Hadith 38 of Nawawi : « Allah the Most High has said: Whoever shows hostility to one of… »

He adds at its end: "And I delay in nothing I intend to do, except delay toward the believer's soul: he hates death, and I hate to harm him." This is of the marvels of the authentic collection: Ibn Karama alone reports it from Khalid, and it is not in the Musnad of Ahmad, though Ahmad and others criticized Khalid ibn Makhlad al-Qatanani over it, saying: he has repudiations; and Ata, in his chain: it is said he is the son of Abu Rihaba, and it is said the son of Yasar; and it appears marked so in some copies of the Sahih. This hadith is reported by other routes, all not free of criticism. Abd al-Wahid ibn Maymoun, Abu Hamza, freedman of Urwa ibn az-Zubayr, reports it from Urwa, from Aisha, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: "Whoever harms My friend has rendered lawful My declaration of war upon him. My servant draws not near Me with anything more beloved than fulfilling what I prescribed upon him. My servant does not cease drawing near Me by supererogatory works until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his hand with which he strikes, his foot with which he walks, his heart with which he understands, his tongue with which he speaks. If he calls Me, I answer him; if he asks Me, I give him. And I delay in nothing I intend to do except delaying his death: he hates death, and I hate to harm him." Ibn Abi al-Dunya and others report it. Imam Ahmad reports it in meaning. Ibn Adi mentions that this Abd al-Wahid alone reports it from Urwa; and of this Abd al-Wahid, al-Bukhari says: repudiated in hadith. But at-Tabarani reports it: Harun ibn Kamil informed us: Sa'id ibn Abi Maryam informed us: Ibrahim ibn Suwayd al-Madani informed us: Abu Hazra, meaning Ya'qub ibn Mujahid, told me: Urwa informed me, from Aisha, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he mentions it. This is a good isnad, its narrators all trustworthy, mentioned in the Sahih, except at-Tabarani's shaykh: his state I cannot presently know. The narrator perhaps said: Abu Hamza informed us, meaning Abd al-Wahid ibn Maymoun, and the hearer thought he said Abu Hazra, then named him accordingly out of his error; and Allah knows best. At-Tabarani and others report, from the narration of Uthman ibn Abi al-Atika, from Ali ibn Yazid, from al-Qasim, from Abu Umama, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: Allah, the Most High, says: "Whoever humiliates My friend has defied Me to war. O son of Adam! You will not reach what is with Me except by fulfilling what I prescribed upon you. My servant does not cease making himself beloved to Me by supererogatory works until I love him: I become his heart with which he understands, his tongue with which he speaks, his sight with which he sees. When he calls Me, I answer him; when he asks Me, I give him; when he seeks My help, I help him; and the most beloved of My servant's worship to Me is good counsel." Uthman and Ali ibn Yazid: weak. Abu Hatim ar-Razi says of this hadith: very repudiated. It is reported from the hadith of Ali, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), by a weak chain; al-Isma'ili reports it in the Musnad of Ali. And from the hadith of Ibn Abbas, by a weak chain; at-Tabarani reports it, with additions in its wording. We also reported it by another route from Ibn Abbas: weak likewise. At-Tabarani and others report it from the hadith of al-Hasan ibn Yahya al-Khushani, from Saddaqa ibn Abd Allah ad-Dimashqi, from Hisham al-Kinani, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from Jibril, from his Lord, the Most High, who said: "Whoever humiliates My friend has defied Me to war. I delay nothing I intend to do except the seizing of the soul of My believing servant: he hates death, and I hate to harm him, and he cannot escape it. Among My believing servants are some who desire a gate of worship: I withhold him from it, lest he enter it in vainglory, which would corrupt it. My servant draws near Me with nothing more beloved than fulfilling what I prescribed; he does not cease drawing near Me by supererogatories until I love him; and whom I love has from Me hearing, sight, hand and aid. He calls Me: I answer; asks Me: I give; counsels Me: I counsel him. Among My servants is he whose faith is not made right except by wealth: were I to impoverish him, that would corrupt it; and he whose faith is not right except by poverty: were I to enrich him, that would corrupt it; and he whose faith is not right except by health: were I to sicken him, that would corrupt it; and he whose faith is not right except by sickness: were I to heal him, that would corrupt it: I manage My servants by My knowledge, with what is in their hearts: I am Knowing, Aware." Al-Khushani and Saddaqa: weak; Hisham is unknown. Ibn Ma'in was asked about this Hisham: who is he? He said: no one knows him: he is not considered. Al-Bazzar reports part of the hadith by the route of Saddaqa, from Abd al-Karim al-Jazari, from Anas. At-Tabarani reports from the hadith of al-Awza'i, from Abda ibn Abi Lubaba: Zar ibn Hubaysh told me: I heard Hudhayfa say the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah, the Most High, revealed to me: O brother of the sent ones! O brother of the warners! Warn your people to enter none of My houses with an injustice among them: I curse him so long as he stands before Me praying until he returns that injustice to its holders. I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees; he is of My friends and My elect; and he will be a neighbor of the prophets, the truthful and the martyrs in Paradise." This is a good isnad, and very singular.

