In the Pursuit of Allah's Pleasure History remember two colours,Red as it resembles the Blood of the martyrs and Black as it resembles the Ink of the Scholars

While addressing the people, Hadhrat Ali رضى الله عنه once asked, “0 people! Who is the most courageous person?” “You are, 0 Ameerul Mu’mineen,” the people submitted. Hadhrat Ali رضى الله عنه then said, “Although I have defeated everyone who has confronted me, the most courageous person is Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه. We had constructed a shed for Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم (during the Battle of Badr) and then asked who would remain with Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم so that’the Mushrikeen do not attack him. By Allaah! Whenever a Mushrik even drew close to us Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه was there with his sword drawn near the head side of Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. He attacked anyone who dared attack Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم .He was certainly the bravest of people.”

 Hadhrat Ali رضى الله عنه continues, “I have seen the Quraysh grab hold of Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلمwith one person treating him angrily and another shaking him while they said to hiim, ‘Do you make all the gods into one?!’ By Allaah! None of us dared go close to Rasulullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم (for fear of being beaten) besides Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه .He would hit one person, wrestle with another and shake someone else as he said,’Shame on you people! Will you kill a man for saying, ‘Allaah is my Rabb’?”‘Hadhrat Ali رضى الله عنه then lifted the shawl he was wearing and wept until his beard became wet. He then said, “I ask you to swear by Allaah whether the Mu’min from the court of Fir’oun was better or Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه.”When everyone remained silent, Hadhrat Ali رضى الله عنه said, “By Allaah! A moment of the life of Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه is better than the earth full of people like the Mu’min from the court of Fir’oun. While the Mu’min from the court of Fir’oun concealed his Imaan, Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه made his Imaan public.”(1)

Note:

(1) Bazzaar as quoted in Al Bidaaya wan Nihaaya (Vo1.3 Pg.271). Haythami (Vo1.9 Pg.47) has commented on the chain of narrators.

1 – Allah Said: {“Ah! Woe to me! If only I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me!”} [al-Furqan; 28-29]

2 – The Messenger of Allah said: “A person is upon the way of his friend. So, let one of you look to whom he keeps as a friend.” [‘Sahih al-Jami" (3545) and ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah' (927)]

3 – ‘Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hambal said: “My father went out to Tarsus on foot, and he perfored two or three Hajjs on foot, and he was the most patient of people upon being alone.” [‘Tarjamat al-Imam Ahmad'; p. 18]

4 – Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Know that the greatest of losses is for you to be preoccupied with one who will bring you nothing but a loss in your time with Allah – the Mighty and Majestic – and being cut off from Him, a wasting your time with the person, a weakening of your energy, and the dispersing of your resolve. So, if you are tested with this – and you must be tested with this – deal with him according to how Allah would wish, and be patient with him as much as possible.

Get closer to Allah and His Pleasure by way of this person, and make your getting together with him something to benefit from, not something to incur a loss from. Be with him as if you are a man who is on a road who was stopped by another man, who then asks you to take him on your journey. Make sure that you are the one who gives him a ride, and that he is not the one giving you the ride. If he refuses, and there is nothing to gain from travelling with him, do not stop for him, bid him farewell, and do not even turn back to look at him, as he is a highway robber, regardless of who he really is. So, save your heart, be wary of how you spend your days and nights, and do not let the Sun set before you arrive at your destination.” [‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib'; p. 45]

5 – Ibn Jama’ah said: “So, it is upon the student of knowledge to abandon socialization, as abandoning it is from the most important things that the student of knowledge must do – let alone with members of the opposite gender – especially with those who spend most of their time in play, and spend little of their time in thought, as the nature of individuals can rob you.

The harms of socialization include the passing of life without any benefit, as well as the decline of wealth and religious practice, if this socialization were to occur with the wrong people. The student of knowledge should not mix except with either those who he can benefit, or can benefit from. And if he is offered the friendship of one who will waste his time with him, will not benefit him, will not benefit from him, and will not assist him in reaching his objective, he should politely end the relationship from the start before it progresses to something deeper, as when something becomes established, it becomes more difficult to change it.

There is a phrase that is constantly on the tongues of the Fuqaha’: ‘Repelling something is easier than removing it.’ So, if he requires someone to befriend, let that person be righteous, religious, pious, wary, intelligent, full of benefit, having little evil, good at complying, rarely conflicting, reminding him if he forgets, cooperating with him when he is reminded, helpful if he is in need, and comforting if he is in distress.” [‘Tadhkirat as-Sami' wal-Mutakallim'; p. 83]

6 – Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi said: “Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the neccessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:

He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him.

He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him.

He must not be a fasiq, as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted.

 He must not be an innovator, as his abundance of innovation is feared from befriending him.

 He should not be eager for the dunya.”

