English Translation of Seminal Islamic Texts

  Miscellanea The following reports also relate to different issues which we have mentioned in this book. 597. (1) Ibrāhīm b. ᶜAbd al-ᶜAzīz al-Muqawwim → ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. ᶜUthmān → Abū Bakr al-Bakrāwī → Shuᶜbah → Qatādah → Anas: Muhammad saw his Lord. 2. (598) Bundār → ᶜAbd al-Wahhāb → Khālid → Abū Qilābah → al-Nuᶜmān b. Bashīr: The sun eclipsed during the time of the Prophet. He came out seizing his cloth in fear and walked to the mosque. He continued offering Prayer till the eclipse was over. When it was over, he said: People think that an eclipse of the sun or moon signifies the death of some great personality. They do not eclipse because of the death or life of anyone, but they are signs of Allāh. When Allāh appears to something from His creation, it fears from Him. When you see something like this, offer Prayer the way you offer the obligatory Prayers. Abū Bakr said: This narrative, in its meaning, is similar to the Divine statement: “When his Lord manifested His glory on th...

  (83): On the Place of the Throne of Allāh before the Creation of the Heavens 593. (1) Muhammad b. Maᶜmar b. Ribᶜī and Abū Ghassān Mālik b. Saᶜd al-Qaysiyyān → Rawḥ → al-Masᶜūdī → Abū Ṣakhrah Jāmiᶜ b. Shaddād → Ṣafwān b. Muḥriz → ᶜImrān b. Ḥuṣayn: A group of people came to the Prophet. They began asking the Prophet for favours and continued making requests until he grew weary of them. Then they left him. Another group of people came to him and said, “We have come to greet the Prophet, understand the religion, and know about the beginning of the created world.” The Prophet said, “Receive glad tidings from Allah ( bibushrā allāhi ), (Ibn Maᶜmar used the words: bushrā allāhi , good news from Allah), for they (the first group) did not receive it.” He meant to refer to those who just left him. These people said, “We receive it, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet of Allah said, “There was only Allāh and nothing else. The Throne was on water. He wrote everything in the Book ( al-dh...

  (82) Deaths and Resurrections [This chapter provides] evidence that the saying of the Almighty, “It is He Who gave you life, will cause you to die, and will again give you life” (Q 22:66) does not negate that Allāh will bring mankind back to life more than two times. This disproves the view of those who reject the possibility of punishment in the graves and think that Allāh will not bring back anyone to life in his grave before the Day of Judgment. These people adduce the following verse: “They will say: Our Lord! Twice hast Thou made us without life, and twice hast Thou given us Life!” (Q 40:11) This verse uses a kind of expression in which something is said to occur a given number of times but it does not mean that it cannot possibly happen more than that particular number of times. I have explained this on many occasions in my books. Therefore, understand and do not fall into error. Allāh says: “Or (take) the similitude of one who passed by a hamlet, all in ruins to its roofs....

  (79) Misinterpretation of Sound Narratives [Here are] a few sound reports ascribed to the Prophet which are misunderstood by the two sects: Muᶜtazilah and al-Khawārij. They adduce these narratives and claim that the one who commits a sin of the first order and dies before repenting will be eternally cast in Hell and Paradise will be forbidden for him. The other sect is that of the Murjites, who negate these reports because they do not understand their true meaning. I will mention these narratives along with their isnāds and texts, followed by an explication of their meaning by the will of Allah. 549. (1) Aḥamad b. ᶜAbdah → ᶜAbd al-Wāḥid b. Ziyād → al-Aḥwal: ….. (2) Mu’ammal b. Hishām → Ismāᶜīl → ᶜĀṣim al-Aḥwal: ….. (3) Salm b. Junādah → Abū Muᶜāwiyah → ᶜĀṣim → Abū ᶜUthmān: I heard Saᶜd b. Abī Waqāṣ and Abū Bakr saying, “I heard the Prophet with my own ears and attentive heart saying: Paradise is forbidden for him who knowingly claimed the fatherhood of anyone else besides...