So we discussed the story of Ka'b ibn Malik. We now move on to other incidents. Recall again the Battle of Tabuk really isn't a battle since no fighting took place. Rather, it is a series of mini-incidents from which we derive lessons and benefits. And for this ghazwa, we cannot go completely chronological because the affair of the hypocrites who remained in Madinah, i.e., their building of Masjid al-Dirar, is happening simultaneously with the expedition.
So today, let us go back to Madinah where the Prophet PBUH is calling for donations before he sets out to Tabuk. There are many stories given about the sahaba who donated, about the generosity that was shown, along with the problems and sarcasm of the hypocrites.
The Famous Story of the Competition Between Abu Bakr RA and Umar RA
We begin with the very famous incident of the competition between Abu Bakr and Umar. It is a story narrated in the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi that the Prophet PBUH stood up and continued to ask for charity until Umar RA thought, "Today is the day I can beat Abu Bakr." And he went back home and got half of his money.
Realize, money back then was a very scarce commodity. You did not know when the next batch of income would come. There was no monthly salary (the concept of a salary is very modern). For the sahaba, money was very erratic. They might get one dinar today, nothing for weeks, and then suddenly hundred dinars one day, and so on. So the fact that Umar RA gave half his money is extraordinary. Even for us to give half our money —even though we have a constant income stream— is difficult to imagine. For Umar, it's a different level. So Umar RA brought forth half of his money, and when the Prophet PBUH saw this money, he asked, "O Umar, what have you left for your family?" Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "I have left a similar amount." Then Abu Bakr RA came and he also had a bag of money; the Prophet PBUH asked him, "What have you left for your family?" Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said, "I have left them Allah and His Messenger," i.e., no money, but only tawakkul in Allah. At this Umar said to himself, "I can never compete with Abu Bakr again after this," i.e., "No way I can compete with this type of tawakkul."
Realize, money back then was a very scarce commodity. You did not know when the next batch of income would come. There was no monthly salary (the concept of a salary is very modern). For the sahaba, money was very erratic. They might get one dinar today, nothing for weeks, and then suddenly hundred dinars one day, and so on. So the fact that Umar RA gave half his money is extraordinary. Even for us to give half our money —even though we have a constant income stream— is difficult to imagine. For Umar, it's a different level. So Umar RA brought forth half of his money, and when the Prophet PBUH saw this money, he asked, "O Umar, what have you left for your family?" Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "I have left a similar amount." Then Abu Bakr RA came and he also had a bag of money; the Prophet PBUH asked him, "What have you left for your family?" Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said, "I have left them Allah and His Messenger," i.e., no money, but only tawakkul in Allah. At this Umar said to himself, "I can never compete with Abu Bakr again after this," i.e., "No way I can compete with this type of tawakkul."
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Points of Benefit From the Story of the Competition
Of the benefits we can derive:
1. The main one is the fact that the sahaba are competing with each other to do good deeds. This is something that unfortunately, by and large has been lost amongst the Muslims. The sahaba are monitoring, "How much is someone praying, fasting, giving, etc.," and they want to win the race in the Eyes of Allah, that, "No one will beat me to that place in Jannah." And this is something we do for the dunya —in our job, education, etc.— but unfortunately, when it comes to Islamic affairs, we do the minimum. The sahaba were the opposite, and this is proven in many narrations. In one hadith, the Muhajirun were complaining to the Prophet PBUH that, "Ya Rasulullah, the Ansar fast as we fast, pray as we pray, but they give sadaqa — and we don't have anything to give!"—the Muhajirun are monitoring; and this shows the sahaba raced to do good deeds. And in fact, Allah SWT literally commands us to "race" in doing good deeds. The word sabiqu (سابقوا - race) is used when it comes to racing to Jannah:
And when it comes to the matters of this world, the word sabiqu is not used, e.g., Allah says in the Quran in Surat al-Jumu'ah:
2. We also see the concern of the Prophet PBUH for the women and children of the sahaba, that they too need money. When Umar brings his share, the Prophet PBUH asks, "What did you leave for your family?"—he is worried about the family. And this shows we are not asked to donate above our means. The priority is the family. No doubt, Abu Bakr RA did something only he can do —and this is something that goes back to Abu Bakr's Iman (and indeed, it's something even Umar RA did not do)— but it most definitely is not something we are encouraged to do. The Quran [25:67] tells us, when we give, we should give between the two: not being stingy, and not being over-extravagant. If our Iman was that of Abu Bakr, then it's a different story, but we can never reach that level. His story motivates us, but we have to realize it's not something Islam dictates for us to do.
سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ
"Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His Messengers. That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty" [Quran, 57:21].And when it comes to the matters of this world, the word sabiqu is not used, e.g., Allah says in the Quran in Surat al-Jumu'ah:
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ
"And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah" [62:10]—the word intashiru (انتشروا - disperse) is used, i.e., don't race, just walk away gently and seek Allah's sustenance.2. We also see the concern of the Prophet PBUH for the women and children of the sahaba, that they too need money. When Umar brings his share, the Prophet PBUH asks, "What did you leave for your family?"—he is worried about the family. And this shows we are not asked to donate above our means. The priority is the family. No doubt, Abu Bakr RA did something only he can do —and this is something that goes back to Abu Bakr's Iman (and indeed, it's something even Umar RA did not do)— but it most definitely is not something we are encouraged to do. The Quran [25:67] tells us, when we give, we should give between the two: not being stingy, and not being over-extravagant. If our Iman was that of Abu Bakr, then it's a different story, but we can never reach that level. His story motivates us, but we have to realize it's not something Islam dictates for us to do.
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The Generosity of Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf RA
Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf gave 200 uqiyas (200 bushels) of grain in sadaqa in the Battle of Tabuk. And this is a very good amount. What is interesting is, as we all know, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf came with nothing to Madinah. He just had the clothes on his back. And now, within 8 years, subhan'Allah, he's reached a level of a very rich person. [And he's still one of the Ashara Mubasharun.] Thus this shows us having money is a positive if you are someone like Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf. Having money is a blessing from Allah IF you are a generous person. There is nothing wrong in Islam with being a multimillionaire IF you are a generous person. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf is the role model for this. How did he get 200 uqiyas of grain? Buying, selling, and trading — we all know his story [see episode 32].
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The Famous Story of the Generosity of Uthman ibn Affan RA
The story of Uthman ibn Affan is also narrated in many books of hadith and seerah. The Battle of Tabuk coincided with the return of one of his caravans from Syria. That is, he had financed an entire caravan to Syria, and when the Prophet PBUH was calling for the donation for the Battle of Tabuk, that was the time the caravan returned. And Uthman decided to sell the entire caravan —lock, stock, and barrel— including the goods, saddles, and camels, and he got around 1,000 gold coins; and that is a fortune at any time, but especially at that time. (Even in our time, it would be more than half a million dollars.) And he didn't have a bag to carry, so he walks to the masjid with the gold coins being carried in his thobe. And he then pours it in front of the Prophet PBUH and says, "This is fi sabiliLlah." And the Prophet PBUH begins looking at the huge pile of gold coins, flipping them around, and says, "Wallahi, whatever Ibn Affan does after today, it will not affect him (i.e., he has earned Jannah with this)." (Side note: This statement of the Prophet PBUH was used by Uthman ibn Affan around 30 years later when the neo-kharijites surrounded his house demanding the most trivial matters. One of the things he said in response was, "Do you not know that the Prophet PBUH himself said when I gave the money for the Jaysh al-Usrah [Army of Difficulty] that whatever I do will not harm me?")
In another version of this incident, the Prophet PBUH was giving a khutbah and he was encouraging people to give, so Uthman stood up and said, "I shall give 100 camels and all that they carry on them." Then the Prophet PBUH continued to ask, and Uthman stood up again and said, "I shall give 200 camels and all that is on them." Then the Prophet PBUH continued exhorting until finally Uthman said, "I shall give 300 camels and all that is on them." At this, the Prophet PBUH came down from the minbar and said, "Uthman has no sin after what he has done today."
