Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Ataa bin Abi Rabaah (rahimahullah) mentions that once, he went with Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) and Hazrat Ubaid bin Umair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) to visit Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha). After entering the home of Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), they sat on one side, while Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) remained behind the purdah curtain.
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) addressed Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) and said, “Please inform us – what was the most amazing and unique thing which you observed in the mubaarak life of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)?”
Hearing the question, Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) began to weep and responded saying, “Everything in the mubaarak life of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was amazing and unique.” Hazrat Aishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) further mentioned the following incident. She said:
One night, when it was my turn for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to spend the night with me, after the esha salaah, he came and lay in the bed with me. After some time, he said to me, “O Aaishah! Permit me to leave you now and start worshipping my Lord!” I replied, “By Allah! I love being close to you, and I also love that you worship Allah Ta‘ala.”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then stood up, went to the waterskin and performed wudhu, without pouring out a lot of water. Thereafter, he stood in salaah, and wept so abundantly that his blessed beard became wet with tears. Thereafter, he went into sajdah and wept so abundantly that the ground became wet with his tears. Thereafter, he lay on his side and continued weeping until Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) came to call him for the fajr salaah.
Seeing Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) weeping in this way, Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) addressed him saying, “O Rasul of Allah! What causes you to weep, whereas Allah Ta‘ala has forgiven all your past and future inexactitudes?”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “O Bilaal! Why should I not weep, whereas these verses have been revealed to me this very night:
اِنَّ فِیۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ اخۡتِلَافِ الَّیۡلِ وَ النَّہَارِ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ ﴿۱۹۰﴾ۚۙ الَّذِیۡنَ یَذۡکُرُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ قِیٰمًا وَّ قُعُوۡدًا وَّ عَلٰی جُنُوۡبِہِمۡ وَ یَتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ فِیۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ ہٰذَا بَاطِلًا ۚ سُبۡحٰنَکَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿۱۹۱﴾
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for people of understanding. Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or (lying) on their sides and ponder (and reflect) over the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying), “Our Rabb, You did not create this without a purpose; exalted are You (from creating things without a purpose), so protect us from the punishment of the Fire!
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then said, “Woe to the one who recites these verses, yet fails to ponder over their meaning (i.e. he fails to ponder over the great signs of Allah Ta‘ala in His creation, on account of which he does not realize that there is a creator – Allah Ta‘ala – who is All-Powerful and will one day – on the Day of Qiyaamah – take him to task for his evil deeds which he committed in the world)!” (Tafseer Ibnu Katheer 2/189)
From this incident, we understand the deep compassion and great concern in the heart of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for his ummah. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) spent the entire night weeping out of worry and concern that his ummah should be saved from the fire of Jahannum.
When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said “Woe to the one who recites these verses, yet fails to ponder over their meaning,” then if this was in reference to the kuffaar who were also aware of the message of the Qur’aan Majeed, yet they did not believe, then Rasulullah’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) grief was over the fact that they do not ponder over the creation of Allah Ta‘ala, thereby recognizing His power and bringing imaan in Him.
If Rasulullah’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) statement was in reference to the believers, then Rasulullah’s (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) grief was over the fact that they do not ponder over the creation of Allah Ta‘ala, thereby recognizing that Allah Ta‘ala is All-Powerful and He can seize them at any time in their lives. This recognition of Allah Ta‘ala ought to prevent them from leading lives of sin and transgression, thereby becoming worthy of the divine punishment of Allah Ta‘ala in the Hereafter.
