Once we visited a retired elderly man in his 60's at his home. After a brief ta'aruf (getting to know each other), one of us explained to him the purpose and importance of the work of dakwah and tabligh and invited him to join the effort.
"Tabligh is well and good but I disapprove you people leaving behind your family without any means and provision."
"But we do make due provision for our family before we leave for 40 days or 4 months in the path of Allah. We store the kitchen with groceries and fill up the fridge with chickens and meat. There's plenty of provision lay in a stock for our family and plenty of money in support of the provision and other expenses. We even make arrangements for the wives of our close friends and our relatives to visit our family during our absence to ensure our family's needs and welfare are being taken care of."
"You're talking about the zaahir (apparent) provision, what about the baathin (inner) provision?"
"Haji, perhaps you get the wrong impression that baathin provision to mean sexual needs and desire. That is not baathin provision, rather that is nafs and syahwat. Nafs and syahwat should be supressed and trampled. Baathin is something that is unseen - life in the grave, Mashyar, Mizan, the bridge of Sirat, Jannah and Jahannam - all these are the unseen revelations that had reached us through Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, and we will most definitely face them. It is because of these that we leave our homes, learning to make effort on building up our imaan and yakin (faith and conviction) to Allah Ta'ala and strive to live our lives in aamal (practices) in accordance to the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, so that when we return we hope for the guidance and strenghth from Allah Ta'ala to be able to continue to practice what we learnt and practiced in the path of Allah in our daily lives and teach and encourage our family to do the same. This is what it means by providing baathin provision for our wives and families."
Alhamdulillah, the respected Haji eventually sit together with us and listen attentively to a bayaan delivered after Maghrib solah and even stated his intention to spend his time in the path of Allah for 3 days.
Notice how weak our steadfastness as compares to the steadfastness and sacrifices of the Sahabah and their family radiyalaahu anhum for the effort of Deen.
After her father and Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam left for hijrah (migration) to Madinah, Asma' binti Abu Bakr radiyalaahu anhuma was left with her blind and aged grandfather, Abu Quhafah, who was then still a musyrik. When he realised that his son had migrated he was sad. Then he was worried whether he had left any cash for expenses. They had about four or five thousand Dinars in the house and her father, Abu Bakr Siddiq radiyalaahu anhu, had taken it all for the expenses of the journey. But she comforted her grandfather saying there was plenty in the house and nothing was lacking. In order to convince him, she collected some pebbles that were the size of Dinars; these she put in a pot and spread a cloth over them. Then she guided his old hands over the cloth. Abu Quhafah was very pleased that his son had not neglected them. Asma' radiyalaahu anha had done this for the old man's peace of mind, but in truth Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radiyalaahu anhu with a strong faith in Allah, had taken his all to spend in the way of Allah and His Messenger sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. And thus it is narrated to us the extent of steadfastness and sacrifices of the noble Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum in the matter of Deen.
When love for his wife and new-born son grew in the heart of the husband, Allah Ta'ala commanded him to leave his wife and son at an uninhabited place where there was no water nor food, no animals to hunt nor any plant. What they have was only a little provision that they had brought along. Imagine the devastation and sadness of the husband when his wife who was holding their baby tucked his dress and persistently asked him why he was leaving them behind in the dessert where there was no sign of living creatures. When his wife asked him if it was the command of Allah Ta'ala, he could only nod his head. The wife then said, "If it is the command of Allah Ta'ala upon you, then surely Allah Ta'ala will take care of us." The husband slowly rode away and vanished from their sight.
Soon the little provision that they have with them depleted. There was no water left to drink and there was no food to eat. The little baby began to cry out of thirst and hunger. Even milk from her breasts had dried out. She climbed up a hill in search of caravan or journeymen on the other side of the hill that might passed by. Having found no one, she ran downhill and climbed another hill searching for lifeline for her starved athirst son who never stopped crying. Still she could not find anyone on the other side of the second hill. She then ran downhill and climb up again the first hill searching for salvation. She travelled back and forth between the hills seven times in the scorching heat before she lost all hope of any assistance of any man. Only then her imaan and yakeen to Allah Ta'ala was absolute that none but Allah Ta'ala could grant her and her child salvation. And only at this moment of time, the help from Allah Ta'ala descended upon them. When she returned to her son, she found that a spring had sprouted forth from the crying baby kicking at the sand with his feet. And thus Allah Ta'ala reveals to us in the Quran the lesson of imaan and yakeen that had been acquired by the family of Khalilullah Ibrahim alayhi salam, his wife Hajar radiyalaahu anha, and their son Ismail alayhi salam.
