Dear brothers, we are still tackling the Prophetic Noble Ahadeeth, and today we are discussing a new chapter of the book Riyad-Us-Saliheen. The chapter's title is Discharging the Trusts. Allah the Almighty says in the Noble Quran:
﴾ Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due .﴿
[ An-Nisa', 58
]
It is preferable that every believer pays heed to the Ayaat in the Noble Quran, such as this Ayah:
﴾ Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone - Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner] ﴿
The Creator of the universe commands you to render the trusts back to whom they are due out of justice and charity, because you are ordered to be just and to be charitable.
The second Ayah about the same point is:
﴾ Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results). ﴿
[ Al-Ahzab, 72
]
The word "Trust" has many senses, and some people might narrow down its meaning to be entrusting someone with something valuable, and then getting it back few days later, or to be entrusting someone with an amount of money and then taking it back in full. However, this meaning is the narrowest among other senses, for the meaning of "trust" extends to the Amanah (fulfilling one's responsibility) towards Allah the Almighty.
Your ownself is the Amanah that rests on your shoulders, and if you purify it, you will prosper, but if you befoul it with sins, you will lose. Do you let your ownself know Allah the Almighty? Do you oblige it to obey Him? Do you force it to offer good deeds? Do you reveal the reality of the worldly life to it? Do you tell it about the Hereafter? Your ownself is the Amanah (a trust) you are entrusted with. Regarding this truth, Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, says:
﴾ Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. ﴿
The trust in its comprehensive sense is the Amanah of the Divine Assignment with which mankind is entrusted. This Amanah is fulfilled by getting your ownself to know Allah the Almighty, to keep it obedient to Him and to make it aware of the reality of the worldly life and the Hereafter, so that it may prosper, succeed and accomplish the mission for which it has been created. This is the Amanah of the Divine Assignment to mankind, and it is the most comprehensive meaning of the different senses of the trust.
1- The trust of conveying Allah's Message:
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves. ﴿
If you do not get yourself aware of Allah the Almighty, you wrong it, because you deprive it of the ongoing bliss in the Hereafter, and you indulge it in mundane evanescent pleasures to which death puts an end, leaving you with its torment.
Conveying Allah's Message is the greatest trust which was borne by Prophets PBUT. If you visit the Prophet's grave PBUH, you supplicate, "I bear witness that you conveyed Allah's Message, you discharged the trust, you advised the Ummah, you removed the hardship and you strived in Allah's Cause as you had to."
2- The trust of Da'wah to Allah:
Discharging the trust is not only about giving back people's trusts, but it is also included in the following Ayah:
﴾ To make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it ﴿
Calling to Allah is a type of trust through which you tell people the truth as it is without fearing anyone.
﴾ Those who convey the Message of Allah and fear Him, and fear none save Allah. ﴿
If you fear anyone other than Allah the Almighty, you will refrain from telling the truth, and you will speak falsehood, then what is left of the trust of conveying Allah's Message or calling to Allah?
3- The trust of Allah's Assignment to man:
The third kind of trust is the trust of the Divine Assignment to mankind which should be borne by every person on earth. The trust of conveying Allah's Message is borne by the Prophets PBUT and Da'wah (calling) to Allah is borne by the scholars:
﴾ Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. ﴿
4- The trust of ruling people:
The fourth type of trust is the trust of ruling people. Once, the wife of Umar bin Abdul Aziz found him weeping after prayers. She asked what had happened. He replied, "I have been made the ruler over the Muslims, and I was thinking of the poor who are starving, the sick who are destitute, the naked who are in distress, the oppressed who are stricken, the stranger who is in prison, the venerable elder, the one who has a large family and small means, and the like of them in countries of the earth and the distant provinces, and I felt that my Lord would ask me about them on the Day of Resurrection, and I feared that no defense would avail me (at that time), so I wept."
