>"I was with Malik.. and a scorpion stung him ten times…"

>Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubarak said:

“I was with [Imam] Malik while he was relating hadith to us and a scorpion stung him ten times. Malik changed colour and grew ashen, but he did not interrupt the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). 

When the people left him, I said ‘I have seen something wondrous from you today.’” he mentioned the story and Malik said, “I was not steadfast out of fortitute, but out of respect for the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allah alayhi wasalam).”

Bustaan al-Muhaddithin, The Garden of the Hadith Scholars p.25

“I Wish To be Killed Following The Sunnah”

“I Wish To be Killed Following The Sunnah”

Ibn Al-’Arabi Al-Maaliki said: ‘I once invited Shaikh Abu Bakr Al-Fihri in Muharras Ibn Ash-Shawwa’ at Ath-Thagr. Abu Bakr was of those eminent Shaikhs who earnestly followed the prophet’s example in raising his hands in Salaat. He arrived at the Thagr where I teach.

The Shaikh entered the mosque and stood in the first row. And I was standing at its end near a window looking over the sea to enjoy the breeze. In the same row, there were the chief of the sea crew Abu Thamnah, his deputy and some members of the crew waiting for the Imaam to lead them in the Salaat.

During his [Naafilah] Salaat, the Shaikh raised his hands when doing Ruku‘ and when raising from it. Abu Thamnah addressed his companions: ‘Do you see what has this eastern done?! Go and Kill him and throw his body in the sea and let no one see you’. Hearing this, I felt that my heart jumped into my throat and said to them: ‘Subhaana Allaah, this is the great Faqih of our time, At-Turtushi’.

They asked: ‘Why does he raise his hands then?’

I said: ‘This is the prophet’s (saw) Sunnah and Imaam Maalik’s Mathhab as is narrated by the scholars of Madinah(*)’. Then I tried to keep them calm and quiet till the Shaikh finished his Salaat. We, then, returned back to the residence at the Muharris. The Shaikh noticed my anger and inquired about the reason. I told him the whole thing. He, then, laughed and said: ‘Indeed, I wish to be killed following the Sunnah’.

I said: ‘You should not do this; you are in a town where if you follow this Sunnah you will be killed’. He then said: ‘leave aside this idle talk and lets discuss something more useful’.(1)

FOOTNOTES:

(*) Ibn Abdil Hakam said: ‘Ibn Al-Qaasim was the only one to relate from Maalik that he used not to raise his hands in Salaat. We believe in the opposite’. See: “Al-Qawaanin Al-Fiqhiyyah” (p. 64).

(1) “Ahkaamul Qur’aan” (vol. 4 / p. 1900). It was also mentioned by Al-Qurtubi in “At- Tafsir” (vol. 19 / p. 279) and Ash-Shaatibi in “Al-I‘tisaam” (vol. 1 / p. 295).

[Taken from "The Clarified Ruling Of Mistakes Done In Salaah" By Sh. Mashhur Hasan Aal Salmaan, p. 95]

Source: “I Wish To be Killed Following The Sunnah” � The Authentic Base

Golden Chains in Ahadith

Golden Chains

In ‘Sahih Muslim’ (2880), Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah narrated from Zaynab bint Abi Salamah from Habibah from Umm Habibah from Zaynab bint Jahsh that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) woke up one day and said: “Woe to the Arabs from an evil that has come closer! Today, a gap this size has formed in the wall containing Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog),” and Sufyan formed a circle with his fingers to demonstrate what was relayed to him. So, Zaynab asked: “O Messenger of Allah, can we be destroyed while there are righteous people among us?” He said: “Yes, if corruption becomes widespread.”

an-Nawawi commented in ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (9/180):

“This chain of narration contains four female Companions – two of the Messenger of Allah’s wives and two of his step-daughters – narrating from each other in a continuous chain. And it is not known that any other hadith besides this combines four female Companions with each narrating from the other in a continuous chain.”

And Ibn Kathir mentioned the following gem in ‘Tafsir al-Qur’an al-’Adhim’ (2/142):

"I did not come here to look at elephants."

http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=271

“I did not come here to look at elephants.”

1 – Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“One day, Ibn Taymiyyah said to me, regarding an action that is permissible: “This goes against what those who are of the higher levels should be doing, even if its abandonment is not a condition for being from the successful.”"

['Madarij as-Salikin'; 2/26]

2 – al-Hafidh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali bin Ahmad az-Zaydi said:

“Deal with optional acts of worship (nawafil) as if they are obligatory, and acts of disobedience as if they are kufr, and your desires as if they are poison, and socializing with the people as if it were fire, and nurturing of your soul as if it were medicine.”

