Qur’an in prayer. Later, he told
his son, ‘Never had I heard a more beautiful voice or
recitation than his.’ Thus the man stood in rapt attention,
listening to the verses coming from within the mosque.
Mut'im said to his son, ‘When he reached these verses-
Or have they themselves been created without any
thing? Or were they, perchance, their own creators?
And have they created the heavens and the earth? Nay,
but they have no certainty of anything (al-Tur 52:35-6)
— my heart nearly flew away!’
And his overhearing the recitation of these verses became
the reason for his acceptance of Islam.
Let us reflect on this a little. The surah from which these
verses are taken was revealed in the Makkan period of the
Prophet’s mission and must have been recited hundreds of
times there. How was it possible, then, that the envoy of the
Ouraish could have heard these verses for the first time in
Madinah several years after the emigration from Makkah?
One possibility is that he never heard them because of the
practice of the idolators in Makkah of raising as noisy a
commotion as possible whenever the Muslims gathered to
read and study the Qur’an. Another possibility is that he
had heard it before, but that because of prejudice and pride
he was blinded to the truth. Then, after the sobering defeat
suffered by the Quraish he may have returned to his senses
and begun to listen humbly and with attention to what he
heard.
I have myself considered the verses which so moved and
delighted this man’s heart, and found that they renewed
within me the perception of the wisdom which they contain.
They are brief, but they have a sharp, penetrating solemnity
which, so much like a fine and delicate key to the lock of
some immense treasure, throw the heart open to the verses’
meaning, sweeping in with the recitation like a gust of wind.
The word ‘or’ is used as a rhetorical device some fifteen
times in these verses of the Qur’an. According to the scholars
ofArabic rhetoric, the article 'Am' (or) is often used for the
purpose of expostulation when it is followed by a question
ofa rhetorical, reproaching or marvelling nature. Consider,
as we ponder these verses, how they act to rid the human
soul of its heedlessness, and force it to pay attention to the
truth.
Remind, then, (0 Prophet, all men) for, by the grace
of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer nor a
madman.
Or do they say ‘(he is but) a poet — let us await what
time will do to him’?
Say. ‘Wait hopefully, behold, I too shall wait hopefully
with you!’
Is it their minds that bid them (to take) this (attitude)
- or are they simply people filled with overweening
arrogance?
Or do they say ‘He himself has composed this message ?
Nay, but they are not willing to believe! But then, (if
they deem it the work of a mere mortal) let them
produce another discourse like it — if what they say be
true!
Or have they themselves been created without any
thing? Or were they, perchance, their own creators?
And have they created the heavens and the earth? Nay
but they have no certainty of anything
Are your Lord’s treasures with them?
Or are they in charge of destiny?
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Or have they a ladder by which they could listen (t0
what is beyond the reach of human perception)? Let
then, any of them who has listened produce a manifest
proof (of his knowledge)!
Or, (if you believe in Allah, how can you believe that)
He has (chosen to have) daughters, whereas you your
selves would have (only) sons?
Or is it that you ask of them a reward, so that they
would be burdened with debt (if they should pay it to
you)?
Or (do they think) that the hidden reality (of ail that
exists) is almost within their grasp, so that they can
write it down?
Or do they want to entrap you in contradictions?
But they who are bent on denying the truth - it is they
who are truly entrapped!
Have they, then, any god other than Allah?
Utterly remote is Allah, in His limitless glory, from
anything to which men may ascribe a share in His
divinity! (al-Tur 52: 29—43).
These are the Qur’anic verses which produced such a
powerful effect on the heart of an idolator.
It is related that the Khaltfah, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, was
on his rounds of the city one night when he passed by the
house of a believer who was standing in prayer and reciting
from the Qur'an. The Khaltfah halted outside and listened
•as the man recited, until he had recited the following verse:
Verily, the suffering decreed by your Lord (for the
sinners) will indeed come to pass (al-Tur 52: 7).
The Khaltfah exclaimed:
By the Lord of the Ka'bah, that is true!
Then, he dismounted and leaned against a wall for support
as he was stricken with awe, until he was composed enough
t0 return to his house where he remained for a full month
receiving visitors who asked after his health and speculated
among themselves as to the cause of his infirmity.
Such was‘Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, whose
breast was filled to overflowing with dread of the Almighty,
nding through the quarters of the city at night in unobserved
inspection of his subjects. The great man who carried the
burden of the affairs of the whole ummah and was kept
awake by his own answerability for that burden to the point
where it might suddenly prove too much to bear, was now
beset by an illness which was not illness but fear born of awe
and reverence for the Almighty. ‘Umar, if it be the will of
Allah, will certainly receive a handsome reward in the life
to come for all that he did in the service of Islam and the
Muslims. Yet, the heart of a sensitive believer knows no
peace until it can, at last, meet its Lord.
The reason for my mentioning this story here is that I am
so angered by the lack of refinement of the audiences who
crowd round long-winded reciters of the Qur’an, who shout
out or posture gracelessly, without understanding anything
of what they hear. Surely such gatherings are a travesty of
what should be. Yet how often, alas, do Muslims abuse the
Book of Allah!
The verses of the Qur’an which caused the heart o a
perceptive man to soar in awe, delivering him from ido atry
to faith in Allah, began with a single lucid statement.
Remind, then, (O Prophet, all men) for, by the grace
of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a
madman (al-Tur 52: 29).
The reminding referred to here is in fact the conception
and execution of a plan for a new way of life; a way of life
based on divine revelation and guidance.
Remembrance here. ,s therefore a sort of transaction with
Allah, a transaet.on m whtch both zeal and value are 7t,"
expression be admissible, ‘exchanged’ » a are> 11" and to Allah belong
164
165

Or have they a ladder by which they could listen (t0
what is beyond the reach of human perception)? [et
then, any of them who has listened produce a manifest
proof (of his knowledge)!
Or, (if you believe in Allah, how can you believe that)
He has (chosen to have) daughters, whereas you your
selves would have (only) sons?
Or is it that you ask of them a reward, so that they
would be burdened with debt (if they should pay it to
you)?
Or (do they think) that the hidden reality (of all that
exists) is almost within their grasp, so that they can
write it down?
Or do they want to entrap you in contradictions?
But they who are bent on denying the truth - it is they
who are truly entrapped!
Have they, then, any god other than Allah?
Utterly remote is Allah, in His limitless glory, from
anything to which men may ascribe a share in His
divinity! (al-Tur 52: 29—43).
These are the Qur’anic verses which produced such a
powerful effect on the heart of an idolator.
It is related that the Khalifah, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, was
on his rounds of the city one night when he passed by the
house of a believer who was standing in prayer and reciting
from the Qur’an. The Khalifah halted outside and listened
•as the man recited, until he had recited the following verse:
Verily, the suffering decreed by your Lord (for the
sinners) will indeed come to pass (al-Tur 52: 7).
The Khalifah exclaimed:
By the Lord of the Ka’bah, that is true!
Then, he dismounted and leaned against a wall for support
as he was stricken with awe, until he was composed enough
io return to his house where he remained for a full month
receiving visitors who asked after his health and speculated
among themselves as to the cause of his infirmity.
Such was‘Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, whose
breast was filled to overflowing with dread of the Almighty,
riding through the quarters of the city at night in unobserved
inspection of his subjects. The great man who carried the
burden of the affairs of the whole ummah and was kept
awake by his own answerability for that burden to the point
where it might suddenly prove too much to bear, was now
beset by an illness which was not illness but fear born of awe
and reverence for the Almighty. ‘Umar, if it be the will of
Allah, will certainly receive a handsome reward in the life
to come for all that he did in the service of Islam and the
Muslims. Yet, the heart of a sensitive believer knows no
peace until it can, at last, meet its Lord.
