In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Aasim Ibn Humaid [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “I heard Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal [may Allaah be pleased with him] saying, ‘Indeed, you will not see in this Dunyaa except affliction and trial; the affair will not increase, except in severity and you will not see (or experience) from the rulers except harshness. (see footnote a) You will not see (or experience) an affair that is terrifying and causes you hardship, except that it will be lesser in severity than what will occur thereafter'”. When Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal [may Allaah have mercy upon him] heard this statement, he said, “O Allaah! Make us pleased with You! O Allaah! Make us pleased with You]”.

The author [i.e. Ibnul Bannah (may Allaah have mercy upon him)] transmitted this narration in which Mu’aadh [may Allaah be pleased with him] said, “Indeed, you will not see in this Dunyaa, except affliction and trial”– Meaning, this Dunyaa is a place of affliction, trial and test. Allaah [Glorified and Exalted be He] said: [And We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned]. [Surah Al-Anbiyaa. Aayah 35)]

This Dunyaa is a place of affliction and trial, and therefore Mu’aadh said, “Indeed, you will not see in this Dunyaa except affliction and trial”. Then Mu’aadh said, “And the affair will not increase except in severity”- Meaning, the affair of the believers alternates between perfection and deficiency, and an era will not come to the people, except that the era thereafter will be lesser in (virtue).

Then Mu’aadh said, “And you will not see (or experience) from the rulers except harshness”- Meaning, the way you are (i.e. righteous or sinful) will determine who will rule over you. Whenever deficiency occurs in the religious affairs of the people – deficiency related to being truthful to Allaah and in turning to Allaah (in obedience, submission etc), this will also be the state of the one who rules over them.

Then Mu’aadh said, “And you will not see (or experience) an affair that is terrifying and causes you hardship, except that it will be lesser in severity than what will occur thereafter”- Meaning, it may be that a person witnesses an affair which he considers to be terrifying and difficult, but then another era comes thereafter and he considers it more severe than the one that occurred during his youth.

Mu’aadh made these statements to notify the believer regarding the state he should be in when afflictions occur, so that he strives against his soul, remains steadfast upon the truth, turns truthfully to Allaah (in obedience, submission, reliance etc), be pleased with Allaah, neither deviate nor be like those who are destroyed, and seeks Allaah’s Protection against the trials – that which is apparent and that which is hidden.

This is the reason why Imaam Ahmad said twice, “O Allaah! Make us pleased with You! O Allaah! Make us pleased with You”.

Therefore, with regards to the trials, it is obligated on a Muslim to turn to Allaah (in submission, obedience, reliance, humility etc). Whenever the trial becomes more severe, he increases in turning to Allaah. Indeed, the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “Worship during Al-Harj (i.e. during chaos, confusion, disorder, fighting, killing etc) is like emigrating to me”.

This shows that during trials, a Muslim should turn to Allaah – turn to worship, remembrance of Allaah, submit and humble himself to Allaah. But as for many other people, trials bussies and diverts them from remembrance of Allaah; rather many people are preoccupied with the trial. How many people are preoccupied with trials and diverted from establishing the prayer at its fixed time! How many people fall into evil due to Fitan! Fitan is destructive and no one is saved from it, except the one whom Allaah saves.

And in relation to Mu’aadh’s statement, it has also been reported in Shu’ab AlImaan by Bayhaqi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] from Abee Mas’ood Al-Ansaari [may Allaah be pleased with him] who said, “An era will not reach you except that the era after it will be worse than it”; so they (i.e. the people) said, “Indeed, an era has reached us in which we had (things, harvest etc) in abundance and an era in which we did not have (things, harvest etc) in abundance”. So, he said to them, “By Allaah! Indeed, I neither mean your (era of abundant produce) nor your (era of scarcity or drought); rather I mean the disappearance of knowledge or the scholars. Indeed, before you there was Umar [may Allaah be pleased with him], so show me a an era like his?!” Perhaps it can be said (in relation to this statement of Abee Mas’ood) regarding this era of ours, “Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz was here (i.e. alive amongst us few years ago), so show us someone like him (or an era like his)?!” But good is still present.

Even though the likes of these statements are transmitted, but also the texts regarding tranquillity, the people of virtue and that good will remain should be mentioned, such as the statement of the Prophet, “There will not cease to be a group of my Ummah who will be upon the truth, neither will they be harmed by those who oppose them nor by those who betray them until the establishment of the hour [i.e. the day of judgement]”. This proves that good will remain and the likes of these narrations are not aimed at leaving a person in a state of hopelessness and despair; rather it is aimed at making him turn to Allaah (in obedience, submission, reliance, humility etc) and to be from the people of virtue, even if they are few. (1)

Ibn Abbaas [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said, “Well-being and safety is ten parts; nine parts are found in silence [i.e. speak good or remain silent] and the tenth part is found in seclusion”. [Sifatus Safwa. 4/257]

Maalik Bin Deenaar [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “The righteous people used to advise one another with three affairs: restraint of the tongue, seeking the forgiveness of Allaah and seclusion”. [Hilyatul Awliyaa 2/277]

