As7ab al u5dood

[.: Anna :.]

Salam :)

Here can you add any info you find about As7ab al u5dud, the people of the trench :up: Firstly I've some info abt surat al burooj which mentions them... will find n post some more ia

Surat ul burooj
Name

The Surah is so designated after the word al buruj appearing in the first verse.
Period of Revelation

The subject matter itself indicates that this Surah was sent down at Makkah in the period when persecution of the Muslims was at its climax and the disbelievers of Makkah were trying their utmost by tyranny and coercion to turn away the new converts from Islam.
Theme and Subject Matter

Its theme is to warn the disbelievers of the evil consequences of the persecution and tyranny that they were perpetrating on the converts to Islam, and to console the believers, so as to say: "If you remain firm and steadfast against tyranny and coercion, you will be rewarded richly for it, and Allah will certainly avenge Himself on your persecutors on your behalf."
In this connection, first of all the story of the people of the ditch (ashab al-ukhdud) had been related, who had burnt the believers to death by casting them into pits full of fire. By means of this story the believers and the disbelievers have been taught a few lessons. First, that just as the people of the ditch became worthy of Allah's curse and punishment, so are the chiefs of Makkah also becoming worthy of it. Second, that just as the believers at that time had willingly accepted to sacrifice their lives by being burnt to death in the pits of fire instead of turning away from the faith, so also the believers now should endure every persecution but should never give up the faith. Third, that Gods acknowledging Whom displeases the disbelievers and is urged on by the believers, is Dominant and Master of the Kingdom of the earth and heavens; He is self-praiseworthy and is watching what the two groups are striving for. Therefore, it is certain that the disbelievers will not only be punished in Hell for their disbelief but, more than that, they too will suffer punishment by fire as a fit recompense for their tyranny and cruelties. Likewise, this also is certain that those, who believe and follow up their belief with good deeds, should go to Paradise and this indeed is the supreme success. Then the disbelievers have been warned, so as to say: "God's grip is very severe. If you are proud of the strength of your hosts, you should know that the hosts of Pharaoh and Thamud were even stronger and more numerous. Therefore, you should learn a lesson from the fate they met. God's power has so encompassed you that you cannot escape His encirclement, and the Qur'an that you are bent upon belying, is unchangeable: it is inscribed in the Preserved Tablet, which cannot be corrupted in any way."

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Pit: A Story of Endurance
http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/trick.gif By Sheikh Sayyid Qutb (http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/04.shtml#Author)
http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/Images/PIC04.jpg