['Khilasat al-Athar'; 3/401]

3 – It was narrated, regarding Yahya bin Yahya:

“…that when he was a young boy, he travelled from al-Andalus to Madinah in order to study with al-Imam Malik. One day, he was attending a lesson, along with Malik’s students. Suddenly, someone called out: “The elephants are here!” So, the companions of Malik all went out to look at the elephants that were passing by, except for Yahya, who stayed in his place.

al-Imam Malik then said to him: “Why did you not come out to see the elephants? I’m sure you’ve never seen one in al-Andalus.”

Yahya replied: “I came from my homeland to look at you, and to learn from your guidance and knowledge. I did not come here to look at elephants.”

So, Malik became impressed at this boy’s seriousness, and called him ‘The Wisest of al-Andalus.’”

[''Uluww al-Himmah'; p. 78]

4 – It was narrated, regarding ‘Abd ar-Rahman ad-Dakhil:

“…that he was from the ‘Abbasids. When he set out for al-Andalus, he was given a beautiful slavegirl as a gift. So, he looked at her, and said: “Verily, she has a great status with my eyes and heart, and if I were to be distracted from her by the tasks I aspire to accomplish on this journey, I would have wronged her. And if I were to be distracted by her from the tasks I aspire to accomplish on this journey, I would have wronged my aspirations. Therefore, I have no need for her at this time,” and he returned her to her owner.”

['Nafh at-Tib'; 4/43]

5 – ash-Shafi’i said:

إن لله عبادا فطنا * تركوا الدنيا وخافوا الفتنا
نظروا فيها فلما علموا * أنها ليست لحي وطنا
جعلوها لجة واتخذوا * صالح الأعمال فيها سفنا

Verily, Allah has intelligent slaves * They abandoned the dunya, and were cautious of its tribulations;

They looked to it, and when they realized * That it is not an abode for those who are truly alive;

They made it a transitory station, and took * Righteous actions as a vehicle.

['Diywan ash-Shafi'i']

>"I did not come here to look at elephants."

>http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=271

“I did not come here to look at elephants.”

1 – Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“One day, Ibn Taymiyyah said to me, regarding an action that is permissible: “This goes against what those who are of the higher levels should be doing, even if its abandonment is not a condition for being from the successful.”"

['Madarij as-Salikin'; 2/26]

2 – al-Hafidh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali bin Ahmad az-Zaydi said:

“Deal with optional acts of worship (nawafil) as if they are obligatory, and acts of disobedience as if they are kufr, and your desires as if they are poison, and socializing with the people as if it were fire, and nurturing of your soul as if it were medicine.”

['Khilasat al-Athar'; 3/401]

3 – It was narrated, regarding Yahya bin Yahya:

“…that when he was a young boy, he travelled from al-Andalus to Madinah in order to study with al-Imam Malik. One day, he was attending a lesson, along with Malik’s students. Suddenly, someone called out: “The elephants are here!” So, the companions of Malik all went out to look at the elephants that were passing by, except for Yahya, who stayed in his place.

al-Imam Malik then said to him: “Why did you not come out to see the elephants? I’m sure you’ve never seen one in al-Andalus.”

Yahya replied: “I came from my homeland to look at you, and to learn from your guidance and knowledge. I did not come here to look at elephants.”

So, Malik became impressed at this boy’s seriousness, and called him ‘The Wisest of al-Andalus.’”

[''Uluww al-Himmah'; p. 78]

4 – It was narrated, regarding ‘Abd ar-Rahman ad-Dakhil:

“…that he was from the ‘Abbasids. When he set out for al-Andalus, he was given a beautiful slavegirl as a gift. So, he looked at her, and said: “Verily, she has a great status with my eyes and heart, and if I were to be distracted from her by the tasks I aspire to accomplish on this journey, I would have wronged her. And if I were to be distracted by her from the tasks I aspire to accomplish on this journey, I would have wronged my aspirations. Therefore, I have no need for her at this time,” and he returned her to her owner.”

['Nafh at-Tib'; 4/43]

5 – ash-Shafi’i said:

إن لله عبادا فطنا * تركوا الدنيا وخافوا الفتنا
نظروا فيها فلما علموا * أنها ليست لحي وطنا
جعلوها لجة واتخذوا * صالح الأعمال فيها سفنا

Verily, Allah has intelligent slaves * They abandoned the dunya, and were cautious of its tribulations;

They looked to it, and when they realized * That it is not an abode for those who are truly alive;

They made it a transitory station, and took * Righteous actions as a vehicle.

['Diywan ash-Shafi'i']