“Everyone Claims That He Has Some Connection with Laylah, but Laylah Does Not Confirm This Claim of Theirs.”

The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said, the world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.” – Tirmidhi Shareef

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: If anyone acquires knowledge that should be sought seeking the Face of Allah, but he acquires it only to get some worldly advantage, he will not experience the arf, i.e. the fragrance, of Paradise. – Abu Dawood Shareed

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “There is no man who memorizes knowledge then conceals it, but he will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection bridled with reins of fire.”  – Ibn Majah Shareef

“When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: Continuing charity, knowledge that others benefited from, and a righteous son who supplicates for him.” – Tirmidhi Shareef

The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: The time will become short, knowledge will be decreased, civil strife (fitan) will appear, niggardliness will be cast into people’s heart, and harj will be prevalent. He was asked: Messenger of Allah! what is it (harj): He replied: Slaughter, slaughter. – Abu Dawood Shareef

These Ahadith have been narrated by Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu who is a great Sahabi, aalim, and one who occupied himself in the ibaadah  and remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. From among the Sahabah, only Hadrat Amr ibn al-Aas radiallahu anhu knew more Ahadith than him. Apart from him, there was no one more knowledgeable than him in the science of Hadith. His name is Abdullah and his kunniyyat is Abu Hurayrah. In the beginning he was extremely poor, so much so that he also had to bear the pangs of hunger and starvation. The story of his acceptance of Islam is very lengthy. Due to extreme poverty, he did not get married despite the need to do so.

After the demise of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his worldly condition improved and he also progressed financially. He was also appointed as governor over Madinah Munawwarah. While being a gov­ ernor, he used to carry bundles of wood and pass through the markets asking the people to make way for the governor, i.e. make way so that I may be able to walk pass. Just imagine! Despite him being such a high ranking official, he used to carry out such a menial task which even an ordi­ nary respectable person would have regarded as being below his dignity.

He used to carry out this menial task himself and never thought for a m oment that he is a governor and that he should ask so meone unde r h im o r some labourer to undertake it.

This is the lifestyle of those people who studied under and stayed in the company of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Today, everyone who attains some position regards himself as being very great and yet makes claims of Islam and claims to love Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In reality, only that person has love for Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who fulfils his orders and follows his sunnah in every aspect of his life.

A poet has said:

“Everyone claims that he has some connection with Laylah, but Laylah does not confirm this claim of theirs.”

Similarly, the person who claims to love Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and yet acts contrary to the injunctions of the Quran and Hadith, and Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deny this claim of his – then how can this claim of his be correct.

It has been clearly mentioned in the Hadith that the true path is that on which I (Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and my Sahabah radiallahu anhum are. It is clear from this Hadith that the path which is contary to the path of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the path of misguidedness and that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is extremely unhappy with the per­ son who treads such a path.

Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: “I grew up as an orphan, I migrated to Madinah as an extremely poor person. I worked for the daughter of Ghazwaan in return for food and on the condition that I would travel on foot at times and ride at times when on a journey with them. I used to urge the camels forward by singing poems (In Arabia they urge the camels to move forward by singing poems. In this way, the camels undertake the journey with ease.) I used to bring firewood for my employers whenever they used to stop over at a particular place. All praise is due to Allah who has strengthened my Deen and made Abu Hurayrah an imam and a governor.” That is, after accepting Islam, he was blessed with the bounty of being an imam of the Deen. He said this as a form of gratitude to Allah Ta’ala and did not call himself an imam out of pride and arrogance. There is a great reward in mentioning the favours of Allah Ta’ala and expressing gratitude to Him for whatever bounties one has been blessed with. However, it is haraam to mention them out of pride.

Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: “Once Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked me: ‘Why don’t you take anything from the spoils of war?’ So I said to him: ‘I ask of you to give me some of the knowledge which Allah Ta’ala has blessed you with.’ So he removed the shawl which I was wearing. He then spread it so closely between us that I could see the lice that were crawling on it. He then uttered some words to me and on completing them, he asked me to gather the shawl and keep it against my chest.” Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu adds: “The result of this was that I never forgot a single letter that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to me thereafter.” That is, his memory became extremely strong.

Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says: “I used to make taubah and istighfaar 12 000 times daily.” That is, he used to recite astaghfirullah wa atubu ilayhi and other similar words 12 000 times daily. He had a piece of string which had 2 000 knots (which he used as a tasbeeh). He never used to go to sleep until he completed reciting Sub’haanallah 2 000 times.

Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar radiallahu anhuma said: “O Abu Hurayrah! From among the Sahabah, you were the most in the company of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And you were the most knowledgeable of us with regards to the Hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.”

Hadrat Tafaawi rahmatullahi alayhi says: “I spent six months as a guest of Hadrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu. From among the Sahabah I did not come across anyone more willing and helpful to his guests than Abu Hurayrah.

Hadrat Abu Uthmaan Nahdi rahmatullahi alahy says: “I was a guest of Abu Hurayrah for 7 days. Abu Hurayrah, his wife and his servant used to divide the night into three and take turns in waking up.” That is, the first person used to get up, offer salaat and thereafter awaken the second person while the first slept. Thereafter, the second person used to awaken the third person and he used to go to sleep.

Source: Heavenly Ornaments (Behishi Zewar)