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Spiritual Tension.Part2

The greatest harm or enemies have inflicted upon is to destroy our spiritual tension. They have described jihad (struggle) against unbelief as oppression and cruelty, conquest and invasion. As the poet Iqbal said, they turned lions with a glorious history into sheep. Treated in this way, those Muslims who have lost their spiritual tension remain largely unaffected by invasion, exploitation, and humiliation. Nor do they resist if their personal pride, honor, honesty or good name are attacked and blemished. Believers who maintain their spiritual tension acquire what they long for and then avoid and seek to remove what God dislikes.

In short, spiritual tension means having an aversion to unbelief and error, as well as a passionate desire for belief.

The crucial point here is that this tension does not mean fighting in the streets. Rather, it means living the excitement, enthusiasm, agitation, and emotions generated by the thousands of daily fights in your conscience; being in pain because of mental and spiritual suffering; being preoccupied and busy with people's problems; being ready and willing to risk all for the sake of others; "dying" and being "revived" many times a day; feeling the people's sufferings in yourself when you see them led astray, dragged toward Hell, and pulling each other down; feeling others' pangs of conscience and the tortures of Hell in your own conscience, while living in such a suffocating and lethal atmosphere of unbelief, deviation, and unawareness.

Such believers can earn the reward of martyrdom through displaying such dedication and commitment. Nothing can depress or terrorize such people—not worsening conditions, difficult circumstances, or the darkness, fog, or smoke (of ignorance)—for they are immune to unbelief. This is what we understand by spiritual tension. A society that loses this tension has perished in its spirit already, even though its outer form continues to exist. God allows oppressors and tyrants to attack such societies, to send their corpses the way of their already departed souls.

Death begins in the soul and heart, and later takes the body away. Physical defeat always follows spiritual defeat. God never lets people who keep their souls alive to be downtrodden. Those who cannot sustain their spiritual tension are destined to die. It is mere caprice and fancy for such people to suppose that they have a religious life. If a revival does take place, it is because some people have retained their spiritual tension. The only reliable support and power in all affairs is from God only.

How can spiritual tension be restored? Maintaining spiritual tension is harder than getting it. That is why determination and perseverance are needed to get it. Tension slackens due to familiarity and habit. Believers may become used to the terms and ways of their cause, and so gradually grow bored with it. Sometimes selfishness, passion, ambition, envy, covetousness, avarice, love for rank and position, comfort, and lethargy dampen their enthusiasm and love for acting upon and serving in the way of God. Such a development can result in the loss of already acquired spiritual qualities and a paralyzed willpower. If active believers start making excuses and not showing up where they are expected, their tension is slackening and they are in danger of losing it altogether. Without spiritual tension, believers cannot serve God, Islam, and people.

Fortunately, there are people around us who should be praised for their good examples in this regard. For instance, I will never forget the reply of one such person when I asked him for some reason whether or not he had stayed at home for a couple of days: "I never stay at home after I have undertaken a task."

Doctors prescribe medications and inoculations for illnesses and advise us to follow their recommendations closely, whether we want to or not. We pay attention to and follow such medical advice for our physical disorders.

Should we not be even more (or at least equally) attentive to what is prescribed for our spiritual disorders? How can we preserve our spiritual tension, and ultimately attain the companionship of the Prophet and his Companions, if we are not attentive to such matters?

I have several recommendations: Do not stay alone, for "the wolf will devor a lamb that has left the flock." Those who are separate from their congregation and stay away from their friends will devoured by Satan. Their decline starts by lamenting that which they could not do. While it lasts, such an activity is good. However, soon they will begin to criticize and belittle their friends' activities, an attitude that worsens little by little until they deny the purpose and ideals of the cause and starts to claim that what is being done is inappropriate or unnecessary. When this point is reached, such people are in serious danger of becoming lost. They can be rescued only if their absense from the congregation and isolation from their friends are put right. This is why all possible gateways leading to this outcome must be kept shut from the outset. Always look for fresh ways to extend and revive your learning and knowledge, spiritual knowledge (ma'rifa) in particular, and be persistent and consistent in seeking. God opened the universe like a book before our eyes, and sent Prophets and Divine Books to teach us about it. Countless pious saints and learned scholars have soared in knowledge and wisdom, seeking to understand and explain the book of the Laws (the Shari'a) and the book of creation. Like honeybees collecting from thousands of flowers, they contributed their part in producing wholesome honey in their hives of knowledge. Everything should be studied carefully and evaluated as happening in accordance with the requirements and purposiveness of Divine Wisdom. If we can do this, we can say that we are acting in harmony with Divine Wisdom. Those who cannot do so gradually lose their vitality in the basis of knowledge and quickly fall into decay and corruption. After a while, they become ineffectual. Contemplation of death is also an important factor here. Dying before one's appointed time is another name for attaining real life. To cut away the interminable worldly ambitions that exhaust us is only possible by death, by understanding that all of our true friends are waiting for us, and that true happiness and bliss exist on the other side of the grave. Is it not our highest ideal to reach the beloved friend (the Prophet), Paradise, and the Divine Beauty? We should try our best, and never avoid any hardships in the way that leads to that point. I like horses very much and use the simile of a horse to describe people who follow the cause of God. A horse never says it is tired or offers excuses while running, and runs until its heart breaks and it dies. Death becomes its excuse for not running. All of us who strive in His cause should be like horses—we should run in the way of God, without pause or excuse, until we die.

Choose a friend who will rouse, caution, and warn you. Such friends will notice our slackness and put us back on track by warning and counselling. Though it might be a little awkward at first, following this suggestion will result only in good. As soon as you feel a little slackness, a deflection in your heart, and a lack of enthusiasm, talk with your friend and let him know what is going on. Your friend will help you recover. Although the advice may strike you at first as a little harsh, even offending, only good will result, for it will save you from even more painful situations and replace your spiritual pain with spiritual pleasure. I have often turned to such a friend, someone who is younger than me and used to be my student, and his suggestions always have benefitted me. Everyone can form such a relationship, provided that it is done gratis and for the love of God.

The issue has a few aspects:

1. Allah’s creating people, equipping them with material and spiritual things, making the sun, sea and earth serve them are divine help for both believers and unbelievers. Nothing would exist but for that ontological help.

2. As for the issue in social life, Allah sometimes helps unbelievers too. 

For example, the reason for the victory of the unbelievers in the Battle of Uhud is explained as follows in the Quran:

“If a wound hath touched you (in Uhud), be sure a similar wound hath touched the others (in Badr). Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth).And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object also is to purge those that are true in Faith and to deprive of blessing Those that resist Faith.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/140-141)

That victory of the unbelievers is a law of Allah. They achieved victory not because Allah loved them, but because they fought patiently and determinedly. Those who work hard with patience and determination always achieve success. It is a divine law.

It is understood from the sentence "And Allah loveth not those that do wrong" in the verse that Allah does not love any unbelievers. It is unthinkable for Allah to help the oppressors whom He does not like. In addition, there are other reasons for the defeat of the Muslims in Uhud. Almighty Allah circulates those victories and defeats among people and makes both sides experience bad and good days in order to reveal sincere believers, to make some of them attain the rank of martyrdom, to purify them from their sins and faults, and to destroy unbelievers.

If the believers were winners and the unbelievers were losers in all wars, life's being a test would be of no value, and the possibility of believing with free will would vanish; the unbelievers would be forced to believe.

As it can be understood from those explanations, we do not say, "Allah helped the unbelievers" because it is not appropriate to evaluate a win that will have a bad ending as a victory and help.

3. Those who obey the laws that Allah imposed in the universe will be successful. There is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever, a religious person or an irreligious one, and a virtuous or an immoral one.

In fact, the good attributes and values such as “working, not despairing of Allah, taking precautions/measures, learning science and technology, preparing as much force as possible against the enemies, obeying the commander, acting in accordance with causes, praying actually and verbally for every job, and obeying sunnatullah (the laws of Allah)”, which are commands of Islam, are reasons for superiority and victory over the enemies.

If their value is not appreciated, if Islamic values, decrees, fards and prohibitions are not observed, if faith and Islam are not protected, those values will be transferred to unbelievers. With those facts, good deeds and values, they will advance and progress, avoid defeat, and might overcome Muslims.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

Allah is pleased with His servant who says: Al-Hamdu lillah while taking a morsel of food and while drinking.

Khulla means sincere friendship. It can also denote brother/sisterhood, or loyal friendship. Some have interpreted khulla as penetrating into the depth of something to change its nature, or enveloping it from all sides so that it gains a second nature. The Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, who always lived in the horizon of contentment, realized his spiritual essence or reached the rank of sincere or intimate friendship with God by means of the extraordinary radiances from God Almighty, and by experiencing continuous inner revolutions; it was thus that he reached his horizon of perfection in feeling, thought, endeavor, and preaching. Finally, he became the voice of a different nature, proclaiming God, the Ultimate Truth, by whatever he did and wherever he was. In return, God chose him as His intimate friend and called him "My intimate friend."

