poverty after I die than you. I gave you
palm-trees equivalent to twenty ausuq
(a weight measurement). Had you cut
them and taken possession of them,
they would have been yours. But today
they are the property of the heirs and
they are your two brothers and your
two sisters, so divide it according to
the Book of Allah” (Muwatta).
Note: In Shari‘a, transfer of ownership
when gifting only occurs once the person
who has been gifted takes the gift
into his/her possession. In the aforementioned
narration, ‘Ayesha j did
not become the owner of the gift since
she did not take it into her possession.
Sharia also prohibits one from gifting
The Formative Years — Childhood
continued from page 15
Spiritual Discourse
continued from page 20
once they are on their deathbed. As
such, Abu Bakr g was no longer permitted
to gift the palm trees to ‘Ayesha
j. However, the aforementioned narration
does show that Abu Bakr g
initially intend to gift his daughter
‘Ayesha j and not the remaining children.
ture on his sitting mat during tribal
gatherings. He would openly exclaim
his affection for him, and his actions
never betrayed his words. Once
after having been separated longer
than expected for an errand, Abdul
Muttalib anxiously paced around the
Ka’ba pleading Allah for his safety.
Upon his grandson’s return, his heart
spoke, “My child, I felt a grief over
your separation, as a mother feels, that
will never leave me.” From that day
forth, he did not allow any separation
of length. However, two years after his
mother’s death, the skies again grew
dark. The child a was to be separated
once more from a beloved caretaker.
For a grandfather is akin to a father in
love and care. With his passing, he was
orphaned once more.
As the bier of Abdul Muttalib was
carried to its resting place, the eightyear
old child could be seen following
it in tears. The sun set on the dusty
town and a similar sight was beheld: a
female of dark complexion contrasted
by the white of her charge. Barakah
quietly walked back with her foster
son from yet another burial.
The Solution to This Proposition
In response to this deviant thought,
Maulana Thanawi said,
“First of all, we have no evidence that
the compensation we get from other
people backbiting us will be used to
pay off our debts. It is possible that
what you get from others will remain
with you and the rewards of your own
deeds may go to the others and the
compensation you get may not be
enough for your deliverance. Secondly,
there is no evidence of collateral
benefit. It is possible that you might
get less and have to pay more. Then
how would you square it up?”
In other word, what proof is there that
the compensation you get would be
drawn upon to compensate those who
have a claim over you? It is possible
you will have to pay with your salat,
fasting, recitation of Quran, and the
such those whom you have backbit
while you receive compensation from
others. Besides, you do not have proof
that what you receive will be collateral
for what you have to pay. It is possible
that you receive less than what you
have to pay.
These are interpretations suggested
by shaytan only to mislead us. May
Allah protect us. On the Day of Resurrection,
when accounts are taken and
one man’s reward will be given to
another, he would realize how serious
things were and how misleading the
interpretation was. He may have been
very pious with abundant rewards for
his salat, fasting, recitation of Quran,
i‘tikaf, tahajjud, and other worship but
will learn in the Hereafter that all his
deeds are claimed by others. He will
repent and suffer yet would be helpless.
Therefore, it is wrong to assume
that the account would be settled.
May Allah protect us all.
30 November – December 2021 | AL-MADINAH