3. HE WILL SAFEGUARD YOU
His saying, “He will safeguard you,” means that whoever safeguards the limits of Alahl and tends to the rights due Him, Allah will safeguard him. This is because the recompense is of the same type as the deed. Allah, Most High, says,
“Honour My contract and I will honour your contract…”1
“Remember Me – I will remember you.”2
“…if you help Allah, He will help you… “3
Allah’s safeguarding His servant is of two types:
1. His safeguarding him in that which would benefit him in his worldly life such as His protecting his body, children, family and wealth.
Ibn ‘Umar reports that the Messenger of Allah never left saying the following supplication when he awoke and when he went to sleep, “O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this world and in the Hereafter. 0 Allah, I ask You for pardon and well being in my religion, my worldly life, my family and my wealth. 0 Allah, cover my faults and dispel my fears, safeguard me against what is before me and behind me, what is to my right and to my left, and what is above me. I take refuge with Your grandeur lest I be seized from beneath me.” The Hadith was recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasa’I and ibn Majah.This supplication is derived from His saying,
”Everyone has a succession [of Angels] in front of him and behind him, guarding him by Allah’s command.”5
Ibn ‘Abbas said, ‘They are the angels who guard him by Allah’s command and when the decree comes they withdraw from him.
‘Ali (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said, ‘Two angels accompany every person guarding him against all that has not been decreed. Then, when the decree comes, they withdraw, leaving him to it. Behold, the appointed time is a fortified shield.’Mujahid said, ‘There is no servant except that he has an angel safeguarding him against Jinn, man and harmful animals in his moments of sleep and wakefulness. There is nothing that comes to the servant except that he says, “Away with you!” except for something that Allah has allowed which will then afflict him.’
2.1 Allah’s Safeguarding Health & Wealth
Another example of Allah’s safeguarding His servant is His preserving his health, strength, intellect and wealth. One of the Salaf said, ‘The scholar does not become senile.’ Another said, ‘Whoever memorises the Quran will find his intellect blessed.’ Some explained His saying,
“Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, except for those who have faith and work righteous deeds.”9
Stating that the lowest ofthe low referred to the decrepitude of old age. Abii’l-Tayyib al-Tabari exceeded the age of one hundred yet his intellect remained very much intact as did his strength. One day he leapt off a large ship he was on onto the ground. When reprimanded for this he said, ‘We safeguarded these limbs from sins in our youth, so Al has safeguarded them for us in our old age.’ In the opposite vein, Junaid saw an old man begging people and remarked, ‘This person was negligent of Allah in his youth so Allah has neglected him in his old age.’
Allah will also safeguard a person, by virtue of his righteousness, through his children and grandchildren. It is said in explanation of His saying, that they were safeguarded by virtue of the righteousness of their father. Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said, ‘Alahl will safeguard the children and grandchildren of a person by virtue of his righteousness, He will safeguard the city he is in and the settlements surrounding it. They will always be in the protection of Al and His cover.’
Ibn al-Musayyab said to his son, ‘Son of mine, I increase my prayers because of you in the hope that I will be safeguarded through you, then he recited,
“Their father was righteous.”15′
Umar ibn Abdu’l-Aziz said, ‘There is no believer who dies except that Allah will safeguard him though his children and grandchildren.’ Yahya ibn Isma’il ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl said, ‘I used to have an older sister who became confused, lost her sanity and became unruly. She would stay in a room in the furthest part of our loft and stayed there for ten-odd years. Then at midnight, while we were sleeping, somebody knocked at the door. I said, “Who is there?” She replied, “Kajjah.” I said, “My sister?” She replied, ”Yes, your sister.” I opened the door and she entered the house for the first time in ten years and said, “Someone came to me in a dream and said, ‘Allah has safeguarded your father, Isma’il, by virtue of your grandfather, Salamah. He has safeguarded you by virtue of your father so if you wish, supplicate to Allah and what has afflicted you shall leave you, or you can be patient and Paradise will be yours. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar have interceded for you with Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, through the love your father and grandfather had of them.’ So I said, ‘If it must be one of the two, I choose patience so that Paradise can be mine. However, Allah is generous to His creation, nothing is too great for Him, and if He wishes to grant me both, He can.’ So it was said to me, ‘Allah has granted you both and is pleased with your father and grandfather because of their love of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Stand and go down,”‘ and Allah relieved her of her affliction.’
