Weeping From the Fear of Allah

 

Allah sent to us the Qur'an and informs us that  "the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah." (Al-Zumar 39:23)

 

He mentioned in the Qur'an the promise and the warning, and made clear that His believing servants are fearful and shivering from the punishment of their Lord. Our Lord the Exalted elucidated to us that the believer, whenever his eemaan strengthens and his certainty increases, becomes more fearful of Allah.

 

Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'an: "It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves that fear Allah" (Fatir 35:28)

Allah, the Most High, says in the Qur'an: "And those who have been given knowledge know that it (the Qur'an) is the truth from your Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may submit to it with humility. And verily Allah is the guide of those who believe in the Straight Path" (Al-Hajj 22:54)

 

"Say: Believe in it (i.e. the Qur'an) or do not believe (in it). Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration, and they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled. And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their humility".  (Al-Israa' 17:107-9)

On the authority of Abu Dharr (radhiallahu`anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "I can see what you do not see, and I can hear what you do not hear. Indeed the sky groans (the large noise of angels in the sky make it heavy so that it groans) and it has a right to do so. There is not an area equal to that of four fingers, except that an angel is prostrating to Allah therein. By Allah! If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much, and you would not enjoy your wives in bed. But rather you would come out onto the hills, supplicating and praying fervently to Allah" (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, hasan)

 

 

 

Weeping of the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam

The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said to `Abdullah ibn Mas`ood, "Read to me the Qur'an." He said, "O Messenger of Allah! Should I recite to you and it was revealed to you?" He said, "Yes, for I like to hear it from others." "I recited Soorat an-Nisaaa' until I reached the ayah,

 

"How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people?" (An-Nisaa' 4:41)

He then said, "'Stop now.' I found that his eyes were overflowing with tears." (Bukhari, Muslim, Fath al-Bari 8:712 and others)

 

An explanation of the above noble verse has been mentioned in a hadeeth related by Abu Sa'eed (radhiallahu`anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "A prophet will come and with him will be two men, and (another) prophet will come and with him will be three men, and more and less than that. It will be said to him: "Did you convey (the message) to your nation?" he will reply: "Yes" then his nation will be called, and it will be said to them: "Was the message conveyed to you?" and they will reply: "No". So it will be said (to that prophet) "Who will testify for you?" He will reply, "Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and his nation". So the nation of Muhammad (saw) will be called and it will be said to them: "Were you informed of this?" and they will reply: "Yes". So it will be asked: "How did you come to know about that?" and they will reply: "Our Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam informed us that the messengers (before him) had conveyed the message, and we believe him". He (Abu Sa'eed) said: "So that is what Allah (the Most High) means when He says in the Qur'an: ".... and thus We have made you (Muslims, real believers) a just nation that you be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) be a witness over you ......."    (al Baqarah 2:143) - (Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and al Bukhari)

 On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkheer, radhiallahu`anhu, who said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, praying with us, and I heard the sound of his weeping coming out of his chest, which was like the sound of a boiling pot." (Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i,  at-Tirmidhi in ash-Shamaa'il, ibn Hajar in al-Fath, strong chain of narration  authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbah and al-Hakim)

 

Ibn al Qayyim said in Zaad al Ma'aad: "As for the weeping of the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam it was in the same degree as his laughter. He wouldn't sob loudly and raise his voice, just like his laughter wasn't loud. However his eyes would fill up with tears, until they flowed out, and you would hear the sound like that of a whistling kettle coming from his chest. He would weep out of mercy for the dead, out of fear and compassion for his ummah, out of deep fear of Allah, upon listening to the Qur'an. And it was a weeping of longing, love and exaltation, accompanied by fear and khashyah".

 

On the authority of Usaamah ibn Zayd (radhiallahu`anhu) who said: We were with the Prophet sallallahu`alayhi wa sallam when one of his daughters sent a message calling for him, informing him that her small child, or her son, was dying. So the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam told the messenger: “ Return to her and inform her whatever Allah takes and gives belongs to him and that everything as an appointed term, so let her be patient and anticipate Allah’s reward in the hereafter” Later the messenger returned to the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and said: ‘Verily she has sworn by Allah that you come to her’. So the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam got up and so did Sa’ad ibn Ubaadah and Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, and I too went with them. The small boy was lifted up to the Prophet (saw) and let out a groaning noise as if he was breathing his last breath. Thereby the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam's eyes over-flowed with tears. Upon this Sa’ad asked: ‘What is this, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied: “This is a mercy which Allah puts in the hearts of His servants. And verily Allah shows mercy to those of His servants who are merciful” (Bukhari/Muslim)

 

 

Weeping of Abu Bakr (radhiallahu`anhu)

 

`Aaisha (radhiallahu`anhu) said, "During his illness, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: 'Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' I told the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, that, 'Indeed, if Abu Bakr stands in your place the people will not be able to hear him due to his (excessive) weeping.'" (Al-Bukhari)

 

 

 

Weeping of the Companions (radhiallahu`anhu) 

 

(Their weeping and grief when reminded of al-Aakhirah - taken from al-Hilyat al-Awliya of Abu Nu'aym)

 

On the authority of al-Irbaad ibn Saariyah (radhiallahu`anhu) who said: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam gave us a profound admonition, which caused our hearts to tremble, and our eyes to shed tears. So we said: ‘ O Messenger of Allah (saw) it is as if you have given us a farewell sermon, so counsel us’ He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam replied: I “advise you to have taqwa of Allah, and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is put in authority over you. And whoever of you lives (long enough) he will see much differing. Then it is cumbent upon you to stick to my sunnah, and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs. And bite on to it with your molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters, for verily, every innovation is a misguidance.” (Abu Daud, at-Tirmidhi,ibn Majjaad and others)

 

On the authority of Ja'far ibn Burqaan who said "I came to know that Salman al-Faarisee (radhiallahu`anhu) used to say: "Three things make me laugh and three things make me cry. I laugh at the one who is hopeful of the world yet death seeks him; the one who is neglectful (of his Lord) while he is not neglected (by Him); the one who laughs at the top of his voice, while he does not know whether he is pleasing his Lord or displeasing Him. Three things make me cry: parting from our beloved Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and his Companions; the terror of the onset of the pangs of death and the standing in front of the Lord of the Worlds while not knowing whether I will be turned towards the Fire or Paradise".

 

It is reported on the authority of Salaan ibn Abi Muti' who said, "A container of water was brought to al-Hasan to break his fast with, but when he brought it close to his mouth he began to weep and said, "I remembered the wish of the inhabitants of the Fire in their saying:

 

"Pour on us some water..."  ..... and then I remembered the reply to them "Surely Allah has forbidden both (water and provision to the disbelievers)" (al-A'raf 7:50)

Zakariyyah al-'Abdee reported about Ibrahim an-Nakha'i that he wept during his illness and the people said to him "O Abu Imran! What makes you weep?" He replied,

"How can I not weep while I am waiting for a messenger from my lord, to inform me whether it is this or that (i.e. Paradise or Hellfire)".

Hisham ibn Hassan said "When it was said to Muhammad ibn Waasi' "In what state do you wake up, O Abu Abdullah?". He replied "What is one to think of a man who moves a stage closer to the Hereafter every day?"

 

 

Weeping in remembrance of Death

 

The comforts and pleasures in life are what prevent a tear to be shed, nor any sadness and grief to be felt in the heart. So increase in your remembrance of death, in an attempt to feel the terrors and horrors that will follow it, fearing an evil destination, so that you may succeed with weeping out of fear of Allah. Indeed this is easy for the one whom Allah wishes to make it easy for.

 

There is no doubt that death ends the delights and pleasures of this life, just as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam has told us: "Increase in your remembrance of the destroyer of all pleasures: i.e. death. For verily one who remembers it when enduring the hardships of life, it widens for him (i.e. he no longer feels overburdened with the hardships he is experiencing). Whenever one remembers it at times of opulence, it will cause him to feel restricted and burdened (i.e. he will not be too involved with this life and will start to reflect on the serious and heavy matters awaiting him)."    (an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi - hasan ghareeb, Ibn Majah)

 

 

Weeping of the inhabitants of Hell

 

Contemplation and reflection upon death makes one fear the terrors and horrors which follow, beginning with the terrors of the grave and the barzakh (transitional period in the grave prior to the Day of Judgement). Do not think that death is far off, since the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam has warned us from thinking in this way. He (saw) said "Paradise is closer to anyone of you than your shoe lace as is the Hellfire". (Al-Bukhari)

 

On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (radhiallahu`anhu) who related that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said "Weeping will be sent to the inhabitants of the Hellfire whereby they will be made to weep until their tears have been used up, then they will weep tears of blood until it (the blood) leaves trenches in their faces and if ships were placed therein, they would sail" (Ibn Majah).

 

On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (radhiallahu`anhu) that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "Indeed the inhabitants of the Hellfire will call upon Maalik (an angel) and he will not answer (their call) for forty years, and then he will say: "Verily you are dwellers here". Then they will call upon their Lord saying "O Our Lord, take us out from here, for if we return (to committing sins) then verily we are transgressors." Allah will not respond to their call for a span equivalent to the time span of this world, and then the Most High will say: "Away with them to the Hellfire, and do not speak." Then the people will give up all hope and there will only be (the sound) of moaning, sobbing, and braying. Their voices will be similar to the sounds of donkeys, the first of them braying and the last of them moaning". (al Mundhiri said in at-Targheed wat-Tarheeb reportd by at-Tabraani in mawquf form.)

 

 

Our Weeping

 

The righteous have cried, the worshippers have cried and the believers have cried. And in this time there are people by whom a complete year passes and they do not drop a single tear from the fear of Allah. O Allah we seek refuge with you from hard hearts. O Allah soften our hearts to Your remembrance!

 

"Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (Ar-Ra'd 13:28)

 

 

"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone)." (Al-Anfaal 8:2)

 

So why do we not cry today? We do not cry from the strength of the hardness of our hearts and our hearts' attachment to this world. So our hearts have hardened and our eyes have dried.

 

It has been related on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu`anhu) who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: "Seven will be granted the shade of Allah on a day when there will be no shade but His...and a man whose eyes fill up with tears when he remembers Allah in private" (Bukhari, Muslim and others)

And also on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu`anhu) that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "The fire will not touch a man who weeps out of the fear of Allah until the milk returns to the breasts. Also the dust produced in jihaad and the smoke of hell will never co-exist" (Reported at-Tirmidhi, hasan sahih, an-Nasa'i and al Haakim, sahih)

 

On the authority of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir (radhiallahu`anhu) who asked "I said, O Messenger of Allah! What is salvation?" He replied: "To have control over your tongue, to be content with your house and to weep over your errors". (Reported by Ibn al Mubaraak in az-Zuhd, Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, and others, sahih)

We are distant from our Lord. Had we been close our hearts would not have hardened. So he, who spends a whole week without his eye dropping a tear, let him sit and supplicate and humble himself. Maybe his heart would soften and his eye would drop a tear. And if his heart doesn’t drop a tear, then let him open the Book of Allah and read its ayat with contemplation, humility and submissiveness. So if his eye cries, his heart fears and his soul humbles he has succeeded; and if he continues in the state of the hardened heart, let him sit in a dark room and weep over his state, for his heart has died.

 

"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allah's Reminder and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were rebellious, disobedient (faasiqoon)." (Al-Hadeed 57:16)

 

So know that making yourself weep earns less of a reward than actually weeping. However it is the way towards weeping, that is because the one who makes himself weep, is among those who strive hard and fight their souls, and take account of themselves, and endeavour to attain the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, Who reminds us:

 

"And those who strive hard in Us (our cause) We will surely guide them to our paths " (Al-Ankabut 29:69)

So whoever strives to make his soul weep, then Allah will guide this person to sincere weeping and give him success in achieving it.

 

On the authority of Anas (radhiallahu`anhu) who related that he heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam say "O people weep, for you cannot weep then make yourself weep. Indeed the inhabitants of the hellfire will weep until their tears pour down their cheeks as if they were streams until the tears are used up and then blood will pour down, and the eyes will be covered with ulcers".

 

So reflect over the way the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam advised us to weep or make ourselves weep. He (saw) also explained the weeping of the inhabitants of hellfire, i.e. the tears will pour down their cheeks and faces as if streams until they tears are used up after which blood will pour forth and cause the eyes to be wounded with ulcers.

 

What else can you want after this, in order for you to weep? For I swear by Allah that it is a deep and serious admonition, this admonition is enough to cause you to make tawbah return to Allah and weep. For are you really safe from the scene (described above)?

 

On the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah who said "We were sitting with 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (radhiallahu`anhu) on a rock. He said "Weep if you cannot weep then make yourself weep. If only you knew, you would pray until your back broke and weep until you lost your voice". (at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb: "al Haakim reported it in marfoo form and said "it is sahih upon their conditions". Adh Dhahabee agress upon its authenticity and it is as he has said. It is reported by ibn al Mubarak in mawquf form in az-Zuhd)

 

Are you guaranteed salvation and Paradise? So weep and shed tears now for which you will be rewarded in your (life of this) world before you weep blood for which you will not be rewarded in the Hereafter.

 

If you do not weep or even try to weep, then know that your eemaan is weak and the world has overtaken you, and you are in great danger. So flee to Allah, grab hold of life before death, rush to sincere repentance, true inaabah (returning to Allah) and righteous actions.

 

*[Fath al-Bari 8:712]
*[Abu Dawood, An-Nasaa'i, and At-Tirmidhi in ash-Shama'il, authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim]
*[al-Bukhari]

 

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