Return to the commentary of the hadith

Let us return to the commentary of the hadith of Abu Hurayra which al-Bukhari reports. It has been said: it is the noblest hadith reported about the friends of Allah.

[Whoever shows Me enmity:] His word: "Whoever shows enmity to My friend, I announce to him war" means: I inform him I am at war with him, for he has become My enemy by showing enmity to My friends. Hence the hadith of Aisha: "he has rendered lawful My declaration of war"; and the hadith of Abu Umama and others: "he has defied Me to war." Ibn Majah reports, by a weak chain, from Mu'adh ibn Jabal, that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "A little display is association; whoever shows enmity for Allah to His friend has defied Allah to war; and Allah, the Most High, loves the righteous, mindful, hidden ones: when they are absent they are not missed, when present they are not invited, and they are not known: their hearts are lamps of guidance; they emerge from every dark gloom." The friends of Allah must therefore be followed, and enmity to them forbidden; as Allah's enemies must be held enemies, and following them forbidden. The Most High said:

"Take not My enemy and your enemy as allies."

Al-Ma'ida, 57

And He said:

"Your ally is only Allah, His messenger and those who believe, who establish prayer and give zakat while bowing. Whoever takes Allah, His messenger and the believers as allies: the party of Allah are the victorious."

Al-Ma'ida, 55-56

He described His beloved ones, whom He loves and who love Him, as humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers. Imam Ahmad reports in his book of asceticism, by his chain, from Wahb ibn Munabbih: Allah, the Most High, said to Musa, upon him peace, when He spoke to him: "Know that whoever humiliates My friend or harms him has defied Me to war, assailed Me first and exposed himself: he called Me to it, and I am the swiftest thing to the help of My friends. Does the one warring against Me think to withstand Me? Does the one opposing Me think to disable Me? Does the one defying Me think to outrun or escape Me? How, when I am the Avenger for them in this world and the Hereafter? Do I not entrust their victory to other than Myself?"

Disobediences are warfare against Allah, the Most High

Know that all disobediences are warfare against Allah, the Most High. Al-Hasan said: "O son of Adam! Have you the strength to war against Allah? Whoever disobeys Allah wars against Him; but the uglier the sin, the harder the war against Allah." That is why Allah named the eater of usury and the highway robber warriors against Allah and His messenger, for the greatness of their injustice to His servants and their working corruption in His lands. Likewise enmity to His friends: the Most High undertakes their aid, loves and supports them: whoever shows them enmity has shown enmity to Allah and warred against Him. In the hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Allah, Allah regarding my companions: take them not as a target: whoever harms them harms Me, whoever harms Me harms Allah, and whoever harms Allah is about to be seized." At-Tirmidhi and others report it.

Drawing near by obligations then supererogatories

His saying: "My servant draws not near Me with anything more beloved than fulfilling what I prescribed upon him, and does not cease drawing near Me by supererogatory works until I love him." After mentioning that enmity to His friends is warfare against Him, he mentions the description of His friends whose enmity is forbidden and following obligatory, and mentions what they draw near by. The root of alliance is nearness, the root of enmity distance: Allah's friends are those who draw near Him by what draws them near Him; His enemies those whom He distanced from Himself by deeds requiring their expulsion and removal from Him. His near friends divide into two:

The friends are two classes

The first: he who draws near Him by fulfilling the obligations, including doing the duties and leaving the prohibitions: for all that is of Allah's obligations prescribed upon His servants. The second: he who draws near Him, after the obligations, by the supererogatories. It is thus apparent there is no way to drawing near Allah, the Most High, to His alliance and love except His obedience which He legislated by the tongue of His messenger. Whoever claims Allah's friendship, nearness and love besides this way is shown a liar in his claim: as the polytheists drew near Allah, the Most High, by worshipping those they worshipped below Him, as Allah relates them saying:

"We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah in nearness."

Az-Zumar, 3

And as Allah relates the Jews and Christians saying:

"We are the sons of Allah and His beloved."

Al-Ma'ida, 18

while persisting in belying His messengers, committing His prohibitions and leaving His obligations. Hence he mentions in this hadith that Allah's friends are upon two degrees:

Then they are two degrees:

One: those drawing near Him by fulfilling the obligations: the degree of the moderate, people of the right. Fulfilling the obligations is the best of deeds, as Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The best of deeds is fulfilling what Allah prescribed, scrupulousness regarding what Allah prohibited, and sincerity of intention regarding what is with Allah, the Most High." Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said in his sermon: "The best of worship is fulfilling the obligations and avoiding the prohibitions." For Allah, the Most High, prescribed these obligations upon His servants only to bring them near Him and make His pleasure and mercy obligatory for them. The greatest of bodily obligations drawing near Him is prayer, as the Most High said:

"And prostrate, and draw near."

