Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
As the last edition in the lapsing year 1446 we are saddled with the responsibility of taking us across Sunnan example of entering a new year. This is with a view to play down on fatality in manners of wants and acclamation. True guardiance is sought from Allah (SubhanaHu Wa Ta'ala (SWT)) against evil machinations of respective minds. This edition is commenced with the leave of Allah, the most Sustaining and ever Merciful.
Before long, Allah (SWT) makes it categorical in the Glorious Qur'an that the purposeful motive of torrential explanations in not only in the Quran but also in nature generally is for man to internalize the signals for an overall drive towards the worship in its multi-variety. Of course, the vertical form of worship connects man directly with the Creator -Allah while the horizontal worship flows across individuals. "Sin Oloun lara a won" meaning: 'worship Allah through them' is a Yoruba parlance of rendering helping hands to humanity without looking back for any human reward. Within the confine of Islamic theological concept, this is rooted in 'Ibadat wa Mu'amalaat' (worship and interpersonal relationship). In the political enclave, 'Ad-Din wa d Dawlah (religion and politics) may not be far from being an appropriate term. It is rather an interwoven concept on which harmonious living and peaceful co-existence is tagged.
"Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah! So loose not heart, nor fall into despair: for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith. If a wound had touched you, be sure a similar wound had touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that, He may take to Himself from your ranks martyr-witnesses (to truth). And Allah loves not those that do wrong. Allah's object also is to purge those that are true in faith and to deprive of blessing those that resist faith (Qur'an 3:139-141)." The Qur'an postulation in this direction is concise, precise and self-explanatory.
The lessons derivable from the Ayat is customarily demonstrated by the noble Messenger Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Salam (SAW)) in whose practical examples the Sahabah (Companions) took clew. Reportedly, Muhammad al Ghazali's Fiqhu s Sirah edited by Al Albaniy (p 463-464) placed on record that 'close to the Messenger's end of life, in his usual sitting with the Sahabah in the mosque, one day he glorified Allah while he began to say: 'Whoever I had wronged by smacking his back should rather come out in retribution; and this is my own back set for him to revenge. Secondly he said: 'whoever I had slandered with words of mouth should signify for me to redress the anomaly. For you all knew that oppression is neither my nature nor arrogance. You people should know that the most loved to me among you is the one who takes back his rights thereby sets me free from bondage of misgiving for me to meet Allah in a very pleasing manner.' What a puzzling question from the person who will never speak vain!
Posing further, he maintained: 'I might not be able to stay with you in this manner any longer.' On this occasion, his niece Fadil was present with him. He said that the Messenger soon stood up to observe Salatu z Zuhr after which he went back to his former position on the Mimbarr. Thereafter a man stood up in his curiosity regarding the challenges he posted to them. 'O Messenger of Allah, he said, I have on you three Dirham?' The Messenger unarguably instructed Fadil to return to him the exalt amount instantly. He said again: 'whosoever had something (trust) on him should voice out and should not be ashame to declare such, just that to be ashamed alive is mild compared to being ashamed in the here after.'
On this note, a man stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I scooped three Dirhams from the gathered revenues in the cause of Allah which is still on me.' On enquiry he maintained, 'I was in need of it then.' He asked Fadil to collect from him the fund. He further more maintained: 'should any of you have anything bothering him, he should stand up and I will pray for him.' These statements upset the Sahabah and it drove them on the horizon of reality of the Messenger's end of life. It was the time everyone present became sobre owing to the deteriorating health of the Messenger.
The first person to stand up was a man who said: 'O Messenger, I am a chronic and serial liar, wayward and sleeper.' The Messenger instantly said: 'O Allah, 'endow him with truth, faith and take away from him the sleeping habit.' Another ma stood up while saying: 'Apart from being an unrepentant liar I am deeply involved in obscenity and there is hardly any awful deed I had never engaged in it.' Umar bn l Khattab interjected: 'you had not just only exposed but also disgraced yourself.'
The noble Messenger (SAW) in his characteristic manner of nurturing his Sahabah quib in saying: 'To be disgraced here is fair compared to that of the hereafter.' To address that, he said: 'O Allah, endow him with truth, faith, and turn his way to better.' Here, so many Sahabah summoned courage to share one thing or another which bothers them individually and or collectively. The most important thing appears not only in the reality of the Messenger's probable exit but also in solving issues capable of plunging them into possible losing the reward of their lifelong benefits on the alter of minute misdeed and ingenuity.
Fellow readers, it can be deduced that lessons abound in the life of the noble Messenger that are capable of solving human predicaments. The nature of the problem be it mundane or spiritual, receives appropriate solutions in the Sunnah. In the same token, the wife of the Messenger, Aishah (Radiyallahu Anha (RA)) was asked regarding the attitude of the Messenger to which she responded 'Qur'an'. This shows he was Qur'an- personified. It is deduced that the bulk stops on his table as an epitome of virtues. It is nonplus indeed to yearn for guidance other than within the yoke of Islam. Individual, corporate and collective matters should be centred towards the guidance of Islam.
The implications of this episode appears in the necessity of steadfastness in the return of trust to the owners. The beauty of seeking forgiveness at the instance of transiting to another realm whether in location of accommodation, job and other inter-personal relationship becomes germane to the overall development of the Muslim polity. Forgiveness is indeed reciprocal just as gratitude and return of trust. Summarily, it is on the central theme of the Hadith on not passing two or three nights without accurate documentation of belongings within and without that a society free from acrimony and oppression is based. Meanwhile, Ų§ŁŁŲŖŲ§Ų Ar Razzaqu 309 Ų§ŁŲ±Ų²Ų§Ł Al Fattahu 489 is a prescribed prayer for transiting from one lapsing to a new year. Tapping into it makes the year more prosperous. Hoping to see you in the new year 1447 AH In Sha'a Allah, thanks for reading and Jum'at Mubarakah.
# Ethics of Departure
# Return of trust
# Forgiving and seeking forgiveness
DR. RAZAQ BOLAWAYE UTHMAN, IMAM & MISSIONER ANSAR-UD-DEEN SOCIETY OF NIGERIA IPAJA BRANCH LAGOS STATE NIGERIA. © Copyrights 2025
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