٢٢٥. عَنْ سَهْلِ بنِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِعَلِىٍّ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ:
«فَوَاللّٰهِ لَأَنْ يَهْدِيَ اللّٰهُ بِكَ رَجُلاً وَاحِداً خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ».
225. Sahl b. Sad (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to Ali:
“I swear to Allah that it is better for you that Allah makes one find the true path through you than having red camels which is the best worldly possession.” (Bukhari, Ashab al-Nabi, 9; Maghazi, 38; Muslim, Fadail al-Sahaba, 34; Abu Dawud, Ilm, 10/3661)
٢٢٦. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«نَضَّرَ اللّٰهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي فَوَعَاهَا وَحَفِظَهَا وَبَلَّغَهَا فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ».
226. It is narrated from Abdullah b. Mas’ud that the Noble Prophet (pbuh) said:
“May Allah make blameless the face of those who hear my words and clearly understand and memorize them! There are many knowledgeable persons who transmit it to a person who has a better understanding.” (Tirmidhi, Ilm, 7/2685)
٢٢٧. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْاَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلَالَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْاِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا».
227. It is narrated from Abu Huraira (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect.” (Muslim, Kitab Al-‘Ilm, 16. Also see Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 6; Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-‘Ilm, 15; Ibn Majah, Muqaddimah, 14)
Explanations:
The fact that Almighty Allah made believers responsible for calling others to Islam shows that He loves His servants a lot and He is very merciful to them. Our Almighty Lord wants everyone to benefit from the divine blessings and benedictions by finding the right path. For this reason, He promised great rewards to those believers who serve for the realization of this aim.
In order to express the virtue of the responsibility of calling others to Islam, it is enough to remind that it is one of the characteristics of the prophets. As a matter of fact, having the attributes of loyalty, trust, smartness, and innocence is an obligation for prophets for them to accomplish their duty of announcing and calling to the true religion.
When Almighty Allah declares the characteristics of the beloved people, He says:
“…They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous.” (Al-i Imran; 3:113-114)
Almighty Allah mentions in the Noble Qur’an the believers whose wealth and lives He purchased in exchange for Paradise. He gives glad tidings to these subjects who He praised to all humanity and informs us that this is indeed a great benefit. After stating that these beloved servants have altruistically struggled (jihad) in the way o Allah, Almighty Allah lists some of their attributes as follows: “Those that turn (to Allah) in repentance; that serve Him, and praise Him; that wander in devotion to the cause of Allah; that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer; that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limit set by Allah. (These do rejoice). So proclaim the glad tidings to the Believers.” (At-Tawbah; 9:112)
Also, Luqman (pbuh) advised his son that announcing and calling to Islam is one of the most important affairs and that he should bear with patient constancy whatever difficulty he may face. (Luqman; 31:17)
In our first hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) informed us by swearing that being a means for someone’s finding the true path as a result of fulfilling the duty of calling to Islam has a value that is greater than the most valuable worldly material goods.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told this statement to Ali (r.a.) when he gave him the flag to send him to conquer the Fort of Khaiber. So, rewards and gifts for being a means for removing the barriers between people and Islam and for them to meet the truth is so superior and valuable that it cannot be compared with any worldly material good. This is because everything in this world, even this world itself, is temporary and ends like a summer cloud. However, faith and being on the true path are eternal and their rewards and compensation will be sufficient to make us whole in the Hereafter. If not dealt with appropriately, the worldly benefits can cause one to be dragged to rampageousness, heresy, and at the end to Hell. Being on the true path, on the other hand, makes one achieve bliss in this world and in the hereafter, and allows one to eternal life in Paradise.
The “red camels” mentioned in the hadith were one of the most important signs of being wealthy among the Arabs of that era. It is possible to think of this as different material goods for different regions. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) mentioned red camels as an example to the virtue of calling to Islam.
In our second hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prays for those who hear his words and transmits them to others and says “May Allah brighten your face.” How great an accomplishment it is for a believer to deserve this beautiful prayer of the Prophet (pbuh).
Allah the Almighty also praises his servants who fulfill their duties of calling to Islam. Indeed, it is said in a noble verse that:
“Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says, “I am of those who bow in Islam”?” (Al-Fussilat; 41:33)
In the rest of our hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) touches upon one of the wisdoms of calling to Islam. A person who hears, reads, and even memorizes a verse may not duly understand it. A person who transmits his knowledge to others may also have transferred the truths to others with better understanding and intellect. In turn, this transfer causes knowledge to be utilized better. As expressed in our third hadith, Almighty Allah gives the same reward to the person who transmits the knowledge as the person who acts upon it and conducts good deeds utilizing the knowledge. Thus, both parties end up wining.
