When you study the Sunnah, do so with the hope that you will be one of the people on the Day of Judgement who will meet the Prophet and drink from his حوض, while there are others who will be turned away.
Recap of Chapter 2 - باب الاقتداء بسنن رسول الله:
This chapter discusses the description of the real مقتدي. His eyes are on those who precede him, not those who succeed him. He doesn't seek fame. He loves to guide people. He guides them until he takes them to their destination and then turns back, not waiting for fame or praise.
This was the attitude of Musa after watering the flock of the two ladies. Allah said in (28:24):
He has respect, honour, and love for the Prophet in his heart.
Evidence: The Hadith of Umar. He didn't even argue against it; this indicates his love, respect, and honour for the Prophet.
Due to his love and honour for the Prophet, he seeks to learn the Sunnah and understand the Qur'an
Evidence: The statement of Ibn Aun
After learning, He acts upon what he learns, having the intention that he's doing so following the Sunnah of the Prophet and carrying the command of Allah. العمل بنية الاقتداء
"إن كُنتُم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله "
Follow the Prophet if you want Allah to love you. This should always be in your intention, whatever you do.
Some people do actions because they like to, because everyone is doing it, or because it's easy. You do the action because the Prophet did it, said it, or approved of it.
Also, المقتدي feels a sense of sufficiency with the Prophets guidance.
Evidence: The Hadith of Ibn Masoud.
Continuation of 7281:
The different responses to the caller:
1. متقدم. There are people who put themselves ahead of the caller; suggesting different routes, what to do, where to go, as if they know and the caller doesn't. These are people who innovate in the religion, thinking that they can reach the destination through a faster, easier route.
Allah said in (49:1):
If we really and truly believe in Allah and His Messenger we wouldn't do this.
2. There are people who are lazy. They can see the caller, and follow him, but very slowly. They sometimes act and sometimes don't, all depending on what they desire. They will be misled.
3. There are people who totally refuse to follow. They will never reach the destination.
4. There are people whose eyes focus on the Prophet and his Sunnah. They will reach the destination along with the guide. This is the مقتدي.
Lessons
-> This shows us that the مقتدي respects the guide. He does not put his opinion above the opinion of the caller; rather he submits and obeys. He has trust in the caller; that he knows and is keen to take them to their destination.
In (9:128):
-> The Prophet is the caller to the house. We should
a) Listen to him
b) Focus on him
c) Respect and honour him
d) Feel sufficient with his guidance
e) Trust that he is keen to help us to reach Paradise.
-> Whoever obeys the Prophet will reach Paradise, and whoever doesn't will not.
-> This Hadith explains that the Prophet is a mercy for all mankind and jinn.
Allah says in (21:107):
-> This Hadith indicates that Allah is a generous Lord, a merciful Lord, who loves His creation.
Because first He created Paradise,
and put inside it all kinds of delights,
and He, out of His mercy, sent a caller to it. He didn't leave His creation without guidance.
Whoever responds to this caller will reach the house.
-> The مقتدي has a hope and desire to enter Paradise. Also he has love in his heart for the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. This is what fuels him follow his guidance.
-> When he walks on this path he walks trying to take people with him. He has hope that those beloved to him will enter Jannah along with him.
-> This Hadith shows us that there is a strong response, strong intention, and strong hope to attain his goal.
-> The Prophet separates between people. When you follow the Sunnah you will be different and distinguished from the rest of the people. And we notice this. You look different from everyone else, in the way you dress, sit, eat, talk, sleep, live. This is an honour. And this difference differs depending on how strongly you adhere to the Sunnah.
This Hadith is mentioned after the parable, to show you that if you look left and right while following the caller, you will get lost.
Nowadays a قارئ is one who recites or memorizes the Qur'an. At the time of the Prophet, القرّاء were the scholars who had knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and then memorized it.
Hudhayfah, the secret keeper of the Prophet, gathered all القراء and advised them saying:
استقيموا -> Stick to the Qur'an and Sunnah
Why?
فقد سَبقتم سبقا بعيدا
And In another narration: فقد سٌبقتم سبقا بعيدا
فإن أخذتم يميناً و شمالا لقد ضللتم ضلالا بعيدا
(سَبقتم) - If he used this word, he was referring to the learned ones amongst the companions of the Prophet, who had an evident and strong precedence to all people in their knowledge and companionship. They had their eyes on the Prophet, and other people had their eyes on them, so if they diverted or went astray, those who came after them would also go astray.
(سُبقتم) - This word refers to the Tabi'oon, who were preceded by the companions of the Prophet.