Al-'Alaq, 19

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The nearest the servant is to his Lord is while prostrate." And he said: "When one of you prays, he converses with his Lord, or his Lord is between him and the prayer direction." And he said: "Allah turns His face to His servant's face in his prayer so long as he does not turn away."

Of the obligations that draw near

Of the obligations near to Allah, the Most High: the justness of the shepherd toward his flock, whether a general flock like the ruler, or particular like individuals' justice to their families and children. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Each of you is a shepherd, and each is asked about his flock." In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abd Allah ibn Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The just ones are with Allah upon pulpits of light, at the right hand of the Merciful, and both His hands are right: those just in their judgments, their families and what they were entrusted with." In at-Tirmidhi, from Abu Sa'id, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The most beloved of Allah's servants on the Day of Resurrection, and nearest to Him in seating: a just imam."

The second degree

The degree of the foremost brought near: those who drew near Allah after the obligations by striving in the supererogatories of obedience, and withdrawing, by scrupulousness, from the minutiae of disliked deeds: that obligates the servant Allah's love, as He said: "My servant does not cease drawing near Me by supererogatories until I love him." Whomever Allah loves is granted His love, His obedience, engaging in His remembrance and service: He obligates for him nearness to Him, nearness of station with Him, and favor with Him, as Allah, the Most High, said:

"Whoever of you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring a people He loves and who love Him: humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in the path of Allah, fearing not the blame of any blamer. That is Allah's grace: He gives it to whom He wills; and Allah is vast, knowing."

Al-Ma'ida, 54

In this verse is the indication that whoever turns from our love and turns from our nearness, We care not for him, and replace him with one more worthy of this gift. Whoever turns from Allah: Allah has his replacement: "I have an occupation besides him: an occupation I have... What diverts my heart from its passion, blame diverts not. Let me see what I shall do if he cools, and hope disappointed: I have a replacement, and he has mine." And in some reports, Allah, the Most High, says: "O son of Adam! Seek Me: you will find Me; if you find Me, you find everything; if you lose Me, you lose everything: and I am dearer to you than everything." Dhul-Nun often repeated these verses at night: "Seek for your souls... the like of what I found: I found a rest not in His desire below. If He distances, He brings me near; if I draw near Him, He draws near. Whom Allah missed: were he to gain Paradise entire, he would be a loser: how, if he gains only a small, low, paltry share, of a dwelling entire not worth a mosquito's wing? Hence the saying: whoever missed seeing you a day... all his times are misses; and wherever you be of lands... my gaze is turned to your face."

The attributes of those whom Allah loves

Then he mentions the attributes of those whom Allah loves and who love Him: "humble toward the believers": they treat the believers with humility, softness and a lowered wing; "mighty against the disbelievers": they treat the disbelievers with might, hardness and severity. When they loved Allah, they loved His friends who love Him, treating them with love, tenderness and mercy; and hated His enemies who show Him enmity, treating them with hardness and severity, as the Most High said:

"Hard against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves."

Al-Fath, 29

"Striving in the path of Allah, fearing not the blame of any blamer."

Al-Ma'ida, 54

The fullness of love is jihad against the beloved's enemies. Jihad in the path of Allah is a call to those turning from Allah to return to Him, by sword and spear, after their call by argument and proof: the lover of Allah loves drawing all creation to His door: whoever answers not the call with softness and gentleness needs be called with hardness and force. "Your Lord marvels at a people driven to Paradise in chains": "they fear not the blame of a blamer." The lover has no concern but pleasing his beloved: pleased with whom He is pleased, displeased with whom He is displeased. Whoever fears blame in the passion of the one he loves is not truthful in love. I halted my passion where You are: I have... neither one who lags behind it nor one ahead. I find blame in your passion delicious... for love of your remembrance: let the blamer blame me! And His word:

"That is Allah's grace: He gives it to whom He wills."

Al-Ma'ida, 54

the degree of those He loves and who love Him, with their mentioned attributes. "And Allah is vast, knowing": vast in giving, knowing who merits grace in His giving, and who merits it not in His withholding.

Invocations of the prophets for love of Allah

Dawud, upon him peace, used to say: "O Allah! Make me of Your beloved: when You love a servant, You forgive his sin however great, and accept his deed however small." Dawud said in his supplication: "O Allah! I ask You Your love, the love of who loves You, and the love of the deed that brings me to Your love. O Allah! Make Your love dearer to me than my soul, my family, and cold water." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "My Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, came to me" (in a dream) "and said: O Muhammad! Say: O Allah! I ask You Your love, the love of who loves You, and the love of the deed that brings me to Your love." His supplication was: "O Allah! Grant me Your love and the love of one whose love benefits me with You; O Allah! What You granted me of what I love, make it strength for me in what You love; O Allah! What You hid from me of what I love, make it leisure for me in what You love." It is reported from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he supplicated: "O Allah! Make Your love the dearest of things to me, Your fear the most feared of things with me, and sever from me the world's needs by longing for meeting You; and when You console the eyes of the people of the world with their world, console my eye with Your worship." The people of this degree of the brought-near have no concern except what draws them near the One they love and who loves them.

