Kashf (Sufism Glossary)

Definition of Kashf

Seyyid Sharif (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his “Taʿrīfāt”: “Firasat, in language, means to think carefully, investigate, and be insightful. In the terminology of the people of reality, it is to uncover what is near and to see the unseen.”^[1]

Ibn ʿAjība (may Allah have mercy on him), an ʿārif bi-Allah (knower of God), says: “Firasat is when thought and reflection assault the qalb (the heart), and spiritual influxes manifest in the qalb. If the qalb is pure, it seldom errs.”

In a hadith: “Beware of the firasat of the believer, for he looks with the light of Allah.”^[2] Firasat is in proportion to nearness and maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God). When proximity is strong and maʿrifa is established, then firasat becomes correct. When the ruh (the spirit) draws near to the presence of the Real, the Real often manifests to it.^[3]

Kashf is a light that occurs to sāliks (spiritual travelers) in their journey (sayr wa sulūk) to the Exalted Allah. As a result of subjecting their nafs (the lower self) to struggle, retreat, and dhikr (remembrance of God), the material causes before them are removed.^[4]

Their eyes reflect onto their basira (inner sight), and they then look with the light of Allah. The measures of time and space before them are erased, and by Allah’s command, they become aware of and know the worlds. However, those who cannot free themselves from the bonds of their desires, doubts, heretical beliefs, and the whisperings of Satan cannot achieve this. Firasat is only possible for a person when the darkness and veil of the world are lifted and he possesses a sound and luminous qalb. Unless the clouds of desire and whisperings and the thickened filth of materiality are dispersed from their qalbs, firasat is not possible.

Indeed, if one closes his eyes to the unlawful, restrains his nafs from desires, cultivates his inner self with the vigilance of the Exalted Allah, and accustoms himself to eating what is lawful, he will not err in kashf and firasat. Otherwise, whoever looks at the unlawful as if it were permissible, his darkened nafs reflects onto the mirror of his qalb, and its light is extinguished.

This kashf certainly turns the servant from outward senses to inward senses. Then, his subtle and transparent ruh overcomes the animal nafs that is clothed upon his body. At that point, kashf occurs and he encounters spiritual influxes (ilhamī waridāt).

The historian Ibn Khaldun (may Allah have mercy on him) says regarding our topic: “After struggle, retreat, and dhikr, the unveiling of the sensory veil often follows, and that person, by Allah’s command, becomes aware of the worlds. Those who are bound to the senses cannot understand this. For the ruh is from these worlds. The reason for this kashf is that when the ruh turns from outward sense to inward sense, the states of the senses weaken, the states of the ruh strengthen, the sultan of the ruh prevails, and its development is renewed. Along with this, dhikr assists the ruh in this state, for it is like nourishment that develops the ruh. It continues to grow. After knowledge, one becomes a person of witnessing (shuhūd), and the sensory veil is lifted. In the essence of the nafs, the person’s clarity is completed. This is, in fact, the very perception. Then, divine inspirations (ilham), divine sciences (ʿulūm al-ladunniyya), and divine openings (futūḥāt ilāhiyya) are presented.” Ibn Khaldun finally said: “This kashf often appears for the people of struggle, and none but them can perceive the reality of these existents. Indeed, the Companions (ṣaḥāba) (may Allah be pleased with them) used to struggle in this way. Their share of karāma (a saintly wonder) was greater. However, they did not seek karāma. The virtues and karāma of Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthman, ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with them) and many of the Companions, as well as the people of tariqa (a Sufi path/order) who followed their way, have been comprehensively included in the ‘Risāla al-Qushayriyya.’”^[5]

This kashf has been inherited by the Companions from the truthful Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The reason for this is their truthfulness, affirmation, and purity of their inner selves.