So what appears to be the case is Uthman had announced he would do this before the caravans came, and when they came, he brought it to the Prophet PBUH.
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Mocking of the Hypocrites
On the flip side, we have the mocking of the hypocrites. Firstly, the hypocrites gave nothing at all, and on top of this, they mocked those who gave. And they would mock anything that was given, either by publicly saying something, or by nudging and winking at each other. And they would say, "Oh, this guy gave so much, but he's just showing off, he's not doing it for the sake of Allah," or they would ridicule someone who gave a small amount, "What is this amount going to do?" And Allah exposed them in the Quran in a severe manner. He SWT said, "[There are] those who slander [some of] the believers for donating liberally and mock others for giving only the little they can afford. Allah will throw their mockery back at them, and they will suffer a painful punishment" [Quran, 9:79]. Al-Tabari mentions the story of this ayah, that the Prophet PBUH was calling for donations daily, so one of the Ansar decided to give something. So he spent the entire night in labor, pulling water and selling it the next day — it's the cheapest thing you can do. And this whole night's work earned him just two handfuls of dates. So he came with these dates the next day and said, "Ya Rasulullah, here is one handful of dates for you. (And the other handful is to feed my family.)" At this, one of the munafiqun stood up and mocked him, "Do you think Allah needs this quantity of dates?" Another said, "You are more in need of this quantity than anyone else!" i.e., you are so poor you need it more than anyone. This sahabi felt very hurt that the munafiqun publicly mocked his whole night of work. So this is when Allah revealed, "Allah will throw their mockery back at them, and they will suffer a painful punishment" [Quran, 9:79].
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Excuses the Hypocrites Gave to Not Participate
The munafiqun not only didn't participate in the fundraising, but they also gave excuses, before and after the battle, for not participating in the expedition. They gave bizarre stories as excuses. The Prophet PBUH asked one of the friends of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul named al-Jad ibn Qays (الجد بن قيس), "O Jad, are you not interested in going to fight the Romans?" Jad said, "O Messenger of Allah, can you please excuse me? For by Allah, my people know that I have a weakness for women, and I am worried that if I see the women of the Bani al-Asfar (بني الأصفر - the Romans), I will not have any patience." What a flimsy excuse. So the Prophet PBUH just turned away from him. And Allah SWT revealed in the Quran, "There are some of them who say, 'Exempt me and do not expose me to temptation.' They have already fallen into temptation. And Hell will surely engulf the disbelievers" [Quran, 9:49].
Surat al-Tawba is full of references to the munafiqun. In verses 81 & 82, Allah SWT says, "Those [hypocrites] who remained behind rejoiced for doing so in defiance of the Messenger of Allah, and hated [the prospect of] striving with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. They said [to one another], 'Do not march forth in the heat.' Say, [O Prophet,] 'The Fire of Hell is far hotter!' If only they could comprehend! So let them laugh a little—they will weep much as a reward for what they have committed" [9:81-82]. Very powerful verses.
In verse 42, He SWT says, "Had it been a near [i.e., easy] gain and the journey was easy, they would have followed you, but the distance seemed too long for them. And they will swear by Allah, 'Had we been able, we would have certainly joined you.' They are ruining themselves. And Allah knows that they are surely lying" [9:42].
Contrast this to the sahaba who were called the Bakka'un:
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Those Who Got the Ajr of Tabuk Without Physically Participating
There were some among the sahaba who were called the Bakka'un (البكاؤون - the Criers). Why were they called the Bakka'un? Because even though they were eager to participate, they had neither the means to give money nor the personal possession of a camel to go. The Prophet PBUH ran out of money to purchase camels for everybody, so groups were left behind without any camels. And they kept on waiting to the very end. And some of these were relatives of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari; and some were the later Muhajirun, e.g., Irbad ibn Sariya (عرباض بن سارية). So this group (of around 7 people) to the very end were not able to purchase camels. And this is recorded in the Quran, "Nor [is there any blame on] those who came to you [O Prophet] for mounts, then when you said, 'I can find no mounts for you,' they left with eyes overflowing with tears out of grief that they had nothing to contribute" [Quran, 9:92].
