Refutation of Doubt “We are like Abu Bakr; we’re not doing it out of Pride”

Refutation of Doubt “We are like Abu Bakr; we’re not doing it out of Pride”

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba’d

Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “There are three people that Allaah will not speak to on the Day of Judgement, will not look at them, will not purify them; and for them is a painful punishment: one who lets his garment hang below his ankles, the Mannan, and the Munaffiq who does his business with false oaths.” (Muslim no. 106)

Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever drags his garment out of arrogance, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement.” (Al-Bukhaaree no. 5784 and Muslim no. 2085)

Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said: “Whatever is below the ankles is in the fire.” (Al-Bukhaaree no. 5787)[1]

Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said: “The Izar of the believer is at the middle of his shin, and there is no harm – or he said – no sin upon someone if it is anywhere between that and the ankles. What is lower than that is in the Fire. And whoever drags his Izar arrogantly, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement.”[2] (Abu Dawud no. 4093, Ibn Majah no. 3573, An-Nasa’i 5/490, no 9716 and Al-Mawatta’ 2/914, 915)

Refutation of Doubt “We are like Abu Bakr; we’re not doing it out of Pride”

During the course of his series of classes of Readings from – Complete Characteristics of Muhammad (sallalallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), student Abul-Hasan Maalik (hafidhahullaah) relayed the proofs from the pure Sunnah concerning the Isbal as relates to the Izaar, Thobe, Kamees (shirt), and even the ‘Imaamah (turban).

Concerning those who violate these boundaries with the excuse “We are like Abu Bakr; we’re not doing it out of Pride,” Abul-Hasan relayed the following from the scholars:

“The scholars have mentioned a few different reasons why it is not correct for you to try to compare yourself with Abu Bakr As-Sideeq (radiallaahu ‘anhu).

– Firstly, we don’t have a testimony as Abu Bakr did from the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he wasn’t doing it out of pride. The Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: You are not one doing it out of Pride. None of you have a testimony from the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) (saying) you’re not doing it out of pride. (That’s) number one.

– Number two, the ‘ulemma mention that it happened to Abu Bakr because of his thinness, he was a thin man. Very small (waist), and it was hard for him to keep his izaar up, and it used to fall.

– The third issue the ‘ulemma mention is that he was striving to keep it up! He wasn’t just letting it all hang out and down like this. He was striving to keep it up.

– [Fourthly,] they (the scholars) also mention another narration that the Prophet mentioned that isbal itself is nakhyila – isbal itself is arrogance. The ‘ulemma mentioned that at the very least it leads to arrogance…”

Abul-Hasan relayed other benefits and explanations and rulings from ‘ulemma such as Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah, Imam Ibnul-Qayyim, and Imam An-Nawaawee (rahimahumullaah) concerning matters such as isbal for the sleeves of the kamees (they can’t be too long or wide)[3] and the isbal for the ‘Imaamah (the tail of the turban cannot be very long). And this is not a minor issue, rather it concerns the major matter of obeying Allaah and His Messenger, the matter of following the Sunnah[4] of the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), whom Allaah Ta’aala commanded us to follow and take as an example. The Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the best example to follow.[5]

Notes:

[1] Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said: “The Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not confine this to arrogance, and it is not correct to do so based on the Hadeeth before it, because Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (radiallaahu ‘anhu) said that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘The Izar of the believer is at the middle of his shin, and there is no harm – or he said – no sin upon someone if it is anywhere between that and the ankles. What is lower than that is in the Fire. And whoever drags his Izar arrogantly, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Judgement.’
Because the two actions are different, the punishment for each is different. Whenever the ruling and the reason for that differ, it is not possible to restrict a general ruling. This is because that would lead to a contradiction.”

[2] The hadeeth is authenticated by Imam Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah).
[3] Imam Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) said: “As for the sleeves, the Sunnah is that they should not extend beyond the wrist, and with Allaah is the facilitation to do what is right.”
[4] The word Sunnah refers to the Prophet’s statements, actions, and his tacit approvals – some of which are obligatory (such as Ash-Shahadatayn, having the correct ‘aqeedah, the 5 obligatory prayers, Zakat, Hajj, fasting Ramadan, obedience to parents, growing the beard, returning the salaam, keeping your thobe or izaar above the ankles) and some of which are recommended (such as the optional prayers, optional fasting, using the miswak, beginning the salaam). The word Sunnah has also been used to refer to the ‘aqeedah and manhaj, and the word Sunnah has also been used to refer to the entire Religion.
[5] Among the many ayat Allaah revealed in this regard are the statements of Allaah, Ta’aala:
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَة لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرا

Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad), you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much. (Al-Ahzab, ayah 21)

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيم

Say (Oh Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allaah then follow me (i.e. accept Tawheed, follow the Qur`an and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Aali ‘Imran, ayah 31)

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ

Say (Oh Muhammad): “Obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad).” But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers. (Aali ‘Imran, ayah 32)

Cuffing the Pants in Prayer, by Shaykh Zaid al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah)

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu ‘ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba’d

Cuffing the pants in prayer by Shaykh Zaid

Here is an excerpt:

Question: What is the ruling on rising or cuffing the pants in prayer if they are beneath the ankles?

Shaykh Zaid al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah) answered:

“Obligatory. If the pants or the garment, or the trousers, or the izar, hangs beneath the ankles, the man falls into a sin from the major sins and this is not specific to the prayer, rather it is general for all times. As it appears in the hadith: Allaah will not look at the one (man) who drags his garment out of arrogance.[Muslim (2085)]

If a person comes with an attempt to remain neutral, saying ‘I don’t drag my garment due to arrogance; rather it is normal or routine.’ Then bring him the proof with another narration, the statement of the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): Whatever is beneath the ankles is in the fire. [Musnadof Imam Ahmad (9064)]

So he (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not say, ‘due to arrogance,’ nor did he restrict this to a condition or a description. Therefore there are two punishments for the one who drags his garment, one of them being more severe than the other – and they are both severe…”