Ibn Katheer's Early Days PDF

1  Ibn Katheer Early Days (Stories of the beginning of Creation and the early Prophet from Adam to Yoonus) Taken from Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah Downloaded from sunniconnect.com...

1  Ibn Katheer Early Days (Stories of the beginning of Creation and the early Prophet from Adam to Yoonus) Taken from Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah Downloaded from sunniconnect.com Translation and Researched by Research Department of Darussalam 2  Table of Contents Preface to the Revision........................................................................................ 8 The Plan of Action for This Book:................................................................. 11 Publisher’s Preface............................................................................................ 15 Biography of Al-Hafiz Ibn Katheer............................................................... 18 His birth, his upbringing and his education:............................................ 20 His Students:........................................................................................................ 22 His Writings, Including Detailed Works and Brief Treatises............. 23 His Death................................................................................................................ 26 Author’s Preface.................................................................................................. 27 A Description of the Creation of theThrone, the Kursi, Al-Lawh, the Heavens and the Earth chapter On The Words of Allah, Most High: Allah is the Creator of all things…................................................................ 34 Section Regarding What Has Been Said Concerning the Description of the Creation of the Throne and the Kursi............................................ 37 Section: Regarding What Has Been Said Concerning Al-Lawh Al- Mahfooz.................................................................................................................. 42 Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth and All That Lies Between Them..................................... 43 Section Regarding the Seas and the Rivers.............................................. 54 Section Pertaining to the Explanation of All Creation – On Land and in the Sea................................................................................................................ 65 Chapter: What Pertains to the Creation of the Heavens and the Signs They Contain........................................................................................................ 67 Section Regarding What Has Been Said About the Galaxy and Rainbows............................................................................................................... 78 3 Chapter: Mention of the Creation of the Angels and Their Attributes................................................................................................................................... 80 Section on the Categories of Angels............................................................ 94 Section Regarding the Superiority of Angels Over Mankind...........102 Chapter: Mention of the Creation of the Jinn and the Story of Satan.................................................................................................................................104 Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Creation of Adam....122 Mention of How Adam Defeated Moosa (Peace be Upon Them Both) in an Argument..................................................................................................139 The Ahadeeth Related to the Creation of Adam...................................141 The Story of Adam’s Two Sons: Qabeel (Cain) and Habeel (Abel) 146 Mention of the Death of Adam and His Advice to His Son, Sheeth 150 What Has Been Mentioned About Idrees................................................152 The Story of Nooh.............................................................................................154 What Has Been Mentioned About the Character of Nooh................173 His Advice to His Son......................................................................................174 The Story of Hood.............................................................................................176 The Story of Saleh , the Prophet of Thamood........................................193 The Prophet’s Passage Through Wadi Al-Hijr in the Land of Thamood in the Year of the Battle of Tabook............................................................205 The Story of Ibraheem....................................................................................207 Mention of the Debate Between Ibraheem Al-Khaleel and Those Who Wanted to Dispute With the Mighty, the All- Powerful in Garments of Greatness and Robes of Arrogance and So He Claimed Lordship, When He Was One of the Weak Slaves.....................................................220 The Story of Al-Khaleel’s Migration to the Land of Ash-Sham, His Entry Into the Lands of Egypt and His Settling in the Holy Land..223 The Story of the Birth of Isma‘eel by Hajar............................................228 4 The Story of Ibraheem’s Migration With His Son, Isma‘eel, and His Mother, Hajar, to the Mountains of Faran, Which is the Land of Makkah, and His Building of the Ancient House..................................231 The Story of the Sacrificial Offering..........................................................236 The Story of the Birth of Ishaq....................................................................240 The Story of the Building of the Ancient House....................................243 Mention of the Praise Heaped on Allah’s Slave and Khaleel, Ibraheem, by Allah and His Messenger.........................................................................249 His Palace in Paradise.....................................................................................259 The Description of Ibraheem.......................................................................260 Mention of Ibraheem Al-Khaleel’s Death And What is Said Regarding His Age..................................................................................................................261 Mention of the Sons of Ibraheem, Al-Khaleel, (May the Choicest Prayers and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Them)...................................263 Among the Great Events That Occurred During the Lifetime of Ibraheem , Al- Khaleel is the Story of the People of Lot and the General Punishment That Befell Them....................................................264 The Story of the People of Shu‘aib.............................................................277 Chapter: Mention of the Progeny of Ibraheem.....................................290 Mention of Isma‘eel.........................................................................................291 Mention of Ishaq , Son of Ibraheem , the Noble, Son of a Noble.....294 Mention of the Amazing Events That Took Place During the Life of Isra’eel, Including the Story of Yoosuf, Son of Raheel........................295 The Story of Ayyoob (Job).............................................................................336 The Story of Dhul-Kifl Who, According to Some People, Was the Son of Ayyoob.............................................................................................................341 Mention of Communities That Were Completely Eradicated.........343 The Story of the People of YaSeen Who Were the Dwellers of the Town......................................................................................................................346 5 The Story of Yoonus (Jonah)........................................................................351 Mention of the Virtue of Yoonus.................................................................357 6 In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful 7 Preface to the Revision All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who revived knowledge of His religion and caused it to blossom forth after it had all but disappeared, and Who demolished the false conjectures of the apostates. I praise Him and I seek refuge with Him from the sins which weigh upon the backs of mankind. I worship Him and seek His aid in removing hindrances and difficulties in the practice of my religion. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone, without partners and I bear witness that Muhammad who, by Allah’s leave, brought about the dawn of faith to the darkness and misguidance which existed in the hearts of mankind – is the slave and Messenger of Allah. May the Blessings and Peace of Allah be upon him in perpetuity. O, Allah! We seek Your favor and through You we seek to ward off affliction. We ask You to protect us and to grant us mercy. Our Lord! Make not our hearts deviate after You have already guided us. Make it easy for us to perform our deeds in the way that You have taught us. Make us grateful for what You have given us and make plain a path for us which leads to You. Open up the doors between us and You by which we may arrive before You. To You belong the keys to the heavens and the Earth and You are Most Able to do all things. To proceed: Among the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon us, the community of Muslims is that He has made it easy for us to follow the path of guidance, and He has opened the doors of knowledge by making available to us these new publications, which present to us the writings of the early scholars and reveal to us what they said regarding legal verdicts, history, events, information and lessons. These scholars opened a clear beacon of light for all those Muslims seeking guidance and they set up for us a signpost in which there is neither deviation nor crookedness. Whoever follows it will arrive 8 safely at his desired destination and whoever diverts from it will be lost forever. They have written these books and treatises and made clear to us therein events, information and virtues. Among such books is this unique work, Al-Bidayah Wan-Nihayah, by the Imam, the Hafiz, the master scholar of hadeeth, ‘Imaduddeen Isma‘eel Ibn Katheer Al-Qurashi – may Allah have mercy on him. This book was greeted with approval by the vast majority of Muslims. No Islamic library would be complete without it. In it, the author has recorded what Allah, Most High has made easy for him about the history of mankind, from the beginning of creation, starting with the creation of the Throne and the Kursi (Footstool), the heavens and the Earth and all that they contain and all that lies between them, such as the angels, the jinn and the devils. He also described how Adam was created, and told the stories of the prophets up to the days of the Children of Isra’eel and the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah), until the advent of Prophet Muhammad , which heralded the end of Prophethood. He then recorded his Seerah. Then he recorded the (1) events which took place up to his own time. He also spoke of the trials and battles, the signs of the approach of the Hour, then the sending forth of mankind and the terrors of the Resurrection, which he described in detail. He then described the Hell-fire, with all its horrors, and Paradise and all the good things contained therein. He called this particular volume of his book: An-Nihayah Fil-Fitan Wal- Malahim (The Ending in Trials and Battles). As for the book which is in our hands today, it is Al-Bidayah. By Allah’s Grace, I came to know brother Abdul Malik Mujahid, the general manager of Darussalam Publishing in Riyadh. He visited me in my humble office in Damascus and suggested to me the idea of creating a summarised version of this wonderful book. I prayed for Allah’s Guidance in the matter and sought help from Him in completing the project. Allah enabled me to make the acquaintance of a number of people of knowledge and experience in this field and a plan of action for the work was written. It consisted of ten principal points and we then started the task, seeking help from the Lord of 9 the heavens and the Earth. All of us exerted our utmost efforts in this task, making repeated revisions and corrections, until we reached the point where, by Allah’s Permission, we completed it and it was published in the form which is in your hands today. 