From the Lamp of the Prophethood (3) Dhul ‘Aqisatain (The Person with two Braids)

From the Lamp of the Prophethood (3)

Dhul ‘Aqisatain (The Person with two Braids)

All praises be to Allah, the All-knowing, All-wise, All-encompassing, Great, Fully Aware, All-knowing. I bear witness that there’s no god but Allah, the praiseworthy Protector, Good and Honourable, All-aware witness. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave, messenger, chosen one and friend. He conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the nation and strove in the cause of Allah as is due. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, his family and companions… and after:

I advise you and myself of the greatest and most beneficial, most profitable and most comprehensive advice that Allah has advised us and the previous nations. Allah said: “And We have instructed those who were given the Scripture before you and yourselves to fear Allah.” [An-Nisaa: 131]. Can the blessing of the paradise and its high grades be attained -after the mercy of Allah – except through righteousness. Allah said: (That is Paradise, which We give as inheritance to those of Our servants who were fearing of Allah.) [Maryam: 63].

Brothers in belief, ponder over this event of the prophet’s life..

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

While we were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg and then said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his arm. We replied, "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him, "O Son of `Abdul Muttalib." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I am here to answer your questions." The man said to the Prophet, "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Ask whatever you want." The man said, "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the mankind?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "By Allah, yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night (24 hours).? He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah! Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year (i.e. Ramadan)?" He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take Zakat (obligatory charity) from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "By Allah, yes." Thereupon that man said, "I have believed in all that with which you have been sent, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger, and I am Dimam bin Tha`laba from the brothers of Bani Sa`d bin Bakr." This hadith has been narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

According to a narration by Ahmad: when he finished, he said: I bear witness that there’s no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. I’ll fulfil these obligations and avoid what you’ve forbidden me from. Then, I’ll neither increase nor decrease. The narrator said: then he returned to his camel. The prophet said when he went back: If Dhul ‘Aqisatain (the person with two braids) is truthful, he’ll enter the paradise. The narrator said: he came to his camel and untied its rope, then went until he reached to his people. They gathered around him. The first thing that he said was: Laat and Uzza are bad. They said: stop, O’ Dimam. Fear leprosy, fear lunacy. He said: woe be to you, indeed, by Allah, they neither harm nor benefit. Indeed, Allah has sent a messenger and revealed on him a Book through which He’s save you from what you are in. I bear witness that there’s no god but Allah, the One having no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. Indeed, I’ve brought from him what he’s ordered you to do and what he’s prohibited you from. The narrator said: By Allah, no man or woman remained in the evening of that day but they became Muslims. The narrator said: Ibn Abbas says: I never heard about a delegate of nation who was more beneficial than Dimam Bin Tha’labah.

Allah is the greatest… How big is the belief when it resides in the heart!

O’ friends, let’s discuss some lessons from this story:

• We observe in the story that the prophet would live with his companions so deeply mixed that a stranger would not be able to recognise him among them as is evident from his question: “who among you is Muhammad?” according to another narration: “Who among you is Ibn Abd Al Muttalib?”. So, neither his dress had anything to stand him apart, nor his condition was such as to distinguish him from others. That’s why he prohibited them from standing around him as the non-Arabs stand. The prophet gave such instructions to distance himself from the stance of the proud and self-conceited persons. Through this proximity and association, he corrected their concepts and behaviour, and his love got deeply entrenched in their heart.

• The statement of the prophet “ask whatever you want” is a prophetic signboard for the disciples of truth and seekers of guidance. It denotes that there are no barred questions, because there’s nothing in the religion brought by the messenger of Allah, which is shameful to mention or upsetting to ask.

• Among the imports of this hadith is the good morals of the prophet. There was harshness in the way Dimam had addressed him, which is evident in the words “I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So, do not get angry.” It’s noteworthy that this event took place after the conquest of Makkah and after people started entering into the religion of Allah in hosts. Despite that, the prophet understood his statement and its nature.

And hadith has more to offer…

May Allah benefit you and me from the Book and Sunnah and the guidance and wisdom they contain. Seek the forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, He’s the Most Forgiving.

All praises to Allah…

Second sermon

And after:

• Among the lessons drawn from the previous story is that the mission of correcting the religion and confirming the belief is important to Dimam Bin Tha’labah. That’s why he travelled to confirm what he came to know about the prophet and to firm up his decision about his previous religion. This shows his seriousness and readiness to shoulder the responsibility of this religion if the truthfulness of the messenger became clear to him. Finally, it dawned on him that the messenger of Allah was truthful.

• Among the lessons learnt: How wonderful is the belief when it enters the heart. See, Dimam returns to his people and Laat and Uzza are completely out from his heart, rather, he’s abusing them. His polytheist people fear lest leprosy may hit him, but when belief and monotheism shine, all myths and conventions fall flat on the earth. This is evident in his statement: “woe be to you, indeed they neither harm nor benefit.”

Among the lessons learnt is the importance of preaching the religion. See, Dimam declared his belief and said: “I have been sent by my people as a messenger”. Ibn Abbas said: “I never heard about a delegate of nation who was more beneficial than Dimam Bin Tha’labah.”

O’ Allah, be pleased with Dimam Bin Tha’labah, all companions, their followers and us along with them through Your mercy, O’ most merciful of the merciful.