Prophet's Companion
Hazrath Abudarda
A companion of the Prophet who refused the lures of the material world
Hazrath Abudarda, may Allah be pleased with him, was one among those companions of the Holy Prophet who kept the pleasures of the world at bay, engaged himself in teaching of Islamic tenets, law and etiquette to Muslims and was ever ready to sacrifice whatever little he possessed.
Abudarda was a successful trader in Madinah when the Prophet migrated to the city. Even though every single household in the street where he lived had joined the fold of Islam, Abudarda remained unconcerned with the rising tide of Islam. He remained detached even when his bosom friend Abdullah bin Rawaha embraced the new faith and joined the ranks of the faithfuls’ army to fight against the Makkan pagans. He just casually enquired about Rawaha when the victorious army was celebrating its triumph in the streets of Madinah.
Abudarda was meticulous in his personal upkeep. He would use the best of clothes for his personal attire, put on the choicest of perfumes and clothed the idols at home with most expensive dresses and perfume them everyday. But his entry into Islam came about through a memorable incident. One day even as Abudarda was busy at the market, friend Abdullah bin Rawaha visited his house, sought permission for entry from his wife Ummedarda (the couple was called so as their daughter was named Darda) and proceeded to his personal chamber and struck repeatedly with an axe at the idols arranged there and smashed them to smithreens. He then quietly departed.
The lady of the house noticed it later and began to wail. When Abudarda came home, she recounted the incident.
Abudarda first got wild, but later cooled down and contemplated. He thought, the gods would have defended themselves had they least of power. He then reflected on the message of the Prophet for belief in one, invisible Almighty God. It made extreme sense to him. He immediately rushed to Abdullah bin Rawaha’s house, took him along and came to the Prophet and embraced Islam.
His life took a sudden turn from then on. Nothing would interest him more than learning about Quran, Islam and the divine law. Slowly he took leave of business and engaged himself in sessions with the Prophet. No wonder today he is considered a leading narrator of the Hadith. Once he said he would not mind losing a hundred dinar just for the sake of attending a namaz congregation.
His love for Islam and disinterest in worldly pleasures grew intense by each day. He reduced his wants to the basic minimum. He chose for himself the roughest of clothes and ate only as much as was enough to make him stay alive and sit erect. The cushion used for camel riding became his pillow, a thin sheet was what he covered himself during coldest of nights and a bed of pebbles to lie down during nights.
Once some guests stayed with him and were treated with warm meals. But they found nothing that could pass for a bedding in the house and asked him as to where he kept his belongings. Abudarda and his wife replied that they had sent them to a house which would be their permanent home. They also told them that since they considered themselves to be travellers, they were carrying the lightest of luggage.
Hazrath Umar, the second caliph wanted him to take up the governorship of Damascus during his reign. But Abudarda chose to be a preacher instead and took up permanent residence at Damascus. He was perplexed at the sight of luxuries the Damascenes indulged themselves and reminded them about the nation of Aad which was destroyed despite being the strongest on the earth. Once he intervened when he saw a youth being beaten up on the streets of Damascus. People said he had committed a major sin. Abudarda shielded the youth and asked the people not to hate the individual for his sin. He asked them to forgive and forget. The victim promised him to lead a life of rectitude.
Hazrath Amir Muawiya (who later became caliph) sent a proposal for marriage of his son with Abdudarda’s daughter Darda. But Abudarda flatly refused the offer. He instead chose a youth who was more pious. The refusal surprised everyone in the town.
Once caliph Umar visited Damascus and called upon Abudarda. He found the door was just ajar and entered to be greeted in a dark home where Abudarda sat on a bed of pebbles and wrapped in a sheet barely enough to keep away the biting cold of Damascus. He asked him as to why he led a life of misery. Abdudarda recounted the Prophet’s hadith wherein he (the Prophet) had advised his followers to gather only as much of the worldly provisions as they would need on a journey. Tears burst out of Umar’s eyes and they both wept throughout the night.
When the death knocked at his doors, Abudarda collected his friends and asked them to continuously read aloud the Kalima Tayyaba. People asked him if he repented for anything. He said, “Only for his sins”.
Soon after Abudarda departed from this material world, Auf bin Malik Ashjayee saw a dream where stood a beautiful canopied platform amid a lush green garden. Ashjayee was told that the garden had been readied for Abudarda who used to repel the world and its material pleasures with entire force at his command. May Allah be pleased with Abudarda. Ameen!
(Abridged and translated by
Maqbool Ahmed Siraj
from Suwarum min Hayathus Sahaba
Authored by
Dr. Abdul Rahman Rafat Pasha).