"Tabligh is well and good but I disapprove you people leaving behind your family without any means and provision."
"But we do make due provision for our family before we leave for 40 days or 4 months in the path of Allah. We store the kitchen with groceries and fill up the fridge with chickens and meat. There's plenty of provision lay in a stock for our family and plenty of money in support of the provision and other expenses. We even make arrangements for the wives of our close friends and our relatives to visit our family during our absence to ensure our family's needs and welfare are being taken care of."
"You're talking about the zaahir (apparent) provision, what about the baathin (inner) provision?"
"Haji, perhaps you get the wrong impression that baathin provision to mean sexual needs and desire. That is not baathin provision, rather that is nafs and syahwat. Nafs and syahwat should be supressed and trampled. Baathin is something that is unseen - life in the grave, Mashyar, Mizan, the bridge of Sirat, Jannah and Jahannam - all these are the unseen revelations that had reached us through Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, and we will most definitely face them. It is because of these that we leave our homes, learning to make effort on building up our imaan and yakin (faith and conviction) to Allah Ta'ala and strive to live our lives in aamal (practices) in accordance to the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam, so that when we return we hope for the guidance and strenghth from Allah Ta'ala to be able to continue to practice what we learnt and practiced in the path of Allah in our daily lives and teach and encourage our family to do the same. This is what it means by providing baathin provision for our wives and families."
Alhamdulillah, the respected Haji eventually sit together with us and listen attentively to a bayaan delivered after Maghrib solah and even stated his intention to spend his time in the path of Allah for 3 days.
Notice how weak our steadfastness as compares to the steadfastness and sacrifices of the Sahabah and their family radiyalaahu anhum for the effort of Deen.
After her father and Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam left for hijrah (migration) to Madinah, Asma' binti Abu Bakr radiyalaahu anhuma was left with her blind and aged grandfather, Abu Quhafah, who was then still a musyrik. When he realised that his son had migrated he was sad. Then he was worried whether he had left any cash for expenses. They had about four or five thousand Dinars in the house and her father, Abu Bakr Siddiq radiyalaahu anhu, had taken it all for the expenses of the journey. But she comforted her grandfather saying there was plenty in the house and nothing was lacking. In order to convince him, she collected some pebbles that were the size of Dinars; these she put in a pot and spread a cloth over them. Then she guided his old hands over the cloth. Abu Quhafah was very pleased that his son had not neglected them. Asma' radiyalaahu anha had done this for the old man's peace of mind, but in truth Abu Bakr As-Siddiq radiyalaahu anhu with a strong faith in Allah, had taken his all to spend in the way of Allah and His Messenger sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. And thus it is narrated to us the extent of steadfastness and sacrifices of the noble Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum in the matter of Deen.
When love for his wife and new-born son grew in the heart of the husband, Allah Ta'ala commanded him to leave his wife and son at an uninhabited place where there was no water nor food, no animals to hunt nor any plant. What they have was only a little provision that they had brought along. Imagine the devastation and sadness of the husband when his wife who was holding their baby tucked his dress and persistently asked him why he was leaving them behind in the dessert where there was no sign of living creatures. When his wife asked him if it was the command of Allah Ta'ala, he could only nod his head. The wife then said, "If it is the command of Allah Ta'ala upon you, then surely Allah Ta'ala will take care of us." The husband slowly rode away and vanished from their sight.
Soon the little provision that they have with them depleted. There was no water left to drink and there was no food to eat. The little baby began to cry out of thirst and hunger. Even milk from her breasts had dried out. She climbed up a hill in search of caravan or journeymen on the other side of the hill that might passed by. Having found no one, she ran downhill and climbed another hill searching for lifeline for her starved athirst son who never stopped crying. Still she could not find anyone on the other side of the second hill. She then ran downhill and climb up again the first hill searching for salvation. She travelled back and forth between the hills seven times in the scorching heat before she lost all hope of any assistance of any man. Only then her imaan and yakeen to Allah Ta'ala was absolute that none but Allah Ta'ala could grant her and her child salvation. And only at this moment of time, the help from Allah Ta'ala descended upon them. When she returned to her son, she found that a spring had sprouted forth from the crying baby kicking at the sand with his feet. And thus Allah Ta'ala reveals to us in the Quran the lesson of imaan and yakeen that had been acquired by the family of Khalilullah Ibrahim alayhi salam, his wife Hajar radiyalaahu anha, and their son Ismail alayhi salam.
Alhamdulillah, no matter how good, without Iman, it means nothing. TQ Haji for sharing this piece. Hence the most succesful among us is the one that obey and submit to Allah and Rasulullah.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Thank you again for listening.
ReplyDelete