Jabir Ibn Abdullah

When Abdullah Ibn 'Amr  joined the Muslim army in the battle of Uhud, he left in Madeenah his son Jabir to take care of the family. Abdullaah  had many daughters; he ordered his only son to take care of them, and did not allow him to join the fighters. The Muslims returned defeated from that Battle and lost a great number of men. Abdullah Ibn 'Amr  was among the martyred.

Jabir  was saddened by the news of his father's death. He was a young man who did not reach twenty years of age. He was at a loss as to how to care for his sisters, and in addition pay back his father's debts. He felt over-burdened under this sudden responsibility. His worries did not go unnoticed by the Prophet  who asked: "Why do I see you so sad?" Jabir  replied: "My father was slain in Uhud and he left behind many children, and a large debt." The Prophet  comforted him by telling him that his father was among the martyrs and recited to him Allah's Words: "And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision, …" [Quran 3:169]. His heart lightened when he heard these verses.

Jabir  married a widow who was older than him, though he was a young man and could have married a young virgin, but he wisely thought that she could better help him raise his younger sisters. His worries were not over, for he still had to fulfill his father's debt, especially that the creditors were knocking incessantly at his door and would not give him more time. His father left no wealth except a small palm grove; which would yield barely enough fruits to feed them. He thought that he would ask the Prophet's help for he  never refused to help him. He said to him: "O Messenger of Allah  people are knocking at my door asking me to pay my father's debt, but he left only a small palm grove and the fruits of which will not fulfill even a part of the debt. Would you please come with me so that the creditors would not be harsh to me?" He  said: "I will come soon, during the middle of the day. Go now and sort your dates."

People rushed to Jabir as he was sitting in his garden sorting his dates. He asked them to wait for the Prophet  who promised to assist him. Now when they heard the Prophet's name mentioned, people refrained from talking, except for one Jew who refused to wait even a moment, saying: "I have nothing to do with Muhammad. Pay me right now!" As the sun approached the zenith, they saw the Prophet coming hurriedly, sweat dripping from his forehead. He asked the Jew: "Would you accept a part of the debt to be paid to you now and postpone the rest for next year?" "Never," he said, and he tried to present different excuses. The Prophet  walked around the piled dates and invoked Allah's blessing. Then he said to Jabir: "Call them, and measure for them." He stayed for a while then he left. As for Jabir he kept measuring the dates to his creditors until he fulfilled all the debts his father owed, and to his great amazement the piles of dates were still so high as if he did not take any thing from them! He could barely believe his eyes.

Jabir  returned home and related what has happened to his wife. "Allah has fulfilled my father's debt. I would have been very content if I would have paid all the debt and not a single date remained for us, but by Allah's grace, we still have most of our harvest!"

Jabir  had missed many battles because his father would order him to take care of his sisters while he was with the fighters. But after his father's death he had not missed any occasion to fulfill his duty of Jihad. One of the expeditions was especially dear to him, for a memorable event happened to him with the Prophet  which he never tired to tell again and again. They were returning from the battle of Thatur-Riqaa' near the area of Najd. The Prophet  stopped for some time and lagged behind. While he was hastening his mount to reach his companions, he saw Jabir  on his red camel at the end of the convoy. The camel was trotting slowly, and Jabir  was hitting it vigorously with a stick, but it refused to speed up. "What is wrong, Jabir?" asked the Prophet . "My camel is so slow I am lagging behind." Said Jabir . "Give me the stick and hold on to your mount." The Prophet  said. He  hit the camel lightly with the stick, and as soon as he  did, it sprang and run as if a new life was given to it. Jabir  reached the head of the convoy, under the incredulous eyes of his friends who asked him what has happened to his camel. The sight of Jabir  who could barely hold himself on his camel who was outpacing all the other camels, amused the Prophet . "How do you find your camel now?" he  asked him. "In the best condition," he replied, "your blessing has reached it and I have never seen it run as fast as today." "Would you sell it to me?" asked the Prophet . "I will gladly give it to you as a gift," he said. "No but rather sell it to me." "I agree if you set the price," he said "Then I'll buy it for one Dirham!" said the Prophet . "Do you give me much less than its value?" he said, "Then two Dirhams," but he refused. The Prophet  kept increasing the price until he offered to buy it for one oke (a unit of weight) of gold. Jabir  said: "I owe a man one oke of gold, so I will sell it to you and pay my debt." The Prophet  reached out to take hold of the camel, but Jabir   said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have a last condition: that you let me ride it until we reach Madeenah." He  smiled and said: "You may ride it until Madeenah." He rode alongside the Prophet  holding the camel's reins to slow it down, while the Prophet  kept saying: "O Allah, forgive Jabir all his sins"