Egyptian Muslim Intellectual
The story of the people of the pit is a good example of endurance and steadfastness. These people burned to death those who believed in Allah, but the believers never gave up their faith. Allah perpetuates their story in a whole Qur'anic surah, Al-Buruj. Sheikh Sayyid Qutb comments on the verses relating the story of these great people. [Slain be the men of the Pit, the fire abounding in fuel, when they sat around it, watching what they did to the believers. They took vengeance on them for no reason save that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty. The Praised One, the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, Who witnesses all things.] (Al-Buruj 85:4-9)
In the above verses, the reference to the event of the men of the pit (ashab al-ukhdud) starts with a declaration of anger with them: [Slain be the men of the Pit]. It also gives an impression of the enormity of the crime which invokes the displeasure and anger of the All-Clement and makes Him threaten the perpetrators. Then we have a description of the pit: [The fire abounding in fuel.] The literal meaning of pit is a hole in the ground, but the surah defines it as "the fire" instead of using the term trench or hole in order to give an impression that the whole pit was turned into a blazing fire.
The men of the pit aroused Allah's wrath for the evil crime they committed [When they sat around it, watching what they did to the believers.] They sat over the fire, very close to this horrifying process, watching the various stages of torture, madly enjoying the burning of human flesh in order to perpetuate in their minds this ghastly scene. The believers had not committed any crime or evil deed against those people:[They took vengeance on them for no reason save that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty, the Praised One, the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth, Who witnesses all things.]
That was their only crime: that they believed in Allah, the All-Mighty Who can do what He wills, the Praised Lord Who deserves praise for every situation and Who is praised even though the ignorant do not praise Him. He is the Lord Who deserves to be believed in and worshiped. He is the sole sovereign of the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He witnesses all things and He is a witness to what the men of the pit have done to the believers. This verse carries a reassuring touch to the believers and a powerful threat to the conceited tyrants. Allah has been a witness and He suffices for a witness.
The narration of the event is completed in a few short verses which charge the heart with a feeling of repugnance towards the terrible crime and its evil perpetrators. They also invite us to contemplate what lies beyond the event, its importance in the sight of Allah, and what it has aroused of Allah's wrath. It is a matter which is not yet completed: Its conclusion lies with Allah. As the narration of the event is concluded, we feel our hearts overwhelmed by the magnificence of faith as it exalts the believers and attains its triumph over the hardships and over life itself. We feel the elevation of the believers as they rid themselves of the handicaps of human desires and worldly temptation.
The believers could have easily saved their lives by accepting the tyrants' terms. But what a loss humanity as a whole would have incurred! How great the loss would have been had they killed that sublime concept of the worthlessness of life without faith, its ugliness without freedom, and its baseness when the tyrants are left free to exercise their tyranny over the souls after they have exercised it over the bodies. But they have won a very noble and sublime concept while they felt the scorch of the fire burning their bodies. Their noble concept has triumphed as it was purified by the fire. They will, later on, have their reward from Allah and their tyrannic enemies will have their retribution.
The surah goes on to explain that those who persecute the believers, men and women, and do not repent shall suffer the chastisement of Hell, the chastisement of burning. But those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens with flowing rivers; that is the great success. What has happened on earth in the first life is not the end of the story. There remains a part which will come later. There remains the allocation of awards which will restore the balance of justice and provide the final settlement of what had taken place between the believers and the tyrants.
That it will come is certain and confirmed by Allah: [Those who persecute the believers, men and women] and persist with their evil ways, careless, unrepentant [and do not repent shall suffer the chastisement of Hell, the chastisement of burning.] Burning is specified although it is also implied by the chastisement of Hell. It earns its specific mention in order to serve as a counterpart to the burning in the pit. Although the same word signifying the action is used, the two types of burning are dissimilar in intensity and duration. The burning here is by fire lit by human beings while the burning in the hereafter is by fire lit by the Creator. The burning here is over in a few minutes while in the hereafter it goes on for ages unknown except to Allah. The burning here is accompanied with Allah's pleasure with the believers, and with the triumph of that noble human concept referred to earlier, while in the hereafter the burning is attended by Allah's anger and man's abject degradation.
Paradise symbolizes Allah's pleasure with the righteous believers and His reward to them. But those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens with flowing rivers. That is the real escape: [that is the great success.] The Arabic term used here connotes escape, success, and triumph. To escape the punishment of the hereafter is to achieve success. How to describe, then, the reward of gardens where the rivers flow! With this conclusion, justice is restored and the whole question is finally resolved. What has taken place on earth is no more than one part; the matter remains unfinished here. This is the fact emphasized by this initial comment on the pit incident, so that it may be fully comprehended by the few believers who have accepted the faith in Makkah, and by every group of believers subjected to trail and tyranny in any period of history.
http://www.islamonline.net/english/ramadan/1427/images/articles_03.gif http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/trick.gif http://www.islamonline.net/english/ramadan/1427/images/articles_01.gif Related Links
Determination vs. Starvation (http://islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/01.shtml)
Weak Willpower? Never! (http://islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/02.shtml)
When Islam Almost Vanished (http://islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/03.shtml)http://www.islamonline.net/english/ramadan/1427/images/articles_12.gif http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/trick.gif http://www.islamonline.net/english/ramadan/1427/images/articles_10.gif * (http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1427/MaliciousAttempts/04.shtml#11) This article is based on the English translation of the author's work Fi Zilal Al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Qur'an), Volume 18, Pages 140-143, Trans. and ed. by Adil Salahi, published by The Islamic Foundation and IslamOnline.net. Sheikh Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) was a prominent and influential Muslim intellectual and writer. He wrote many books about Islam and its distinctive features as a comprehensive way of life. Among his most important works is his exegesis of the Qur'an, In the Shade of the Qur'an, which found outstanding popularity and welcome among Muslims.

[.: Anna :.]

There is a narration in sahih muslim about the mother and the baby at the fire pit but i cant find it so could someone please post it if u have this

[Al-Mujaddidah]

There is a narration in sahih muslim about the mother and the baby at the fire pit but i cant find it so could someone please post it if u have this