10 The Plan of Action for This Book: 1. Summarization of the text. This was achieved by concentrating on the most important events narrated in the book. In doing so, we took care not to leave out any important details which would cause loss of meaning or import. 2. We relied on a number of printed and handwritten copies of the book and in cases where any contradiction or omission was found, we succeeded in establishing the most accurate and authentic text. 3. We left out the ahadeeth which proved to be baseless or weak and confined ourselves to the ahadeeth which are authentic or hasan and those which are acceptable due to the existence of other supporting narrations. On rare occasions, when it was found that there were no other ahadeeth in the chapter, we included some weak ahadeeth whose weakness was not of an extreme nature. 4. We performed takhreej of the ahadeeth with ascription of the number of the section and the page, the number of the hadeeth and in many cases, the precise location of the hadeeth in the original source, then the ruling on its authenticity, if it was not from the Saheehain, because the ahadeeth therein do not require any ruling on their authenticity and they have been widely accepted by the Muslim Ummah. As for the ahadeeth in this book, we have relied on the opinions of the Imams and scholars of hadeeth – including the earlier scholars, the later scholars and those of the present day. On some occasions, we have recorded the weak ahadeeth, while making it plain that they are not authentic. We have not omitted them 11  because the author has included them in order to warn the people against them due to their widespread popularity amongst the Muslims in general. In such cases, we desired not to oppose the author in this effort and so we left them, at the same time making the scholars’ ruling on them clear, so as to warn the people against them. 5. We summarised the asaneed present in the book, in most cases mentioning only the Companion who narrated the hadeeth, or the person who reported it from him. 6. We omitted many of the Isra’eeliyyat found in this book which the author referred to in the preface, where he said: “We do not record the Isra’eeliyyat except those which the Lawgiver has permitted, i.e., those which do not contradict the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. These are stories which are neither believed nor belied and they have been recorded because they provide details of unclarified narratives that we have, or they provide names for people and places that have only been mentioned in passing in our Revelation, due to there being no benefit in specifying them for us. Thus we have reported them in order to provide extra detail and not with the intention of citing them as evidence or placing any reliance on them. Only the Book of Allah and the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger may be relied and depended upon. It is from Allah that we seek help and it is He in Whom we place our trust; there is no help and no power except in Allah, the All-Powerful, the Most Wise, the Most High, the Almighty. 7. In some instances, we have referred back to the original manuscript in order to verify the wording of a hadeeth from its source. In some cases, the author has combined two narrations of the same hadeeth together and so 12  where this has occurred, we have noted it and separated the two narrations, placing our own words between brackets, i.e., (and in another narration…) and we have also identified the source of the addition in the footnotes. 8. We have written the Qur’anic Verses in the Uthmani script, in conformity with the copy of the Qur’an published by Al- Madinah Al-Munawwarah Printing Complex. 9. We vowelised the words of many of the ahadeeth in the book and, in addition, the poetic verses, wherever possible. 10. We mentioned the meters of the poetic verses between parentheses. 11. We explained the meanings of some difficult or obscure words, relying on dictionaries, books containing ghareeb ahadeeth and narrations and other sources. 12. We furnished a brief biography of the author, Hafiz Ibn Katheer though in reality, he requires no introduction and no description. Finally, I ask Allah, Most High, to accept this humble work from us and to acknowledge it as having been done purely and sincerely with the aim of pleasing Him and to grant us and our brothers, who assisted us in the production of this book, pardon and forgiveness in religious and secular matters. In addition, we ask Him that He include this work in the weight of our good deeds on the Day of Resurrection – a Day on which neither wealth nor sons will benefit anyone – except for those whom Allah has blessed with pure hearts. 13 And our final declaration is that all praise and thanks are due to Allah, and we invoke blessings and peace upon Prophet Muhammad and upon all his righteous family and Companions until the Day of Reckoning. Yoosuf Al-Hajj Ahmad, The humble slave of Allah. Damascus, Ash-Sham (Syria). 2nd of Dhul-Hijjah, 1428 A.H. 14 Publisher’s Preface Verily, all praise and thanks are due to Allah. We seek His aid and we ask forgiveness of Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the wickedness in ourselves. Whomsoever Allah guides, there is none who can misguide him and whomsoever He sends astray, there is none who can guide him. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. He sent him with guidance and the true Religion and with the light (of truth), the admonition and wisdom, at a time when no Messengers were sent for a long period, when there was little religious knowledge and the people had gone astray, when the Hour was drawing nearer. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has followed the right course, while whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger erred from it and gone far astray. To proceed: The book Al-Bidayah (The Beginning) by the Hafiz, the Imam, the scholarly critic, Ibn Katheer is an incomparable work regarding the study of the events and their chronological order, the knowledge of which he strove hard to acquire. He began by describing the start of creation – from the creation of the Throne and the Kursi and the heavens and the Earth and all that is in them and all that lies between them, such as the angels, the jinn and the devils and he described the manner of Adam’s creation. He recounted the stories of the Prophets and the events that took place therein, up to the times of the Children of Isra’eel and the Days of Ignorance, which ended with the advent of the final Prophet, Muhammad . Then he gave a detailed description of his life and what happened after that, up to the time in which he, lived. He then wrote a separate volume called An-Nihayah Fil – Fitan Wal-Malahim (The Ending With Trials and Great Battles). Furthermore, Allah inspired us to undertake the noble task of making this book easily accessible to both the students and the 15 scholars and then to translate it into several languages, by Allah’s Permission. I suggested to my brother, Yoosuf Al-Hajj, the necessity of summarizing this book in a suitable manner, through the omission of unbeneficial repetition, weak ahadeeth, lengthy poems, etc. I am thankful to brother Yoosuf for assembling a team that consisted of Abdul Malik Wadih, Abu Muslim Al- Jaza’iri, Muwaffeq Khaleel Hammad, and himself. Darussalam funded the entire project, paying each team member for his contribution and work. After they completed their portion of the project, the work then went through numerous people in the Research Division of Darussalam, who meticulously went through the work, adding and subtracting materials. After this, the project went through another round of editing of the Arabic material before it was sent to the translation department. The translation was then checked for accuracy and then sent for editing, resulting in the final project that you see before you. All praise and thanks be to Allah for allowing us to produce such a classical work for the first time in the English language. O Allah! We ask that You bless us with sincerity and success and that You spread goodness through our hands. ‘Abdul Malik Mujahid. Jumadal-Oola 1431 A.H. 16 In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful 17 Biography of Al-Hafiz Ibn Katheer He is the Shaikh, the Imam, the Hafiz, ‘Imaduddeen Abul Fida’ Isma‘eel Ibn ‘Umar Ibn Katheer Ibn Daw’ Ibn Katheer Ibn Dir‘, originally Al-Busrawi, then Ad-Dimashqi Ash-Shafi‘i. He was born in Mijdal, a village on the outskirts of Busra, in the year 701 A.H., where his father was a khateeb. In the year 706 A.H., he moved to Damascus where he studied Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh) under Shaikh Burhanuddeen Al-Fazari and others. He married the daughter Al-Hafiz Al- Mizzi and reported many traditions from him. He delivered formal legal verdicts, was a teacher and debated with other scholars. He was a leading scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, tafseer and Arabic grammar, in addition to which he applied himself assiduously to the study of rijal and weaknesses or discrepancies in ahadeeth. He was appointed as head of Umm As-Salih School and At- Tankaziyyah School, after Adh-Dhahabi. Adh-Dhahabi referred to him in the explanatory notes of Tabaqat Al- Huffaz, and in Al-Mu‘jam Al-Mukhtass he said: “He is a sound scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence, a verifier of hadeeth, a scholar of tafseer and a critic. He has written many beneficial works.” Among his written works are 1. At-Takmeel Fee Ma‘rifatith-Thiqat Wal-Majaheel (The Complete Book of Criticism and Praise and Knowledge of the Trustworthy Reporters and the Unknown Reporters). It combines Kitab ut-Tahdheeb and Al-Meezan and consists of five volumes. 18  2. Jami‘ Al-Masaneed Was-Sunan Al-Hadi Li-Aqwam Sunan (The Combined Musnads and the Sunan Which Guide to the Most Precious Sunan); this is said to be one of Ibn Katheer’s finest works in the field of hadeeth and it is one of the last books that he wrote, though not the very last one. He died before completing it – may Allah have mercy on him. In it, he combined the musnads of Imam Ahmad, Al- Bazzar, Abu Ya‘la and Ibn Abi Shaibah with the Six Books. Shaikh Muhammad Abdur-Razzaq Hamzah said in the introduction to the book Al-Ba‘ith Al-Hatheeth: His lineage, his birth, his teachers and his upbringing: ‘Imaduddeen Abul Fida’ Isma‘eel Ibn Ash-Shaikh Abu Hafs Shihabuddeen ‘Umar – the khateeb of his village – Ibn Katheer Ibn Daw’ Ibn Katheer Ibn Dir‘ Al-Qurashi, originally from Al- Busrawi, then Ad-Dimashqi. 