Chapter
Seventeen
The Followers of Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam)
Will Enter Paradise First
From
his distinguished virtues (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
is that he and his followers will enter Paradise before the
followers of any other prophet. He (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam) said:
"We
are the last nation, but we will be the first nation on the
Day of Judgement. We will be the first ones to enter Paradise."
[1]
Chapter
Eighteen
He (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
Will be the First One
to be Raised from the Grave
When
Allaah raises up every person that ever existed from their
graves, our Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
will be the first of them, as he said:
"I
will be the sayyid of Aadam's offspring on the Day
of Judgement, and the first to be raised from the earth."
[2]
Chapter
Nineteen
He (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
will be Sought After
by the Entire Creation on the Day of Judgement
From
the virtues that make the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) stand out is that he was informed that
all of the creation would be in need of him on the Day of
Judgement, even Ibraaheem ('alayhis-salaam). [3]
Chapter
Twenty
Al-Waseelah is His Position (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) in Paradise
From
his distinct virtues (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
is his special position in the Next Life, as found in the
hadeeth:
"When
you hear the mu'ath-thin, then say what he says,
and afterwards send salaah upon me.
For whoever sends any salaah upon me,
Allaah sends ten times the salaah upon him.
After that, ask Allaah to give me Al-Waseelah,
for verily it is a position in Paradise that is only suitable
for one of Allaah's servants and I expect to be that one.
So whoever asks Allaah to give me Al-Waseelah,
they will be able to receive my Intercession."
[4]
Chapter
Twenty-One
Some of His Ummah (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam)
will Enter Paradise with No Account
Verily
he (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) will usher 70,000
of his followers into Paradise, and they will not have to
account for their deeds. [5] This has not been established
for anyone else.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
He (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
has a River and a Pool in the Next Life
He
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) will be given the Kawthar
[6] (a river in Paradise) and the Howdh [7] (pool)
near the Mowqif (gathering place) on the Day of Judgement.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
His Followers (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam) are the Most Virtuous People
Another
indication of the Prophet Muhammad's supreme rank (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) is found in his statement:
"We
are the last of the people and the first of them."
[8]
His
nation (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) is the last
nation, with none after them before the Hour, but they are
the first and foremost in morals and virtues.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
His Ummah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam)
Received Many Unique Concessions
From
the things that cause our Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam) to stand out is that Allaah Glorified and Exalted
made the spoils of war permissible for him and for none before
him (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). [9]
Allaah
Most High also made the rows of his followers (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) like rows of angels, and He made the
entire earth a place of prayer for them and its dirt a means
of purification. [10]
These
things specific to our Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) prove his high station, and allude to Allaah's
preference for him and his followers.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Allaah Praised His Good Character (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam)
Indeed
Allaah Most High singled him out (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) in the Qur'aan, praising his character, with His
Statement [11]:
( And
verily you are upon great moral character indeed )
When
great individuals point out the greatness of others, it proves
their outstanding virtues. So what about when the Greatest
of all great ones describes someone as having a great quality?
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Allaah Spoke to Him (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam)
Through Various Forms of Revelation
Our
Lord Most High sent down His Revelation to His Last Messenger
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) in a number of different
forms, another hint about his unique status with Allaah.
