Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 3

THE LIVES OF THE SAHABAH (Vol-3) 443
the one above narrated by Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Ukaym. The following addition
has however been reported: "You ought to remember that by being sincere (in
everything you do), you will be obeying your Rabb as well as safeguarding what
(reward) is yours. You must pay what is due from you during the days that you
have been given to make your advance payment (i.e, in this world) and ensure
that you also send Nawaafil ahead of you (to the Aakhirah) because you will then
collect all the advance payments you had made at a time when you will be in dire
need for it.
0 servants of Allaah! You should also ponder about those who lived before you.
Where were they yesterday and where are they today? Where are the kings who
had erected monuments on earth and had cities built? People have forgotten
about them and their feats have also been forgotten. They are non-entities today
and because of their injustice, their dwellings now lie in ruins (after Allaah had
destroyed them) while they lie in the darkness of the grave. Do you hear any of
them or even a whimper from them? Where are all the friends and brothers that
you knew? They have reached the actions they sent ahead and it is either good
fortune or ill fortune that has become their lot. Allaah has no family ties with any
creation because of which He would give them some good or avert any evil from
them. This will happen purely due to obedience to Him and by carrying out His
commands. There is no good in the good that is followed by entry into Jahannam
and there is no difficulty in the difficulty that is followed by entry into Jannah.
This much IhavetosayandIseek Allaah's pardon for myself and for all of you."(')
Hadhrat Nu'aym bin Namha narrates that a lecture of Hadhrat Abu Bakr %Gw
included the following: "Do you not know that you spend mornings and evenings
within the confines of your lifespans ..." The narration then continues like the
narration of Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Ukaym, but with the addition: "There is no
good in the speech that is not said with the intention of pleasing Allaah, there is
no good in the wealth that is not spent in the path of Allaah, there is no good in
the person whose foolishness dominates his forbearance and there is no good in
the person who fears the condemnation of a critic when carrying out a
command of Allaah."
The Narration of Tabari Concerning Hadhrat Abu
Bakr aP&&j's Lecture about Taqwa and about
taking Lessons from the Past
Hadhrat Aasim bin Adi reports a lecture that Hadhrat Abu Bakr ~ G m delivered.
While the first part is like the one already narrated, this narration states that
Hadhrat Abu Bakr 3Gw stood up again and after praising Allaah yet again, he
said, "Verily Allaah accepts only those actions done solely to please Him, so
ensure that your intention for all your actions is solely for Him. You must
(1) Abu Nu'aym in his Hilya (Vol.1 Pg.35).
(2) Abu Nu'aym in his Hilya (Vol.1 Pg.36). Tabraani has reported a similar narration, as quoted in the
Tafseerof Ibn Katheer (Vo1.2 Pg.342) with more detail on the narrators.