Narrating Stories

BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE · 13 – NARRATING STORIES 3665 – It is narrated from ʿAwf ibn Mālik al-Ashjaʿī (may Allah be pleased with him): He said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “No one …

BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE · 13 – NARRATING STORIES

3665 – It is narrated from ʿAwf ibn Mālik al-Ashjaʿī (may Allah be pleased with him):

He said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say:

“No one narrates stories except one who is a leader, an official, or an arrogant person.”

EXPLANATION

A story (qiṣṣa), is the narration of past events in history so that lessons may be taken from them. Leaders, when delivering the khuṭba (sermon), and the officials they appoint to deliver the khuṭba on their behalf, narrate stories. Also, those who are self-admiring and wish to show off to the people narrate stories. Those who address people are of three types.

1 – Those who remind of Allah and His blessings,

2 – Those who inform about Allah’s blessings and punishment,

3 – The storytellers.

3666 – It is narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:

I sat among a group of the weak among the Muhājirūn (the Emigrants). Because of their nakedness, some of them were covering themselves by hiding behind one another. We had a reciter of the Qur’an who was reciting the Qur’an to us. Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) came and stood over us. When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) came and stood, the one reciting the Qur’an fell silent. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted us with salām and then said, “What were you doing?” We said, O Messenger of Allah, one of us is reciting the Qur’an to us, and we are listening to the Book of Allah. Abū Saʿīd said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Praise be to Allah, the Creator, for those among my community with whom I have been commanded to be patient.”

Abū Saʿīd said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sat right in the middle of us so that he would be equally close to all of us. Then he gestured with his hand, saying, “Form a circle.” So they formed a circle. All their faces were turned toward him. However, I did not think that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) could recognize anyone among them in the dark except me. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O poor among the Muhājirūn, I give you glad tidings of a perfect light on the Day of Resurrection. You will enter Paradise half a day before the rich, and that half day is five hundred years (of the worldly years).” [363]

3667 – It is narrated from Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him):

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“For me to sit with a group who remember Allah (dhikr) from the morning prayer until the sun rises is more beloved to me than freeing four captives from the descendants of Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him). For me to sit with a group who remember Allah from the afternoon prayer until sunset is better for me than freeing four slaves.”

3668 – It is narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn (Masʿūd) (may Allah be pleased with him):

He said:

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Recite Sūrat al-Nisāʾ to me.” I said, O Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), the Qur’an was revealed to you; shall I recite it to you? The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I love to hear it from someone else.” So I began to recite to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). When I reached the verse, ‘How will it be, then, when We bring from every people a witness, and We bring you as a witness against these?’ (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, 4:41), I looked up and saw that the eyes of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) were shedding tears. [364]

[348] Ibn Mājah, no. 223; Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Virtue of Understanding, no. 2683

[349] Muslim, Book of Remembrance, no. 2999

[350] Tirmidhī, Book of Permission, Chapter on Teaching Syriac, no. 2716

[351] Muslim, no. 3004; Tirmidhī, no. 2667

[352] Bukhārī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Writing Knowledge, no. 1/39

[353] Bukhārī, Book of Knowledge, no: 1/38; Ibn Mājah, Introduction, Book of Sunan, no: 365

[354] Tirmidhī, Tafsīr of the Qur’an, Chapter on Interpreting the Qur’an by Opinion, no. 2953

[355] Bukhārī, Virtues; Muslim, Book of Zuhd, Chapter on Steadfastness in Hadith, no. 71

[356] Tirmidhī, Virtues, Chapter on the Speech of the Prophet, no. 3643; Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter on the Virtues of Abū Hurayrah, no. 2493

[357] Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 53

[358] Tirmidhī, no. 2651; Ibn Mājah, no. 261

[359] Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, no. 2658; Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 230

[360] Bukhārī, Book of Jihad, 4/58, Chapter on the Prophet’s Supplication, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, no. 5/23; Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, no. 2406

[361] Bukhārī, Book of the Prophets; Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Hadith from the Children of Israel, no. 2671

[362] Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 252

[363] Ibn Mājah, no. 4122

[364] Bukhārī, Book of the Virtues of the Qur’an; Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, no. 800

[348]. Ibn Mājah, no. 223; Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Virtue of Understanding, no. 2683

