The Mercy of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

Assalamu alaikum,

I hope you are all in the best of health and iman. I know that I'm many months behind with the daroos notes but I'm trying to now post in order, so I will not post some of the latest notes (I have already typed up) till I catch up on the older lessons. Please continue to pray that Allah puts barakah in my time and gives me the tawfeeq to keep up with this.

I recently posted some notes from Lesson 168 (31st August 2007) from the Book of Funerals - http://bukhariblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/abdullah-bin-ubay-bin-salul-king-of.html

Below are the rest of the notes from this lesson.

Wasalaam.

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Hadeeth 645 from al Tajrid al Sarih continued:

In the city of Madinah, the hypocrites were responsible for spreading the false rumour against Aishah (رضى الله عنها). The city of Madinah was lit on fire with this rumour, and many people were taken in by this rumour after failing to ascertain the truth. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) even contemplating divorcing Aishah (رضى الله عنها). Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul was the chief instigator of this rumour. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) entered the masjid and stood on the minbar and said ‘Who will relieve me of my suffering?’ He said that this man has hurt me and hurt my companions. One of the muhajiroon responded by saying to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that tell us who it is, command us, and we will deal with him, if he is one of us we will execute him and if he is one of the ansaar we will execute him too. Having heard this, one of the ansaar stood up and said by Allah how can you say you will execute him if he is one of the ansaar. Then one of the Muhajiroon stood up and said how dare you say that – you are one of the hypocrites defending the hypocrites. This led to the Muhajiroon and the Ansaar standing up and drawing their swords. They were about to face each other with swords in the Masjid of Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) tried to calm them down from the minbar. Eventually, they listened to him and sat down. All this fitnah was orchestrated by Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) agonised for a whole month. Aishah (رضى الله عنها) also describes in a hadeeth of Bukhari how she could not eat or sleep for a whole month. A month later, Allah revealed verses of Surah Noor. Indeed those who produced the great lie amongst you, it was a group of you… .for each man there is a share of the sin that he has earned and as for the one who assumed the major role in this, for him is the great punishment’. Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul is being referred to in this verse i.e. the one who played a major role (Surah Noor, Verse 11).

One of those taken in by the rumours was the nephew of Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) (second cousin of Aishah (رضى الله عنها), Mistah). He had remained in Madinah under the expenditure of Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه). Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) was shocked that Mistah had been involved in spreading the rumour. Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) vowed never to spend another dihram on him till the day he dies. A verse of the Quran was revealed:

Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah.s cause: let them forgive and overlook, do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah Noor, Verse 22).

This verse does not mention Mistah of Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) by name, but that those of grace should not take an oath to help poor family members who has emigrants. When Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه) heard this verse, he wept and retracted his previous and said by Allah ‘I will never withhold another dihram from him till the day I day’ and said ‘ I would love to see that Allah forgives me my sins’.

When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) returned from the battle of Tabuk in the 9^th year of hijrah, Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul had fallen seriously ill. He was one of those that stayed behind in Madinah, being the leader of the hypocrites. Allah exposed those hypocrites that didn’t participate in Surah Taubah.

Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul tried to destroy the Muslim community and the household of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). But, despite everything, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went to visit him when he was ill. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did rebuke him and said, I told you not to side with the Jews of Madinah. Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul responded by saying ‘Oh Prophet of Allah. This is not the time to rebuke me. I am on my deathbed. I ask you to give me your shirt when I die, pray over me and seek Allah’s forgiveness for me’. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) left, and then Abdullah ibn Salul’s son (who was a pious, upright Muslim) came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). He asked that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) grant him his shirt as a shroud for his father and to pray over him. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to him that I will give you my shirt.

When Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul died, his family took him and began the burial proceedings. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was informed and as he was being lowered into the grave, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked them to raise him. He took off his shirt and placed it on the body as his shroud. He then blew on him, and then prayed over him. No one spoke except Umar ibn Khattab (رضى الله عنه) and said ‘Oh Prophet of Allah. Has not Allah not prevented you from praying over the hypocrites?’ He reminded the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of all the things that Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul and said and done. In response, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) merely smiled and said ‘Move back, oh Umar. Allah has given me a choice – seek forgiveness for them or do not seek forgiveness for him. If I knew Allah would forgive him after seeking forgiveness 71 times I would do so’ The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) smiled because he could understand Umar’s (رضى الله عنه) passion and anger but the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was on a different level. He felt he had a choice. After this, Allah revealed verses of Surah Taubah.

Nor do thou ever pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave; for they rejected Allah and His Messenger, and died in a state of perverse rebellion. (Surah Taubah, Verse 84).

After this, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never prayed over any of the hypocrites. Umar (رضى الله عنه) was not judgemental but because Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul was the leader of the hypocrites he felt confident that Abdullah ibn Ubay Salul was a munafiq. Allah had told Rasul (صلى الله عليه وسلم) some of the names of the hypocrites. The only companion that knew these names was Hudaifah bin al Yaman (رضى الله عنه), the keeper of the secrets of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).He knew the names of 17 hypocrites. When any Muslims jinazah would arrive, Umar would watch to see if Hudaifah bin al Yaman (رضى الله عنه) attended the funeral or not. He would only attend if Hudaifah bin al Yaman (رضى الله عنه) attended.

The lesson that the Shaykh derived from this hadeeth is the mercy and compassion of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Abu Bakr (رضى الله عنه), and how we should learn to forgive others in this spirit.

646. عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَتَى النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ أُبَيّ بَعْدَ ما دُفِنَ, فَأَخْرَجَهُ, فَنَفَثَ فِيهِ مِنْ رِيقِهِ, وَأَلْبَسَهُ قَمِيصَهُ. رواه البخاري: 1270

646. Narrated Jabir رضى الله عنه : The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came to (the grave of) 'Abdullâh bin UbaI after his body was buried. The body was brought out and then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم put his saliva over the body and clothed it in his shirt. (2:360O.B.)

The full chapter heading is “Chapter of the shroud of the shirt whether it is sown or not” Iman Bukhari is trying to explain that the desirable shroud is one without a shirt but it is still permissible to bury someone in normal clothes, whether its just an upper garment of even a sown shirt with buttons etc. this is evident because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) took off his shirt which had buttons – the shirt of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had buttons.

The Shaykh explained that the Prophet would sometimes have his shirt buttons opened, and it is for this reason that some of the sahabah also kept their buttons opened e.g. Muawiyah (رضى الله عنه) and Abdullah Ibn Abbass (رضى الله عنه).