 [‘Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin'; p. 126-132]

{“And from the people is he who worships Allah as if he were on an edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it. And if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face. He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the clear loss.”} [al-Hajj; 11]

Commenting on this verse, Ibn Kathir said in ‘Tafsir al-Qur’an al-’Adhim’ (3/279):

“This means that he enters the religion on an edge. So, if he finds what he likes, he sticks with it. Otherwise, he retreats. al-Bukhari reported…that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “A man would come to Madinah. If his wife gave birth to a son and his mare gave birth to foals, he would say: “This is a good religion.” If his wife didn’t give birth and his mare didn’t either, he would say: “This is a terrible religion.”” And Ibn Abi Hatim reported…that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Some bedouins would come to the Prophet and become Muslims and then they’d return to their homelands. If they returned to a year of rain, produce, and good children being born, they would say: “This religion of ours is good. So, stick to it.” If they came back to a year of hunger, bad children being born, and drought, they would say: “There is no good in this religion of ours.” So, Allah revealed this verse.”

 …And ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: “This is in regards to the hypocrite. If everything is going well for him in his life, he is consistent in his worship. If things change and go bad for him, he goes back and wavers in his worship except when things are going good. So, if a trial, hardship, test, or inconvenience befalls him, he abandons his religion and returns to kufr.”

” In ‘Fi Dhilal al-Qur’an’ (4/2412), Sayyid Qutb commented on this verse by saying:

“Even if this addresses the Islamic call back then, it is an example that is repeated in every generation – this person who weighs his belief using the scales of profit and loss, thinking that he is engaged in some sort of business deal… Belief is the firm backbone in the life of the believer.

The world crashes around him, and he remains firm on this support column. The events going on and the pressures existing around him push down on him, and he remains holding firmly to this rock that cannot be shaken. The crutches fall from under him, and he leans on this foundation that cannot be moved from its place or swept away. This is the value of belief in the life of the believer.

Therefore, it is a must for him to stand up straight on it, be sure of it, confident in it, not shaky in it, and not waiting for any reward for it, as it in itself is a reward. This is because it is the protective force that he turns to and the supporting column that he leans on. Yes, it is itself a reward for one opening his heart up to the light and going after guidance.

As a result, Allah grants him this belief and faith for him to turn to for support and assurance. It is itself a reward whose value the believer realizes when he sees the confused, distraught people around him blown about and thrown around by the wind, engulfed in anxiety – while his belief keeps his heart tranquil, his feet firm, his mood calm, and his connection to Allah. He is confident as a result of this connection.

As for the type of person mentioned in this verse, he turns his belief into a business deal: {“…If good befalls him, he is content with it.…”} Here, he says that it is good to have faith. He is gaining some benefit, things look good, he is picking his crops, he is profiting from his deal, and he can stand up to the wind. {“… And if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face. He loses both this world and the Hereafter…”} He loses this world through the trial that he was afflicted with and was unable to exercise patience and hold himself together in the face of, and did not turn to Allah during. He loses the Hereafter due to his reversing course and his abandonment of his beliefs and the guidance that was made so easily available for him.

 And the Qur’an depicts such a person as worshipping Allah “on an edge,” shaky in his beliefs, shaky in his worship. It depicts this state as the impending physical movement of one who is prone to collapse at the first hint of pressure. This person reverses course when he is simply touched with trouble, and his standing on the edge is simply a prelude to him going back from what he was upon and collapsing. The measurement of profit and loss is something that belongs in business, not your beliefs.

 ‘Aqidah is a truth that should be adopted simply on account of what it is – the reaction of the heart that has opened itself up to light and guidance that has no choice but to react with whatever it encounters. So, this belief carries its reward in its nature, due to the confidence, tranquility, and pleasure it contains. So, it doesn’t look for reward from anything other than itself. The believer worships his Lord out of gratitude for being guided, for the confidence that comes along with being close to Him. If any reward were to come, this would be from the favor of Allah due to this person’s faith and worship! The believer doesn’t test his Lord. From the start, he accepts whatever He Decrees for him, surrenders from the start to whatever he will experience, is pleased from the start with whatever ease or hardship comes his way. It is not a business deal between a buyer and seller. Rather, it is the submission of the Creation to the Creator – the One who runs his affairs and was the reason for his existence in the first place.

The one who reverses course when he is touched with trouble endures a loss in which there is no doubt: {“…That is the clear loss…”} He loses the tranquility and confidence and calmness and pleasure, in addition to losing his money, family, health, or any of the other material possessions that Allah tests people through – He tests their confidence in Him, their patience in the face of these tests He brings, their own sincerity to Him, and their willingness to accept His Decree. This person also loses the Hereafter and the pleasures and closeness to Allah it contains…what a loss!”