عن صهيب الرومي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال
(كان ملك فيمن كان قبلكم وكان له ساحر فلما كبر الساحر، قال للملك: إني قد كبرت سني وحضر أجلي فادفع إلى غلاماً، لأعمله السحر، فدفع إليه غلاماً فكان يعلمه السحر، وكان بين الملك وبين الساحر راهب، فأتى الغلام على الراهب فسمع من كلامه فأعجبه نحوه وكلامه، وكان إذا أتى الساحر ضربه، وقال: ما حبسك، وإذا أتى أهله ضربوه، وقالوا ما حبسك، فشكا ذلك إلى الراهب، فقال: إذا أراد الساحر أن يضربك فقل حبسني أهلي، وإذا أراد أهلك أن يضربوك فقل حبسني الساحر قال: فبينما هو ذات يوم إذ أتى على دابة فظيعة عظيمة، قد حبست الناس، فلا يستطيعون أن يجوزوا، فقال: اليوم أعلم أمر الساحر أحب إلى الله أم أمر الراهب: قال فأخذ حجراً فقال: اللهم إن كان أمر الراهب أحب إليك وأرضى من أمر الساحر فاقتل هذه الدابة حتى يجوز الناس ورماها فقتلها ومضى، فأخبر الراهب بذلك، فقال: أي بني أنت أفضل مني وإنك ستبتلى فإن ابتليت فلا تدل عليّ، فكان الغلام يبريء الأكمه والأبرص وسائر الأدواء، ويشفيهم الله على يديه، وكان جليس للملك فعمي، فسمع به فأتاه بهدايا كثيرة فقال: اشفني ولك ما ههنا أجمع، فقال: ما أنا أشفي أحد إنما يشفي الله عز وجل، فإن آمنت به ودعوت الله شفاك فآمن فدعا الله فشفاه، ثم أتى الملك فجلس منه نحو ما كان يجلس فقال له الملك: يا فلان من رد عليك بصرك، فقال ربي، قال أنا، قال لا ربي وربك الله، قال ولك رب غيري، قال نعم، ربي وربك الله، فلم يزل يعذبه حتى دل على الغلام، فأتى به، فقال: أي بني بلغ من سحرك أن تبريء الأكمه والأبرص، وهذه الأدواء، قال: ما أشفي أنا أحداً إنما يشفي الله عز وجل قال أنا، قال: لا، قال أو لك رب غيري، قال: ربي وربك الله قال: فأخذ أيضاً بالعذاب، ولم يزل به، حتى دل على الراهب، فأتى الراهب، فقال: ارجع عن دينك فأبى، فوضع المنشار في مفرق رأسه، حتى وقع شقاه، وقال للأعمى: أرجع عن دينك فأبى، فوضع المنشار في مفرق رأسه، حتى وقع شقاه، وقال للغلام: ارجع عن دينك فأبى فبعث به مع نفر إلى جبل كذا وكذا وقال: إذا بلغتم ذروته فإن رجع عن دينه وإلا فدهدوه، فذهبوا به، فلما علوا الجبل قال: اللهم أكفنيهم بما شئت، فرجف بهم الجبل، فدهدوا أجمعون، وجاء الغلام يتلمس حتى دخل على الملك فقال: ما فعل أصحابك فقال: كفانيهم الله، فبعث به مع نفر في قرقرة فقال: إذا لججتم البحر، فإن رجع عن دينه، وإلا فاغرقوه في البحر فلججوا به فقال الغلام: اللهم اكفنيهم بما شئت، فغرقوا أجمعون وجاء الغلام حتى دخل على الملك فقال: ما فعل أصحابك فقال: كفانيهم الله، ثم قال للملك: إنك لست بقاتلي حتى تفعل ما أمرك به، فإن أنت فعلت ما آمرك به قتلتني، وإلا فإنك لا تستطيع قتلي، قال وما هو، قال: تجمع الناس في صعيد واحد، ثم تصلبني على جذع، وتأخذ سهماً من كنانتي، ثم قل: بسم الله رب الغلام فوقع السهم في صدغه، فوضع الغلام يده على موضع السهم ومات، فقال الناس: آمنا برب الغلام آمنا برب الغلام فقيل للملك أرأيت ما كنت تحذر فقد والله نزل بك، قد آمن الناس كلهم فأمر بأفواه السكك فحفر فيها الأخاديد، وأضرمت فيها النيرات، وقال: من رجع عن دينه فدعوه، وإلا فأقحموه فيها، وقال فكانوا يتعادون فيها، ويتواقعون، فجاءت امرأة بابن لها ترضعه، فكأنها تقاعست أن تقع في النار، فقال الصبي:
اصبري يا أماه فإنك على الحق

[Al-Mujaddidah]

Suhaib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) thus said:

“There lived a king before you and he had a (court) magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the king: I have grown old, send some young boy to me so that I should teach him magic. He (the king) sent him a young boy so that he should train him (in magic). And on his way (to the magician) he (the young boy) found a monk sitting there. He listened to the monk’s talk and was impressed by it. It became his habit to pass by the monk and spend the time with him listening to his teachings and then leave to the magician late. He (the magician) beat him because of delay. He made a complaint of that to the monk and he said to him: When you feel afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family detained me. And when you feel afraid of your family you should say: The magician detained me. It so happened that there came a huge beast (of prey) and it blocked the way of the people, and he (the young boy) said: I will come to know today whether the magician is superior or the monk is superior. He picked up a stone and said: O Allah, if the affair of the monk is dearer to You than the affair of the magician, cause death to this animal so that the people should be able to move about freely. He threw that stone at it and killed it, and the people began to move about (on the path freely). He then came to that monk and informed him and the monk said: Son, today you are superior to me. Your affair has come to a stage where I find that you would be soon put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial don’t give a clue of me. That young man began to treat the blind and those suffering from leprosy. He, in fact, began to cure people from (all kinds) of illness. When a companion of the king who had gone blind heard about him, he came to him with numerous gifts and said: If you cure me, all these things collected together here will be yours. He said: I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah Who cures, and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also supplicate Allah to cure you. He affirmed his faith in Allah and Allah cured him and he came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The king said to him: Who restored your eyesight? He said: My Lord! The king was astounded: Does it mean that your Lord is another One besides me? He said: My Lord and your Lord is Allah. So he (the king) took hold of him and tormented him till he gave a clue of that boy. The young man was thus summoned and the king said to him: O boy, it has been conveyed to me that you have become so proficient in your magic that you cure the blind and those suffering from leprosy and you do such and such things. The boy said: I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Who cures. The king took hold of him and began to torment him. Eventually the boy gave a clue of the monk. The monk was thus summoned and it was said to him: You should turn back from your religion. He, however, refused to do so. He (the king) ordered for a saw to be brought, (and when it was done) he (the king) placed it in the middle of his head and tore it into parts till a part fell down. Then the courtier of the king was brought and it was said to him: Turn back from your religion. And he refused to do so, and the saw was placed in the middle of his head and it was torn till a part fell down. Then that young boy was brought and it was said to him: Turn back from your religion. He refused to do so and he was handed over to a group of his courtiers. The king ruled: Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its top (ask him to renounce his faith) but if he refuses to do so, then throw him (down the mountain). So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: O Allah, save me from them (in any way) You like. And the mountain began to quake and they all fell down and that person came walking to the king. The king said to him: What has happened to your companions (the courtiers)? He said: Allah has saved me from them. He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: Take him and carry him in a small boat and when you reach the middle of the ocean ask him to renounce his religion, but if he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water). So they took him and the boy said: O Allah, save me from them and what they want to do. It was quite soon that the boat turned over and they were drowned and he came walking to the king, and the king said to him: What has happened to your companions (the courtiers)? He said: Allah has saved me from them. And he said to the king: You cannot kill me until you do what I ask you to do. And he said: What is that? He said: You should gather people in a plain and hang me by the trunk (of a tree). Then take hold of an arrow from the quiver and say: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the worlds; then shoot an arrow and if you do that then you would be able to kill me. The king called the people in an open plain and tied the boy to the trunk of a tree, then he took hold of an arrow from his quiver and then placed the arrow in the bow and then said: In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the young boy. He then shot an arrow and it pierced his temple. He (the boy) placed his hands upon the temple where the arrow had pierced him and he died and the people said: We affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man, we affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man. The courtiers came to the king and it was said to him: Do you see that Allah has actually done what you aimed at averting? They (the people) have affirmed their faith in the Lord. The king commanded ditches to be dug at certain points in the path. When these ditches were dug and the fire was lit in them, it was said (to the people): He who would not turn back from his (the boy’s) religion would be thrown in the fire or it would be said to them to jump in it. (The people courted death but did not renounce religion) till a woman came with her child and she felt hesitant in jumping into the fire and the child said to her: O mother, endure (this ordeal) for it is the Truth.”

(Transmitted by Imam Ahmad, Imam Muslim and An-Nasa’i from the Hadith of Hammad Ibn Salamah).

[Abu Mus'ab]

I've got a pdf about the people of the ditch.

I'm uploading it *Roll Eyes*

[Al-Mujaddidah]

I've got a pdf about the people of the ditch.

I'm uploading it *Roll Eyes*

i know which one you're talking about
i was uploading it aswell :rolleyes:

[Abu Mus'ab]

i know which one you're talking about
i was uploading it aswell :rolleyes:
The one by TP *Roll Eyes*

[Al-Mujaddidah]

:rolleyes:

[.: Anna :.]

oh i didnt see these replies til now. u put the arabic n everything masha allah :d jazakallah khayr

[Al-Mujaddidah]

wa iyyaaki :D

[Abu Mus'ab]

I know i'm late with the link,but it's not my fault *Roll Eyes*

People of the Ditch (http://www.archive.org/download/The_People_Of_The_Ditch/Ditch.pdf)

[Abu Hurairah]

Jezak'illah sooo much Ukthy Anna, Ukthy Al-Mujaddidah, and Akhy Abu Musab- your posts and this thread are all very beneficial alhamdulillah. :up:

[.: Anna :.]