The next day when they reached Madeenah, Jabir  went to the Prophet's mosque to hand him over his camel. When he saw the camel, the Prophet  smiled and held it by its reins and walked around with it saying: "So the camel is ours." Then he said to Bilal : "Give him one oke of gold and then some more." Jabir  left the mosque quiet content with the deal, looking forward to bring the news to his wife, when he heard someone calling him: "The Messenger of Allah  wants you back." He  said to himself: "I hope the Messenger of Allah  is happy with his camel." When the Prophet  saw him, he asked him: "Are you happy with the price?" "Yes, and may Allah reward you for the additional money." "Then take hold of your camel, it is yours," said the Prophet . "How come, O Messenger of Allah, the camel is rightly yours, for I received its price!" "The money and the camel are yours," said the Prophet . Then he tapped Jabir on the shoulder and said: "Did you think that I bargained with you to take your camel away from you? It was not my intention!" Jabir     thanked the Prophet  for his great generosity and his gentleness, and left home bursting with joy.

Jabir  related what has happened to his wife. She laughed for a long time, then said: "I was expecting that from the Prophet ." Jabir  said: "I have felt the same way when the Prophet  was bargaining with me."

Jabir  took great care of his camel for it became so dear to him after this event. The camel was at his service during the time of the Prophet  and the Caliph Abu Bakr  after him, and then when it got old the Caliph told him to let it graze with the flock of camels of charity and roam freely in the grazing lands.

That was the story of Jabir  and his camel, a story that highlights not only the camaraderie of the Prophet  with his companions, but also his great leniency and generosity, and the great love they had for him. -islamweb.net

The Sunnah of the Prophet: Definitions

“Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.”[Quran 53:3-4]

Lexically, the word Sunnah has several, different yet close meanings. Sunnah may mean a way of life, or a path or behavior that is followed whether praiseworthy, or otherwise. Mostly, however, it refers to something good. The Prophet  said, "Whoever starts a good Sunnah he will get the reward for it and the reward of others who would do the same thing until the Day of Judgment. And whoever does a bad Sunnah he will have the punishment for doing it and the punishment of others who practice it." [Muslim]

Another Arabic root of the word Sunnah is bayaan, or making something clear through talking or acting. The most common meaning indicates that Sunnah is to initiate something or set an example to be followed. Hence, if a person started something that people then followed, he is considered to have established a Sunnah. The Prophet  said, "For any soul, unjustly killed, the first son of Aadam, Abel, will carry a burden of its shedding, for he was the first to begin the Sunnah (or crime) of murder." [At-Tirmithi]

As an Islamic term, scholars of the different disciplines of Sharee'ah (Islamic Law) have defined Sunnah in slightly different ways to suit their fields' perspectives. According to Legal theorists who typically regard the Sunnah as a source for the principles used in the derivation of rulings of various Islamic Jurisprudence matters, define it as "The statements, actions and approvals (or disapprovals) of Prophet Muhammad ."

The jurists use the word Sunnah in two different ways. On one hand, like the Legal theorists, they define Sunnah as the statements, actions, and approvals of' the Prophet, . On the other hand, and since the role of the jurists is to judge actions and indicate their rulings as obligatory, recommended, etc., they use the term Sunnah to indicate actions as being recommended or praise-worthy.

However, the definition of Sunnah, according to the scholars of Hadeeth, is more comprehensive for it is inclusive of everything related to the person and life of the Prophet . They defined the Sunnah as "Anything narrated from or about the Prophet  either before or after he became a prophet, of his statements, actions, confirmations, biography, and his physical character and attributes." This is the definition, which we will be using throughout this series InshaAllah. -islamweb.net

CHAPTER 95, AT-TEEN (THE FIG)

Introduction

The Fig is a concise chapter of eight verses.  Its name comes from the first words of the first verse.  The majority of scholars agree that this chapter was revealed in Mecca and Mecca is mentioned in the chapter giving credence to this assumption.  Meccan chapters, especially the short chapters at the end of the Quran, usually focus on the basics of Islam particularly the nature of the Hereafter. 

