Explanation of Kitaabut-Tawheed Class 06 [Transcription]

BISMILLAAHIRRAHMAANIRRAHEEM CLASS #6 1st January, 2011 In the Name of Allaah we begin. All Praise is for Allaah Alone and we ask Him alone to raise the rank of His final Messenger to mankind, Muhammad, and to grant him peace. We ask that Allaah (Azzawajall) also raise the status and grant peace to all of those who have true, sincere allegiance to that true, beloved Prophet of His (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). CHAPTER TWO (continued) We will begin this week with a very important look at the great benefits that can be derived from an amazing hadeeth. The hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas about the 70 thousand people who will enter Paradise without any punishment or without any reckoning or accountability. And the things that led to the narrations of that hadeeth. In hadeeth terminology, we say about the story of Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan and Sa’id Ibn Jubayr, and the event of the shooting star and what happened in their conversation, and how it led up to the narration of the hadeeth. We call that ‘sabbaboo orrudul hadeeth(correction?)’. The reason for the hadeeth to be narrated. So it’s not actually part of the hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas, but it is like a precursor or something that led up to the narrators, specifically, Sa’id Ibn Jubayr, narrating this hadeeth from Abdullaah Ibn Abbaas. Here’s the hadeeth: Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan reported: “I was sitting with Sa’id Ibn Jubayr when he said, ‘Who among you saw the shooting star that fell last night?’ I said, ‘I (saw it)’ and I added, ‘(At that time,) I was not performing prayer but I was stung.’ He asked me, ‘What did you do then?’ I said, ‘I recited an incantation.’ He asked, ‘Why did you do so?’ I said, ‘I did so because I heard a hadeeth, which Ash-Sha’bi related to us.’ He asked, ‘What did he relate to you?’ I said, ‘He related on the authority of Buraydah Ibnul-Husayb who said, ‘No incantation (is permissible) except that made because of an evil eye or a sting.’ So, Sa’id Ibn Jubayr said, ‘It is good that one acts according to what one learns.’ Then he added that Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘Nations were displayed before me; a prophet would pass by accompanied by a few followers; a prophet would pass by accompanied by one or two followers, and a prophet would pass by with nobody. Then a big crowd of people passed in front of me and I asked, ‘Who are they? Are they my followers?’ It was said, ‘No. It is Moses and his followers.’ Then I saw a big crowd of people who passed in front of me and it was said to me, ‘This is your nation out of whom seventy thousands shall enter Paradise without reckoning or chastisement.’ Then Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) entered his house without telling his Companions who they (the seventy thousand persons) were. So the people started talking about the issue and some said, ‘Those may be the Companions who have believed in Allaah and accompanied His Messenger’; another group said, ‘Those are our children who are born in the fold of Islaam and associate no partner with Allaah’; and others expressed different opinions. When the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) came out, they informed him of their argument, and he said, ‘Those people do not ask others to treat them with incantation, nor do they get themselves cauterized (for treatment), nor do they believe in bad omen, and upon their Lord they rely.’ On that, Ukkaashah Ibn Mihsan said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Invoke Allaah to make me one of them.’ The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘You are one of them.’ So, another person got up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Invoke Allaah to make me one of them.’ The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘Ukkaashah has preceded you’” [Taken from , ‘Concise Commentary of the Book of Tawheed,’ by Dr. Saalih Al-Fawzaan (page #34-35). Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (#3410) and Muslim (#220)] Just to add to the phrases of the hadeeth, since the author, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhaab, he attributes the hadeeth to Bukhaaree and Muslim. Let us familiarize ourselves with some additional phrases of this hadeeth that come in either Bukhaaree and Muslim. Let’s look in al-Bukhaaree’s Saheeh #5705. He mentions an additional phrase here, that shows you a different angle on the beginning of that hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas. Where it seemed as if, from the narration what’s quoted here in Kitaab at-Tawheed, it seemed as if the Ummaah of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) was comparable in number to the Ummaah of Moosa (alaihi salaatu wasallam). That’s what we can understand possibly from that phrase there. But there is a phrase is Saheeh al-Bukhaaree that comes in one narrration of the hadeeth. It says After he saw the followers of Moosa, after the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) was shown the followers of Moosa. He described them