Allah SWT says they were حزنا (sad); contrast this to the munafiqun who فرح المخلفون — rejoiced for remaining behind [9:81]. Look at the difference of Iman. Some were overjoyed with a false excuse, others were crying with a legitimate excuse. Subhan'Allah.
And when Allah revealed in the Quran the verses that defended the sahabi that gave a handful, one of the sahaba —his name was Ulba ibn Zayd (علبة بن زيد)— stood up, and he had nothing at all, so he said, "Ya Rasulullah, I have no money to give you, but I give you my honor and dignity, that in the Way of Allah, I will defend you against those people who are irritating you (i.e., the munafiqun)." And the Prophet PBUH said, "I have accepted your charity." This shows us the eagerness of the sahaba, that even that which was non-monetary, they gave.
With regards to these sahaba —Ulba and other Bakka'un— it's narrated the Prophet PBUH said at Tabuk, "There are people in Madinah such that you have not traveled even a step or gone through any valley except that they have accompanied you and they will get the reward as you." The sahaba said, "Ya Rasulullah, even while they are in Madinah?" The Prophet PBUH said, "Even while they are in Madinah"—because they had a legitimate excuse. This is a beautiful hadith that demonstrates the benefits of having a sincere intention.
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The Reward of Deeds Depends Upon the Intentions
Having the correct, sincere intention, e.g., "If I had a million dollars, I would do such-and-such," you don't lose anything, and in fact, we learn from another narration that anybody who makes such intention, Allah will write for him one hasana (حسنة - good deed). Thus we should make positive intentions constantly. With regards to the Bakka'un, their intention was so strong that the entire reward of the whole journey of the army of Tabuk, they get it while they are sitting at home in Madinah.
We also have the story of Wathila ibn al-Asqa' (واثلة بن الأسقع). He had neither money nor camel, so he kept on going to the marketplace every day saying, "Who is going to allow me to come with him on the expedition?" And for whatever reason, he was not chosen. Whoever had a camel, basically they chose other people. So finally, on the last day before the expedition departed, he said, "Who will take me, and I will give him my share of the ghanima!"
Pause here. Remember, the Muslim army at the time was not composed of paid people. For those who participated, there are rulings of fiqh for how much ghanima they get, and it's essential for their livelihood. For the Battle of Khaybar, the sahaba got ghanima that gave them wealth for the rest of their life. So participating in battles had monetary gain too, and there is nothing wrong with this. No doubt, you must have 100% ikhlas when it comes to intention for doing it for the sake of Allah vs. the praise of the people — if you mix sincerity with the people's praise, it ruins the sincerity of the act; you cannot mix a good deed for the sake of Allah and for the praise of the people; but you can however mix a good deed for the sake of Allah and for some monetary benefit for yourself. This is not shirk at all. In fact it is 100% halal. There are 1001 examples: The Quran teacher — he cannot teach Quran 10 hours a day without getting a stipend; the Islamic studies teacher; the imam of the masjid; the Hajj businessman who organizes travels to Makkah — these people spend months preparing the package, of course they need a profit. So these people combine an act of worship with worldly monetary niyyah, and by unanimous consensus, this is absolutely fine, and we thank Allah for this, or else we would not have had much of what we need to have, we would not have anybody working in the religious field. The Quran [2:198] explicitly allows it, and the Prophet PBUH himself said, "The best salary anyone can ever take is for teaching the Quran" [Bukhari].
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The Sincerity of the Companion of Wathila RA
[Note: Even though no fighting took place in the Incident of Tabuk, the Muslims still earned some booty (we will explain this later), and Wathila got a herd of camels.]
Wathila narrates, "I traveled with my best companion I ever had, and Allah gave us booty — some camels were given to me as my share of booty, so I brought them to the Ansari (as promised). He came out and sat on the rear part of the saddle of one of the camels, and he said, 'Bring them back,' then he said, 'Bring them forward' (you bring camels back and forth to see if they're good camels). Then he said, 'Your camels are very gentle (i.e., good).' I said, 'These aren't my camels, these are your camels — the share that I promised you.' But he said, 'Oh my dear nephew, go and take your camels, for I didn't intend this.'" Subhan'Allah, this shows us the Iman and sincerity of the sahaba.
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The Story of Abu Khaythama al-Ansari RA
We also have the story of Abu Khaythama al-Ansari, and this story shows us even the sahaba had to struggle sometimes, and some of them took more struggling than others. Ka'b ibn Malik, we discussed his story in depth and saw how he had to struggle and suffer; Abu Khaythama almost got to the level of Ka'b, almost didn't leave Madinah — the same thing happened; he delayed and delayed until finally the Prophet PBUH departed. But then when he went back to his home, entered his garden and saw that his wife had prepared for him a rug under the date palms, had sprinkled some water on the rug, and had prepared for him some food — upon seeing all of these, he said to himself, "What am I doing here? I am here in this pleasure while the Prophet PBUH is in the heat?! Wallahi, I am not even going to sit down." So right then and there he rushed out to catch up with the Prophet PBUH. And a few days later at Tabuk, when the Prophet PBUH saw a lone rider racing in the distance, he PBUH said, "May it be Abu Khaythama," and lo and behold, it turned out to be him. The Prophet PBUH knew Abu Khaythama wasn't a munafiq and it was hurting him that he was not in the army. And this, by the way, again shows us the Prophet PBUH is monitoring the sahaba. When Abu Khaythama came, the Prophet PBUH asked him, "Why were you delayed?" Abu Khaythama told him the whole story and the Prophet PBUH said, "Woe to you, Abu Khaythama (i.e., you just saved yourself)!"—this shows us the tough love of the Prophet PBUH. He is gently rebuking him, basically saying, "I'm happy you are here, but realize that was a very close call!" And this shows us the fine balance of our Prophet PBUH.
[Transcriber's note: In episode 88, we related a different version of Abu Khaythama's story.]
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The Story of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari RA
Another famous story is that of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (أبو ذر الغفاري) — the famous narrator of hadith. Abu Dharr seems to have had an issue with his camel. Either his camel was on loan to someone, or it fell sick. He was supposed to go, and it was his intention to go, but his camel wasn't there, so he was delayed. But after a few days, he decided to just take the stuff that was supposed to be on the back of his camel, he put it on his back, and he started walking from Madinah all the way non-stop to catch up with the army.
And after 2-3 days, he caught up, and when the sahaba saw a lone figure, a man walking in the distance, they were astonished, "Who is this man walking with his backpack (without a mount)?!" The Prophet PBUH said, "Let it be Abu Dharr!" And lo and behold, it was him. Then he PBUH said to the sahaba around him, "May Allah have mercy upon Abu Dharr. He is walking by himself, he will die by himself, and he will be resurrected by himself." And this is exactly what happened with Abu Dharr RA:
Abu Dharr RA is a very interesting sahabi. In Sahih Muslim, it's reported that once, he said to the Prophet PBUH, "O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to a public office?" The Prophet PBUH stroked his shoulder with his hand and said, "O Abu Dharr, you are weak. And authority is a trust, and on the Day of Judgment, it is a cause of humiliation and remorse except for one who fulfills its obligations and (properly) discharges the duties attendant thereon." In another hadith, he PBUH said to him, "O Abu Dharr! I would not like to have gold equal to (Mount) Uhud for me, unless nothing of it, not even a single dinar remains of it with me for more than one day or three days, except that single dinar which I will keep for repaying debts. I will spend all of it among Allah's slaves like this and like this and like this. O Abu Dharr! Those who have much wealth (in this world) will be the least rewarded (in the Hereafter) except those who do like this and like this (i.e., spend their money in charity)" [Sahih Bukhari]. So later on, after the death of the Prophet PBUH, when the money began to flow in and the sahaba began to build larger buildings, Abu Dharr confronted them about this. And this led to so many complaints from the sahaba, so the khalifa at the time, Uthman ibn Affan RA asked Abu Dharr RA to leave Madinah, and Abu Dharr agreed, so he took his wife and servant and they just went to live in the desert by themselves.
