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﴿ وَٱلشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ ٱلۡغَاوُۥنَ ﴾

سورة الشعراء

As for poets, they are followed by the deviants.

﴿ قَدۡ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَتَلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَهُمۡ سَفَهَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖ وَحَرَّمُواْ مَا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱفۡتِرَآءً عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ قَدۡ ضَلُّواْ وَمَا كَانُواْ مُهۡتَدِينَ ﴾

سورة الأنعام

140. Indeed lost are they who have killed their children, foolishly, without knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allâh has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allâh. They have indeed gone astray and were not guided.

﴿ فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ قَوۡمٞ مُّجۡرِمُونَ ﴾

سورة الدخان

Then he called upon his Lord, “These are wicked people”.

﴿ قَالُواْ يَٰشُعَيۡبُ أَصَلَوٰتُكَ تَأۡمُرُكَ أَن نَّتۡرُكَ مَا يَعۡبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَآ أَوۡ أَن نَّفۡعَلَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِنَا مَا نَشَٰٓؤُاْۖ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ ٱلۡحَلِيمُ ٱلرَّشِيدُ ﴾

سورة هود

87. They said: "O Shu‘aib! Does your Salât (prayer) command that we give up what our fathers used to worship, or that we give up doing what we like with our property? Verily, you are the forbearer, right-minded!" (They said this sarcastically).

﴿ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ ﴾

سورة المدثر

We have only appointed angels as keepers of the Fire, and We have only made their number as a test for the disbelievers[8], so that those who were given the Scripture may have certainty and the believers may increase in faith; and neither those who were given the Scripture nor the believers may have any doubts; and so that those [hypocrites] in whose hearts is sickness and the disbelievers may say, “What does Allah mean by this number?” Thus Allah causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills, and none knows the soldiers of your Lord but He. This is but a reminder to mankind.

﴿ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُواْ فَفِي ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمۡ فِيهَا زَفِيرٞ وَشَهِيقٌ ﴾

سورة هود

As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, wherein they will be moaning and gasping,

﴿ قُل لَّوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَلَوۡتُهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَآ أَدۡرَىٰكُم بِهِۦۖ فَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُ فِيكُمۡ عُمُرٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦٓۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ﴾

سورة يونس

16. Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "If Allâh had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a life time before this. Have you then no sense?"

﴿ لَا تَقُمۡ فِيهِ أَبَدٗاۚ لَّمَسۡجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ مِنۡ أَوَّلِ يَوۡمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٞ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُطَّهِّرِينَ ﴾

سورة التوبة

Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day[504] is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allāh loves those who purify themselves.

﴿ إِن يَمۡسَسۡكُمۡ قَرۡحٞ فَقَدۡ مَسَّ ٱلۡقَوۡمَ قَرۡحٞ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمۡ شُهَدَآءَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ﴾

سورة آل عمران

If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allāh may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allāh does not like the wrongdoers -

﴿ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ قَالُواْ مَا هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّفۡتَرٗى وَمَا سَمِعۡنَا بِهَٰذَا فِيٓ ءَابَآئِنَا ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ﴾

سورة القصص

36. Then when Mûsâ (Moses) came to them with Our Clear Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), they said: "This is nothing but invented magic. Never did we hear of this among our fathers of old."

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Shaqīq ibn Salamah (may Allah have mercy on him) reported: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) used to give us a reminder every Thursday. A man said to him: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, we would like for you to give us a reminder every day!" He said: "What prevents me from doing so is that I dislike to bore you. I give you an admonition every now and then, just as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was giving them to us, out of fear that we might become bored."

Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Shaqīq ibn Salamah (may Allah have mercy on him) reported that Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) used to give them an admonition every Thursday. So a man told him that they wished that he would give them an admonition every day. He told them that what prevented him from doing so was his fear that they would become bored and annoyed; and that he was committed to giving them admonitions, yet he would examine their needs (and give them accordingly); just as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do with them, for fear that they would become bored. Definitely, boredom causes the admonition to have no effect.

