In the name of Allaah the most kind the Most Merciful
From Abu Dharr -Radi Allaahu anhu- who said it was said to the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- what do you say about a man who performed good actions and the people praised him for those actions?
He -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘It is glad tidings for a believer (which he has received in this world).’
Collected by Muslim and others
Shaykh AbdurRahman bin Nasr as-Sa’adi (d. 1376 A.H.) said in his book Bahtaja al-Qaloob al-Abraar wa Qarat Ayoon al-Akhbar’:
Quote:
The Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- mentioned in this hadeeth that from the signs of praise worthy actions is that glad tidings for them are given in this world; since Allaah has promised His Awliyaa – and they are the pious believers – with glad tidings in this life and in the Hereafter.
‘al-Bushra’ – Glad tidings: means the news or indicating matters by which the slave of Allaah knows his good ending, that he is from the people of happiness and that his good deeds are accepted.
As for in the Hereafter: then it is the glad tidings, that Allaah is pleased with that person and it is his reward, it is having been saved from Allaah’s Anger and His punishment at the time of death, in the grave, and at the resurrection. Allaah will resurrect His believing slave at that time with the glad tidings at the hands of the Angels, as has been mentioned in many well known texts of the Book and the Sunnah.
As for the glad tidings in this world, Allaah sends them forward for the Believers, to set a precedent and are sent early due to Allaah’s excellence, so that the people are aware of these glad tidings. Likewise to encourage the people to perform good deeds, so that they are successful due to this goodness. And these glad tidings are a protection for that person from evil, as the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘As for the people of happiness then good actions will be made easy for them to perform for the people of happiness.’
Therefore, if a slave of Allaah finds that performing good actions have been made easy for him, facilitated for him to carry them out, he finds him self protected by Allaah’s protection from the actions which harm him, these are glad tidings which indicate to a believer how his final ending will take place, indeed Allaah is the most Beneficent of those who show benevolence and He is the most Generous of those who show generosity.
If a slave of Allaah carries out kindness then Allaah perfects that for him, and the greatest of blessings and perfection that Allaah gives him is perfection in the Deen, and that makes a Believer completely happy. Happiness with Allaah’s blessings upon him by being able to carry out good actions and easily fulfilling them. Since the greatest signs of al-Eemaan is loving goodness, and desiring to do good actions and happiness in doing them, this happiness is coupled with the strong desire for Allaah to complete his blessing upon that person, and that Allaah’s excellence continues for him.
From this is what the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- mentioned in this hadeeth:
If a slave of Allaah performs a deed from good actions - especially good actions which are effective, and similar to this is general, beneficial charity projects – then as a consequence of that people love that person, praise him, and make Dua for him, then this is glad tidings, that this action is from the good actions which are accepted by Allaah, and Allaah has placed goodness and blessing in that action.
From the indication of glad tidings in the life of this world, is the believers have love for that slave of Allaah, due to Allaah Ta’ala’s saying:
{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواوَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ وُدًّا}
<<Indeed those who have believed and done righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection>>
Meaning receive love from Allaah for those people who carry out good deeds. So the slaves of Allaah will have love in their hearts for those who carry out good deeds.
Also from the glad tidings is the good praise of a person; since indeed a lot of praise from the believers for the slave of Allaah is a testification from the people for that person, and the believers are the witness of Allaah on the earth.
Furthermore, from glad tidings is a good dream seen by the believer, or it is seen about him. Since a good dream is from receiving good news.
Also from glad tidings, is that Allaah destines for His slave a destiny which a person either loves or hates, and Allaah makes that destiny a means for that person to rectify his Deen and a security from evil."
‘What prompted me to quote what Shaykh Sa’adi -Rahimullaah- said, was what I saw first hand, after I had received the news of the death of the respected brother Dawood Burbank and his wife – may Allaah have mercy upon them.
This man never used to speak much, only very little and had many good actions, amongst them teaching, translating, calling to Tawheed and the Sunnah.
And these were the glad tidings that Allaah had made easy for him to love goodness and good actions. There is no doubt that from the best of actions is calling to Tawheed and the Sunnah.
Indeed I saw with my own two eyes the glad tidings that were appointed for this brother – and we do not hold anyone in a status above what Allaah gives him – in addition to him being burnt in a fire, and the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said the one who dies in a fire is a martyr.
And he died as a person coming for Hajj in a state of Ihraam saying the Talbeeyah, and the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said regarding the person who fell from his ride on the day of ‘Arafah and died: ‘Do not cover his head since he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement saying the Talbeeyah’.
From what the Shaykh the great scholar AbdurRahman bin Nasr as-Sa’adi mentioned as previously quoted is the praise of the people for an individual, I did not mention the death of this brother to anyone that knows him except that they praised him, made Dua’ for him and they enumerated his good deeds.
This was mentioned to me by everyone whom I informed about his death, from our scholars and our brothers from those who knew him and had heard of him.
And from amongst those who knew him was Shaykh Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee -HafidAllaah- and I informed him while we were leaving the Masjid after having prayed the Isha prayer, the Shaykh was greatly affected, prayed for Dawood and praised him. After that the Shaykh phoned me a number of times so he could be rest assured with the arrangements for the Janazah.
Likewise was our Shaykh Ubayd al-Jabari when I paid my condolences to him, he praised Dawood and mentioned him with good and prayed for him.
And also our Shaykh Muhammad bin Haadee al-Madkhalee when I told him he became very upset and began mentioning his good deeds and made Dua for him. Even those who did not know him made Dua for him when they found out that he loved the Sunnah and the way that he died, and this is from the glad tidings for him that have preceded in this world by Allaah’s permission. There was a gathering the next day with both Shaykh Rabee and Muhammad bin Haadi and when I entered the room Shaykh Rabee immediately began asking me about Dawood’s funeral and burial.
After I had told him he became very disturbed by it all and began praising him and making Dua for him all over again and likewise did Shaykh Muhammad.
That which really amazed me was how quickly his funeral took place from the time that his body was received in the city of Jeddah and transferred to Makkah al-Mukkarramah. From the time we reached the hospital in Jeddah to receive the body a police escort was assigned to us to escort us from the hospital right until Makkah, there was an escort that would clear the way for our cars so we did not have to stop at any traffic light or check posts, because there are many these days due to the heavy traffic jams during the days of Hajj.
We had just reached the burial preparation place and the supervisor hastily began organising the two Janazahs for burial and in such a short time the Janazahs were prepared to be taken to the Haram and again we were given a police escort clearing the way for us, the police officer informed me at that moment that he had just now received strict orders to bury the bodies in the al-Mua’la graveyard, which is the graveyard near the Haram, whereas they should have been buried in the Sharaia’ graveyard which is far from the Haram, and this is from Allaah’s excellence for them.
The supervisor organised a coach to take all the brothers who had turned up at the burial preparation place, to the Haram. Then we all went straight to the Haram, and we carried the two Janazahs to where the Imam of the Haram leads the prayer, we waited for the Fajr prayer and then the Imam came and led the Janazah prayer, and we directly went to al-Mua’la graveyard and they were buried there – may Allaah have mercy upon them both.
All of this occurred with great ease and speed without any distress or obstacles and all praise belongs to Allaah. I wanted to mention all this from the point that it is glad tidings for the brother Dawood and his wife, and that which we have are glad tidings given to the believer in this world.
O Allaah forgive them and have mercy upon them and make their graves spacious and resurrect them with the Prophets and the righteous and the martyrs ..... amen.
