Dars 3 - Dars-e-Hadith by Mufti Zahid Hussain

This lecture provides an explanation of the Hadith-e-Jibril, a foundational narration in which the Angel Jibril appears to the Prophet Muhammad in human form to instruct the companions on the core components of the religion. The work details the three levels of faith—Islam, Iman, and Ihsan—and emphasizes the necessity of including the Prophet Muhammad and the Kaaba in one’s focus during worship and dhikr. It further addresses the signs of the Day of Judgment, the nature of the Prophet’s knowledge regarding the unseen, and the significance of niyyah (intention) in various acts of worship.

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Key topics & takeaways

The Hadith of Jibril

• Appearance of Jibril — the angel appeared in the form of a man with no signs of travel, yet was unrecognized by the companions, demonstrating that beings made of noor (light) can manifest as bashar (human) (▸0:02, ▸19:34)
• Purpose of the visit — Jibril came to teach the companions how to sit before a teacher, how to ask questions, and to provide a model for religious inquiry after the community had ceased asking questions to avoid making matters more difficult for themselves (▸18:11, ▸19:34)
• Definition of Ihsan — the Prophet defined this as worshipping Allah as if one is seeing Him, and if that is not possible, to remain aware that He is seeing the worshipper ▸1:32
• Inclusion in Ikhlas — sincerity (ikhlas) does not require separating the dhikr of the Prophet from the dhikr of Allah; rather, true sincerity includes those beloved to Allah, such as the Prophet and the Kaaba (▸3:01, ▸4:25)
• The Prophet’s knowledge of the Hour — the Prophet’s statement that the one asked knows no more than the questioner does not imply ignorance, but rather a refusal to disclose the specific timing of the Day of Judgment to those present (▸5:47, ▸7:16)
• Signs of the Day of Judgment — the Prophet identified two primary signs: a slave woman giving birth to her mistress, and barefoot, needy shepherds competing in the construction of the tallest buildings (▸10:21, ▸16:38)
• Interpretation of the signs — the first sign may refer literally to the umme walad (a slave who bears her master's child) or metaphorically to daughters treating their mothers as servants (▸10:21, ▸11:51)

Intention and Worship

• Definition of Niyyah — every action is judged by its intention, and an individual receives the reward corresponding to what they intended ▸23:55
• Requirement for Salah — intention is fard (obligatory) for prayer; a prayer performed without the heart’s awareness of the specific act of worship being performed is invalid ▸25:23
• Requirement for Wudu — intention is not a necessary condition for the validity of ablution ▸25:23
• Nature of Niyyah — it is an act of the heart, requiring only that the individual knows which prayer they are performing and that they are worshipping Allah while facing the Kaaba ▸25:23

Theological Positions

• The status of the Kaaba — it is not ghairullah (other than Allah) in a way that makes thinking of it during prayer shirk, as it is a creation beloved to Allah and exists in relation to Him (▸1:32, ▸3:01)
• The Quranic structure — the use of the word Qul (Say) at the beginning of Suratul Ikhlas demonstrates that the Prophet is included in the declaration of Allah’s oneness (▸3:01, ▸4:25)
• The status of the Prophet — he is both bashar and noor simultaneously, a state exemplified by the ability of Jibril to appear in human form while being made of light ▸19:34
• The coming of Imam Mahdi — based on estimations by scholars like Sheikh Ibn Arabi and Ala Hazrat, the arrival of Imam Mahdi is expected after a period where no Muslim governing body remains in the world ▸8:42
• The nature of the text — the work Mishkat al-Masabih was compiled by Imam Khatib al-Tabrizi at the request of his teacher, Imam Tibi, to expand upon and provide references for the earlier work Al-Masabih ▸20:58