The Six Categories Of Shirk

The Muftee Of Makkah of his time, Shaykh Aboo Bakr Bin Muhammad ‘Aarif Khuqayr (d. 1340H) divided shirk into shix categories:

1) Shirk in Independence (Istiqlaal: affirming two independant gods, like the shirk of the Magians.

2) Shirk in Division (Tab’eedh): which is extracting a god from another god, like the shirk of the Christians.

3) Shirk in Nearness (Taqreeb): worshipping other than Allaah in order to gain nearness to Him. (1)

4) Shirk of Taqleed: like the shirk of the later people of the times of Jaahiliyyah.

5) Shirk in Causes (Asbaab): to ascribe causes to toher than the Power of Allaah as the philosophers and atheists do when they say, ‘it rained due to the planet tempset (alone)’.

6) Shirk in Needs (Aghraadh): doing actions for other than Allaah and this is judged as being sinful as some of the scholars have mentioned.

[Kitaan Maa Laa Budda Minhu, p. 31]

Footnotes:

(1) Based on the saying of Allaah, quoting the Mushrikeen, “ ‘We only worship them that they may bring us closer to Allaah in position,’ ” [39:3]

[Poem] Unknown Amongst The People, Known Amongst The Hoor Al-‘Ayn

Abul Fadl Al-‘Abbaas Ibn Yoosuf Ahs-Shiklee quoted the following lines from one of his colleagues, where he describes the stranger, the pious, the unknown worshipper of Allaah, and how he goes unknown in the gatherings of people, yet sits among the Hoor Al-‘Ayn:

It is likely that one attired in rags sit in a gathering tomorrow;

His carpet spread out laid out with cushions.

***

Rivers flow ceaselessly in his meadow;

Accompanied by Hoors, encircled by gardens.

***

Lands and homes, wondrous treasured;

Wonderful is the abode of Eternity, excellent the company.

***

A friend and neighbour of the Prophet, Muhammad (saw);

Granted closeness to a friend most worthy.

***

Wonder for the servant living in his Lord’s vicinity;

In the Abode of Richness, in the embrace of fair ladies!

***

Wonder for him; the Hoors walking in close proximity;

On green brocade carpets. Glory to the Creator!

[Related in “The Journey Of The Strangers”,  translated by Shaykh Aboo Rumaysah, Pp. 51-52]

The Pious, Unknown, Young Worshipper Of Allaah

Aboo ‘Abdillaah, the mu’adhdhin of the mosque of Banoo Haraam, said:

“My neighbour was a young boy, whenever I called the adhaan and iqaamah for prayer, it would seem that he was standing at the nape of my neck. When he had prayed, he would put on his shoes and enter his house.

I would hope that he talk to me or ask me for something and one day he asked me, “Aboo ‘Abdillaah, do you have a mushaf that you could lend me that I may recite from?“

I gave him one, he took it and held it against his chest and said, “Something will happen to you and I today.“

That whole day I did not see him. I called the iqaamah for Maghrib but he did not come, and likewise for ‘Ishaa’, so I started having suspicions. I went to his house and all I saw there was a bucket and a washroom. There was a curtain on his door which I pulled back and saw him there, dead.

My mushaf was also there which I took and then called  some people to help me lift him onto his bed. I spent the night thinking who I could ask concerning his burial sheet. I called the adhaan for Fajr and entered the masjid to see a light coming from the direction of the qiblah, I went to it and found a wrapped burial sheet there which I took, all the while praising Allaah, the Most High.

I put it in my house and then called the iqaamah; after prayer I found sitting on my right hand side Thaabit Al-Bunaanee, Maalik Ibn Deenaar, Habeeb Al-Faarisee and Saalih Al-Murree.

I said, “Brothers, what has brought you here?“

They said, “Has someone dies here this night gone by?“

I said, “A young boy who used to pray with me.“

They said, “Show us.“

When they entered the house, Maalik Ibn Deenaar removed the garment covering the deceased face and kissed his forehead on the place where he would prostrate and said, “May my father and mother be ransomed! You – Hajjaaj, if you became known in a particular place, you would move on to a place in which you were not known… come let us wash him!“

Each one of them had a burial sheet in which they wished to wrap him, I informed them of what had happened that morning and they agreed to bury him in the burial sheets I had found. We then left and could hardly lift up his bier for the great crowd of people who had gathered to attend his funeral!”

[Related in “The Journey Of The Strangers”, translated by Shaykh Aboo Rumaysah, Pp. 50-51]

The Example Of This Dunya

Ibn Kathir says in his Tafsir:

“A characteristic of the dunya is that it flees from the one who chases her, and it chases the one who flees from her”.

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 4/197].

Jesus, the son of Mary, said:

“The example of a person who seeks dunya is like that of a person who drinks (salt) water from the ocean. The more he drinks, the thirstier he gets, until he is killed by it!”

[Kitaab Dham Ad-Dunya, 3/342].

Wahb Bin Munbih said:

“The example of the dunya (worldly life) and hereafter is like the example of a man who has two wives. If he pleases one of them, the other one will be displeased”.

[Kitaab Dham Ad-Dunya, 1/119].

Source: Durani

The Importance Of Knowledge, Hasan Al-Basree

Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullaah) said:

“I saw a people from the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) saying:

‘Whoever acts without knowledge, then that which he corrupts and ruins is greater than that which he sets aright. The one who does deeds without ‘ilm is like a traveller without a path, so seek knowledge with such a seeking that does not harm ‘ibaadah (worship) and seek (to perform) ‘ibaadah such that it does not harm ‘ilm.’

