Your Time is Either For You or Against You: Imam al-Sa’di

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Sa’di once wrote:

الوقت لك أو عليك

Time is Either For You or Against You

الوقت إما لك ربح ومغنم ، وإلا عليك وزر ومأثم ، وإما خسارة وتفويت للمنافع ، وهذه ثلاثة أقسام لا بد للإنسان من واحد منها . فمن كان وقته في طاعة الله من صلاة وصيام وقراءة وذكر وجهاد وحج وعلم وقيام بحق الله أو بحقوق الخلق ، فهو له مغنم وربح ، وسيحمد غبه بعد حين وسيغتبط بما قدمت يداه . ولا بد لمن كان على هذا الوصف من الراحات واستعمال ما يعين على العبادات من استعمال الطيبات . وهذا الوسائل ينحسب عليها حكم الوقت وتكون عبادات مع نية الصالحة . ـ

Time is either for you as a profit and prize, or otherwise it is either against you as a burden and a sin or as a loss and a missed opportunity. These are the three options, and every person is in one of these three.

So whoever spends his time in obedience to Allah, such as through prayer, fasting, reciting Qur’an, dhikr, jihaad, Hajj, learning/teaching, or giving Allah His due rights or giving Allah’s creation their due rights, then this is an increase and a profit for him. When the time comes, he will remark favorably on the outcome and will be delighted with has he had sent forward for himself.

Which Comes First, Glad Tidings or Warnings?: Badr al-Deen ibn Jama’ah

Throughout the Qur’an, Allah has described the Prophet as both a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, such as in the following ayaat:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا

We have certainly sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner [al-Baqarah 2:119]

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

O Prophet, We have certainly sent you as a witness and a giver of glad tidings and a warner [al-Ahzab 33:45]

بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

Giving glad tidings and warnings, but most of them will turn away so they will not listen [Ha Meem Sajdah 41:4]

In his book addressing small differences between otherwise similar ayaat, Badr al-Deen ibn Jama’ah (one of the teachers of al-haafidh ibn Kathir) posed and answered the following question:

مسألة: قوله تعالى: (إِنَّنِي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ (٢) قدّم النذارة هنا، وفى الأحزاب والبقرة وحم السجدة قدم البشارة؟ ـ

Question: Regarding Allah’s statement:

إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ

I am certainly a warner and giver of glad tidings from Him to you [11:2]

Here, Allah mentioned warnings first, while in surahs al-Ahzab (33), al-Baqarah (02) and Ha Meem Sajdah (41), He mentioned glad tidings first – why is that?

Transmitted Explanations and Linguistic Explanations of the Qur’an: ibn Hajr

In his chapter on Tafsir in his famous Saheeh collection, Imam al-Bukhari brought the following three hadith narrations in the following order in his section on the tafsir of surah al-Kawthar:

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَمَّا عُرِجَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَالَ ‏ “‏ أَتَيْتُ عَلَى نَهَرٍ حَافَتَاهُ قِبَابُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ مُجَوَّفًا فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا يَا جِبْرِيلُ قَالَ هَذَا الْكَوْثَرُ ‏”‏‏.‏ ـ

Anas reported that after the Prophet was taken up to the heavens, he said, “I came upon a river the banks of which were made of tents of hollow pearls. I asked Jibril. ‘What is this? He replied, ‘This is al-Kawthar.'”

حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْكَاهِلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ‏{‏إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ‏}‏ قَالَتْ نَهَرٌ أُعْطِيَهُ نَبِيُّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَاطِئَاهُ عَلَيْهِ دُرٌّ مُجَوَّفٌ آنِيَتُهُ كَعَدَدِ النُّجُومِ‏.‏ رَوَاهُ زَكَرِيَّاءُ وَأَبُو الأَحْوَصِ وَمُطَرِّفٌ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ‏.‏ ـ

Abu ‘Ubaydah said: I asked A’ishah about Allah’s statement

‏إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ

Indeed, We have given you al-Kawthar [108:1]

She replied, ” It is a river which has been given to your Prophet on the banks of which there are hollow pearls and its vessels are as numberless as the stars.”

The Story of Ibn Miqsam: al-Dhahabi

In part of his biographical encyclopedia of the famous reciters and transmitters of the Qur’an, Imam al-Dhahabi included the following section on Ibn Miqsam, a contemporary of Abu Bakr Ibn Mujahid:

٢٢٥ ابن مقسم ـ

225. Ibn Miqsam

محمد بن الحسن بن يعقوب بن الحسن بن مقسم الإمام أبو بكر البغدادي، المقرئ النحوي العطار

He was Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ya’qub ibn al-Hasan ibn Miqsam. He was an imam, known by the nickname Abu Bakr, hailing from Baghdad. He was an expert reciter, expert in grammar, and perfume salesman.

أخذ القراءة عرضا عن إدريس الحداد [صاحب خلف] ، وداود بن سليمان وصاحب نصير بن يوسف، وأبي قبيصة حاتم بن إسحاق الموصلي، وجماعة، وسمع أبا مسلم الكجي. ومحمد بن عثمان بن أبي شيبة، ومحمد بن يحيى المروزي، وموسى بن إسحاق الأنصاري، وغيرهم، وأكثر من الآداب على ثعلب، وعمر دهرا. ـ

He studied Qur’an under and recited it to:

• Idris al-Haddad [a student of Khalaf]
• Dawud ibn Sulayman, who was a student of Nusayr ibn Yusuf
• Abu Qabisah Hatim ibn Ishaq al-Mowsali

“If You Forgive Them, Then You are Certainly Almighty, All-Wise”: Tafsir al-Baghawi

In surah al-Ma’idah, ‘Eesaa addresses Allah by saying:

إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

If You punish them, then they are Your servants. And if You forgive them, then You are certainly Almighty, All-Wise. [5:118]

Imam al-Baghawi brought the following beneficial discussion of this ayah in his tafsir where he wrote:

قوله تعالى : ( إن تعذبهم فإنهم عبادك وإن تغفر لهم فإنك أنت العزيز الحكيم ) فإن قيل كيف طلب المغفرة لهم وهم كفار ، وكيف قال : وإن تغفر لهم فإنك أنت العزيز الحكيم ، وهذا لا يليق بسؤال المغفرة ، قيل : أما الأول فمعناه إن تعذبهم بإقامتهم على كفرهم وإن تغفر لهم بعد الإيمان وهذا يستقيم على قول السدي : إن هذا السؤال قبل يوم القيامة لأن الإيمان لا ينفع في القيامة . ـ

One might ask:

1) How could he ask forgiveness for them when they are disbelievers?

2) Why did he say, “And if You forgive them, then You are certainly Almighty, All-Wise” when this does not fit with a request for forgiveness?

One could respond:

As for the first question, one could say that he meant “if You punish them” for persisting in their disbelief and “if You forgive them” after they have believed. This explanation is based on al-Suddi’s statement that, “This question occurs before the Day of Resurrection, since coming to believe on that day will not be of any benefit.”

The Place of Asbab al-Nuzool in Understanding an Ayah: Sheikh ‘Abdullah al-Awaaji

The following question was posed to sheikh ‘Abdullah al-‘Awaaji, former professor of Tafsir at the Islamic University of al-Madinah:

س/ أريد حفظ القرآن. ما أفضل كتاب تفسير يجمع بين فهم المعاني ومعرفة سبب النزول ومعرفة الألفاظ الغريبة؟ ـ

Question: I would like to memorize the Qur’an; what is the best book of tafsir which includes an understanding of the messages, information about the asbab al-nuzool – circumstances surrounding the revelation – and teaching the unfamiliar vocabulary?

ج/ أما الأسباب فليس كلها يحتاج إليه في فهم المعنى؛ والصحيح الصريح الذي في حكم المرفوع منها نادر أصلاً ؛ نعم قد يحتاج اليها فيما وراء ذلك، ولا ننكر أن عدداً قليلاً جدا من أسباب النزول ضروري لفهم المعنى لكن صحيحه الصريح الحجة الضروري لفهم المعنى لا يتجاوز عشرة أسباب . ـ

Response: Regarding asbab al-nuzool, not everything in that vein is necessary for understanding the meaning of an ayah.

For starters, the authentically transmitted and explicit narrations regarding asbab al-nuzool which hold the same weight as a Prophetic hadith are very rare. Of course other reports that do not meet those standards may still be needed.

The Story of Ibn Shanabudh: al-Dhahabi

In his encyclopedic biography of the major reciters and transmitters of the Qur’an, al-haafidh al-Dhahabi provided the following entry on ibn Shanabudh, a contemporary of Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid and a notable figure in the qiraa’aat literature:

١٩٢ – أبو الحسن بن شنبوذ

192. Abu’l-Hasan ibn Shanabudh

هو محمد بن أحمد بن أيوب بن الصلت ومنهم من يقول ابن الصلت بن أيوب بن شنبوذ البغدادي

He is Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyub ibn al-Salt – and some say that it was ibn al-Silt  – ibn Ayyub ibn Shanabudh, al-Baghdadi.

شيخ الإقراء بالعراق مع ابن مجاهد

He, alongside ibn Mujahid, was the leading scholar of recitation in Iraq.

قرأ القرآن على عدد كثير بالأمصار منهم قنبل وإسحاق الخزاعي والحسن بن العباس وإدريس بن عبد الكريم وهارون بن موسى الأخفش وإسماعيل بن عبد الله المصري وبكر بن سهل الدمياطي وقيل لم يتل عليه ومحمد بن شاذان والقاسم بن أحمد وأبي حسان العنزي وأحمد بن نصر بن شاكر صاحب الوليد بن عتبة وأحمد بن بشار الأنباري صاحب الدوري وإبراهيم الحربي والزبير بن محمد العمري المدني صاحب قالون ومحمد بن يحيى الكسائي الصغير وموسى بن جمهور وأحمد بن محمد الرشديني

He studied Qur’an under a great number of scholars from various cities, including:

The Entire Qur’an Revolves Around al-Tawheed – Ibn al-Qayyim

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah wrote the following insightful words on the contents of the Qur’an:

فإن القرآن؛ إما خبر عن الله تعالى وأسمائه وصفاته وأفعاله وأقواله وهذا هو التوحيد العلمي الخبري والعقدي

The Qur’an – it is either some information concerning Allah and His Names and Attributes, His actions and His statements. This is the tawheed of knowledge, information and belief.