The reason for my mentioning this story here is that I am
so angered by the lack of refinement of the audiences who
crowd round long-winded reciters of the Qur an, who shout
out or posture gracelessly, without understanding anything
of what they hear. Surely such gatherings area travesty of
what should be. Yet how often, alas, do Muslims abuse the
Book of Allah’.
The verses of the Qur’an which caused the heart o a
perceptive man to soar in awe, delivering him from idolatry
to faith in Allah, began with a single lucid statement.
Remind, then, (O Prophet, all men) for, by the grace
of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a
madman (al-Tur 52: 29).
The reminding referred to here is in fact the conception
and execution of a plan for a new way of life; a way of life
based on divine revelation and guidance.
Remembrance, here, is therefore a sort of „ .■
Mlah. a uansadion in which both ze^and W"h
expression be admissible, 'exchanged' - and (o
164
165

the sublimest degrees of all attributes. Through the following,
well-known hadith qudsi, the meaning should become more
apparent:
Ailah says, ‘I am as My servant imagines Me to be, and
I am always with him. Thus, if he remembers Me in
private, I remember him in private. And ifhe remembers
Me in company, I will remember him in better company.
If he advances an inch toward Me, I will advance afoot
toward him. If he advances a foot toward Me, I will
advance a yard toward him. And if he advances toward
Me at a walk, I will advance toward him at a run.'
In the version of this hadith related by Imam Ahmad, the
following words are added:
And Allah is the swiftest to grant forgiveness.
The kind of remembrance (dhikr) being discussed is a
person’s resolute turning to Allah, and Allah’s acceptance
of the same where, obviously, Allah’s approach is more
sublime, and purer.
On this matter, the Prophet, upon him be peace, said a
number of enlightening things from which we may assuredly
benefit:
|( aiinliiarvein, the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace,
aid:
Cleanliness is half of faith. The words ‘All praise to
Allah'fill the scales, and the words, ‘Glory to Allah and
All praise to Allah’ fill all that is between heaven and
will. Prayer is light (nur), charity is proof, patience is
luminence, and the Qur’an is a witness either for or
against you. Everyone who faces the new day is either a
sellerofhissoul, an emancipator ofit, or its devastator.
Once a bedouin of the desert said to the Prophet, upon
him be peace:
0 Prophet ofAllah! I have tried to memorize something
ofthe Qur’an, but am unable to retain anything. Teach
me something which will do just as well!
The Prophet, upon him be peace, replied:
Say, ‘Glory be to Allah, All praise to Allah, there is no
god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.
The bedouin then said:
0 Prophet ofAllah! that isfor my Lord. What isfor me?
Whoever says, 'There is no god but Allah', with all
sincerity, will enter Paradise.
When the Prophet, upon him be peace, was asked to
explain what he meant by ‘sincerity’, he replied:
One’s refraining from all that Allah has prohibited.
In another hadith, he, upon him be peace, said:
The Prophet answered:
Say: ‘0 Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me
ease, and keep me provided for.
When the bedouin had gone on his way, the Prophet, upon
him be peace, said:
The bedouin has left with both hands full of good.
There are two phrases which, in spite of their lightness
on the tongue, are heavy in the measure, and well-beloved
by the All-Merciful: ‘Glory be to Allah and in Hispraise’
and ‘Glory be to Allah, the Almighty’.6
The hadith which have been related and preserved on this
subject are many. Indeed, one who writes on tk. u-
the Prophet’s character might be led to k SUbjeCt °f
10 be|i«e, by the
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167

vastness of the material available on the subject, that the
entire Sunnah (way) of the Prophet was devoted to character.
While one who writes on jihad, or dhikr, might be led to
believe that the entire Sunnah was devoted tojihad or dhikr.
The greatness of the Prophet is something which can
literally exhaust the curious. Glory be to the One who sent
him as a Mercy for all the Worlds!
O Lord! Praise be to You in all fullness unto all eternity!
Praise be to You unto the ends of Your knowledge! Praise
be to You unto the ends of Your will! (And the knowledge
and will of Allah are without end!) And praise be to You in
which the only reward of the one who voices it is Your
pleasure?
The Prophet of Peace
and the Prophet of War
Muhammad, upon' him'hTpelce^lf weV P°SS?ly accuse
ToseWh hh' POS'UOn °r °f the worW pleasures^8
Those who are acquainted with his life-story know that he
was the mightiest in declaring the teaching of Allah’s unity
an ivine majesty, the most outspoken in denying that the
Mmighty had partners in divinity or mediators, the most
eager of all to carry out His orders, show respect for His
revelation, and to prevent hishuman desires from interfering
in what He had legislated.
The Prophet, upon him be peace, was deeply grieved and
hurt by the opposition shown to him by the ignorant,
distressed and made anxious by their persistent blindness.
but Allah made it clear to him that he was charged with no
more than delivering the divine message-.
'We did not reveal the Qur'an to you from on high to
make you unhappy, but only as a reminder to all who
stand in awe (of Allah) (Ta Ha 20: 2).
The Almighty gave him to understand that people could
not be brought to the straight path by force, and that no
amount of Teal or sincerity could induce people to believe:
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And (thus it is) had your Lord so willed, all those who
live on earth would surely have attained faith, all of
them. Do you think, then, that you could compel people
to believe? (Yunus 10: 99).
Means of insight have now come unto you from your
Lord. Whoever, therefore, chooses to see, does so for
his own good; and whoever chooses to remain blind,
does so to his own hurt (al-An‘am 6: 104).
Nevertheless, the followers of the other religions sensed
danger in the new call, and felt that their allowing the
Prophet to preach his message unopposed would amount to
their losing their following. For indeed (as they may rightly
have noted) there is a natural affinity of the human soul for
Islam: it is completely acceptable to reason, and the heart
is drawn to it without constraint.
For these reasons, the enemies of Islam determined very
early on to prevent its gaining currency by whatever means
they deemed necessary. Had those means included a point
for point debate on the relative merits of each religion, Islam
would gladly have welcomed the opportunity to explain
itself, secure in the knowledge of the ultimate result. But
no. The matter went the way of the politics of arrogance and
provocation; the only kind of politics in which the powerful
seem to have any proficiency.
But they who denied the truth spoke thus unto their
prophets: ‘We shall most certainly expel you from our
land, unless you return forthwith to our ways’(Ibrahim
14: 13).
These were the politics which left the Prophet, for all his
patience, no alternative but to stand up in defence of his
mission and of those oppressed souls who were forced to
suffer along with him because they dared to believe.
Suppose that you were walking outside at night with a
torch in your hand to light the way for you, or for anyone
else who wanted to go your way. If there happened to be
still others for whom it was somehow distasteful to follow
you, or walk by your light, then they would certainly be
welcome to take any direction they wished, avoiding the
pitfalls and obstacles as best they could.
But what is one to do if those who prefer to remain in the
dark attempt to break your torch, and put out its light? Have
yminot, then, the right to defend the light that guides you
and so many others along with you?
Muhammad, upon him be peace, never did anything more
than that:
Who could be more wicked than one who invents a lie
about Allah; seeing that he is but being called to Islam?
But Allah does notbestow His guidance upon evil-doing
folk. They aim to extinguish Allah’s light with their
utterances; but Allah has willed to spread His light in
all its fullness, however hateful this may be to all who
deny the truth. He it is who has sent forth His Prophet
with the task of spreading guidance and the religion of
truth, to the end that He makes it prevail over all false
religion, however hateful this may be to those who
ascribe divinity to aught but Allah (al-Saff 61: 7—9).