In the previous chapter God promised to ease the hardship of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and in this chapter we are reminded that all messengers of God went through hardship.  We are also taught that human beings are created in an excellent way and are able to endure hardship.   People can reach high levels of both endurance and faith by following the examples set by the messengers.  Although short, this chapter is one of the most in-depth chapters in regards to the nature of humankind.  God created humankind to be in perfect harmony with faith.  If people deviate from the straight path, they risk sinking to the lowest depths imaginable.

Verses 1 – 3 Three oaths

This chapter opens with three oaths and we know that when God gives an oath, when he swears by something, He is then going to give a response that is related to the oath.  The oath is the framework in which the central message of the chapter sits. 

By the fig and the olive,

By Mount Sinai,

And by the secure city (of Mecca).

The first verse seems to be straightforward, God is swearing by the fig and the olive.  Both fruits have many benefits for humankind.  However, in the following oaths, God mentions places.  Theses oaths have been much debated by the scholars of Islam.  Some say that the foods are just foods we are familiar with; the fig was praised by Prophet Muhammad in his traditions and the olive is praised by God in the Quran particularly in chapter twenty-four.  Others point out that, at the time, the Arabs would refer to a place by the food that was grown there.  Thus, the words fig and olive can refer to the place where these were grown, the lands of Syria and Palestine.  Mount Sinai clearly refers to the Sinai Peninsula, and the secure city is the city of Mecca. 

All four places are the habitats of prophets, and the prophets are examples of human beings living their best life.  It is said that the fig refers to the area in Syria where Prophet Noah built his mosque, and the olive refers to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and brings to mind Prophet Jesus.   Prophet Moses is always associated with Mount Sinai, and Prophet Muhammad is the prophet most closely connected to the secure city of Mecca but so too is Prophet Abraham.

Verses 4 & 5 Human nature

People are made in the best form, and due to that stature, we have a great responsibility.  We have been created in this manner so that we are able and equipped to follow the best way or path.  God created humankind with special care; we are upright, symmetrical and balanced in form and nature.   God intended humans to have a distinct rank in the universe.  However, humankind is also given the quality of being able to stoop down to levels unreached by any other creatures.

When a person deviates from the upright nature God intended for him, he is able to reach down into the depths of degradation.  People can become so overwhelmed by greed, selfishness, addiction, rage and fury, and other such traits, that morally they are reduced to the lowest of the low.  When this happens, animals become more superior because they do not deviate from their God-given nature; they fulfill their functions as they have been guided.  Humankind has been given free will to choose their behavior.  Having laid out the path and sent guidance, God allows humankind to choose their beliefs and deeds, and subsequently their destination.  Those who slip to the lowest level may be on a slippery road to Hell where they will be punished for their misdeeds.

There are some scholars that say the lowest of the low could refer to people who in their prime and strength did righteous deeds but in their old age were unable to continue them; there would be no reduction in their reward. 

Verses 6 – 8 Righteousness and judgement

The importance of faith and good deeds now becomes apparent because these are what elevates the human being.  Those who follow the messengers doing righteous deeds are the best of all people and will be abundantly rewarded.  On the other hand, those who obstinately reject the messengers are the worst of the worst. 

At the time many people said that Prophet Muhammad was lying about the Day of Resurrection and the Judgement.  In these times also there are those who recognize that Islam is true, but they don't want to submit to God, so they call it lies.  It would only be the lowest of the low that would behave like this, or lie about Prophet Muhammad.  God is directly rebuking them by asking what sort of person would act like this.  Misdeeds do not go unnoticed, God is watching, and He is the most just; He will reward or punish each person according to what he or she has done. -islamreligion.com

White Lies: Are They Permissible?

Many take the permission of the Prophet to lie in three exceptional cases in the wrong way as a justification for white lies. The Prophet  said: "A liar is not one who tries to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good (in order to avert dispute), or he conveys good." [Muslim]

Commenting on this Hadeeth, Ibn Shihab, one of the transmitters, said that he has not heard that the exemption was granted with regard to the typical lies that people tell but in three cases: In war in order to cause reconciliation among people and in the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband (in a euphemistic way in order to cause reconciliation between them).

