Mi'raj the Loss of Adab and the Fall of the Ummah
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I Al- Mi‘raj A Bi-Monthly Magazine of ISRA International Islam – Iman - Ihsan The Loss of AdaB and the fall of the Ummah Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1438 - Abd ar-Rahman al-Sulami (d. 412H) quotes this Hadith with a brief isnâd: According to Shaqiq, according to 'Abdallah (Ibn Mas'ud), the Messenger of Allah) Grace and Peace be upon him) said: 'Allah has instilled adab within me, and has perfected it in me, since He has commanded me to observe the noble characteristics, saying: "Show yourself forbearing, command the good and turn away from the ignorant." (Qur'an 7:199) Jâmi' âdâb al-sûfiyya Allah The Most High has said: “[Believers,] guard yourselves and your families against the Fire.” According to IBn AbBas’s interpretation, this means: “Instruct them and teach them [AdaB] proper manners.” 1 Editorial The Loss of Adab and the fall of the Ummah. By: Sayyed Zayn Al Abedin Allah (swt) has said in the Holy Qur’an "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam" (3:19). "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers" (3:85). And Rasool Allah Sallal-lahu ‘alayhi Wa Sallam has explained in the famous Hadith of Jibreel, the meaning of Deen in detail. Deen in this explanation corresponds to the traditional meaning of a discipline. A discipline meaning an order, authority, teaching, instruction, rule, code of behavior, knowledge and training. And all these meanings form the components of a religion. Adab in this sense means a discipline revealed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah to train people in surrendering their body (Islam), mind (Iman), and soul (Ihsan) to the will of Allah. Adab is the transformation of knowledge, morals and values into the excellence of behavior and practice by recognizing the hierarchy of the discipline and doing justice with them in the form of best manners, inner attitudes and etiquettes. Many Islamic scholars in the modern times have increasingly come to the conclusion that the catastrophic situation in which the Ummah finds itself today can be reduced to a single most visible crisis, which is in their view is the loss of Adab. Taking it to the level of the entire Deen what they mean is the loss of a discipline which interconnects one’s self, society and community by integrating body (Islam), mind (Iman) and soul (Ihsan). By acting upon Adab the Muslim community was able to create a flourishing civilization continuously guiding a large portion of humanity for over a thousand years up to our modern times. The intellectual and spiritual leaders of this civilization were the people of Ihsan or Tasawwuf. Their specialty was their expertise in the hierarchy of the discipline doing justice with Islam, Iman and Ihsan. Their discourse was based on interconnectedness of the needs and demands of a complete human being and the human society. With the decline of traditional knowledge fractures started to appear in the discipline and Ihsan or Tasawwuf which was the essence, or heart of the discipline or Adab was rejected and as a result the ummah suffered the greatest loss, became handicapped and is experiencing a traumatic fall. It is the loss of the equilibrium of the components of Deen also known as Adab. On another level, which is personal level Akhlaq is the practice of virtue and morality and good character in the daily life and Adab means the inner attitude, respects, refinement, good manners, decency and humility. However their effect and blessing is lost when the teaching and training of the purification of heart is absent or becomes peripheral in the practice of Deen. The good news is that a growing number of Muslim scholars have awakened to this dilemma and are calling for the revival or restoration of Tasawwuf as a way to revive Islam and bring the Adab or equilibrium back into the discourse of Islam. 2 The Importance of AdaB By Umm Arwa Ibn Al-Mubarak said, “Mukhlid Ibn al-Husayn once said to me, ‘We are more in need of acquiring adab than learning Hadith’. This highlights that knowledge alone is insufficient to build a sound and balanced Islamic personality. Imam Zakariya al-Anbari once said: ‘Knowledge without Adab is like fire without learn; the rest (4500) would simply learn wood, and Adab without knowledge is like a from his actions, his adab. This has such spirit without a body’. importance that we learn by what we see, whether that is good or bad, hence it is So, vast amounts of knowledge and severe essential and somewhat detrimental that we lack in adab, means a person is little more teach only that which is good, as the bad than a donkey laden with books. What use habits are perhaps the easier to acquire. are the books to that donkey without being able to read? Similarly, what use is Looking at other classical examples from our knowledge to a Muslim, without the practical pious Ulema; the mother of Imam Malik mannerisms and etiquettes that really define (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) would place an imama us as Muslims? on his head and send him to his teacher Rabi'ah ibn Abdurrahman (nicknamed: Traditionally, adab was not taught but Rabi’ah Ar-Rai’), to learn first from his acquired and embodied between interactions manners, his adab and then his knowledge. between people. It has been narrated that Indeed the deen of Islam is itself manners, Imam Ahmed (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) would where anyone that surpasses you in have had up to 5000 attendees at his manners, is better than you in deen (Ibn al- gatherings, maybe 500 would write and Qayyim). 3 (Sallam Wa ‘Alayhi (Sallal-lahu Prophet the that narrated, (رﺿﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻨﮫ) Huraira Abu said: “I have not been sent as a Messenger, except to perfect character (Akhlaaq)” He also said that: “The nearest of you to me on the Day of Judgement will be the one who is best in character.” (Bukhari) All the books of Hadith have chapters on Adab. For example: 1. Muwatta’, Imam Malik: The book of good behaviour 2. Sahih al-Bukhari: The book of manners 3. Sahih Muslim: The book of dutifulness, ties of kinship and manners. 4. Sunan Abi Dawud: The book of manners 5. Sunan at Tirmidhi: The book of manners, and the book of dutifulness and ties of kinship. 6. Sunan Ibn Majah: Chapters on Manners. The book Al Adab Al Mufrad was separated by that if parents give any inheritance, there is Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullahi ‘Alayhi) no greater inheritance than Adab. Al-Walid because he was aware of its great importance ibn Numayr said that he heard his father say: in everyday living. When we talk “They used to say, ‘Righteousness is (a gift) about Adab we must first begin with from Allah, but adab (right conduct) is from our Adab with Allah (Subhanahu Wa the parents”. Ta’allah) in terms of akhlaaq, sincerity, actions, avoiding shirk etc. We must qualify In this sense however, adab holds such our respect for Allah (Subhanahu Wa importance that the actions of a believer are Ta’allah) and His attributes, His signs, His rendered null and void if they lack manners. Symbols (the Quran, the Masãjid and In pointing out the status of adab in everything connected to Him). Then we must comparison to actions, So much like the purify and qualify our Adab with the Prophet “perfect dough”, many good manners with a (Sallal-lahu’alayhi Wa Sallam). few good deeds are better by far than many good deeds with a few good manners. In quantifying, Allah (Subhanahu Wa Imam al-Qarafi said:“You should know that a Ta’allah) tells us in the Quran that in his little of good manners is better than a lot of (Sallal-lahu ‘alayhi Wa Sallam)) manners and good actions”. Ruwaym the righteous scholar style, the Prophet (Sallal-lahu ‘Alayhi Wa told his son; “Oh my son, make your deeds salt Sallam) was a perfect example: “Truly, you and your manners flour”. have the best of manners” (Quran Al Qalam: verse 4)It has been narrated by many Ulema Courtesy: http://adabinislam.blogspot.com 4 Etiquette of Spiritual Wayfaring (Journey) Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. AdaB al-Suluk by Sheikh Najmuddin Kubra Alhamdulillah I found this gem from one s.a.w said: 'God watches your heart and acts distinguished Sufi, Sheikh Najmuddin Kubra (d. not your apparent behaviour and worldly 1189 CE). It is called Adab al-Suluk: 'A Treatise belongings.' on Spiritual Wayfaring: On the Inward Rules of The Second Principle is the expression of This Journey'. humility, poverty and abasement before the Lord of the world. Abu Yazid Bistami (may Allah Sheikh Najmuddin Kubra was known as the hallow his mighty soul) said that a voice 'Pillar of the Age' and one of the greatest Sufis (sarush) called me from within and said, "O Abu of all time. He was the founder of the Kubrawi Yazid! There are many servants in Our service. Tariqah. His close associates included So if you seek Us, bring humility and prominent Sufis like Sheikh Saadi of Shiraz neediness." Abu Yazid further said, "You know (1184-1291) and Sheikh Shahabudin for certain that you are in a crying need of your Suhrawardi (1145-1235) the founder of Lord at every hour on many counts; so you are Suhrawardi School. needful of His guiding light as well as His Maqam of Hazrath Shaykh Najmuddin Al-Kubra 10 merciful glance, guidance and His sustenance at principles for inner perfection (batin) with every moment.