I found somethings else about this from ilm fruit. Its a few parts. the first part is the hadith already above so I will start from part two onwards, insha Allah

The People of the Ditch (2): The Hatred of the Quraish (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-2/)

January 6, 2006 on 11:47 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) When the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) first claimed prophethood, Abu Dhar sent his brother to Mecca to investigate and see information he could turn up. His brother investigated and returned. He said (to the meaning of): “A person claims prophethood. The people call him a liar.” Abu Dhar said (to the meaning of): “that’s not enough information, I will go myself and find out more.” (Bear in mind this is a time and place where whole tribes convert or fight Islam whole-scale based on their leaders.) Abu Dhar (radiallahu ‘an) returned to Mecca. Back then, the ka’bah was a holy site. He figured the Prophet, whoever he was, would eventually end up there. So he lurked around, looking at people. But he didn’t know what the Prophet looked like, and he didn’t ask.
He lurked, and he lurked. And finally, he “felt a weakness towards the people”, and decided to ask the smallest person there–so he wouldn’t get beat up or anything. So he walks up to this small person and says, “Who is this person who claims to be a prophet?” and the guy shouted “asabi, asabi” (indicating that Abu Dhar was a supporter of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)). So the people jumped him, and he lost conciousness.
When he awoke, he felt “like a red idol”–in the ka’bah, pools of blood around him, and his person covered with blood. That’s how intensely the people hated the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)–here was a man who didn’t even support him, and they beat him into unconciousness. Subhanallah.

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Ditch (3): Oppression, Magic, and the Monk (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-3/)

January 7, 2006 on 12:11 am | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) During the time of these people, they had a king who claimed he was Allah–similar to how Fir’aun, in the Qur’an, claims to be Allah.
There is no oppresser that maintains his power without magic.
Even today? you might ask.
Even today.
In the Qur’an, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:
قَالَ أَلْقُوْاْ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْاْ سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ
Translation: Moses said “Throw ye (first).” So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them: for they showed a great (feat of) magic (Surah Al-Araf, 7:116).1
The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: Some eloquent speech is as effective as magic.2 This is because they change the internal worlds of people, they bewitch the mind of the people and strike terror in their hearts.
If you look at TV and the mass-media outlets of our society, and the anti-da’wah effect on the masses of people, you’ll find indisputable evidence. Are all Muslims not branded as terrorists? Doesn’t the news focus on negative events–murder, theft, terrorism? Modern-day magic.
Kings employ spies. Spies deceive the people and push them to submission of the king. But spies are the most pathetic of people–even more pathetic than the king. Why?
The king employs spies. From their efforts, he gains fame and power–the dunya. The spies torture people–the king pays them minimum wage to protect him and his interests. Spies never get the dunya (worldly life). And for their torture, they accrue massive amounts of sins, so they lose the akhira (afterlife).
There’s an Arabic proverb: “You have found the gift of Sinemar.” Sinemar was a superb engineer and architect. He built a palace for the king, then approached his king and said “I built this awesome palace for you. But there’s one stone in it, and only I know where it is–if I remove it, the whole palace crumbles to the ground. I’m protectecting it, aren’t I so cool?” So the king said “You’re the only one who knows where it is?” And the architect said “Yes.” So the king killed him. Why? He doesn’t care–he just protects his own interests.
Magicians are kuffar (disbelievers). The hadith (http://www.ilmfruits.com/what-is-a-hadith/) of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) illustrates it clearly: “The punishment of the magician is two strikes of the sword.” The first, to kill him, the second to ensure his death.
In the hadith, the word used to describe the monk–rahib–indicates that this took place during the time of Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him. The word rahib also indicates the monk was a scholar, a learned person.
When the boy arrived late at the Magician’s den (from his talk with the Monk), the magician beat him. And when the boy returned home late (from his talk with the Monk), his family beat him. He complained to the Monk, who said “If you fear a beating from your family, tell your family that the magician kept you late. And if you fear a beating from the magician, tell him your family kept you late.”
The Monk was a pious man, and one of the Muslims of the time. How, then, could he encourage a boy to lie?
Allahu ‘alim. Stay tuned and we’ll find out in part four inshaAllah :)

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Ditch (4): The Boy and the Beast (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-4/)

January 22, 2006 on 10:10 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The lie of the scholar/monk to the boy falls under the three types of acceptable lies (http://www.ilmfruits.com/three-acceptable-types-of-lies/), a situation of war.
A beast blocked the path of the people. The boy said: “O Allah, if the monk is dearer to you, then kill the beast.” He threw the stone, hit the beast, and it died. (The people came to celebrate him as a great hero.)
Notice the natural inclination of the boy–to help the people. He’s attached to the people, he knew the truth, and wanted to help the people. Note also his bias towards the monk–when he made du’a, he asked about the monk. He didn’t say “O Allah, if the magician is more hated to you” or “O Allah, if the magician is more beloved to you”. He ties his love of Allah to his love of the monk. Subhanallah.
Fundamental Da’wah Technique: Make yourself likable to the recipient. In people’s minds, it’s almost impossible to seperate the caller from the message.
May Allah allow us to learn from these shining examples of iman.