Compared with sincere or intimate friendship's influence on and penetrability into the heart, love invades the "pupil of the heart," or the "seed of the heart," which is regarded as the core of the spiritual intellect, and gives it its own color, and makes it speak in its own language. In a heart which moves and groans with love of God, nothing remains of anything other than God, and all other interests than that felt in God vanish one after the other, with the result that it is only He Who is felt, thought of, and talked about.

Sincere friendship (with God) was entrusted to the Prophet Abraham's nature as a seed. It was an initial donation bestowed on Him in acknowledgement of his relationship with God Almighty and a gift given to him by the All-Merciful for his ingrained loyalty to Him. This initial gift or donation also symbolized that he would become an imam (leader) for those who would follow him. However, ignoring the gifts and favors particular to it, this intimate friendship with God manifested itself in the Lover and Beloved of God, upon him be peace and blessings, in the form of love as a special Divine regard or consideration for his transcending knowledge of God and intimacy with Him.

Sincere friendship is pure loyalty. As for love, it is passion, yearning, and consumption or burning. For this reason, sincere friendship is primarily marked by enthusiasm and thankfulness and then with sadness or sorrow. In other words, while it is enthusiasm and thankfulness that prevails most in people of sincere friendship, the people of love are known with remembrance, reflection, and continuous sorrow. How interesting it is that the Master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, lived in continuous sorrow marked with hope, prayer, and entreaty.

God's Messenger was a loving and loved one whose sincere friendship was transformed into love and zeal or enthusiasm, and he was aware of being honored with such a favor. He knew that the Almighty loved him beyond all modalities of quality and quantity, and constantly breathed love beyond measure. He demanded no station, no rank, no rewards. He had perfect knowledge of the One Whom he worshipped and so he worshipped Him, deepened his faith with knowledge of Him, and ran in the tracks of more and more knowledge. As his knowledge increased, he loved Him more, from the bottom of his heart, without expecting any return and without taking reunion with Him into consideration, and with the most serious self-possession of worship and servanthood. It was God Almighty's extraordinary consideration for that Owner of the most powerful will among creation and a favor of His above all favors that the Prophet Muhammad was able to love and yearn for Him in a way befitting His Grandeur. He was the peerless hero of this highest rank. It was also he, upon him be blessings and peace to the fullness of the heavens and the earth, who gave sincere friendship the color of his sincerity and crowned that deep loyalty in human essence with love, yearning, and enthusiasm.

It is unquestionable that sincere friendship is a great rank and gift. All instances or breezes of familiarity, intimacy, inner peace and reassurance, and contentment that blow into the hearts of the faithful servants of God, the Ultimate Truth, are each an embroidery in the fabric of sincere friendship, or a spark from the love of or yearning for God. Moreover, the spiritual pleasures generated by this friendship, love, and yearning are a particular or universal manifestation of Divine consideration for turning toward that station, and breezes that blow on the slopes of the heart. As for love, it is the basic weft of that fabric, and it is the flame which produces that spark of sincere friendship. It is a fact that Divine acts are free from pursuing any ulterior motives, but we can say that the brightest wisdom in the creation of the universe is love. The series of creation appeared because of the Creator's sacred love for His Art and His will to see it, and He has given the one who loves and is loved by Him most its most important, greatest result.

Sincere or intimate friendship is a means of spiritual reconciliation, agreement, and harmony between creatures on account of its essential elements of mutual familiarity and accord. For this reason, the Prophet Abraham, the sincere Friend of the All-Merciful, upon him be peace, who is regarded as the hero of sincere friendship, was a comprehensive example and leader for those who were to come later; he was one who was able to concentrate all hearts upon a certain common point. The Qur'an describes this quality of the Prophet Abraham with the following expression of appreciation: "Indeed I will make you an imam (leader) for all people" (2: 124). Indeed, he is a leader for all who will succeed him in respect of the essence or spirit of the Religion. This spirit or essence is fully developed to its final borders by means of the noblest Leader or Guide of all, who is God's beloved and the greatest of the universal men, upon him be peace and blessings.

