Hadith

There is a very clear Hadith that defines responsibilities. First of all it states what the Qur’an has already stated that the Prophet (Pbuh) had a claim on all believers, stronger than their own claims on themselves, which means that no one could do anything if the Prophet did not agree to it. While the Prophet did not intervene in people’s lives, still he could require any believer to do whatever he wanted, and that believer could not refuse on any account.


Just like the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) companions wanted him to bless their children when they were born, they wanted him to bless their farm produce when it was ready for picking. A blessed harvest means much for the people. They would have worked for a long time, hoping that they would have plenty for their own use and for selling. What could ensure this better than that the Prophet should pray for their harvest to be blessed by God?


Abu Hurayrah reports: “When people saw the first ripe fruit, they would bring it to the Prophet. When he took it, he would pray: ‘My Lord! Grant us Your blessings in our fruits, and Your blessings for our city. Grant us Your blessings in our measures. My Lord! Abraham was Your servant, friend and prophet, and I am Your servant and prophet. He prayed for You for Makkah, and I pray for You for Madinah in the same way as he prayed for You and twice as much.’ He would then call the youngest child he saw and he would give that child the fruit.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Malik, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).


It is no wonder that the people of Madinah should bring their early fruit to the Prophet so that he would say a prayer for them to have a blessed harvest. Right from his early years, his uncle Abu Talib who looked after him noticed that when Muhammad was present at dinner, each one in the family had his fill and the food was plentiful. If Muhammad was absent, there never seemed to be enough food to go round. Hence, Abu Talib would delay the family dinner until Muhammad had arrived and joined the family. This was true when Muhammad was still a child. Now that he was a Prophet and God’s Messenger, his people knew that blessing accompanied him wherever he turned.
We note also that the Prophet would not eat that fruit. He would give it to the youngest child present. This was another gesture of kindness, as the child would feel happy and that feeling would spread to all present. We also note the prayer he said for Madinah. Every one who visits Madinah realizes that it is a blessed city. Its whole atmosphere is gentle and comforting. This is due to the Prophet’s prayer and to the fact that it was the city to which he emigrated, and which was his base for delivering God’s message to mankind.


But the Prophet’s action also denotes his care for his community. He knows what their hopes and thoughts were and he takes good care of them. It is not just the prayer he says, or the blessing he gives to a child or property. It is the fact that he shares their feelings, hopes and aspirations. He was not merely one of them; rather, he was their guardian in as much as he was their leader, and the man who brought them divine guidance. He defines his relationship with them in the following Hadith:


“There is not a believer but I have a stronger claim on him in this life and in the life to come. Read, if you will, the Qur’anic verse that says: ‘The Prophet has a higher claim on the believers than they have on their own selves.’ (33: 6) Therefore, if a believer dies and leaves behind some property, his close relatives inherit him, whoever they may be. If one leaves an unsettled debt or dependents, let them come to me and I will act for him.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood).


This is a very clear Hadith that defines responsibilities. First of all it states what the Qur’an has already stated that the Prophet had a claim on all believers, stronger than their own claims on themselves, which means that no one could do anything if the Prophet did not agree to it. While the Prophet did not intervene in people’s lives, still he could require any believer to do whatever he wanted, and that believer could not refuse on any account. He may tell the Prophet of his circumstances, or suggest something different, but if the Prophet nevertheless issues an order to anyone, that person would have to obey.


The Prophet’s companions understood this well and applied it in their lives. At the time when the Prophet and his companions wanted to visit Makkah for Umrah and the Quraysh prevented them, there were some negotiations. The Prophet wanted to send someone to Makkah to negotiate with the Quraysh, and he called in Umar and asked him to undertake the task. Umar did not refuse but advised the Prophet that Uthman was in a better position to accomplish that mission. The Prophet asked Uthman to go and he complied, even though the mission was very risky.


Similarly, at the end of the confrontation with the tribes besieging Madinah, the Prophet wanted a volunteer to go and gather intelligence on the attackers’ intentions. No one volunteered. The Prophet then chose Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman. As he reported the event, Hudhayfah said: “I could not refuse when he called me.” The mission was very dangerous, as it involved going deep into the enemy lines. Still he complied with the Prophet’s instructions, even though such compliance could have ended in his death. In the same way, when the Prophet told his cousin, Zaynab, to marry Zayd ibn Harithah who was formerly a slave but then adopted by the Prophet as a son in pre-Islamic days, she felt that such a marriage was beneath her on account of the relative social standing of the two partners. The Prophet, however, told her that he chose him for her. She had no option but to comply and she married him.


In this Hadith, the Prophet defines the relationship in more detail. This higher claim the Prophet had on all Muslims was for the service of the Islamic cause. It continues today and for the rest of time. When Islam requires something, personal interest is made subservient to it. But the Prophet also looks after the Muslim community, even after a person dies. So, he settles their outstanding debts, and looks after their dependents. This remains the duty of the Muslim state. While the state is not obliged to settle unpaid debts after a person’s death, it is required to look after young orphans who have no one to look after them. But a person who leaves property, that property goes to his heirs in accordance with the Islamic law of inheritance.