Suhayb ibn Sinān Ar-Rūmi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among the people who came before you, there was a king who had a sorcerer. When that sorcerer became old, he said to the king: 'I have become old, so send me a boy whom I will teach sorcery.' So, he sent him a boy to teach him. On his way whenever he went, there was a monk. The boy sat with him and listened to his speech and admired it. So, whenever he went to the sorcerer, he passed by the monk and sat with him; and on visiting the sorcerer, the latter would beat him. The boy complained about this to the monk. The monk said to him: 'When you fear the sorcerer, say to him: 'My family detained me,' and when you fear your family, say to them: 'The sorcerer detained me.' The boy carried on like that (for some time). One day he saw a huge beast that prevented people from passing. The boy said: 'Today I shall know whether the sorcerer or the monk is better.' So, he took a stone and said: 'O Allah, If what the monk is upon is dearer to You than what the sorcerer is upon, then let this beast be killed so that people can pass.' Then he threw it [with the stone] and killed it and people managed to pass. The boy came to the monk and informed him about that. The monk said to him: 'O son, today you are better than me, you have come to a stage where I feel that you would soon be put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial, do not inform them about me.' The boy used to treat people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. One of the king's companions, who had become blind, heard about the boy. He brought many gifts for the boy and said: 'All these gifts are for you on condition that you cure me.' The boy said: 'I do not cure anybody; it is only Allah, the Almighty, who can cure people. If you believe in Allah, the Exalted, I will supplicate Him to cure you and He will cure you.' So, he believed in Allah, the Almighty, and Allah cured him. Later, that man came to the king and sat with him as he used to. The king said: 'Who gave you back your sight?' The man replied: 'My Lord.' The king then said: 'Do you have a Lord other than me?' The man said: 'My Lord and your Lord is Allah.' The king tortured him and did not stop until he told him about the boy. So, the boy was brought to the king and he said to him: 'O son! Your magic has reached the extent that enables you to cure congenital blindness, leprosy, etc.' The boy said: 'I do not cure anyone. Only Allah, the Almighty, can cure.' So, he tortured him also until he informed him about the monk. Then the monk was brought to him and the king said to him: 'Abandon your religion.' The monk refused and so the king ordered a saw to be brought, and it was placed in the middle of his head and he was split until he fell in two halves. Then the king's companion was brought and it was said to him: 'Abandon your religion.' He refused to do so, and so a saw was brought and placed in the middle of his head and he fell, split in two halves. Then the boy was brought and it was said to him: 'Abandon your religion.' He refused and so the king turned him over to a group of his people and said: 'Take him to such-and-such mountain. Ascend the mountain with him till you reach its peak, then see if he abandons his religion; otherwise throw him from the top.' They took him and when they ascended to the top, he said: 'O Allah, save me from them the way You wish.' So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king. The king said: 'What did your companions do?' The boy said: 'Allah saved me from them.' So, the king turned him over to a group of his people and said: 'Take him on a ship to the middle of the sea and ask him to renounce his religion, but if he refuses, throw him overboard.' So, they took him out to the sea and he said: 'O Allah, save me from them the way You wish.' So the ship capsized and they drowned. Then the boy came walking back to the king and the king said: 'What did your companions do?' The boy replied: 'Allah, the Almighty, saved me from them.' Then he said to the king: 'You will not be able to kill me until you do as I order you.' The king asked: 'And what is that?' The boy said: 'Gather the people in one place and crucify me; then take an arrow from my quiver and say: "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy." Then shoot it at me. If you do this, you will kill me.' So, the king gathered the people in one place and crucified the boy; then took an arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the bow, then said: "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy," then shot the arrow. It hit the boy in the temple, and the boy placed his hand over the arrow wound and died. The people proclaimed: 'We believe in the Lord of the boy!' The king was approached and was told: ‘Remember what you were afraid of? By Allah, what you feared has happened; people have believed.' So he ordered that trenches should be dug at the entrances to roads, and they were dug, and fires were kindled therein. Then the king said: ‘Whoever does not renounce his religion, throw him into the fire.' They did so until a woman came with her child, and she felt hesitant about jumping into the fire, so her child said to her: 'Be patient mother, for verily, you are on the right path!’"