When the servant devotes himself to obeying Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, Allah will safeguard him in that state as is recorded in the Musnad Imam Ahmad on the authority of Humayd ibn Hila! on the authority of someone who said, ‘I came to the Prophet and he showed me a house and said, “A woman used to live here and she went out as part of a Muslim raiding party leaving behind her twelve goats and her weavers hook with which she would weave. She lost a goat from her flock and her hook and so (supplicated), ‘My Lord! You have guaranteed the safeguarding of a person who goes out in Your Way. I have lost a goat of mine and my weavers hook. I implore You to return them to me!”‘ The Messenger of Allah commented on the intensity of her imploring her Lord, Blessed and Exalted. He said, “So she awoke in the morning to find her goat and hook with her and the likes of them in addition. If you wish, go and ask her.” I said, “I believe you.”‘Shayban al-Rai would tend to his flocks in the open fields, on the Day of Jumuah he would draw a line around them and go and pray the Friday Prayer. He would return to find them in the same place that he had left them.One of the Salaf would have a balance with which he would weigh dirhams. He heard the call for prayer and so, leaving them scattered on the ground, he went to pray. When he returned, he gathered up the money and nothing of it had been taken.
2.2 Allah’s Safeguarding Against Harm
Another example of Allah’s safeguarding His servant is His preserving him in his worldly life from every Jinn and man who may wish to harm him. He, Most High, says,
”Whoever has taqwa of Allah – He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect.”18
A’ishah said, ‘He will suffice him from the distress and worry of this world.’Rabt ibn Khuthaym said, ‘He will provide him with a way out from everything that burdens a man.’
Nishah wrote to Muawiyah, ‘If you have taqwa of Allah, He will suffice you in place of people, and if you fear people, they will not be able to avail you in anything against Allah.
One of the Khalifs wrote a letter to hakam ibn Amr al-Ghifari in which he commanded him to do something that opposed the Book of Allah. In reply, hakam wrote to him saying, ‘I looked into the Book of Allah and saw that it came before the letter of the Leader of the Believers. If the heavens and earth were fused together seamlessly as one unit and a person were to have taqwa of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, Allah would give him a way out. Peace.’ One of them composed the following couplets,
By the taqwa of Allah is one rescued
Victory attained and hopes pursued
Whoever has taqwa,
He will provide Him a way out; this He did decide.
One of the Salaf wrote to his brother saying, ‘…to proceed, whoever has taqwa of Allah has safeguarded himself, and whoever neglects the taqwa of Allah has neglected himself and Allah has absolutely no need of him.
2.3 Allah’s Safeguarding Against Animals
One of the amazing ways that Allah safeguards those who safeguard Him is that He makes animals that are normally dangerous guard a person against harm and help him. This is what happened with Safinah, the freed-slave of the Prophet, when his boat sank and he drifted to an island. There, he saw a lion and said, ‘O Abul-Harith, I am Safinah, the freed-slave of the Messenger of Allah, so the lion walked with him and guided him along the way. Then it purred as if bidding farewell and left.
Abu Ibrahim al-Sa’ih fell ill at a place close to a monastery and said, if only i were at the door of the monastery, the monks would have come and treated me, So a lion ccame and carried him on its back and dropped him by the door of the monastery, the monks, four hundred of them, saw him and accepted Islam.
Once, Ibrahim ibn Adham slept in a garden. By him was a serpent in whose mouth was a circle of daffodils and it remained on guard for him until he awoke.
So whoever safeguards Allah, Allah will safeguard him from predatory animals and, moreover, have those animals protect him. Whoever neglects Allah, Allah will neglect him to such an extent that he will be harmed by things which he expected to benefit from. He may even find the closest members of his family and the most beloved harming him!
One of them said, ‘If I disobey Allah, I see the effects in the mannerisms of my servant and donkey.’He meant that his servant became unruly and disobedient and his donkey refused to carry him.