Reported from the predecessors on this

Some predecessors said: "Deed upon fear may be changed by hope; deed upon love languor enters not." Of the sayings of some: "When the idle weary of their idleness, Your beloved weary not of Your converse and remembrance." Farqad as-Sabakhi said: I read in some books: "Whoever loves Allah has nothing preferred over His desire; whoever loves the world has nothing preferred over his soul's desire."

The lover of Allah, love, and the lovers of Allah

The lover of Allah, the Most High, is a commander commanded over commanders: his troop is the first of troops on the Day of Resurrection, and his sitting the nearest of sittings there. Love is the limit of nearness and striving. The lovers will not weary of their long striving for Allah, the Most High: they love Him, love His remembrance, answer His call to His creation, walk among His servants as counselors, and fear for them their deeds the day disgraces appear. Those are the friends of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, His beloved, people of His election: they have no rest without meeting Him. Fath al-Mawsili said: "The lover finds, with love of Allah, no sweetness in the world, and neglects not the remembrance of Allah a wink." Muhammad ibn an-Nadr al-Harithi said: "Lover of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, he scarcely wearies of nearness to Allah, the Most High, and scarcely tires of that." Some said: "The lover of Allah is a bird of heart, much in remembrance, making his way to His pleasure by every means he can of ways and supererogatories, drip by drip, and longing by longing." Some of the predecessors recited: "Be for your Lord a lover to serve Him... the lovers of the beloved are servants." Another recited: "The lover has naught but the will of His love... the lover in every state yearns."

Recitation of the Qur'an, of the greatest means of drawing near

Of the greatest things by which the servant draws near Allah, the Most High, of the supererogatories: much recitation of the Qur'an and listening to it with reflection, contemplation and understanding. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, may Allah be pleased with him, said to a man: "Draw near Allah, the Most High, as much as you can, and know you will draw near Him by nothing dearer to Him than His speech." In at-Tirmidhi, from Abu Umama, in raised form: "The servants draw not near Allah, the Most High, with anything like what comes out of them": meaning the Qur'an.

The predecessors and the Qur'an

Nothing is sweeter to the lovers than the speech of their beloved: it is the sweetness of their hearts and the utmost of their quest. Uthman said: "Were your hearts pure, you would not sate yourselves with your Lord's speech." Ibn Mas'ud said: "Whoever loves the Qur'an loves Allah and His messenger." Some of the knowers said to a disciple: "Do you memorize the Qur'an?" He said: no. He said: "Woe to you! By Allah! A disciple who memorizes not the Qur'an: with what does he luxuriate? With what does he warble? With what does he converse with his Lord, the Most High?"

Some multiplied the recitation of the Qur'an, then turned from it to other; he saw in a dream a speaker: "If you claim My love... why did you forsake My book? Have you not considered what it holds... of the subtlety of My reproach?"

Much remembrance of Allah

Of that too: much remembrance of Allah, which the heart and tongue conspire upon. In the Musnad of al-Bazzar, from Mu'adh: I said: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me the best of deeds and nearest to Allah, the Most High. He said: "That you die, your tongue wet with the remembrance of Allah, the Most High." In the authentic hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah, the Most High, says: "I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me: if he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself; if he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than them." In another hadith: "I am with My servant when he remembers Me, and his lips move for Me." And the Mighty and Majestic said:

"So remember Me, I will remember you."

Al-Baqara, 152

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard those raising their voices in magnification and declaration of oneness while with him on a journey, he said: "You call not one deaf or absent: you call One All-Hearing, Near, and He is with you." In a narration: "He is nearer to you than the necks of your mounts."

Love for Allah and hatred for Allah

Of that: loving Allah's friends and beloved for Him, and showing enmity to His enemies for Him. In the Sunan of Abu Dawud, from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Among Allah's servants are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, whom the prophets and martyrs envy on the Day of Resurrection for their station with Allah, the Most High." They said: O Messenger of Allah! Tell us: who are they? He said: "They are a people who loved one another by the spirit of Allah, without kinship between them, nor wealth to exchange; by Allah, their faces are light, and they are upon light: they fear not when people fear, and grieve not when people grieve." Then he recited this verse:

"Indeed, the friends of Allah: no fear upon them, nor do they grieve."