5- The trust of appointing governors:
The fifth type of trusts is the trust of appointing governors. Our Master Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, tested one of his governors. He asked him, "What will you do if one of your people steals something?" He said, "I will cut off his hand." Then Umar said, "If one of your people comes to me hungry or unemployed, I will cut off yours. Allah the Almighty appointed us leaders to cover the Awrat (the intimate parts) of people, to provide them with crafts and to meet their needs. If we guarantee them all these things, they will be grateful to us. These hands were created to work. Therefore, if they do not find jobs through which they obey Allah, they will look for jobs that lead them to disobey Allah. Make your ownself busy with obeying Allah, lest it makes you busy with sins."
6- The trust of personal responsibility towards others:
Discharging the trust is not only about giving back people's trusts, but also it is about fulfilling the Divine Assignment, conveying Allah's Message, Da'wah to Allah, ruling people, appointing good governors, and fulfilling personal responsibilities towards others which is the sixth type of trusts.
Each one of us but has a responsibility on his shoulders. As a physician, your patient is your trust. Do you put the effort to cure him from his disease or you just extort his money? As a lawyer, your client is your trust, and as a teacher, your student is your trust. As a store owner, your customer is your trust. Do you give him a good commodity or you cheat him? He is your trust. Furthermore, as a parent, your child is your trust, and the mother is a trust on the shoulder of her husband and her son when she is old. Does the husband treat her rightly? Does he choose a good doctor? Does the child put the effort to serve her and meet her needs? The concept of trust is very wide as you see, and it almost includes everything.
7- The trust of meetings:
The seventh type of trusts is the trust of meetings.
(( Meetings are confidential under trust.
))
The Prophet PBUH taught us that if someone tells you something, and then you walk away, what he tells you becomes a trust; you should keep it a secret between you and him.
As I said previously, children are the trust on the shoulders of their parents. The neighbor is the trust on his neighbor's shoulders.
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are three signs of a hypocrite: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
Another narration adds the words:
(( Even if he observes Siyaam, performs Salat and asserts that he is a Muslim. ))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Anas bin Malik
]
Faith is not about wishes and good appearances, but it is something instilled in the heart and proven through deeds. The traits here mean the proofs that mark the hypocrite. To clarify, what proof do we have to say that this grape becomes fully-grown? It uses to be green, but later on it turns into yellow, so we know from its color that it is ripe, or we can tell from its taste. There are proofs of everything, so what is the proof that someone is hypocrite? The proof is that when he speaks he lies. What is the proof that someone is a believer? The proof is in what the Prophet PBUH said in the following Hadith:
(( He who treats people in such a way that he never wrongs them… ))
[ Musnad Ash-Shihab, on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib ]
Pay attention to this Hadith, please:
(( He who treats people in such a way that he never wrongs them, and speaks to them and never lies to them, and when he makes a promise to them he never breaks it, such a person is perfect in his valorous qualities, his justice is manifest, and it becomes obligatory to consider him as one’s brother and prohibited to backbite him". ))
[ Musnad Ash-Shihab, on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib ]
The Hadith describes the hypocrite who lies when he speaks. In another Hadith, the Prophet PBUH said:
(( A believer is naturally disposed to all the traits except betrayal and lying. ))
Lying and betrayal oppose faith. The believer might sin and might be overtaken by his desire, but he never lies. The one who lies is not a believer, so is the one who breaks his promises, for the promise is a debt on the shoulder of the free man.
(( Anas said: Allah's messenger seldom addressed us without saying, "He who is not trustworthy has no faith, and he who does not keep his covenant has no religion." ))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Anas bin Malik ]
Religion is about honesty and manners as much as it is about Siyaam and Salah:
The promise is mere words, but why is it sacred? It is sacred because words reflect beauty, power and magic. Some people promise and break their promises by saying they are just words, but when there is chivalry left in people, then their words of promise are words and action, because the promise is debt:
(( …When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust. ))
Man might be entrusted with money, and he betrays the trust. Man might be entrusted with upbringing his children, and he does not raise them up well. Man might be entrusted with the wellbeing of Muslims, and he feeds them spoilt food to make profits, and he might be entrusted with the morality of Muslims, and he writes immoral stories. The morals of the youth are the writer's trust, so if he writes improper story to be the best seller book, he then betrays the trust.
