Definition: The Two Black Things

Definition: The Two Black Things

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Question: What are the two black things, and why are they named as such, even though water is colorless?

Answer: The two black things are: dates and water, as mentioned in the Hadeeth reported in the Saheehain.

Narrated `Urwah: `Aaishah رضي الله عنها said to me: ❝O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent and then the crescent in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ.❞ I said: “O my aunt! Then what use to sustain you?” `Aaishah said: ❝The two black things: dates and water.❞ [Saheehain]

Abu `Ubaid al-Qaasim Ibn Salaam said:

The statement of `Aaishah رضي الله عنها: “The two black things”, refers to the blackness of the dates especially, excluding the water. But both of them have been described with the description of one of them. This is usually how the `Arabs do this when they mentioned two things when they were paired together; like two men who were very close friends and who were inseparable, or two brothers, or other things, all of them would be named or described with the one who was the most famous (or well-known) of the two. This is why the people used to say: “The Sunnah al-`Umarayn (the two `Umars) while referring to Abu Bakr and `Umar.”

[Ghareeb al-Hadeeth of al-Qaasim Ibn Salaam (4/318)]

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Ibn al-Atheer said:

The two black things are the dates and water. The dates are black, especially the dates from al-Madeenah, and the water has been joined with it and described with its description because of its succession (i.e. water is always mentioned after the dates). The `Arabs do this regarding two things when they accompany each other, so they are named (or described) together with the name of one of them which is more famous; like al-Qamarayn (the two moons, while describing the sun and the moon) and al-`Umarayn (the two `Umars, in regards to Abu Bakr and `Umar).

[al-Nihaayah fee Ghareeb al-Hadeeth (2/419)]

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Other examples from the Ahaadeeth are: “Adhaanaan” (the two Adhaans, in referring to the Adhaan and Iqaamah), and “al-`Asrayn” (the two `Asrs in referring to the `Asr and Fajr prayers) [see Sunan Abu Dawood (428) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee].

Narrated `Abdullaah bin Mughaffal رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝There is a prayer between the two Adhaans (Adhan and Iqaamah), there is a prayer between the two Adhaans.❞ And then while saying it the third time he ﷺadded: ❝For the one who wants to (pray).❞

[Saheehain]

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Ibn Khuzaimah mentioned in his Saheeh:

The Adhaan and the Iqaamah are called as: “Adhaanaan” (the two Adhaans). Did you not hear the saying of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ: ❝There is a prayer between the two Adhaans❞? By this, he ﷺ meant: between every Adhaan and Iqaamah.

And Allaah عز وجل said:

﴿وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ﴾

{And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth} [Surah al-Nisaa (4): 11]

And He عز وجل also said:

﴿ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ﴾

{and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third} [Surah al-Nisaa (4): 11]

In this Aayah, it is referring to the parents – i.e. father and mother, but Allaah described them with the description of the father (Abawayn).

And from the same type is the description of `Aaishah رضي الله عنه when she described the dates and the water as: “the two black things”. The blackness is especially regarding the description of the dates while excluding the water. But `Aaishah referred to both of them as: “the two black things” when she paired them together.

And from the same type is when they say: “The Sunnah of the two `Umars”, with this they intend to mean Abu Bakr and `Umar, and not as some imagined from their own that it refers to `Umar Ibn al-Khattaab and `Umar Ibn `Abdul-`Azeez.

[Saheeh Ibn Khuzaimah under Hadeeth (1773)]

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Badr al-Deen al-`Ainee said:

The two black things are the dates and the water, and this is from the angle of giving preference (to one over the other), even though the water is clear and pure, having no any color. Similarly, al-Abawayn (the two fathers), referring to the parents (father and mother); and al-Qamarayn (the two moons), referring to the sun and the moon; and al-Ahmarayn (the two red things), referring to the meat and the drink, and some say it refers to the gold and saffron; al-Abyadhayn (the two white things), referring to water and milk; al-Asmarayn (the two brown things), referring to water and salt. Similarly, they say al-`Umarayn (the two `Umars), referring to Abu Bakr and `Umar رضي الله عنهما. The name al-`Umarayn has been given precedence because it is easy (lighter to pronounce). But the ones who say that al-`Umarayn refers to `Umar Ibn al-Khattaab and `Umar Ibn `Abdul-`Azeez, then they are furthest from the truth.

[Umdatul-Qaaree Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (21/33)]

TAZKIYAH

The "Tazkiyah": Where have we gone wrong?

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

DEFINITION:

The word Tazkiyah is the verb of: "Zakkaa, Yuzakkee", meaning: Purification.

TYPES:

In the Qur'aan, Allaah تعالى mentioned two types (or ideas) regarding Tazkiyah: 

1) Praiseworthy 

2) Disparaged

1) PRAISEWORTHY:

The Praiseworthy Tazkiyah is where a person works on purifying his self (Tazkiyatun-Nafs - self-purification).

