Stories and Conditions of Pre-Islamic Nations

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recounts the story of one of the prophets (peace be upon them) who set forth to fight a people against whom he was commanded to make Jihad. However, that prophet forbade from marching with him anyone who had married a woman but had not yet consummated his marriage with her or who had built a house but had not yet raised its roof or who had purchased sheep or pregnant she-camels and was waiting for them to give birth. That is because those people would be preoccupied with those concerns: the married man is preoccupied with his bride whom he has not yet consummated his marriage with and he longs for her. Likewise, the one who built a house and has not yet raised its roof is preoccupied with his house that he wishes to live in with his family. Also, the owner of pregnant she-camels and sheep is preoccupied with them and is waiting for them to give birth. Performing Jihad requires that the person be completely unoccupied, having no concern except fighting in the cause of Allah. Then, this prophet set out for battle, approaching his destination after midday with the night approaching. So, he feared that if darkness fell, he would not be able to achieve victory. He addressed the sun, saying: "You are subservient to Allah and so am I." But the sun's command is a universal command, while his command is a legislative one. He is commanded to fight in the cause of Allah, and the sun is commanded to move as Allah, the Exalted, has commanded it; Allah says: {And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing} [Sūrat Yāsīn: 38]. Ever since Allah created the sun, it has been moving as it was commanded, neither advancing nor delaying nor changing its altitude. The prophet said: "O Allah, hold it back (from setting) for us." So Allah held the sun back and it did not disappear at its normal time until that prophet conquered the village and gained many spoils of war. In previous nations, the spoils of war were not lawful for the army; rather, the lawfulness of spoils is one of the distinct characteristics of this (Muslim) nation, and all praise is due to Allah. As for the previous nations, they used to gather all the spoils, and if Allah accepted them, a fire would come down from the sky and devour them. Hence, the spoils were gathered, but the fire did not descend upon them or devour them. This prophet then said: "There is some misappropriation of the spoils." Then he commanded that each tribe present one person to pledge allegiance to him, proving that his tribe had not been dishonest with regard to the booty. When they gave him their pledge of allegiance, the hand of one of them stuck to the prophet's hand. Thereupon, he said: "Your tribe is the source of misappropriation." Then he commanded that each person from that tribe pledge allegiance individually, and the hands of two or three men stuck to his, whereupon he said: "You are the misappropriators." Then they brought it out, and they had hidden an amount of gold as big as the size of a bull's head. When the gold was brought and placed with the spoils, the fire devoured them.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. رياض الصالحين، للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that there was once a king among the nations before us, and he had a magician. When the magician grew old, he said to the king: I have become old, so send me a young man whom I can teach magic. So, the king sent him a young man, who, on his way to the magician, met a monk. He sat with him once, listened to his words and admired him. Whenever he went to the magician, he used to sit with the monk, then on reaching the magician, the latter would beat him for being late. So, the boy complained this to the monk, who said to him: Whenever you are afraid of the magician, tell him that your family detained you. And whenever you are afraid of your family, tell them that the magician detained you. So the boy carried on like that (for some time). Then a huge, terrible beast once appeared on the road, and the people were unable to pass. The boy said: Today I shall know whether the magician is better or the monk. So, he took a stone and said: O Allah, if the affair of the monk is better in Your Sight than that of the magician, then kill this beast so that the people can cross (the road). Then he struck it with a stone and killed it, and the people passed the road. The boy came to the monk and informed him about it. The monk said to him: O my son, today you are better than me, and you have achieved what I see! You will be put on trial. And in case you are put to trial, do not inform (them) about me. The boy used to treat the people who suffered from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases with the permission of Allah. There was a courtier of the king who had become blind. He came and brought many gifts to the boy and said: All these gifts are for you on the condition that you cure me. He said: I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah who cures people. So, if you believe in Allah, I shall supplicate Allah, and He will cure you. So, he believed in Allah, and Allah cured him. Later, the courtier came to the king and sat in the place where he used to sit before. The king said: Who gave you back your sight? He said: My Lord. He said: Do you have another Lord besides me?! He said: My Lord and your Lord is Allah. The king took him and kept on torturing him until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king, who said to him: O boy, your magic reached the extent that you cure congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. He said: Indeed, I do not cure anyone. Only Allah can cure. So, he tortured him extensively until he told him about the monk. Then the monk was brought to the king, who said to him: Renounce your religion. The monk refused. So, the king ordered a saw to be brought and placed on the middle of his head, and he fell, sawn in two halves. Then the courtier of the king was brought, and it was said to him: Renounce your religion. He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed on the middle of his head, and he fell, sawn in two halves. Then the boy was brought, and it was said to him: Renounce your religion. He refused, and so the king sent him to some of his followers, between three and ten in number. He said to them: Ascend the mountain with him till you reach its top, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise, throw him from the top. They took him and ascended the mountain. The boy said: O Allah, save me from them by any means You wish. So, the mountain shook and quaked violently, and they all fell down, and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said: What did your companions do? He said: Allah saved me from them. So he handed him over to another group of his men and said: Take him away, load him onto a small boat until you reach the middle of the sea. If he renounces his faith, then good. Otherwise, throw him into the sea. So they took him away. He said: O Allah, save me from them by any means You wish. Suddenly, their boat capsized, drowning them all, and he walked back to the king. The king said to him: What did your companions do? The boy replied: Allah saved me from them. Then he said to the king: You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you. He said: And what is that? The boy said: Gather the people in an open space. Crucify me on a tree trunk. Then take an arrow from my quiver, place it in the bow’s grip, and say: In the Name of Allah, Lord of the boy. Then shoot me—for if you do so, you will kill me. So he assembled the people in one place, crucified him on a trunk, took an arrow from his quiver, placed it in the bow’s center, and said: In the Name of Allah, Lord of the boy. Then he shot him—the arrow struck his temple between his eye and ear. The boy placed his hand on the wound and died. The people said: We believe in the Lord of the boy, we believe in the Lord of the boy, we believe in the Lord of the boy. Then it was said to the king: Do you see what you feared? By Allah, what you feared has indeed come to pass. The people followed the boy and all believed in his Lord. So the king ordered great, elongated trenches to be dug at the crossroads, lit with raging fires, and commanded: Whoever does not renounce his religion—throw him in it. They carried out his orders until a woman came with her child. She hesitated, frozen in place, reluctant to enter the fire. Then her child said to her: O mother, be patient! For indeed, you are upon the truth.