If the teacher does not teach his students as he should, he then betrays the trust. Also, if a physician prescribes to his patient a sedative that takes away his pain quickly but hurts him on the long run, he then betrays the trust. Furthermore, if a lawyer makes his client think that he will win his case for the purpose of taking his money while there is a decisive proof that makes him lose the case, but he breaks the bad news to his client after taking his money, this is betrayal to the trust. Moreover, if you conceal a defect in your commodity, you betray the trust.
The Hadith is clear about what marks the hypocrite; when he speaks he lies, when he promises, he breaks his promise and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust. This Hadith is agreed upon by all scholars.
(( Even if he fasts, prays, and asserts that he is a Muslim...
))
religion is not only about Siyaam and Salah, but it is also about honesty, fidelity and faithfulness. Muslims are lagged behind other nations after they understand religion as Siyaam and Salah only, whereas our righteous ancestors were ahead of all nations, because they understood religion as ethics. We will keep tackling the chapter of Discharging the Trusts for weeks to come if Allah wills, for it is very rich in Ahadeeth.
We are done with interpreting this Hadith, and we will move now to some of the rulings on Siyaam as the blessed month of Ramadan is coming soon.
The preconditions of Siyaam in Ramadan:
The first precondition is Islam. Non-Muslims are not ordered to fast, so if you are visited by a non-Muslim, it is fine to serve him dry food, because he is not assigned to fast as Muslims do. If he refrains from being served food out of courtesy to your state of Siyaam, that would be better, but if he is unaware of Islam, and he visits you from another country, he does not have to fast, because Islam is a precondition of Siyaam.
The second precondition is sanity. Allah the Almighty takes from the insane person his reason, and thus he whose sanity is taken by Allah is excused from his religious responsibilities and duties.
The third precondition is reaching the age of puberty, or when the girl or the boy reaches the age of 15.
(( Ali Ibn Abu Talib passed by and said: "What is the matter with this (woman)?" They said: "This is a lunatic woman belonging to a certain family. She has committed adultery. Umar has given orders that she should be stoned." He said: "Take her back." He then came to him and said: "Commander of the Faithful, do you not know that there are three people whose actions are not recorded: a lunatic till he is restored to reason, a sleeper till he awakes, and a boy till he reaches puberty?" ))
[ Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Ali
]
Another precondition of Siyaam is to be unaware of this ritual act of worship. This ruling is applied to the unbeliever during the war; if he embraces Islam, and he does not observe Siyaam, because he does not know, he is excused for this one time only. Unlike him, he who lives in an Islamic state, and he embraces Islam, he is not excused, because being unaware in this case is not an excuse.
The rule goes as follows: "Ignorance is not an accepted excuse in the Islamic states". Whoever is brought up in an Islamic country, he attends with his father so many Khutbas and religious sessions, and he hears people talking about confirming the beginning of Ramadan, is not excused to be ignorant of the obligation of Siyaam in Ramadan.
As for puberty and sanity, it is unacceptable to excuse your child from fasting Ramadan until he is 15 years old. You should encourage him to fast at an early age no matter how hard leaving food and drink is for him. This is important to get him used to fasting. Scholars recommends to treat the 10 year old child who does not fast as the ten year old child who does not offer Salah. Regarding this point, pay attention to the following Hadith, please:
(( Narrated Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn al-'As: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately." ))
[ Ahmad
]
This is applicable to Siyaam as it is to Salah. Hence, whoever has a child at the age of 10 and is not fasting yet, he should reproach him until he does, or even hit him without hurting him in order to get him used to Siyaam when he is old enough.
Preconditions of the obligation of observing Siyaam:
Being healthful is one of the precondition of observing Siyaam, because Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ [Observing Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. ﴿
[ Al-Baqarah, 184
]
The sick person has the excuse to break his Siyaam in Ramadan, and can make up the missed days when he is healthy. What if the sick person insists on observing Siyaam in Ramadan, is his fasting valid? Yes, it is.
One of the preconditions of the validity of the Siyaam concerning the female is not being in her period or in her postpartum period.
I repeat, the ones who are permitted to break their Siyaam in Ramadan are the sick whose health condition gets serious if they observe fasting, the female during her period and in her postpartum period and the traveler. As for the sick and the traveler, it is recommended that they observe Siyaam as long as they are not exhausted by observing it.
Requirements of the validity of Siyaam:
The intention for every day of Ramadan is required for the validity of Siyaam.
The woman in her period or the one in her postpartum period cannot observe Siyaam. Fajr is the time to start fasting, so if a woman felt that she is in her period after Fajr, she breaks her Siyaam, but expecting period does not give her an excuse to break her Siyaam before making sure that she is in period. Also, if a woman gives birth in the afternoon, she breaks her fasting.
Impurity after intercourse (Janabah) is not an excuse for breaking Siyaam in Ramadan, but the person in Janabah should offer Ghusl (ritual bath) as fast as he/she can in order to perfume Salah, because Janabah contradicts Salah but not Siyaam. Accordingly, if a man takes a nap during the day of Ramadan, and he has a wet dream he can continue his Siyaam, but he should offer Ghusl from Janabah in order to offer Salah.
The excuses that justify breaking Siyaam:
The first excuse is sickness, and regarding it Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ [Observing Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. ﴿
[ Al-Baqarah, 184
]
Allah the Almighty made it easy for the sick person by giving him the excuse to break his Siyaam during his illness, and he can make up the missed days of Ramadan later. As aforementioned, if the sick person insists to observe Siyaam, his Siyaam is valid.
What is the illness that justifies breaking Siyaam? It is the one that gets worse by Siyaam. For example, if someone breaks his arm and put it in a cast, this has nothing to do with his digestive tract. Therefore, only the illnesses which by fasting they become more serious, the illnesses that increase by Siyaam, the illnesses whose recovery is delayed due to Siyaam or the illnesses that by Siyaam they put the sick in distress, are the ones that justify breaking Siyaam.
When is the sick person allowed to break his Siyaam in Ramadan? When he is 90% sure that Siyaam is harmful to him. Hence, when you are only 30% sure, then this is doubt and a trick of mind, and when you are 70 % sure, this is uncertainty, but when you are 90 % sure, this is close to certainty. Thus, if man is 90% sure that his sickness will become worse by Siyaam he can break it. Yet, how can he tell that he is 90% sure? He is able to know that by experience, or by being told so by a Muslim honest pious prudent Physician.
As for the non-Muslim doctor, or the imprudent one, he might say, "You have to break your Siyaam", but you cannot count on that opinion, and it should come from a Muslim physician.
As for the healthy person who wrongly thinks that Siyaam will hurt his body because he has week will or he is under this wrong impression, his doubts are not to be counted. Saying, "I feel that Siyaam is not good to my body" without solid evidence is just a way to abandon the Fard of Siyaam, and it is due to poor piety.
Speaking of which, saying "I am upset of Hijab, and I got bored" is not enough reason for a woman to expose her hair and body. Only those whose determination is weak are the ones who cling to silly reasons in order to break away from religious obligations.
The healthy person who does not doubt that Siyaam will harm his body, and a Muslim honest pious prudent Physician does not tell him that he cannot observe Siyaam, but then after few hours of Siyaam he feels that his body is collapsing, this is called experience, and so he can break his Siyaam.
Some people are afflicted with intractable terminal diseases, those can break their Siyaam and pay for every day of Ramadan half "Saa' " (One Saa' equals 3800 grams according to Hanafi School of Thought) of wheat or their price by the local currency. It can be paid to the poor person. If the sick person is too poor to pay, he just asks Allah for forgiveness, and if the person who has a terminal sickness is cured, what he has paid previously is considered Sadaqah, and he has to make up the missed day of Ramadan.
2- Being forced to break Siyaam by threats of killing, amputation of a limb or sever torture:
Man is excused to break his Siyaam if he is forced to do so by threats of killing, amputation of a limb or server torture. Having this fear is an excuse for the Muslim to break his Siyaam.