Yunus, 62

A like hadith is reported from Abu Malik al-Ash'ari, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In his hadith: "The prophets envy them for their nearness and seating with Allah, the Most High." In the Musnad, from Amr ibn al-Jumuh, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The servant attains not the right of pure faith until he loves for Allah and hates for Allah; when he loves for Allah and hates for Allah, he attains the right of Allah's friendship. My friends are of My servants, and My beloved of My creation: those who remember by My remembrance, and am remembered by their remembrance." Al-Mirta'sh was asked: by what is love attained? He said: by following Allah's friends and enmity to His enemies; its origin is accordance. In Imam Ahmad's book of asceticism, from Ata ibn Yasar: Musa, upon him peace, said: O Lord! Who are the people of Paradise under the shadow of Your Throne? He said: O Musa! They are creatures of pure hands and purified hearts, who loved one another by My majesty: when I am mentioned they are mentioned with Me, when they are mentioned I am mentioned with their mention; they perfect ablution in hardship, return to My remembrance as eagles return to their nests, are moved with love as the child is moved with love of people, and grow angry for My prohibitions when violated as the tiger grows angry when warred upon.

When I love him, I become his hearing, and so on

His saying: "When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, his foot with which he walks." In some narrations: "his heart with which he understands, and his tongue with which he speaks." This speech means: whoever strives to draw near Allah, the Most High, by the obligations then the supererogatories: Allah brings him near and raises him from the degree of faith to the degree of excellence: he becomes a worshiper of Allah with presence and watchfulness, as if he sees Him; his heart fills with knowledge of Allah, the Most High, His love, His greatness, His fear, His awe, His veneration, intimacy with Him, and longing for Him; until that knowledge in his heart becomes contemplation of Him by the eye of insight. As is said: "Dwelling in the heart, it dwells it... I forget Him not, and mention Him! He vanished from my hearing and my sight... yet the heart's blackness sees Him!" Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: Allah, the Most High, says: "He lied who claimed my love and slept from me: does not every lover love his beloved's solitude? I am watching over my beloved ones: they have imagined Me between their eyes, addressed Me upon contemplation, conversed with Me in presence: tomorrow I will console their eyes in My gardens." What is in the hearts of the brought-near lovers keeps strengthening until it fills their hearts: nothing remains in their hearts but Him, and their limbs cannot stir except in accordance with what is in their hearts. Whoever is in this state, it is said of him: nothing remains in his heart but Allah, meaning His knowledge, His love and His remembrance. Of this meaning, the famous Israelite report: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: "Neither My heavens nor My earth contained Me, but the heart of My believing servant contained Me." Some of the knowers said: "Beware of Him: He is jealous: He loves not to see in His servant's heart other than Him." Of this meaning some say: "The people have no place in my heart... your passion increased in it until it filled." Another said: "My heart was forged to the measure of their love... and the love of other than them finds no room in it." To this meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alluded in his sermon when he arrived at Medina: "Love Allah with all your hearts," as Ibn Ishaq mentions in his sira. When the heart fills with Allah's majesty, the Most High, it erases from the heart all besides, and nothing remains to the servant of his soul and desire, nor will, except for what his Lord wills from him; then the servant speaks only by His remembrance, moves only by His command: if he speaks he speaks by Allah, if he hears he hears by Him, if he sees he sees by Him, if he seizes he seizes by Him. This is the meaning of: I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, his foot with which he walks. Whoever indicates other than this indicates only the deviation of indwelling or unification: Allah and His messenger are innocent of it.

Reported from the predecessors

Hence some predecessors, like Sulayman at-Taymi, used to say: "It is not good that Allah be disobeyed." A woman of the predecessors counseled her children: "Accustom yourselves to the love of Allah and His obedience: the pious grew accustomed to obedience and their limbs grew estranged from other; so if the cursed one presents himself with disobedience, the disobedience passes before them modestly: they deny it." Of this meaning is the saying of Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him: "We used to see that Umar's devil feared him to command him the sin."

It is of the secrets of oneness

We indicated before that this is of the secrets of specific oneness: the meaning of "there is no deity but Allah" is that none be deified besides Him, in love, hope, fear and obedience. When the heart is perfected by complete oneness, no love remains in it except for what Allah loves, nor hatred except for what Allah hates. Whoever is so: his limbs stir only by obedience to Allah. Sins arise from loving what Allah hates or hating what Allah loves; that arises from preferring the soul's desire over the love of Allah, the Most High, and His fear: this undermines the completeness of the obligatory oneness, and the servant falls thereby into neglecting some obligations or committing some prohibitions. Whoever's heart is perfected by Allah's oneness: he has no concern except in Allah and what pleases Him from him. The raised hadith says: "Whoever wakes with a concern other than Allah is not of Allah." Imam Ahmad reports it from the hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, as Companion's statement: "Whoever wakes with the greatest concern other than Allah is not of Allah." Some of the knowers said: "Whoever tells you My friend has a concern besides Me, believe him not." Dawud at-Ta'i used to call at night: "O Allah! Your concern has paralyzed in me the cares, and covenanted between me and sleeplessness! And my longing to behold You is firmer than the pleasures, and has walled between me and desires: I am in Your prison, O Generous, sought after!" Of this some say: "They said: He busied Himself from us and chose a replacement... from us, and that is the deed of the fleeing traitor! And how should my heart busy itself from your love... besides your remembrance, O all my concerns?!"

