Hadith 3

As-salaamu'alaykum,

Today's hadith is narrated in Jami At-Tirmidhi, in Book 37. It is hadith 102 [2516].

Hanash Al-San'ani narrates from Ibn Abbas: "One day, I was standing behind the Prophet (PBUH) when he said: 'O boy, I will teach you a statement. Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him with you. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid, seek aid from Allah.'

'Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to benefit you to some extent, they would not be able to benefit you except to that extent upon which Allah has decreed for you. And if they were to gather together to hurt you to some extent, they would not be able to hurt you except to that extent which Allah has decreed for you. The pens have been raised and the pages have dried.' " (The hadith in Arabic is mentioned at the bottom of this blog, if you would like to read it.)

 

Explanation:

In the first part of the hadith, it is mentioned that if you are mindful of Allah, then you will find Him with you. What is meant is that:

• Allah's mercies and blessings will accrue to you
• Allah will protect you, help you, and let you get to your ambitions
• Your sight will gain Allah's awareness as though Allah is before you and you see Allah between the place of kindness and perfect faith such that all else is invisible to you.

To explain the last point further, being mindful of Allah, will allow you to have perfect faith (imaan), and can therefore advance you into a level of (ihsan). The scholars mention that ihsan is the belief that when you worship Allah, you worship Him as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He sees you.

The next words call for asking Allah alone because everything belongs to Him and is in His power. Every blessing and comfort that you get and every trial or hardship that is averted from you is because of Allah's mercy through which He bestows or withholds. 

 

What is meant by the words 'the pens have been raised and the pages have dried'?

The commands have been given and recorded for everything that will happen till the last hour. Nothing more will be recorded, and nothing will be amended. In another hadith, we are told that the first thing that Allah created was the pen. Allah told it to write, so it recorded everything that would transpire till eternity.

A question arises here regarding the ayah of the Quran (13:39):

The explanation is that the blotting out and retaining are part of what is decreed already, and after recording, the pen was put aside, and the pages (or scrolls) dried.

There are two types of decree:

1. The mubarram which are the irrevocable, allowing for no alteration.
2. The mu'alliq which are the suspended, and not irrevocable, but permit alteration.

To further explain it, it is recorded aforehand in the preserved tablet that a certain thing would be blotted out in such a manner or retained, and Allah knows best.

Some scholars say that there are two books with Allah:

1. The preserved tablet in which there can be no change
2. The book in which the angels write down the deeds of people (and they mention that the blotting out or retaining is done in this)

 

Advice or inspiration from this hadith:

• We must place our trust in Allah and be pleased with what pleases Allah.
• We must try to give thanks to Allah in every circumstance and have patience in the hardships and trials which we face.

Shaykh Abdul-Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) has written in (Futuh Al-Ghayb), that every believer must make this hadith a reflection of his heart. He must act and rest in accordance with the teachings of this hadith.

 

 

That is today's hadith alhamdulillah. Insha'Allah, we have all benefited from it. May Allah allow us to have complete faith in Him and allow us to fully act upon the sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). May Allah bless us with knowledge and understanding. May Allah allow us to have patience (sabr) in every hardship and to be thankful (shukr) in every situation of ease. May Allah forgive us all and enter us into paradise. Ameen.

If you have any opinions or corrections to make, please mention them in the comments. Jazakumullah khair.