Craving For Status (5/5)

One of the greatest things that is to be feared for one who enters upon the oppressive rulers is that he will agree with their falsehood and help them to commit oppression seven if it is only by remaining silent and failing to forbid them. So if he enters upon them seeking and aspiring to status and authority, then he will not forbid them, rather he is liable to declare some of their evil actions to be good in order that he may be raised in their eyes so that they help him to attain his goal.

Imaam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa’ee and Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh report from the hadeeth of Ka’b ibn `Urjah, radiyAllahu `anhu, from the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) who said,

“There will be after me rulers, so he who enters upon them and agrees with them in their falsehood and helps them in their wrongdoing – then he has no connection with me and I have no connection with him, and he will not come to me at the Pond (Hawd.) However he who does not enter upon them, and does not help them in their wrongdoing, and does not agree with them in their falsehood – then he is from me, and I am from him, and he will come to me at the Pond (Hawd).”[1]

Imaam Ahmad reports the meaning of this hadeeth from the hadeeth of Hudhayfah, radiyAllahu `anhu, and Ibn `Umar, radiyAllahu `anhumaa, and Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt, and Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree and an-Nu`maan ibn Basheer, radiyAllahu `anhum.

Also many of the Salaf used to forbid entering upon the rulers even for those who wanted to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. From those who forbade this were `Umar ibn `Abdul-`Azeez, Ibnul-Mubaarak, ath-Thawree and other scholars. Ibnul-Mubaraak said, “In our view the one who orders and forbids them is not the one who enters upon them and orders and forbids them. Rather the one who orders and forbids them is the one who keeps away from them.” The reason for this is the corruption that is to be feared may be caused through entering upon them. This is because a person may deceive himself whilst he is at a distance from them into thinking that he will order and forbid them and behave firmly with them. However when he sees them face to face his soul inclines towards them since love of status is concealed in his soul – therefore he flatters them and is lenient with them. He may even be charmed by them and come to love them particularly if they treat him kindly and bestow favours upon him and he accepts that from them. Something similar to this occurred with `Abdullaah ibn Taawoos along with one of the rulers in the presence of his father – so Taawoos rebuked him for that.

Also Sufyaan ath-Thawree wrote to `Abbaad ibn `Abbaad and said, “…Beware of the rulers and of approaching and mixing with them in any of the affairs. Beware of being deluded so that it is said that you should do so in order to intercede with them for someone, or to help the oppressed or to stop oppression. This is a deception of Iblees, and is taken by the wicked reciters as a means of advancing themselves. When you have occasion to receive questions and of having to give religious rulings then avail yourself of that and do not compete with them in it. Also beware of being one of those who loves that his saying should be acted upon, publicized and listened to – so that when it is abandoned the effect it has upon him is noticed. Beware of leadership since love of leadership may be more beloved to a person that that of gold and silver. It is something whose reality is obscure and hidden and not comprehended except by the wise and perceptive scholars. So take care of your own soul and act with correct intention, and know that a matter is approaching the people, which is such that a man will desire death due to it. Was-Salaam.” [2]

Also pertaining to this is the hatred of a man’s making himself known as being a person of knowledge, abstemiousness and Religion, or his manifesting actions, sayings and miraculous blessings in order that people should visit him, seek blessings through him, request supplication from him and kiss his hand – and he loves that, habituates it, is made happy by it, and seeks after it.

In this regard the Pious Predecessors (as-Salafus-Saliheen) used to have the utmost hate of fame. From those noted for this were Ayyoob, an-Nakhaa’ee, Sufyaan, Ahmad and other wise scholars. The same was the case with al-Fudayl and Daawood at-Taa’ee and others who avoided the allurement of this world and were people of insight. They used to criticize themselves severely and take great pains to hide their actions. It happened that a man entered upon Daawood at-Taa’ee and he asked him why he had come. So he replied, “I came to visit you.” So he said, “Then you have reached a great deal of good in that you have visited someone for Allah’s sake, however I can only look to what I will face tomorrow when it will be said to me, ‘Who are you that you deserve to be visited? Are you one of those who remain aloof from worldly allurements?” No, by Allah. ‘Are you one of the (great) worshippers?’ No, by Allah. ‘Are you one of the righteous servants?’ No, by Allah… and he mentioned a number of the good qualities in this manner, then he began rebuking himself and saying, ‘O Daawood! When you  were a youth you were wicked, and when you have grown old you have become a person who does actions for show – and this is worse than being a sinner.”

Muhammad ibn Waasi` used to say, “If sins had an odour then nobody would be able to sit with me.” When anyone used to enter upon Ibraaheem an-Nakhaa’ee and he was reciting from the mushaf he would cover it up. Uways and others who avoided the worldly allurements would, if they became known in a place, move on from it.

Many of the Salaf would also hate that anyone should ask them to make supplication for them, and they would say to those who requested it, “Who am I?” Amongst those whom that is reported from are ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan, radiyAllahu `anhumaa, and likewise Maalik ibn Deenaar. An Nakhaa’ee also used to hate that anyone should request him to supplicate for them. A man wrote to Ahmad asking for him to supplicate for him, so Ahmad said, “If we are to supplicate for this, then who will supplicate for us?”

Once the exertions of a pious man in worship were described to a ruler and so he decided to visit him. When the man heard of this, he sat at the side of the road eating a great deal and he paid no attention to the ruler. So the ruler said, “There is no good in this one,” and he went back. So the man said, “All praises and thanks for Allah who sent him back whilst he was finding fault with me.”

This matter is very vast, and there is a fine point here. It is that a person may criticize himself before some people, intending thereby that the people should see that he is modest and therefore be raised their eyes and be praised by them. This is one of the subtle doors of ostentation/show (riyaa’) and the Pious Predecessors have warned us about it. Mutarrif ibn `Abdullaah ibn ash-Shikhkheer said, “It is sufficient to amount to conceit that a person criticises himself in a gathering intending only self-adornment, and this to Allah is foolishness.”