And Ibn Sa'd reports, many years later, in the khilafa of Ali ibn Abi Talib RA, Abu Dharr's wife began to cry when Abu Dharr was on his deathbed. He asked her, "Why are you crying?" She said, "Because I don't even have cloth to shroud you, or the power to bury you." Abu Dharr said, "Do not cry, for I heard the Prophet PBUH say one day when we were sitting with a group of people, 'One of you will die all alone, yet a group of believers will pray over him.' And every other companion in this sitting has passed away and they weren't in this condition, and I'm the only one left in the wilderness. So when I die, take my body and go sit on the path; somebody will come." His wife said, "Why would anyone come? It isn't Hajj season." Abu Dharr said, "Do as I say, go on the path, for wallahi, neither am I lying, nor was I lied to." And he passed away, and his wife did what he said. And lo and behold, almost instantly, a massive caravan —and among them were Ibn Mas'ud RA and Ammar ibn Yasir RA— riding out of nowhere sees on the side of the road a dead body, an old lady, and a young servant shouting, "Stop! Stop! Help me bury a Muslim!" So one of the people asked, "Who is this?" The servant said, "This is Abu Dharr, the companion of the Prophet PBUH." At this, Ibn Mas'ud began to cry and said, "The Prophet PBUH has spoken the truth." And they gave their own garments for the kafan of Abu Dharr, they prayed janazah in the middle of the desert, and then they buried him.
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The Incident of Masjid al-Dirar (Masjid of Harm)
Recall the hypocrites gave excuses not to go, and they didn't donate even a penny. They gave all sorts of flimsy excuses, and the Prophet PBUH accepted all of them, so much so that Allah mildly chastised him PBUH, "Allah has forgiven you [O Prophet! But] why did you give them permission [to stay behind] before those who told the truth were distinguished from those who were lying?" [Quran, 9:43]. So when the situation became tense and these verses were revealed, the hypocrites decided to build their own masjid so that they would have full freedom to do as they please, and so that they could speak and preach without any 'harassment' from the true believers.
And they had the audacity to collect funds to build the masjid even while the Prophet PBUH was asking for funds for the Expedition of Tabuk. They didn't give a penny for Tabuk, yet they got the funds to build their own false masjid. They gave excuses to not go forth in the battle, and they built their own masjid even before the Prophet PBUH left for Tabuk. And the masjid itself was within walking distance from Masjid Quba.
In the books of tafsir —Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari, etc.— there is another reason given for them building their masjid: It was one final attempt from the hypocrites to try to counter the message of the Prophet PBUH. The leader who orchestrated it was not Ibn Salul, but rather his friend, Abu Amir al-Rahib (Abu Amir the Monk). He was one of the elites of the Aws and one of the few elders alive after the Battle of Bu'ath (the civil war between the Aws and the Khazraj which took place before the Hijrah of the Prophet PBUH where many elders died). When the Prophet PBUH migrated, some of the elders who were supposed to become a leader felt that their popularity was taken away — the main person was Ibn Salul, and the other was Abu Amir al-Rahib. Note Abu Amir was called "the Monk" because in pre-Islam, he had converted to Christianity, and he was very respected amongst the people of Yathrib.