19 His birth, his upbringing and his education: He was born in Mijdal, a village on the outskirts of the city of Busra, to the east of Damascus, in the year 701 A.H. His father was a khateeb; he died in the year 705 A.H., when Ibn Katheer was just four years old. He was then brought up by his brother, Shaikh Abdul Wahhab, from whom he learned the fundamentals of Islamic Jurisprudence. Then he moved to Damascus in the year 706 A.H., when he was six years old. There he studied Islamic Jurisprudence under the tutelage of Shaikh Burhanuddeen Ibraheem Ibn Abdur-Rahman Al-Fazari, better known as Ibn Al-Firkaah (d. 729 A.H.). In Damascus he learned from ‘Eesa Ibn Al- Mut‘im and from Ahmad Ibn Abi Talib, better known as Ibn Ash-Shihnah and Al-Hajjar, who lived for more than a hundred years (d. 730 A.H.). He also learned from Al-Qasim Ibn ‘Asakir, from Ibn Ash-Sheerazi, Ishaq Ibn Al-Amidi and Muhammad Ibn Zarad. He also attended the lectures of Shaikh Jamaluddeen Yoosuf Ibn Az-Zaki Al-Mizzi, the author of Tahdheeb Al-Kamal and Atraf Al-Kutub As- Sittah, who died in the year 724 A.H. He benefited greatly from his association with him and married his daughter. He also learnt and benefited greatly from Shaikh Al-Islam Taqiyuddeen Ibn Taimiyyah (d. 728 A. H.) with whom he kept company and whom he loved dearly. In addition, he studied under the Shaikh, the Hafiz and historian, Shamsuddeen Adh-Dhahabi Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Qayimaz (d. 748 A. H.). In Egypt, he was endorsed by Abu Moosa Al- Qarafi, Al-Husaini, Abul-Fath Ad-Dabboosi, ‘Ali Ibn ‘Umar Al-Wani, Yoosuf Al-Khatani and others. Al-Hafiz Shamsuddeen Adh-Dhahabi said in Al-Mu‘jam Al-Mukhtass: “(He was) the Imam, the muhaddith, the mufti (deliverer of legal verdicts), the outstanding scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence and tafseer; he wrote many valuable works.” 20 Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in Ad-Durar Al-Kaminah: “He worked on ahadeeth, studying their texts and their chains of narrators and he had a phenomenal memory and was a good-humored man.” During his lifetime, his written works spread throughout the lands and the people benefited from them after his death.” As-Suyooti commented on this, saying, “(He was) a reliable source of ahadeeth knowledge, of their authenticity or weakness, of the various sources from which they were reported and of their rijal and their strength or weakness…” The renowned historian, Abul- Mahasin Jamaluddeen Yoosuf Ibn Saifuddeen, better known as Ibn Taghri Bardi Al-Hanafi said in his book Al-Manhal As-Safi Wal- Mustawfa Ba‘d Al- Wafi; “(He was) the Shaikh, the Imam, the most erudite, ‘Imaduddeen Abul-Fida’… he was constantly occupied and tireless in writing, compiling, categorizing, studying, narrating ahadeeth and authoring. He possessed huge knowledge of hadeeth, tafseer, Islamic Jurisprudence, Arabic language and other subjects. He delivered legal verdicts and he continued to study until he died.” He was renowned for his ability to correct and revise and he was acknowledged as a leading historian, scholar of hadeeth and tafseer and it was he who said, “The days pass us by, one after another, Only driving onto the appointed times, while the eye watches, And that youth which has gone will never return, While this irritating old age remains.” 21 His Students: The number of students who heard from Ibn Katheer and reported from him is great; they include Al-Hafiz ‘Alauddeen Ibn Hijji Ash- Shafi‘i – may Allah have mercy on him – who said of him: “He had memorized more hadeeth texts than any other scholar of our acquaintance and he was the most knowledgeable of them regarding the authentication and disparagement of narrations and their rijal. His contemporaries and his teachers all acknowledged this. Every time I met him I gained some benefit from him.” Ibn Al-‘Imad Al-Hanbali said in his book, ‘Shadharat Adh- Dahab Fee Akhbari Man Dhahab: “(He was) the great Hafiz, ‘Imaduddeen; he memorized At-Tanbeeh and presented it in the year 718 A.H. and he memorized Mukhtasar Ibn Al-Hajib. He had a phenomenal memory and seldom forgot anything. He had good understanding and was a scholar of Arabic language who wrote average poetry." Ibn Habeeb said of him: “He heard (from the scholars), he collected and authored and he delighted the ears of his listeners with his words. He taught and he benefited (his listeners) and the pages of his legal verdicts spread throughout the lands and he became famous for his accuracy and his writing and editing skills.” 22 His Writings, Including Detailed Works and Brief Treatises 1. Tafseer Al-Qur’an Al-‘Azeem (Explanation of the Noble Qur’an), which is one of his most important works. It is considered to be one of the best books of tafseer whose author depended primarily for the interpretation of the Verses of the Noble Book on the ahadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa alihi wa sallam). It was ordained by Allah that this great volume should become accepted and spread throughout the Muslim lands. 2. Al-Bidayah Wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End): This is a highly estimable book and scholars through the times have benefited from it and it has passed through the hands of researchers in every corner of the large Islamic world. In it he spoke of Earthly affairs, beginning with the start of creation, touching on the lives of the Prophets (alaihimuss-salatu was- salam) and speaking in depth and at great length about the life story of the Messenger of Allah (sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa alihi wa sallam) and recording in beneficial depth the period that followed the Prophet’s life, from the era of the rightly-guided Caliphs and ending in the year 767 A.H., with a description of the trials that would appear before the Hour. 3. At-Takmeel Ma‘rifati Ath-Thiqat Wal-Majaheel (The Complete Book of Criticism and Praise, and Knowledge of the Trustworthy Reporters and the Unknown Reporters). There is a version of it in Dar Al-Kutub Al-Misriyyah, No. 24227, which is in two volumes, but it is incomplete. (It combines Kitab At-Tahdheeb and Al-Meezan, which consists of five volumes). 4. Jami‘ Al-Masaneed Was-Sunan Al-Hadi Li-Aqwam Sunan (The Combined Musnads and the Sunan Which Guide to the Most 23  Precious Sunan); this is said to be one of Ibn Katheer’s finest works in the field of hadeeth and it is one of the last books that he wrote, though not the very last one. He died before completing it – may Allah have mercy on him. In it, he combined the musnads of Imam Ahmad, Al- Bazzar, Abu Ya‘la and Ibn Abi Shaibah with the Six Books. (1) 5. Tabaqat Ash-Shafi‘iyyah (The Levels of the Shafi‘i Scholars). An evenhanded estimation of the Shafi‘i scholars, including a description of the virtues of Imam Ash-Shafi‘i. 6. Takhreej Ahadeeth Adillah At-Tanbeeh Fee Fiqh Ash- Shafi‘iyyah (Takhreej of the Ahadeeth of "Adillah At- Tanbeeh" in Shafi‘i Jurisprudence). 7. Takhreej Ahadeeth Mukhtasar Ibn Al-Hajib (Takhreej of the Ahadeeth in the original version of Mukhtasar Ibn Al- Hajib); this was published recently with an authentication by Al-Kubaisi and published in Makkah. 8. Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhari (Explanation of Saheeh Al- Bukhari); unfortunately, it is incomplete. 9. Al-Ahkam Al-Kubra (The Major Rulings); sadly, he did not complete it, reaching as far as the topic of Hajj. 10. Ikhtisar ‘Uloom Al-Hadeeth (An Abbreviated Book on the Science of Hadeeth); it was published in Makkah in the year 1358 A.H., with an authentication by Shaikh Muhammad ‘Abdur-Razzaq Hamzah and an explanation by Shaikh Ahmad Shakir and it was printed in Cairo in the year 1355 A.H. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al- ‘Asqalani said of it, “It contains many benefits.” 11. Musnad Ash-Shaikhain (Musnad of the Two Shaikhs – i.e. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with them both). 24 12 & 13. As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah (Biography of the Prophet) – a full version and a summarised one. He mentioned it in his Tafseer, in the explanation of Soorah Al-Ahzab, in the story of the Battle of the Trench. The summarised version was printed in Egypt in the year 1358 A.H. and was entitled Al-Fusool Fikhtisar Seerah Ar- Rasool (Summarised Chapters of the Biography of the Messenger). 14. Al-Muqaddimat Fee Usool Al-Fiqh (Introductions to the Science of Usool Al-Fiqh [the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence]). It was referred to in the summary of Muqaddimah Ibn As-Salah. 15. Mukhtasar Kitab Al-Madkhal Ila Kitab As-Sunan Lil- Baihaqi (Abbreviation of The Introduction to the Book of the Sunan by Al- Baihaqi). 16. Risalah Fil-Jihad (A Treatise on Jihad), which is available in print. 25 His Death The author of Al-Manhal As-Safi said: “He died on Thursday, the 26 th of Sha‘ban, in the year 747 A.H., aged seventy-four years.” Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: “He had become blind in the latter years of his life, may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him.” 26 Author’s Preface The Shaikh, the Imam, the scholar, the most erudite, Abul Fida’ ‘Imaduddeen Isma‘eel – may Allah have mercy on him – said: “All praise and thanks be to Allah, the First and the Last, Az-Zahir, Al- Batin, Who has complete knowledge of all things. He is the First, because there was nothing before Him and He is the Last, because there will be nothing after Him. He is Az- Zahir, because there is nothing above Him and He is Al-Batin, because there is nothing below Him. He is the Eternal, Who is continuously and permanently present with all of His perfect and complete Attributes, forever, without end and without interruption. He is Aware of even the crawling of a black ant on a solid rock on a dark night, and He knows the exact number of the grains of sand. He is the Sublime, the Greatest, Who created everything and ordered them in due proportions. He erected the heavens without any supports and adorned them with the shining heavenly bodies and He placed therein a lamp (the sun) and a luminous moon. Above them He created an elevated seat, which is wide, domed and circular and that is the Mighty Throne, which has legs borne by noble angels known as the Karoobiyyoon - may the Blessings and Peace of Allah be upon them all. They sing Allah’s praises and glorify Him. Likewise, all corners of the heavens are filled with angels and every day seventy thousand of them arrive in Al-Bait Al- Ma‘moor in the Seventh Heaven. When they leave it after completing their saying la ilaha illallah, praise, glorification, prayers and greetings etc., they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes). He placed in the Earth rivers and streams for the animals and He placed therein tall mountains and blessed them, and provided nourishment of every kind for mankind and their livestock both in summer and in winter. He began the creation of man from clay and He made his offspring from his semen, composed of worthless water, in a safe lodging (womb). Then He fashioned him in 27 due proportion, and breathed into him the soul (created by Allah for that person), and He gave him hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and hearts, after he had been nothing to be mentioned and He honored him with knowledge and teachings. He created Adam, the father of the mankind, fashioned his body and breathed into it His Spirit. He made the angels prostrate before him and created from him his spouse, Eve, the mother of the mankind for his company. He placed them in His Paradise and showered His Blessings upon them. Then, in His Wisdom, He sent them down to the Earth and He produced from them numerous men and women and in His infinite Wisdom, He made some of them kings and others subjects, some of them poor and some of them wealthy, some of them free and some of them slaves. He made them reside in all corners of the Earth, throughout the length and breadth of it. He made them in generations, succeeding one another until the Day of Reckoning, when they will be presented to their Lord, the All-knowing, Most Wise. He blessed them with rivers in all the lands. These rivers varied from large to small, according to the needs of the people. He caused springs and wells to flow for them. He sent them rainclouds and brought forth for them all manner of plants and fruits and gave them all that they requested: And if you count the blessings of Allah, never will be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, a disbeliever (an extra ingrate who denies Allah's Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad. He gave you of all that you asked for. (Soorah Ibraheem 14:34). Glorified be He, the Most Generous, the Self-Sufficient, Most Forbearing. One of the greatest blessings which He bestowed upon them – after He created them, gave them provision, made the path easy for them and gave them speech – was that He sent Messengers to them and revealed to them Scriptures which made clear what He had made lawful and what He had made unlawful, His communications, His Rulings and details of everything from the beginning until the return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The happy man is the one who believes in these communications and submits to them and complies with His 28 Commands and extols His Prohibitions. Such a person succeeds in attaining eternal bliss and will avoid the abode of the rejecters in Hell, where Az- Zaqqoom is located, along with hameem and a painful punishment. I praise Him abundantly with pure and blessed praises, filling the expanses of the Earth and the heavens for all time until the Day of Resurrection, as befits His Great Majesty, His Eternal Dominion and His Beneficent Countenance. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah, Alone, without partners, without offspring, without any female companion, without peer, without minister, without adviser, without equal, without rival and without sharer. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, His beloved, His Khaleel, Al-Mustafa, of Arab origin, the Seal of the Prophets, who has been given the great Hawd of sweet water and who will be permitted by Allah to intercede on behalf of the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection. He will hold the banner which Allah will send to Al-Maqam Al-Mahmood, a banner under which all of mankind will desire to gather, even Allah’s Khaleel, Ibraheem may Allah’s Blessings and Peace be upon him and all of his brothers among the Prophets and Messengers and may He be well pleased with all of his esteemed, noble and excellent Companions, who are the best of all people after the Prophets. In this book, I will record – with Allah’s Help and Guidance what Allah, by His Strength and Power, makes easy for me of the beginning of all created things, such as the creation of the Throne and the Kursi, the heavens and the Earth and all that is in them and what lies between them, such as the angels, the jinn and the devils, how Adam was created, the stories of the Prophets and the events that surrounded them, up to the times of the Children of Isra’eel and the Jahiliyyah, which ended with the coming of our Prophet, Muhammad. We will give details of his life story, as appropriate, thereby healing hearts, quenching thirsts and banishing the ills of the sick. Then we will report the events which followed that, up to the present time. 29 We will speak of the trials, the battles and the Signs of the Hour. Then we will describe the Sending Forth and the Gathering, the terrors of the Resurrection and its description, including what will occur on that Day. Then we will describe the Fire and after that, the Gardens (of Paradise), the good things therein and other matters relating to this. We will also mention what has been said regarding this in the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the traditions accepted by the scholars. We shall not mention the Isra’eeliyyat except what is permissible according to Islamic Law, i.e., which does not contradict the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger. Such narrations are neither believed in nor rejected and we will only mention those which contain details where all we have is summary or names where our narrations do not supply them, due to there being no benefit for us in providing them. And we only mention them for the purpose of embellishment, not with the intention of citing them as evidence or relying upon them. We only depend upon and have confidence in the Book of Allah and the authentic and sound narrations from the Sunnah of His Messenger. As for those narrations in which there are some weaknesses, we have identified them. Allah is the One from Whom we seek aid and upon Whom we depend and there is no strength and no power except with Allah, the Almighty, the Most Wise, the Most High, the Great. Allah says in His Book, Thus We relate to you (O Muhammad) some information of what happened before. And indeed We have given you from Us a Reminder (this Qur’an) (Soorah Ta Ha 20:99). And Allah has recounted to His Prophet  information from the past concerning the creation of all things and He has mentioned the previous nations and what He did to His Awliya’ and what He caused to befall His enemies. The Messenger of Allah conveyed all of this clearly to his people and in each chapter, we shall narrate what has come to us from him following the relevant Qur’anic Verses. He informed us of what we need to know in this regard and ignored matters of no benefit. We will only mention a few of such things in brief and we shall point out what is true in them and 30 accords with our information and whatever contradicts that, we shall hold to be rejected. As for the hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Saheeh, on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘As, in which it is stated that he said: The Messenger of Allah said, “Convey from me even a single Verse. You may relate from the Children of Isra’eel without objection. (Relate from me and do not tell lies about me). If anyone deliberately tells a lie against me let him prepare his seat in the Hellfire.” This refers to the Isra’eeliyyat on whose authenticity we offer no opinion, for we have nothing with which to confirm or refute them. So it is permissible to relate them for the purpose of reflection and contemplation and that is what we have done in this book. As for those narrations whose authenticity is confirmed by our sources, there is no need to relate them, since we may suffice ourselves with what we have (in the Qur’an and Sunnah). As for those narrations whose falsehood is established by our sources, they are rejected and it is not permissible to relate them, unless it is with the intention of pointing out that they are false and rejected. And since Allah – all praise and thanks be to Him – has sufficed us with His Messenger, Muhammad, against the need to avail ourselves of all other sources and with His Book against the necessity of referring to all other Scriptures, we will not resort to what is in their hands for information, when we know that it contains confusion, mixed-up facts, lies, fabrications, distortions and substitutions and in addition to all that, deletions and alterations. That which we require has been made clear to us by our Messenger, and he has explained it and elucidated it – some know it, while others are ignorant of it – as ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib said: “The Book of Allah contains information about what occurred before you and tidings about what will occur after you and rulings on what takes place among you; and it is true, not a thing to be taken lightly. If any tyrant or oppressor who abandons it, Allah will destroy him and if anyone seeks guidance from any other source, 31 Allah will cause him to go astray.” And Abu Dharr said: “When the Messenger of Allah died, no bird flapped its wings in flight except that he had taught us some knowledge about it.” Al-Bukhari said in the Book of the Beginning of Creation: It was reported on the authority of Tariq Ibn Shihab that he said: I heard ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab saying, “The Messenger of Allah stood up among us for a long period and informed us about the beginning of creation (and talked about everything in detail) till he mentioned how the people of Paradise will enter their places and the people of Hell will enter their places. Some remembered what he had said, and some forgot it.” Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal reported in his Musnad, on the authority of Abu Zaid Al-Ansari that he said: “The Messenger of Allah led us in the Fajr prayer, then he ascended the pulpit and he delivered a sermon to us until midday, then he descended and offered the Zuhr prayer. Then he ascended the pulpit once again and delivered a sermon to us until it was time for the ‘Asr prayer. Then he descended and offered the ‘Asr prayer. After that, he ascended the pulpit once more and delivered a sermon to us which lasted until the sun set. In these sermons, he spoke to us about what had been, what was (at that time) and what would be (in the future) and the most knowledgeable of us (regarding these things) was the one with the best memory.” Muslim also recorded it in his Saheeh, with a different chain, narrating on the authority of Ya‘qoob Ibn Ibraheem Ad- Dawraqi and Hajjaj Ibn Ash-Sha‘ir, who both reported on the authority of Abu ‘Asim Ad-Dahhak Ibn Makhlad An-Nabeel, who reported on the authority of ‘Azrah, who in turn reported on the authority of ‘Ilba’, who in turn reported on the authority of ‘Amr Ibn Akhtab Ibn Rfa‘ah Al-Ansari, who reported it from the Prophet. Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed Al- Khudri that he said: "The Messenger of Allah delivered a sermon to us after the ‘Asr prayer which lasted until sunset. Some of us remembered it and 32 others forgot it." ‘Affan said: “Hammad said: To the best of my recollection, he said: (it was about) the events that would take place up until the Day of Resurrection." Then he praised and thanked Allah and said, “Verily, the life of this world is green and beautiful, and Allah made you dwell in it generation after generation so that He sees what you will do. Therefore, beware of the life of this world and beware of women.” Then he reported the rest of the sermon and he said: Then when it was sunset, he said, “Verily, the likeness of what remains of the life of this world, compared to what has passed of it, is as the likeness of what remains of this day, compared to what has passed of it.” Then Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Abu Sa‘eed Al- Khudri that the Messenger of Allah led us in the ‘Asr prayer one day and then he stood up and delivered a sermon to us which lasted until sunset; during this sermon, he did not neglect to mention anything of the events which will occur up until the Day of Resurrection. Some of us memorized it and others forgot it. One of the things that he said was, “O people! Verily, the life of this world is green and beautiful and verily, Allah has made you dwell in it generation after generation so that He sees what you will do. Therefore, beware of the life of this world and beware of women.” Then he reported the rest of the sermon and he said, “Then as the sun was about to set, he said, “Verily, what remains of the life of this world, in comparison with what has already passed of it is like what remains of this day, in comparison with what has already passed of it.” This is what has been recorded and Allah knows better. 