Indeed, those who advocate the politics of torch-breaking
are the most virulent of all people in their loathing of
Muhammad, upon him be peace, and in the abhorrence of
the message he brought to mankind. These are the people
who know in their hearts that that light is their greatest
enemy because it reveals their deception. If intellectual
freedom is allowed, then, in the light of it, the doctrine of
the trinity must be rejected - even if cunningly explained
that a triangle is made from one line.
Consider the mission of Muhammad, upon him be peace
Can we see in it even the faintest trace of personal glorifica
tion or worldly gratification? Can we see in the lifetim
any human being anything to match the fervour of Jf
170
17]

teachings with regard to Allah, His Oneness, and the need
to lose one’s self in obtaining His pleasure? Next, consider
the battles he fought. Did he rely upon his own strength, or
trust in the power and resources of Allah? Did he ever seek
anything more or other than that the name of Allah be
exalted? Did he ever say, ‘Woe to the vanquished’or act in
such a way as to suggest it? Did he not rather establish
religious freedom as the right of one and all, after breaking
the power of those who would make of religion an instrument
of tyranny?
Let us look at the evidence of history. The Battle of Badr
was the first armed clash to take place between the Muslims
and the idolators. This was fifteen years after the first call
to Islam had been made openly for all to hear! What of the
condition of the believers during that period? In the Makkan
society in which they lived their rights were forfeit, and they
were the objects of scorn and enmity to all and sundry.
As the Prophet, upon him be peace, petitioned heaven
for strength and patience, the idolators refused outright to
recognize Islam or regard it as a religion acceptable to
Arabian society. The Muslims were banished from Makkah,
the sacred sanctuary! Having thus bared their teeth, the
idolators announced that anyone entering the fold of Islam
would find degradation and expulsion to be his lot. Under
such circumstances can one possibly blame the Muslims for
offering resistance to this kind of provocation? What could
they do, save to await deliverance on some unknown
tomorrow? And then one day, at a time when it was least
expected, that deliverance came.
The Battle of Badr was thrust upon the Muslims by
circumstances so unexpected that they had no time to plan
or prepare for it. Indeed, a number of them were very much
opposed to the undertaking. But, on came the idolators,
fully confident that they would rout the Muslims, and bury
Islam deep in a grave of desert sand. The Prophet, upon
him be peace, realized that there could be no escape from
armed confrontation. The day had come on which all the
172 _____ -
bilier suffering of the past would come to a head, and the
.ill of Allah would be done on the battlefield, prepared for
that purpose by the divine decree. Therefore, the Prophet,
upon him be peace, turned to his Lord in earnest supplication
for assistance and protection.
Ibn'Abbas related that, as he was in the tent erected for
him prior to the Battle of Badr, the Prophet of Allah, upon
him be peace, said:
0 Lord, I implore You to help us, by Your convenant
and Your promise. 0 Lord, if it be Your will. You will
not be worshipped after tomorrow.
Abu Bakr, who was sitting nearby, took the Prophet s
hand and said:
Enough, 0 Prophet of Allah! Would you importune
your Lord?
But the Prophet got up and left the tent, saying.
The hosts shall be routed, and they shall turn their backs
(in flight) (al-Qamar 54: 45).
It is also related that the Prophet, upon him be peace,
faced the qiblah, raised his hands, and began calling to
Lord, Exalted be His name, in the following manner.
0 Lord, fulfil all that You have promised me! O Lord,
bring to pass all that You have promised me' or
if this group of believers is defeated, there will be no one
on earth to worship You!
The Prophet, upon him be peace, knew full well that the
Quraish had advanced, in all their pride and vainglory, for
the express purpose of crowning their long persecution of
Islam with one decisive blow. And, of course he also knew
that the fledgling Muslim community had patiently suffered
all manner of hardsh.p and deprivation while Steadfastly
173

adhering to the new religion in the face of severe opposition.
Thus, seeing the condition of the believers prior to the battle,
he prayed:
O Lord, verily they are starving, so give them their fill!
O Lord, they are barefooted, so carry them! 0 Lord,
they are naked, so clothe them!
Indeed, their faith had demanded much of them over the
years. Not one of them knew that the Almighty had already
destined that their situation should undergo a radical change,
that He had enticed the Quraish into undertaking a military
engagement for which there was no strategic reason. And
that He had confronted the Muslims with a reality from
which there was to be no turning back! Why so?
It is Allah’s will to prove the truth to be true in
accordance with His words, and to wipe out the last
remnant of those who denied the truth - so that He
might prove the truth to be true and the false to be
false, however hateful this might be to those who were
lost in sin. Lo! you were praying unto your Lord for
aid, whereupon He thus responded to you (al-Anfal 8:
8-9).
ttplor one’s beliefs is the most auspicious way for a believer
w end his life. The believers took this teaching to heart at
limes of ease as well as of difficulty. Thus, we see them
petitioning the Lord for martyrdom even in times of peace.
Inahodithitis related:
Whoever prays, in all sincerity, to be killed in the way
of Allah, and then dies, or is killed, will receive the
reward of a martyr.
In another hadith, it is related:
Whoever sincerely prays to Allah for martyrdom will be
granted by Allah the rank of a martyr, even though he
die in his bed!
The All-Merciful did indeed respond to His Prophet’s call
for help! And so descended the unexpected victory like a
thunderbolt to break the back of disbelief itself! Yet the
victory at Badr was to be the beginning of a new era of
armed confrontation between Islam and the forces inimical
to it.
After the victory, the Prophet, upon him be peace, and
his Companions resumed where they had left off, performing
deeds that would earn for them both the pleasure of the
Almighty and a place in His eternal paradise. Men of such
mighty spirituality certainly had no worldly ambitions.
Rather, the lesson they had learned so well from the Prophet,
upon him be peace, was that to meet one’s death
It was this kind of willingness to make sacrifices for the
sake of Allah that gave shape to an entire community which
stood behind its Prophet in support of the truth. As such,
the members of this community never gave a thought to their
worldly standing. Indeed, for the most part, their link with
the world was fragile owing to the suffering and poverty it
brought upon them.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik it is related t at t e
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, went out to the trench
(being dug around Madinah in preparation for the attac o
the Makkan idolaters) on a cold winter s morning to discover
that his Companions were still digging, in spite of their
extreme fatigue and hunger, so he said:
0 Lord! the only life is the life of the world to come.
Forgive then the sins of my companions’
They were busy digging the trench and haul,no o..
dirt they dug up, all the while chanting: g
We are the ones who pled.se ,, .
l„ jihad for as long as „e rema^°
174
175

adhering to the new religion in the lace of SeWre opposifi
Thus, seeing the condition of the believers prior to the battle
he prayed:
O Lord, verily they are starving, so give them their fill!
O Lord, they are barefooted, so carry them! 0 Lord,
they are naked, so clothe them!
Indeed, their faith had demanded much of them over the
years. Not one of them knew that the Almighty had already
destined that their situation should undergo a radical change,
that He had enticed the Quraish into undertaking a military
engagement for which there was no strategic reason. And
that He had confronted the Muslims with a reality from
which there was to be no turning back! Why so?
It is Allah’s will to prove the truth to be true in
accordance with His words, and to wipe out the last
remnant of those who denied the truth - so that He
might prove the truth to be true and the false to be
false, however hateful this might be to those who were
lost in sin. Lo! you were praying unto your Lord for
aid, whereupon He thus responded to you (al-Anfai8:
8-9).
The All-Merciful did indeed respond to His Prophet’s call
for help? And so descended the unexpected victory like a
thunderbolt to break the back of disbelief itself! Yet the
victory at Badr was to be the beginning of a new era of
armed confrontation between Islam and the forces inimical
to it.