A. The Kashf of the Messenger of God

Before mentioning anything about the Companions and their inheritors, let us mention some of the kashf that the Exalted Allah granted to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). However, what was given to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) is a miracle (muʿjiza), while what is given to the Companions and awliyāʾ (friends of God) is karāma. Every walī’s karāma is the miracle of his Prophet.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “Once the iqama for prayer was given. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his face towards us and said: ‘Straighten your rows and stand close together, for I see you from behind me as well.’”^[6] At that time, since kashf was distant from the world of the senses and the measures of time and space were erased before him, seeing what was near and far was the same for the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him).

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: “The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Zayd, Jaʿfar, and Ibn Rawāḥa. He gave the banner to Zayd. All of them were killed and martyred. Before any news came from them, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the people of their situation, saying: ‘Zayd took the banner and was martyred. Then Jaʿfar b. Abī Ṭālib took the banner and was martyred. Then ʿAbdullah b. Rawāḥa took the banner and was martyred.’ While saying this, tears flowed from the Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) eyes. Then Khālid b. Walīd took the banner without being appointed and was granted victory.”^[7]

B. Kashf in the Noble Qur’an

Regarding Ibrāhīm Khalīlullah (peace be upon him), the Exalted Allah says in the Qur’an, in al-Anʿām 6:75:

“And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith].”

Likewise, the Exalted Allah informed about Khidr (peace be upon him). When Khidr (peace be upon him) accompanied Mūsā (peace be upon him), three matters occurred:

First matter: When Khidr and Mūsā (peace be upon them) boarded a ship for free to cross the sea, Khidr (peace be upon him), having discovered that a tyrant king would seize the ship unjustly, made a hole in the ship to save it from the oppressor. The Exalted Allah says in al-Kahf 18:79:

“As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a malik (king) who seized every [good] ship by force.”

Second matter: When the state of the child was unveiled to Khidr (peace be upon him): “If this child were to live, he would enter kufr (disbelief) and, by oppressing his believing parents in their old age, would cause them to enter kufr as well. Khidr (peace be upon him), out of mercy for the believing parents, killed the child, hoping that Allah would grant them a better, more merciful, and purer child.” The Exalted Allah says in al-Kahf 18:80–81:

“And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.”

Third matter: The Exalted Allah unveiled to Khidr (peace be upon him) the treasure beneath the wall. Out of compassion for two orphan boys and love for their righteous father, Khidr (peace be upon him) repaired the wall for free and with ikhlas (sincerity), so that the treasure beneath it would be preserved for them. The Exalted Allah says in al-Kahf 18:82:

“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and beneath it was a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord.”

C. The Kashf of the Companions

The Kashf of Abu Bakr

The Exalted Allah testifies to the truthfulness of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Zumar 39:33:

“And the one who has brought the truth (the Messenger of God) and [they who] believed in it (Abu Bakr).” How can one enumerate the successful heroics of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)? If we relate just one of the many incidents, the veil over this matter will be lifted.

ʿUrwa (may Allah be pleased with him) from his father, who from ʿĀ’isha (may Allah be pleased with her): When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was near death, he called ʿĀ’isha and said: “Among my family, there is none whose wealth after me is more beloved to me and whose poverty is more burdensome to me than you. I had given you twenty wusūq (camel-loads) of dates from the ʿĀliya district. If you had harvested them within a year, they would have been yours. Now, as my death approaches, they belong to the heirs. Now you have two brothers and two sisters.” ʿĀ’isha said: “My sister is Asmā’.” Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The one to be born from Habiba, daughter of Ḥārija, will also be your sister. It has been cast into my qalb that she will be a girl. Treat her well!” Habiba, daughter of Ḥārija, gave birth to Umm Kulthūm.^[8]

Tāj al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “From what is related, it is understood that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had two karāmas:

First: He foretold that he would die from this illness, as his statement that the property now belongs to the heirs proves.

Second: He foretold the birth of a child and that it would be a girl before her birth.

Abu Bakr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) disclosure of this secret was to please ʿĀ’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding the return of the gift he had given her but which she had not yet taken possession of, and to inform her of the exact share he left for her security. For Abu Bakr informed ʿĀ’isha that she, together with two brothers and two sisters, would inherit the property.^[9]

The Kashf of the Second Caliph, ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) testified that ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those who received ilham (divine inspiration).