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Meeting The Angel of Death
The great Wahab-bin-Monabbah said once that a powerful king intended to visit a country. He ordered his best dress to be brought and he put on it. He ordered the best horse to be brought and he rode on it. Then he started with his followers. The devil then advanced and puffed him up with pride. He looked down the ordinary men in the street. At that moment, a poor man with tattered rags on his body advanced to the emperor and saluted him, but the latter did no respond to his salutation out of extreme hatred. Then the poor man advanced forward and caught hold of the reins of his horse where upon the emperor ordered him to give up the reign saying: You have done a most heinous act. The poor man said: I have some urgent matter with you. The emperor said: Be patient, I am getting down. The man said: That won't be. He began to pull out the rein of the horse with greater force. The emperor said: Say what you have got to say. Then man said: that is a secret talk. The emperor drew his ears close to him and the man said: I am the angel of death. At this, the colour of the emperor changed and his tongue stopped. He said: Give me a little so that I may go to my family and arrange things. The angel of death said: That can't be. He then took out the life of the emperor and he fell down dead on the ground.
The angel of death advanced farther and met with a believer whom he greeted. The believer returned his greeting. He said: I have got something to tell you in secret. The believer consented to hear. At this the angel of death said: I am the angel of death. The believer said: Welcome to you. I am waiting for you for long. By God, there is nothing dearer of me than my meeting with you. The angel of death said: Fulfil your needs. The believer said: There is nothing dearer to me at this moment than my meeting with the Lord. The angel said: Choose in what way I can take your life. The believer said: Let me pray after ablution and take my life while I am in prostration. The angel of death took his life in that condition.
(Ihya - Ulumiddin)
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YA ALLAH
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Pleasures
A boy takes pleasure in plays and sport but not in power, name and fame. In the second stage, when he is a grown up young man, he takes pleasure in cohabiting with women. In comparison with this pleasure, he thinks his pleasure of plays and sports as trifling. In the third stage, he takes pleasure in power, name and fame. In the fourth stage, he is eager to have taste of spiritual pleasure leaving all the earlier pleasures behind. At that time, the people of earlier stages laugh at them as they laugh at the boys in the second stage.
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Truthfulness
The man who has got these six things is called Siddiq or a great truthful man. The man who has got one or more of this thing is called Saddiq or simple truthful-man. Truth in talk, truth in will and resolve, truth in promise, truth in fulfilling promise, truth in action and truth in various stages of religion.
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Where is God ?
The saint Abdullah-b-Dinar said: One day I accompanied Caliph Omar-b-Abdul Aziz to Makkah. On the way, he asked a shepherd to sell a goat to him and he said: I am merely a servant. Hazrat Omar said to him: Tell your master that a tiger has eaten your goat. The servant said: Where is God? At this Omar began to weep. The next morning Omar went to his master, purchased him and set him free and said: This word of yours has set you free and I hope this will give you salvation in the next world.
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Existence of God
To think about the existence of God is prohibited as the Prophet said "Think over the creation of God, not of His being, as no human intellect can't grasp about His being. It is not possible to see Him with these physical eyes, just as it is not possible to look at the sun incessantly. A bat cannot look at the scorching rays of the sun and hence it keeps itself concealed during daytime. When darkness appears at night, it can see. The condition of the truthful is just like a man who looks at the sun at a glance, but if he continues to see at it, he has chance of becoming blind. Similarly to look at Him creates blindness and he becomes perplexed. So to think of God's being is prohibited. God is above space, time and free from direction. He is not within the world, not outside it. He not imminent or transcendent. He has got no hands, feet or bodily organs. He has got no body. He has got no weight, length and breadth and occupies no space. He is above time. So he does not take time to create a thing. He only says 'Be', and so, it at once comes into being. So man cannot conceive of such a Being. Yet he must believe the existence of such a Being called God. If a fly could have intelligence like a man, it would have thought that God has got wings, hands and feet and has got power to fly. Likewise a man thinks Him to be so. So the prophet said: Speak to men according to their intelligence.
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Supplication (Dua)
At the time of Distress
Hasbunal laho wa nemal wakeelu
alal lahe tawakkalna
Allah is sufficient for us and He is an Excellent Guardian and we repose our trust in Allah.
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The Prophet Hud
Location of People of 'Ad
Allah wanted to send a messenger to the ‘Ad. Allah does not like His slaves to disbelieve; He does not like cruelty and corruption in the earth.
