September 04, 2010

The Dispute of the Hosts on High

The angels discuss amongst themselves matters of the revelation of their Lord which are not clear to them. In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad, it is narrated from Ibn Ábbas that the Messenger (pbuh) said:

"Last night my Lord - may He be blessed and exalted - came to me in the most beautiful form - he (the narrator) said: I think he said in a dream - and He said: " O Muhammad, do you know what the hosts on high dispute about?" I said, "No". He put His hand on my back, between my shoulders, until I could feel its coolness on my chest, and I knew what was in the heavens and what was on earth.

Then He said, "O Muhammad, do you know what the hosts on high dispute about?" I said, "Yes, about expiations and actions that raise a person's status. The expiations are staying int he mosque after the prayer, walking on foot to join the congregational prayers and doing wudoo' properly at the time of hardship; and the actions that raise a persons's status are spreading salaam, feeding people, and praying at night when people are asleep."

He said, "You have spoken the truth, Whoever does that will live in goodness and die in peace, and he will be free from any sin, as pure as a newborn baby."

He said, "O Muhammad, when you pray, say, Allahumma inni as’aluka fi’lal khairat wa tarkal munkarat wa hubbal masakin wa an taghfarali wa tarhamani wa idha aradata fitnatan fi qaumi fatawafani ghaira maftunin wa as’aluka hubbaka wa hubba man yuhibbuka wa hubba ‘amalin yuqaribu ila hubbika

O Allah! I ask You for the means to do good, to avoid evil, and to love the poor, and I beseech You to forgive me and have mercy on me. When You subject my people to a trial, cause me to die without being affected by it. O Allah! I ask Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of all such actions that bring one closer to Your Love.”

- Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 3/9, no.2580, 2581.

No comments:

Post a Comment