As clearly demonstrated by his blessed life, the noble Prophet Abraham, the sincere Friend of the All-Merciful, upon him be peace, was a pursuer of deeper and deeper contentment. As for the blessed, noblest Lover and Beloved of God, as stated in verse, "In the assembly of honor, composed of the loyal and truthful, in the Presence of the One, All-Omnipotent, Sovereign" (54: 55), he is the king seated on the throne of the greatest loyalty and truthfulness. He—the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings—was such a light-diffusing observed of Divine truths, setting his feet at the farthest point that his eyes reached, that he was not only at the unattainable peaks through his exceptional conceptions and observations, but also he is the most advanced of all, who "saw that which no other eyes have ever seen or will ever see, heard that which no other ears have ever heard or will ever hear, and witnessed that which no one else has ever conceived of or will ever conceive of."

Pursuing the utmost friendship and loyalty was God's special favor on God's blessed Friend, the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, while having an established position of friendship, loyalty, and love in God's Presence is the rank of the Master of creation, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. However, as stated in "Follow, then, their guidance!" (6: 90), the one who has an established position was ordered to follow, and indeed did follow, in one respect the one who was in constant pursuit of and realized God's special friendship. This was like a king following the principle, "The host's leadership in the Prayer is preferable," while visiting one of his subjects, and suggesting that the host should lead the Prayer.

In another sense, a sincere friend is one who is such a faithful companion that he shares the secret atmosphere of his friend and feels his love in the depths of his heart. It is an indubitable fact that few persons have ever been able to realize such a degree of loyalty and devotion. The Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, is certainly the greatest hero of this realization, as he was particularly chosen for this special merit and had the mission of representing it in the best way. That sincere Friend of the All-Merciful is the brightest example of sincere friendship because he was perfectly loyal to his Friend, as stated in "Abraham, who discharged his due, fulfilling all his duties to perfection" (53: 37); and he was extremely sensitive in grasping the subtlety in obedience to God's every order. Also, having assigned all his faculties, including his heart, intellect, logic, and reasoning to the fulfillment of his duty, he called to the truth and proclaimed the Divine Oneness out loud wherever and in whatever circumstances he was, addressing all the outer and inner senses and faculties of his most stubborn audience, and endured all the hardships and evils he encountered with the utmost submission to and reliance on God. In addition, he entered the fire of Nimrod with a smile on his lips, and he spent his life migrating from one place to another for God's sake, leaving behind his beloved wife and little, beloved son in a completely desolate valley on God's order. Furthermore, as clearly stated in the verse, "Then when both had submitted to God's will, and Abraham had laid him down on the side of his forehead.…" (37:103), he showed no hesitation in obeying God's order to sacrifice his son Ishmael, the fruit of his heart, the one who was a monument of forbearing and mildness and whom God had willed to be the start of a bright future. He spent all his wealth in God's cause and the needy. In short, the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, was a perfect example in the human realm to represent the way of God. Having reached the horizon where he could be the pride of all other Prophets except the last and greatest one, he became the one whose prayer, "And grant me a most true and virtuous renown among posterity" (26: 84), was accepted. Accordingly, all the followers of the Divine Religion to come after him would remember and mention him with prayers and as an excellent memory. Being one of the most distinguished, Abraham was a brilliant fruit of the Prophets who had preceded him and the luminous seed for his successors, including particularly the greatest of them, upon him be peace and blessings. When his Lord told him, "Submit yourself wholly (to your Lord)," he responded, "I have submitted myself wholly to the Lord of the worlds" (2:131). Such Prophetic submission was a spirit or seed in Abraham, upon him be peace, and it has become a blessed tree in the Pride of Humankind, upon him be peace and blessings, and a table in the Community of Muhammad as the fruit of adherence to him. The Qur'an indicates this fact as follows: If they still remonstrate with you, say (to them, O Messenger): "I have submitted my whole being to God, and so have those who follow me" (3:20).

When the basic elements of sincere friendship penetrate the outer and inner senses and faculties of heroes of nearness to God, they save such people from partial thoughts about things and events, causing them to reach the horizon of unity in all their sensations, impressions, perceptions, considerations, logical or rational comments, and evaluations. These heroes are raised, each according to their own capacity, to a comprehensive observation of things with their reason, mind, senses, consciousness, hearts, and secrets, and this causes them to observe through the telescope of their outer and inner senses indescribable scenes, multifarious but one within the other, and bearing the stamp of the same One Maker.

Every traveler who advances along the way of sincere friendship views existence from the horizon of the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, and travels around the axis of his sainthood, which is embedded in Abraham's Prophethood. In proportion to their ability to develop the spirit of sincere friendship, they are aware of existence as a whole, which they perceived as fragmentary or compartmentalized before. They are able to observe the drops as an ocean in one piece, and as if looking on everything from a point above, they feel that all things are interconnected with one another, all voice the same meaning, point to the same truth, and say, "God is the One, Unique," in the language of order, good composition, and harmony, and all are enraptured with the universal testimony.