After the victory, the Prophet, upon him be peace, and
his Companions resumed where they had left off, performing
deeds that would earn for them both the pleasure of the
Almighty and a place in His eternal paradise. Men of such
mighty spirituality certainly had no worldly ambitions.
Rather, the lesson they had learned so well from the Prophet,
upon him be peace, was that to meet one’s deathsi/fg^
k
upfot one’s beliefs is the most auspicious way for a believer
loendhis life. The believers took this teaching to heart at
of ease as well as of difficulty. Thus, we see them
petitioning the Lord for martyrdom even in times of peace,
fo a With it is related:
Whoever prays, in all sincerity, to be killed in the way
of Allah, and then dies, or is killed, will receive the
reward of a martyr.
In another hadith, it is related:
Whoever sincerely prays to Allah for martyrdom will be
granted by Allah the rank of a martyr, even though he
die in his bed!
It was this kind of willingness to make sacrifices for the
sake of Allah that gave shape to an entire community which
stood behind its Prophet in support of the truth. As such,
the members of this community never gave a thought to their
worldly standing. Indeed, for the most part, their lin wit
the world was fragile owing to the suffering and poverty it
brought upon them. . . . t . ..
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik it is re a e a
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, went out to t e ren^
(being dug around Madinah in preparation or e a a
the Makkan idolators) on a cold winter’s morning to discover
that his Companions were still digging, in spi e o eir
extreme fatigue and hunger, so he said:
0 Lord! the only life is the life of the world to come.
Forgive then the sins of my companions?
They were busy digging the trench and hauling awav th
dirt they dug up, all the while chanting: *
phadfor«long as w ,emalSnaliyj<> Muhammad,
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The Prophet, upon him be peace, insisted that combat be
undertaken only for the sake of Allah; and never for the
sake of transitory gain. Moreover, he used to caution his
followers against their being the ones to initiate hostilities
and against their provoking their enemies into action.
‘Abdullah ibn Abi ‘Awf related that the Prophet of Allah,
upon him be peace, waited, on one of the days on which he
was to engage the enemy, until the sun had begun to incline,
then stood among his followers and said:
O you people! Never wish to meet the enemy in combat.
Rather, seek your well-being from Allah. Yet, if meet
them you must, then do so with patience. And know that
Paradise is to be found in the shadow of the sword!
Then he said, upon him be peace:
‘O Lord! Revealer of the Book, Sender of the clouds,
and Vanquisher of enemies! Vanquish them, and givens
victory over them!’'
The defeat of the confederates at Madinah is an astonishing
event. All the forces of disbelief on the Arabian peninsula
had joined to surround the Muslims in their city-state. The
Muslims found themselves in a position so vulnerable as to
bring them to the verge of extinction. There was not a
glimmer of hope that their salvation could be brought about
by any save the Almighty. It appeared that the Muslims had
got themselves caught in a trap that would mean their
ultimate destruction. Yet, the humble Prophet, upon him be
peace, expected the succour of the Lord to descend at any
moment. The moment came: the confederates were taken
unawares by the sudden churning of the atmosphere by
gale-force winds that ripped away their tents, overturned
and buried their provisions and sent them scattering into the
desert in search of some escape from the terrible sand storm
that had enveloped them and tossed them far from the secure
walls of Madinah!
From within those walls went up a cry of faith: —
'All praise to Allah alone! He has kept His promise,
come to the aid of His servant, given honour to His
legions, and defeated the confederates singlehandedly!’2
Vie have already seen something of the trust the Prophet
tadin his Lord. This is further reflected in the du‘a he used
io say when he went into battle:
0 Lord, You are my strength and my support. Through
You do 1 dodge, attack and engage the enemy!’3
fa the Prophet, upon him be peace, sensed danger
from an enemy, he would pray:
‘0 Lord! We set You at their throats, and we seek refuge
in You from their evil.’4
The Prophet, upon him be peace, would not tolerate
jesting, disorder or shouting during combat. War is a serious
matter, and to go about it soberly is more befitting to a
soldier of Islam whose only concern is to promote the
worship of Allah on earth and invoke His aid. At such times
what is required of the believer is a full appreciation of the
power of Allah, of His favour and sufficiency, and of the
need His servants have of Him. It is an established fact that
one of the times in which prayers are sure to be answered
is during engagement of the enemy in battle.
Behind the front lines, the rest of the Islamic community
prays to the Lord for the success of the armies of Islam.
Thus, in their five daily prayers they add a du‘a’ called Qunut
(prayer of submission), and especially at the end of their
Fajr (dawn) prayers. Out of these, the one which I find most
suitable is the one used by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, the
Khalifah, and the armies of Islam which overran the empires
of the fire-worshipping Persians and the Christian Bvzan-
tines:
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/
Lord, We seek Your help and Yourforgiveness.
tf/T* not disbelievers, but believers in You, and we sever
all ties with those who disobey You.
O Lord! Only You do we worship, and unto You alone
do we pray andprostrate ourselves. For You do westrive
and hasten to serve. We seek Your mercy and wefear
Your punishment. Certainly Yourpunishment willattach
to the disbelievers!
O Lord! Punish the disbelieversfrom among the People
of the Book who seek to block Your way, give the lie to
Your prophets, and fight against Your supporters.
O Lord! Forgive the Muslims, men and women, improve
relations between them, bring their hearts close together,
fill them with faith and wisdom, make them steadfast
members of the community of the Prophet, upon whom
be peace and blessings, help them to be true to the
covenant which they took with You, and give them
victory over Your enemies and theirs, 0 God of Truth,
and include us among them!’5
Concerning this prayer, Imam Nawawi said:
The Khalifah ‘Umar’s version of this du a, ‘Punish the
disbelievers from among the People of the Book , was
valid in those days because the Muslims were engaged
in armed struggle with the disbelieving Christians.
Nowadays, however, it is better to say only the words,
‘Punish the disbelievers’, as the meaning is thus more
comprehensive, and less specific.
I, however, must disagree with the Imam in his choice of
words for the du‘a of ‘Umar, with whom may Allah be
pleased. And this is because those who followed the path of
Kufr among the People of the Book, in both ‘Umar’s and
our own times, are the seed-bed of the troubles which
confront Islam today, and of the disasters which have
befallen us.
Indeed, it is owing to Christianity that the forces of
communism were unleashed in both the Soviet Union, where
: ihi imperialism of the Tsars in the name of Christianity drove
[he masses to the atheism of Karl Marx, and in the Islamic
world itself, where the Christian imperialists opened the
doors to communism in the same way that they opened them
to Zionism. The disbelievers from among the People of the
Book were, and continue to be, the most hating of all people
towards Islam, its traditions and its values!
Let us return to the jihad of the Prophet, upon him be
peace, so that we may gain a better understanding of it.
The Muslims underwent a severe trial when the confeder
ates laid siege to Madinah. Indeed, as the noose tightened,
it seemed as if their souls would be squeezed from their
bodies like juice from fruit. Yet, in spite of all hardship, the
Muslims held their defensive positions and repeatedly turned
back the attempts of the disbelievers to force an entry into
the city. The attackers decided to launch the decisive assault
which would assure them victory, the essence of their
strategy being to breach the Muslim lines and make a way
lor the charging forces to penetrate to the very heart of
Madinah. And so the defenders came forward one after the
other to fill that breach. From noon until shortly before the'
setting of the sun the battle raged back and forth so that the
Muslims were unable, owing to the threat posed to Madinah,
to recite their afternoon prayers. Indeed, until the danger
passed there was nothing that the Prophet and his Compan
ions could do but meet the enemy blow for blow.