And a man from amongst them would seek knowledge until it was readily seen from his khushoo’ (humbleness), his zuhd (asceticism), his speech and sight.”

[Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’]

Arguing To Defend The Sunnah

A man once asked Imam Ahmad, “I sometimes find myself in a gathering where the Sunnah is mentioned, but no-one apart from me has more knowledge of it. Shall I speak up and say something?”

Imam Ahmad then said, “State what the Sunnah is, but do not argue over it.”

The man then repeated his statement and so Imam Ahmad said, “I only see you to be an argumentative man!”

And this is what Malik meant in his saying (after informing people of the Sunnah), “And if they don’t accept it from you, then be silent.”

Mu’tamir ibn Sulayman said: “I heard my father say, ‘You can never get a man to listen to you when you have just angered him.’ ”

[Al-Adab al-Shar’iyyah, by Ibn Muflih al-Maqdisi, p. 307]

Racing Towards Allaah

Al-Hasan al-Basree said:

“If you see a man competing with you with regard to this world then compete with him concerning the Hereafter.”

Wuhayb Ibn al-Ward said:

“If you are able to make sure that no one precedes you in hastening towards Allaah then do so.”

Muhammad Ibn Yoosuf al-Asbahaanee, the worshipper, said,

“If a person hears of another person or knows of another person who is more obedient to Allaah than him, then that should grieve him.”

Another from the Salaf said:

“If a man hears or knows of another man who is more obedient to Allaah than himself and this causes his heart to break – then this is not a case of vanity.”

O Heedless One Sitting In The Shade Of Joy & Pleasure!

Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Messenger of Allaah took hold of his hand and said:

“Ibn ‘Umar, be in this world like a stranger or somebody passing on his way; and count yourself amongst the inhabitants of the grave.“

Concerning this, Aboo Bakr ‘Abdullaah Ibn Humayd quoted the following lines pf poetry:

O heedless one sitting in the
shade of joy and pleasure!

Travel through this world
as a stranger!

Ever count your soul amongst
those already deceased.

Shun this world and cling not
to this Abode of Deceit.

[The Journey Of The Strangers, translated by Shaykh Aboo Rumaysah, Pp. 40-41]

As one of the Salaf said, “If the kings knew the pleasure (of the soul) we feel, then they would fight us with it with their swords.“

The Hidden Worries Of A Believer, By Al-Aajurree

Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said:

“Were you to see him when he is alone, you would see him crying in anxiety, tears streaming down his cheeks and letting out deep apprehensive sighs. If you did not know him, you would think him to be a parent who has lost a child, but this is not the case, rather he is in a state of fear and concern about his religion, indifferent to losing out on some worldly lot if it means preserving it. His religion is his capital and in it does he fear loss…”

Ibraheem Ibn Muhammad quotes some lines of poetry concerning the journey of the strangers to Allaah (swt):

The path of truth is solitary.
Those who traverse it are lonely;
They are not wanted, nor their aspiration.
Leisurely do they travel, with resolution.
Of what they seek, people are heedless,
For, about the truth, most are careless.

[The Journey Of The Strangers,  translated by Shaykh Aboo Rumaysah, p. 37]

A Believer; A Stranger Among His Family

The Prophet (saw) said in a lengthy hadeeth concerning the signs of the Hour:

“…and from its signs is that a believer would be lowlier in his tribe than tiny sheep.”

[Recorded in Tabaraanee on the authority of Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal with an isnaad that contains weakness]

Imaam Ahmad records that ‘Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit said to one of his colleagues:

“It is well possible that if you live a long life, you wil see a man who read the Quraan from the tongue of Muhammad (saw), or from one who read it from Muhammad, repeating it and reciting it, treating its lawful as lawful, and its prohibited as prohibited. He will pass you on the way to his house, and his status in your eyes will be as insignificant as the head of a dead donkey.”

[Ahmad #17140 with a da’eef isnaad]

Ibn Mas’ood said:

“A time will come in which a believer will be regarded lower than a slave girl.”

The believer is humiliated and degraded in the last days because of his being a stranger amongst the corrupt, those who have succumbed to their doubts and desires. All of them hate him and persecute him because of his opposing their path and objectives, and because of his keeping aloof from their practises.

Some of these strangers were even detested by their own families and children due to their stark contrast of their conditions.

‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez once heard his wife saying:

“May Allaah relieve us from you!”

So he said, “Ameen!”

[Aboo Zur’ah, Taareekh, p. 127]

[The Journey Of The Strangers, by Al-Aajurree, Translated by Shaykh Aboo Rumaysah, Pp. 79-80]

The Wisdom Behind Not Sitting With Innovators

It is reported from Sufyaan Ath-Thawree – Allaah have mercy on him – that he said:

A person who sits with a heretic (an adherent of bid’ah) will not escape one of three things:

(a) either he will become a trial (fitnah) for others,

(b) or some deviation will occur in his heart and he will slip and be cast into the Fire by Allah,

(c) or he will say to himself, ‘By Allah, I don’t care what they say, I am confident about myself,’ but whoever feels secure from Allah about his religion even for the blinking of an eye, Allah will take his religion away from him.

[Ibn Waddâh, Al-Bida’ p125]