وأما دعوه إلى عبادته وحده لا شريك لها وخلع ما يعبد من دونه وهو التوحيد العملي الإرادي الطلبى العقدي

Or it is calling people to the worship of Allah alone with no partners and leaving off what is worshiped besides Him. This is the tawheed of action, intent, and belief.

وإما أمر أو نهى وإلزام بطاعته وأمره ونهيه فهــــذه حقوق التوحيد ومكملاته

Or it is commands and prohibitions and mandating obedience to Him and to His commands and prohibitions. This is the actualization of al-tawheed of its completeness.

Assorted Qur’an Benefits #45

What follows is a collection of the various benefits originally posted on our social media pages during May 2020:

♦ What Follows Ramadan

In one of his khutbahs delivered during the month of Ramadan, sheikh ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Badr said:

أيها المؤمن الصائم ! إن صيامك عن المفطرات في شهر رمضان له وقتٌ محدود وأمدٌ معدود في هذا الشهر الفاضل وأما صيامك عن المحرمات وعن كل ما يُسخط الله ، فإنه صيامٌ مستمرٌّ دائمٌ معك كلِّ حياتك كلها وعمرك جميعه

O Fasting Muslim! Withholding from the things that break your fast during the month of Ramadan is just for a specific time and a limited term during this great month. But as for withholding from the things that are forbidden and that incur Allah’s anger, that is an continual and ongoing fast that must stay with you throughout your entire life and all of your days!

[al-Jami’ li’l-Mu’allafat 12/362]

♦ Beautifying Our Recitation

Sheikh Saalih al-‘Usaymi wrote:

أمرنا بتحسين قراءتنا القرآن؛ لأنَّ المباني وعاء المعاني، والصَّوت لسان المباني، فإذا حَسُن صوت قارئ القرآن قرَّت المباني في الأُذن؛ فبلغت القلب، وانتفع العبد، وقد صحَّ عند أبي داودَ وغيره عن البراء بن عازبٍ رضي الله عنهما أنَّ النَّبيَّ ﷺ قال: “زيِّنوا القرآنَ بأصواتكم”.ـ

We have been commanded to beautify our recitation of the Qur’an. That is because the medium is what carries the message, and the sounds of the tongue is the medium. So when the reciter’s voice is beautiful, then the medium takes hold of one’s ears which then reaches to the heart and benefits the slave.

And it has been authentically reported from Abu Dawud and others that al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib relayed that the Prophet said, “Beautify the Qur’an with your voices.”

[As found on the sheikh’s Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Osaimi0543/status/1257299857875877889%5D

The Biography of ibn Mujahid: al-Dhahabi

In part of his biographical encyclopedia of the famous reciters and transmitters of the Qur’an, Imam al-Dhahabi included the following section on Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid who famously selected the seven qiraa’aat of the Qur’an that are commonly used until today:

١٨٦ ـ ابن مجاهد

186 – Ibn Mujahid

أحمد بن موسى بن العباس ابن مجاهد شيخ العصر أبو بكر البغدادي العطشي المقرىء الأستاذ مصنف كتاب القراءات السبعة . ـ

He was Ahmad ibn Moosaa ibn al-‘Abbaas ibn Mujahid, the recognized expert of his time, also known by Abu Bakr. He was from Baghdad, specifically from Souq al-Atshq. He was a master reciter of the Qur’an, a teacher, and the author of the book on the seven qiraa’aat.

ولد سنة خمس وأربعين ومئتين بسوق العطش محلة بغداد . ـ

He was born in the year 245AH in Souq al-Atshq, which is a part of Baghdad.

وسمع الحديث من سعدان بن نصر وأحمد بن منصور الرمادي ومحمد بن اسحاق الصغّاني ومحمد بن عبد الله المخرمي وعباس الدوري وخلق كثير. ـ

He took hadith from Sa’dan ibn Nasir, Ahmad ibn Mansur al-Rumadi, Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Saghani, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Makhzumi, ‘Abbaas al-Duri, and a large number of others.

وقرأ القرآن على أبي الزعراء بن عبدوس وقنبل المكي وسمع القراءات من طائفة كبيرة مذكورين في صدر كتابه وتصدر للإقراء وازدحم عليه أهل الأداء ورجل إليه من الأقطار وبعد صيته

He recited Qur’an to his teachers Abu al-Za’ra’ ibn ‘Abdus and Qunbul al-Makki and heard the qiraa’aat of a large number of teachers who are mentioned in the beginning of his book. He was a leading figure for teaching the qiraa’aat. Students of the qiraa’aat flocked to him and traveled from many different regions to study under him, and his renown was widespread.

وقد وقع كلام في إكماله الختمة على قنبل . ـ

There has been some dispute as to whether he completed a full reading of the Qur’an with Qunbul.