At sunset, when the disbelievers had finally despaired of
attaining their objective, the attack was called off. Then,
after the proper time had passed, the Muslims recited their
afternoon prayers. Indeed, more than anything else it was
this delay that so enraged the Prophet, upon him be peace,
that he said:
May Allah fill their hearts and homes with fire for havino
distracted us from our afternoon prayers °
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Ibn Mas'ud related that when the idolaterspreventedth
Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, from performing
afternoon prayer, he said:
They have distracted usfrom the afternoonprayer, Salat
al- ‘Asr! May A llah fill their innards and theirhearts with
fire!
Indeed, these remarks on the unsuccessful assault are
deserving of further attention. Insofar as the Prophet of
Allah was concerned, the passing of the time for prayer was
the true ordeal. The idolators had prevented him from
leading his Companions in submissive congregational prayer,
and thus wasted for him, and them, the opportunity to
address the Almighty, to seek His mercy, and to be humble
before His majesty. For this exemplary human being the
height of felicity was to lose himself in prayer, to commit
his whole being to the worship of the Lord of all the Worlds.
According to the scholars of Arabic rhetoric, prolixity, in
its proper place, is a good thing. By way of example they
cite the answer of Musa to his Lord as recorded in the Qur’an:
And what is this in your right hand, 0 Musa?
The simple answer would have been to say, simply, ‘my
staff’. But instead Musa said:
It is my staff; I lean on it; and with it I beat down leaves
for my sheep; and many other uses have I for it (Ta Ha
20: 18).
Thus he prolonged the answer so as to prolong his
interview with the Almighty. The opportunity of a lifetime
is not to be so briefly set aside.
In the estimation of the Last of the Prophets, upon him
be peace, prayer was that opportunity of a lifetime, a
heavenly ascension during which he conversed with his Lord.
It was for this reason that prayer was for him food for the
▼/
joi//'; and it was for this reason that he became incensed
m'lh the idolators when they kept him engaged in struggle
during the time for prayer!
Indeed, the relationship of the Prophet with his Lord, be
Hisname Ever-Exalted, is well-illustrated by an event which
took place at the Battle of Uhud where the Muslims were
threatened with the worst kind of defeat, where seventy from
among their best were elevated to the status of martyrdom,
and where the Prophet himself, upon him be peace, sustained
a serious head injury.
Yet, despite the rejoicing of the idolators and their gloating
over the misfortune of the Muslims, the Prophet, upon him
be peace, called his Companions together in congregational
prayer to give praise to the Almighty for what had occurred.
Imam Ahmad related that, on the day of Uhud when the
idolators had withdrawn and begun their triumphant return
toMakkah, the Prophet, upon him be peace, proclaimed.
Form lines for prayer! so that I may praise my Lord!
When the Muslims had arranged themselves in rows for
prayer, the Prophet said:
0 Allah! Yours is all praise!
0 Allah! There is no one to withhold what You extend
and no one to extend what You withhold! There is no
one to guide whom You lead astray, and no one to lead
astray whom You guide! There is no one to give what
You forbid, and no one to forbid what You give. There
is no one to bring near what You hold far and no one
to hold far what You bring near.
0 Allah! Extend to us Your blessings and mercy, Your
beneficence and bounty!’6
‘0 Allah! I ask You for the everlasting favour th
that neither dissipates nor diminishes 0 A lint, i €, °ne
YoujorYourfm<,m(,nthtllvofmd L! 'asl‘
safeguarding on the day offearf ? ^Our
181

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil ofthat which
You have given us, and from the evil of that which You
have kept from us. ’8
‘O Allah! Make faith beloved unto us, and beautify it
within our hearts; and make disbelief loathsome to us,
and wrongdoing and disobedience, and make us to be
among the rightly-guided. ’9
‘O Allah! Let us die Muslims, and be resurrected
Muslims; and join us with the righteous, neither disap
pointed nor tormented. ’10
O Allah! Cut down the disbelievers, those who give the
lie to Your prophets and who impede the way to You;
and visit upon them Your punishment and affliction.
‘O Allah! Cut down the disbelievers from among the
People of the Book . . . O God of Right!’1'
From each word of these du‘a’ faith literally pours forth.
Defeat might well destroy the resolution in the hearts of men
only nominally committed to God. But for those who have
lost themselves in Allah, and sold Him their lives and wealth,
their faith continues to shine with uniform splendour in good
times as in bad. Such believers remain ever constant in their
acceptance of Allah’s will and their bowing to His wisdom.
This is the secret of the words which the Prophet, upon
him be peace, addressed to his Companions after their defeat:
Form lines for prayer, so that I may praise my Lord!
I recall what the poet, AI-Mutanabbf, said when his
patron, Saif ad-Dawlah, had done something to displease
him.
If the deed which brought displeasure be one, the deeds
which brought pleasure are numbered in thousands.
situation here is, of course, of an entirely different
1 To the Prophet, upon him be peace, whatever
furred was the will of Allah, and only He knew the wisdom
^ind it. Thus, the Prophet never described an event as
involving adverse fortune. Rather he ever sought refuge in
Allah from both the evil of that which He gave and the evil
ofthat which He withheld. For a gift might have a disastrous
ending; and while deprivation might be painful for the
present, it might well lead to good in the future. The
believer’s refuge, his fortress at all times, is Allah, blessed
be His name!
The Prophet closed his prayer with an invocation of divine
wrath on the idolators. The reason that he included the
disbelievers from the People of the Book in that invocation
was that the Jews of Madinah had been awaiting the time
when disaster would befall the Muslims. (Those of the Jews
who had not converted to Islam, but clung insistently to the
deluded belief that only a Jew could be chosen by the
Almighty for the prophetic mission.) Without a doubt, the
blow to the Muslims at Uhud was severe. It did, however,
serve the purpose of shaking the Islamic community so that
the hypocrites were sifted out, for, after Uhud, they appeared
in their true colours. And the believers learned how to face
events with ardent faith, and united ranks! The Jews did
indeed exult over the Muslims’ defeat with malicious plea
sure. Yet it was only a matter of years before they were
overcome by a disaster far greater, and were forced to
migrate from the heart of the Arabian peninsula.
The historians often speak of Muhammad the Warrior,
often calling him a military genius. Yet they commit the
greatest of mistakes when they attempt to divorce this aspect
of the man from the more important aspects of his life.
Muhammad took to the battlefield only when the shedding
of blood was the only guarantee of life for the community
of believers. The military operations carried out by
Muhammad and his Companions were undertaken in the
way of Allah and had nothing whatever to do with personal
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smbition, self--glorification, the expansion of empire, or any
of the other motives usually assigned by historians to the
outbreak of warfare.
It is reliably related that ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased
with her, said: ‘The Prophet of Allah never raised a hand
against one of his servants, and certainly never against a
woman. Indeed, he never raised a hand against anything
except to fight in the way of Allah. Nor was he ever given
a choice between two things but that he selected the easier
of the two; except that it be a sinful thing. For, indeed, the
Prophet was the furthest removed of all people from sin.
And never once did he take revenge on someone for
something that they had caused to befall him. However, on
those who violated what Allah had made sacred he took
revenge for Allah most High.’
The Prophet, upon him be peace, said of himself:
I have been sent to perfect good morality.
Among the many descriptions of the Prophet, upon him
be peace, is the following:
He was neither gruff, nor impolite; nor was he taken to
raising his voice like a hawker in the market place. Ifhe
passed by, a flaming candle would no more than flicker
owing to the serenity of his gait; and if he walked over
reeds, not a sound would come from below his feet. He
never used obscene language. Through him the Almighty
opened eyes that were blind, ears that were deaf, and
hearts that were sealed.