When the Prophet PBUH invited him to Islam, he rejected it, and after the Battle of Badr when all his people gave their allegiance to the Prophet PBUH, he fled to Makkah. And recall, before the Battle of Uhud, Abu Amir told the Quraysh, "Just let me speak before the battle, and you will see that all of them (the Aws) will listen to me" [see episode 47]. But to his surprise, nobody listened to him, so he came back to the Quraysh humiliated. And when he realized he can't even be in Makkah, he left for Rome and managed to get into the circles of the Caesar. And it's not unrealistic: Here is an Arab who speaks fluent Arabic, who is willing to tell you the inner mechanisms of other lands. So Abu Amir makes his way up into the circle of the Caesar, and he writes to Ibn Salul in Madinah and tells him, "Make for me a base in Madinah, and allow me access to the people," i.e., it's a revolt. Honestly, it's bizarre. He is way too late in the game — but it is desperation, that he wants to regain his power in Madinah. And his plan was to have a footing in Madinah, and then send in the Romans to take over the city. When Ibn Salul got his letter, that is when he decided to open up a new masjid which would be the headquarter of this new revolt, which we Muslims call Masjid al-Dirar (مسجد الضرار) which means the Destructive Masjid, the Evil Masjid, as called by Allah in the Quran.
When the Prophet PBUH invited him to Islam, he rejected it, and after the Battle of Badr when all his people gave their allegiance to the Prophet PBUH, he fled to Makkah. And recall, before the Battle of Uhud, Abu Amir told the Quraysh, "Just let me speak before the battle, and you will see that all of them (the Aws) will listen to me" [see episode 47]. But to his surprise, nobody listened to him, so he came back to the Quraysh humiliated. And when he realized he can't even be in Makkah, he left for Rome and managed to get into the circles of the Caesar. And it's not unrealistic: Here is an Arab who speaks fluent Arabic, who is willing to tell you the inner mechanisms of other lands. So Abu Amir makes his way up into the circle of the Caesar, and he writes to Ibn Salul in Madinah and tells him, "Make for me a base in Madinah, and allow me access to the people," i.e., it's a revolt. Honestly, it's bizarre. He is way too late in the game — but it is desperation, that he wants to regain his power in Madinah. And his plan was to have a footing in Madinah, and then send in the Romans to take over the city. When Ibn Salul got his letter, that is when he decided to open up a new masjid which would be the headquarter of this new revolt, which we Muslims call Masjid al-Dirar (مسجد الضرار) which means the Destructive Masjid, the Evil Masjid, as called by Allah in the Quran.
And by the way, the Prophet PBUH made du'a against Abu Amir that, "May you die a stranger," and this is exactly what happened — he died in Rome with no family or friends around him.
So Ibn Salul constructs the masjid, walking distance from Masjid Quba, and as a token of utmost disrespect, he asks the Prophet PBUH, "Why don't you come bless our masjid? Come and pray two rak'at in it." And the Prophet PBUH felt very uncomfortable because of the whole idea of Ibn Salul building a masjid at this time when the Muslims need the funds. He PBUH asked them, "Why did you build the masjid?" They said, "Ya Rasulullah, we have weak people. And if it rains, the masjid will just be right there in our neighborhood"—as if Masjid Quba wasn't there. So the Prophet PBUH simply said in his gentleness, "We are busy now preparing for travel. Insha'Allah, when I come back (from Tabuk)." He didn't say yes — he said, "If Allah wills." And the masjid was in operation for around a month, but the Prophet PBUH never prayed there. They opened it before Tabuk — and then on the way back from Tabuk, Allah revealed Surat al-Tawba verse 107 to 109:
وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
"And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allah testifies that indeed they are liars" [9:107].
لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ
"Do not stand [for prayer] within it, ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves" [9:108].أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَـٰنَهُۥ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَٱنْهَارَ بِهِۦ فِى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
"Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people" [9:109].