1. Affirmation of the miracles of the pious—among them: the slaying of the great beast by the boy’s arrow, the answering of the boy’s supplication twice, and the speech of the infant child.
2. Those who rely upon Allah Almighty are granted victory.
3. Clarifying the honor of patience and steadfastness in the religion.
4. The wisdom behind seeking knowledge early in life is that youth generally retain and memorize faster than adults.
5. The strength of this boy’s faith, that he never wavered or faltered in his belief.
6. Allah Almighty responds to the distressed when he calls out to Him.
7. It is permissible for a person to endanger himself for the greater good of the Muslims. This boy directed the king to the method that would kill him and cause his own destruction—by taking an arrow from his quiver, placing it at the center of the bow, and saying: In the Name of Allah, Lord of the boy.
8. The permissibility of lying in war and similar situations, and saving oneself from destruction.
9. The believer is tested in the sincerity of his faith and steadfastness in speaking the truth, even if it leads to his death.
10. Sacrifice in the path of calling to Allah and manifesting the truth.
11. The hearts of the servants are in Allah's Hand—He guides whom He wills and leads astray whom He wills. For indeed, the boy was guided while in the care of the magician and under the watch of the doomed king.
12. It is permissible to ask Allah Almighty to show a sign by which one may recognize the truth and attain certainty.
13. The people of faith utilize everything Allah has bestowed upon them and favored them with to serve His religion and call others to His path.
14. The means of destruction are in Allah's Hand; if He wills, He executes them, and if He wills, He prevents them.
15. The disbelievers are not lacking in proofs and evidence to believe; rather, the cause of their disbelief is stubbornness and arrogance.
16. Tyrants and oppressors are willing to kill all people to preserve their worldly luxuries and power.
17. Allah punishes the wrongdoers from where they least expect. For indeed, the people came to believe in the Lord of the boy when they witnessed his steadfastness, the truth of his call, and his fearless devotion to Allah and heedlessness of any blame.
18. There are others besides Jesus (peace be upon him) who spoke in infancy. This Hadīth explains the Prophet's statement: "None spoke in the cradle except three..." naming them and restricting this miracle to the Children of Israel exclusively.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2299) (3005). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 86). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص39). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 412). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (1/ 210). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 62).