All good is to be found in obeying Allah and turning towards Him. All evil is to be found in disobeying Him and turning away from Him.
One of the Gnostics said, ‘Whoever leaves the door of his master will never be able to plant his feet firmly on the ground.’
One of them composed the following couplets,
By Allah, never have I come to visit you Except that the earth compacted before me. I have never resolved to leave your door Except that I tripped over my garment’s tail. For Allah’s sake! Pardon, overlook and mend My faults for my state with you is as you see.
2. The best and most noble form of preservation: Allah’s safe guarding His servant in his religion.
2.4 Allah’s Safeguarding Against Doubts and Desires
During his lifetime, Allah preserves the servant’s religion and faith by safeguarding him against all vile doubts, misguiding innovations and unlawful desires. Allah also preserves his religion at the point of his death such that he dies on the religion of Islam.
Hakam ibn Aban narrated that Abii Mak said, ‘When death comes to a person it is said to the angel, “Smell his head!” The angel will say, “I smell the fragrance of the Qur,an.” It said, “Smell his heart!” The angel will say, “I smell the fragrance of Fasting.” It will be said, “Smell his feet!” The angel will say, “I smell the fragrance of the night prayer.” He safeguarded himself so Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, safeguarded him.’ It was recorded by ibn Abi al-Dunya.
The Two Sahihs record on the authority of al-Baraa ibn ‘Azib that the Prophet taught him to say, when going to sleep, ‘O Allah, if you are to take my soul, bestow mercy on it; and if you are to grant it reprieve, safeguard it with that which you safeguard your righteous servants.
The hadith of ‘Umar mentions that that Prophet taught him to say, ‘O Allah, safeguard me with Islam when standing, safeguard me w ith Islam w hen sitting and safeguard me with Islam when lying down. Answer not the (request) of an envy ridden enemy concerning me.’ It was recorded by ibn Hibban in his Sahib.
When the Prophet would bid a traveller farewell he would say, “I consign your religion, trust and your final assertive deeds to Allah’s care,”another narration mentions that he used to say, “When Allah consigns something to His care, He safeguards it.” This was recorded by Nasa’i and others.
Tabariini records a hadith in which the Prophet said, ”When a servant prays the prayer as it should be prayed it rises to Allah having rays like the rays of the sun and it says to its performer, ‘May Allah preserve you as you have preserved me.’ If he was lax and lazy in performing it, it will be wound up like an old garment is wound up and then used to strike the face of its performer while saying, ‘May Allah waste you as you have wasted me!”‘
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) would say in his sermons, ‘O Allah, protect us with Your preservation and keep us firm on Your command.’
A man once said to one of the Salaf, ‘May Allah preserve you,’ to which he replied, ‘My brother, do not ask that he be preserved, ask instead that his faith be preserved!’ What he meant was to stress the importance of supplicating for the preservation of one’s religion; this is because worldly preservation could be conferred on both the righteous and the sinner, but Allah only safeguards the religion of the believer and comes between it and anything that would pollute it via numerous means, some of which the servant is unaware of and yet others he may dislike.
This is how He preserved Yusuf (‘alayhis-sakim) as He said,
”That happened so that We might avert all evil and lust. He was Our chosen servant.”31
2.5 Allah’s Safeguarding Through Intervention
Whoever is sincere to Allah, Allah will safeguard him against evil and indecency, He will guard him against them via means that he is not even aware of, and He will come between him and the routes leading to destructive sin. Ma’ruf al-Karkhi once saw some youths preparing themselves to go for a fourth battle at a time and said, ‘O Allah, preserve them!’ It was asked of him, ‘Why are you supplicating for them?’ He replied, ‘If He were to preserve them, they would not leave to carry out what they intend.’
‘Umar heard a person saying, ‘O Allah, you intervene between a person and his heart, so intervene between me and my disobeying You.’ This pleased ‘Umar and he supplicated for that person.