The view and perception of such travelers display manifestations of Divine Attributes of Glory, and they see all existence with the view of the All-Merciful. They are sincerely compatible with the whole of creation. They know every thing to be a part of themselves, they embrace all affectionately, sensing all things as a sibling, and referring the intentions, thoughts, convictions, and comments of others to the judgment of the All-Knowing of all the unseen. They call everyone to their embrace and to the truth, like Mawlana Jalalu'd-Din ar-Rumi, and they tolerate every improper behavior toward themselves. For they are God's faithful vicegerents traveling in the horizon of sincere friendship vast in proportion to the comprehensiveness of mercy, and they are mirrors of God's Attributes of Glory held up against all existence. They reflect the Divine Names in their acts and manners, and they observe all things through the different windows of their faculties. Like two eyes seeing the same thing, such travelers see all things as if a single entity but with different depths.

Sainthood marked with sincere friendship of God is the best of sainthood. It is true that there is no limit to nearness to God because of His being infinite, but every individual human being has a limit of perfectibility according to his or her capacity, which marks the boundary of every traveler who is endowed with knowledge of God. For this reason, even when a traveler reaches the seventh heaven through the sainthood of God's sincere friendship, this forms a limit for them. If there is a single exception to this, it is the position of the one, namely the Prophet Muhammad, who is distinguished by having all human virtues to the highest degree and al-Maqam al-Mahmud. The All-Bounteous Lord of the worlds honored the Prophet Muhammad with extra favors, and he reached a point where space ends in infinity, the body is identical with the soul, and all secrets are manifest. It is a point that is impossible for even the angels or other spirits ever to reach.

God Almighty distinguished each Prophet with a particular virtue in which he excelled above the others. For example, the Prophet Adam, upon him be peace, was distinguished with the utmost purity and called the Pure One; the Prophet Noah, upon him be peace, was God's Confidant; the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, excelled others in sincere friendship; the Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, was one to whom God spoke in a particular way from behind a veil, and called the Addressee of God; and the Prophet Jesus, upon him be peace, was a Spirit breathed by God. The most distinguishing mark or virtue particular to our Master, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is love—and the title, the Beloved of God, is particular to him.

During his Ascension, God's last and greatest Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, found each Prophet in relationship with God Almighty at the level of the heaven which symbolized his particular position among the Prophets. For example, he visited the Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, at the sixth level of heaven, and the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, at the seventh. He advanced further and further until he reached the highest tower of the pure spirit beings amidst the welcoming voices of angels. He arrived at the point described as, "two bow-length's nearness, or even nearer," and he was honored with a special Revelation revealed with no words or speech. Through the lenses of his fully developed faculties, he observed all that is invisible, heard all that is inaudible, and knew all that is unknowable, to others. Going beyond the Garden or Paradise of Refuge and Dwelling, he reached the Sidrat al-Muntaha, marking the highest point of rise for a created being.

Our Master, upon him be peace and blessings, left the way he followed open to those who would succeed him and follow that way in the shade of his sainthood. He was perfectly generous so that anyone who would follow him could benefit from the favors to come from God along his way.

It is by virtue of the Prophet Muhammad's mission that all saints can feel sincere friendship with God according to the capacity and rank of each; believers feel brother/sisterhood and loyal friendship with each other; and thanks be to God, those serving the Qur'an follow the way and style of the Prophet Abraham, which was developed by our master, upon him be peace and blessings. Such brother/sisterhood that arises from sincere friendship is indispensable to the service of the Qur'an and to being a good Muslim, and he regards it as a character of belonging to the Milla(way and nation) of Abraham, which is characterized by purity of intention and absolute devotion to God's Oneness. 

Our way is the closest friendship. Friendship requires being the closest, most self-sacrificing friend, the most appreciative companion, and the most magnanimous brother or sister. The very basis of this form of friendship is heartfelt sincerity. One who destroys this sincerity falls from the pinnacle of friendship. They may possibly fall to the bottom of a very deep pit. They cannot find anything in between to cling on to.

O my God! Equip my soul with righteousness and piety and purify it. You are the Best in purifying it, and You are its Guardian and Master.

It was narrated from Anas that he and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his mother, and his maternal aunt (were together). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed, and he told Anas to stand on his right and his mother and maternal aunt behind them.