The People of the Ditch (5): Humility with Arrogance (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-5/)

January 22, 2006 on 10:27 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/), Tazkiyyah (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tazkiyyah/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) After the boy killed the lion, news spread fast–news arrives like an ant and leaves like an elephant. Sensationalism.
The boy meets the scholar and informs him of what occurred. The scholar replied with: “O my boy, today you are better then me. You will be tested, so when it happens, do not reveal me (don’t rat me out).”
How was the boy better? He gained knowledge and implemented it, and increased in humility.
Of the types of humility, one is humility with arrogance. What is humility with arrogance? When you intentionally act humble so people will take you as a humble person and, because of that, follow you–to say the words of humility with the intention to get the same end-result that arrogance brings.
The scholars say “perhaps an act of obediance to Allah can bring pride an arrogance”. It happens all the time with Hajjis (those who survived Hajj). They presume themselves to be paradise-bound, and the next thing you know, they’re laughing it up in the club–DJ Hajji.
They act as if good deeds are a favour to Allah, and that Allah owes them something, wa iyyadubillah.
In the time of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), bedouins took the same attitudes. They performed good deeds, then asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, for wealth and such. They argued, “didn’t we accept Islam for you?” and Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) replies in the Qur’an: “Tell them: do not consider your Islam as a favour to me, but Allah gave you a favour when he guided you to faith.”
Indeed, the more you increase in piety, the more you should increase in thankfulness.
After all, if not for the mercy and guidance of Allah, where would you be?
May Allah guide us all to the truth and allow us to live and die on Islam.

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Ditch (6): Allah Tests Truth-Bearers (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-6/)

January 22, 2006 on 10:35 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The scholar/monk said to the boy, after he defeated the beast: verily, you will be tested.
The sunnah of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is to test those who come with the truth –place tests in their path.
When the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) first received revelation and visited Waraqa, he said: I wish I had the life/strength to live until the time when your people kick you out.
The Prophet said: Are they going to kick me out?” As in, “how do you know?”
Waraqa said: There is no man who comes with something similar, except that the people hurt him.
Similarly, when Prophet Luqman (AS) gave advice to his son, he said: Establish salaah … and have patience over what will afflict you.
So when you propogate the truth, be forewarned: they’re coming for you.
Allah tests even non-Muslims. Compared to our tests, they suffer through relatively easy tests–and flunk because of their lack of iman in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
May Allah make us all bearers of the truth and followers of the Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم).



The People of the Ditch (7): The People Most Tested (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-7/)

January 22, 2006 on 10:55 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/), Tazkiyyah (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tazkiyyah/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) Some companions asked the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) “Who are the people most tested?” The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said “The rightly guided people.”
Allah tests people according to the strength of their faith. As you increase in iman, your tests become tougher and tougher.
Allah tests everyone, even non-believers. So if you’re going to be tested, be tested for fleeing to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and the truth.
The scholar said: “when you are tested [o my boy], do not reveal me.” He did not wish to be tested.
The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) once said: “O people! Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for safety, but when you face the enemy, be patient, and remember that Paradise is under the shades of swords.”1
Jihad (fighting) in the path of Allah is the highest peak–the most reward for personal actions after the five pillars. Khalid bin Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, once said “Not a day made me more happy, not my marriage to a virgin nor my news of a son, but that cold, bitter day on the battlefield.”
So why did the Prophet, peace be upon him, say that? Because nobody knows the state in which they will be when the trials hit–will you be steadfast, or will you run? Will you succeed, or will you fail? Will you rise, or will you fall? In battle, specifically–on the battlefield, people dying to the right and left, blood and heat and severed body parts, fear–that’s the test. If you turn your back, it’s one of the greatest sins. So the Prophet says: don’t wish to be tested, because you may fail.
And seek Allah’s protection. When He tests you, that’s when you need it.
When fitna (trials) of little benefit knock on your door, leave them. You don’t want to be tested. And safeguarding yourself is more important then this project or that organization.
May Allah protect us from the trials of the dunya, the trial of the Dajjal and the trials of the grave.