In exegesis to the saying of Allah, Most High,
“Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart.”32
lbn ‘Abbas said, ‘He intervenes between the believer and (his committing) sins that would drag him into the Fire.’ One of the previous people performed l:Iajj, while sleeping at Mecca with a group of people, he had the sudden urge to commit a sin and heard a voice crying out, ‘Woe to you! Are you not performing Hajj?!’ Hence Allah guarded him against perpetrating the sin. One person went out with a group of people desiring to commit a particular sin, when he was about to do it, a voice cried out,and so he abandoned it.
“Every self is held in pledge against what it has earned,”34
A man entered a thicket dense with trees and said, ‘I could commit my sin here in secret, who is there to see me?’ He then heard a voice reverberating throughout the thicket (reciting the verse),
“Does He who created not then know? He is the All-Pervading, the All-Aware.”35
Another desired to commit a sin and left to carry it out. While walking, he passed by a story-teller plying his trade amongst the people. He stood there listening and heard him saying, ‘O you who desire to commit a sin! Do you not know that the Creator of desires is fully aware of your intent?’ At this he fell in a swoon and, when he regained consciousness, immediately repented.
One of the righteous kings had fallen in love with a beautiful subject of his. He feared for himself and so stood in prayer by night, seeking succour from Allah . That same night, the subject fell ill and passed away three days later.
2.6 Allah’s Safeguarding Through Exhortation
Some people were safeguarded through an exhortation given by someone they wanted to be an accomplice in sin. An example of this lies with one of the three who entered the cave that was subsequently blocked by a boulder. (The hadith) mentions that one of them, when he lay with the woman ready to perform intercourse she said, ‘Fear Allah and do not break the seal except by due right,’ so he left her, Another example lies with the story of Kifl, a man of the Children of Israel who committed sin frequently. He was attracted to a woman and gave her sixty dinars and then lay with her ready to perform intercourse. She began trembling with fear and so he asked her, ‘Arn I forcing you?’ She replied, ‘No, but I have never done such a thing before and it was only the need that has forced me.’ He said, ‘You are fearful of Allah, should I not fear Him as well?’ Then he stood and left her, leaving her the money as a gift. He then said, ‘By Allah, Kifl will never disobey Allah again.’ He passed away that same night and the following morning saw these words inscribed on his door, ‘Allah has forgiven Kifl.’ This was recorded by Imam Ahmad and Tirmidhi on the authority of ibn Umar to the Messenger.
A man sought to seduce a woman and ordered her to lock the doors, which she did. She then said, ‘One door remains open.’ He asked, ‘What door would that be?’ She replied, ‘The door between Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, and us.’ So he turned away from her. Another sought to seduce a desert Arab. He said, ‘Who is there to see us save the stars?’ ‘What of the One who put them there?’ she replied.
All of these are examples of Allah’s providence and his intervening between the servant and his committing sin. While mentioning the sinners, al-Hasan said, ‘Their worth was diminished with Him, so they disobeyed Him. Were they to have held a position of worth and honour with Him, He would have preserved them.’ Bishr said, ‘One who is noble or honoured would never persist in disobeying Allah and neither would the sagacious give preference to this world over the Hereafter.’
2.7 Allah’s Ensuring the Best for His Servant
Another example of Allah’s preserving the religion of His servant is that a servant could pursue a worldly office such as leadership or undertake a worldly enterprise such as trade and Alal h, knowing what is good for him, intervenes between him and his goal. The servant, heedless of what has taken place, hates what has happened.
lbn Mas’ud said, ‘A servant intends to undertake a trading venture or aims for leadership hoping that it will be facilitated for him. Allah will look at him and say to the Angels, “Avert him from it for if I was to make this matter easy for him, I would cause him to enter the Fire!” So Allah would avert him from it and he, in a state of agitation, will complain, “So-and-so beat me! So-and-so outsmarted me!” Yet all it is, is Allah’s good-grace, Mighty and Magnificent is He!’
Yet more astonishing is that a servant could strive to do an action of obedience, however this particular action would not be the best course for him, so Allah will intervene between him and it in order to preserve him, and he, all the while, remains heed less.