33 A Description of the Creation of theThrone, the Kursi, Al-Lawh, the Heavens and the Earth chapter On The Words of Allah, Most High: Allah is the Creator of all things… Allah, the Most High, says in His Noble Book: Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things (Soorah Az-Zumar 39:62). So everything besides Allah was created by Him, is under His Dominion and His Disposal, and was brought into being, having previously not existed. The Throne, which is the ceiling of all created things, including everything that lies beneath the Earth and all that exists between it and the Throne – whether animate or inanimate – all of it is His Creation, His Kingdom, His slaves and all are under His Subjugation and His Power and they are subject to His Disposal and His Will. He it is Who created the heavens and the Earth in six days and then rose (istawa) over the Throne. He knows what goes into the Earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seeing of what you do. (Soorah Al-Hadeed 57:4). The scholars of Islam, without exception, are in complete agreement – and no Muslim has the slightest doubt of this – that Allah created the heavens and the Earth and all that lies between them in six days, as proven by the Noble Qur’an. But they differed as to whether these days are like Earthly days, or whether each day is equivalent to a thousand years of what you reckon. In this matter, the scholars are divided into two camps, as we have made clear in the tafseer of this Verse and we shall explain this in the relevant place. 34 They also differed regarding the question of whether or not there existed any creation before the formation of the heavens and the Earth. Some groups among the rationalist theologians supported the idea that nothing existed before them and that they were created from absolute nothingness. Others said that no, before the creation of the heavens and the Earth there were other creations; and they based this claim on the Words of Allah, Most High, And He it is Who has created the heavens and the Earth in six days and His Throne was over the water. (Soorah Hood 11:7). In the hadeeth narrated by ‘Imran Ibn Husain it was stated that “Nothing existed before Allah and His Throne was over the water. He wrote everything in the Tablet, then He created the heavens and the Earth.” These people disagreed regarding which of them was created first: Some said that the Pen was created before all of these things and this was the preferred view of Ibn Jareer At-Tabari, Ibn Al-Jawzi and others. Ibn Jareer said: “After the Pen, the fine clouds, and after it, the Throne.” They cited as proof for this the hadeeth narrated by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawood and At- Tirmidhi, on the authority of ‘Ubadah Ibn As-Samit, who said: The Messenger of Allah said, “The first thing that Allah created was the Pen, then He said to it, ‘Write.’ In that very hour all that was to occur (was written) up to the Day of Resurrection.” This is the wording of Ahmad’s narration and At- Tirmidhi said of the hadeeth, “(It is) hasan-saheeh- ghareeb.” The opinion of the majority of scholars, according to what has been transmitted by Al-Hafiz Abul-‘Ala’ Al-Hamdani and others, is that the Throne was created before that and this is what was narrated by Ibn Jareer via Ad-Dahhak, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, as proven by (3) the hadeeth narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, in which it was reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘As that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “Allah ordained the measures of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the 35 heavens and the Earth – while His Throne was over the water.” They said that this taqdeer was His writing of the measures with the Pen. This hadeeth proves that this took place after the creation of the Throne, so it is confirmed that the creation of the Throne preceded that of the Pen, with which the measures were written – and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars. The hadeeth of the Pen must therefore be understood to mean that it was the first of the created things in this world and this is supported by the narration of Al- Bukhari, on the authority of ‘Imran Ibn Husain that he said: The people of Yemen said to the Messenger of Allah, “We have come to you to learn the Religion and to ask you about the beginning of this universe.” The Prophet said: “There was Allah and nothing else before Him…” In another narration, he said, “There was nothing else with Him…” In a narration transmitted elsewhere, it was reported that he said, “His Throne was over the water and He wrote everything in the Record; and He created the heavens and the Earth.” In another version, it was reported that he said, “Then He created the heavens and the Earth.” They asked him about the beginning of the creation of the heavens and the Earth and that is why they said: “We have come to you… to ask you about the beginning of this universe.” So he answered only what they had asked, which is why he did not inform them about the creation of the Throne. 36 Section Regarding What Has Been Said Concerning the Description of the Creation of the Throne and the Kursi Allah, Most High, says, Owner of high ranks and degrees, the Owner of the Throne (Soorah Ghafir 40:15) He, Most High, says, So Exalted be Allah, the True King, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! (Soorah Al-Mu’minoon 23:116) He, Most High, says, Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! (Soorah An-Naml 27:26) He, Most High, says, And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love (toward the pious who are real true believers in Islamic Monotheism). Owner of the Throne, the Glorious (Soorah Al-Burooj 85:14,15) He, Most High, says, The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty) (Soorah Ta Ha 20:5) He, Most High, says in a number of Verses of the Qur’an, And then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty) (Soorah Al-A‘raf 7:54) 37 Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah) (saying), “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge…” (Soorah Ghafir 40:7) He, Most High, says, And eight angels will, that day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them (Soorah Al-Haqqah 69:17) He, Most High, says, And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allah) from all round, glorifying the praises of their Lord (Allah). And they (all the creatures) will be judged with truth, and it will be said, “All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).” (Soorah Az-Zumar 39:75) In the supplication against distress narrated in an authentic hadeeth, it was said: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Great, the Most Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Lord of the Noble Throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the Earth, the Lord of the Noble Throne.” It has been established in an authentic hadeeth in Saheeh Al- Bukhari from the Messenger of Allah that he said: “When you ask Allah for Paradise, ask for Al-Firdaus, because it is the highest and best place in Paradise and above it is the Throne of the Most Beneficent.” It has also been reported in one tradition that “The inhabitants of Al- Firdaws listen to the groaning of the Throne and it is its glorification and extolling of Allah.” And that can only mean that they are near to it. 38 It has also been authentically reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “The Throne of the Most Beneficent shook due to the death of Sa‘d Ibn Mu‘adh.” Al-Hafiz Ibn Al-Hafiz Muhammad Ibn ‘Uthman Ibn Abi Shaibah wrote in his book "The Description of the Throne’ on the authority of one of the Salaf: “The Throne was created from a red ruby and the distance between its two sides would take fifty thousand years to traverse.” We mentioned when citing the Words of Allah, Most High, The angels and the Rooh (Jibrael/Gabriel) ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years (Soorah Al-Ma‘arij 70:4) that the distance between the Throne and the seventh Earth would take fifty thousand years to traverse and its breadth is also fifty thousand years. Some of the rationalists have contended that the Throne is a circular heaven that encompasses the world on all sides and that is why they referred to it as the Ninth Heaven, the Starless Heaven and Al-Atheer (the Ether). But this is not good, because it has been established that it has legs which are borne by the angels and the heaven does not have legs, nor is it held and in addition, it is above Paradise and Paradise is above the heavens and there are a hundred levels between each of its seven levels, the distance between each of which is equivalent to the distance between the heavens and the Earth. And the distance between the Throne and the Kursi is not the same as that between one heaven and another. In addition, the word ‘Arsh (Throne) in Arabic refers to the throne of a king, as Allah says, And she (i.e. the Queen of Sheba) has a great throne… (Soorah An-Naml 27:23). It does not mean a heaven and none of the Arabs understands it to mean that; and the Qur’an was sent down in the language of the Arabs and so it is a seat, which has legs that are borne by the angels and it is like a dome over the world and the ceiling of creation. Allah, Most High, says, Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of 39 Allah) (saying), “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge…” (Soorah Ghafir 40:7) And He, Most High, says, and eight angels will, that day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them (Soorah Al-Haqqah 69:17) In the poetry of ‘Abdullah Ibn Rawahah which he recited to his wife, when she accused him of impropriety with his slave- girl (‘Al-Bahr Al-Wafir’), he says: “I bore witness that Allah’s Promise is true And that the Fire is the abode of the disbelievers, And that the Throne is above the water, floating, And above the Throne is the Lord of the worlds, And it is borne by noble angels, The angels of the (one true) Deity (who are) commanded.” This was recorded by Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr and other scholars. Abu Dawood narrated on the authority of Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah that the Prophet said: “I was permitted to speak about one of the angels of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, who is one of the bearers of the Throne and (to tell you) that the distance between his earlobe and his shoulder is a journey of seven hundred years.” It was also narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Asim with this wording, “(The distance is) like that of a bird flying for seven hundred years.” And it is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas and Sa‘eed Ibn Jubair that they said regarding the Words of Allah, Most High, His Kursi extends over the heavens and the Earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:255), “It means, His Knowledge.” But what is known from Ibn ‘Abbas is that he said, as reported by Al- Hakim in Al- Mustadrak – who said that it is authentic according to the criteria for acceptance cited by Al-Bukhari and Muslim – “The 40 Kursi is the Footstool and no one is able to properly estimate the Throne except Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.” Ibn Jareer At-Tabari said: Yoonus told me: I was told by Ibn Wahb that he said: Ibn Zaid said: My father told me that the Messenger of Allah said, “In respect to the Kursi, the heavens and the Earth are no more than seven dirhams thrown into a shield.” Abu Dharr said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “The Kursiyy in relation to the Throne is no more than a ring of iron thrown into an open desert on Earth.” 