The Advice of the Prophet SalAllaahu’alayhi waSalam To Jaabir Ibn Sulaym By Abu Hakeem

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) gave many great pieces of advise to His companions. From them, is a beautiful hadith that occurs in the sunan of abu dawood upon the authority of Jaabir ibn sulaym. This man was from the companions. He was from the Bedouins. What is apparent is that he had embraced Islam prior to meeting the Prophet (peace be upon Him). He informed us of his first meeting with the Prophet (peace be upon Him).

He mentioned that he saw a man (the Prophet (peace be upon Him)) and the people were obedient to everything that he said. He did not make a command except that they (the people) would carry out what he said. So he asked who this man was. They replied saying that he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him). So jaabir said, “upon you be peace O Messenger of Allaah.” So the Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that he should not have said that since the way he greeted him was the salutation of the dead.

The people of pre-Islamic ignorance used to do that whilst addressing the dead in their graves.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that he should instead say, “Assalamu’alaykum”. Then Jaabir asked the Prophet (peace be upon Him) whether he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him) in reality. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) affirmed that.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said what means that he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him) of Allaah, the same Allaah who responds to the invocations of his slaves when they are in hardship or difficulties, the same Allaah who causes the vegetation to grow in response to the supplications of people in drought stricken land, the same Allaah who returns to us the riding beast to us when we lose it whilst travelling, the same Allaah who brings us riches from a state of poverty.

So jaabir then requested the Prophet (peace be upon Him) to give him advise.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) told him not to belittle any good deeds even if they are the likes of speaking to a brother with a smiling face.

He told him not to curse anyone. There on after, jaabir never cursed a slave, a free person, a camel or a sheep.

He also advised him to raise the lower garment to the middle of the sin and if he did not want to do so, he should raise it at least above the ankles. He told him to beware of dropping the lower garment below the ankles since that is from pride and Allaah does not love pride.

He also said that if a man curses us on the basis of a characteristic we possess, we must not curse that man in return on the basis of a characteristic he possesses. This is because by this, the sin of a man will be upon him.

These are some tremendous advises the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) gave to Jaabir.

The people of knowledge have some observations upon this hadith.

Within the hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) was addressing a Bedouin.
What was well known as it related to the Bedouins is that which is related to their character.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) addressed him with the thing that is most relevant to him, starting with the most important thing. Then he began with those things that are next in importance.

1) He firstly corrected jaabir’s salutation. He did not leave jaabir to remain upon that error in making a salutation to be made for the dead. That salutation is not the salutation of the people of Islam. We leave the salutations that oppose the Islamic salutation.

2) The Prophet (peace be upon Him) then went on to tell him who he was by affirming that He was the messenger of Allaah. But he addressed him in a manner of giving emphasis to the affair of tawheed. He clarified tawheed to jaabir. He told him that He is the messenger of Allaah, the same Allaah who responds to the one who supplicates whilst he is in a state of difficulty or hardship. He is the same Allaah who brings the vegetation out from a drought stricken land. (Refer to the hadith mentioned above).

So The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) clarified to Jaabir that it is Allaah alone who is deserving of being worshipped and not the false deities whom the mushriks turned to fulfill their needs. So the manner in which the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) gave da’wah was beautiful.

3) Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) advised the Bedouin (jaabir) not to curse anyone. Cursing people was from the striking characteristics of the Bedouins. Speaking in an unbetting manner and speaking abruptly was from their traits. The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) spoke to him in a manner indicating that this was a trait of the Bedouins. Jaabir never cursed a slave, a free person or an animal after that advise. This indicates the extent of the obedience of the companions.

4) The Prophet (peace be upon Him) advised not to belittle any of the good deeds. Maybe, we might neglect the smaller deeds and look down upon them. Meeting the brothers with smiling faces is from the good deeds that many people might neglect or look down upon. A rough person may not seem to think this is important. This should not be our thinking. He instructed jaabir with that which would refine him in relation to tawheed and his outward character.

