Mishkat al-Masabih

boasting of high rank, reviling other people’s genealogies, seeking rain by the stars, and wailing." And he said, "If the wailing-woman does not repent before she dies, she will be made to stand on the day of resurrection wearing a garment of pitch and a chemise of mange.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that when the Prophet came upon a woman weeping at a grave he said, "Fear God and show endurance.” She, not recognising him, replied, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted as I have.” She was told that he was the Prophet, so she went to his door, and finding no doorkeepers there she said, "I did not recognise you." He replied, "Endurance is shown only at the first blow.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “No Muslim will suffer the death of three sons and go to hell, except to expiate the oath.”(Cf. Qur'an, xix, 71, which says everyone shall go down to it, and that this is a decree from God which must be accomplished. The meaning of the tradition is said to be that such people will go for a very brief time which will be enough to make this decree no longer applicable to them. The decree is treated as equivalent to an oath) (Bukharl and Muslim.)

He reported God’s messenger as saying to some women of the Ansar, “None of you will lose three children by death and seek a reward from God without entering paradise.” One of them asked, “Or two, messenger of God?” He replied, “Or two.” Muslim transmitted it. Bukharl and Muslim have a version which says, “three who were not old enough to sin.”

He reported God’s messenger as declaring that God says, “When I take away from my believing servant his favourite friend among the people of this world and he seeks his reward from me, he will have no other reward from me but paradise.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abd Sa'id al-Khudri said that God’s messenger cursed the wailing-woman and the woman who listens to her. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is a fine thing when a believer praises and thanks God if good comes to him, and praises God and shows endurance if smitten by affliction. ' The believer is rewarded for everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife’s mouth.”(The idea of the tradition is that by virtue of his faith the believer receives a reward for all his actions, none being too insignificant) Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Every believer has two gates, one by which deeds ascend and one by which his provision comes down, and when he dies they weep for him.” That agrees with God's words, “Neither the heaven nor the earth wept for them.”(Qur’an xliv, 29) Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “If any member of my people has two children who die before him, God will cause him to enter paradise on their account.” ‘A’isha asked, “Does it apply to a member of your people who has one child who dies before him?” He replied, “It does, you who have been helped by God to ask this.” She then asked, “What about a member of your people who has no children who die before him?” He replied, “I am the one who dies before my people, and they will never suffer any loss to compare with the loss of me.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

When a man's child dies God most high asks His angels whether they have taken His servant's child and they reply that they have. He then asks whether they have taken the fruit of his heart (This is said by some to mean either children or grandchildren, and a basis for that meaning is found in Qur’an, ii, 155, where the plural ath-thamarat is interpreted that way), and when they reply that they have, He asks what His servant said. On their replying that he praised God and said, “We belong to God and to Him do we return,” God says, “Build a house in paradise for my servant and call it the house of praise.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying, “If anyone comforts one who has been afflicted he will have a reward equivalent to his.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition which was known to him as traced back to the Prophet only among the traditions of ‘Ali b. ‘Asim the transmitter. He added that some transmitted it with this isnad from Muhammad b. Suqa in mauquf form.

Abu Barza reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who comforts a bereaved woman will be clothed with a striped garment in paradise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

‘Abdallah b. Ja'far told that when the news of Ja'far’s death came the Prophet said, “Prepare food for Ja'far’s family, for they have heard something which takes up their whole attention.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Mughira b. Shu'ba said he heard God’s messenger say, “If people wail for anyone he will be punished for it on the day of resurrection.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

‘Amra daughter of ‘Abd ar-Rahman said that when ‘A’isha was told that ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said the dead was punished because of the weeping of the living for him, she heard her say, “God forgive Abu ‘Abd ar-Rahman ! He has not lied, but he has forgotten, or has made a mistake. What happened was just that God’s messenger came upon some people weeping for a Jewess and said, ‘They are weeping for her, and she is being punished in her grave.’ ” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

A daughter of ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan died in Mecca and we went to attend her funeral. Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas were present and I was sitting between them. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told ‘Amr b. ‘Uthman who was opposite him to make the people stop weeping, for God's messenger had said that the dead is punished because of his people’s weeping for him. Ibn ‘Abbas then said that ‘Umar used to say something of that nature, and told of an occasion when he had gone from Mecca with ‘Umar and they saw a party of riders under the shade of a gum-acacia tree when they came to al-Baida,. ‘Umar told him to go and see who these riders were, and when he looked he saw that Suhaib was among them, so he told ‘Umar and he asked him to call him. He therefore returned to Suhaib and told him to come over and attach himself to the Commander of the Faithful. Then when ‘Umar was smitten Suhaib entered weeping and saying, “Alas for the brother! Alas for the companion!” ‘Umar asked Suhaib if he was weeping for him when God’s messenger had said that the dead would certainly be punished because of some of the weeping of his family for him. Ibn ‘Abbas said that when ‘Umar died he mentioned that to ‘A’isha and she said, “God have mercy on ‘Umar! I answer by God that God’s messenger never said the dead will certainly be punished because of his family’s weeping for him; what he said was that God will increase the punishment of the infidel because of his family’s weeping for him.” She added, “What the Qur’an says is enough for you: ‘No bearer of a burden will bear another’s burden.’ ” (Qur’an, vi, 164; xvii, 15; xxxv, 18; xxxix, 7) Thereupon Ibn ‘Abbas said, “God is He who has caused laughter and weeping.” (Cf. Qur’an, liii, 43) Ibn Abu Mulaika said that Ibn ‘Umar remained silent. (Bukharl and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet was told that Ibn Haritha, Ja'far and Ibn Rawaha (They were Zaid b. Haritha, Ja'far Abu Talib, and 'Abdallah b. Rawaha who were killed at Mu’ta in 7 A.H) had been killed, he sat down showing signs of grief, while she was looking at him through the sa’ir, i.e. the slit, of the door. A man came to him and mentioned that Ja'far’s women were weeping, and on being told to tell them to stop he went away. He came a second time saying they had not obeyed him, and he told him to tell them to stop. When he came a third time and said he could make no impression on them, God’s messenger, so ‘A’isha asserted, said, “Throw dust in their mouths.” Thereupon she said, “God humble you! You did not do what God’s messenger ordered you, nor did you stop annoying God’s messenger.” (Bukharl and Muslim.)

Umm Salama told that when Abu Salama died she said he had been a stranger in a strange land and that she would weep for him in a manner which would be talked of. She had made preparations for weeping and a woman who meant to assist her was on her way when she was met by God’s messenger who said, “Do you intend to bring the devil into a house from which God has twice driven him out?”(Abu Salama had emigrated both to Abyssinia and to Medina and this may be the reference here; or it may be explained as meaning that the devil was driven out first when he accepted Islam and secondly when he died as a Muslim) Umm Salama therefore refrained from weeping and did not weep. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said that when ‘Abdallah b. Rawaha fainted his sister ‘Amra began to weep and shout, “Alas for the mountain! (The word which basically means a mountain is also used for a chief. In the next tradition from Abu Musa two expressions are used, one being the same as here and the other using a normal word for a chief. I have therefore kept the flavour of the original by retaining the word mountain) Alas for such and such! Alas for such and such !” eulogising him. When he came round he said, “I was asked about everything you said whether I am like that.” A version has the addition that when he died she did not weep for him. Bukhari tranmitted it.

Abu Musa said he heard God’s messenger say, “If anyone dies and the mourner gets up and says, ‘Alas for the mountain! Alas for the chief!’ and such like, God will put two angels in charge of him who will beat him on the breast and ask him whether he was like that.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib hasan tradition.