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among the nations before you, there were people who received ilham. If there is anyone like that in my ummah, it is ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him).”^[10]

For the ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is more virtuous than previous nations. Since it is established that there were people of ilham among other nations, it is even more appropriate for them to be found in the ummah of Muhammad. The Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement, “If there is anyone like that in my ummah,” is for emphasis, as when someone says, “If I have a friend, it is so-and-so.” The intent is to highlight the perfection of that person’s truthfulness, not to deny ilham in others.

Meaning of the word Muhaddath: Muhaddath is one whose conjecture is correct and who receives ilham. He is such a person that something is placed in his qalb from the world of spirits, as if another is speaking to him.

Tāj al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Sāriya (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Zanim al-Khalījī, as commander over the army and sent him to the lands of Fāris. When they reached the gate of Nihāwand and besieged the city, the situation of the army became difficult, as the enemy gathered tightly and resisted. The Muslim army was about to be defeated when, at that moment, ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) ascended the minbar in Medina and delivered a sermon. Suddenly, in a loud voice, he said: “O Sāriya! To the mountain, to the mountain! Whoever lets a wolf tend his sheep has wronged them.”^[11] The Exalted Allah made Sāriya (may Allah be pleased with him) and all the soldiers at the gate of Nihāwand hear the voice of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the minbar in Medina. They immediately took refuge in the mountain. All said: “This is the voice of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him).” Thus, they prevailed and were saved.

Tāj al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “The intention of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was not to display karāma. Rather, it was unveiled to him, and he saw that people clearly. He saw himself among them, and for a moment, he was absent from his assembly in Medina, his senses occupied with the calamities befalling the Muslims, and he addressed his commanders as if he were among them.”^[12]

There are two lessons to be drawn from this story:

First: A true kashf and seeing a place exactly as it is from thousands of miles away. This incident occurred fourteen centuries ago. Where was television then? How could ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) make his voice reach such a distant place?

Second: Making his voice reach Sāriya (may Allah be pleased with him) from a great distance.

ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a group from the tribe of Madhḥij, among whom was a man named Ashtar. He scrutinized him and then said: “May Allah kill him. I see the critical days he will cause for the Muslims.” Indeed, what he foresaw came to pass.^[13]

Ibn ʿAsākir, narrating from Ṭāriq b. Shihāb, says: “When ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) was speaking with someone, if there was a lie in that person’s words, he would say, ‘Do not say that.’ If the person lied again, he would say, ‘Do not say that.’ The person would then say to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘Of all I have said, except for what you told me not to say, everything is true.’”^[14]

Ibn ʿAsākir, narrating from Ḥasan (may Allah be pleased with him), says: “If there was anyone who knew when someone was lying during a conversation, it was ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him).”^[15]

Al-Bayhaqī, in his book “Dalā’il,” narrates from Abū Hadiyya al-Ḥumsī: “When ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that the people of Iraq had stoned their governor, he went out in anger, prayed, and made a mistake in his prayer. When he finished, he said: ‘O Allah, they have confused my mind and intellect, so confuse their minds and intellects. Send them the ‘Saqafī boy’ quickly. He will judge among them with the rule of ignorance, accept neither their good nor leave their evil.’” (The author notes: This refers to al-Ḥajjāj. Ibn Luhayʿa says: ‘At that time, al-Ḥajjāj had not yet been born.’^[16] Thus, it was unveiled to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) that al-Ḥajjāj would appear. Translator)

The Kashf of ʿUthmān b. ʿAffān

Tāj al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions in his “Ṭabaqāt” and other books: A man met a woman on the road and thought about her beauty. ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “One of you has come with the trace of zina (fornication) in his eyes.” The man asked: “Is there revelation after the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him)?” ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “No, but the believer has firasat.” He revealed this to admonish the man and warn him against his act.^[17] (This is a kind of rebuke to that person.)