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Ditch (8): The Power of Words (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-8/)

February 11, 2006 on 6:31 pm | In Gems (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/gems/), Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
No Comments (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-8/#respond) | By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The boy used to heal the blind and the lepers and the people. (He wasn’t a prophet: see the next post for more details.) The king’s blind companion (jalees bin malik, or the one who sits next to the king) went to the boy with gifts, and said “these are all for you if you heal me”. The boy said “Truly Allah heals. If you believe in Him, I will pray to Him, and He will heal you.” The man believed, so the boy prayed, and Allah healed the man.
Notice the boy didn’t say “I will heal you.” He directed it to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). Partly because if he attributed it to himself, they’d worship him.
Beware the power of words. People enter Islam through words (the shadaha — testimony of faith) and leave Islam through words of disbelief. Marriage becomes binding through words. Divorce occurs from use of certain words. It’s all through words.
The boy’s attribution of events to Allah occurs in several places in the Qur’an:

Prophet Ibrahim said: If I fall sick, He (Allah) heals me.
Khidr said: I defected the boat, Allah wanted the wall to remain standing. And this is the aim of da’wah: to make certain the existance of Allah on Earth.



The People of the Ditch (9): Honouring vs. Prophetic Miracles (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-9/)

February 11, 2006 on 6:38 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Islamic Work (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/islamic-work/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The boy healed the blind and the lepers–the same miracles given to the prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), on whom be peace.
Was he a prophet?
No, he was not.
The difference is: Allah gave the boy qirama, a less intense form of muwajizah. In a way, qirama mimics muwajizah, but to a less intense level.
The boy’s powers mimiced the miracles of ‘Isa (alayhi salaam), to a lesser level. And while ‘Isa (alayhi salaam) could ressurect the dead, the boy could not.
A similar incident occured to a sahaba. When a king apostated, the sahaba gave him da’wah. In return, the king threw him into a fire. But like the miracle of Ibrahim (alayhi salaam), the fire did not burn the sahaba.
When you follow the path of the Prophets, and give da’wah, Allah tests you as he tested them (peace be upon them all). But inshaAllah you get miracles too.
Wallahu ‘alim.



The People of the Ditch (10): Kings Suck (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-10/)

February 11, 2006 on 7:18 pm | In Gems (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/gems/), Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The king’s companion returned to the king. They knew he was cured–previously, people had to help him find his way in, but now, he waltzed right in.
The king said: “Who gave you back your sight?”
His companion said: “My Lord.”
The king said: “Do you have a Lord other then me?”
His companion said: “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.”
So the king tortured him until he pointed out the boy.
With kings and tyrannical rulers, loyalty isn’t even a word in their dictionary. They use people so long as it benefits them, and discard them.
Think about it. This was the king’s man, his close companion from who-knows-when. And as soon as the guy ceased to be useful, the king tortured him. Subhanallah. This is why scholars say kings give you nothing for the dunya except that they take away something from your deen.
It happens all around us–like in France. You want a government subsidy? Then take off your hijab.
Here, we see an extreme example: you keep your life in the dunya, or die with your deen. It’s always the same with oppressive rulers–they take something from the deen when they give you something.
May Allah protect us from oppressive rulers.



The People of the Ditch (11): Torture and Flattery (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-11/)

February 11, 2006 on 9:43 pm | In Gems (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/gems/), Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The king’s companion pointed out the boy.
Why didn’t he remain silent? For that matter, why does the boy point out the monk later?
Resolve. Ibn Tamiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said “much of your resolve disappears when tortured”. Your determination and strength of will plummets. So the man pointing out the boy, well, his determination couldn’t withstand the torture.
So the king’s soldiers brought the boy to the king, who said “O my boy, your magic heals the blind and cures the lepers …” Then he used flattery. “O my boy, you’re soooooooooooo cool.” And when you flatter someone with pride in their heart, they become deluded. Pride makes you succeptible to delusion.
But the boy had too much eman. He said “I don’t heal, Allah heals”. Sound familiar? (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-8/)
Eventually, the king realized he wasn’t getting anywhere, and tortured the boy. The boy’s willpower failed, and he pointed out the scholar.
The king said to the monk/scholar “renounce your religion”. The scholar refused. So they brought a large saw and sawed him vertically in half.
Why, you ask, didn’t the king try flattery? Because the scholar is a person of knowledge, and therefore, protected from false tricks and flattery. People of knowledge see right through that. People of knowledge cannot be confused by misinformation.
Similarly, when Abu Dhar, may Allah be pleased with him, proclaimed shahada, the Meccans beat him with intention to kill. But Al-Abbas stepped in and said “By Allah, if you kil him, none of your caravans will be safe.” This incident is narrated in Bukhari (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/056.sbt.html#004.056.724) 4/56/724. Read about the first beating (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-2/).

[.: Anna :.]

The People of the Ditch (12): Sincerity of Du’a (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-12/)

February 11, 2006 on 9:52 pm | In Gems (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/gems/), Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/), Tazkiyyah (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tazkiyyah/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) We often make empty du’as–they lack in sincerity, but hey, we don’t expect them to be answered. But why do it? Are you just testing Allah?
Think with certiny that Allah will answer your du’a. Make the most sincere, heart-felt du’a of your existance. And have hope that Allah will answer it.
Before Islam, there was a man named Jurayj, a worshipper of Allah. The people around him had intense jealousy of him for this.
This prostitute in the town, she said “I will seduce him if you like.” She didn’t. Then a year later, she bore a son, brought him out, and said “This is the son of Jurayj.”
Bear in mind she admited to commiting one of the greatest sins, at a time where they kill people for stuff like this. Not like today, where nobody raises an eyebrow.
And what did the people do? They hammered on his door and demanded to see him.
So he said “bring the boy to me”. They did. And he made a du’a–I forget which one. Totally sincere du’a. And Allah answered it immediately. Subhanallah.
So make sincere du’a and have hope in Allah. May Allah protect us from the du’a that is not answered.
A hadith (http://www.ilmfruits.com/what-is-a-hadith/) quds exists to the effect of: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said that Allah said “I am with the one who thinks of me”.



The People of the Ditch (13): Your Purpose on Earth (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-13/)

February 11, 2006 on 10:24 pm | In Da'wah (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/dawah/), Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Islamic Work (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/islamic-work/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/), Tazkiyyah (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tazkiyyah/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The king asked the boy to renounce his religion, to which the boy refused. The king said “take him to the highest mountain and if he doesn’t renounce by the time you reach the top, throw him off.”
Why not saw him in half? Because the boy’s useful. He has influence among the poeple. People love him, and if he joins the king, many will follow his example.
So they took him up, and the boy said “O Allah, suffice me against them in whatever way You please”. So the mountain rumbled, and everyone fell off and died. Except the boy.
Sincere dua, immediate response. The boy had yaqeen.
He walked back to the king.
The king said “What happened to your companions?” and the boy said “Allah sufficed them”.
Now, the king’s at a cross-roads: he can realize this boy is special, and follow him, or refuse. And out of arrogance, he refused. His arrogance led to more crime. He ordered another set of soldiers to take the boy to the middle of the sea, and if he didn’t renounce by that time, drown him.
Same thing happened, same du’a, they all drowned except the boy.
He walked back to the king.
Why did he go back? Why not just run away, or go to another land? Because he realized his purpose–to give da’wah to the people, no matter what.
So ask yourself: How can I best serve Allah? Find your purpose (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-best-use-of-your-skills-for-dawah/) on Earth, and stick to it. Don’t run from it.
The boy knew it, and he did exactly that.



The People of the Ditch (14): Belief (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-14/)

February 11, 2006 on 10:53 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The boy said “You will never be able to kill me until you do what I say.”
The king said “Ok, what do I do?” Notice the reversal of roles–who’s in control now?
So the boy said “gather the people, cruficy me on a tree trunk, put your arrow in the middle of the bow, say ‘in the name of Allah, Lord of the worlds’ and fire.” And the king did just that, so obsessed to kill the boy he didn’t realize what the effect would be. He plotted, and Allah planned, and Allah is the best of planners.
He shot the boy. The boy died. The people said “We believe in the Lord of the boy.” The whole city became Muslim.
But didn’t they believe in the boy before?
They believe in the one who is able. When they saw the king unable to kill the boy, powerless, then able to kill the boy in the name of Allah, they believed. The irony is that if the king left the boy alone, and Allah knows best, he would not have achieved such an effect so quickly on the people as his death caused.



The People of the Ditch (15): Tests and Purification (http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-people-of-the-ditch-15/)

February 11, 2006 on 11:08 pm | In Islam (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/), Tafseer (http://www.ilmfruits.com/category/islam/tafseer/)
| By Ilm Seeker (http://www.ilmfruits.com/author/ilmseeker/) The people came to the king and said “Don’t you see, by Allah, your fear brought about the very thing you were afraid of.”
The king didn’t know what to do. So he had ditches dug at all the roads out of the city. People try to escape, BOOM into a ditch. He had people brought to the ditches and said “disbelieve and live or believe and in you go.” They believed, so he threw them in.
A woman arrived at the fire with her infant child, and hesitated (our of fear for its safety). But the child spoke, and said “O mother, have patience, for you are on the truth.” Allah blessed her child with speech, and it said “be patient if you are on the truth.”
There are two recitations of this. One is “fire full of fuel” and the other is “fire that stretches like a fountainhead”–birds fly over, and from the intense heat, die.
Why did the king do this? He had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allah, the mighty, the one worthy of all praise, whose dominion is the heavens and the Earth, the witness over all things.
Verily, tests to believers are like fire to gold–when you bring gold out of the ground, it’s full of impurities. When you bring fire, the impurities seperate.
So when a believer gets tests, he or she gets purified from pride, arrogance, etc. and becomes like the one the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) mentioned when he said “a muslim has tests until he leaves the world without any faults in him”.
May Allah protect us from such tests as the people before us endured, ameen.
And that concludes our series on the People of the Ditch!