As Allaah تعالى says:

جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

{(For the Believers will be) `Adn Paradise (everlasting Gardens), under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever: such is the reward of those who purify themselves.}

 [Surah Taha (20): 76]

This Purification is done in several ways:

A ) Purification of the self by doing good deeds (Tawheed, Salaah and all that which Allaah has ordained); and Purification (freeing oneself) from acts of evil (Shirk, Bid`ah, Disobedience, and everything which Allaah تعالى has forbidden).

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

{O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaitaan. And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaitaan, then, verily he commands al-Fahshaa' [i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)], and al-Munkar [Kufr, Shirk, and other evil deeds]. And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allaah purifies (guides to Islaam) whom He wills, and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.}

Surah al-Noor (24): 21]

B ) Purification through Tarbiyah and Ta`leem (training and education), i.e. by learning and teaching the Ahkaam of the Deen:

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ

{Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you) We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Aayaat and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'aan) and the Hikmah (the Sunnah), and teaching you that which you used not to know.} 

Surah al-Baqarah (2): 151]

C ) Purification of wealth. Since the Fitnah of this Ummah is wealth, then the purity of wealth (from hoarding) and the Nafs (from niggardliness) is through paying Zakaah and Sadaqah.

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

{Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allaah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower} 

[Surah al-Tawbah (9): 103]

2) DISPARAGED:

This is when a person claims purity/sanctity for himself. As Allaah تعالى said:

فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

{So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best who fears Allaah and keep his duty to Him} 

[Surah al-Najm (53): 32]

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُم ۚ بَلِ اللَّـهُ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا

{Have you not seen those (the People of the Book) who claim sanctity for themselves. Nay - but Allaah sanctifies whom He pleases, and they will not be dealt with injustice even equal to the extent of a Fateela (a scalish thread in the long slit of a date-stone).} 

[Surah al-Nisaa (4): 49]

PURPOSE:

The aim of Tazkiyah is the moral development through which one tries to be firm in one's faith and leaves bad manners behind, and to attain success and happiness in both the worlds. It is a continuous process of Purification to maintain spiritual health. As the body needs physical maintenance, so does the soul need spiritual maintenance.

The Nafs needs to be purified from Shirk, Bid`ah, Riya (showing-off), telling lies, greediness, malice, jealousy and envy, pride etc.

WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING:

The ultimate purpose of Tazkiyah is for seeking Allaah's pleasure through self-purification. But now, the main purpose of Tazkiyah has become to seek commendations from scholars, and acceptance of the peers. The scholars give Tazkiyah to individuals based on their outer display of character. One might be truthful in the eyes of a scholar, but with Allaah he might be a liar.

And example from the Sunnah, as reported in the Saheehain: a person fought bravely in a battle and the people praised him. When this was informed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he said that that man is from the people of the Fire. And when the people investigated the matter, they came to know that he got wounded in the battle and because he could not bear the pain, he committed suicide and hence in the Fire.

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3062, 4203, 6606) and Saheeh Muslim (205)]

 How many have degrees from the Universities but perhaps the ones without a degree has better understanding of the Deen than them.

 Time and again we have seen many receiving Tazkiyah (commendation) and high praises from the scholars, only to be criticized by the same scholars later on.

 How many receive Ijaazah (permission) to transmit narrations from a scholar who game him the Ijaazah, yet he might be the most ignorant of people.

As Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Haadee had said: "One may sit with a scholar and read to him a few Ahaadeeth and receive Ijaazah from him, yet he won't be able to distinguish one Hadeeth from the other, and can't even pronounce the words properly."

➤ CONCLUSION:

Concentrate on fixing your relation with Allaah and Allaah will fix the relation between you and the people. But if you will try to please the people, you will never be successful and end up wasting your time and effort. And when we seek to please the people while displeasing Allaah, Allaah will be abandon him and people will still not be pleased with. And this is what is happening around us.

Mu`aawiyah رضي الله عنه wrote a letter to `Aaishah, that: "Write a letter to advise me , and do not overburden me (with a long piece of advice)." So `Aaishah رضي الله عنها wrote to Mu`aawiyah, saying: “Assalaamu `Alaik. To proceed… I heard the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allaah while the people are displeased; then Allaah will protect him from the troubles caused by the people. And whosoever seeks the pleasure of the people while displeasing Allaah; then Allaah will leave his matter for the people (i.e. Allaah will not protect him from the harms of the people)” Wassalaamu Alaik.”

 [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2414) and graded as "Saheeh" by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

اللهم إنا نسألك العفو والعافيه والمعافاة الدائمة في الدين والدنيا والآخرة