The Kashf of ʿAli b. Abī Ṭālib

Our master Imam ʿAli grew up under the care of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) declared his Companions brothers to one another, he said to ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him): “You are my brother.”^[18] Again, he asked ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him): “Are you not pleased to be to me as Hārūn was to Mūsā?”^[19]

Al-Asbagh (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “I came with ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him) to the place where Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with him) would be martyred and buried. ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Here is where the camels of Ḥusayn’s caravan will kneel. Here is where their loads will be placed. Here is where their blood will be shed. This is the field where a group from the family of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) will be killed, and the heavens and the earth will weep for them.’”^[20]

ʿAli (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the people of Kufa: “The family of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) will come to you as guests and seek your help, but you will not help them.” Indeed, what happened to Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with him) occurred there.^[21]

If we were to examine the kashf and firasat in the stories of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in this treatise, we would go beyond the scope. Therefore, we suffice with this much.

D. The Kashf of the Gnostics

It is narrated from Imam Shāfiʿī and Muḥammad b. Ḥasan (may Allah have mercy on them) that: “While these two were in the courtyard of the Kaʿba, a man was at the door of the mosque.” One of them said: “I think this man is a carpenter.” The other said: “Rather, I think he is a blacksmith.” One of them quickly went to the man and asked. The man replied: “I was a carpenter, but now I am a blacksmith.”^[22]

Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: “I entered the Sacred Mosque and saw a poor man wearing two cloaks. I thought to myself, ‘Such people are a burden on others.’ He called out to me:

‘Indeed, Allah knows what is in your hearts. So beware of Him.’ (al-Baqara 2:235) I immediately repented inwardly. He called out again:

‘He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants.’ (al-Shūrā 42:25) Suddenly, the man disappeared and I could not see him.”^[23]

Similar examples have occurred to others. Ḥayr al-Nassāj (may Allah have mercy on him) relates: “I was sitting in my house when it occurred to me that Junayd was at the door. I told myself this could not be. The second and third time, the thought came again. This time I went to the door. Lo and behold, Junayd was there. He said, ‘Why did you not heed the first thought and come out?’”^[24] It is narrated that Ibrāhīm al-Ḥawwās (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “I was in the mosque of Medina in Baghdad. There was a group of Sufis there. A handsome, well-scented, dignified, and beautiful-faced youth came. I said to my companions: ‘It occurs to my qalb that this youth is a Jew.’ All my companions disliked this statement. I left the mosque, and the youth left as well. Then the youth returned to my companions and asked them: ‘What did the shaykh say about me?’ They were embarrassed, but the youth insisted. Upon his insistence, they said: ‘The shaykh said you are a Jew.’ The youth immediately left them and came to me, fell at my feet, and became Muslim. They asked him: ‘What made you become Muslim?’ The youth replied: ‘In our book, we read that the firasat of the truthful never errs. I thought to test the Muslims and said: “If there is a truthful one among them, it will only be among the people of Sufism (tasawwuf).” For they recite the words of Allah, the Sublime. When the shaykh learned my state and his firasat proved true, I knew he was truthful. Then the youth became one of the great Sufis.’”^[25]

This is not surprising, for the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, among Allah’s worshipping servants are those who discern people and know them by their faces.”^[26]

Junayd (may Allah have mercy on him), while speaking to people in the mosque, was approached by a Christian who asked: “O shaykh! What is the meaning of the hadith, ‘Beware of the firasat of the believer, for he looks with the light of Allah’?”^[27] Junayd (may Allah have mercy on him) lowered his head, then raised it and said: “Your time to become Muslim has come; accept Islam!” The Christian youth then became Muslim.^[28]

The main basis for the kashf that occurs to most of the awliyāʾ is the above-mentioned hadith on firasat. When a person of kashf sees someone, he informs about things as if he were present, even though he is not. However, this (firasat) is a great trial in the hands of those who do not adopt the akhlāq (character) of the Merciful.