From
the forms of different kinds of revelation that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) received:
*
True dreams
* Direct speech
* Revelation conveyed by the angel Jibreel ('alayhis-salaam)
[12]
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
His Book (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) Is All-Inclusive
The
Qur'aan, the Book revealed to Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam), includes everything that was included in books
of the previous messengers: At-Tawraah (The Torah given
to Moosaa), Al-Injeel (The Testament given to 'Eesaa),
and Az-Zaboor (the Psalms given to Daawood). In addition
to that, he was preferred to receive Al-Mufassal (the
shorter chapters of the Qur'aan, from Soorah Qaaf to
An-Naas). [13]
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
His Ummah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) Will Receive
the Most Reward for the Least Amount of Work
We,
the followers of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam), perform the least amount of deeds out of all
the previous nations, yet we will get more reward than all
of them, as mentioned in the authentic hadeeth:
"The
Muslims with regards to the Jews and Christians are like the
example of a man who hires a group of people to work for him,
from morning to night for a set salary. So they work for him
for half the day, and then say, 'We do not need the salary
we agreed on, the work we did was worthless!' So he says
to them, 'No, don't quit! Finish the day's work and take
your salaries in full!' But they refuse and leave, so
he hires other workers. He says to them, 'Finish what is
left of today's work, and take the salaries I agreed to give
the other workers.' So they work until the time of 'Asr
Prayer, and then say, 'What we did was worthless, keep
the salaries you planned to give us!' So he says to them,
'Finish your work! The day is almost finished!' But they
refuse. So the man hires another group of people to work for
him for the rest of the day. They finish the work as the sun
disappears and take the full salary that the earlier groups
of workers left behind. And that is their example, and the
example of how this Light completes what came before it."
[14]
This
article was taken from BAKKAHnet (www.bakkah.net)
FOOTNOTES
[1]
This hadeeth was collected by Muslim (the Book of Al-Jumu'ah)
on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him).
[2]
This hadeeth was collected by Saheeh Muslim and others, and
a discussion of its chain can be found in Thilaalul-Jannah
fee Takhreejis-Sunnah (#792). It has many supporting narrations,
which I have detailed in As-Saheehah (#1571). From
them are the narrations of 'Abdullaah ibn Salaam and Aboo
Sa'eed Al-Khudree (may Allaah be pleased with them both),
see the footnote to the hadeeth mentioned in Chapter
One.
[3]
He is referring to the hadeeth of the Intercession.
[4]
as found in Muslim and others on the authority of 'Abdullaah
ibn 'Amr (may Allaah be pleased with him), its routes are
discussed in Irwaa'ul-Ghaleel (242)
[5]
There are a number of narrations to support this in Al-Bukhaaree
and Muslim and elsewhere, related by many of the Companions.
From them are Aboo Hurayrah, 'Imraan, Sahl ibn Sa'd, and Ibn
'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them all). Muslim reported
them (1/136-8), and also see Saheeh Al-Jaami'is-Sagheer
(7926, 7927). Additional information in the report of Aboo
Umaamah stands out from the rest:
"My
Lord promised me that He would enter 70,000 of my followers
into Paradise with no account and no punishment. And with
every thousand, there will enter 70,000 more and three of
His Handfuls."
This
is an authentic hadeeth collected by At-Tirmithee (2439),
Ibn Maajah (4286), and Ahmad (5/268). It is also found by
another way in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (5/250). It
also has a witnessing narration in As-Sunnah of Ibn
Abee 'Aasim, and Al-Haafith Ibn Hajr authenticated it. It
has an important discussion found in Thilaalul-Jannah
(814). Another witness for it can be found in the Musnad
of Imaam Ahmad (2/359, 3/165, 3/193) on the authority of Aboo
Hurayrah.
Important
point of benefit: There is an addition is 'Imraan's and Ibn
'Abbaas' narrations:
"...they
are those who do not seek the ruqyaa (recitation of
Qur'aan over an illness), and they do not believe in omens,
nor do they burn themselves for a medical benefit, and they
place their trust in their Lord."
However
Muslim adds in Ibn 'Abbaas' narration:
"They
do not perform ruqyah, nor do they seek ruqyah"
The
statement, "They do not perorm
ruqyah," is only from a scattered few of the
narrators of the hadeeth, and for that reason Ibn Taymiyyah
declared this addition to be weak in some of his Fataawaa,
weak in both its chain and meaning. Those who checked his
Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa did not mention this, however Ibn
Taymiyyah mentioned that it has a meaning that contradicts
what is established. Furthermore, they changed the vowels
on the 'arabic word yarqoona to read yurqowna,
changing its meaning from "they do not perform ruqyah"
to "ruqyah is not performed on them," thereby
corrupting the meaning of the hadeeth, without realizing this
blatant mistake. See Al-Majmoo' (1/328).