Anas (r.a.) tells us an event that shows the virtue of calling to Islam:
One day the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had said:
“Shall I inform you of some people? They are neither prophets nor martyrs. However, on the Day of Judgment both prophets and martyrs admire their rank in the sight of Allah. They sit on pillows made of light and everyone knows them.”
We asked “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) responded:
“They are those who make Allah love His servants and who make His servants love Allah. They walk around the Earth by desiring goodness for people and giving advice.”
We asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! It is easy to understand making His servants love Allah, but how is it possible to make Allah love His servants?”
In response, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“They enjoin people what Allah loves and forbid people that He dislikes. When people obey them, Allah -the Mighty and the Magnificent- loves them.” (Baihaqi, Shuab, I, 367; Ali al-Muttaqi, III, 685-686)
The goal of the Prophet here is to declare the rewards in this world and in the Hereafter of those people who call to Islam. Otherwise, one should not think by just looking at the literal meaning of this narration that there is a higher rank than that of prophethood. This is true because prophets and martyrs have already sacrificed their lives for the purpose of inviting people to Islam.
It is also necessary here to touch upon another important matter: the necessity of fully complying with good manners, appropriate styles and methods when delivering the message of Islam to people. Almighty Allah commands us to invite to His path with wisdom, sagacity, and beautiful preaching. In case it becomes obligatory to struggle with tongue or hand, this should also be done justly and in the best fashion. (Al-Yusuf; 12:108; Al-Ankabut; 29:46) (Al-Nahl; 16:125)
When a Muslim enjoins the good he should treat others with love and kindness because doing everything in the best fashion only befits him.
Almighty Allah speaks as follows:
“Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate!” (Al-Fussilat; 41:34)
Almighty Allah points out those words spoken mildly have a better chance of being taken into account. (Taha; 20:44)
Acts that are harsh and rude would cause people to hate. For this reason, it is necessary to ask mildness and tolerance from Allah’s mercy.
Almighty Allah speaks to the Prophet (pbuh):
“It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you do deal gently with them were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when you have taken a decision put your trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).” (Al-i Imran; 3:159)
The most important and influential one among the methods of inviting people to the Truth is to show the truths by living them. It is both easier and also more influential to teach something by personally practicing it. As a matter of fact, people who do opposite of what they said will face a difficult account in the Day of Judgment because they erred even though they knew.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says:
“On the night of Isra (Mi’raj), I saw some people whose lips were being slit with scissors of fire. I asked
‘O Gabriel who are these people?’
He replied
‘They are the khatibs (preachers) who command people to do good deeds while forgetting themselves. Don’t you realize and think?”[1] (Ahmad, III, 231, 120, 180, 239; Baihaqi, Shuab, II, 283. Also see Bukhari, Bad’u’l-halk, 10; Fitan, 17; Muslim, Zuhd, 51)
It is important and necessary for those who fulfill the responsibility of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil to practice it first themselves in order for their words to be taken seriously but it is not a must. Even if a person cannot put what is right into practice, he should not stay away from telling it to others. By this, those people first enjoin the good and forbid the evil to themselves and then wish the same thing for others and we wish that eventually they too put what they know into practice.
Anas (r.a.) narrated:
We asked:
“O the Messenger of Allah! Shouldn’t we command what is right unless we practice it and forbid the evil unless we abandon it?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Even if you cannot perform it perfectly command the good and even if you cannot stay away from it completely forbid the evil!” (Haythami, VII, 277)
However, this can never be an acceptable state. This is a temporary permission to indicate the importance of calling to Islam. One must start practicing soon the good deeds that he commands others to do. Otherwise, his situation in the Hereafter will be miserable.[2]
[1] In this narration is refered to the following noble verse:
“Do you enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet you study the Scripture? Will you not understand?” (Al Baqara; 2:44)
[2] For methods of calling to Islam and details see Osman Nûri Topbaş, Hazret-i Muhammed Mustafâ, Istanbul 2005, I, 260-281; Ömer Çelik, Mustafa Öztürk, Murat Kaya, Üsve-i Hasene, Istanbul 2004, II, 15-144.