Sometimes, kashf is to know the state of the deceased in their graves, whether they are blessed or punished: ʿAllāma ʿAbd al-Ra’ūf al-Munāwī (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on the hadith of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him): “Were it not for the fear that you would stop burying your dead, I would have asked Allah to let you hear some of what I hear of the punishment of the grave in this cemetery.”^[29] He wanted to let them hear the punishment of the grave, not other fears, because the grave is the first of the stations of the Hereafter. The unveiling of the grave is according to a person’s capacity. If someone were to unveil what he cannot bear, it would lead to his destruction.

Note

Some Sufis say: “Many practitioners of Sufism (tasawwuf) unveil graves and, by Allah’s permission, know whether their inhabitants are in punishment or bliss. That realm (the world of the grave) is very terrifying. The inhabitant of the grave dies several times in a day and night and asks the Exalted Allah to veil the punishment from him. This lofty station only occurs in those whose spirituality overcomes their corporeality. They even become like spiritual beings. The commentator here does not address those whose corporeality overcomes their spirituality, but those whose spirituality overcomes their corporeality. For the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) would address each people according to their capacity.^[30] There are many reports among people about the firasat of the shaykhs. Those who believe and are devoted are countless. But deniers and materialists do not accept the reports we have cited from the Companions, the Successors, and the saints after them.

Taj al-Dīn al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Know well that when a person’s qalb is pure and clean, he looks with the light of Allah. When his gaze is clear and pure, he understands and knows. After this, the stations differ. Some know where there is filth and turbidity, but not its essence or origin. Others, at a higher station, know its essence as well, as ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) did. He saw that a person looked at and inclined toward a woman (to whom marriage was not permissible), and that this left a stain on his qalb, and he understood its cause. The subtlety here is that every sin leaves a stain and a mark, and creates a black spot on the qalb, which produces a ‘rayn’ (covering and veil). As the Exalted Allah says in al-Muṭaffifīn 83:14:

“No! Rather, the ‘rayn’ (covering) of what they used to earn has covered their qalb.” Until it becomes entrenched; we seek refuge in Allah from this. The qalb becomes darkened, the doors of light are closed, it is sealed, and there is no way to tawba (repentance). The Exalted Allah says in al-Tawba 9:87:

“So their qalb was sealed, and they do not understand.”

Minor sins leave minor stains. These stains and sins are only erased by seeking forgiveness and performing expiations. Only those with eyes as sharp as ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) can perceive them. For he was the only one who, seeing the minor stain and the person who looked at a woman and inclined toward her, warned and understood its cause.^[31] Before this lofty station, many other stations are humbled.

When minor sins accumulate, turbidity increases. When sins multiply, the qalb becomes dark as we have described. At that point, every person of basira (inner sight) observes and knows it by Allah’s permission. Whoever sees that he has fallen into sin and that his qalb has darkened, but cannot discern it, should know that the eye of his qalb is blind and prevents him from seeing. If he were a person of basira, he would see the rust and stain that has darkened his qalb with severity. A person only sees in proportion to his basira. Understand well what we have said!^[32]

Firasat is an event that can occur. Firasat is a divine gift bestowed by the Exalted Allah upon His righteous servants who cling tightly to His religion, guard their limbs, polish their qalbs, and discipline their nafs.

Al-Munāwī (may Allah have mercy on him), in his commentary on al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, says regarding the hadith of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him): “Every people has a firasat, and only the noble know it.” He comments: “The rule and foundation of firasat is to close the eyes from the unlawful.” In this regard, Kirmānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Whoever conforms his outward to the sunnah, maintains constant vigilance over his inner self, restrains his nafs from desires, closes his eyes to opposition, and makes lawful eating a habit, his firasat will never err. In conclusion, whoever succeeds in these will see realities (ḥaqīqa) clearly with his qalb.”^[33]

In any case, qalbs differ according to their purification from the filth of those dark sins and their radiance. The more the qalb shines, the more valuable it becomes, like glass that reveals invisible microbes under a microscope. Just as the value of glass increases with its clarity, so too does the value of a radiant qalb. There is no comparison between window glass and the glass of a microscope that reveals invisible microbes; likewise, there is no comparison between pure, radiant qalbs and turbid, dark qalbs, just as angels cannot be compared to devils. Whoever exerts serious effort attains firasat. Whoever walks the path of Sufism (tasawwuf) and establishes a firm beginning attains the result. Indeed, beginnings indicate outcomes.