"Old age" refers to the age when a man and a woman can hardly fast, and in this case, they pay for every day the price of two kilograms of wheat (half Saa' of wheat), provided this weakness due to old age should last till death. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ [Observing Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. ﴿
4- Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are excuses to break Siyaam, for the pregnant woman or the breastfeeding woman needs nutrition for her fetus or her infant, thus Islam allows her if she feared for her baby to break her Siyaam, but if she has a strong body, and she eats well at Suhur and the day is short, she can observe Siyaam. There are women who are weak by nature, they lack calcium or they have anemia during their pregnancy, so such women can break their Siyaam if they fear for their fetus or infant.
(( Anas bin Malik al-Ka'bi reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "Allah has remitted half the prayer to the traveler, and fasting to the traveler, the woman who is suckling an infant and the woman who is pregnant." ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Anas
]
This Hadith is authorized by five Sihah. The woman, who breaks her Siyaam for a valid excuse should make up the missed fasts without paying Fidyah.
5- The woman in period or postpartum period:
The woman in her period or in her postpartum period cannot observe Siyaam, and she offers Siyaam later after her period or postpartum period is over.
(( Mu'adha al-'Adawiya said that when she asked 'A'ishah why one who has been menstruating must make up for her fast but not for her prayer, she replied, "That happened to us, and we were ordered to make up for the fast, but were not ordered to make up for the prayer." ))
[ Muslim, on the authority of A'ishah ]
Period is different from false menstruation. A ruptured vein might cause some bleeding out of menstruation, and in this case the woman should offer Wudu' for every Salah and should observe Siyaam in Ramadan.
We will talk later about traveling during Ramadan and all the related rulings insha' Allah (if Allah wills).
***
We move to talk about our master Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him. His Governor in Khurasan asked Umar's permission to use violence with its people, and he said in his letter, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, (Commander of the Believers), only sword and whip straighten them". The firm and pious answer of Umar was, "You lied! They are straightened by justice and truth, so you should prevail that among them, and verily, Allah does not set right the work of evil-doers."
Regarding this point, Allah the Almighty addressed Dawood (David PBUH) by saying, (O Dawood, remind my servants of My Favors, for souls are molded to love those who favor them and dislike those who wrong them)
Human beings share the same disposition in all places and ages. This Khalifah (Caliph) owned a strong determination that is enough to break down mountains. He said once, "By Allah, if the truth does not take initiative in refuting falsehood but through cutting off my limbs and body, I will do that gladly." The higher a believer exalts in his faith, the keener he will be on prevailing the truth amongst people, and so he is keen on spreading the word of truth beyond any limits.
The Khalifah continued, "By Allah, if I stay 50 years ruling you, I will rule you by justice only." This means that he was steadfast on his principles, and nothing will draw him away from them. As a father, if you are strong and wealthy, your social position is respectful, and you have a son, how can you make your son apply your rules in the house? There are two ways to do that: by force or by setting an example for your son. It is easy in this case to use power, for when he breaks your rules, you punish him severely. On the other hand, if you set a good example to him, he will apply your rules voluntarily, because the son usually follows his father's steps. Hence, our master Umar bin Abdul Aziz wanted his people to obey Allah and to follow the righteous path by setting a good example for them not by forcing them to do so.
The Noble Prophet is our example in his actions:
Allah the Almighty made a good example of the Prophet PBUH, because he is a good example for us to follow in all aspects of life. For instance, if a poor person complains about his poverty, the Prophet PBUH is a good example for him, because he PBUH was not rich.
(( It was narrated from A'ishah that the Messenger of Allah came to her and said: "Do you have any food?" and A'ishah said: "O Messenger of Allah, No, do not have." So he said: "I am fasting today." ))
Allah the Almighty made him PBUH taste poverty, and the Prophet PBUH was tolerant, patient and pleased. Allah the Almighty also made him taste affluence.