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2. The Virtue of Delivering the Message of Islam and Calling Others to It
٢٢٥. عَنْ سَهْلِ بنِ سَعْدٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِعَلِىٍّ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ:
«فَوَاللّٰهِ لَأَنْ يَهْدِيَ اللّٰهُ بِكَ رَجُلاً وَاحِداً خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ».
225. Sahl b. Sad (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to Ali:
“I swear to Allah that it is better for you that Allah makes one find the true path through you than having red camels which is the best worldly possession.” (Bukhari, Ashab al-Nabi, 9; Maghazi, 38; Muslim, Fadail al-Sahaba, 34; Abu Dawud, Ilm, 10/3661)
٢٢٦. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«نَضَّرَ اللّٰهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي فَوَعَاهَا وَحَفِظَهَا وَبَلَّغَهَا فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ».
226. It is narrated from Abdullah b. Mas’ud that the Noble Prophet (pbuh) said:
“May Allah make blameless the face of those who hear my words and clearly understand and memorize them! There are many knowledgeable persons who transmit it to a person who has a better understanding.” (Tirmidhi, Ilm, 7/2685)
٢٢٧. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْاَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلَالَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْاِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لَا يَنْقُصُ ذٰلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا».
227. It is narrated from Abu Huraira (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect.” (Muslim, Kitab Al-‘Ilm, 16. Also see Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 6; Tirmidhi, Kitab Al-‘Ilm, 15; Ibn Majah, Muqaddimah, 14)
Explanations:
The fact that Almighty Allah made believers responsible for calling others to Islam shows that He loves His servants a lot and He is very merciful to them. Our Almighty Lord wants everyone to benefit from the divine blessings and benedictions by finding the right path. For this reason, He promised great rewards to those believers who serve for the realization of this aim.
In order to express the virtue of the responsibility of calling others to Islam, it is enough to remind that it is one of the characteristics of the prophets. As a matter of fact, having the attributes of loyalty, trust, smartness, and innocence is an obligation for prophets for them to accomplish their duty of announcing and calling to the true religion.
When Almighty Allah declares the characteristics of the beloved people, He says:
“…They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous.” (Al-i Imran; 3:113-114)
Almighty Allah mentions in the Noble Qur’an the believers whose wealth and lives He purchased in exchange for Paradise. He gives glad tidings to these subjects who He praised to all humanity and informs us that this is indeed a great benefit. After stating that these beloved servants have altruistically struggled (jihad) in the way o Allah, Almighty Allah lists some of their attributes as follows: “Those that turn (to Allah) in repentance; that serve Him, and praise Him; that wander in devotion to the cause of Allah; that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer; that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limit set by Allah. (These do rejoice). So proclaim the glad tidings to the Believers.” (At-Tawbah; 9:112)
Also, Luqman (pbuh) advised his son that announcing and calling to Islam is one of the most important affairs and that he should bear with patient constancy whatever difficulty he may face. (Luqman; 31:17)
In our first hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) informed us by swearing that being a means for someone’s finding the true path as a result of fulfilling the duty of calling to Islam has a value that is greater than the most valuable worldly material goods.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told this statement to Ali (r.a.) when he gave him the flag to send him to conquer the Fort of Khaiber. So, rewards and gifts for being a means for removing the barriers between people and Islam and for them to meet the truth is so superior and valuable that it cannot be compared with any worldly material good. This is because everything in this world, even this world itself, is temporary and ends like a summer cloud. However, faith and being on the true path are eternal and their rewards and compensation will be sufficient to make us whole in the Hereafter. If not dealt with appropriately, the worldly benefits can cause one to be dragged to rampageousness, heresy, and at the end to Hell. Being on the true path, on the other hand, makes one achieve bliss in this world and in the hereafter, and allows one to eternal life in Paradise.
The “red camels” mentioned in the hadith were one of the most important signs of being wealthy among the Arabs of that era. It is possible to think of this as different material goods for different regions. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) mentioned red camels as an example to the virtue of calling to Islam.
In our second hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prays for those who hear his words and transmits them to others and says “May Allah brighten your face.” How great an accomplishment it is for a believer to deserve this beautiful prayer of the Prophet (pbuh).
Allah the Almighty also praises his servants who fulfill their duties of calling to Islam. Indeed, it is said in a noble verse that:
“Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says, “I am of those who bow in Islam”?” (Al-Fussilat; 41:33)
In the rest of our hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) touches upon one of the wisdoms of calling to Islam. A person who hears, reads, and even memorizes a verse may not duly understand it. A person who transmits his knowledge to others may also have transferred the truths to others with better understanding and intellect. In turn, this transfer causes knowledge to be utilized better. As expressed in our third hadith, Almighty Allah gives the same reward to the person who transmits the knowledge as the person who acts upon it and conducts good deeds utilizing the knowledge. Thus, both parties end up wining.
