Chapter: "Chapter on Appointing the Elders as Leaders." The report of Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim (that his father, upon his death, left a will for his sons, saying: "Fear Allah and appoint your eldest as your leader.")
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The Shaykh : The following chapter:
"The Chapter on Giving Precedence to the Elders"
He narrates under it with a hasan chain:
From Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim:Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 361.
This is a will from one of the Companions to his children, containing numerous instructions that children typically need to hold onto, keep in mind, and act upon.
First, he said to them: "Fear Allah":
This is a comprehensive and sufficient will, because the meaning of fearing Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is: "that the servant fears his Lord, obeys Him in everything He has commanded, and refrains from everything He has forbidden". This is the fear of Allah. This is one of the wills of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to his Companions on many occasions, including when he left a will for Mu'adh, saying to him:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1987Hasan (Darussalam) This is a well-known will from the wills of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The noble Companions followed the guidance of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah after him, including Qays ibn 'Asim, who left a will for his sons, saying: "Fear Allah".
He followed this will with his statement: "and appoint your eldest as your leader":
What does "appoint your eldest as your leader" mean?
Due to our distance from the Arabic language and its literature, we might understand "sawwidu" (appoint) to mean "shahharu" (publicize), i.e., to make black, but here "taswid" (appointing) is from "siyadah" (leadership) and "su'udd" (nobility). "Appoint your eldest as your leader" means: make him your chief. Do not make the young, insignificant, and despised person your leader, just because he has a quick tongue or a bit of misplaced courage that you fear and respect, so you make him your leader. No, appoint your eldest in age, wisdom, knowledge, and conduct. "Appoint your eldest as your leader": Why?
"For if a people appoint their eldest as their leader, they will be like their father": If the children conduct themselves with this conduct and order their eldest to be their leader, they will be like their father, meaning: they will live as if their father were among them, because they have appointed their eldest as their leader. This eldest is supposed to be the greatest in knowledge, intellect, and experience, so he will lead his brothers in the manner of their father. Thus, this brother who was appointed over them is like their father, meaning: they will not feel the loss of their father as long as their eldest brother has taken his place after him. Therefore, it is common among people that the eldest brother is in the position of a father. This contains wisdom, without doubt, but it is not absolute. How many an elder in age is young in status and knowledge, and vice versa. However, this conduct should be observed, which is appointing the eldest, as long as there is a way to do so, to maintain the order, unity, and life of the family after the death of its head, who is their father.
"For if a people appoint their eldest as their leader, they will be like their father, and if they appoint their youngest as their leader, that will be a cause of disgrace for them among their equals":
And if they reverse this will and make their youngest their leader, that will be a cause of disgrace for them among their equals, meaning: that will be a cause for the one who is equal to them to be subject to mockery and lowliness, who should have been their leader.
"The Chapter on Giving Precedence to the Elders"
He narrates under it with a hasan chain:
From Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim:
Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim reported that when his father was dying, he enjoined his sons: "Fear Allah and make the oldest among you your leaders. When people make the oldest among them their leaders, they follow their fathers. When they make the youngest among them their leaders, that lowers them in the sight of their peers. You must have wealth and use it well. It is an impetus for the generous and it will make you independent of critics. Beware of asking people. It is a man's last source of earning. When I die, do not wail. There was no wailing for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When I die, bury me in a land where the Bakr ibn Wa'il will not know where I am buried. I used to waylay on the roads in the time of the Jahiliyya."
أن أباه أوصى عند موته بنيه فقال : اتقوا الله وسودوا أكبركم ، فإن القوم إذا سوَّدوا أكبرهم خلفوا أباهم ، وإذا سودوا أصغرهم أزرى بهم ذلك في أكفائهم ، وعليكم بالمال واصطناعه ، فإنه منبهة للكريم ، ويُستغنى به عن اللئيم ، وإياكم ومسألة الناس فإنها من آخر كسب الرجل ، وإذا متُّ فلا تنوحوا فإنه لم ينح على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، وإذا ما متُّ فادفوني بأرض لا تشعر بدفني بكر بن وائل فإني كنت أُغافلهم في الجاهليةThis is a will from one of the Companions to his children, containing numerous instructions that children typically need to hold onto, keep in mind, and act upon.
First, he said to them: "Fear Allah":
This is a comprehensive and sufficient will, because the meaning of fearing Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is: "that the servant fears his Lord, obeys Him in everything He has commanded, and refrains from everything He has forbidden". This is the fear of Allah. This is one of the wills of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to his Companions on many occasions, including when he left a will for Mu'adh, saying to him:
Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are
اتق الله حيث ما كنتThe noble Companions followed the guidance of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Sunnah after him, including Qays ibn 'Asim, who left a will for his sons, saying: "Fear Allah".
He followed this will with his statement: "and appoint your eldest as your leader":
What does "appoint your eldest as your leader" mean?
Due to our distance from the Arabic language and its literature, we might understand "sawwidu" (appoint) to mean "shahharu" (publicize), i.e., to make black, but here "taswid" (appointing) is from "siyadah" (leadership) and "su'udd" (nobility). "Appoint your eldest as your leader" means: make him your chief. Do not make the young, insignificant, and despised person your leader, just because he has a quick tongue or a bit of misplaced courage that you fear and respect, so you make him your leader. No, appoint your eldest in age, wisdom, knowledge, and conduct. "Appoint your eldest as your leader": Why?
"For if a people appoint their eldest as their leader, they will be like their father": If the children conduct themselves with this conduct and order their eldest to be their leader, they will be like their father, meaning: they will live as if their father were among them, because they have appointed their eldest as their leader. This eldest is supposed to be the greatest in knowledge, intellect, and experience, so he will lead his brothers in the manner of their father. Thus, this brother who was appointed over them is like their father, meaning: they will not feel the loss of their father as long as their eldest brother has taken his place after him. Therefore, it is common among people that the eldest brother is in the position of a father. This contains wisdom, without doubt, but it is not absolute. How many an elder in age is young in status and knowledge, and vice versa. However, this conduct should be observed, which is appointing the eldest, as long as there is a way to do so, to maintain the order, unity, and life of the family after the death of its head, who is their father.
"For if a people appoint their eldest as their leader, they will be like their father, and if they appoint their youngest as their leader, that will be a cause of disgrace for them among their equals":
And if they reverse this will and make their youngest their leader, that will be a cause of disgrace for them among their equals, meaning: that will be a cause for the one who is equal to them to be subject to mockery and lowliness, who should have been their leader.