saying, they were a large group of people. He said he was shown another large group of people that actually filled up the horizon. Then it was said, look all the way over there and look all the way over there, to all of the points of the horizon. There were a nation of people whose followers had filled the horizons, all of the horizons. Then it was said to him, that this is your nation, these are your followers. We know from other ahadeeth that the followers of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in comparison to the followers of the previous Prophets, make up half of the people of Paradise. From Allaah is all virtue and to Him returns all virtue. So the followers of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) are many, and they will be in comparison to other Prophets, the majority of the people of Paradise. Meaning they are half of the people of Paradise, then all of the people combined and their followers will be the other half. In that same narration that I mentioned to you from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree #5705, there’s a different wording attributed to Ukkaashah Ibn Mihsan (radhiAllaahu anhu) the man who has been told he is from those 70 thousand. He said, am I from them Ya RasoolAllaah? The Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, yes you are. So it goes into more detail. The narration we read was, he asked him, O Messenger of Allaah make du’aa that Allaah makes me from them. And the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, you are from them. Here he said explicitly, naam - yes you are from them. The other man in that hadeeth said something similar to that. Now that other man that asked after Ukkaashah, what was his name? In the narration there is no mention of his name. The Scholars of hadeeth of old, they used to busy themselves, especially in the two Saheeh’s of Bukhaaree and Muslim, with identifying the ‘mubhamoon’. The mubham is someone mentioned in the hadeeth as a ‘man‘ or a ‘boy’, without being identified. He’s mubham, not majhool. Majhool - is someone whose name is known, his reliability is not established. The mubham is the person who you don’t even know the name. The mubham can be in the chain of hadeeth sometimes and it’s a cause of weakness if he’s not identified. And the mubham can be in the story as well. Here we have an example of a mubham - an unnamed person in the story of the hadeeth. Here it doesn’t affect the authenticity because he’s not the narrator of the hadeeth, he’s just a man mentioned in the story. From the most noteworthy of the Scholars who approached the two Saheeh’s of Bukhaaree and Muslim, and wrote books about the unidentified narrators in the wordings of the hadeeth, and in the chains of the hadeeth, was al-Khatteeb al-Baghdaadi, the historian and Scholar of hadeeth. He said, that this unnamed person was Sa’ad Ibn Ubaadah (radhiAllaahu anhu) from the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). An-Nawawee (rahimahullaah) in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim uses this to refute al-Qadi iyaat (correction?), the previous explainer of Saheeh Muslim, who came before him. Who said that the second man was a munaafiq. The second one who asked the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) was he from them, or could he make du’aa that Allaah make him from them, he was a hypocrite. An-Nawawee chose this quote from al-Khatteeb, that it was Sa’ad Ibn Ubaadah (radhiAllaahu anhu, and not a munaafiq. And this has more right to be followed, since the status of al-Khatteeb al-Baghdaadi, a great Scholar of hadeeth and narrations and chains. He would not take a guess, rather his ijtihaad - or his naming this unnamed person was based on his gathering of other narrations of the same hadeeth. So he pieced it together and came up with it being Sa’ad Ibn Ubaadah. It’s likely correct, without certainty, as I don’t have the narration to affirm it. In one narration of the same hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim it’s mentioned, and of course this hadeeth was narrated by other than Ibn Abbaas, by a number of Companions, I mean the hadeeth of the 70 thousand, the last part of the longer story that we have in front of us. This hadeeth was narrated by Imraan Ibn Husayn, narrated by Aboo Hurayrah (radhiAllaahu anhu). It was narrated by Sahl ibn Sa’ad and Ibn Abbaas as well. All four of those have their hadeeth represented in Saheeh Muslim. Other books of hadeeth contain other narrations, other than these four narrating the same hadeeth. It seems to be a hadeeth heard by many people, and narrated by many Companions. In the narration of Sahl ibn Sa’ad (radhiAllaahu anhu) in Saheeh Muslim #219, he said in a further description of those 70 thousand. Those people who have accomplished the great task of entering Jannah, the great goal of entering Paradise without any punishment or accountability. He attributed to the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) a further description of those 70 thousand. He said, holding onto each other, each one grabbing and holding onto each other. That they go into Jannah as a group, as one united group. The first of them do not enter without the last of them, meaning all 70 thousand will enter in one group all at once, not some of them before others. A further description comes from the narration of Aboo Hurayrah (radhiAllaahu anhu) of the 70 thousand. Not only is there description narrated, of what they did in the dunyah to become one of those 70 thousand, but that they will enter Paradise holding to each other as one big group consolidated, entering into Paradise at the same time. Further more Aboo Hurayrah (radhiAllaahu anhu) narrates this description attributing it to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) as found in Saheeh Muslim as well #216. He says, there will be a large group of my Ummaah, 70 thousand that will enter Paradise, their faces will shine and spread light like the illumination of the full moon at its brightest stage - on the 14th night of the lunar month, the night of al-Badr, the night of the full moon. And that shows you that they have another special distinction, and that is in the Hereafter, that their faces will be gleaming and shinning. O Allaah, amke me and all of the attendees from these people, aameen. In the same narration of Aboo Hurayrah, Ukkaashah, when he stood up he had some type of cloth with him that had strips or possibly spots, like maybe even leopard spots. He had some type of striped or spotted garment and he held it up, and gestured with it, when he called to the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihu wasallam), to ask him to make du’aa, or to ask him if he was from those 70 thousand. [Ahadeeth from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (taken from www.sahihalbukhari.com)] Narrated Ibn Abbaas: The Prophet once came out to us and said, "Some nations were displayed before me. A prophet would pass in front of me with one man, and another with two men, and another with a group of people. and another with nobody with him. Then I saw a great crowd covering the horizon and I wished that they were my followers, but it was said to me, 'This is Moses and his followers.' Then it was said to me, 'Look'' I looked and saw a big gathering with a large number of people covering the horizon. It was said, "Look this way and that way.' So I saw a big crowd covering the horizon. Then it was said to me, "These are your followers, and among them there are 70,000 who will enter Paradise without (being asked about their) accounts. " Then the people dispersed and the Prophet did not tell who those 70,000 were. So the companions of the Prophet started talking about that and some of them said, "As regards us, we were born in the era of heathenism, but then we believed in Allah and His Apostle . We think however, that these (70,000) are our offspring." That talk reached the Prophet who said, "These (70,000) are the people who do not draw an evil omen from (birds) and do not get treated by branding themselves and do not treat with ruqya, but put their trust (only) in their Lord." then 'Ukasha bin Muhsin got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Am I one of those (70,000)?" The Prophet said, "Yes." Then another person got up and said, "Am I one of them?" The Prophet said, " 'Ukasha has anticipated you. [Taken from sahihalbukhari.com (#5380)] Narrated Ibn Abbaas: Allaah’s Apostle said, “Seventy thousand people of my followers will enter Paradise without accounts, and they are those who do not practice Ar-ruqya and do not see an evil omen in things, and put their trust in their Lord. [Taken from sahihalbukhari.com (#6064)] Narrated Ibn Abbaas: The Prophet said, "The people were displayed in front of me and I saw one prophet passing by with a large group of his followers, and another prophet passing by with only a small group of people, and another prophet passing by with only ten (persons), and another prophet passing by with only five (persons), and another prophet passed by alone. And then I looked and saw a large multitude of people, so I asked Gabriel, "Are these people my followers?' He said, 'No, but look towards the horizon.' I looked and saw a very large multitude of people. Gabriel said. 'Those are your followers, and those are seventy thousand (persons) in front of them who will neither have any reckoning of their accounts nor will receive any punishment.' I asked, 'Why?' He said, 'For they used not to treat themselves with branding (cauterization) nor with ruqya (get oneself treated by the recitation of some Verses of the Qur'an) and not to see evil omen in things, and they used to put their trust (only) in their Lord." On hearing that, 'Ukasha bin Mihsan got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The Prophet said, "O Allah, make him one of them." Then another man got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." The Prophet said, 'Ukasha has preceded you." [Taken from sahihalbukhari.com (#6134)] [Ahadeeth from Saheeh Muslim:] Aboo Hurayrah (radhiAllaahu anhu) reported: I heard it from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) saying: A group of my nation consisting of seventy thousand people would enter Paradise; their faces would be as bright as the brightness of the moon. Aboo Hurayrah said: ‘Ukkaashah Ibn Mihsan al-Asadi then stood up wrapping the blanket around him and said: Messenger of Allaah, supplicate (before) Allaah that he should make me one among them. Upon this the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: O Allaah, make him among them. Then stood up a man from the Ansaar and said: Messenger of Allaah, pray to Allaah that he should make me one among them. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: Ukkaashah has preceded you in this matter. [Taken from ‘Saheeh Muslim rendered into English by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi’ (#216)] Imraan Ibn Husain reported: Verily the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: Seventy thousand men of my nation would enter Paradise without rendering account. They (the companions of the Prophet) said: Who would be those, Messenger of Allaah? He (the Prophet) said: They would be those who neither practise charm, nor take omens, nor do they cauterise, but they repose their trust in their Lord. [Taken from ‘Saheeh Muslim rendered into English by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi’ (#218)] Aboo Haazim narrated it on the authority of Ibn Sa’d that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: Seventy thousand people or seven hundred thousand of them would enter till the last among them would enter (therein); (they would enter simultaneously) and their faces would be bright like the full moon. [Taken from ‘Saheeh Muslim rendered into English by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi’ (#219)] So that’s what is related to the additional wordings, that have come on top of what is quoted here in Kitaab at-Tawheed by the author. May Allaah (Azzawajall) have mercy on him. Let’s look now at the 23 points by the explainer of the book, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullah). He says, here’s what you can understand from this hadeeth: ONE - the virtues of our Salaf. Meaning Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan and Sa’id Ibn Jubayr. That what they used to see in the skies of special events, like a shooting star, they used to consider it from the signs of Allaah. Something special created by Allaah for the people to see. Not something that happens as some kind of physical event that has no explanation, and there is nothing special about it. But they used to consider it an ayaah - an amazing sign from the signs of Allaah (Azzawajall). TWO - the keenness of the Salaf in how they used to be sincere, and stay so far away from showing off. How was this understood? Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sulami, he said when he mentioned he was up at the time, meaning late in the night, when Sa’id Ibn Jubayr said, who was up and saw that shooting star last night? He said, I was, but I wasn’t praying. His statement, I wasn’t praying. It showed that he did not want anyone to think that he was praying, when he wasn’t actually praying. It shows how much they used to think about being sincere to Allaah and not wanting the praise of the people. Especially for things that they did not do. It shows they were afraid of hypocrisy. How is that? Allaah (Azzawajall) has described the hypocrites, Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done, - think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment. [Soorah Al-Imraan(3):188] The hypocrites loved to be praised for what they have not done. So you understand from Allaah’s description of the hypocrites, that they love to be praised for things they didn’t even do. So we can understand from that that the believers who are sincere, hate to be praised for things that they didn’t do. Here we have an example of that in Husyan Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan, may Allaah (Azzawajall) have mercy on him. That he hated to be praised for something that he didn’t do. So much so that he would volunteer before anyone even thought about it, that he had not been praying. He was just up late because he was stung by a scorpion, and he was seeking a healing from Allaah, seeking healing from Allaah by reading Qur’aan and asking Allaah for healing. THREE - when you have a madhaab, or a position on an issue, that you should be asked for your evidence. You should be able to present your evidence. Evidence should be a focus. As we see here that our Salaf used to focus on evidences. He didn’t say, what’s your opinion about the ruqeeyah that you have done? He said, what is it that caused you to get that ruqeeyah? Meaning, narrate to me that which you use as your grounds for the permissibility of performing a ruqeeyah. Then he narrated what he had. So it shows that Sa’id Ibn Jubayr was testing his student with knowledge of the proofs behind why he did what he did, or behind the action that he performed. And that our Salaf used to focus on the proofs. FOUR - the legislation of stopping where the evidence stops, and acting by what you know. And that whoever acts by that what he knows, and stops at that point and doesn’t go beyond that, then he has done well. This point is illustrated in the statement of Sa’id Ibn Jubayr (rahimahullaah). When he said to Husayn that statement of his, the one who has heard something - meaning that he narrates from the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) or he has his proof. That’s all he has in the case, he acts by that, then he has done well. This is along with Sa’id wanting to correct him and guide him to something thtat is better. So Husyan understood that ruqeeyahs are permissible, but Sa’id Ibn Jubayr wanted to guide him to something that was better than that. So instead of correcting him and presenting the issue as if he misunderstood it, he approved of his understanding, and then he built upon it. That is a beautiful way of teaching, and that’s related to the next point by Shaykh al-Fawzaan. FIVE - to convey knowledge in a good way with good manners and with wisdom. So here we see Sa’id wants to teach him and he wants to correct him. How does he do it? By praising him for the good that he has, and then building upon that. That which would make the student inclined towards accepting it. Imagine had he said, you don’t know what I know, rather I know something more applicable than you know, and he opposes him with a kind of clear opposition. Instead of agreeing with him and building on what he said. You would see that perhaps his response would not be so well. Here we see the good example of Sa’id Ibn Jubayr, the Imaam of the Tabi’een. SIX - the permissibility of ruqeeyahs. Again the ruqeeyah is what? To read the Qur’aan with ones hand over a place of ailment or sickness. To read the Qur’aan as a healing or to make supplications, either in clear Arabic or according to not all of the Scholars, but in clear language other than Arabic. Some Scholars say that it has to be in Arabic only, however Allaah knows best, seems it’s closer to what is correct that it has to be in clear language, if it’s not Arabic. Meaning not phrases and mumblings, and this is sadly widespread in the Arab world. You’ll find the man in the hospital have his family come and visit him, and they’ll put a hand over his place of ailment, and they’ll start mumbling. You could not ask them what they are saying because perhaps they don’t even know. Perhaps they are evil people doing magic on him, and asking Shayateen to harm him. Perhaps they are good people who simply have blindly followed others in this application of a ruqeeyah. And this is the ruqeeyah gheer Shar’iayah, not the ruqeeyah spoken of in this hadeeth, not the ruqeeyah that’s acceptable to Allaah (Azzawajall). The ruqeeyah that is acceptable to Allaah is firstly and fore mostly based upon Tawheed. Asking Allaah Alone, turning to Allaah Alone. That’s where the Tawheed comes in when we say it’s better that you don’t seek a ruqeeyah, because when you say, I want the Shaykh to read the Qur’aan on me, do you see that the person’s reliance on Allaah Alone may be weakened? It may be deficient, it maybe that his reliance has shifted somewhat to that Shaykh, or that reciter of Qur’aan, or that person who’s going to perform the ruqeeyah. So here to stay away from anything that could affect our Tawheed the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) legislated for us to stay away from seeking ruqeeyahs from people, and to rely upon Allaah (Azzawajall) Alone. While it’s permissible to seek a ruqeeyah from another person. SEVEN - how someone can guide another person from doing what is permissible and no blame on it, to doing something that is better than it. As Sa’id Ibn Jubayr led Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan to an action better than what he was doing. To refrain from seeking a ruqeeyah from someone else. EIGHT - this shows you the great status of our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in how he was shown his followers before his death, in his lifetime, he was shown the followers would come and be with him on the Day of Judgement. We don’t know that this has been reported from other Prophets, or this being given as a gift or a blessing of Allaah to any of the other Prophets. That they were shown their followers. And it shows that our Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) had many special virtues that other Prophets did not share. NINE - that the Prophets vary in their number of followers. Not all of the Prophets had a large number of followers. Rather some of the Prophets mentioned explicitly in this hadeeth had one or two followers and their was a Prophet that had no one with him, meaning no one answered his call. TEN - if we believe what the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) has told us about the future, that there are some Prophets that will come on the Day of Judgement having no followers with them, of course those Prophets are upon the Truth, and it wasn’t because they couldn’t convey the message, or that their arguments were not clear. Rather Allaah establishes proofs upon the creation by way of the Messengers. Rather it’s due to the majority of people, the vast majority of the people in some times and some places being neglectful of the reminders and teachings of their Prophets. So the tenth point is a refutation of those who give too much credit to the majority and what they are doing, and they think that the truth is something that must be connected to the majority of the people. This is an excellent point and it’s very much related to our manhaj. How we