Anas (r.a.) tells us an event that shows the virtue of calling to Islam:
One day the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had said:
“Shall I inform you of some people? They are neither prophets nor martyrs. However, on the Day of Judgment both prophets and martyrs admire their rank in the sight of Allah. They sit on pillows made of light and everyone knows them.”
We asked “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) responded:
“They are those who make Allah love His servants and who make His servants love Allah. They walk around the Earth by desiring goodness for people and giving advice.”
We asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! It is easy to understand making His servants love Allah, but how is it possible to make Allah love His servants?”
In response, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“They enjoin people what Allah loves and forbid people that He dislikes. When people obey them, Allah -the Mighty and the Magnificent- loves them.” (Baihaqi, Shuab, I, 367; Ali al-Muttaqi, III, 685-686)
The goal of the Prophet here is to declare the rewards in this world and in the Hereafter of those people who call to Islam. Otherwise, one should not think by just looking at the literal meaning of this narration that there is a higher rank than that of prophethood. This is true because prophets and martyrs have already sacrificed their lives for the purpose of inviting people to Islam.
It is also necessary here to touch upon another important matter: the necessity of fully complying with good manners, appropriate styles and methods when delivering the message of Islam to people. Almighty Allah commands us to invite to His path with wisdom, sagacity, and beautiful preaching. In case it becomes obligatory to struggle with tongue or hand, this should also be done justly and in the best fashion. (Al-Yusuf; 12:108; Al-Ankabut; 29:46) (Al-Nahl; 16:125)
When a Muslim enjoins the good he should treat others with love and kindness because doing everything in the best fashion only befits him.
Almighty Allah speaks as follows:
“Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate!” (Al-Fussilat; 41:34)
Almighty Allah points out those words spoken mildly have a better chance of being taken into account. (Taha; 20:44)
Acts that are harsh and rude would cause people to hate. For this reason, it is necessary to ask mildness and tolerance from Allah’s mercy.
Almighty Allah speaks to the Prophet (pbuh):
“It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you do deal gently with them were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when you have taken a decision put your trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).” (Al-i Imran; 3:159)
The most important and influential one among the methods of inviting people to the Truth is to show the truths by living them. It is both easier and also more influential to teach something by personally practicing it. As a matter of fact, people who do opposite of what they said will face a difficult account in the Day of Judgment because they erred even though they knew.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says:
“On the night of Isra (Mi’raj), I saw some people whose lips were being slit with scissors of fire. I asked
‘O Gabriel who are these people?’
He replied
‘They are the khatibs (preachers) who command people to do good deeds while forgetting themselves. Don’t you realize and think?”[1] (Ahmad, III, 231, 120, 180, 239; Baihaqi, Shuab, II, 283. Also see Bukhari, Bad’u’l-halk, 10; Fitan, 17; Muslim, Zuhd, 51)
It is important and necessary for those who fulfill the responsibility of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil to practice it first themselves in order for their words to be taken seriously but it is not a must. Even if a person cannot put what is right into practice, he should not stay away from telling it to others. By this, those people first enjoin the good and forbid the evil to themselves and then wish the same thing for others and we wish that eventually they too put what they know into practice.
Anas (r.a.) narrated:
We asked:
“O the Messenger of Allah! Shouldn’t we command what is right unless we practice it and forbid the evil unless we abandon it?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Even if you cannot perform it perfectly command the good and even if you cannot stay away from it completely forbid the evil!” (Haythami, VII, 277)
However, this can never be an acceptable state. This is a temporary permission to indicate the importance of calling to Islam. One must start practicing soon the good deeds that he commands others to do. Otherwise, his situation in the Hereafter will be miserable.[2]
[1] In this narration is refered to the following noble verse:
“Do you enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practice it) yourselves, and yet you study the Scripture? Will you not understand?” (Al Baqara; 2:44)
[2] For methods of calling to Islam and details see Osman Nûri Topbaş, Hazret-i Muhammed Mustafâ, Istanbul 2005, I, 260-281; Ömer Çelik, Mustafa Öztürk, Murat Kaya, Üsve-i Hasene, Istanbul 2004, II, 15-144.
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