Lessons from events before Israa’

Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). 017.001 Al-Israa’

This notes is what I managed to record from one Saturday morning tazkirah (admonition)by Ustaz (teacher in Arabic) Sharir Long in Masjid Ubudiah , Kg. Tasik Ampang.

Israa’ is the journey of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Mecca and Jerusalem.

Before the journey, Allah’s Apostle undergo a form of surgery as rarrated Abu Dhar:Allah's Apostle (pbuh) said, " While I was at Mecca the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended, opened my chest, and washed it with Zam-zam water. Then he brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith and having poured its contents into my chest, he closed it.

The teacher specifically read the Arabic form of the hadith and translate the last part to be… the wisdom was poured into the heart and faith was coated around the heart before he closed the chest.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) informed us in a very famous tradition, commonly quoted with reference to halal and haram, about the importance of the heart .
The hadith in full :- Bukhary, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 49: Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir: I heard Allah's Apostle (pbuh) saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.

The importance of heart is outlined by the following verses from Al-Quran
“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, 026.088 Asy-Syu’ara’

Except him who comes to Allah with a heart free (from evil). 026.089 Asy-Syu’ara’
Having said that the teacher told us that the Messenger (pbuh) has to have his heart cleansed, his heart was filled with wisdom(hikmah) and coated with belief (iman) to start his journey to meet Allah in his Mikraj. Similarly, we have to do the same, purify our heart and seek for knowledge or wisdom (hikmah) and Iman in our journey on this earth.

He said the way to purify the heart has been clearly outlined in verse 31 from suratunNur (24)
..And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.
024:031AnNur

The above verse called for Taubatan Nasuha which means true or sincere repentance; repentance that mends life; such repentance that one never returns to such sin after one repents of it .
Taubatan Nasuha as was outlined by Imam Nawawi:-
1. Stopped from committing the sin
2. Regretted for committing the sin.
3. Determined not to repeat the sin.
4. If anything to do with human being.. to ask for human being forgiveness.

While 1, 2 and 3 are between man and his Creator, to do 4 correctly one have to tell/narrate/detail what exactly were his sins that he want to be forgiven by that particular human being ;( .

The teacher said “Imam Nawawi died when he was 46 years old; he was too busy searching for/teaching knowledge to even get married, while the Muslims now are too busy getting married to search for knowledge” ;) .

To stress the importance of sincere repentance the teacher gave us few more Quranic verses for good measures.
O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,- the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands, while they say, “Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us, and grant us Forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things.” 066.008 AtTahrim

Turn ye to our Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will), before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped. 039.054 AzZummar.

If only thou couldst see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord, (saying:) “Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard: Now then send us back (to the world): we will work righteousness: for we do indeed (now) believe.” 032.012 AsSajada..

The last verse signify that it is pertinent that we prepare ourselves while we are in this world.. The teacher even quote the Malay saying “before the rice has become porridge” ;) before bombarding us with more Quranic verses
O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy 002.208 Al-Baqarah

Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: “When (will come) the help of Allah?” Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near! 002.214 Al-Baqarah

“Prosper will be those who purify their soul. Lost will be those who defile their soul” he stressed to the congregation. Taking the cue from the story that Gabriel poured knowledge and Hikmah into the Messenger’s heart before coating it with faith before undertaking the journey (israk), we should filled our heart with knowledge while we are our journey to meet HIM.

To further elaborate the importance of knowledge the teacher quote Saidina Ali’s saying
‘those who want to succeed in this life, he should have the knowledge, those who want to succeed in the hereafter, he should have the knowledge, those who want to succeed in this life and the hereafter, he should have knowledge’

From a saying of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)"Whoever Allah wants good for, HE gives him fiqh (understanding) of the Deen".

He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message but men of understanding. 002.269 Al-Baqarah

To know more about virtues of seeking knowledge mentioned in Sunnah, please go here
The teacher was saying that we are here(on this world) as guests of Allah.

To stress the point create a story that if he visit to the Imam’s house.. he will have to follow the Imam’s house rules and procedures.
“Should the Imam want me to seat on the floor by sitting himself on the floor instead of sitting on his nice and comfortable chair, then I will have to follow suit. Should the Imam only asked his wife to bring in a cup of tea for me, then I will have to drink tea for breakfast.. it would be very impolite for me to ask the Imam to bring me the Nasi Lemak, the nice fragrance of which has been whiffed /brought in from his kitchen”

As guests of Allah, we have to follow the Allah’s rules and procedures.
He quoted this verse
O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy. 002.208 Al-Baqarah

Then he dropped a hint quoting
And pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning). 017.036 Al –Israa’

Then he talked about the current issue then: “the use of video tapes to accuse one of sexual transgression”, followed by a rather brief history of blasphemous accusation of Messenger’s wife and the related verses from Al-Quran.
Those who brought forward the lie are a body among yourselves: think it not to be an evil to you; On the contrary it is good for you: to every man among them (will come the punishment) of the sin that he earned, and to him who took on himself the lead among them, will be a penalty grievous. 024.011 AnNur

Why did not the believers – men and women – when ye heard of the affair,- put the best construction on it in their own minds and say, “This (charge) is an obvious lie”? 024.012 AnNur

Why did they not bring four witnesses to prove it? When they have not brought the witnesses, such men, in the sight of Allah, (stand forth) themselves as liars! 024.013 AnNur

Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous penalty would have seized you in that ye rushed glibly into this affair 024.014 AnNur

He mentioned solemnly that he was rather unhappy about the use of tapes to accuse someone of sexual transgression.. because if we believe that the accused are guilty based on videotapes alone.. then we believed liars in the sight of Allah and we ourselves may fall in Kufr..

He sends down water from the skies, and the channels flow, each according to its measure: But the torrent bears away to foam that mounts up to the surface. Even so, from that (ore) which they heat in the fire, to make ornaments or utensils therewith, there is a scum likewise. Thus doth Allah (by parables) show forth Truth and Vanity. For the scum disappears like forth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus doth Allah set forth parables. 013.017 Ar-Ra’d

Expounding that we must take care of our Iman (belief), the teacher quote ..
Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way. 004.137 AnNisaa

Due to lack of time he quoted a hadith from Bukhari which meant +-“Wealth is not due to plenty of money, but wealth is calm and collected soul”.

But when I met him after the tazkirah he quoted another hadith from Bukhari which meant +-“Those who slander will not go to the heaven”.

Have a good and nice month of Syaaban .

N.B. Ustaz Sharir Long.. is a former teacher and former banker who gave up the professions to seek pleasure of Allah. He is the Chairman (co-founder) of Tahfiz Mutmainnah in Sungai Petani , Kedah. He can be reached at 019 473 6060
Tahfiz Mutmainnah adalah Wakil Zakat Perlis(Ruj. MAIPs.003/20JLD2 (016)
The picture is from Mr. Google