They are an example of the statement of Mujahid: "(Make us) a community that follows the righteous people who preceded us, and whom those succeeding may follow"
Lessons:
-> This advice doesn't just apply to them, but to us as well. Just as our eyes are on them, those succeeding us will have their eyes on us. If we lean a little to the left or right, they too will go astray. We need to focus on قال الله و قال الرسول.
-> This Hadith indicates that we should have knowledge of this path, and feel sufficient with it. The one who feels sufficient with it won't look right and left, or feel the need to take things from other religions and ideologies. This is an important feeling to have.
-> The one who walks on the right path will not suggest ideas from his self, rather, he will follow the way of those before him.
You find everyone nowadays speaking with authority on religion, regardless of the amount of knowledge they have. This is dangerous. "لا تقدموا بين يدي الله و رسوله"
The same Hadith is mentioned in كتاب الرقاق - باب الانتهاء عن المعاصي
(What will soften your heart? -> Avoiding sins. -> And what will help you avoid sins? -> Obeying the Prophet)
النذير العريان
Whenever the Arabs wanted to warn their people about a danger, a person amongst them would run to his people, and in order for them to believe him, he would take off his clothes from a distance and wave. When they see this the people would understand that something serious was happening (because taking off clothes to them meant something serious)
Others said that it means a plain, clear Warner, whom people have no doubt about.
The people differed with regards to their response:
1. People who believed him, didn't doubt in him. ادلاج; they didn't wait till morning, they immediately moved. After they moved from the danger zone they walked slower.
2. There are people who didn't act and leave. They were killed and destroyed.
What is the difference between the two? التصديق. One group believed this Warner and the other didn't believe. This is why the former took an action.
The similarities and differences between the two parables:
1. The Prophet was a giver of glad tidings in the first parable, whereas in this parable he's a Warner.
2. In the first example he gave glad tidings of a banquet (Paradise), while over here he warns against destruction (Hell).
3. In the parable of the banquet the مقتدي had desire for Jannah, hope, love, respect, etc. In this example the مقتدي has fear of the punishment and destruction.
4. In this parable there is an action not mentioned in the first parable. They immediately took action and fled by night. They didn't wait.
This shows us that in the case of warning you need to take immediate action. Respond quickly, don't wait until the punishment comes.
This is why this Hadith was also mentioned in باب الانتهاء عن المعاصي. If you truly believe this Warner you'll immediately respond and quit sin. Don't be like the people who doubted and stayed until they were ruined.
The group who responded to the Warner started walking slower after they had reached safety. Undoubtedly, their state is better than the person who leaves at the last minute, afraid, running at top speed, who may not even reach safety without being devoured by the army. Also when a person is afraid and fleeing, It'll cause him to be confused and unable to take the correct action.
The Prophet said ادلجوا not أدّلجوا. They moved in the early part of the night. Every word in the Hadith has a meaning. We need to move immediately.
They sought a better place. Then they proceeded to walk to their Lord slowly and stealthily, concentrating on their acts of worship.
ادلجوا also indicates that they took care of their acts of worship at night.
They spent it in Tahajjud; in obedience to Allah. They are not like dead corpses at night, and fireflies in the day looking to fulfill their worldly interests.They are people who have a share of worship at night.
Because they believed what the Prophet said of the trials in this life, the punishments of the grave, of Hell, etc. they prepare themselves to face these trials by praying at night, in order that these prayers will be a means to save them.
Allah said in (39:9):
Only the person who has knowledge will do this. And he, and the one who doesn't have knowledge are not equal. It is said that this was revealed regarding Uthman.
It's important to note that fear has limits, as does hope. We have to fear Allah but not to the point where we despair of His mercy. And we have to have hope in Allah's reward but not until we feel secure from the plots of Allah. We can't commit sins and expect Allah to admit us into Paradise.
The مقتدي is in between both fear and hope.
Relation between this Hadith with كتاب العتصام: The معتصم is obedient to the Prophet, believing in and following him. The one who disobeyed him and disbelieved what he brought is the example of the one who is ruined.
Many people say that they believe in the Prophet and his message, but don't take any action. This is considered a lie. We need to prove our belief by taking actions. Move, change your situation, quit the sin, do good deeds. Your action indicates your belief.
E.g. If someone told you there was an insect in the room you'd jump and run out without even looking. This is how Allah created us; when we are afraid we run. Our response to the warnings of the Prophet should be the same. But ignorance has slowed us down and caused us to be lazy.
The person who knows with certainty that he will be in the darkness of his grave alone, that there is a fire, there are severe punishments for different kinds of sins, will move. At least start with repentance; take one step.
Take a share of the night for worship. Even if you just pray witr after Isha it is considered ادلاج. This is the mercy of Allah on us.
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