The relationship between Allah (God) and a true believer is deeply rooted in concepts of love, obedience, trust, and closeness. It is a relationship of absolute submission and devotion, based on the recognition of Allah's supremacy, mercy, compassion, and justice. This relationship is expressed through worship, adherence to Allah’s commands, and a personal connection with Him through prayer, supplication, and reliance.
Talking this very close relationship between Allah and the devout worshipper, we share today a Hadith Qudsi attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī (Book 81: To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq) / كتاب الرقاق / Chapter 38: The humility or modesty or lowliness / باب التَّوَاضُعِ / as Hadith 6502, given herein under:
Narrated by Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنِي شَرِيكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي نَمِرٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ عَبْدِي بِشَىْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَىَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطُشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ ".
This Hadith Qudsi is a profound narration in which Allah speaks directly, expressing His immense love and closeness to His sincere worshippers. It encapsulates the profound relationship between Allah and His devout worshippers. It aligns perfectly with the themes found in the Qur'an: that Allah loves the believers who fulfill His commands, and those who go beyond the obligatory acts of worship by performing Nawafil draw even closer to Him. Allah promises to guide, protect, and fulfill the requests of His righteous servants, and He is deeply compassionate toward them. This hadith serves as a reminder of the boundless mercy of Allah and encourages believers to strive for closeness to Him through both obligatory and voluntary acts of worship.
Let's break down the key components of the hadith and examine them in the light of the Qur'an:
- Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said: "I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine." Allah declares that anyone who opposes or harms a true believer, particularly one who is devoted in worship, will be in direct opposition to Allah Himself. This emphasizes the importance of respecting and protecting those who sincerely worship Allah.
- "The most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him..." Allah reveals that the most beloved actions to Him are those that He has commanded—such as the obligatory prayers (Salah), fasting, and other mandatory acts of worship.
- "My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (extra deeds) till I love him..." Beyond obligatory worship, Allah invites His believers to engage in extra acts of worship (Nawafil), like voluntary prayers, charity, and other good deeds. This voluntary worship gradually brings the believer closer to Allah, leading to His love.
- "So I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks..." Allah promises a deep level of closeness and guidance to His beloved servant, to the point where Allah's guidance becomes intertwined with the believer's senses and actions. This signifies that when a believer is in such close proximity to Allah, their actions are guided by Him, and they follow the path of righteousness in every aspect of their lives.
- "If he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him..." Allah guarantees that when a believer seeks from Him, He will fulfill their needs, and when they seek His protection, He will grant it. This reflects Allah’s generosity and mercy toward those who are devoted to Him.
- "I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him." Allah admits that He loves the believer so much that He hesitates to take their life, as they dislike death. This part of the hadith shows Allah's deep love and compassion for His righteous servants.
Understanding the Hadith in Light of the Qur'an
Now, let’s understand the meaning and implications of this hadith through the lens of the Qur'an.
Hostility Toward Pious Believers: Allah promises protection to the believers and warns those who oppose them.
- In Surah Al-Mujadila (58:22), it says: "You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger..." Those who show hostility toward the pious invite Allah’s anger, and this hadith emphasizes the severity of such opposition.
- In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:190), Allah commands the believers to defend themselves against oppressors: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors."
The Beloved Acts of Worship (Fard and Nawafil): Allah loves those who fulfill their obligatory acts of worship.
- In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:177), Allah explains the importance of doing what He has commanded: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces toward the East or the West, but righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets..." This verse shows that fulfilling Allah's commands is central to righteousness.
- Additionally, the concept of Nawafil (voluntary acts) is supported in Surah Al-Isra (17:79), where Allah says: "And from part of the night, pray with it (as voluntary) for extra worship for you. It is expected that your Lord will raise you to a praised station." This reinforces the idea that voluntary acts of worship bring a believer closer to Allah.
Allah’s Closeness to His Beloved Servants: Allah’s promise to be with His servant in every aspect of their life reflects the deeper connection a believer develops through worship.
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:286) states: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear." When a person becomes close to Allah, their heart is aligned with Allah’s will, and they are protected from hardship that they cannot bear.
- In Surah At-Tawbah (9:24), Allah says: "Say, 'If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce in which you fear decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command..." This highlights how one's connection with Allah should be the most important thing in their life.
Allah’s Mercy and Generosity:
The promise that Allah will give the believer what they ask for and protect them is consistent with His attribute as Al-Rahman (The Most Merciful) and Al-Ghaffar (The Constant Forgiver). Allah's mercy is mentioned numerous times in the Qur'an, like in Surah Az-Zumar (39:53): "Say, 'O My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own actions, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Allah forgives all sins. He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful." This verse emphasizes the vastness of Allah's mercy, a central theme in the hadith.
The Hesitation to Take the Soul of a Believer:
Allah’s compassion toward the believer and His reluctance to take their life is reflected in Surah Al-Ankabut (29:69): "And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good." Allah is deeply invested in the well-being of the believers, and this hadith illustrates His love and hesitation to take their lives, highlighting His mercy and care for His righteous servants.
We, the Muslims, are fortunate to be of a religion wherein there exists a direct relationship between us and our Creator. We do not have to run around to find someone to pray on our behalf. We should therefore never let go this one to one communication and try to be a true and devout believer and worshipper so that Allah heeds to our prayers as He promised us in the Hadith Qudsi quoted above.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadith e Qudsi (حدیثِ قُدسی) attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more Hadith e Qudsi.
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Source of Hadith | Help taken from ChatGPT for expanding meaning of the Hadith
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
0 comments:
Post a Comment