In this same hadith the words of Allah Himself are
recorded as follows:
I direct him to everything that is good, I have gifted him
with every noble quality, I have made tranquillity his
raiment, righteousness his emblem, heedfulness his con
science, wisdom his word, truthfulness and loyalty his
e beneficence and forgiveness his character, truth
"lis code oflife (Shariah), justice his way, right guidance
his leader, and Islam his creed.
Leaving aside these hadith let us look now at the basic
leachings of Islam; the starting point of the Prophet, upon
him be peace, in all of his campaigns, the Qur’an:
As for the (eternal) abode in the Hereafter, We grant
il only to those who do not seek to exalt themselves on
earth, nor yet to spread corruption: for the future
belongs to the heedful (al-Qasas 28: 83).
Quite clearly those who seek exaltation in this world, and
who work to spread evil throughout its length and breadth
will be banished from the mercy of Allah.
The majority of conquerors and military men of genius
have been of the kind that would scorn the notion of heeding
the word of God, and scoff at belief in the Hereafter. The
architects of imperialism, both past and present, have pre
dictably been of the sort who have no relationship with Allah,
and no knowledge whatever of His way.
But the Prophet of Islam knew of no way other than
Allah’s, and never took up arms except in His way. The
teachings of Islam are emphatic in their insistence that those
who strive exclusively for the attainment of worldly ends,
and deny the possibility of there being anything beyond this
world, will never enter the gates of heaven.
As for those who care for (no more than) the life of
this world and its bounties, We shall repay them in full
for all that they did in this life, and they shall not be
deprived of their just due therein; yet it is they who, in
the life to come, shall have nothing but the fire - for
in vain shall be all that they wrought in this world, and
worthless all that they ever did (Hud 11; 15—161
184

Perhaps more than anything else, these elevated teachings
reveal the truth behind the battles fought by Muhammad
and his Companions. They fought, first and last, for Allah.
And the Last of Allah’s Prophet’s, upon him be peace,
undertook his military operations in defence of the truth, in
order to foil the conspiracies hatched against it, in order to
maintain freedom of choice in matters of religion, and in
order to ensure that the words ‘Allah is the Greatest’,
continue to be uttered by the believers without fear of a
capricious tyrant preventing them.
Those who fight in order to hear their own names shouted
from the rooftops, or to amass the spoils of war, have nothing
to do with Islam, and not the slightest connection with the
way of Allah!
But the Prophet of war was the Prophet of peace, as he
was the Prophet of prayer and charity, of righteousness and
heedfulness; a whole personality in which all the best human
qualities were rounded to perfection. -
Having explained the position of Islam with regard to the
issue of warfare, we would not be overstepping our rights if
we were to ask the forces inimical to Islam to provide an
explanation for their past and present aggression toward
Islam and Muslims in all parts of the world.
From the beginning of its history Islam has come into
conflict with idolatry, Judaism and Christianity. And have
any of these religions changed their positions with regard to
Islam, even after the passing of fourteen hundred years? Do
they not continue to threaten the right of Islam to exist?
In India, where the majority of the population are Hindu
idol-worshippers, we regularly read of ‘communal distur
bances’; that polite journalistic euphemism for the wholesale
slaughter of hundreds or thousands of Muslims. According
to Indian Muslims themselves, the killing takes place only
in villages where the Muslims represent no more than one
fifth of the total population. In villages where the percentage
of Muslims is higher, such events rarely occur owing to the
certainty on the part of the Hindus that their own losses will
be significant.
,ly a million Muslims fell victim to the savagery of the
.Jas at the time of partition and the creation of Pakistan,
hatred of Muslims and violence toward them in villages
thIoughout Hindustan continues unabated even to this very
d3y Throughout all their bloodletting did the idolaters ever
[ttl j twinge of conscience? Will they ever?
In recent months we have read about the slaughter of some
Ifnthousand Muslims in Chad. It seems that this kind of
ominous news item is becoming commonplace for Africa;
ever since the stepping up of the tempo of missionary
activities there. Undoubtedly, the responsibility for these
massacres lies with the modern crusaders of Christendom.
A short time ago, in an Islamic country which is very dear
tome, I spoke of these matters and then suggested that the
Muslims set aside a day every year to commemorate the
blood and religion of these Muslim martyrs from the four
corners of the earth. In our times it seems that the blood of
Muslims is the cheapest blood in the world. If an identical
number of dogs were killed each year, instead of Muslims,
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would
raise such an outcry that there would be no chance of such
a slaughter ever occurring again.
Midway through the last, fourteenth, Islamic century,
world Judaism came to life and recalled suddenly that it had
some sort of connection with a land called Palestine. Thus,
Zionism was born, and a staged plan of attack was put into
action. Eventually, the Arabs of Palestine were beaten into
submission. Today, any Arab home in which arms are found
is razed to the ground. How many of our Muslim brothers
and sisters have perished in the struggle for Palestine since
the outset of Zionist aggression? Thousands upon thousands!
And now the Muslims are supposed to forgive and forget.
The hearts of those who fought against Islam from the
beginning continue to be enveloped in unreasoning hatred
for the person of Muhammad and the legacy he left Is it
not strange then, after all that, for those same neonle m
acc„Se1stamofmaa„cy?Yeti,is,heirtort;P*to
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books of deeds that are blacker than the blackest night! Can
these oppressors be allowed to continue making truth out of
falsehood and falsehood out of truth? Can they be allowed
to continue debasing the noble and ennobling the base?
Muslims have been ordered to depend on Allah, and resist
all coercion, as they have been taught never to accept
tyranny, and never to compromise the truth.
And so, do not lose heart and never beg for peace; for,
seeing that Allah is with you, you are bound to rise
high (in the end) (Muhammad 47: 35).
Under certain circumstances suing for peace is tantamount
to the squandering of human and material resources; and is
unacceptable except to the most cowardly and depraved
individuals.
This, then, is the secret to the scores, rather hundreds, of
hadith and Qur’anic verses which extol the virtues of jihad.
And it will have become clear, from what has been set down
in the preceding pages, that jihad means struggle in the way
of Allah, not for the fulfilment of ambition, or the satisfaction
of lust for wealth, or in pursuit of fame, or in order to
establish racial superiority, or for the purpose of attaining
any other such worldly end. Rather, jihad is for the defence
of tawhld against shirk, for the defence of human rights
against the forces of tyranny, and for the defence of justice
against naked aggression!
In an attitude of reverence and awe, we look back toward
the men that Muhammad made; Muhammad, the lover of
his Lord, the beloved, the self-annihilated in love for the
Almighty, peace be upon him and his followers unto eternity.
Muhammad breathed from his own soul into theirs and
lo, they became lions by day, monks by night, preferring
Allah in all matters over themselves, and ever seeking His
acceptance. They were righteous warriors, firm and unyield
ing towards all deniers of the truth, full of mercy towards
one another. Whoever among them was slain in battle
a martyr in the way of Allah; and whoever among
1W1 lived continued as a watchful defender of the word of
Alia)i! There are examples among them of men who tore
themselvesfrom the embrace of newly-wed brides, to gladly
meet, in the way of Allah, the embrace of death. And
examples among them of men, and their numbers were great,
whobade farewell to their kith and kin, in a society where
allegiance to kith and kin was one of the main pillars of life,
and went abroad in the world to propagate the faith.
When I look at Muslims today I am amazed at what I see.