And
as for Al-Haafith Ibn Hajr's objection of Ibn Taymiyyah's
stance (Fathul-Baaree, 11/354), it simply has no weight.
This is so because reliability is only acceptable if there
is no contradiction to those more reliable than him, or if
there is a great number of narrators opposing him, as is well
known to the scholars of Hadeeth. This is not the case here,
and he overburdened himself with an unnecessary explanation
of the additional phrase of the hadeeth. This same thought
was also brought by As-Suyootee (3/449).
[6]
Al-Kawthar is mentioned in Allaah's Statement (108:1):
( Verily
We gave you Al-Kawthar )
It
is authentically reported on Ibn 'Abbaas that he said Al-Kawthar
is "the great amount of goodness that Allaah bestowed
upon Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)." And
this does not negate 'Aa'ishah's statement found in Saheeh
Al-Bukhaaree, "It is a river that Allaah gave your
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), its banks have hollow
pearls, and its drinking vessels are as many as the stars
in the sky." There is no contradiction since this
river, Al-Kawthar, is from the many good things that
Allaah Most High bestowed upon our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam). There are many narrations in Al-Bukhaaree
and Muslim alone, from them is the report of Anas (may Allaah
be pleased with him), who said that when the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) was raised to the heavens, he described
it:
"I
came upon a river, its banks had domes with hollow pearls.
I asked Jibreel, 'What is this?' He said, 'It is
Al-Kawthar.' "
This
report was collected by Al-Bukhaaree (8/562 of Fathul-Baaree),
see also Ibnul-Qayyim's Haadiyul-Arwaah Ilaa Bilaadil-Afraah
(1/283-7).
[7]
The Prophet's Howdh (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
has been described in many hadeeths, so many in fact that
the reports are mutawaatir, making the reports decisively
conclusive. Al-Haafith Ibn Hajr said, "Its narrations
have been reported by well over 30 of the Companions of the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), more
than 20 of them from the narrators of Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim,
and they are authentic in many other sources as well."
Ibn Abee 'Aasim had collected the reports in As-Sunnah
(2/321-360, #697-776) on the authority of over 35 Companions,
with varying chains. He said, "The reports that we
have mentioned obligate knowledge of it, and we believe in
it, and we hope that the One who guided us to believe in it
will gather us and give us drink from it, a drink that will
cause us to never be thirsty again, we ask Him for that from
His Bounties."
And
as for the author's wording, "near the mowqif,"
this shows his belief that the Howdh will be found
before the Siraat. This is apparent from some narrations
and it was also the conclusion of Al-Haafith.
[8]
This is a version of Aboo Hurayrah's narration, by way of
Taawoos. A discussion of its sources and chains can be found
in Chapter Seventeen. This is a part of the earlier
mentioned text, as Aboo Nu'aym gathered it, and Muslim as
well.
[9]
This has been authentically established through a number of
companions with similar wordings, the closest of which to
the author's statement is the marfoo' hadeeth of Aboo Tharr
(may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"I
have been given five things that no one before me was given:
(1) I have been sent to the red and black people, (2) the
earth has been made as a place of purification and prayer,
(3) the war spoils have been made permissible for me and none
before me, (4) I am given victory over my enemies as a result
of fear that is placed in their hearts one month before I
reach them, and (5) I was told to ask for anything and I chose
to delay my request until I could intercede for my followers,
and this is something due to you all as long as you do not
associate anything with Allaah."
It
was collected by Ahmad and others with an authentic chain.
See Irwaa'ul-Ghaleel (285, Hadeeth #5).
[10]
On the authority of Huthayfah (may Allaah be pleased with
him), the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"We
have been preferred over the previous nations with three things:
(1) Our rows have been made like
the rows of angels, (2)
the entire earth has been made as a place of prayer for us,
(3) and its dirt has been made as
a means of purification for us when we can not find water."
It
was collected by Muslim and others. See Irwaa'ul-Ghaleel
(285, Hadeeth #3).
[11]
the meaning of Soorah Al-Qalam (68):4
[12]
There is also a fourth kind of revelation that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) received, a whispering
into his heart, as found in the hadeeth of Aboo Umaamah and
others:
"Verily
Roohul-Qudus (Jibreel)
whispered into my heart that no soul shall die until it completes
its fixed lifespan and receives its provisions in full. So
fear Allaah and seek after your provisions properly, for seeking
after your provisions in acts of disobedience will not increase
them! For verily what is with Allaah is not achieved except
by obeying Him."
See
Fiqhus-Seerah (96) for details of its sources. This
has been mentioned by As-Suyootee (3/153), quoting the author,
may Allaah have Mercy on him. Also refer to an in-depth explanation
of these kinds of revelation in Zaadul-Ma'aad of Ibnul-Qayyim.
[13]
This is from the narration of Waathilah ibnul-Asqa', who said
that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"I
have been given what was in At-Tawraah in the (first)
seven soorahs
of the Qur'aan), and I have been
given what was in Az-Zaboor in Al-Ma'oon
(the soorahs having about 100 verses),
and I have been given what was in Al-Injeel in Al-Mathaanee
(Soorah Al-Faatihah).
I have also been chosen to receive Al-Mufassal (the
shorter soorahs from Qaaf to An-Naas)."
It
is an authentic hadeeth as I have explained in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethis-Saheehah
(158).
[14]
Collected by Al-Bukhaaree (3/90-91) on the authority of Aboo
Moosaa Al-Ash'aree. Another version of the hadeeth, on the
authority of Ibn 'Umar, adds:
"So
the Jews and Christians get angry and say, 'We did the
most work and get the least reward?!' They are then asked,
'Was anything taken from your rights?' They say, 'No.'
(Then Allaah says,) 'This
is the superiority that I give to whomever I want.'"
This
is found in the Summarized Version of Al-Bukhaaree (312).
Al-Haafith Ibn Katheer said (Al-Bidaayah 2/136) about
this hadeeth:
"The
intended meaning in this parable is the rewards differ for
the deeds of the different nations, as reward is not dependent
upon the amount of work performed, rather it is Allaah's affair.
It often occurs that a small deed earns someone far more reward
than one who performed many great tasks. For example, worship
in the night of Al-Qadr is better than one thousand months
of similar worship. And the Companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) spent from their money at certain times
so virtuously that if others would give a mountain's weight
of gold it would not equal the reward for one of their handfuls,
or even half a handful of dates they gave.
Look
how Allaah dispatched His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) when he was 40 years old and then took his soul at
the age of 63 as is well known. So in that short time period
of 23 years, look how much beneficial knowledge and righteous
deeds were accomplished in light of the previous messengers,
like Nooh ('alayhis-salaam), who lived amongst his people
for 950 years, calling them to worship Allaah alone and not
commit shirk. Through all of that he worshipped Allaah day
and night, morning and evening, may Allaah raise his rank
and grant him security.
For
verily this nation has been honored by having its rewards
multiplied many times over, through the blessings, virtues,
and greatness of its leader, our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam). Allaah Most high says in Soorah Al-Hadeed,
verses 28 and 29:
( O
you who believe! Fear Allaah and believe in His Messenger!
He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, give you a
light to walk by, and forgive you. And Allaah is Forgiving
and Merciful. Just so the People of the Scriptures know that
they have no control over Allaah's Bounties, for verily the
Bounties of Allaah are in His Hand, He gives to whoever He
wants. And Allaah is the Possessor of the Greatest Bounties )"
[End
of Ibn Katheer's explanation]
As-Suyootee
also mentioned this in Al-Khasaa'is (3/317).