The ‘Ad did not use their intelligence for anything except eating and drinking, playing, amusing themselves and building houses. Their intelligence was wasted because they did not use it on religion. They did not understand and so they worshipped stones.
Allah wanted to send the ‘Ad a messenger from among themselves to guide them, someone they would know and whose words they would understand.
Hud was that Messenger. He was born into a noble family and grew up intelligent and virtuous.
Hud’s Call
Hud stood up among his people and said, ‘Oh my people, worship Allah. You have no God except Him. (11:50)
He said, ‘O people, how can you worship stones and not worship the One who created you!
‘O people, how can you worship stones today which you had craved for yourselves only yesterday? Allah created you and provided for you. He blessed you in your property, children, crops and cattle. He made you rulers after the people of Nuh and gave you physical strength.
‘Part of what you owe for these blessings is to worship Allah and not to worship anything but Him.
‘The dog to which you throw a bone does not leave you and follow you like a shadow. Have you ever seen a dog freely leave his master and go to someone else? Have you ever seen any animal prostrate before an idol? Is man lower than an animal or higher than an animal?
The people’s answer
The ‘Ad were busy eating, drinking, playing and amusing themselves. They were content with the life of this world.
They were distressed by what Hud said. They said to each other, ‘What is Hud saying? What does he mean? We do not understand what he says.’
They decided, ‘He is a fool or a madman.
When Hud called them again, the nobles of his people said, ‘We see that you are in a state of folly and think that you are a liar.’
He said, ‘My people, there is no folly in me. Rather, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and I am a faithful adviser to you’ (7:66-
The Punishment
The ‘Ad looked into the sky for the rain they needed. They looked every day. They looked at the sky and did not see a wisp of cloud. They yearned for rain.
One day, they saw a cloud coming toward them.
They were very happy and shouted, ‘This is a rain cloud! This is a rain cloud!’ People danced for joy. They called out to each other: ‘A rain cloud! A rain cloud!
But Hud understood that the punishment had come. He told them, ‘This is not a cloud of mercy. It is a wind containing a painful punishment.’
So it was. A fierce wind blew whose like the people had never seen before. The tempest blew and uprooted trees and destroyed houses. It carried up animals and flung them far away. The desert sands were blown into the air and blacked out everything. No-one could see anything.
Terror filled the people and they ran into their houses and bolted the doors. The children clung to their mothers. People clung to the walls. The children were weeping and the women shouting. They were praying and begging for help.
It was as if some one was saying, ‘There is no protector today from Allah’s command.’ (11:43)
That went on for eight days and seven nights.
The people were struck down like palm-trees fallen to the ground. It was a terrible sight. The once proud people were now only dead bodies and the birds ate them. Their grand houses were now only ruins and owls lived in them.
Hud and the believers were saved by their belief. The ‘Ad were destroyed because of their disbelief and rebellion.
The ‘Ad rejected their Lord. So away with the ‘Ad, the people of Hud! (11:60)
(Sayyad Abu Hasan Ali Nadwi)
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Father of Chemistry
(Jabir Ibn Hayyan) (Geber - Latin) b 722 AD - d 803 AD
Distillation Vessel
Ovan (Tandoor-1)
Ovan (Tandoor-2)
His extensive work in chemistry laid the foundation for chemistry as 'Exact Science'. He made rich contributions in the field of chemistry with the help of his laboratory in the city of Kufa. In - fact the word 'Alchemy' took its root from Arabic word "Al-Kimia". Many words in Chemistry used today have their roots in Arabic for example alcohol, alembic, alkali, antimony etc.
Because of his invaluable contributions of chemistry, Jabir was named the most representative scientist of the world for the half century 750-800 AD, by George Sarton (USA) in his famous book "Introduction to the History of Science." For equipment devised and used by Jabir and others see fig. (1,2&3).
Prof. T.S. Sanaullah Britory
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Eating Fruits
We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It’s not so easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat. What is the correct way of eating fruits? It means not eating fruits after your meals! fruits should be eaten in on empty stomach. If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.
Fruit Is The Most Important Food
Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.
So please eat your fruits in an empty stomach or before your meals!
You have heard people complaining - every time I eat water-melon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit in an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!
Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits in an empty stomach.
Eat Fruits for good HealthThere is no such thing as some fruits like orange and lemon are acidic because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Sehlton who did a research on this matter.
If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight. When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up.
Don’t eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. So stop making ‘goreng pisang’ or ‘durian porridge’ if you want nutrients. Cooking destroys all the vitamins. But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.
You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look! During the fruit fast you can eat fruits, prepared in salad forms and make it more interesting.
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