5) He also advised him in relation to his lower garment which was a general advise for everyone. We must not have garments made of beautiful material that flow and that drag, indicating the person is from a wealthy background. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) taught jaabir to raise his lower garment to the middle of the shin. If we refuse to raise it that high, then at least, we must raise the garment above the ankle.

We should not be afraid of what people might say in response to us wearing the garments above the ankles.

Abu bakr’s garment fell below his ankles. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) told him that he did not do that out of arrogance. This does not mean that if we do not let the lower garment flow with pride, it is permissible to wear it. Abu bakr did not purposely let his lower garment fall below the ankles.

So it is not permissible to wear the lower garments below the ankles, whether due to pride or not.

Allaah says,

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better…”

6) He (the Prophet (peace be upon Him) also said what means that if a man curses us on the basis of a characteristic we possess, we must not curse that man in return on the basis of a characteristic he possesses.

There is narration wherein it is stated that a man cursed abu bakr in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon Him). The Prophet (peace be upon Him) sat listening and he was smiling. Then abu bakr responded. When abu bakr responded, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) stopped smiling and he got up and walked away. So abu bakr followed him and pursued him telling him that the man cursed him and yet, he (Prophet (peace be upon Him)) was smiling! And when he did the same in retaliation, He (the Prophet (peace be upon Him)) left.

So the Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that when the man was cursing abu bakr, an angel was responding back to the man on abu bakr’s behalf. That was what made the Prophet (peace be upon Him) smile. As soon as the Prophet (peace be upon Him) responded, the shaytaan came and the angel left and so the Prophet (peace be upon Him) too left. There are things going on in the unseen when people are obedient to Allaah, whether the servants realize that or not. It is not an attribute of weakness that we do not respond to such curses. Rather, Allaah is pleased with that.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that whoever repels evil or anger even though he is able to carry it out, Allaah will call him on the day of judgment in front of all of the creation so that he may choose from the hoor ul ayn, whoever he wishes.

The da’wah should me tailor made to people. We should analyze a person’s situation and then speak accordingly.

Maryam
24th February 2016 at 6:05 pm

Maa shaa Allah,this was very beneficial nd informative to me Alhamdulillah, may Allah subhanah wa ta’ala bless u all in abundance,in this life and the next Ameen

Anuj purushottam
27th February 2016 at 4:27 pm

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) gave many great pieces of advise to His companions. From them, is a beautiful hadith that occurs in the sunan of abu dawood upon the authority of Jaabir ibn sulaym. This man was from the companions. He was from the Bedouins. What is apparent is that he had embraced Islam prior to meeting the Prophet (peace be upon Him). He informed us of his first meeting with the Prophet (peace be upon Him).

He mentioned that he saw a man (the Prophet (peace be upon Him)) and the people were obedient to everything that he said. He did not make a command except that they (the people) would carry out what he said. So he asked who this man was. They replied saying that he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him). So jaabir said, “upon you be peace O Messenger of Allaah.” So the Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that he should not have said that since the way he greeted him was the salutation of the dead.

The people of pre-Islamic ignorance used to do that whilst addressing the dead in their graves.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that he should instead say, “Assalamu’alaykum”. Then Jaabir asked the Prophet (peace be upon Him) whether he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him) in reality. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) affirmed that.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said what means that he was the Prophet (peace be upon Him) of Allaah, the same Allaah who responds to the invocations of his slaves when they are in hardship or difficulties, the same Allaah who causes the vegetation to grow in response to the supplications of people in drought stricken land, the same Allaah who returns to us the riding beast to us when we lose it whilst travelling, the same Allaah who brings us riches from a state of poverty.

So jaabir then requested the Prophet (peace be upon Him) to give him advise.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) told him not to belittle any good deeds even if they are the likes of speaking to a brother with a smiling face.

He told him not to curse anyone. There on after, jaabir never cursed a slave, a free person, a camel or a sheep.

He also advised him to raise the lower garment to the middle of the sin and if he did not want to do so, he should raise it at least above the ankles. He told him to beware of dropping the lower garment below the ankles since that is from pride and Allaah does not love pride.

He also said that if a man curses us on the basis of a characteristic we possess, we must not curse that man in return on the basis of a characteristic he possesses. This is because by this, the sin of a man will be upon him.