41 Section: Regarding What Has Been Said Concerning Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz It is reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet said, “Verily, Allah created a Preserved Tablet from a white pearl; its pages are made from a red ruby and its Pen is light and its record is light. In each day, Allah has three hundred and sixty moments in which He creates, sustains, causes death and gives life, honors and humbles and does as He wills.” Ishaq Ibn Bishr reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that he said: Verily, at the beginning of Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz, it is written: ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone. His Religion is Islam and Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. and so whoever has faith in Allah, believes in His Promise and obeys His Messengers, He will admit him to Paradise.” He (Ibn ‘Abbas) said, “And Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz is a tablet made from white pearl; its length is equivalent to the distance between the heaven and the Earth, its breadth is equivalent to the distance between the East and the West and its edges are pearl and ruby, its two sides are red ruby, its Pen is light, its words are hung upon the Throne and its base is in the lap of an angel.” Anas Ibn Malik and others from among the Salaf said, “Al-Lawh Al- Mahfooz is on the forehead of Israfeel.” 42 Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth and All That Lies Between Them Allah, Most High, says, All praise be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the Earth, and originated the darkness and the light, yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord (Soorah Al- An‘am 6:1) He, the Most High, says, Indeed, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the Earth in six days (Soorah Al-A‘raf 7:54). This is repeated in a number of verses in the Qur’an. Scholars of tafseer hold two different opinions regarding the measure of these six days: The majority holds that they are like our (Earthly) days. It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and Ka‘b Al-Ahbar that: “Every day of them is equivalent to a thousand years of your reckoning.” This was narrated by Ibn Jareer and Ibn Abi Hatim and it was the preferred view of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in the book in which he refuted the arguments of the Jahmiyyah. It was also the preferred view of Ibn Jareer and a number of the later scholars and Allah knows better. Later, we shall present evidence to support this opinion. Ibn Jareer narrated, on the authority of Ad- Dahhak Ibn Muzahim and others, that the names of the six days are: "Abjad, Hawwaz, Hutti, Kalemun, Sa‘fas and Qarasht.” Ibn Jareer also reported three sayings relating to the first days. He narrated, on the authority of Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, that he said, “The followers of the Torah say that Allah began the creation on Sunday, while the followers of the Injeel say that Allah began the creation on Saturday, while we Muslims, according to what has come to us from the Messenger of Allah, hold that Allah began the creation on Saturday.” And this saying which is reported by Ibn 43 Ishaq from the Muslims was favored by a number of Shafi‘i scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence and others. It was reported in a hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah created the soil (or clay) on Saturday.” Allah, Most High, says, He it is Who created for you all that is on Earth. Then He istawa (rose over) toward the heaven and made them seven heavens and He is the All-Knowing (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:29) He, Most High, says, Say (O Muhammad): “Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the Earth in two days and you set up rivals (in worship) with Him?” That is the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He placed therein (i.e. the Earth) firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein its sustenance (for its dwellers) in four days equal (i.e. all these four days were equal in the length of time), for all those who ask (about its creation). Then He istawa (rose over) toward the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the Earth: “Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.” They both said: “We come willingly.” Then He completed and finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two days and He made in each heaven its affair. "And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against the devils). Such is the Decree of Him the All-Mighty, the All- Knowing". (Soorah Fussilat 41:9-12) This proves that the Earth was created before the heavens, because it is like a foundation for the structure, as Allah, Most High, says, Allah, it is He Who has made for you the Earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord, then blessed be Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists) (Soorah Ghafir 40:64) He, Most High, says, Have We not made the Earth as a bed? And the mountains as pegs? (Soorah An-Naba’ 78:6,7) – up to His Words, And 44 We have built above you seven strong (heavens). And have made (therein) a shining lamp (sun) (Soorah An-Naba’ 78:12,13) He, Most High, says, Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the Earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them and We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Soorah Al-Anbiya` 21:30) – That is, "We parted the heaven and the Earth so that the winds blew, the rains fell and springs and rivers flowed and the animals were refreshed." Then He says, And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well-guarded. Yet they turn away from its signs (Soorah Al-Anbiya’ 21:32) That is, from what He has created in the heavens, such as the fixed and the moving celestial bodies, the shining stars and the illuminated heavenly bodies and the proofs of the Divine Wisdom of the Creator of the heavens and the Earth, as Allah says, And how many a sign in the heavens and the Earth they pass by, while they are averse therefrom. And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him (Soorah Yoosuf 12:105,106) As for His Words: Are you more difficult to create or is the heaven that He constructed? He raised its height, and has perfected it. Its night He covers and He brings out its forenoon. And after that He spread the Earth. And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture. And the mountains He has fixed firmly, as provision and benefit for you and your cattle (Soorah An-Nazi‘at 79:27-33) – Some people have taken these Verses as proof that the heavens were created before the Earth, thus contradicting the clear evidence provided by the abovementioned two verses. They have not understood this Verse, because it must be understood from this Verse that the flattening out of the Earth and the bringing forth of water and pastures from it was in fact after the creation of the heaven. This was the measuring of sustenance, as He says, And measured therein its sustenance (Soorah Fussilat 41:10) – That is, He 45 prepared the places of cultivation and the locations of springs and rivers. Then when He had completed the creation of the form of the higher and the lower world, He spread out the Earth and brought forth from it that which had been deposited therein, so that the springs gushed forth and the rivers flowed and the crops and fruits grew. This is why the flattening or spreading was explained as meaning the bringing forth of water and pasture from it and the fixing of the mountains. He says, And after that He spread the Earth. And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture (Soorah An-Nazi‘at 79:30,31) and He says, And the mountains He has fixed firmly (Soorah An- Nazi‘at 79:32) – That is, He settled them, made them firm and established them in their places. And He says, With Hands We constructed the heaven. Verily, We are able to expand the vastness of space thereof. And We have made the Earth a firash; how excellent the Spreader (thereof) are We! And of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember (Soorah Adh-Dhariyat 51:47-49). His saying, With Hands means “With Strength.” Verily, We are able to expand the vastness of space thereof - That is because all that is above is wider and so each heaven is wider than the one below it – and since the Kursi is higher than all of them, it follows that it is wider than all of them. And the Throne is much greater than all of these. After that, He says, And We have made the Earth a firash (Soorah Adh- Dharyat 51:48) – That is, "We spread it out and made it a bed, i.e, fixed, calm, undisturbed and unshaken, which is why He says, How excellent the Spreader (thereof) are We! (Soorah Ad-Dhariyat 51:48) The word “And” in Allah’s saying, And We have made the Earth a firash does not indicate the order of the sequence of events; it only indicates general information and Allah knows better. 46 Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of ‘Imran Ibn Husain that he said: I went to the Prophet and tied my she-camel at the gate. The people of Banu Tameem came to the Prophet who said, “O, Banu Tameem! Accept the good tidings.” They said twice, “You have given us the good tidings, now give us something.” Then some Yemenis came to him and he said: “Accept the good tidings, O, people of Yemen, for Banu Tameem refused them.” They said, “We accept it, O Messenger of Allah! We have come to ask you about this matter (i.e. the start of creation).” He said, “First of all, there was nothing but Allah, and (then He created His Throne). His Throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the heaven) and created the heavens and the Earth.” And Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah that he said: The Messenger of Allah took me by the hand and said: “Allah created the dust on Saturday and He created the mountains on Sunday, and He created the trees on Monday, and He created the unpleasant things on Tuesday and He created the light on Wednesday and He spread the creatures throughout it on Thursday and He created Adam after ‘Asr on Friday. He was the last creation during the last hour of Friday, between ‘Asr and the night.” And An-Nasa’i reported in the Tafseer on the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of Allah took me by the hand and said: “O Abu Hurairah! Verily, Allah created the heavens and the Earth and what lies between them in six days, then He istawa over the Throne on the seventh day and He created the dust on Saturday.” ‘Ali Ibn Al-Madeeni, Al-Bukhari, Al-Baihaqi and other hadeeth masters discussed this hadeeth; Al-Bukhari said in his Tareekh: “Some have said that it was on the authority of Ka‘b and that is more correct.” That is to say, this hadeeth was heard from Ka‘b Al- Ahbar by Abu Hurairah, because they were Companions and used to sit together to study hadeeth One of them would recite from his papers and the other would recite from what he believed to be from the Prophet. So this hadeeth was obtained by Abu Hurairah from 47 Ka‘b, who read it in his papers and so some of the narrators assumed that it was narrated from the Prophet. He confirmed that it was marfoo’ by his saying, “The Messenger of Allah took me by the hand…” After that, there is something extremely singular in its text, such as the fact that there is no mention of the creation of the heavens in it, but the creation of the Earth and all that is in it in seven days is mentioned. This conflicts with what the Qur’an says, because the Earth was created in four days, then the heavens were created in two days from smoke. This is the steam from water which rises when the great water – which Allah created by His