Nasīhatu Ahli Az-Zamān (The Exhortation of the People of the Time) 01

Halqah Series: Episode 47

Mon 3 Muharram 1444AH

0 4 minutes read

*SHARH SESSION*
الحمد لله رب العالمين
والصلاة والسلام على أفضل خلق الله
وعلى آله وصحبه ومن والاه
Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
Honored brothers and Sisters on the Platform
May the blessings of Allāh be upon you this evening
And we ask Allāh to make us of the manumitted servants this Ramadān. Āmīn
As we have stated, we shall be continuing in our Sharh of the very important book of Shaykh Uthmān Dan Fodio, rahimahullāh tiday
The Treatise goes by the Name
*نصيحة أهل الزمان*
_”The Exhortation of the People of the Time”_
But in its full, it is turtles
*نصيحة أهل الزمان لأهل السودان من الأعراب والأعجام في جميع البلدان*
_’An Exhortation Of the People of the Time to the Arab and Non Arab speakers in all the Lands of the People of Sūdan’_
As we have stated last class, the intent of the Shaykh was to curtail the impressions of some of his followers regarding the time
This is because it is normal for people who enjoy a very high status of piety to look with disgust at the era in which they live
And to tend toward themselves – inwards in their affairs
This reminds me of the Poem of Al-Mutanabbi when he was lamenting his era and the inability of many of his time to pick up determination.
He began his poem saying
من أيّةِ الطُّرْقِ يأتى مثلَكَ الكَرَمُ
أينَ المَحاجِمُ يا كافُورُ وَالجَلَمُ
He was lambasting the people of Egypt for their recline at a slave being their Hākim
Up to the point where he said
يا أُمّةً ضَحكَتْ مِن جَهلِها الأُمَمُُ أغَايَةُ الدّينِ أنْ تُحْفُوا شَوَارِبَكم
_”Is the Essense of the Dīn that you should trim your beards? O Nation of People on whose Ignorance the Nations Laugh”_
My point here is that it is very normal for people to lament their time especially when the Ummah is not doing its expectations
Especially when these people are of the pious of their time
In essence, Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio wrote the Nasīhah to include the Pious Ones of the Ummah at the time and those who are perceived not to be Pious
He began his writing by saying
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Sorry, this is moustache
صلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم تسليما
_”In the Name of Allāh, the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful; Salutations and High Mention of Allāh be upon our Master, Muhammad, his Household, his Followers and his Companions”_
He said
قال العبد الفقير لرحمة ربه عثمان بن محمد بن عثمان المعروف بابن فودي تغمده الله برحمته آمين
_”The Poor Slave who is Needful of the Mercies of his Lord, Uthman the Son of Muhammad the Son of Uthman, who is popularly known as Ibn Fūdī, may Allāh envelope him with His Mercies – Āmīn – says
This is an epitome of the humility of Shaykh Uthman and the Ulamā of the past
They would begin their writings by firstly attributing it to themselves as the authors, and then addressing themselves as their names, without exaggerations
Our Shaykh Muhammad Al-Hasan Ad-Daduw once said
_”And by that writing of theirs, whosoever reads their writing till the Day of Qiyāmah prays for them”_
He said
الحمد لله الذي أنعم علينا بنعمة الايمان والاسلام
_”All Praises are and belong to Allah who favoured us with the Bounty of Īmān and Islām”_
Is it not true brothers, for Allāh chose us among His creation to be Muslims and honoured us with Īmān
When the Bedouins came to the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and said
“we have done you a favour by becoming Muslims and being of your followers”
Allāh said
يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُم ۖ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
_”They boast on you that they have done you a favour that they became Muslims. Say Do not show you have done a favour to me by your Islām. Rather, Allāh has done you a favour that He guided you to Īmān, if you are a People that are Truthful”_
Is the favour of Īmān not greater than any other favour?
Is the greatness of Islām not greater than any other greatness
We must all say
الحمد لله الذي هدانا لايمان
Alhamdulillāh
Allāh ta’ālā, about the Guidance He has given to us that most of His Creation lack, said
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
_”Say With the Bounty of Allāh and His Mercy, and with that should they rejoice. It is better than all they gather”_
…of the Dunya and its glitters
Alhamdulillāh
Then he said
وهدانا بسيدنا محمد عليه من الله تعالى أفضل الصلاة وأزكى السلام
_”And He guided us by our Master, Muhammad, upon him from Allāh ta’ālā be the best of Salāt and the Purest of Salutations”_
The Ummah must feel indebted to the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – as he was the one by whose Patience and Determination that Allāh guided us to the Path of Īmān.
He sacrificed that for us
Allāh said
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
_”Indeed Allāh has been bountiful to the Believers when He sent from among them a Messenger reciting to them His Verses, Purifying them, and Teaching them the Book and Wisdom. Though, they were before that, in clear Misguidance”_
The Sahābah would weep whenever they remember the sacrifices of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – for this Ummah
They never raised a word above his
They never relented in obeying his instructions to the toto
Their like was as the poet said
هو المُقَّدم في نفسي على نفسي
وأهل بيتي وأحبابـي وخِلانـي
_”He is More important than myself in myself;_
_Than my household, my beloved ones and my Closest friends”_
صلى الله عليه وسلم
May Allāh grant us his blessed Company in the Gardens of Firdaws, āmīn