In these verses, Allah calls the masjid the masjid of:
1. ضِرَارًا - Harm
2. كُفْرًا - Disbelief
3. وَتَفْرِيقًا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - Dividing the believers — When there is Masjid Quba right there, there is no need to make this masjid
4. وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ مِن قَبْلُ - Secret ambush for someone who has already waged war against Allah and His Messenger (reference is Abu Amir)
When Jibril AS came down with these verses on the way back from Tabuk, the Prophet PBUH commanded Ammar ibn Yasir and other sahaba to destroy the masjid and burn it to the ground because it is a masjid of kufr, pain, suffering, etc. And this was one of the final stances between the Prophet PBUH and the hypocrites. (And we will come to *the* final stance in a few months: The last straw was when Ibn Salul dies and Allah says don't even ask for forgiveness for them [see Quran, 9:80].)
So Tabuk ended the aspirations of the hypocrites — after this, they did nothing. And note from this we learn that even a masjid, if it's built for the wrong reasons, can become a masjid of evil and harm. Allah calls this a masjid of harm built upon kufr. And our Prophet PBUH was prohibited from praying in it, and eventually he was prohibited from praying for them at all.
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Masjid Built Upon Taqwa
Now Allah says in this series of verses, "The masjid that was built upon taqwa from the very first day has more right that you stand on that masjid. In it are people who love to purify themselves" [Quran, 9:108]. Which masjid is Allah referring to? There are three opinions:
1. Masjid Quba — this is narrated in a hadith in Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi: When verse [9:108] was revealed, the people of Quba were asked, "Why did Allah praise you in a manner that He doesn't praise us, 'Within it are men who love to purify themselves'?" The people of Quba said —and this hadith is mentioned in the Chapter of Istinja' (استنجاء)—: "We have a habit that we always use water when we wash ourselves." (Side note: This hadith is what the fiqh of istinja' is based on. In our culture, we are accustomed to using water. And indeed, a lota next to the toilet is a giveaway sign of a Muslim house. For us, we cannot imagine using the restroom without water. So it is surprising for most Muslims to find out that actually, all of the madhahib are in unanimous consensus that you do not have to use water. Not that we should stop using water; it's a great habit, but we must realize we can do istinja' without water — it's not a requirement. And realize water was scarce back then, and it was not possible for every society to use water for cleansing. So it is allowed in the shariah to use dry material, e.g., toilet paper. But it is by unanimous consensus better to use water.)
2. Masjid of the Prophet PBUH. There is a hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmad where two sahaba were arguing in the lifetime of the Prophet PBUH as to which masjid Allah was talking about in verse [9:108]. Is it Masjid Quba, or is it the Masjid of the Prophet PBUH? So they took their matter to the Prophet PBUH right then and there, and the Prophet PBUH swore by Allah and said, "It is this masjid right here (Masjid al-Nabawi)." And this hadith is authentic.
3. It is a generic verse; every masjid built with taqwa is better than Masjid al-Dirar. And this is the correct opinion, and it incorporates both of the previous opinions within it, that both Masjid Quba and the Masjid of the Prophet PBUH are built upon taqwa.
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It Is Possible for Another Masjid to Also Become a Type of Masjid Dirar, But...
The Masjid al-Dirar was destroyed and the Prophet PBUH never even entered or came close to it.
Masjid al-Dirar is a reality and we firmly believe it is possible for another masjid to become a type of masjid dirar. But a masjid does not become a masjid dirar just because some people in your community disagree with some uncles in the community and break away and build another masjid. Breaking away from a group of people does not make you a kafir, whereas breaking away from the Prophet PBUH is a huge deal. If some groups of people disagree with you sincerely on particular views, and they go build another masjid, and they have another scholar they follow, that's okay, that's their right; and we shouldn't call that masjid the masjid of dirar. We have to be very careful in this regard. It is possible a masjid can be a type of masjid dirar, but we leave that verdict to Allah. For us to call somebody's masjid the masjid of dirar would mean to go and torch the masjid down; you are implying it's a masjid of kufr. Are you really going to accuse them of being hypocrites and kafirs? This is arrogant, dangerous, and un-Islamic. Let them go and build their masjid and if it's sincere, it will flourish; if not, Allah will expose them.
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, December 2021]
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, December 2021]
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