Some may take this as a license to take truthfulness lightly and tell what they think to be white, harmless lies. The case is the opposite. What people misunderstand is the Arabic usage of the word `kadhib.' In particular in the Prophet's usage of it  `kadhib' means anything less than the complete truth, even if it is not a lie in our ordinary usage of the term. This becomes clear in the following Hadeeth narrated by Muslim:

The Prophet  said: "Ibraheem  never `lied' except in three cases, two for Allah, when he said [as an excuse when asked by his people to join them in celebration of their idols] `I am sick'; and [when they came back and asked who broke their idols, he said] `Rather, it was the biggest among them who did that.' And the third was about Sarah, and that was his saying: `When he asks you, say you are my sister, because you are my sister in Islam.' [Muslim]

Imam an-Nawawi explains that these lies were "lies only with regard to the understanding of their immediate audience, but not in and of themselves." Ibraheem  indeed was "sick" of their idol-worship, and his response that it was the biggest idol who broke the rest was simply a rhetorical ploy, which is not ordinarily considered a lie in our speech. For instance, when a friend sees you sipping on a cup of tea and asks, "What are you doing?" and you say: "What do you think? I am flying in the air"—that is not a lie, but a rhetorical expression to convey your annoyance. The Prophet Ibraaheem  made this clear in the third example by adding that Sarah was his sister "in Islam," for she, indeed, was. But the Prophet  still called it a lie because it was less than the whole truth.

The scholars of Islam agree, reports Imam an-Nawawi, that a Muslim is permitted, indeed, required, to hide an innocent or wrongly persecuted person from oppressors, and if he must lie in this pursuit, he can. But even in such cases, lying should be avoided if possible. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq the most truthful man of the ‘Ummah who accompanied the Prophet  on his flight to Madeenah, was accosted by an acquaintance of his who did not know the Prophet  by face but had probably heard of the Makkan search for him. He asked Abu Bakr  about his companion, to which Abu Bakr  said: "He is my guide. He shows me the way." Abu Bakr did not lie even in such dire circumstances, but simply equivocated.

The case of "lying" allowed for a husband speaking to his wife (or vice versa) is similar. When a wife asks her husband if he loves her or thinks she looks beautiful, the answer is not always clear even to the husband. Depending on his state of mind and their relationship, the woman who looks perfectly beautiful and loveable to him most of the time might look not so at the moment. Especially, when influenced by Satan's whispers, one's wife often looks less attractive than other women, even if the opposite is true.

Since the usual standard of truthfulness in Islam is so meticulous and high, the husband is allowed to say what pleases her or helps reconcile her heart, even if at that moment he does not feel exactly that way.

Saying that he loves his wife is likely in fact to recall in his mind what he loves about her and bring happiness and incite more love in her heart. Thus, the statements made to please one's spouse are not, strictly speaking, "lying" in our ordinary usage.

With this exception, lying to one's spouse in any other situation or any other way is as prohibited and despised as in any other. A relationship built on lies cannot last for very long, let alone be blessed with "mercy" and "love" that Allah promises to place between spouses [Quran 30:21].

Finally, take the case of war. War is fought to overcome and often destroy the other side. But even in this situation, the rule in the Quran is to never deceive in principle. People often misunderstand what the Prophet famously said, namely, that "War is khud'ah (stratagem)." Khud'ah is stratagem, a tactical maneuver to mislead the enemy. It is not treachery, deception, or breach of agreement, which would be khiyaanah, and Allah emphatically prohibits that.

Allah Almighty Says (what means): {If you fear treachery (khiyana) from any group, openly throw back (their covenant) to them, (so as to be) on equal terms: for Allah loves not the treacherous.} [Quran 8:58]

Imagine the level of integrity required, such that even when you fear the enemy's breach of treaty and attack, you do not simply unilaterally end the treaty and attack them, but, rather, let your enemy know that the treaty is over.

What the Quran and Hadeeth teach us is that the requirement in Islam of truthfulness and integrity is so high and the agreement between our outsides and insides must be so meticulous that even equivocation, telling half the truth, and evading the straightforward fact is termed as kadhib, a lie. Under normal circumstances, such differences between one's words and true feelings would be considered lying, but they are allowed in uniquely exceptional circumstances. - islamweb.net

THE ARABIAN PENINSULA’S CLIMATE

From the miracles of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is that the Arabian Peninsula was once a lush green land full of trees and rivers.  Prophet Muhammad said, "The Last Hour will not come… till the land of Arabia once again becomes meadows and rivers."[1]   

There was no way Prophet Muhammad who was illiterate could have known, given the limitation of scientific and technological capabilities at the time, such a fact by himself.  What is equally striking is that currently the Arabian Peninsula is the complete opposite of a lush green place.  Instead it has one of the hottest climates in the world, with zero permanent rivers and about 85% of the 2nd largest desert in the world, the "Arabian Desert" lies in it as well as the entire largest sand desert in the world, the "Empty Quarter" (the "Empty Quarter" has an average rainfall of 4 inches annually and temperatures can reach an unbearable 54 degrees centigrade).[2]  

Studies in geology and archeology have recently confirmed to a degree beyond any doubt that the Arabian Peninsula once had a much cooler climate and that it truly was a lush green area full of trees, lakes and rivers.  Such is based on the following:

1)   Scientists have documented that earth witnessed its most resent ice age during the Pleistocene Epoch period that began about 2.59 million years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago.[3]  During this period large parts of the earth were covered in ice and the climate was much cooler than what it is today with average global temperatures 5°C to 10°C below current average temperatures.  While ice covered parts of Europe, Asia and the America’s, the Arabian Peninsula witnessed a pleasant climate much like Europe’s current climate.      

2)   In 2014 researchers in Saudi Arabia discovered fossilized remains of an elephant in the Nafud Desert.  With over 60% of the elephant’s fossilized bones intact, including an entire tusk, it remarkably indicates that the Nafud desert once had a climate suitable for elephants to live in.  It is also worth mentioning that the discovered elephant was 50% larger in size and about twice the weight of the current day elephant.[4]

      More so, in 2017 Saudi Arabia’s Centre for International Communication announced the discovery of fossils of other creatures including crocodiles and seahorses, and more remarkably the discovery, in total, of 10,000 ancient lake and river beds across the Arabian Peninsula.[5] Furthermore, in 2017 Dr.  Eid Al Yahya, a well-known archeologist, discovered the first ever fossilized mammoth in Saudi  Arabia; and throughout the past decade has discovered and documented over a thousand flint spearheads (made of silica) and other advanced large-prey hunting tools in remote desert locations that indicate that civilizations once hunted in these now barren areas. 

3)   The huge discoveries of oil and gas in the Arabian Peninsula.  Oil is the remains of dead microscopic plants and animals that lived in oceans, rivers or lakes millions of years ago.  The lack of oxygen enabled the dead microorganisms to maintain their hydro-carbon bonds which is needed for the formation of oil and gas.  River basins in particular have low oxygen levels due to constricted water circulation making them the optimum place for the formation of oil and gas.  Heat and pressure and the passing of millions of years then caused the formation of oil and gas.[6]

      Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, as well as other countries in the Arabian Peninsula need no introduction when it comes to their proven oil reserves.  Remarkably the oil fields in the Arabian Peninsula are both offshore and onshore (over land; not sea).  The legendary Ghawar field in eastern Saudi Arabia is the largest oil field in the world (in proven reserves), has been operating since the 1950’s, has an estimated 70 billion barrels of remaining reserves, and remarkably geographically it is located onshore in both the Empty Quarter and the Arabian Desert.  Likewise, the Burgan field in Kuwait is the 2nd largest oil field in the world and is also located onshore within the Arabian Desert.  The discovery of such onshore oil fields means that for millions of years, even before the last ice age started, the Arabian Peninsula was not the dry barren land it is today, instead was a paradise of lakes, rivers and river basins.   

4)   Satellite images taken from space have confirmed that the Arabian Peninsula once had a totally different geography and climate.  The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage reported that in the 1990’s "Landsat" provided imagery of eastern and southern parts of Saudi Arabia, including the Empty Quarter.  The satellite images revealed old trade routes, river paths and valleys; all of which are now covered by sand dunes. 

In conclusion, geological and archeological discoveries confirm the saying of the Prophet Muhammad, that the Arabian Peninsula was once full of meadows and rivers; a fact that Prophet Muhammad could not have known by himself except through revelation from God Almighty.

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Saheeh Muslim, Book # 05, Hadeeth # 2208

[2]Elizabeth Howell, August 2013, The 10 Biggest Deserts on Earth, Live Science, Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/38592-biggest-deserts.html

[3]Kim Ann Zimmermann, August 2017, Pleistocene Epoch: Facts about the Last Ice Age, Live Science Contributor, Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/40311-pleistocene-epoch.html

[4]Kim Ann Zimmermann, August 2017, Pleistocene Epoch: Facts about the Last Ice Age, Live Science Contributor, Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/40311-pleistocene-epoch.html

[5]Habib Toumi, September 2018, Ancient Saudi Arabia was once lush and green, Gulf News, Retrieved from https://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/ancient-saudi-arabia-was-once-lush-and-green-1.2153218

[6]Roger N.  Anderson, Why is oil usually found in deserts and arctic areas? Scientific American, Retrieved fromhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-oil-usually-found

-islamreligion.com