[349]. Muslim, Book of Remembrance, no. 2999

[350]. Tirmidhī, Book of Permission, Chapter on Teaching Syriac, no. 2716

[351]. Muslim, no. 3004; Tirmidhī, no. 2667

[352]. Bukhārī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Writing Knowledge, no. 1/39

[353]. Bukhārī, Book of Knowledge, no: 1/38; Ibn Mājah, Introduction, Book of Sunan, no: 365

[354]. Tirmidhī, Tafsīr of the Qur’an, Chapter on Interpreting the Qur’an by Opinion, no. 2953

[355]. Bukhārī, Virtues; Muslim, Book of Zuhd, Chapter on Steadfastness in Hadith, no. 71

[356]. Tirmidhī, Virtues, Chapter on the Speech of the Prophet, no. 3643; Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter on the Virtues of Abū Hurayrah, no. 2493

[357]. Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 53

[358]. Tirmidhī, no. 2651; Ibn Mājah, no. 261

[359]. Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, no. 2658; Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 230

[360]. Bukhārī, Book of Jihad, 4/58, Chapter on the Prophet’s Supplication, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, no. 5/23; Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, no. 2406

[361]. Bukhārī, Book of the Prophets; Tirmidhī, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Hadith from the Children of Israel, no. 2671

[362]. Ibn Mājah, Introduction, no. 252

[363]. Ibn Mājah, no. 4122

[364]. Bukhārī, Book of the Virtues of the Qur’an; Muslim, Book of the Prayer of Travelers, no. 800

Abū al-Dardāʾ said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. The angels, out of pleasure with the seeker of knowledge, lower their wings for them. All those in the heavens and the earth, even the fish in the water, seek forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon over the rest of the stars. Truly, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind gold or silver, but they left behind knowledge. Whoever takes it has taken a great share.” [348]

“Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make the path to Paradise easy for him. If a person’s deeds hold him back, his lineage will not push him forward.” [349]

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me, so I learned the writing of the Jews for him. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By Allah, I do not trust any Jew with my letters.” So I learned the writing of the Jews, and within fifteen days I mastered it well. If the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to write to the Jews, I would write, and if a letter came from them to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), I would read it. [350]

3648 – It is narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: In the Age of Happiness (the Prophet’s time), we would not write anything except the tashahhud and from the Qur’an.” [351]

O Messenger of Allah, write this sermon for me, he said. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Write the sermon for Abū Shāh.” [352]

By Allah, I had closeness and a position with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). I had much companionship with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Yet I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever deliberately attributes a lie to me, let him prepare his seat in the Fire.” [353]

“Whoever expresses an opinion about the Book of Allah, relying solely on his own view, even if he is correct, has erred.” [354]

Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting next to the room of Lady ʿĀʾisha. Lady ʿĀʾisha was praying. Abū Hurayrah said to Lady ʿĀʾisha twice, O mistress of the house, listen to me, and (after narrating a hadith from the Prophet) left. After finishing her prayer, Lady ʿĀʾisha said: (O ʿUrwah) are you not amazed at Abū Hurayrah and his words? When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke a word, one who wished to count it could do so. [355]

The wife of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her), said to me: Are you not amazed at Abū Hurayrah? He came and sat next to my room, narrating hadith from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and making me hear it while I was praying. He left before I finished my prayer. If I had caught up with him, I would have replied: Truly, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) did not speak consecutively as you do, one after another. [356]

In the narration of Sulaimān al-Mahrī among the narrators, he added the following: “Whoever points his brother to a matter, knowing that the correct answer is with someone else, has betrayed him.” This is the wording of the hadith as narrated by Sulaimān. [357]

“Whoever is asked about a matter of knowledge and withholds it, Allah will bridle him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [358]

“May Allah brighten the face of one who hears a hadith from us, memorizes it well, and conveys it to others. There are many who possess understanding of fiqh and convey it to one who is more understanding than themselves. And there are many who possess understanding of fiqh but are not themselves understanding.” [359]

“By Allah, if Allah guides a single person through you, it is better for you than having red camels.” [360]

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would narrate to us reports from the Children of Israel until morning. He would not leave this gathering until the time for the great prayer (the dawn prayer or the night prayer) had entered.” [361]

“Whoever learns a branch of knowledge by which Allah’s pleasure is sought, but learns it only to acquire some worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” [362]