These are some tremendous advises the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) gave to Jaabir.

The people of knowledge have some observations upon this hadith.

Within the hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) was addressing a Bedouin.
What was well known as it related to the Bedouins is that which is related to their character.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) addressed him with the thing that is most relevant to him, starting with the most important thing. Then he began with those things that are next in importance.

1) He firstly corrected jaabir’s salutation. He did not leave jaabir to remain upon that error in making a salutation to be made for the dead. That salutation is not the salutation of the people of Islam. We leave the salutations that oppose the Islamic salutation.

2) The Prophet (peace be upon Him) then went on to tell him who he was by affirming that He was the messenger of Allaah. But he addressed him in a manner of giving emphasis to the affair of tawheed. He clarified tawheed to jaabir. He told him that He is the messenger of Allaah, the same Allaah who responds to the one who supplicates whilst he is in a state of difficulty or hardship. He is the same Allaah who brings the vegetation out from a drought stricken land. (Refer to the hadith mentioned above).

So The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) clarified to Jaabir that it is Allaah alone who is deserving of being worshipped and not the false deities whom the mushriks turned to fulfill their needs. So the manner in which the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) gave da’wah was beautiful.

3) Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) advised the Bedouin (jaabir) not to curse anyone. Cursing people was from the striking characteristics of the Bedouins. Speaking in an unbetting manner and speaking abruptly was from their traits. The Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) spoke to him in a manner indicating that this was a trait of the Bedouins. Jaabir never cursed a slave, a free person or an animal after that advise. This indicates the extent of the obedience of the companions.

4) The Prophet (peace be upon Him) advised not to belittle any of the good deeds. Maybe, we might neglect the smaller deeds and look down upon them. Meeting the brothers with smiling faces is from the good deeds that many people might neglect or look down upon. A rough person may not seem to think this is important. This should not be our thinking. He instructed jaabir with that which would refine him in relation to tawheed and his outward character.

5) He also advised him in relation to his lower garment which was a general advise for everyone. We must not have garments made of beautiful material that flow and that drag, indicating the person is from a wealthy background. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) taught jaabir to raise his lower garment to the middle of the shin. If we refuse to raise it that high, then at least, we must raise the garment above the ankle.

We should not be afraid of what people might say in response to us wearing the garments above the ankles.

Abu bakr’s garment fell below his ankles. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) told him that he did not do that out of arrogance. This does not mean that if we do not let the lower garment flow with pride, it is permissible to wear it. Abu bakr did not purposely let his lower garment fall below the ankles.

So it is not permissible to wear the lower garments below the ankles, whether due to pride or not.

Allaah says,

“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves (screen your private parts, etc.) and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better…”

6) He (the Prophet (peace be upon Him) also said what means that if a man curses us on the basis of a characteristic we possess, we must not curse that man in return on the basis of a characteristic he possesses.

There is narration wherein it is stated that a man cursed abu bakr in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon Him). The Prophet (peace be upon Him) sat listening and he was smiling. Then abu bakr responded. When abu bakr responded, the Prophet (peace be upon Him) stopped smiling and he got up and walked away. So abu bakr followed him and pursued him telling him that the man cursed him and yet, he (Prophet (peace be upon Him)) was smiling! And when he did the same in retaliation, He (the Prophet (peace be upon Him)) left.

So the Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that when the man was cursing abu bakr, an angel was responding back to the man on abu bakr’s behalf. That was what made the Prophet (peace be upon Him) smile. As soon as the Prophet (peace be upon Him) responded, the shaytaan came and the angel left and so the Prophet (peace be upon Him) too left. There are things going on in the unseen when people are obedient to Allaah, whether the servants realize that or not. It is not an attribute of weakness that we do not respond to such curses. Rather, Allaah is pleased with that.

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said that whoever repels evil or anger even though he is able to carry it out, Allaah will call him on the day of judgment in front of all of the creation so that he may choose from the hoor ul ayn, whoever he wishes.

The da’wah should me tailor made to people. We should analyze a person’s situation and then speak accordingly.