The Insignificance of this World

Taken from The Righteous Action
Shaykh Muhammad Nasirud-Din al-Albani - al-Hijra magazine (vol.4 no.2)Al-Ibaanah Magazine Issue No.1 - Dhul-Qa’dah 1415H / April 1995

The next hadîth is narrated by Jâbir ibn ’Abdullâh: The Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam passed by the market place coming from the direction of ‘Âliyah and people were around him. He passed by a dead kid goat (i.e. a baby goat) which had very short ears. He held it by its ears and said: “Who amongst you would like to have this for a dirham?” They (the Companions) said: We would not want it even for less than that! What can we do with it? He said: “Do you wish to have it (for any price)?” They said: By Allâh, even if it were alive it (we would not want it), as it has very short ears, let alone now when it is also dead! The Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “By Allâh, this world is more insignificant to Allâh than this (goat) is to you all.” [23]

Let us return to the hadîth. He passed by the market place “and the people were around him.” Here I would like to pause a little in order to remind people about some of the guidance of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam that most of the Shaykhs of today have neglected.
The Shaykhs of today walk with their students behind them. This was not the way of the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam. The ahâdîth describing this are many and the following is from them: “He used to walk side by side with Abû Bakr and side by side with Abû Hurayrah; and they all walked with each other.”

Moreover, it is authentically proven that the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam used to say to his Companions radiallâhu ’anhum, when he used to walk with them: “Walk infront of me and leave my back for the angels.” [24]

Here he highlights two matters from one saying. People do not see angels, they see only people. Therefore, if anyone saw the Messenger sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam walking, they would only see people walking in front of him. The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said in the authentic hadîth: “He who humbles himself for the sake of Allâh, Allâh will raise him.” [25] His humbleness raised him to a degree whereby the angels walked behind him. Therefore, is a noble person one behind whom people - good or bad - walk; or is he the one who is followed by those described by Allâh in the following verse: “They do not disobey what Allâh ordered them to do and do precisely what they are commanded.” The nobility of the Prophet manifested itself in a visible and an invisible side. The visible side is that the Companions used to walk in front of the Prophet and not behind him. The invisible side is that the angels walked behind him.

Of course, the first phenomenon is the one in which we are ordered not to act proudly with our companions and our brothers in faith, even those who may be less than us in knowledge, morals, worship and righteousness. This is enough for us, because Allâh says: “Do not sanctify yourself. He knows best the ones who are pious.” [26] It is sufficient for us at least, to walk with people side by side. Whosoever intentionally goes against this Sunnah, without doubt, does not truly love the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam. This is because one’s degree of love from him, is based upon following him. This is established in the Qur’ân by the statement of Allâh: “Say (O Muhammad): If you do love Allâh then follow me; Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins.” [27]

So, if this was the case with the Prophet who was infallible and protected from the whispering of the Shaytân and this was an indication of the level with his Companions, then what can we say about ourselves? We are not infallible and are not protected from the Shaytân. We must adhere to this Sunnah as if it were obligatory. It is better for us to walk with people around us than to walk looking with our eyes at the backs of their shoulders. The statement of the Prophet, at the end of the hadîth: “By Allâh, this world is more insignificant to Allâh than this (goat) is to you all,” is to be reflected upon by people of intellect!

The next authentic hadîth is similar to the previous hadîth. Ibn ’Abbâs said: The Prophet passed by a dead goat that had been thrown away by its owners. He said: “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, this world is more insignificant to Allâh than this is to its owner.”

Sahl ibn Sa’d said that the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “If this world was worth as much to Allâh as the wing of a mosquito, He would not have given a disbeliever even a sip of water.” [28]

Salmân said: Some people came to the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam and he asked them: “Do you have food?” They said: Yes. He asked: “Do you have drink?” They said: Yes. He said: “Verily their outcome is like the outcome of this world, one of you stands behind his house holding his nose from their bad smell.” This is the similitude of this world. What is the eventual outcome of food and drink? They change to stool and urine. Therefore, a person hates the smell for himself. This is the similitude of the outcome of this World.

The following hadîth has the same meaning. Ubayy ibn Ka’b said that the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed the food of the son of Âdam is like the example of the world. Even if he puts spices and season into it, see what becomes of it.” [29]

What is the eventual outcome of spices and seasoning in his food? Look at what it becomes! Likewise, this world becomes a similar thing except that which is for Allâh. The next hadîth explains this.

Abû Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “The world and all that it contains is cursed, except for the remembrance of Allâh and what supports it; or a Scholar and a student.” [30]

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23. Related by Muslim and Ahmad
24. Sahîh: Related by Abû Nu’aym in Hilyatul-Awliyâ (7/117) from Jâbir radiallâhu ’anhu. It was authenticated in as-Sahîhah (no.1557).
25. Related by Muslim (16/141), ad-Dârimî (l/396) and others - from Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.
26. Sûratun-Najm 53:32.
27. Sûrah Âl-Imrân 3:31.
28. Sahîh: Related by at-Tirmidhî (no.2436) and al-‘Uqaylî in ad-Du’afâ (no.250) and it was authenticated in as-Sahîhah (no.943).
29. Hasan: Related by Ibn Hibbân in his Sahîh (no.2489) and at-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (1/27/2) and authenticated in as-Sahîhah (no.382).
30. Hasan: Related by Ibn Mâjah (no.4112) and authenticated in Sahîhul-Jâmi’ (no.3414).