(( The Prophet PBUH was walking with Safwan Ibn Umayyah – who was still a polytheist – and the Muslims had tremendous spoils of war. Safwan looked at a valley full of camels and sheep for a long time. When the Prophet, PBUH, saw him doing this, he said: "Do you like it, Abu Wahb?" Safwan said: "Yes." The Prophet PBUH, said: "All this is yours." Safwan, almost not believing what he heard, said: "Only a Prophet could ever give this. I testify that none is worthy of worship but Allah the Almighty and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger." ))
When Allah the Almighty tested him PBUH with poverty, he endured, and when He tested him with affluence, he was charitable and grateful. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty made him taste powerlessness in Ta'if. Had we drawn a diagram of his life, his power would have reached its lowest points in Ta'if, because people belied, opposed and mocked him PBUH, and they incited their fools and children to hurt him. When he took shelter in a wall in Ta'if he said:
(( O Allah, if you are not angry with me then I do not care (about the troubles I meet with), and You have the right to blame till You are pleased (with me), and Your Protection is what I seek. ))
Allah made him taste helplessness, so he PBUH sought help from Allah the Almighty and complained to Him only. Also, Allah the Almighty made him PBUH taste power when he opened Makkah, but upon entering into it, he expressed his triumph by lowering his head down out of politeness and gratefulness to Allah. He PBUH did not enter into with arrogance as tyrants do. Thus, the Prophet PBUH tasted poverty, affluence, weakness, power and losing the son. He did not wail, nor did he beat himself out of grief, but his reaction was mentioned in the following Hadith:
(( It was narrated that Asma' bint Yazid said: "When Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), died, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) wept. The one who was consoling him, either Abu Bakr or 'Umar, said to him: 'You are indeed the best of those who glorify Allah with what is due to him.' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: 'The eye weeps and the heart grieves, but we do not say anything that angers the Lord. Were it not that death is something that inevitably comes to all, and that the latter will surely join the former, then we would have been more than we are, verily we grieve for you'." ))
[ Ibn Majah, on the authority of Asma' ]
This is the perfect stance.
He PBUH tasted the loss of his wife and the departure from his homeland. A companion called Aseel described Makkah to the Prophet PBUH after he immigrated from it in spring, so the eyes of the Prophet PBUH welled with tears, and he said:
(( Do not make us long for Makkah O Aseel. ))
Leaving homeland against your will is very hard. O Allah, make us dwell safely in our countries.
The Prophet PBUH tasted the death of his wife Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was 15 years older than him and with whom he spent 25 years. Unfortunately, nowadays if the husband is only two years older than his wife, he complains when she is old and says, "She becomes too old for me." Let such a person know that she is his partner in life. Where is his loyalty and affection? Life is not always pleasurable, so it is about exalted character.
A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was young and beautiful, and actually she was the most beautiful wife among the Prophet's wives, so she said to him once:
(( "Did Allah not replace her with a better one. He replied, "By Allah no", and repeated, "No, by Allah, no." ))
All these are but lessons to learn from.
Making people obey Allah by setting a good example:
Our master Umar bin Abdul Aziz intended to make people obey Allah the Almighty by setting for them a good example instead of using power. As a teacher, father or manager who has employees under him, you have two ways to make them obey you, either by compelling them or by being a good example for them. Being a good example for others is the best way to treat people.
The Prophet PBUH was a perfect husband at home.
(( Once Mrs. A'iyshah asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, "How is your love for me?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, answered, "It is like a firm knot of a rope." For that time on the knot became the symbol of their love, and from time to time she, may Allah be pleased with her, used to ask him, "How is the knot?" To which he used to answer, "It is as firm as the first time you asked." ))
Once Mrs. A'ishah was very angry, so the Prophet PBUH said to his children, "Your mother is angry, your mother is angry." If your wife is angry, do not add fuel to the fire, but rather get out of the house to avoid disputes. The Prophet PBUH taught us that, so when you get angry try to keep silent.
The Prophet PBUH used to have problems at home sometimes, so he is our example to follow. When he used to enter his home, he PBUH would smile. He was compassionate, and used to mend his shoes, fix his clothes, milk his she-camel and have home chores done.