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that if he forbade us from something, we must avoid it without exception, and if he ordered us to do something, we have to do it as much as we can. He then warned us against being like some of the previous nations, who asked their prophets excessive questions and disagreed with them, so Allah punished them with different types of destruction and ruin. We should therefore avoid being like them, so we will not be destroyed in the ways that they were.

1. It enjoins compliance with the commands and prohibitions.
2. We are not permitted to do anything of the prohibitions. With regard to the commands, however, we are required to comply according to our abilities. This is because the abandonment of something falls within one’s capacity, whereas taking a certain action requires ability.
3. It is prohibited to ask a lot of questions. The scholars divided questions into two types, one of which aims at learning things needed in the religion. This type is required, and it applies to questions the Companions used to ask. The other type is such questions that are posed by way of obstinacy and affectation, which is prohibited.
4. It warns the Ummah of disobeying the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), as happened in the past nations.
5. When something is prohibited, this applies to any part of it, great or small, for avoiding it requires avoidance of the action altogether. For example, we are prohibited from usury, and this applies to any amount of it, big or small.
6. We are required to shun the means conducive to something prohibited, for this falls under the meaning of avoidance.
7. Man has certain capacity and ability, as indicated by his words: “As much as you can.” This refutes the claim by the Jabriyyah (Determinism) doctrine that man has no ability because he is forced to do whatever he does; even when a person moves his hand during his speech, this, according to them, is out of his control and he is compelled to do so. This view is undoubtedly wrong, and it results in great evils.
8. When a person hears a command from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he should not ask whether it is obligatory or recommended; for he said: “Do it as much as you can.”
9. Whatever the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded or prohibited is part of the Shariah, whether it exists in the Qur’an or not. We should observe the Sunnah if introduced something not in the Qur’an, be it a command or a prohibition.
10. One of the means to ruin is posing a lot of questions, especially about things that cannot be realized, like matters related to the unseen, the names and attributes of Allah, and the events on the Day of Judgment. Do not ask a lot about such matters, lest you ruin your life and become an obstinate and unnecessarily inquisitive person.
11. The past nations were ruined due to their frequent questioning and disobeying their prophets.

-التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثًا النووية، مطبعة دار نشر الثقافة، الإسكندرية، الطبعة: الأولى، 1380 هـ. -شرح الأربعين النووية، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الثريا للنشر. -فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين وتتمة الخمسين، دار ابن القيم، الدمام المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الأولى، 1424هـ/2003م. -الفوائد المستنبطة من الأربعين النووية، للشيخ عبد الرحمن البراك، دار التوحيد للنشر، الرياض. -شرح الأربعين النووية، للشيخ صالح آل الشيخ، دار الحجاز، الطبعة: الثانية، 1433هـ. -الأربعون النووية وتتمتها رواية ودراية، للشيخ خالد الدبيخي، ط. مدار الوطن. -الجامع في شروح الأربعين النووية، للشيخ محمد يسري، ط. دار اليسر. -صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. -صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the Children of Israel were led by the prophets, who managed their affairs as rulers and leaders do with their subjects. Whenever corruption appeared among them, Allah would send them a prophet to set their matters right and remove the alterations they had made to the rulings. He added that there would be no prophet after him to do what they used to do. After me, there will be caliphs, and they will increase in number, and disputes and disagreements will arise among them. Thereupon, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): What do you command us to do? He said: If a caliph is given the pledge of allegiance after another caliph, the pledge to the first one is valid and must be honored, while the pledge to the second is invalid, and it is forbidden for him to seek it. Give them their due rights, obey them, and live with them in obedience, except in matters that involve disobedience to Allah, for Allah will question them and hold them accountable for what they do to you.