And were he to ask Me, I would give him

His saying: "And were he to ask Me, I would give him; were he to seek My refuge, I would give him refuge." In another narration: "If he calls Me, I answer him; if he asks Me, I give him." This beloved brought near has with Allah a special station requiring that, when he asks Allah something, He gives it him; when he seeks refuge with Him from something, He protects him; when he invokes Him, He answers: he becomes of answered supplication, by his nobility with his Lord, the Most High. Many righteous predecessors were known for answered supplication.

Among those whose supplications were answered

In the authentic collection: ar-Rubayyi' bint an-Nadr broke a maidservant's tooth; compensation was presented and they refused; pardon was sought and they refused; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) judged between them retaliation. Anas ibn an-Nadr said: "Would ar-Rubayyi's tooth be broken? By Him who sent you with truth, her tooth shall not be broken!" The people were content and took the compensation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Among Allah's servants are such that were they to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it." In the Sahih of al-Hakim, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "How many a weak, despised man in two worn sandals: were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it!" Among them al-Bara ibn Malik: al-Bara met a detachment of the polytheists; the Muslims said to him: swear by your Lord! He said: "I swear by You, O Lord! That You detach their shoulders!" He detached their shoulders. Then they met a second time, and they said: swear by your Lord! He said: "I swear by You, O Lord! That You detach their shoulders and join me to Your prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!" He detached their shoulders, and al-Bara was killed. Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports, by a chain of his, that an-Nu'man ibn Qawqal said on the day of Uhud: O Allah! I swear by You that I be killed and enter Paradise: he was killed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "An-Nu'man swore by Allah and He fulfilled it." Abu Nu'aym reports, by his chain, from Sa'd that Abd Allah ibn Jahsh said on the day of Uhud: O Lord! If I meet the enemy tomorrow, let me meet a man mighty in strength, fierce in ardor, who fights me for You and I him, then takes me and cuts my nose and ear; when I meet You tomorrow You say: O Abd Allah! Who cut your nose and ear? I say: for You and Your messenger. And You say: you spoke truth. Sa'd said: I saw him at day's end, his nose and ear hanging on a thread. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was of answered supplication: a man lied about him; he said: "O Allah! If he is a liar, blind his sight, lengthen his life, and expose him to trial." All that befell the man: he exposed himself to maidservants in the paths, saying: "Old poor man, bewitched! Sa'd's supplication befell me." He invoked against a man he heard insulting Ali: the man had not left his place before a proud camel came and struck him with its hands and feet until it killed him. A woman disputed Sa'id ibn Zayd over land of his, claiming he had taken it from her; he said: O Allah! If she lies, blind her sight and kill her in her land: she went blind. One night she walked in her land and fell into a well: she died. Al-Ala ibn al-Hadrami was in a detachment; they thirsted: he prayed and said: "O Allah! O Knowing! O Forbearing! O High! O Great! We are Your servants, and in Your path we fight Your enemy: give us rain to drink of and make ablution with, and appoint none a share therein besides us." They walked little and found a river of sky's water flowing: they drank and filled their vessels. Then they walked; some of his companions returned to the river's place: they saw nothing, as if no water had ever been at its place. Anas ibn Malik was complained to of his land's drought in Basra: he performed ablution, went out to the wilds, prayed two rak'as and supplicated: rain came and watered his land, passing his land but little. Fields burned in Basra in Abu Musa al-Ash'ari's time; a plot remained in its midst unburned. Abu Musa said to the plot's owner: why did your plot not burn? He said: "I swore by my Lord that He not burn it." Abu Musa said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: in my community are men of disheveled hair, dust-covered garments: were they to swear by Allah, He would fulfill their oath." Abu Muslim al-Khawlani was famous for answered supplication: a gazelle passed by him; the children said to him: pray Allah to hold this gazelle for us: he prayed Allah and He held it until they took it by their hands. He invoked against a woman who had corrupted ten of his wives by blinding her sight: she went blind at once; she came to him, supplicating and entreating him: he had mercy on her, prayed to Allah, the Most High, and her sight returned, and his wife returned to her state with him. A man lied about Mutarrif ibn Abd Allah ibn ash-Shikhkhir; Mutarrif said to him: "If you are a liar, may Allah hasten your end!" The man died on the spot. A man of the Kharijites kept coming to al-Hasan al-Basri's gathering harming them; when he increased his harm, al-Hasan said: "O Allah! You know his harm to us: rid us of him as You will." The man broke from his stature, and was carried to his folk only dead upon his bed. Salla ibn Ashyam was in a detachment; his mule died of its load, and the people departed: he rose, prayed, and said: "O Allah! I swear by You that You return to me my mule and its load." It came and stood before him. He was once in a wild, poor, hungry: they asked Allah for food, and he heard a meal behind him: it was a cloth, or kerchief, with fresh soft dates: he ate of it, and the cloth remained with his wife Ma'adha al-Adawiyya, of the righteous. Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir was on a campaign: a man of his companions said: I crave fresh cheese. Ibn al-Munkadir said: "Ask Allah for food: He is Able." The people prayed, and they had not walked far when they saw a sewn bundle: it was fresh cheese. Some of the people said: were it honey? Ibn al-Munkadir said: "He who fed you cheese here is able to feed you honey: ask Him." They prayed, walked little, and found a skin of honey on the road: they alighted and ate. Habib al-Ajami, Abu Muhammad, was known for answered supplication: he prayed for a bald-headed boy, weeping and wiping the boy's head with his tears: the boy rose not but his head's hair blackened, and he returned the most beautiful of people in hair. A black man was brought in a litter: he prayed for him, and the man stood on his legs: he carried his litter on his neck and returned to his family. In famine he bought much food and gave it in charity to the poor; then he sewed purses, placed them under his bed, and prayed to Allah, the Most High: the food's owners came seeking its price: he brought out those purses, full of dirhams; he weighed them: the amount of their dues: he handed them to them. A man often toyed with him: Habib invoked against him, and he became leprous. He was once at Malik ibn Dinar's: a man came and treated Malik rudely over dirhams Malik had divided; when that persisted, Habib raised his hands to heaven and said: O Allah! This one has busied us from Your remembrance: relieve us of him as You will. The man fell upon his face dead. A people went out raiding in the path of Allah, and one had a donkey: it died, and his companions departed: he rose, performed ablution, prayed, and said: "O Allah! I went out striving in Your path, seeking Your pleasure, and I bear witness that You revive the dead and resurrect whoever is in the graves: revive for me my donkey." Then he rose to the donkey and struck it: the donkey rose, shaking its ears; he mounted it and caught his companions; he later sold the donkey in Kufa. A detachment went out in the path of Allah; a bitter cold struck them, near perishing: they prayed to Allah, the Most High; beside them a great tree: it blazed into fire: they dried their clothes and warmed by it until the sun rose on them; they departed, and the tree was returned to its form. Abu Qulaba went out on pilgrimage, preceded his companions on a summer day: intense thirst befell him; he said: "O Allah! You are able to remove my thirst without breaking fast." A cloud shaded him, raining upon him until it wet his garment; his thirst went; he descended, dug cisterns and filled them; his companions reached him and drank, and that rain befell none of his companions. Such is very abundant, and its examination is long.