churning of the Earth, through His All-Encompassing Omnipotence – is agitated, as narrated by Isma‘eel Ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman As-Suddi in a tradition which he reported on the authority of Abu Malik and on the authorities of Abu Salih, Ibn ‘Abbas , Murrah Al-Hamdani (who reported on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood) and on the authority of people from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah that he said regarding the Words of Allah, Most High, He it is Who created for you all that is on Earth. Then, He istawa towards the heaven and made them seven heavens and He is the All- Knowing (Soorah Al- Baqarah 2:29) They said that Allah’s Throne was over the water and He had not created any part of His creation before the water. Then when He wanted to create the creation, He extracted smoke (i.e. steam) from the water and it rose above the water and He called it the heaven. Then He dried the water and made it into a single Earth and then He rent it apart and made seven Earths in two days – Sunday and Monday – and He created the Earth on a whale, that being the whale (Noon) mentioned by Allah in the Qur’an: Noon. By the Pen and what they (the angels) write (Soorah Al-Qalam 68:1) The whale was in the water. The water was upon the back of a (small) rock. The rock was upon the back of an angel. The angel was upon a rock. The rock - the one mentioned by Luqman - was in the wind, neither in heaven nor on the Earth. The fish moved and became agitated. As a result, the Earth quaked, whereupon He firmly anchored the mountains on it, and it was stable. Allah created the mountains and the beneficial and useful things that are in them on 48 Tuesday and on Wednesday, He created the trees, the water, the cities and the cultivated and barren land. He rent apart the heaven, which had been one single unit, and made it into seven heavens in two days – Thursday and Friday – and He only called Friday Al- Jumu‘ah because on that day He combined in it the creation of the heavens and the Earth and inspired His Command in every heaven. He created in each heaven the angels, the seas, the mountains of hail and all of the other things which none knows but He. Then He beautified the heaven with the stars and made them as adornments and as a guardian against the devils. Then, when He had finished creating what He loved, He istawa (ascended) over the Throne.” In this narration As-Suddi mentions a great number of strange things, and many of them are derived from Isra’eeliyyat. This is because when Ka‘b Al- Ahbar embraced Islam during the Caliphate of ‘Umar, he used to speak in front of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab about things from the knowledge of the People of the Scripture and ‘Umar would listen to him out of friendliness toward him and from surprise at the things he said that concurred with much of the truth that is contained in the Qur’an and the authentic sayings of the Prophet. As a result, many people deemed it permissible to transmit what Ka‘b Al-Ahbar said. But much of what he conveyed was incorrect and far from the truth. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Saheeh, on the authority of Mu‘awiyah, that he used to say regarding Ka‘b Al-Ahbar, “Even though he was the most truthful of those who transmitted things from the People of the Scripture, we found that some of what he said was lies.” This means that he regarded the transmissions as untrue, not that he held Ka‘b to be a deliberate conveyor of lies – and Allah knows better. We relate them and then follow them with ahadeeth which either prove them to be true or disprove them, while the rest remain neither proven nor disproved. Allah is the One Whose Help is sought and upon Whom we depend. 49 Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah that he said: The Messenger of Allah said: “When Allah ordained the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him above the Throne: Verily, My Mercy has overcome My Anger.” Then Al-Bukhari said: Chapter: What Has Been Said Regarding Seven Earths and the Words of Allah, Most High: It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the Earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and Earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds (comprehends) all things in (His) Knowledge (Soorah At-Talaq 65:12) – and then he said: It is reported on the authority of Abu Salamah Ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman that there was a dispute between him and some people and so he visited ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and acquainted her with the details of the dispute and she said, “O Abu Salamah! Avoid the land, for the Messenger of Allah  said, ‘Whoever takes even a span of land unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven Earths.’” Then Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Salim, on the authority of his father that he said: The Prophet said, “Whoever took some land without right will sink down the seven Earths on the Day of Resurrection.” Here Al-Bukhari mentioned the hadeeth of Muhammad Ibn Seereen, on the authority of ‘Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakrah, on the authority of his father, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah said, ‘(The division of) time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah created the heavens and the Earth. The year is twelve months.’” What he meant by it and Allah knows better – was to determine the meaning of the Words of Allah, Most High: It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the Earth the like thereof (i.e. seven) (Soorah At-Talaq 65:12) – That is, the like thereof in numbers. That is to say, just as the number of months, which is now twelve, corresponds with 50 the number of months with Allah in His first Book, so these correspond in time, just as they correspond in place. Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood that he said, “I said: O, Messenger of Allah! Which injustice is greatest?” He said, “That a Muslim should decrease a single cubit from the land of his brother, for there is not a pebble from the land that a person takes which does not encircle his neck on the Day of Resurrection down to the bottom of the Earth and none knows the bottom of it except Allah.” Ahmad was alone in narrating this, but its chain of narrators is acceptable. These ahadeeth are similar to mutawatir narrations in their affirmation of the existence of seven Earths. What is meant by that is that each of them is above the other. The scholars have disagreed regarding whether or not they are piled up, with nothing separating them or whether there are spaces between each of them. There are two opinions in the matter and there is a similar disagreement regarding the celestial bodies. It would appear that between each of them there is a distance, based on what is apparent from the Words of Allah, Most High: It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the Earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (Soorah At-Talaq 65:12) As for what one of the rationalists said regarding the hadeeth: “…his neck shall be encircled with it down seven Earths.” - that it means seven regions, this opinion contradicts the clear meaning of the Verse and the authentic hadeeth which we have narrated via Al- Hasan, on the authority of Abu Hurairah. Then he interpreted the hadeeth and the Verse in a way that contradicts their clear meaning, without any support and without any proof – and Allah knows better. It is the same with much of what is said by many of the People of the Scripture and which has been accepted by a group of our scholars, which states that this Earth is 51 made from dust and what is below it consists of iron, and the other is from sulphur stone and the other from such-and-such. But all of this, if it has not been authentically reported with a chain of narrators reaching to the Prophet is rejected. Likewise, regarding the tradition narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas which states that he said, “In every Earth of the creation there is something similar to what is in this one, even an Adam, like your Adam and an Ibraheem, like your Ibraheem,” it was reported in a summarised form by Ibn Jareer and it was examined by Al-Baihaqi in Kitab Al-Asma`i Was- Sifat. If it is authentic, it must be understood that Ibn ‘Abbas took it from the Isra’eeliyyat – and Allah knows better. Geographers have mentioned the number of mountains in the Earth in all of their locations, east and west and they mentioned their length, how far they stretch and their height and they have spoken at great length on these matters, and it would not be fitting to explain all that they have said on the subject here. Allah, Most High, says, And among the mountains are judad, white and red, of varying colors and (others) gharabeeb, black (Soorah Fatir 35:27) Ibn ‘Abbas and others said that the Arabic word judad means pathways and ‘Ikrimah and others said that gharabeeb means tall, black mountains. This is the case of the mountains all over the Earth. They differ in their locations and their colors. Allah has mentioned Al-Joodi by name in His Book; it is a great mountain which lies to the east of Jazeerah Ibn ‘Umar, by the side of the River Tigris, near Al-Mawsil. It stretches from the south to the north, for a distance of three days’ journey. Its summit is half a day’s journey and it is green in color, because it is covered in oak trees. To the side of it is a town known as Ath-Thamaneen, which was the home of those who survived the flood in the ship with Nooh , according to what has been related by more than one scholar of tafseer – and Allah knows better. 52 Allah also mentions Mount Sinai and Al-Hafiz Ibn ‘Asakir narrated on the authority of Ka‘b Al-Ahbar that he said: “On the Day of Resurrection, four mountains – and they are Al- Khaleel Mountain, Lebanon, At-Toor (Mount Sinai) and Al- Joodi – each of them will become a white pearl that shine between the heaven and the Earth and they will return to Bait Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), so that its corners will be illuminated and His Kursi will be placed on it and there He will judge between the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire. And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne from all around, glorifying the praises of their Lord. And they will be judged with truth. And it will be said, “All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Soorah Az-Zumar 39:75) 53 Section Regarding the Seas and the Rivers Allah, Most High, says, And He it is Who subjected the sea (to you), that you may eat from the fresh tender meat, and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, that you may seek from His bounty and that you may perhaps be grateful. And He has driven firm standing mountains into the Earth, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves. And (by the) landmarks; and by the stars, they guide themselves. Is then He Who creates the same as one who creates, not Will you not then reflect. And if you would try to count the favors of Allah, you would never be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful (Soorah An-Nahl 16:14-18) He, Most High, says, And the two seas (kinds of water) are not alike: this is palatable, sweet and pleasant to drink, and that is salty and bitter. And from them both you eat fresh tender meat (fish), and derive the ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships cleaving, that you may seek of His bounty, and that you may give thanks. (Soorah Fatir 35:12) He, Most High, says, See you not that the ships sail through the sea by