1. Subjects need to have a prophet or a caliph to manage their affairs and direct them to the straight path.
2. There is no prophet after our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
3. Warning against rebelling against a ruler whose authority has been established through legitimate means.
4. It is impermissible to pledge allegiance to two caliphs at the same time.
5. The gravity of the ruler's responsibility, as Allah Almighty will question him about his subjects.
6. Ibn Hajar said: Giving precedence to religious matters over worldly affairs, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that the ruler's right should be fulfilled because it entails upholding the word of religion and preventing chaos and evil. Delaying the demand for one's own rights does not nullify them, as Allah has promised that He will deliver and fulfill them, even in the Hereafter.
7. This is one of the signs of the Prophet's prophethood, as many caliphs emerged after him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), with both righteous and corrupt rulers succeeding one another in governing the Muslim Ummah.

صحيح البخاري (4/ 169) (3455). صحيح مسلم (3/ 1471) (1842). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 707). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 544).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) tells the story of three men from the Children of Israel. They were poor and each had a physical defect: one was a leper with bad skin and abnormal skin color, the second was bald-headed with all or most of the hair on his head gone, and the third was blind. Allah, the Almighty, wanted to test their faith and gratitude so He sent to them an angel in the form of a man. The angel went to the leper first, for his condition was the most loathsome, repulsive, and serious. He asked him which thing he liked most. The leper said: good color and good skin and to be rid of what made people avoid me. He did not only ask for good color but wanted his leprosy to be gone completely, for with this disease one has very rough and wrinkled skin, which makes it uglier and makes him feel more ashamed of it. Then, the angel asked him which wealth he liked most. The leper said: camels or cows. The sub-narrator was uncertain if he had heard it 'camels' or 'cows'. However, it is most probable that it was 'camels,' for the text later mentions that the leper was given a she-camel that was ten-months pregnant. A gift like this was very precious. The angel prayed that Allah bless the she-camel for the leper. The prayer was answered, as shown later in the Hadīth. Then the angel went to the bald man and asked him what thing he liked most. The bald man said that he liked to have good hair and that his baldness be cured, for people detested him because of it. The angel wiped over his head or his whole body (the first is more likely), so the baldness was gone. The man was given good hair. The angel then asked him which wealth he liked most, and he said that it was cows. So, he was given a pregnant cow. The angel prayed that the cow be blessed for him. The prayer was answered, as shown later in the Hadīth. Then the angel went to the blind man and asked him which thing he liked most. The blind man said: it is that Allah would restore to me my eyesight. So, the angel passed his hand over the man's eyes or over his whole body (the first is more likely). So, Allah restored to the man his eyesight. Then the angel asked him which wealth he liked most, and he said that it was sheep. So he was given a ewe with a little lamb, or a pregnant ewe (as per another narration). The three men took care of their animal gifts, which produced many offspring. The first had a valley filled with camels, the second had a valley filled with cows, and the third had a valley filled with sheep. Later on, the angel came to the leper in his past image, wearing worn-out clothes. He told him that he was a poor man who ran out of provision in his travel, and that he could not reach his destination except with the help of Allah, then with the man's favor. The angel was implicitly referring to the man's wealth, as it was apparent that he was rich. He asked him by Allah who gave him a good color, fine skin, and wealth after his past miserable condition of poverty and illness, for a he-camel to ride in his travel. The leper said: I have many debts to settle, and I do not have anything extra to give you, so go ask someone else. The angel said: It seems to me that I know you. Were you not a leper whom people found detestable but Allah granted you recovery, and you were poor but Allah gave you wealth? The man said that he inherited his wealth from his father and grandfather. In other words, he denied his miserable past and claimed that he grew up in good conditions, which is absolute denial of Allah's favors upon Him and ungratefulness to Him, prompted by his miserliness. Thereupon, the angel prayed that if the man was lying that Allah restores him to his former condition. Then the angel went to the bald man in the image in which people used to detest him for. The bald man responded to the angel in the same way the leper had done. Although the angel went to him looking like him before recovery and wealth, and although he received such recovery and wealth at his hands, he denied knowing him and even boasted that he inherited the wealth from his father. So, in addition to being a liar, he reached an extent of wickedness and foolishness that others have not reached. Therefore, the angel prayed that if the man was lying that Allah restores him to his former condition. Then the angel went to the blind man in the form of a blind man. He told him that he was a poor man and a wayfarer who was on a journey and ran out of provision. He also told him that he could not reach his destination except with the help of Allah then with his help. He asked him by Allah Who restored to him his eyesight to give him one sheep as a provision for his journey. The man, aware of Allah's favor upon him and his transformation from misery to a good life, said: Indeed I was blind and Allah restored my eyesight. So, take from his sheep whatever you wish to take and leave whatever you wish to leave, and I will not ask you to return anything that you take. The angel told him: Keep your property. The three of you were being tested. Allah, the All-Knowing of all matters, was testing you so that you would be rewarded based on what you did, not based on His foreknowledge of your actions and fate. Verily, you have earned Allah's pleasure, while your companions; the leper and the bald man, have incurred His wrath.