Of the patient among the answered

Most of the answered of supplication among the predecessors endured trial, chose its reward, and did not pray for themselves for deliverance from it. It is reported Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas used to pray for people, that they know his answered supplication; he was told: pray Allah for your sight? His sight had harmed him: he said: "Allah's decree is dearer to me than my sight!" One was tried with leprosy; he was told: we are informed you know Allah's greatest name: would you ask Him to remove what is with you? He said: O nephew! He it is who tried me, and I hate that He be contradicted. Ibrahim at-Taymi was told, in al-Hajjaj's prison: would you pray to Allah, the Most High? He said: "I hate to ask Him to relieve me of what I have reward in." Likewise Sa'id ibn Jubayr endured al-Hajjaj's harm until he killed him. A man was of answered supplication: he had a rooster that rose at night by its crow to prayer; one night it rose not at its time, and Sa'id rose not for prayer: it was hard on him, and he said: what is it with it? May Allah cut its voice! The rooster crowed no more; his mother said to him: "O my son! Invoke not after this against anything." Rabia was told of a man having station with Allah, feeding on what he gleaned of castoffs from the dunghills. A man said: why does he not pray Allah to enrich him of this? Rabia said: "Allah's friends, when Allah decrees for them a decree, do not grumble." Haywa ibn Shurayh lived in great hardship; he was told: would you pray Allah to widen for you? He took a pebble from the earth and said: O Allah! Make it gold: it became an ingot in his palm; he said: there is no good in the world except the Hereafter. Then he said: "He knows best what reforms His servants."

The believer may supplicate and not be answered: the believing man of answered supplication may supplicate a thing wherein Allah knows aversion for him: He answers not his request, and compensates him with what is better for him, in this world or the Hereafter. The hadith of Anas, in raised form, preceded: "Allah says: among My servants are those who ask Me a gate of worship: I withhold him from it, lest he enter it in vainglory." At-Tabarani reports from the hadith of Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Thawban, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "In my community is one whom, were one of you to come asking a dinar, he would not give; were he to ask a dirham, he would not give; were he to ask a filus, he would not give; and were he to ask Allah Paradise, He would give it him: a man of two worn sandals, heeded not: were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it." Others report it from Salim's hadith as mursal, adding: "and were he to ask Allah a thing of the world, Allah would not give it him, out of nobility toward him."