Allah’s Grace that He may show you of His Signs? Verily, in this are signs for every patient, grateful (person). And when waves cover them like shades, they invoke Allah, making their invocations for Him only. But when He brings them safe to land, there are among them those that stop in between. And Our Ayat are not denied except by every perfidious ingrate. (Soorah Luqman 31:31,32) He, Most High, says, Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the Earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) 54 creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the Earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.) for people of understanding. (Soorah Al-Baqarah) So Allah, Most High, has blessed His slaves with the things that He created for them, such as the seas and rivers. The vast seas which stretch across the Earth and that which they produce in all corners of it is salty and bitter and in this there is great wisdom for the health of the atmosphere, for if it were sweet, the atmosphere would become malodorous and the air bad, because of the large creatures that die in them and that would lead to the extinction of mankind and the spoiling of their environment. But (Allah’s) far-reaching Wisdom necessitated that it should be the way it is in order for this advantage to be attained. This is why, when the Messenger of Allah  was asked about the sea, he said, “Its water is pure and its dead things are lawful (to eat).” As for the rivers, their waters are sweet and permissible to drink, for those who wish to do so. The fact that Allah has caused them to flow freely, making them spring forth in one land and sending them to other lands as sustenance for His slaves. Some of them are large, while others are small, according to the need and the benefit. Scholars of geography have spoken about the number of seas and about the major rivers, their sources, and where they end in words containing wisdoms and proofs of the Omnipotence of the Creator, Most High. It also shows that He acts by Choice and with Wisdom. Allah, Most High, says, And the sea kindled by fire (or kept filled (Soorah At-Toor 52:6). There are two opinions regarding this; one states that it is the sea which is under the Throne, mentioned in the hadeeth of the goats and that it is above the seven heavens. The distance between the lowest part of it and the highest part of it is like the distance between each heaven. It is from this that the rain will fall before the Sending Forth and from it the bodies will be restored to life from their graves. This is the preferred opinion of Ar- 55 Rabee‘Ibn Anas. The second opinion states that the word bahr is a generic collective noun, meaning all the seas on Earth – and that is the opinion of the majority. Scholars disagreed regarding the meaning of Al-Bahr Al- Masjoor in the abovementioned Verse. It was said that it means “filled” and it was also said that it means “that which will become a kindled fire on the Day of Resurrection and that it will surround Ahl Al-Mawqif,” as we mentioned in the Tafseer, on the authority of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib , Ibn ‘Abbas , Sa‘eed Ibn Jubair, Mujahid and others. It was also said that what is intended by masjoor is prevented, restrained and preserved from overflowing and inundating the land, and drowning those upon it. This was narrated by Al-Walibi, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas and it was the opinion of As-Suddi and others. It was reported on the authority of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab from the Messenger of Allah that he said: “There is not a single night when the sea does not rise three times and ask permission from Allah, the Almighty, the All- Powerful to unfold and flow over them (mankind), but Allah prevents it.” This is one of the blessings which Allah bestows on His slaves, that He prevents the evil of the sea from inundating them and makes it subservient to them, so that it carries their ships so that they may reach distant lands with their trading goods and other things. And He guides them on it, with what He has created in the heaven and on Earth, such as the stars and the mountains, which He has made as landmarks by which they are guided on their journeys. He has also blessed them with the precious, rare, and beautiful pearls and gems that He has created therein, which are not found anywhere else and with the strange creatures that He has created in it and which He has made lawful for them to eat, even when they are dead, as He, Most High, says, To hunt and eat the creatures of the sea is made lawful to you (Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:96) and the Prophet said, “Its water is pure and its dead things are lawful (to eat).” In another hadeeth, he said, “Two dead things and two types of blood have been made lawful to us: Fish and locusts and the liver and the spleen.” 56 Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar reported in his Musnad on the authority of Abu Hurairah – in a marfoo‘ form – that he said: “Allah spoke to this western sea and He spoke to the eastern sea. He said to the western sea, ‘I transport some of my slaves upon you, so what do you do with them?’ It said, ‘I drown them.’ Allah said, ‘May wretchedness be in (all of) your regions.’ And so He deprived it of jewels and game (i.e. fish etc.). Then He spoke to this eastern sea and said, ‘I transport some of my slaves on, so what do you do with them?’ It said, ‘I carry them in my hand and I am to them like a mother to her child.’ And so Allah rewarded it with jewels and game.” Then he (Al-Bazzar) said, “We do not know of anyone who narrated it on the authority of Suhail except ‘Abdur-Rahman Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar and he narrates hadeeth which are munkar.” He added, “And Suhail narrated it on the authority of An-Nu‘man Ibn Abi ‘Ayyash, on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr in a mawqoof form. I say: To say that it is mawqoof at ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘As is more correct, because on the day of the Battle of Yarmook, he had found two pack-animals, loaded with books which contained knowledge of the People of the Scripture; and he used to relate things from the Isra’eeliyyat from them, some of them well-known and accepted and some of them unknown and rejected. As for the marfoo‘ narration, it was narrated only by ‘Abdur-Rahman Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Hafs Ibn ‘Asim Ibn ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Abul Qasim Al- Madani, the chief justice of Al-Madinah. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said of him, “He is nothing. I heard it from him, then I tore up his hadeeth. He was a liar and his ahadeeth were munkar.” He was also declared weak by Ibn Ma‘een, Abu Zur‘ah, Abu Hatim, Al-Juzjani, Al- Bukhari and Abu Dawood. Ibn ‘Adiyy said, “In general, his ahadeeth are munkar and the worst of them is the hadeeth of the sea.” The geographers – who deal with latitude, longitude, seas, rivers, mountains, terrains and the cities, ruins, buildings, the seven true regions, according to their terminology, and the numerous 57 commonly known regions, what is contained in the cites and the countryside – including private property and plants and trade that exists in every area – say that the land is flooded by the great water (i.e. the seas), except for about a quarter of it and that is ninety degrees. And Divine Providence necessitates that the water be held back from this area, in order that animals might live on it and that crops and fruits might grow on it, as Allah, Most High, says, And the Earth He has put for the creatures. Therein are fruits, date-palms producing sheathed fruit-stalks (enclosing dates). And also corns, with (its) leave and stalk for fodder, and sweet-scented plants. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny? (Soorah Ar-Rahman 55:10-13) They said that the inhabited portion of this land is about two- thirds of it, or a little more than that; and that is ninety-five degrees. With regard to the Western ocean – which is known as Oceanus (Okeanos) and which borders the lands of the West, including the Canary Islands – between them and its coast is ten degrees, which is approximately one month’s journey. It is not possible to travel or sail across it, due to its waves and the varying winds and waves that exist therein. It contains no fish or other edible life and has nothing that can be extracted from it. It cannot be traveled on for the purpose of trade or anything else and it stretches in the south to the Mountains of Darkness, or the Mountains of the Moon, wherein is the source of the Egyptian Nile. It traverses the equator and then stretches eastward and reaches the south of the land. In it there are the islands of the black people and on its coast there are many ruins. Then it stretches to the east and to the north, until it connects with the Sea of China and India. Then it stretches eastward until it borders the end of the exposed eastern land – and there are the lands of China. Then in the east of China, it turns northward, so that it crosses the lands of China and faces the Dam of Ya`jooj and Ma`jooj. Then it turns and encircles lands whose circumstances are unknown. Then it stretches westward and borders the lands of the Russians and passes them, then turns westward and southward and encircles the land. Then it 58 returns toward the west and the strait pours out from the west to the body of the land, the furthermost point of which ends at the western borders of Ash-Sham (Syria). Then it crosses the lands of the Christians, until it reaches Constantinople and other lands of their. They say that between the Indian Sea and the China Sea there are mountains which separate them and between them there are lanes on which ships travel and they are caused to do so by their Creator. He has also made paths similar to them on the land. Allah, Most High, says, And We have placed on the Earth firm mountains, lest it should shake with them, and We placed therein broad highways for them to pass through, that they may be guided. (Soorah Al-Anbiya’ 21:31). And Ptolemy, one of the kings of India, mentioned in his book, Al- Mijisti, which was translated into Arabic during the reign of Al- Ma’moon – which is the source of this information – that the seas which flow from the western, eastern, southern and northern oceans are very numerous. Some of them are in fact, one sea, but bear different names, according to the lands which they border; these include Bahr Al-Qulzum (the Red Sea) and Al-Qulzum is a village on the coast, near Aylah. There is also the Sea of Persia, the Khazar Sea (Caspian Sea), the Sea of Warnak, the Roman Sea (the Mediterranean Sea), the Bantash Sea and the Blue Sea – a city on its coast – and it is also known as Al-Qarm Sea. It becomes narrow until it pours into the Roman Sea, to the south of Constantinople, i.e., the Gulf of Constantinople. This is why the ships move quickly on its current from Al-Qarm to the Roman Sea, while they move slowly when they come from Alexandria to Al-Qarm. This is because they encounter a current of water; and this is one of the wonders of the world, because every flowing water is sweet, except this. And every non-flowing sea is salty, except for the Khazar Sea, which is also known as the Georgian Sea and the Sea of Tabaristan and has a large portion of sweet water in it, according to what has been reported by travelers to the area. 59 They (the geographers) have mentioned the limits of these seas, their origins and their end-points. And they have also mentioned the lakes on Earth into which the rivers empt