عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعاَلَي قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لأُعْطِيَنَّهُ وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لأُعِيذَنَّهُ .

Abu Hurairah (r) reported: Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: Allah, the Exalted, has said: “I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a Wali (pious worshipper or beloved slave) of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him. And My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer of doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he works and his leg with which he walks and if he asks (something) from Me, I give it to him, and If he asks for My protection (refuge), I protect him”

* * *

HOW ISLAMIC OBLIGATIONS (FURUDH) BENEFIT YOU?

This Hadith means that when a person adds voluntary prayers to the obligatory ones, he becomes a favoured slave of Allah, and as a result of it, he receives special help from Allah. Then he is protected by Allah to the extent that Allah (swt) supervises every organ of his body. Thus, he is saved from the disobedience of Allah. He bears what is liked by Allah, sees what is liked by Him, handles what pleases Him, when he attains that lofty position of love and obedience of Allah, then Allah in return also grants the prayers of His obedient and loyal slaves.

“Al-Wali” mentioned in the Hadith is one who earns the pleasure of Allah by performing the obligations imposed by Islam. “Al-Wali”, in other words, is one who is fond of voluntary prayers and devotes himself to divine injunctions in every step of his life.

Voluntary prayers are certainly a means of attaining the pleasure of Allah, but it must be preceded by the fulfilment of obligatory prayers. The former is of no value if the latter is neglected. The desire to attain nearness of Allah without strict observance of the obligatory prayers is fallacious and meaningless.

Islamic scholars made two commentaries upon the word of Allah (swt) in this Hadith “When I love him, I become his hears with which he hears…” Those are referred to as “protection” and “support”.

ACCORDING TO THE PROTECTION COMMENTARY

• “I become his ears with which he hears” means that Allah (swt) protects his ears from all kinds of evil words and sounds. As a result of this, he cannot hear anything which displeases him by the help of Allah, but can hear everything that is useful and beneficial for him, both, in his religious and worldly affairs.
• “I become his seeing with which he sees ” means that Allah (swt) protects his eyes from seeing all kinds of unlawful (Haram) views (panoramas, sights). In another words, Allah (swt) protects him from everything which makes him unhappy when he sees it.
• “I become his hand with which he works” means Allah (swt) protects his hand from doing any wrong. Thus, he cannot do any damage to anyone by his hand at all. So, everyone will be safe from his hand. As the Messenger of Allah says: “A true Muslim is one who assures others are safe from his hand and his tongue”. Furthermore, he will only produce good deeds and be part of noble actions in every aspect of his life.
• Lastly, “I become his leg with which he walks” means that, Allah (swt) protects his leg from walking to prohibited places such as night clubs, bars, beaches etc. or protects his legs from going to places, in which he may commit a sin, or perform a wrong. Instead of this, he goes to mosques, Islamic meetings, knowledge circles etc.

ACCORDING TO THE SUPPORT COMMENTARY

• “I become his hearing with which he hears” means that Allah (swt) supports and gives power to the ears of His beloved slave. As we know, human beings have a limit to their hearing. For example we cannot hear very low frequency sounds, like sounds of ants when they walk and speak. That is why we cannot hear many sounds in the universe unless they are within the perimeter of our hearing. Scientists state that Allah (swt) has given some animals a higher capacity of hearing than human beings. For instance, dogs and cats ears can hear things that human beings cannot.

Logic says: “If there is a limitation, there must be a restrictor. No doubt, Allah (swt) limited the ears of His creatures as He wishes. Here, Allah (swt) promises His beloved slave to expand the limitations of his hearing, to support his ears, to give them more power. As a result of this, a “Wali” (one who is a beloved slave of Allah) can hear what normal people cannot. He can hear what ants speak. He can hear the remembrance of Allah by creatures. Just as Sulaiman (as) heard the speaking of an ant. Regarding this point the Holy Quran says:

“And Sulaiman (Solomon) inherited (the knowledge of) Dawud (David). He said: “O Mankind! We have been taught the language of the birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace (from Allah). And there were gathered before Sulaiman his hosts of Jinn and men, and birds, and they were all set in battle order (marching forward). Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: “O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not”. So he (Sulaiman) smiled, amused at her speech and said “My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among your righteous slaves”

2- “I become his seeing with which he sees” means that Allah (swt) supports his eyes and gives them more power to the extent that they can see what common people cannot. Regarding this topic the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) says:

“I see what you do not see, and hear what you do not hear, heaven has squeaked and it has a right to do so. By Him, in whose Hand my soul is, there is not a space of four fingers in which there is not an angel who is prostrating his forehead before Allah, the Exalted, By Allah, if you know what I know, you would laugh little, weep much, and you would not enjoy women in beds, but would go out to the open space beseeching Allah”

• “I become his hand with which he works” means that Allah (swt) supports and gives power to his hands to the extent that he can do a lot of work in very little time, he can finish his work and his duty more quicker than the expected time. So, he can do with his hand what other people cannot, by the help of Allah (swt).
• “I become his leg with which he walks” means that Allah (swt) supports and gives power to his legs. As a result of this, he can go where common people cannot.

According to Islamic terminology, existence is divided into two groups: Shohuud and Ghaib.

• Shohuud means physical world, or seen world by the five senses which consists of the universe and cosmos.
• Ghaib means the metaphysic world or the unseen world by the five senses. Al-Ghaib literally means a thing not seen. But this word includes vast meanings: Belief in Allah, Angels, Holy Books, Allah’s Messengers, Day of Resurrection etc. It also includes what Allah and His Messenger informed about the knowledge of the matters of the past, present and future, e.g., news about the creation of the heavens and earth, botanical and zoological life, the news about the nations of the past, and about Paradise and Hell. Al-Alousi, one of the famous Mufessirun (Qur’an commentators), when he makes a commentary on the second verse in Surah al-Baqarah “This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun, who believe in the Ghaib and perform As-Salah, and spend out of what we have provided for them..” says: “When a Muslim performs Islamic obligations that are prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah, and abstains from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden, and then keeps on coming close to Allah by Nawafil (voluntary worships) until Allah loves him, when Allah loves a person, he becomes his hearing … his seeing… his hand… his leg… As a result of this, the metaphysic world (Ghaib) is transformed for him into the physical world…the unseen becomes the seen… the unknown changes to the known.. This beloved slave then observes secrets of the cosmos and feels extreme joy when he sees extraordinary signs and beauties of his Lord…”

Thus, this Hadith greatly affects our hearts… When we contemplate deeply about this Hadith, we are aware of the extreme glad tidings and great opportunities which Allah bestows upon us by the tongue of His Messenger, then we can reach such heights that will make us faint and prostrate with passion in the presence of Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty, the Omnipotent…

Al-Bukhari, Riqaaq 38.

An-Naml: 16-18

Tirmidhi, Zuhd 9. Ibn Majah, Zuhd 19. Also, ‘Umar (r), while he is giving Khutbah in Madinah, saw the position of Islamic army in Iraq with enemy and called out the commander of Islamic army saying: “O Sariyah! Look at mountain! Look at mountain!.