Narrated by Muslim

This Hadīth tells an amazing story. A king from the old time had a sorcerer whom he took as a counselor for his own benefit, even if that was at the expense of religion, because he was selfish, autocratic and made people worship him. On becoming old, the sorcerer asked the king to send him a boy whom he could teach magic. He wanted a boy, because at that age one could easily receive and memorize knowledge. However, Allah willed good for that boy. One day, this boy passed by a monk. He listened to him and his words pleased him, because this monk was a worshipper of Allah and spoke only what was good. The monk could have been a scholar too, but he was more monastic than scholastic. So whenever the boy set out from his family’s house, he would sit for a while with this monk, and would be late for the sorcerer. Hence, the sorcerer used to beat him, wondering why he was late. The boy then complained to the monk and asked him for a way out of that trouble. The monk advised him to tell the sorcerer that his family was behind his delay whenever he feared his punishment; and to tell his family that the sorcerer was the cause of his delay whenever they asked him. This way could spare him the punishment of both the sorcerer and his family. The monk advised him to lie in that situation probably because he thought that the benefit here outweighed the harm of lying, or he used "detained" as an allusion to spiritual detention. The boy acted on the monk's advice and he used to go to him and listen to him. One day, a huge animal, i.e. a lion, passed and held people from passing. The boy wanted to check who was better than the other, the monk or the sorcerer. So, he picked a stone and supplicated Allah, the Almighty, to let that stone kill that animal if the monk was better in His sight than the sorcerer. He, then, threw the stone and it killed the animal, and people were able to pass. Thus, the boy knew that the monk was better than the magician. He informed the monk of what had happened, and the monk told him that he was better than him, and that he reached a stage where he would be tested, and asked him not to inform on him. The boy used to treat people suffering from congenital blindness, leprosy, and other diseases. There was a companion of the king who had become blind and he heard about the boy. He brought him many gifts and told him that all these gifts would be his if he cured him. The boy told him that he could not cure anybody; it is only Allah, the Exalted, who cures. Moreover, he informed him that if he believed in Allah, he would supplicate Him to cure him. The man, thus, believed in Allah, the Exalted, and Allah cured him. The blind man who was once a companion of the king, and who believed in Allah was brought to the king and was ordered to renounce his new religion, but he refused. This indicates that one should have patience. Then the monk was brought and ordered to give up his religion, but he refused. So, he was sawed into two halves from the middle of his head. The boy, then, was brought and was ordered to renounce his belief, but he refused. So the king handed him over to a group of his people and ordered them to take him to the top of a mountain, then see if he abandoned his religion; otherwise they should throw him therefrom. They took him and when they ascended to the top, he supplicated Allah to save him from them by any means that He wishes. So, the mountain shook and they all fell down and the boy came back walking to the king and told him that Allah had saved him from them. So, the king turned him over to a group of his people and ordered them to take him on a boat to the middle of the sea, and if he refused to renounce his religion, they should throw him overboard. They took him out to sea and he said the same supplication again and the boat capsized and they all drowned. Then the boy came walking back to the king and told him that he would not be able to kill him except by following his instructions. The boy ordered the king to gather the people in one place and tie him to a trunk; then take an arrow from his quiver and say, ‘In the Name of Allah, the Lord of the boy’, then shoot it at him. The king did that and when he shot the arrow, it hit the boy in the temple, and he died. People believed in Allah and the king's worst fears came true. So, he ordered that trenches should be dug and fires should be kindled therein, and whoever refused to give up his religion should be thrown into the fire. A woman then came with her child and she was hesitant about jumping into the fire, out of pity for her child, but that child told her to be patient because she was on the right path.

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak and I love for you what I love for myself. Do not rule over two persons and do not manage an orphan's property."

Narrated by Muslim

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had said to him: “I see that you are weak and I love for you what I love for myself. Do not rule over two persons and do not manage an orphan's property." These are four sentences the Prophet addressed Abu Dharr with: 1. “I see that you are weak.” This description, which accords with the reality, is given as advice. And there is no harm if a person tells someone else that he has such and such trait, as an advice, not as an insult or exposing one’s faults; as the Prophet himself said: “I see that you are weak.” 2. “I love for you what I love for myself.” This is part of the Prophet’s noble character. When the first sentence contained some criticism, he made this statement, which means: I only told you this because I love for you what I love for myself. 3. “Do not rule over two persons.” In other words, do not be the leader of two persons, rather than more than two. The meaning here is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from being a leader, because he was weak, and leadership requires a strong and trustworthy person. A strong person would exercise authority and have a firm say; and when he says something, he fulfills it. He should not be weak before people, for when people see someone weak, they will show him no respect or regard, and the fools will treat him boldly. However, if a leader is strong and does not exceed the limits set by Allah, the Almighty, or neglect his authority in which Allah has put him, then he is a true leader. 4. “Do not manage an orphan’s property.” An orphan is one whose father had died before reaching puberty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from managing the wealth of orphans, for it needs care and protection, whereas Abu Dharr was weak and would not be able to take proper care of such property. That is why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not manage an orphan’s property.” That is, do not be responsible for it; leave it to someone else. This is not degradation of Abu Dharr, for he was a man who used to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and led an austere and ascetic life. However, he was weak in a particular area, namely guardianship and leadership.

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to (an official position)?" He patted me on my shoulder with his hand and said: "O Abu Dharr, you are weak and it is a trust. It will be a cause of disgrace and remorse on the Day of Resurrection, except for the one who takes it up with a full sense of responsibility and fulfills what is entrusted to him."

Narrated by Muslim

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a specific piece of advice concerning leadership and assuming it, after he had asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to appoint him to a position of authority. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You are weak." This statement is a bit strong; however, integrity entails being frank with a person about their character. If a person is strong, he should be told that he is strong, and if a person is weak, he should be told that he is weak. This Hadīth provides evidence that leadership is conditional on the person assuming it being strong and trustworthy, because the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "…and it is a trust." So if a person is strong and trustworthy, then these characteristics make him qualified for leadership and authority. If someone is strong but not trustworthy, trustworthy but not strong, or neither strong nor trustworthy; these three types of people are not suited for leadership. Based on this, leadership should be entrusted to a strong person, as this is more beneficial to the people who are in need of authority and strength. If there is no strength, especially if there is weakness in the religion; people's rights will be lost. So this Hadīth gives strong evidence to avoid assuming leadership, especially by those who have a weakness in discharging the duties of authority. The disgrace and remorse mentioned in the Hadīth in this statement "It will be a cause of disgrace and remorse on the Day of Resurrection" apply to those who are not qualified to assume a post of authority or are qualified, but do not discharge their responsibility justly. In these cases, Allah, the Exalted, will disgrace and humiliate him on the Day of Resurrection and he will regret what he neglected. This threat does not apply to someone who is qualified for leadership and acts justly. That is why the noble Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made an exception when he said: "except for the one who takes it up with a full sense of responsibility and fulfills what is entrusted to him," because there is a great credit for the person who takes it up rightfully. This is indicated in a number of authentic Hadīths, such as the one where he said: "Allah will shade seven types of people under His shade... " and the Hadīth where he said: "Those who are just will be on pulpits of light..." and so on.

‘Uqbah ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I offered the ‘Asr prayer behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in Madīnah. When he finished the prayer with Taslīm, he got up hurriedly and went out by crossing the rows of people to one of his wives' rooms. The people were astonished at his speed. The Prophet came back and saw the people surprised at his haste and said to them: "I remembered a gold nugget in my house which I didn't want to distract me, so I ordered it to be distributed (in charity). In another version: "I left a piece of gold in my house from the charity which I did not want to let it remain with us overnight."

Narrated by Bukhari

Uqbah ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he prayed the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day, and the Prophet hurriedly left by crossing the rows of people to one of the rooms of his wives. The people were astonished at his haste. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back and saw the people wondering about his haste, so he wanted to clarify it, and told them that he remembered a gold nugget in his house of Zakah which was supposed to be distributed, and he did not want his thinking about it to prevent and distract him from contemplating and devoting himself completely to Allah while in the prayer.

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I and two of my paternal cousins entered upon the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). One of them said: "O Messenger of Allah, appoint us rulers over some of what Allah, the Almighty, has entrusted you with." The other said the same. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By Allah! We do not entrust this post to anyone who seeks it or is keen to attain it.’"

Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

The Hadīth contains a prohibition of giving authority to whoever seeks it or has greed for it. When the two men asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to appoint them rulers over some of what Allah entrusted him with, he said: "By Allah! We do not entrust this affair to anyone who seeks it or is keen to attain it." i.e. we do not give authority to anyone who asks for it or is keen to have it. That is because perhaps the one who seeks it or has greed for it aims at giving himself authority, not at bringing reform. Since such a person could be liable to such an accusation, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade giving authority to the one who seeks it, saying: "By Allah! We do not entrust this post to anyone who seeks it or is keen to attain it." The subject matter of this Hadīth was confirmed by the Hadīth of ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not ask for a position of authority, for if you are granted this position without having asked for it, you will be helped in it, and if you are granted it as a result of your asking for it, you will be left alone to handle it." So, it is not befitting for a ruler to fulfill the request of someone who seeks authority over an area of land even if he is qualified for it. Likewise, if someone asks to be appointed a judge, saying for example to the person in charge of judiciary, like the minister of justice, for example: "Make me a judge over such-and-such land," he should not to be given such an authority. As for the case where someone asks to be moved from authority over one land to another, then it is not included in this Hadīth, because he has already been in a position of authority, but is asking to be moved to another location. This applies unless it is known that his intention and aim is to gain authority over the people of that land, in which case, he should be prevented, since actions are to be judged according to intentions. One may wonder about the statement of Yūsuf (peace be upon him) to the ruler: {Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge} [Sūrat Yūsuf: 55]. The answer to that is one of two things: 1. If the legislation of those who came before us contradict our own legislation, we should act upon our legislation, based on the well-known principle among the scholars of Islamic fundamentals: "We hold the legislation of those before us as our legislation, as long as there is nothing reported in our legislation that runs counter to it." In fact, there is something reported in our legislation that disagrees with that, namely the Hadīth that reads: "We do not give authority to anyone who seeks to be given authority." 2. It could be said that Yūsuf (peace be upon him) saw that the wealth was being wasted, squandered, and tampered with, so he wished to save the country from this manipulation. In a situation like that, the aim is to remove the mismanagement and poor administration, so there is nothing wrong here. For example, if there is a commander over a section (of a land), who neglects the duties entailed by that authority and causes corruption, then the one suitable for this job – if he cannot find other than himself – must ask the ruler to give him authority over that section, saying to him: "Give me authority over this land in order to rid it of the bad state it is in," and this is alright, and is in accordance with the rules. There is also a Hadīth where ‘Uthmān ibn Abi al-‘Ās said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Make me a leader of my people." i.e. in prayer. So he said: "You are their leader." Based upon this, some scholars said: “The Hadīth indicates the permissibility of seeking leadership in what is good.” In the supplication of the slaves of the Most Merciful – a description which Allah gave them – they say: {And make us leaders for the pious} [Sūrat al-Furqān: 74]. This is not included in the disliked pursuit of leadership which pertains to worldly leadership, whose seeker is not helped, nor does he deserve to be granted such leadership.