He never complained about food, and he was never seen stretching his legs in front of anyone. Moreover, if he used to shake someone's hand he would pull his hand until the other did. He is an example for us and his exalted character captivated his companions, thus they loved him beyond belief. Also, as a father you should accustom yourself to be a good example for your children in everything which will make them abide by your rules.
Umar bin Abdul Aziz is a good example to all people:
Our master Umar said, "The governor is a pillar, the judge is another pillar, the man of treasury is a third pillar and I am the forth one." Hence, every state but has four pillars: The governor, the judge (because justice is the foundation of ruling), the man of treasury and the Khalifah.
His famous statement is: "I am one of you, but I am the one with the heaviest burden." He was like one of the people he ruled.
He got home once after Isha' Salah, and he ran into his little daughters, so he greeted them as usual, but instead of greeting him back, they covered their mouths with their hands and try to find their way out, so he asked why they did so. He was answered that they had lentil and onion for supper and they hated to hurt him with the onion's odor coming from their mouths, so they avoided him. Upon knowing the reason, he wept and addressed them, "Dear daughters, what benefit the tasty and delicious food will bring you if your father is admitted to Hell-Fire? If you eat this poor food, and I am admitted to Paradise is better than eating delicious food, and I am admitted to Hell-Fire"
His wife Fatimah was the daughter of giant Khalifah, and she used to own best kinds of jewelry. He said to her once, "O Fatimah, you know how your father Abdul Malik paid for this jewelry, so may you let me put them in a chest and put this chest far in the treasury, so if I use treasury money till I reach this chest, I spend it to meet Muslim needs? She agreed and he put all her jewelry in the treasury.
He got very angry once when people stood up upon his arrival and he said, "People stand up for The Lord of Worlds only." A man said to him once, "O Allah's successor in land" which made Umar shiver and scream at him, "What are you saying? I was named Umar when my mother gave birth to me, so if you call me Umar, I will respond. When I got older I called myself Abu Hafs, so if you call me Abu Hafs, I will respond, and then you made me your ruler and called me Amir al-Mu'minin, so if you call Amir al-Mu'minin, I will respond, but calling me Allah's successor in land, that is not me, for only Prophets and Messengers PBUT are the successors of Allah in land, so pay heed."
Once, he sent a little amount of money to every prince and princess of Bani Umayah to manage their coming tough life, and the money he paid them came from selling a land he bought from his own money. It seemed that the Khulafa' (Caliphs) before him used to receive 40.000 Dinars a year, but Umar accepted to have only 200 Dinars for a whole year, and he did not follow his ancestors' example.
The princes and princesses met and decided to send a friend of Umar to ask him to give them more. His respond to their request was, "By Allah, I regret already sending them that money because I know that there are people among Muslims who are more entitled to that money because of their need." His friend got back to them and said, "O Bani Umayah, do not blame anyone but yourselves, for you married Abdul Aziz bin Marwan (Umar's father) to the granddaughter of Umar bin Al-Khattab, and they gave birth to Umar bin Al Khatab wrapped in Umar bin Abdul Aziz, so do not blame anyone but yourselves." He saw in this Imam and Khalifah Umar bin Al-Khattab but wrapped in the cloths of Umar bin Abdul Aziz.
He addressed his governor once, "Be in justice, reforming and charity as much as those before you were in injustice, immorality and oppression."
He addressed his people saying, "I used men to rule you, and I would not say they are the best amongst you, but I would say that they are better than those who are worse than them."
He sent a letter to one of his governors in which he wrote, "He who is tested with ruling will be severely tried, so we ask Allah for help and safety. I ask you to consider what makes you hope for salvation secretly and publicly. Remember to rectify every mistake you do before others rectify it for you. Do not let what people say stands between you and doing so. Be to those whom Allah entrusted you with an adviser in their religion and honor, conceal their Awrat (private parts, and indecent deeds) and have control on yourself in front of them when you are angry."
The title of this chapter of Umar's life is The Good Example for he was a good example for his governors and people in general. In another lecture insha' Allah, we will talk about Ash-Shura (consulting) in which this Khalifah believed.
I received so many questions, so I will answer them next lecture insha' Allah.