I delay nothing I intend except seizing the believer's soul

His saying: "And I delay nothing I intend to do, except delay toward seizing the soul of My believing servant: he hates death, and I hate to harm him." Allah, the Most High, decreed death upon His servants, as the Most High said:

"Every soul shall taste death."

Al Imran, 185

Death, and how it is

Death is the spirit's parting from the body; it comes not except with very great pain: it is the greatest of pains befalling the servant in this world. Umar said to Ka'b: tell me of death? He said: O Commander of the believers! It is like a many-thorned tree in the son of Adam's bowels: no nerve nor joint is free of it, and there is a man strong of arms pulling it from him: Umar wept. When Amr ibn al-As was dying, his son asked him death's description: he said: by Allah, as if my hip were on a hard slab, as if breathing through a needle's poison, and as if a thorn branch were drawn from my foot to my nape. A dying man was asked: how do you find yourself? He said: I find myself drawn in a pulling, as if daggers moved in my bowels, and my bowels in a heated oven flaming with burning. Another was asked: how do you find yourself? He said: I find myself as if the heavens folded upon the earth upon me, and my soul as if leaving through a needle's eye. Death being of this severity, and Allah, the Most High, having made it binding upon all His servants with no escape, while He hates to harm the believer and distress him: that was named delay toward the believer. As for the prophets, upon them peace: they are not seized until given choice. Al-Hasan said: when the prophets hated death, Allah made it easy on them by meeting Allah, and by all they loved of gift or honor, until one's soul is drawn from between his sides while he loves that, for what was presented to him. Aisha said: "I would envy no one whose death was eased, after what I saw of the severity of the Messenger of Allah's death (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." She said: he had before him a cup of water: he would dip his hand in the cup, wipe his face with the water, and say: O Allah! Help me against the drunkenness of death. She said: he kept saying: "There is no deity but Allah: death has drunkennesses indeed." In a mursal hadith he used to say: "O Allah! You take the spirit from between the sinews, the reeds and the fingertips; O Allah! Help me against death, and make it easy on me." Some of the predecessors loved striving at death: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said: "How I love that the drunkenness of death be not eased upon me: it is the believer's last expiation!" An-Nakha'i said: they loved striving at death, and some feared death's severity as fitna. When Allah wills death's ease upon the servant, it is easy on him. In the authentic collection, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When death comes upon the believer, he is given glad tidings of Allah's pleasure and His honor: nothing is dearer to him than what is before him: he loves meeting Allah, and Allah loves meeting him." Ibn Mas'ud said: when the angel of death comes to seize the believer's spirit, he says to him: "Your Lord greets you with salam." Muhammad ibn Ka'b said: the angel of death says to him: "Salam upon you, O friend of Allah! Allah greets you with salam." Then he recited:

"Those whom the angels take in purity say: salam upon you."

An-Nahl, 32

Zayd ibn Aslam said: the angels come to the believer when dying and say to him: "fear not what you are coming upon: Allah removes your fear; grieve not over the world and its people; and be gladdened of Paradise": he dies, the glad tidings having come. Al-Bazzar reports from the hadith of Abd Allah ibn Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Allah is most miserly of His believing servant's death, like you of your dearest wealth, until He seizes his soul upon his bed." Zayd ibn Aslam said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah has servants of wellbeing in this world and the Hereafter." Thabit al-Bunani said: "Allah has servants He is miserly with in the world of killing and pains: He lengthens their lives, beautifies their provisions, makes them die on beds, and stamps them with the martyrs' natures." Ibn Abi al-Dunya and at-Tabarani report it in raised form, by weak routes. In some of its wordings: "Allah has treasuries of His creation upon whom He refuses trial: He gives them life in health, death in health, and admits them to Paradise in health." Ibn Mas'ud and others say: "Sudden death is ease upon the believer." Abu Tha'laba al-Khushani used to say: I hope Allah does not strangle me, as I see you strangle at death. One night, in his house, he was heard calling: O Abd ar-Rahman! And Abd ar-Rahman had been killed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then he went to his house's mosque, prayed, and his soul was seized while prostrate. A group of the predecessors was seized in prayer, prostrating. Some said to their companions: I die not your death, but I am called and I answer. One day, sitting with his companions, he said: at Your call! Then he collapsed, dead. Another sat with his companions; they heard a voice saying: O so-and-so! Answer: this, by Allah, is your last hour of the world! He leapt and said: this, by Allah, is death's caller! He bade farewell to his companions, greeted them, then went toward the voice, saying: "Salam upon the sent ones, and praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds"; then the voice cut off: they followed its trace and found him dead. Another sat writing in a codex; he set the pen from his hand and said: if your death is thus, by Allah, it is a sweet death! Then he fell, dead. Another sat writing hadith: he set the pen from his hand, raised his hands, praying to Allah: he died, may Allah the Most High have mercy on him.