صحيح البخاري، المحقق : محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم بن الحجاج، المحقق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين دار ابن الجوزي، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الثانية، محرم 1424هـ. الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، للشيخ صالح الفوزان دار العاصمة الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ- 2001م. الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، للشيخ محمد بن عبد العزيز القرعاوي، مكتبة السوادي، جدة، المملكة العربية. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين لمحمد علي بن محمد بن علان، ط4، اعتنى بها: خليل مأمون شيحا، دار المعرفة، بيروت، 1425 هـ.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “None spoke in the cradle, except three…”they were: 1. ‘Īsa, the son of Maryam (peace be upon him) and this was one of the signs of Allah, the Exalted, as he spoke while he was in the cradle. 2. The companion of Jurayj. Jurayj was a man of worship and Allah exonerated him of the accusation that the people wished to attach to him. He revealed this sign as a miracle for Jurayj, when the child spoke declaring his innocence. 3. A child who was suckling from his mother, when a fine looking man passed by on an agile horse. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the child’s suckling by putting his forefinger in his mouth and sucking it, actualizing the situation (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). The child said: "O Allah, do not make me like him." Then some people came by with a slave girl. The woman was being beaten and accused of fornication and theft, but she was saying: "Sufficient is Allah for me, and the best of Guardians is He." So the mother of the child, while she was breastfeeding him, said: "O Allah, do not make my child like her." So he stopped suckling and looked at the slave girl and said: "O Allah, make me like her." So he began speaking with his mother - the infant sat up and talked to her. She said: "I passed by - or this handsome man passed by - and I said: 'O Allah, make my child like him,' then you said: 'O Allah, do not make me like him.’" He said: "Yes, this man was a stubborn tyrant, so I asked Allah not to make me like him. Regarding the woman; they were accusing her of fornication and theft, but she was saying: 'Sufficient is Allah for me, and the best of Guardians is He', so I said: 'O Allah, make me like her – make me pure of fornication and theft, entrusting my affairs to Allah, as indicated by her statement: 'Sufficient is Allah for me, and the best of Guardians He is.''"

كنوز رياض الصالحين، تأليف: حمد بن ناصر بن العمار، الناشر: دار كنوز أشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى: 1430 هـ. بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي ، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م. نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ، الطبعة الرابعة عشر 1407 هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محمد بن صالح العثيمين، الناشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الطبعة: 1426 هـ. رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل ، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ. دليل الفالحين، تأليف: محمد بن علان، الناشر: دار الكتاب العربي، نسخة الإلكترونية ، لا يوجد بها بيانات نشر. صحيح البخاري، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تأليف: مسلم بن الحجاج النيسابوري، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. دروس وعبر من صحيح القصص النبوي، تأليف: شحاتة محمد صقر، الناشر: مكتبة دار العلوم، البحيرة، مصر.