How many have sold their faith for a handful of worldly
goods? Or have spoken words of kufr in order to obtain a
position? Or have abandoned the truth to die a slow death
because to stand up for it would annoy certain of their
superiors? What have these mice to do with the men that
Muhammad made? In present-day Muslim society the
greatest of all aims and objectives seems to be that everyone
should own his own home, that every family should have its
own car, that each family member should possess this or
that, and so on. But then what?
Nothing! To speak of Allah and His Prophet is a matter
for ridicule, or worse.
As for Muhammad, upon him be peace, newly-arrived in
the city of his supporters, the first matter toward which he
directed his attention was the construction of a place o
worship! And while he and his Companions themselves
performed the task of constructing the mosque, the work
chant that they recited was:
0 Lord, there is no life but the afterlife! Lend support,
then, to the Muslims of Madinah and the Makkan
emigrants'
The Prophet, upon him be peace, there raised
uphold the Truth. He said:
an army to
A single morning in the way ofAllah orad.,1
is better than the world and all that is therefnl
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189

And he said:
A single morning in the way ofAllah, or a single evening,
is better than everything over which the sun rises.
And he said:
Three whose eyes shall never see the Fire: one whose
eyes were watchful in the way of Allah; one whose eyes
were filled with tears in awe of Allah; and one whose
eyes were closed against what Allah had prohibited them
to look upon.
And he said:
A day’s watch in the way ofAllah is better than the world
and all that is therein.
And he said:
A day's watch is better than an eternity's fast.
And he said:
Whosoever arms and outfits a soldier in the way ofAllah
has himself done battle. And whosoever loses a member
ofhisfamily in the way ofAllah has himselfdone battle.
And he said:
77/e heart of a man in the way of Allah is never visited
by fear except that Allah decrees that he never enter the
Fire.
And he said:
Anyone who reaches the enemy with an arrow will be
elevated one grade; and there are one hundred vears
between each grade.
The station of a man who stands in the ranks in the way
of Allah is more esteemed by Allah than sixty years of
worship.
Andhe said:
Thegales ofparadise lie beneath the shadows ofswords.
AbuHurairah related that the Prophet, upon him be
peace, said:
Allah assumes responsibility for all those who go out in
His way: ‘For those who go out for jihad in My way,
having faith in Me and in My Prophets, I shall be
responsible for their entering Paradise, or for their safe
return home with whatever reward they have earned, or
with whatever booty.’
By the One in whose hands lies the life of Muhammad!
Never would I refrain from going to battle in the way of
Allah, if that were not difficult for the Muslims! But often
I am unable lo arm and outfit them when they are unable
to arm and outfit themselves, and it is difficult for them
lo remain behind!
By rhe One in whose hands lies the life of Muhammad!
I would love to go to battle in the way of Allah and he
killed, and again go to battle and be killed, and again
go to battle and be killed!
These hadith are quite aside from the verses of the Our an
on the subject, and from the practical example of the
Prophet, upon him be peace, throughout nearly a quarter
of a century in constant struggle for the victory of Islam, as
if he was a revolving planet, never stopping and never
straying. Indeed, that is what an entire generation of believ-
ers did toward the laying of ltle frai„da|jo f
cementing them firmly for all tjme dnd
190
191

Woe to today’s world if ever the police fall asleep at night!
But the nights of Muhammad and his Companions were
spent in safeguarding the progress of the truth. The same
man whose feet would swell up painfully every night owing
to him standing long in prayer would, by day, stand firmly
on the field of battle.
I should like to emphasize here, again, that compulsion
was never used as a means of conversion to the faith. Indeed,
compulsion has been clearly refuted by all the Prophets of
Adlah, upon them be peace. History tells us, on the other
hand, that the forces of irreligiousness were the ones who
continually made use of this particular means in their pursuit
of plunder. Here, too, then, it is essential that we give
Muhammad, upon him be peace, his due.
The basic teaching of each and every one of Allahs
Prophets is the unity of Allah. Not one of them taught
anything different; not Adam, not Nuh, not Ibrahim, not
Musa, and not ‘Isa. Not one of them ever taught that Allah
has a son who shares in His divinity, let alone a third god
called the ‘Holy Ghost’!
This trinity business is nothing short of preposterous,
contrary to nature and common sense! Thus, Muhammad
had every right to call out the truth of Allah’s Oneness, and
to confront every obstacle placed in the way of that call.
The heavens and the earth and all that lies between the
two join in to call with Muhammad as he gives voice to the
call to prayer! If anyone should think that to be foolish,
supposing in his turn that there are actually ten gods, then
he is entitled to think what he likes. But such a one has no
right to put his power or wealth to use for the punishment
of those who believe in the unity of Allah, or for the purpose
of sealing their tongues; and on the day that his sword breaks
as he attempts to commit highway robbery against the
caravan of truth, let him go straight to hell!
Nowadays there are any number of such attempted rob
beries underway. Here an attempt to persuade Muslims to
abandon their religion, there an attempt to deny the truth
of the message entrusted to their keeping, and another to
convince them of the need to desert the Prophet, upon him
be peace!
Personally, I have no doubt that the responsibility for these
crimes lies with the communists, the Zionists, and the
modern crusaders of Christendom! Yet, by the will of Allah,
all of their attempts will come to nothing. For, indeed, those
loyal to Allah and His Prophet will continue to uphold their
covenant until the Day of Resurrection; believing in Allah,
and refusing baseless mysteries and the powers of evil!
It was the will of Allah that in the Kalimah, or creed of
Islam, the believer’s profession of faith in the Oneness of
Allah is linked inextricably to his profession of faith in the
Prophethood of Muhammad. Obviously, this is owing to
Muhammad’s being the most vocal of all people in proclaim
ing the Oneness of Allah, and refuting all hints of shirk.
From him, upon him be peace, we have learned how to
know Allah with the knowledge of certainty, and to love
Allah with the love of eternity; as we have learned to fo ow
him as he recites:
Say: ‘Behold, my prayer and my devotions, my living
and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Universe. e
has no partner. Even so have I been commanded and
1 am the first of the Muslims’ (al-An‘am 6: 163-4).
