Bismillaah, wal-hamdulilaah, was-salaatu was-salaamu 'alaa rasoolillaah,
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu
http://fajr.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/benefits-of-seclusion/
Rawdhatul-’Uqala [Post 3]
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (radhiallahu `anhu) said, ‘It was said, ‘O Messenger of
Allah, what is the most virtuous deed?‘ He said, ‘Jihad in the way of Allah.’
He said, ‘Then what?’ He said, ‘That a man secludes himself in the mountains
fearing Allah and freeing the people from his evil.’ [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Hatim: A person of wisdom should practice secluding himself from the people
in general and being cautious of mixing with them…
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiallahu `anhu) said, ‘Take your portion of seclusion.’
Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah: ‘I saw al-Thawri in my sleep and so I said to him, ‘Advice
me.’ He said, ‘Lessen your association with the people, lessen your association
with the people, lessen your association with the people.’
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, ‘I saw Ibn al-Sammak [1] writing to a friend of his
(saying), ‘If you can find a way to do so, become a worshipper of Allah alone.’
A group of the mutaqaddimin (the past generations) used to practice ‘Azla
(seclusion) both in general and at specific times. Ibn al-Mubarak said, ‘Fudayl
went to see Dawud al-Ta’i but Dawud shut the door from him. So Fudayl sat
outside weeping and Dawud was inside weeping.’ (i.e. he wanted to practice
seclusion although he did not wish to hurt his friend).
‘Abd al-’Aziz ibn al-Khattab: ‘A big black dog was seen lying down next to
Malik ibn Dinar [2] so it was said to him, ‘O Abu Yahya! Can’t you see this dog
lying next to you?’ He said, ‘It is better than an evil companion.’
Bakr ibn Muhammad al-’Abid: ‘Dawud al-Ta’i said to me, ‘O Bakr! Be afraid of
people just like you would be afraid of predatory animals.’
Abu Hatim said, ‘As for the reason which necessitates a person to seclude
himself from people in general, then it is due to the hiding of the khayr
(good) and the spreading of the sharr (evil) because people tend to veil the
good and instead display evil. So if a person is knowledgeable, the people will
cause him to innovate and if a person is ignorant, they insult him. If he is
better than them, they become jealous of him and if he is inferior to them,
they humiliate him. If he speaks, they say that he talks too much and if he
remains quiet, they say that he is incoherent. If he gains power, they say that
he is dictatorial and if he is generous they say that he is extravagant. So
regret is inevitable in the end and degradation exists the whole time for the
one who is fooled by a people whose description is this.
Ibrahim ibn Shimas said, ‘Al-’Akkaf Hafs ibn Humayd [3] who was a companion of
Ibn al-Mubarak in Marw said to me, ‘O Ibrahim! I have accompanied people for 50
years but I have not found anyone who concealed my faults, or anyone who kept
my ties with him if I cut him off, or anyone who I felt safe from when he was
in a state of anger. So being busy with such people is great stupidity.’
Muhammad ibn al-Muhajir al-Ma’dil said the following lines of poetry to ‘Ali
ibn Hajr al-Sa’di:
زمانك ذا زمان دخول بيت *** حفظ للسان وخفض صوت
Your life is one of merely entering your home,
And guarding your tongue and lowering your voice.
فقد مرجت عهود الناس إلا *** أقلهم فبادر قبل الموت
For the promises of people have become doubtful
Except for a few, so prepare yourself instead for death
فما يبقى على الأيام شيء *** وما خلق امرؤ إلا لموت
For nothing remains from the days of this world,
And a person has not been created except for death.
Abu Dharr (radhia’Allahu `anhu) said, ‘The people used to be like leaves
without any thorns. But today they are thorns without any leaves.’
Al-Qahdhami said,
ذهب الحسن والجمال من النا *** س ومات الذين كانوا ملاحا
Goodness and beauty have deserted the people
And those that were kind and gentle have died
وبقى الأسمجون من كل صنف *** إن في الموت من أولئك راحا
Instead there remains repulsive ones of every type
Indeed, there is in death a relief from those people
Abu Hatim observes: The wise one knows that people are naturally disposed to
having certain characteristics and different natures, for everyone wishes to
follow those that help and aid him and they abandon whoever opposes him and
remains aloof. Whenever a person sees from his brother/friend something which
he himself is not used to, he begins to despise him for it; and if something
that is different to what is in his heart becomes clear from his friend, he
becomes bored of him. Boredom leads to irritancy and irritancy leads to hatred
and hatred causes enmity. So being occupied with someone whose nature is this,
is foolishness for the wise one.
And indeed, al-Nabahi was right when he said,
ارفض الناس وكل مشغله *** قد بخل الناس بمثل خردله
Abandon the people and their places of occupation
For people are miserly even in a seed’s worth
لا تسأل الناس وسل من أنت له
Do not ask the people but instead
Ask the One who you belong to
Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-’Abdi said,
إذا قلت: هذا صاحب قد رضيته *** وقرت عيناي, بدلت آخرا
If I said: ‘This is my friend whom I’m happy with
And is a coolness for my eyes’; I end up replacing him
وذلك أني لا أصاحب صاحبا *** من الناس إلا خانني وتغيرا
And that is because I have never befriended someone
Except that they have betrayed me and changed
Malik ibn Dinar said, ‘Whoever does not find delight in the speech of Allah and
instead finds it in the speech of people, then surely his knowledge has taken a
plunge, his heart has become blind and his life has become wasted.’
__________________________
1 – Abu al-’Abbas Muhammad ibn Subayh ibn al-Sammak, from the righteous du’at
of Kufa (d. 183 AH).
2 – Abu Yahya, Malik ibn Dinar al-Basri, one of the ascetic Muhaddithin from
the Tabi’in (d. 131 AH)
3 – Abu ‘Umar, Hafs ibn Humayd al-Akkaf from the people of Marw (Central Aisa),
he was of their ascetic scholars (d. 200 AH).
Surah Isra 17 verse 80 Say: "O my Lord! let my entry be by the Gate of Truth
and Honor and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor; and grant me
from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)."
Ameen.
Transliteration :Wa qur rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqiw wa akhrijni mukhraja
sidqiw wa-j'al li mil ladunka sulta_nan nasira_(n).
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 2482 Narrated by AbuHurayrah (May Allah be pleased
with him)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to say, " O Allah, grant me benefit
in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase my
knowledge. Praise be to Allah in all circumstances. I seek refuge in Allah from
the state of those who go to Hell."
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a tradition
whose isnad is gharib.
Transliteration:an Abi Hurairah (radiya Allahu anhu) qaal:
qaala Rasul Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam): "Allahumma infa'ni bima
'allamtani, wa allimni maa yanfa'oni wa zidni 'ilman, alhamdulillahi alaa kolli
haal, wa a'odtho billahi min haali ahlil naar."
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