receive our knowledge and how we stay firm and steadfast upon the Truth when it has reached us. We ask Allaah (Azzawajall) to grant us stability and to not let us get confused by the large numbers of the people of falsehood and ignorance, and argumentation and innovation. Of the majority of the people who ascribe to Islaam are of this category. Look at how Allaah (Azzawajall) mentions the majority in the Qur’aan. So many verses in the Qur’aan “Verily, your Lord is full of grace for mankind, yet most of them do not give thanks.” [Soorah An-Naml(27):73] It is He Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), eyes (sight), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give. [Soorah Al-Mu’minun(23):78] Allaah, it is He Who has made the night for you that you may rest therein and the day for you to see. Truly, Allaah is full of bounty to mankind; yet, most of mankind give no thanks. [Soorah Ghaafir(40):61] And Allaah says: And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allaah’s path. They follow nothing but conjectures, and they do nothing but lie. [Soorah Al-An’aam(6):116] And Allaah says: And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. [Soorah Yoosuf(12):103] And And indeed We have fully explained to mankind, in this Qur’aan, every kind of similitude, but most of mankind refuse (the truth and accept nothing) but disbelief. [Soorah Al-Israa(15):89] And Allaah says: Say: “All the praises and thanks be to Allaah!” But most of them know not. [Soorah Luqmaan(31):25] So if you think about Allaah (Azzawajall) mentions the majority in His Qur’aan, it’s in a negative way, not being praised. So why would we be led into confusion by what the majority are doing? Why do you hear some Muslims who follow this Book, that I quoted a number of ayaats from, saying, how can that be the true practice, or how could that be the Sunnah, when most of the Muslims never even heard of that. You see clearly that the majority, most of the Muslims, has no weight, no angle in the discussion about the religion of Allaah. What matters is, what Allaah has said, what His Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) has said and what our Salaf understood and practiced. That’s our religion. And the majority as we see, are in many cases, astray. They don’t use their minds, they don’t use their intellects, they don’t give thanks, they don’t believe and so on. ELEVEN - it’s an obligation to follow the Truth, even if the people who follow the Truth are very few. As attributed to a number of Sahaabah or a number of the Salaf. They said that the Jamaa’ah can be one, that we are required to follow Ahl-us-Sunnah-wal-Jamaa’ah even if it is one person. Even if the man on the Haqq is only one man. So we are required to follow the Truth even if the people who follow it are few. And we see that from the idea of a Prophet being sent having one or two followers. TWELVE - the virtues of Moosa and their people. Out of all of the previous Prophets, Moosa was mentioned here with the largest following, right before the mention of the large following of our Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). THIRTEEN - the virtues of the followers, the nation of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). And that they are the most out of all of the nations in following their Prophet. FOURTEEN - the virtues of actualizing Tawheed and implementing it, and its reward. Meaning the entrance to Paradise with no accountability and no punishment. FIFTH TEEN - the permissibility of debates or discussions and mutual research together, regarding the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, to benefit each other. And to allow the Truth to take its place, in front of mistakes or misunderstandings. SIXTEEN - the deep understanding that our Salaf had, specifically the Companions, from the foremost of our Salaf. When the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned that there are people who will enter Paradise with no accountability and no punishment, then they began to make guesses about who those people are. And their guesses were all related to things that people have done, actions that they have done. The people born into Islaam and they never, ever made shirk, they only worshipped Allaah. Or the people who have been continuously in the company of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). It shows that they were trying to find out, who gets that special virtue, only thinking about actions. Not thinking about mere belief, mere certainty or mere inner sincerity and the likes. Rather, they thought about actions and what action would lead a person to gain in that status. SEVENTEEN - that the Salaf used to be very vigilant about things that were good and beneficial. And they used to compete and race each other in good deeds. EIGHTEEN - that to abandon cauterization - that’s branding oneself with something that is hot at the time of illness to distract yourself of the pain of another place - or the ruqeeyah. Some of the Scholars have said that the ruqeeyah here means the ruqeeyah itself, you doing a ruqeeyah on yourself or having it done by someone else, seeking it from someone else. They said leaving that is better, and that seems to be the understanding of Sa’id Ibn Jubayr from this hadeeth that we have looked at. That it’s not mentioned clearly that Husayn Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan sought a ruqeeyah from someone else, or he was doing a ruqeeyah on himself. It seems to be the case that he was likely doing the ruqeeyah himself, and Allaah knows best. So Sa’id Ibn Jubayr seemed to understand that it’s better for him to not even do a ruqeeyah for himself. But in actuality what better seems to be the better case in this issue of differing, if we understand that the ruqeeyah is Tawheed, its asking Allaah for the cure, and Allaah loves to be asked. Will we tell a person who has a pain in his stomach, and he puts his hand on his stomach, the du’aa of asking Allaah for healing. O Allaah, Lord of the people, remove the pain, remove the harm. And cure me with a curing that doesn’t leave behind any sickness. Are we going to tell him that your Tawheed would be better, you will be upon a better level of Tawheed if you didn’t do that. While he has just made the very best kind of supplication, he has just made du’aa to Allaah Alone to heal him. Who will tell him that better Tawheed is to not do that? Or will we say, you have done well, you have implemented your Tawheed? Here we would say clearly, implement your Tawheed, make that du’aa, seek the ruqeeyah from Allaah. And then we’ll go with the statement of the Scholars who say, seeking the ruqeeyah from someone else is disliked. And this is what Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan mentions in his explanation of the book, I read it from him in the city of Madina one time. He said that ‘istirkaa’ (correction?) is to seek the ruqeeyah from someone else because it’s disliked to seek things from other people. And from a person’s completeness of his eemaan and Tawheed is that he does not seek things from other people. On the authority of Abul’Abbaas ‘Abdullaah ibn Abbaas (radhiAllaahu anhu) that he said: One day, I was behind the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) so he said to me: “O young man, I am going to teach you some words. Be mindful of Allaah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allaah, and you will find Him facing you. If you ask, then ask of Allaah. If you seek aid, then seek aid in Allaah. [Taken from , ‘Explanatory Notes on Imaam an-Nawawee’s 40 Ahadeeth,’ by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (page #98). Reported by At-Tirmidhee (#2516), Imaam al-Albaanee declared it Saheeh, at-Tirmidhee stated it is Hasan Saheeh; Imaam Ahmad in al-Musnad #2669] If you ask, ask Allaah Alone. Don’t even ask the people for permissible things that they can give you and it’s not a violation of your Tawheed. But the actual completion of Tawheed is to leave alone the people and what they can do for you, not to ask them for anything. We know that the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) identified not asking the people for anything ever, absolutely one of the ways how you could make it to Paradise. NINETEEN - that it’s legislated or it’s permissible to seek the supplication to Allaah Alone, made to you by a pious, virtuous person during his lifetime. Meaning you can go to a person you know to be a good Muslim and you say make du’aa for me. And that’s understood from Ukkaashah’s standing up and saying, O messenger of Allaah make du’aa for me to the end of his statement. TWENTY - a sign of the miraculous knowledge of the unseen that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) was given, he told us that Ukkaashah ibn Mihsan was from the people of Paradise. And he was killed as a martyr in the battles against the apostates, along with Khaalid Ibn Waalid (radhiAllaahu anhuma). TWENTY-ONE - the virtues of Ukkaashah Ibn Mihsan. TWENTY-TWO - the usage of words that are like a little bit of a trick, but truthful. He said Ukkaashah beat you to it, instead of saying you are not from those people. It was good character from the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) that made him do that. He didn’t say, no you are not from them. He said, Ukkaashah beat you to it, in a very nice way. TWENTY-THREE - to close the door for anyone else asking the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), asking Allaah, am I from those people, to make me from those people. He sort of shut it down for everyone. Not only that questioner, for anyone who was thinking of doing that. To ask the same thing after him, by saying, Ukkaashah already beat you to it. And of course from the Sahahbah there were very likely people there that were from the 70 thousand. You have in the ranks the likes of Aboo Hurayrah, Sa’il Ibn Sa’ad, Imraan Ibn Husayn and likely many other great Sahabah who were there. So it’s not that none of them other than Ukkaashah would be from the 70 thousand, but Ukkaashah was from the, and he wanted to close the door from everyone asking for the same thing. And Allaah (Azzawajall) knows best. And we’ll close the class with that, the benefits we mentioned from this great hadeeth. Sending salaat and salaam from Allaah upon His final Messenger, and saying Allaah (Azzawajall) knows best. CLASS #6 CLASS #6 1 1