What do others say? Undoubtedly, they speak of things
about which they know nothing? But already the date of
their appointment has been set for the Day of Reckoning:
Verily, you are bound to die (0 Muhammad) and
verily, they too, are bound to die; and then behold’
on the Day of Resurrection you all shall nl
dispute before your Lord (al-ZUmar 39; 3^ Y°Ur
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Index
Abdullah ibn Abi ‘Awf, 176
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, 55, 69,152,180
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, 77
Abraham, 9,23,50,130-1,133-5,192
Abu Bakr, 173
Abu Damdam, 64
Abu Lahab, 66
Adab, 77
Adam, 19, 192
Adultery, 54
Africa, 89, 187
‘A'ishah, 43-5, 84, 117, 184
'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 78
Allah, passim-, beautiful names, 5-6,
19, 25, 92, 145
Angels, 17-18, 61, 65, 71, 81, 101,
104, 121, 150, 152
Arafah, 137,142,146; Day of, 142,146
Badr, Battle of, 109, 162, 172-4
Bible, 106
Biographers, 41,93, 116
Black Stone, 132, 137
Byzantines, 177
Chad, 187
Children, 56, 71, 86-7, 111, 133-4
Christians, 52, 94, 101, 132, 155, 178-
9, 186-7, 193
Clemenceau, G., 53
Companions of the Prophet, 23, 25,
33V 42 48, 64, 69, 71, 73, 80, 92,
114-15 123, 127, 145, 150, 160,
174-5, 179-83, 186, 189, 192
Confederates, 176, 179
Crusades, 54
Day of Judgement, 9-10, 14, 27, 38,
105, 193
Dhikr,10,19,25,46,51,57,61,67 75
80,112,117,122,157,159,166 168’
Din,78
Disbelieverfs), 9, 15, 33-4 45 «7_s
111, 140-1, 178-9, 182-3 ’
Disease(s), 77, 100, 112-13, 116
Divine guidance, 6, 54
Du'a, 10, 14-15, 20, 23, 25, 30-1 34
37, 39-40, 42,46-8, 50,59,61-2,64’
75-6, 79, 81, 84, 92, 96, 100, 102,
106, 111, 113, 121, 123, 125, 128,
133, 137, 142, 146, 152, 177-8, 182
Fasting, 108, 127-8, 190
Fatimah, 43
Fitrah, 38
God, passim
Hadith, 13, 31,34, 37-9, 42-5, 75, 78,
' 80-1, 101, 109, 112, 115, 117, 126,
128 132, 144-6, 152, 161, 166-7,
175, 184-5, 188, 191
Hajar, 133-5
Haji, 128
Halal, 64, 72
Haram, 64
Heirs, 160
Hereafter, 185
Hindus, 100, 186-7
Hindustan, 187
Historians, 93, 135, 183-4
Hudaibiyyah, 87
Hypocrites, 183
/bit’s, 83, 156
Ibn ‘Abbas, 41, 173
Idolators, 29,62,116,119,141,161-2,
164-5, 172, 175, 180-1, 183, 186-7
India, 186
Inheritance, 73
Ishaq, 50
Islam, 10-11, 21, 23, 31-2, 45, 51-2,
54, 101, 104, 122, 129-30, 137-8,
141, 144, 162, 170-1, 173, 177-8,
183, 185-7, 191, 193; community,
56,177,183; law, 49; teachings, 52
isma'il, 50, 130-1, 133-4
Jesus, 9
231

Jews. 94. 183. 186-7
Jihad. 8. 100, 105. 116. 128, 157. 168.
175. 179, 188. 191
Jinn. 6, 155
Joseph. 65-6, 144
Ka'bah. 132. 137-8. 164
Kalimah. 193
Kennedy. J. F.. 53
Khadijah. 72. 75
Khutbah. 54-5
Kufr. 122. 178, 189
Layla, 28
Lot. 65-6
Madinah, 88. 144, 161-2. 175-6, 179,
183, 189
Madyan, 9, 65
Mahmud 'Abbas al-'Aqqad, 107
Makkah. 9, 62, 88. 108. 128, 131,
138-9,161-2,172,175,179,181,189
Majnun, 28
Mamage. 52-3. 55, 124; contract, 54;
khutbah. 54. 56
Martyrs). 14, 30, 175, 181, 187, 189
Marwah, mound of, 133-4, 137, 142
Maryam, 145
Marx. Karl. 179
Mina, 135, 137
Minbar. 84
Moses, 9. 65, 142, 180, 192
Mosque. 26-8.131,139,151,162,189
Mu'adhdhin. 27
Mujahidin. 18
Muslim(s), 5, 12. 14, 22, 26, 30-1, 34,
50, 56,59-60, 63-4, 87, 91, 99, 104,
112-13,119,125,131-2,136,141-3,
155. 162. 165, 172. 174. 176, 178-9,
181. 183, 186-9, 191-3
al-Mutanabbi. 182
Noah. Ill, 192
Pakistan, 187
Palestine. 187
Paradise. 9,63. 96, 125,149,160,166,
191
Parents, 56
Persians. 177
Pilgrimage, 127-30, 132-42
Polygamy. 54
Prayerfs), 10, 13,27-8, 37,40,42,46,
84, 87. 108, 119-22, 126, 128, 131,
138-9, 142, 144, 151,155, 164, 177-
83. 192-3, Fajr, 177; Hajah, 88;
lsukharah. 88; Istisqa, 88-9;
Quniit, 177; Tahajjud, 40-1, 116
Prophet(s), 7, 10, 14, 18. 29, 33, 50,
64.66,70.72.106-7,121,182,192
Prophet Muhammad, passim, wives
41,43,45,57,67,72-3,84,117 ’
Qiblah. 131, 138, 173
Quraish, 162, 173-4
Qur'an, 8, 11, 13-14, 16, 27-8, 38-9
41, 45, 50, 54, 56-7, 68-9, 82, 93
101, 103, 106, 108, 111-12, 114-17,
123. 135-6. 138, 147, 149-50, 152,
156, 159, 161-5, 167, 169-80, 185,
188, 191
Ramadan, 128
Ruku, 13-14
Safa, mound of, 133^1, 137, 140, 142
Sahabali, 85, 143, 152
Saif ad-Dawlah, 182
Saidah, 13-14, 80, 121
Salat, 13, 19, 26-7, 38, 67, 80, 85, 122,
125-6
Satan, 51, 81, 104, 135, 143, 156
Saudi Arabia, 136
Scholars, 25, 37, 54, 163, 180
Scriptures, 14
Shahadah, 86
Shari'ah, 49, 185
Shirk, 188, 193
Shuhud,12
Siffin, Battle of, 43
Soviet Union, 179
Sunnah. 50, 105, 136, 168
Tabuk, 109
Takbir, 76
Taqwa, 80
Tawaf, 129, 132
Tawhid, 104, 112, 188
Torah, 39
Travelling, 75-83, 99, 102, 114-15,
124, 132-3, 137
Trench, Battle of, 141
Tsars, 179
Ubayy ibn Ka'b, 151
Uhud, 183; Battle of, 62, 181
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, 29,164-5,177
Ummah, 165
‘Uthman ibn Abi al-As, 113
'Uthman ibn ‘Affan, 109
Wahy, 8, 69
Wdjib. 122
Wealth, 70-2,80,133-4,159,182,192
Worship, 5, 7, 22, 33, 37, 41, 52, 56,
67, 108, 119, 122. 127, 130-1, 133,
136-8, 143-5, 152, 173, 180
Wudu',38, 125, 139
Zakariyya, 144
Zamzam, spring of, 134
Zionism, 179, 187, 193

HAYKH MUHAMMAD AL-GHAZALl (1335-1416 AH/
1917-1996 CE) was one of the pioneers of the contemporary
Islamic revival. Born in Egypt, he graduated from Al-Azhar
University in 1941 and embarked on a career of writing,
lecturing, and calling people to Allah. As the author of over
fifty books, Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali was a leading
authority on Islam throughout his life. For many years he
served in the Department of Awqaf in Egypt before moving on
to teach at Umm al Qura University in Makkah. He was also
an academic advisor at both Qatar University and the Islamic
University of Amir Abdul Qadir in Algeria. In his lifetime,
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali lived the ideals of his faith,
and his character reflected the close relationship he had
established with Allah. On the 19th of Shawwal in 1416
(March 9,1996) he passed on to the mercy of Allah while on
a visit to the Holy Places, and was buried at al-Madinah.
YUSUF TALAL DELORENZO is an American who, after his
conversion to Islam while still an undergraduate, went on to
study Islamic jurisprudence in the traditional madrassah
system in Pakistan. Following completion of his studies, Yusuf
Talal began a career of teaching Islamic law which in 1980
brought Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali to him for ten days as
his house guest in Sri Lanka where he was director of the
Naleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies. At the Shaykh’s
suggestion, 1 usuf Talal undertook the translation of this book.
Today, Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo is an expert on Islamic finance
and serves on the Shariah boards of numerous Islamic funds
and financial institutions, including the Dow Jones Islamic
Market Index.
I HL ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
United Kingdom

Remembrance and prayer the way of the prophet muhammad (saw) by muhammad al ghazali

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Remembrance and prayer the way of the prophet muhammad (saw) by muhammad al ghazali