Al-Khattaabee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated that the intent behind this [i.e. seclusion] neither means that a person abandons the obligatory gatherings [i.e. Salawaat, the Jumu’ah prayer and other gatherings where one is required to appear etc], nor that one neglects the rights of the people [i.e. such as visiting people for the sake of Allaah, helping them, responding to invitation etc] and the good customary practices established amongst the people (i.e. the one that are not in opposition to the Sharee’ah), nor does it mean that one refrains from replying to their greetings; rather seclusion necessitates abandoning excessive and increased intermingling for which there is no need. [Al-Uzlah. pages 12-13]

Maqil Bin Yasaar [may Allaah be pleased with him] narrated that Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “Worship during Al-Harj is like emigrating to me”. (2)

The Virtue of Worship During Fitan

Imaam An-Nawawi [rahimahullaah] said: The intent behind [the word] ‘Harj’ in this Hadeeth is when the affairs of the people are in a state of Ikhtilaat [i.e. chaos, confusion, disorder, dissarry etc]. And the reason behind the great virtue of worship during this state of affairs is because the people are heedless of worship and diverted from it, and none fulfils it except [some or few] individuals. (3)

Al-Allaamah Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] said: The intent behind Al-Harj is Al-Ikhtilaat [i.e. chaos, confusion, disarray] when it occurs between the Muslims. That is because many people are diverted from worship due to this state of confusion [chaos, disarray etc]. Also killing and blood shed occurs during this state of affairs. Allaah’s Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] urges a person to engage in worship during the time of fitan, because the majority of the people are diverted from worship. The one who busies himself with worship [during this time] is like one who has migrated to Allaah’s Messenger [sallal laahu alayhiwasallam]. You know the virtue AlHijrah [migration]! Al-Hijrah in the Arabic language means to abandon. [And keep away from the idols][Al-Muddathir’ Aayah 5]

The One who engages in worship during times of fitan and it does not divert him from worship, he has the reward of one who migrated to Allaah’s Messenger, because a Muhaajir [emigrant] leaves his country and flees to Allaah’s Messenger sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] in order to safeguard his religion, and took place in the early Islamic era – during the era of the Messenger [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam]. So, the word Hijrah [migration] in the Islamic legislation means to leave the land of kufr and settle in the land of Imaan in order to safeguard one’s religion.

The word Hijrah is also intended to mean abandonment in general, so the one who abandons Fitna and busies himself with worship, then indeed he has abandoned Fitna and proceeded towards worship. Therefore, Hijrah means to abandon something.

Allaah’s Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam] said: A [true] Muslim is the one whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hands, and a Muhaajir [emigrant] is one who refrains from what Allaah has forbidden. (4)

Therefore, he is a Muhaajir because he abandons what Allaah has forbidden and fulfils what Allaah has commanded. This Hadeeth urges a person to engage in worship during times of fitna, because Fitna diverts people from worship except the one whom Allaah blesses with the ability to abandon Fitna and engages in worship.

However, this does not mean that one refrains from warning against Fitna and clarifying for the people, rather – firstly – he abandons Fitna, warns the people and forbids them from it. That is because just as he would like the people to come to him with good, he should also go to them with good. Just as he loves to be safe from Fitna, he should also love the same for the people. This deed of his is Jihaad [striving in the path of Allaah] and Inkaarul Munkar [i.e. the virtuous act of rejecting evil]. Listen to audio here: https://safeshare.tv/x/-HxAEXdPD-M#

Who to Return to In Times of Fitan

Al-Allaamah Ubaid Bin Abdillaah Al-Jaabiriy [may Allaah preserve him] stated: When the people of virtue and righteousness were faced with an adversity and an intricate affair, they would go to the Senior People of knowledge to ask them and seek a Jawaab Ash-Shaafee Al-Kaafee [i.e. an appropriate answer that would bring about rectification of the religious affairs and preservation of the well-being of the people based on the Qur’aan and the Sunnah]. This is a followed path –beginning since the era of Prophet’s companions, then the Imaams of the Taabi’een and then –after them- the people of knowledge, virtue, religion and Eemaan. And how beautiful is what Ibn Mas’ood said: The people will not cease to be righteous and upright as long as knowledge comes to them from the companions of Muhammad [sallal-laahu-alayhiwasallam] and their elders. But if knowledge comes to them from their young ones, they will be destroyed. (5)

Footnote a: https://abukhadeejah.com/the-tyranny-of-the-rulers-a-reason-for-rebellion/

[Ref 1: An Excerpt From ‘Sharh Risaalah Al-Mughniyah Fis Sukoot Wa Luzoomil Buyoot. Lessons 2]

[Ref 2: Saheeh Muslim: Kitaab Al-Fitan Wa-Ash’raat As-Saa’ah- Chapter: The virtue of Ibaadah During Al-Harj. Hadeeth Number 2948]

[Ref 3: Saheeh Muslim Bi-Sharhi An-Nawawi. Vol 17. page 70. Hadeeth Number 2948. slightly paraphrased. Publishers: Daar alKutub Al-Ilmiyyah. Ist Edition 1421 (Year 200) ]

[Ref 4: Bukhaari. Hadeeth Number 2382 and Muslim. Hadeeh Number 84]

[Ref 5: An Excerpt from: الطيب الجني على شرح السنة للإمام المزني page 19]