He continues:

“…And Allah presents for the believers something better than whatever this life can give you, even if you lose whatever it gives you during the course of your trials and tribulations: {“Truly, Allah will admit those who believe and do good deeds to gardens underneath which rivers flow. Indeed, Allah does what He Wills.”} So, whoever is touched by any type of trouble or test, he should stay strong and not become shaky. He should manifest his confidence in the Mercy and help of Allah and His ability to remove all hardships and compensate and reward for them…”

“…And the Religion, Fiqh, and knowledge spread between the people from the companions of Ibn Mas’ud, the companions of Zayd bin Thabit, the companions of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar, and the companions of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas. So, all the knowledge that is with the people is generally from the companions of these four.

As for the people of Madinah, their knowledge is from the companions of Zayd bin Thabit and ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar.

As for the people of Makkah, their knowledge is from the companions of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas.

As for the people of Iraq, their knowledge is from the companions of ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud.

Ibn Jarir said: “It has been said that Ibn ‘Umar and a group of the Messenger of Allah’s Companions who lived after him in Madinah would issue verdicts based on the madhhab of Zayd bin Thabit and the knowledge they had acquired from him that was not addressed by what they had learned from the Messenger of Allah’s words.” …’Abd ar-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: “When the ‘Abdullahs died – ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, ‘Abdullah bin az-Zubayr, and ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin al-’As – all the knowledge that was present in all the lands was left in the hands of their servants.

So, the scholar of the people of Makkah was ‘Ata’ bin Abi Rabah, the scholar of Yemen was Tawus, the scholar of Yamamah was Yahya bin Abi Kathir, the scholar of Kufah was Ibrahim, the scholar of Basrah was al-Hasan, the scholar of Sham was Makhul, and the scholar of Khurasan was ‘Ata’ al-Khurasani – all except Madinah, as Allah had reserved this position for a Qurashi. So, the scholar of Madinah was Sa’id bin al-Musayyab, without dispute.” Sa’id bin al-Musayyab said: “I passed by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar. So, I greeted him and went on my way. I then turned and looked at all of his companions, and he said: “If the Messenger of Allah had seen this, it would have made him very happy,” and he raised his hands and pointed them to the sky.” And Sa’id bin al-Musayyab would stay up all night with Abu Hurayrah, and he married Abu Hurayrah’s daughter. When he saw him, he would say: “I ask Allah to gather you and I in the marketplaces of Paradise,” and this is why he narrated in abundance from him…”

['I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in'; 1/17-18]

‘Hazrat Ali said: ‘Tell me who is the bravest of men?’ They said, ‘You.’ He said, ‘As for me, I never encountered anyone but that I took my due from him, but tell me who is the bravest of men?’ They said , ‘We don’t know. Who is it?’ He said, ‘Abu Bakr. On the Day of Badr we made a shelter from the sun for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then we said, “Who will be with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that none of the idolaters may fall upon him?” By Allah, none of us drew near except for Abu Bakr who brandished a sword over the head of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. No one fell upon him but that he in turn fell upon him. So he is the bravest of men.’

‘Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Quraysh grabbed him. One held him and another threw him down and they were saying, ‘Are you the one who has made the gods into one god?’ By Allah, none of us approached except Abu Bakr, striking this one and restraining that one, and throwing down another saying, ‘Woe to you! Will you kill a man because he says, “My Lord is Allah?”‘ Then ‘Ali raised a cloak which he was wearing and wept until his beard was wet and said, ‘I adjure you by Allah! Is the believer of the people of Fir’awn better or Abu Bakr?’ People were silent. He said, ‘Will you not answer? By Allah, an hour of Abu Bakr is better than a thousand hours of the like of the believer of the people of Fir’awn. He was a man who concealed his iman, and this was a man who was open about his iman.’ 

‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr said: I asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’As about the worst thing that the idolaters did to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, ‘I saw ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu’ayt who came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was praying, and he placed his cloak about his neck and seriously tried to throttle him. Then Abu Bakr came and defended him and said, “Would you kill a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah,’ and he has come to you with clear signs from your Lord?”‘

Abu Bakr said: ‘On the Day of Uhud everyone fled from the Messenger of Allah, and I was the first to return.’ The rest of the hadith is in the Musnad which al-Haytham ibn Kulayb narrated.

‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: When the companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gathered, and they were thirty-eight men, Abu Bakr pressed upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be open and public. He said, ‘Abu Bakr, we are few.’ Abu Bakr wouldn’t stop urging the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made things public. The Muslims went into every of the Mosque (of Makkah), every man among his own kinsfolk, and Abu Bakr stood up among the people addressing them, so that he was the first public speaker to invite people to Allah and His Messenger. The idolaters leapt upon Abu Bakr and the Muslims, and they beat them, in every corner of the Mosque, very severely.

‘Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When Abu Bakr accepted Islam, he was open about his Islam and he invited people to Allah and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Transcribed from: Tarikh al-Khulafa‘ (The History of the Khulafa) | Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti