Weeping
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
WEEPING/CRYING
O Allah (The Exalted) bless our liege-lord and master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) the master of the First and the Last.
Like the laughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) weeping was also without noise. His blessed eyes would be filled with tears that would roll down his blessed cheeks and minimum sound could be heard. Sometimes he cried on a death due to mercifulness and sometimes out of tenderness for the Ummah (followers) apprehending dangers. Often he burst into tears due to the fear of Allah (The Exalted) and at other times he did so while listening to the Words of Allah (The Exalted). This last action was due to the love and eagerness for Allah (The Exalted) and His Fear.
PROPHET’S (MAY ALLAH BLESS HIM AND GRANT HIM PEACE) WEEPING
‘Abd-Allah Ibn Ash-Shikh-Kheer (may Allah be please with him) states that, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) praying with us, and I heard the sound of his weeping coming out of his chest, which was like the sound of a boiling pot.” i Allahu Akbar!
SUPPLICATION & WEEPING
‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “We did not have a horseman with us on the day of Badar except Al-Miqdaad. Everyone amongst us was sleeping except for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who was under a tree, praying and weeping until the morning.” ii
He made supplication for sinful people like you and me, may Allah (The Exalted) forgive us with the Sadaqa of His beloved Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
TWO EYES WILL NOT ENTER HELL
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that, “Two eyes have been forbidden from being overcome by the fire. An eye which has wept out of the fear of Allah (The Exalted) and an eye which maintains vigil throughout the night guarding Islam and one’s family from Kufr.” iii
Who cries today in fear of Allah (The Exalted) and who is bothered about saving oneself from Kufr. People listen to Music everyday that could contain words of Kufr, not realising and we use words that bring us out of the fold of Islam.
SALVATION
Uqbah Ibn Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), “O Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)! What is salvation?” He replied: “To have control over your tongue, to be content with your house and to weep over your errors.” iv
It is seen today that people use their tongues for swearing, backbiting and we want bigger houses. Remember the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who said that, “For a man he has a bed for himself, one for his wife, the third for a guest and the fourth is for Shaytan. v
Also Weeping over our errors is a far thing as people are pleased when they sin and do not feel the slightest shame, some have lost their shame and modesty Allah (The Exalted) forbid. What will happen to our Imaan on our death bed?
ALLAH (THE EXALTED) LOVES TEARS
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that, “There is nothing more beloved to Allah (The Exalted) than two drops and two marks. A teardrop shed out of fear of Allah (The Exalted) and a drop of blood spilt for the sake of Allah (The Exalted). As for the two marks, one which is sustained for the sake of Allah (The Exalted) and one which is received in the course of carrying out an obligation commanded by Allah (The Exalted).” vi
LAUGH LESS & CRY MORE
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave us a sermon, the likes of which we had never heard before. He said, “If you knew what I 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
i Abu Dawood
ii Ibn Khuaymah
iii Haakim
iv Tirmidhi
v Muslim
vi Mishkat
vii Ibn Maja
viii Haakim
ix Bukhari & Muslim
know you would laugh little and weep much!” Thereupon the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) covered their faces, weeping and sniffing.” vii Allahu Akbar!
These were true Muslims who feared Allah (The Exalted) and wept. If they thought they had committed a error they would weep and make repentance.
REMEMBER DEATH
Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that, ‘I would forbid you from visiting the graves, but now you should visit them, for indeed the hearts are softened, the eyes are made to shed tears, and it is a remembrance of the hereafter.’ viii
In order to remove the love of the world, we should remember that we all have to die one day. We should visit the grave yard often to soften our hearts.
TEARS THEN BLOOD
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) states that, “O people weep! For if you cannot weep then make yourself weep. Indeed the inhabitants of the Hellfire will weep until their tears pour down their cheeks, like streams until the tears are consumed and thereafter blood will pour down, and their eyes will be covered with ulcers.” Allahu Akbar!
May we cry in this world and may Allah (The Exalted) save us from crying in the next.
DO NOT CRY ALOUD
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade crying out aloud and beating of the chest but advised us to grieve for three days. Widows have permission to grieve for four months and ten days.
Even when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would cry no sound was heard but tears would fill his blessed eyes and roll down his blessed cheeks. He wiped the blessed tears on his blessed head, face and beard and saying
Hasbunal-Lahu Wani’mal Wakeel
‘Allah (The Exalted) is enough for me and he is such a great protector’.
BENEFITS OF WEEPING
1. Allah (The Exalted) will shade he who fills his eyes with tears when he mentions Allah (The Exalted) in a secret place on the day when there is no shade except his. ix
2. They will not enter the Fire nor will it touch them.
3. They succeed in achieving the love of Allah (The Exalted).
4. They will be given uprightness in the world and the taste of the sweetness of faith.
5. Tranquillity and peace of the soul will be achieved.
6. Allah (The Exalted) will provide them with good provision that was not previously imagined.
May Allah (The Exalted) give us all the ability to weep in the fear of Allah (The Exalted) and remember our finial destination and to make preparations for it.