Footnotes

1. In Seyyid Sharif’s Taʿrīfāt, p. 110
2. Reported by Tirmidhi, from Abu Saʿid al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) in Kitab al-Tafsir.
3. Miraj al-Tashawwuf, p. 18
4. Imam al-Ghazali says: “The polish and insight of the qalb are only attained through dhikr. And that is only established in those who possess taqwa (God-consciousness). Taqwa is the door to dhikr, dhikr is the door to kashf, and kashf is the door to the greatest victory (al-fawz al-akbar). Victory is to meet the Exalted Allah.” Ihya’ ʿUlum al-Din, vol. 3, p. 11
5. Muqaddimat Ibn Khaldun, p. 329
6. Reported by Bukhari in Kitab Abwab al-Jamaʿat, and Muslim in Kitab al-Salat.
7. Reported by Bukhari in Kitab al-Jana’iz and Kitab al-Manaqib. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) informed of this as a miracle on the day of the Battle of Mu’ta before people heard the news.
8. Ibn Saʿd, Tabaqat al-Kubra, in the will of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), vol. 3, p. 195
9. Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabhani al-Bayruti, Hujjat Allah ʿala al-ʿAlamin, p. 860
10. Reported by Bukhari in Kitab al-Manaqib and Muslim in Kitab Fada’il al-Sahaba.
11. Al-ʿAjjūlūnī, as Hafiz Ibn Hajar said, “the hadith is hasan,” vol. 2, p. 380
12. Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabhani al-Bayruti, Hujjat Allah ʿala al-ʿAlamin, p. 860
13. ʿAllama al-Munawi (may Allah have mercy on him), Fayd al-Qadir Sharh Jamiʿ al-Saghir, vol. 1, p. 143
14. ʿAllama Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa, pp. 127–128
15. ʿAllama Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa, pp. 127–128
16. ʿAllama Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa, pp. 127–128
17. Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ʿala al-ʿAlamin, p. 862
18. Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Manaqib, narrated from Ibn ʿUmar, and he said the hadith is hasan gharib
19. Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, narrated from Saʿd b. Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him)
20. Riyad al-Nadra fi Manaqib al-ʿAshara by al-Muhibb al-Tabari, vol. 2, p. 295
21. ʿAllama al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir Sharh Jamiʿ al-Saghir, vol. 1, p. 143
22. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 10, p. 44
23. Ghazali’s Ihya’, vol. 3, p. 21
24. Risala al-Qushayriyya, p. 110
25. Risala al-Qushayriyya, p. 110
26. Bezzar and Tabarani in al-Awsat, narrated from Anas b. Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). Its isnad is hasan. As in Majmaʿ al-Zawa’id, vol. 10, p. 268
27. Tirmidhi, from Abu Saʿid al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), in Kitab al-Tafsir
28. Fatawa Hadithiyya, Hajar al-Haythami, p. 229
29. Muslim, Kitab al-Jannah wa Mutʿatu Naʿimiha, and Nasa’i, narrated from Anas b. Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
30. ʿAllama al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir Sharh Jamiʿ al-Saghir, vol. 5, p. 342
31. On this matter, ʿAllama Alusi says in his tafsir Ruh al-Maʿani: “Say to the believers to lower their gaze.” In the verse, it is obligatory to lower the gaze from what is unlawful. But if one sees suddenly and does not think of the carnal aspect, it is forgiven. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and others narrated from Buraida (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not follow a glance with another glance! The first is for you, the second is not.” Tafsir Ruh al-Maʿani by ʿAllama Alusi
32. Hujjat Allah ʿala al-ʿAlamin by al-Nabhani al-Bayruti, p. 862
33. Fayd al-Qadir Sharh Jamiʿ al-Saghir by al-Munawi, vol. 2, p. 515
34. Taʿrifat al-Sharif al-Jurjani, p. 23
35. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 2, p. 669