The Master of the Universe, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), understood that he had been privileged with a divine mission at Hira and that he had been appointed to prophethood. However, this heavy and massive duty had many responsibilities that had to be fulfilled. He knew that this was a matter that would not be easy to fulfill in the society that he lived in.

From that moment on, our Master (PBUH) went one-on-one with the world and was going to convey the message that he received from Allah to the general public. Of course, this could not be seen as a simple task.

Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) estimated from where and how he would begin his holy and honorable duty to humanity very well.

He first explained the situation to his wife, Hazrat Khadija, who was closest to him. Hazrat Khadija unhesitatingly believed in him and attained the honor of becoming the first Muslim.

Afterwards, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught her the manner of ablution that he had learned from Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel) and led her in two rakah prayer which he had also learned from Hazrat Jibril.

Each of the prophets whose names are mentioned in the Qur’an had been busy with one or more than one worldly occupations and they made their worldly living out of these occupations. So, they could teach people good and useful professions and they did not have to be in need of other people. That is why they could support the belief in oneness of Allah without fear of anybody.

The Prophets Whose Names Are Mentioned in the Qur’an:

According to a narration, 124 thousand and according to another narration, 224 thousand prophets were sent. Only 28 of them are mentioned in the Qur’an. Here is the list of the prophets whose names are mentioned in the Qur’an.

THE PROFESSIONS OF SOME PROPHETS:

ADAM (pbuh) : He was the first agriculture engineer and farmer.

SETH (pbuh): Carder, Silk-monger, Weaver = He was the first to establish the textile industry.

IDRIS (pbuh): Since he was the first to invent the needle, the first to open a hole on it and to thread, he is considered to be the establisher of the tailoring and confectioning.

NOAH (pbuh) : He was the father of the carpenters, shipmen and mariners.

HUD (pbuh): He was a trader. He is deemed as the father of all the traders.

SALEH (pbuh): He used to raise herds of camels. He used to both drink their milk and to sell it to make his living. The camel of Saleh is famous.

IBRAHIM (pbuh): He guided Sulayman (pbuh) and Sinan, the Architect, owing to his construction of the Kaaba.

LOT (pbuh): He was a historian. He is the father of all the travellers.

ISHMA’IL (pbuh): He used to make his living out of hunting on the land and in the sea. He is regarded as the father of the hunters. He could speak 70 languages. He is also the father of the translators.

IS’HAQ (pbuh): He was a shepherd.

YAQUB (pbuh): He was also a shepherd.

YUSUF (pbuh): He is a prophet who first invented the clock and first to establish an office for agricultural products, and who stocked in abundance and distributed to public in scarcity.

AYYUB (pbuh): He was an agriculturalist.

SHU’AYB (pbuh): He was also an agriculturalist.

MOSES (pbuh): He used to be a shepherd and to serve for Shu’ayb (pbuh). Serving for a revered person is also one of the professions of the prophets.

HARUN (pbuh): He used to be a vizier.

DAWUD (pbuh): He used to be a commandant who forged the iron and made armors and who established a regular army and defeated Jalut’s (Goliath’s) army.

SULAYMAN (pbuh): He used to be a king, a ruler. He used to make baskets from rushes. He is the first to forge copper mine.

DHUL-KIFL (pbuh): He used to bake bread. He is the father of the bakers.

ILYAS (pbuh): He is the father of the weavers and thread-choosers.

YUNUS (pbuh): He used to fish to make a living. He is the father of the fishermen.

UZAYR (pbuh): He used to be a gardener.

He is the first to teach people how to graft fruit tress and to raise saplings, and how to prune trees. He is the father of those who are occupied with gardening.

LUQMAN (pbuh): He is the father of doctors and pharmacists.

ZACHARIA (pbuh): He used to be a carpenter. (Musnad, 2:405)

ISA (pbuh): He was a hunter. He used to make his living on hunting. He is the father of the hunters.

Narrated 'Abdullah:

"I took a walk with the Prophet (ﷺ) on a farm in Al-Madinah, and when he reclined upon a palm-leaf stalk, a group of Jews were passing by. Some of them said, 'We should question him.' Others said: 'Do not question him for he might tell you something that you do not like.' They said to him: 'O Abul-Qasim, narrated to us about the Ruh.' The Prophet (ﷺ) stood for some time, he raised his head toward the heavens, and I recognized revelation was coming to him, until the revelation ceased. Then he (ﷺ) said: "The Ruh is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you have been given only a little (17:85).'"

JAMI’at-TIRMIDHI: The Book on Tafsir

English reference : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3141