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Ibrahīm (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) brought the mother of Isma‘īl,— Hajar, the Copt, whom the King of Egypt had gifted to his wife Sarah — and her son Isma‘īl - who was then being breastfed - to the vicinity of the Ka‘bah. He left them near a big tree over Zamzam, on a high place upon which the Sacred Mosque would later be built. At that time there were no people there nor was there any water. He left them a leather container of dates and a waterskin. Then Ibrahīm departed to the Levant. The mother of Isma‘īl followed him and wondered where he was going and leaving them in a valley with no people or anything to eat and drink. She asked that many times, but Ibrahīm did not turn to her and instead continued on. Then she asked if Allah had asked him to do this and Ibrahīm said: 'Yes.' She said that Allah would not let them down and returned to her son, while Ibrahīm moved on. When he reached the Thaniyyah near Al-Hajūn, where they could not see him, he stood in the direction of the Ka‘bah and supplicated, raising his hands, saying that he had left his offspring behind in a valley in Makkah with no vegetation, so they would be devoted to worshipping Allah at the Sacred House (where it is forbidden to hunt, cut trees, and fight) and do their prayers. He supplicated to Allah to make people’s hearts quick to love them and to provide them with fruit, so they might thank Allah for His blessings. Allah answered the prayers of Ibrahīm. Hajar breastfed Isma‘īl, drank the water, and ate the dates that she had until there were no more water or dates. She and her son became thirsty then, so she looked at her son writhing in pain, hitting the ground, and rolling around on it. Hajar left as she could not look at him in such a state. She found Safa, the closest mountain to her, and stood on it. Then she looked towards Makkah trying to find people. When she reached the low valley, she did not want to look at her son, so she hastened like an exhausted person, arriving on Marwah. She went seven times between Safa and Marwah in the hope that she would find someone, but she did not. This is the origin of the Sa‘i ritual that people perform during Hajj and ‘Umrah. When she stood on Marwah, she heard a voice and told herself to listen. As she stayed silent, she heard something again. So, she knew that she had really heard it and needed relief. It was the Archangel Jibrīl in the Zamzam area. He dug with his heel or with his wing until water emerged. So Hajar made something like a basin and scooped water into her waterskin and the water gushed forth as she was scooping. Ibn ‘Abbās reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “May Allah bestow Mercy on Isma‘īl's mother! Had she not scooped that water, Zamzam would just have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth.” By this the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) meant that the water would have been a stream. Hajar drank and let her child drink. The angel told her: “Do not be afraid of being neglected; this is the House of Allah, which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.'' The place for the House was elevated like a hillock. Torrents would come down from both sides, but would not submerge it. Later, some people from the tribe of Jurhum passed by Hajar and Isma‘īl. They were coming by the Way of Kadā' and stopped in the low area of Makkah. They saw a bird hovering over a place and concluded that the bird was hovering over water, although they had never seen water in that valley before. They sent one or two messengers to check it out. Those who were sent came back with the news of there being water. So the people went to the place and Isma‘īl’s mother was sitting by the water, so they asked her permission to camp in her area. She allowed them to do so, on condition that they would have no right to the water; meaning that she had full rights to the water and that she could give or withhold it if she wished. They agreed. Isma‘īl’s mother was comfortable with them being there, as she hated staying alone. So the Jurhum sent for their families to come and stay there too. They all lived together and increased in numbers. Isma‘īl grew up and learned Arabic from them and their liking for him grew. When he attained puberty, they married him to a woman from their tribe. Isma‘īl’s mother later died. Ibrahīm came to visit his son after he had married, but did not find him. So he asked his wife where he was and she told him that he had gone out to hunt for them. He asked her about their livelihood and condition, and she told him that they were living in a terrible condition. Finding her complaining and dissatisfied with what Allah was testing them with, Ibrahīm feared that his son would develop the same feelings, so he told him to divorce her by saying to the woman: “When your husband returns, convey my greetings to him and tell him to change the threshold of the door (of his house).” This is a metaphor for divorce, as a woman is to her husband like a threshold to a door. When Isma‘īl came back from hunting, he felt as if something had happened at his home. So he asked his wife if someone had visited them. She told him that a man had been. She described him and said that he asked her about their condition and that she had told him that they were in distress. Isma‘īl asked her if the man had given her any advice. She said that the man had sent him his greetings and asked him to change the threshold of his door. Isma‘īl recognized the man to be his father and realized that he had told him to divorce his wife. So he asked the woman to rejoin her family; meaning that she was divorced. He married another woman from the Jurhum tribe. After a while, Ibrahīm came to visit Isma‘īl but did not find him. His wife said that he had gone out to seek provisions. Another report says that she invited Ibrahīm to come and have some food and water. He asked her about their condition and she said that they were doing well and thanked Allah. He asked her what kind of food they ate and she said meat and the water of Zamzam and rain water was what they drank. So Ibrahīm prayed that Allah would bless their meat and water. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that if they also had grain at that time, Ibrahīm would have invoked divine blessings on it too. Ibn ‘Abbās said that if anyone outside Makkah only eats meat and water, they would suffer from stomachaches and a bad temperament. Then Ibrahīm asked the woman to convey his greetings to Isma‘īl and told him to keep the threshold of his door. When Isma‘īl returned from hunting, he felt as if something had happened. Another narration says that he perceived the scent of his father. He asked his wife what had happened, so she told him, speaking in good terms of an old man and reporting his questions about their livelihood. She also told him that the old man had greeted Isma‘īl and asked him to keep the threshold of his door. Upon this, Isma‘īl said that that man had been his father who had told him to keep his wife. After a while, Ibrahīm came again while Isma‘īl was under a tree close to Zamzam repairing his arrow before attaching the arrowhead to it. When he saw him, he stood up and welcomed him. They did as a son and a father would do; shaking hands and embracing. Ibrahīm told Isma‘īl that Allah had given him an order to build a house on an elevated place; on the hillock. Ibrahīm raised the foundations of the House there and built on them. Isma‘īl brought the stones and Ibrahīm would descend from the Maqām to take the stones from him and climb up to put them where appropriate. When the building was very tall, he brought the Maqām stone. When he reached the corner, he put it in its place, thus making the Maqām connected to the House. While he was building and Isma‘īl was handing him the stones, they were both praying that Allah would accept their building of the House, as Allah heard their prayers and knew their work. The statement that Isma‘īl learned Arabic is strong proof that the Arabic language is an ancient language and that it existed even before Ibrahīm. However, Isma‘īl was the first to have pronounced clear Arabic. A Hadīth says: “The first (person) whose tongue spoke clear Arabic was Isma‘īl when he was a fourteen-year old boy.'' [Ash-Shirāzi; classified as Sahīh by Al-Albāni]

صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الطبعة الأولى، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422ه. كنوز رياض الصالحين، تأليف: حمد بن ناصر بن العمار، الناشر: دار كنوز أشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى: 1430 هـ. بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م. رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي ، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ. دليل الفالحين، تأليف: محمد بن علان، الناشر: دار الكتاب العربي، بيروت. تطريز رياض الصالحين للشيخ فيصل المبارك، الطبعة الأولى، تحقيق: عبد العزيز بن عبد الله آل حمد، دار العاصمة، الرياض، 1423 هـ. صحيح الجامع الصغير وزياداته، محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، الناشر: المكتب الإسلامي.

The Prophet told us about previous nations, so we may learn from their stories. This Hadīth relates the story of a man who gave in charity on three different occasions, and indeed, charity should be given to the poor and those in need. However, this man's first charity fell into a thief’s hand. This made people say the next morning that charity had been given to a thief. Granted, a thief should be punished rather than given something that increases his wealth, however the man who gave the charity thanked Allah, for Allah is worthy of praise in every situation. Then the man said that he would give more in charity, but this time his charity fell into a prostitute’s hand. So the people gossiped next morning that charity had been given to a prostitute. It was something unbelievable and unnatural, but the man praised Allah again. Thinking that his first and second donations were not accepted, he said that he would give in charity a third time. This time his charity fell into a wealthy man’s hand, and a rich person is not eligible to receive charity, although he may receive presents, gifts, and the like. So the next morning people gossiped that a wealthy man had been given charity last night. The giver of the charity again praised Allah, but wished that his charity had fallen in the hands of a poor, chaste, person, rather than a thief, a prostitute, or a rich man, but the situation had already been decreed by Allah. The prophet of his time told him that all his three donations had been accepted, due to his sincere intention to do something good, although he had not been able to do it. The morale of the story is that charity given to a thief may satisfy his needs and prevent him from stealing, a prostitute might be helped to stop her prostitution for the sake of money, and a wealthy man might take a lesson from this and give in charity himself.

صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، تحقيق محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة : الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، المحقق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د/ مصطفى الخن، د/ مصطفى البغا، محيي الدين مستو، علي الشربجي، محمد أمين لطفي، مؤسسة الرسالة، ط:الرابعة عشر1407هـ. دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين، لابن علان، نشر دار الكتاب العربي. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف سليم بن عيد الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي. شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين، نشر: دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، الطبعة: 1426هـ. تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل الحريملي، نشر: دار العاصمة، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1423هـ - 2002م.