Ana Muslim

Narrated by Jabir ibnu ‘Abdullah (RA) :

We proceeded in the company of the Allah’s Messenger (SAW) for the battle of Dhat ar-Riqa. One of the Muslims killed the wife of one of the unbelievers. He (the husband of the woman killed) took an oath saying :

I shall not rest until I kill one of the companions of Muhammad.

He went out following the footsteps of Allah’s Messenger (SAW). Allah’s Messenger (SAW) encamped at a certain place. He said :

Who will keep a watch on us ?

A person from the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and another from the Ansar (Helpers) responded.

He said :

Go to the mouth of the mountain-pass.

When they went to the mouth of the mountain-pass the man from the Muhajirun lay down while the man from the Ansar stood praying.

The man (enemy) came to them. When he saw the person he realised that he was the watchman of the Muslims. He shot him with an arrow and hit the target. But he (took the arrow out and) threw it away. He (the enemy) then shot three arrows. Then he (the Muslim) bowed and prostrated and awoke his companion. When he (the enemy) perceived that they (the Muslims) had become aware of his presence, he ran away.

When the man from the Muhajirun saw the (man from the Ansar) bleeding, he asked him :

Glory be to Allah ! Why did you not wake me up the first time when he shot at you ?

He replied :

I was busy reciting a chapter of Al-Qur’an. I did not like to leave it.

[ Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 1, No. 0198 ]

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Masha-Allaah, notice how khushoo’ the Ansari was in performing his solat ?

* Read : How to Taste the Sweetness of Prayer.

Allah’s Messenger (salla-Allaahu-’alayhi-wa-sallam) said :

Children are the cause of grief, cowardice, ignorance and miserliness.

[ Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 24/241; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1990 ]

When he said that children are the cause of grief, he meant that when a child gets sick, the parent feels grief; if the child asks for something that the father cannot provide, this grieves the father; and if the child grows up and rebels against his father, this is a cause of ongoing grief and distress.

When he said that children are the cause of cowardliness, he meant that when a man wants to fight in jihaad for the sake of Allaah, the Shaytaan comes to him and says, “You will be killed and will die, and your children will become orphans, lost and alone”, so he stays home and does not go out for jihaad.

When he said that children are the cause of ignorance, he meant that they distract a father from seeking knowledge and trying to acquire learning by attending gatherings and reading books.

When he said that they are the cause of miserliness, he meant that if a man wants to spend for the sake of Allaah, the Shaytaan reminds him of his children, so he thinks, “My children deserve the money, I will leave it for them when I die”, so he is miserly in the sense that he refrains from spending it for the sake of Allaah.

[ Weakness of Faith By Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid ]