ISLAMIAT LECTURE 5

MAJOR THEMES OF THE HADITH (PART 4)

Hadith 13:

He who studies the Qur’an is like the owner of tethered camels. If he attends to them he will keep hold of them, but if he lets them loose they will go away.

This Hadith emphasizes upon the constant and regular revision and recitation of Quran. Quran is the ultimate source of guidance for worldly matters as well as hereafter and its wisdom can only be comprehended if it is regularly studied and applied in practical lives for it is a complete code of conduct for mankind.  When the recitation of the Quran in neglected, it is not abruptly that the Quran slips out of one’s mind and this won’t just affect the faith of a person but also the worldly affairs for the eternal teachings of Quran will no longer be available.

In keeping of teaching, the Holy Prophet himself used to recite the Quran regularly in the month of Ramzan with Hazrat Gabriel. In his last Ramzan, he did so twice just to make that he was preserving Quran in its truest form for the future generations for even a slight error could other Quran’s meaning. We should also draw a lesson from this and keep the Quran fresh in our memory. Muslims should make sure that their children get proper education of Quran so that they can understand its meaning and apply it in their daily lives.

Hadith 14:

May God show mercy to a man who is kindly when he sells, when he buys, and when he demands his money back.

From this Hadith, it is evident that a distinctive of Islam is that it does not just contain guidelines for an individual but also for an entire society. Islam has prescribed certain acts of worship, but the truth behind these acts must be demonstrated by compassionate behavior towards fellow Muslims.  This Hadith emphasizes that in order to achieve perfect faith, it is important that believers show kindness in their business dealings and transactions.

The Holy Prophet was extremely fair and honest. In fact, Hazrat Khadija chose to marry him on account of the honesty which he demonstrated on a trade trip to Syria. So, we must also be honest, logical, just, polite and reasonable in all our business dealings. This will result in betterment of economic conditions of Muslims and create a healthy environment.

Hadith 15:

God will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.

Mercy is a special attribute of Allah; in fact Allah is a fount of mercy which prompts beneficence for mankind. In this Hadith, the perquisites to earning Allah’s mercy have been set. Allah loves His creations and doesn’t allow anyone to be harsh to them as He Himself is not harsh or unfair to anyone. Therefore, to deserve His mercy, one must be merciful towards his creations.

The lesson of mercifulness mentioned in this Hadith must be followed by all Muslims. The Prophet’s mercifulness stands unprecedented in history. At the time of Conquest of Makkah, he forgave all the Makkans except 4 despite the fact that these Makkans had tortured him harshly in the early years of Islam and eventually forced him out of his home town. Following the Prophet’s example, we must also be very kind to our friends, family, strangers and even enemies. Doing so will help create a peaceful society.

Hadith 16:

The believers are like a single man; if his eye is affected he is affected, and if his head is affected he is all affected.

This Hadith emphasizes Muslim brotherhood and unity. Islamic teachings strike at the root of racial, geographical, social, and linguistic barriers. All the Muslims are bonded together by the strong fabric of common faith which makes them a single fraternity. When a brother is in pain, his pain is felt by all siblings. Just as siblings are one family unit, so is the entire Muslim community. Just as a body cannot be at rest if any part is afflicted, Muslims cannot be at peace if some amongst them are in trouble.

Many a time, the Muslim community has united under one flag to help their fellow brothers in suffering. In the earth quake of 2005 in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, many were made injured and thousands made homeless in the freezing cold of October. In such trying times, the entire Muslim community united to provide relief to the sufferers. Muslims across the globe sent donations and aid.  Such should be the level of co-operation each time a tragedy strikes the Muslim Ummah.