‘Ā'idh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) visited ‘Ubaydullāh ibn Ziyād and said: "O son, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The worst of shepherds is the harsh one', so beware of being one of them." Thereupon, Ibn Ziyād said to him: "Sit down, for you are from the chaff of the Muhammad's Companions." ‘Ā'idh said: "Was there chaff among them? Chaff only appeared after them and in other than them."

Narrated by Muslim

‘Ā'idh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) visited ‘Ubaydullāh ibn Ziyād, who was the ruler of the Iraqis after his father, and said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The worst of shepherds is the harsh one'", i.e. the one who is harsh in looking after camels while herding them, bringing them in and taking them out, shoving them into one another, and overburdening them. He was giving an example of the evil ruler, and the meaning intended here is the harsh ruler who oppresses people and is neither gentle nor merciful with them. The statement: "Beware of being one of them" is from the speech of ‘Ā'idh as an advice to Ibn Ziyād. Thereupon, Ibn Ziyād gave the following reply: "You are nothing but the chaff of them", i.e. you are not from the virtuous and knowledgeable Companions of the Prophet, or those with high status among them; rather, you are from the worthless among them. The word "chaff" here is a metaphor used to indicate meanness and worthlessness. So the noble Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "Was there worthless chaff among them? Such worthless chaff only appeared after them and among those other than them." This is the eloquence and veracity of speech that every Muslim believes in. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) were all the cream of the crop, the masters of the Muslim nation, and more virtuous than those who came after them. All of them were upright role models and there is no worthless chaff among them. The chaff only came from and among those after them.

Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: There was a man from the Ansār who, as far as I know, lived farther from the mosque than anyone else, and he never missed a prayer. It was said to him: "If only you would buy a donkey so that you may ride it in the darkness and the scorching heat." He said: "I do not like that my house be near the mosque, for I want the steps I take to the mosque and back from it to my family to be recorded for me." Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah has gathered all of that for you."

Narrated by Muslim

Going to mosques and coming back from them merit reward if one does it seeking thereby the reward from Allah, the Exalted. This Hadīth mentions a man whose house was distant from the mosque. However, he used to come to the mosque for every prayer, expecting thereby a reward from Allah for his walking to the mosque and walking back to his house. Some people said to him: "If only you purchased a donkey to ride it in the darkness of the night and the heat of the day, " meaning in the dark to attend the ‘Ishā' and Fajr prayers and on very hot days, especially that the climate of Hejaz is hot. The man replied that he would not like to live right next to the mosque, and that he was pleased with living far from it because he walks many steps to the mosque and many steps back from it. If he lived closer to the mosque, all these steps would not be recorded for him (in his record of good deeds). He clarified to them that he expected the reward from Allah, the Exalted, for his walking to and back from the mosque. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Allah has gathered all that for you", meaning: Allah has fulfilled your wish of having your steps to and from the mosque recorded for you. According to another narration, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to the man: "Indeed, you will have the reward that you expected."

Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not be importunate in asking (for something), for by Allah, if one of you asked me for something and I gave it to him while I am reluctant, there will be no blessing in what I gave him."

Narrated by Muslim

Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade people from being persistent in asking for something, noting that such persistence removes the blessing from the given thing. Then, the Prophet swore that if someone asked him for something in a persistent manner and he gave it to him reluctantly, that thing would be bereft of blessing due to the persistent asking.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you stands up for offering voluntary prayer at night and finds it difficult to recite the Qur'an accurately, and he is unaware of what he is reciting, he should lie down."

Narrated by Muslim