Sun 16 Jun 2019
Lesson 28:
- Recap of previous lesson
- Disciplining oneself before you become angry
- What to do when anger arises
- Consequences of anger
Hadith 17
- On the authority of Abu Ya’la Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Indeed Allah has prescribed ihsan upon everything. So if you kill, then kill well; and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. And let each one of you sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering for the animal he slaughters.” [Muslim]
- The explanation of this hadith is split into 5 parts
Part 1: “Indeed Allah has prescribed ihsan upon everything”
- What is Ihsan?
- What did the Messenger of Allah mean by this statement?
- To do well in regards to humans and animals
Part 2: Kindness towards animals
- The Messenger of Allah described Ihsan with the example of being good and kind to the animal which one slaughters by sharpening the blade and sparring suffering
Part 3: Perfection in all of one’s actions
- This hadith indicates the obligation in observing goodness, kindness and perfection in all things
- This also applies to rulings by the Islamic government e.g. capital punishment
- Perfection in Prayer
- Perfection in dealing with others and loving for one’s brother what you love for yourself
- Doing well in those matters which are obligatory and also those which are optional
Part 4: Ihsan in killing
- Perfection and doing well in slaughtering an animal
- Perfection and likewise doing well in the conventional battle field
- The impermissibility of torture and mutilation in the battle field, it is not legislated to give an enemy a slow painful death
- Perfection and kindess in capital punishment
- Exceptions to the above in capital punishment in Islam, e.g. punishment of Like-for-Like (e.g. an eye for an eye)
Part 5: Summary of benefits
- 1. The obligation of performing ihsan in everything
- 2. The obligation of killing in the least painful manner
- 3. The obligation of ihsan when slaughtering the animal
- 4. The obligation of examining the blade, ensuring it is sharp before using it
Hadith 18
- On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fear Allah wherever you may be, and follow up an evil deed with a good deed it will wipe it away, and behave with the people with good manners.” [At-Tirmidhi]
- The explanation of this hadith is split into 5 parts
Part 1: The great significance of this Hadith
- This hadith contains within it what is required from a muslim as far as what is required from him in terms of his relationshup with Allah, himself and the everyione else
- The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said this to Muadh Ibn Jabal as he was setting off on his journey to Yemen
Part 2: “Fear Allah wherever you may be”
- What is taqwa? First part:
- Linguistically it means to place a barrier between yourself and what you fear
- We fear the punishment of Allah
- Islamically it means to place a barrier between yourself and the punishment of Allah
- What is the barrier against the punishment of Allah?
- How Talq Ibn Hadid (Taabi’i, may Allah be pleased with him) described Taqwa
- Second part: To leave that which Allah has prohibited you from
- How do we implement this barrier?
- Why is the statement “Fear Allah wherever you may be” even more important when one is travelling?
Q&A:
- Where does Taqwa originate from?
- Can you give a brief explanation as to why it is significant for a person to have Taqwa whilst he is travelling
- What about someone who does a sin but he says taqwa is in the heart and therefore he does not need advice
- Is Capital punishment applicable to an entire group or is it on a case basis?
- Can the statement within hadith 18 be given as advice to every traveller?
- Does this hadith mean someone should be more pious or have more taqwa only when he travels?