Tabararu and others records the hadith of Anas that the Messenger of Allah CM) said, “Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, says, ‘Amongst My servants are those whose faith can only be made good through poverty, and were I to give him freely, his faith would be suled. Amongst My servants are those whose faith can only be made good through affluence, and were I to make him poor, his faith would be suled. Amongst My servants are those whose faith can only be made good through sound health, and were I to make him ill, his faith would be sullied. Amongst My servants are those whose faith can only be made good through illness, and were I to make him healthy his faith would be sullied. Amongst My servants are those who seek to do an act of worship but I prevent him from doing it lest he fall prey to conceit. I regulate the affairs of My servants in accordance with My knowledge of what is in their hearts. I am the All-Knowing, the All-Aware.”
One of the early people would frequently ask for martyrdom, so a voice called out, ‘If you were to embark on a military expedition, you would be capture.cl and during your captivity you would convert to Christianity, so stop asking for this.’
Therefore, in summary, whoever safeguards the limits of Allah and carefully tends to His rights, Allah will undertake to safeguard him in his worldly and religious life, in this world and the next.
2.8 Allah is the Protector o f the Believers
In His Book, Allah, Most High, has informed us that He is the Protector of the believers and that He protects the righteous; subsumed by this is the fact that He safeguards what is good for them in both this life and the Hereafter, and that He will not abandon them to another. Allah, Most High, says,
“Allah is the Protector of those who have faith; He brings them out of the darkness into the light.”40
“That is because Allah is the Protector of those who have faith and because the disbelievers have no protector.”41
“Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him.”42
“Is Allah not enough for His slave?”43
Whoever establishes the rights of Allah, Allah will undertake to upkeep everything that will be of benefit to him in this life and the next. Whoever wants Allah to preserve him and tend to all of his affairs, let him first tend to the rights of Allah upon him. Whoever does not wish to be afflicted by anything he dislikes, let him not undertake that which Allah dislikes.
One of the Salaf would go to gathering after gathering saying, ‘Whoever wants Allah to preserve his well-being, let him have taqwa of Allah.’
al-‘Umarl, the ascetic, would say to anyone who asked him for advice, ‘Be with Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, in exactly the same way that you want Him to be with you.’
Salih ibn ‘Abdu’l-Karim said, ‘Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, says, “By My Might and Magnificence, I do not look at a heart that I know predominately loves to adhere resolutely to My obedience except that I undertake to protect his circumstances and keep·him firm.”‘
One of the earlier scriptures mentions, ‘Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, says, “Son of Adam, will you not tell me what gives you cause to laugh? Son of Adam, have taqwa of Me and then sleep wherever you wish!”‘
What this means is that when you establish what is due to Allah of taqwd then do not worry any more about those things that will be good for you, for Allah knows them better than you and He will direct them to you in the best of ways.
The hadith of Jabir has the Prophet saying, ‘Whoever wants to know the standing he has with Allah, let him look to himself and see the standing that Allah has with that person.’
This proves that Allah’s concern with his servant and his safeguarding him is commensurate with the servant’s concern with the rights of Allah, establishing them, tending to his limits and safeguarding them. Whoever’s goal is Allah’s good-pleasure, seeking to draw close to him, knowing him, loving him, and serving him. Will find that Allah will treat him accordingly. Allah, most high, says,
“Remember Me, I will remember you.”45
“Honour My contract and I will honour your contract.”46
Moreover, Allah is the kindest of the kind. He rewards a good deed tenfold and more. Whoever comes close to Him by a hand span, He comes close to him by a cubit, whoever comes close to Him by a cubit, He comes close to him by a fathom, and whoever comes to Him walking, He comes to him running.
Whatever a person is given is from his self, and nothing afflicts him that he dislikes except that it is as a result of his falling short in fulfilling the rights of his Lord. ‘All (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said, ‘The servant must place his hope in his Lord and his Lord alone, and he has nothing to fear save his sins.’
One of them said, ‘Whoever clarifies and purifies will be purified, and whoever mixes will be treated accordingly.’
Masriqi said, ‘Whoever diligently observes Alal h with respect to the notions and whims of his heart, Allah will safeguard the motions of his limbs for him.’
There is much more that can be said about this but what we have mentioned thus far suffices and all praise is due to Allah
By ibn Rajah al-Hanbali
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