Explanation of Hadiths from al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib by al-Mundhiri, from the Book of Repentance and Asceticism: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said
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The Shaykh : Our hadith tonight is from Khubayb ibn al-Art, a noble Companion. He said: "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the Face of Allah, so our reward fell to the care of Allah. Among us was one who died without having consumed any of his reward. Among them was Mus'ab ibn 'Umar, who was killed on the Day of Uhud. We found nothing to shroud him in except a cloak. If we covered his head with it, his feet were exposed, and if we covered his feet, his head was exposed. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to cover his head and place some ishkhar on his feet. And among us was one whose fruit had ripened, and he is now harvesting it." It was narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud, with some abbreviation.
The author explains some of the unusual terms in this hadith. He says: "Al-Birdah" is a striped garment made of wool, known as a numrah. "Ayna't" (ripened) is spelled with a yaa with a small loop below it after the alif, meaning it reached maturity and ripened. "Yahdibha" (harvests it) is spelled with a dhal with a dammah and a kasrah, meaning both pronunciations are correct: yahdubha and yahdibha, meaning he cuts it and gathers it. Khubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the Face of Allah." This means that they were striving in the path of Allah with sincere devotion to Him. This is the standard of the Companions as a general rule. This does not negate that there might have been among them someone who strived for other than the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the nature of humanity; it is impossible for all of them to be on one heart in sincerity and obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But there is no doubt that the majority of the Companions were described in this way, as Khubayb ibn al-Art (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They did not seek anything but the Face of Allah." So what is said in some historical books of the present day by those who have no worth or religion, accusing them that the motive for the early Islamic conquests was love of the world and the accumulation of wealth, is a baseless claim with no evidence for it. In reality, the matter was the exact opposite, and there is much evidence for this in authentic Islamic history. This hadith, which is before us now, is one of those pieces of evidence. It explicitly states: "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the Face of Allah, so our reward fell to the care of Allah." Here is a brief pause: How did Khubayb ibn al-Art know that when they strived in the path of Allah seeking His Face, their reward fell to the care of Allah? How did he know that? This is a necessary matter in Islam, based on the promise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to His believing servants in dozens of texts in the Book, and even more in the Sunnah, that whoever does such and such will have such and such. The promise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not delay.[Ali 'Imran 3:9] So when the believer knows this reality, he is certain that if he knows that he performed a pure deed for the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), then Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) must reward him for it. And what you heard in the previous lesson from some of the answers of Professor 'Ali Khushn, that they were afraid that their deeds would not be accepted, indicates what you heard explained in that session: that the Companions feared Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and lived between fear and hope. This was not because they doubted that if they performed a righteous deed and were sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in it, that Allah would not accept it from them. No, how is that? How can one doubt that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) would accept the work of one who first performed it in accordance with the Sunnah and was sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in it? How can one imagine doubting that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) would accept his work, when Allah says in the clear text of the Noble Qur'an: [Al-Ma'idah 5:27] So their doubt was not regarding the acceptance by Allah of their righteous, sincere work for Him. Rather, their doubt was about themselves, fearing that perhaps their work was not righteous, meaning it did not conform to the Book and the Sunnah. This is the first condition, as you all know, for the acceptance by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) of worship: that it be in accordance with the Sunnah. The second condition is that its doer be sincere to Allah in it. So how can a person be always and forever certain in every deed he performs that his work was in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah on one hand, and that he was sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in it on the other hand? From this, they feared that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) would not accept it from them. From what we mentioned, such as the previous verse and others we referred to, Khubayb ibn al-Art was certain that their reward fell to the care of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), meaning that Allah accepted it from them and that He would reward them for it. Then he elaborates and says: Regarding these mujahideen who emigrated in the path of Allah, "Among us was one who died without having consumed any of his reward. Among them was Mus'ab ibn 'Umar." Here too is an important point and benefit. He says: "Among us was one who died without having consumed any of his reward." Does the mujahid in the path of Allah consume any of his reward? This is a point that I think is hidden from the masses of students of knowledge, and even from many of the specialized scholars. Only those who have looked into the Sunnah know this. "Consumed of his reward" is explained and detailed in an authentic hadith that the mujahid in the path of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), if he returns and has gained some spoils, has consumed one-third of his reward, and Allah has saved the other two-thirds for him in the Hereafter. But if the mujahid in the path of Allah did not obtain any material spoils, he returns with his reward complete and abundant with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) on the Day of Resurrection.
This hadith, without doubt, shows that Khubayb ibn al-Art was a jurist, and as they say today, a graduate of the school of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). In this school, he (peace be upon him) said what you heard of that explanation. He points with a very subtle gesture to this hadith when he says: "Among us was one who consumed his reward, and among us was one who did not consume any of his reward." He gave Mus'ab ibn 'Umar as an example for this, describing the state of Mus'ab's severe poverty when he was killed as a martyr on the Day of Uhud.
The author explains some of the unusual terms in this hadith. He says: "Al-Birdah" is a striped garment made of wool, known as a numrah. "Ayna't" (ripened) is spelled with a yaa with a small loop below it after the alif, meaning it reached maturity and ripened. "Yahdibha" (harvests it) is spelled with a dhal with a dammah and a kasrah, meaning both pronunciations are correct: yahdubha and yahdibha, meaning he cuts it and gathers it. Khubayb (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the Face of Allah." This means that they were striving in the path of Allah with sincere devotion to Him. This is the standard of the Companions as a general rule. This does not negate that there might have been among them someone who strived for other than the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the nature of humanity; it is impossible for all of them to be on one heart in sincerity and obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But there is no doubt that the majority of the Companions were described in this way, as Khubayb ibn al-Art (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They did not seek anything but the Face of Allah." So what is said in some historical books of the present day by those who have no worth or religion, accusing them that the motive for the early Islamic conquests was love of the world and the accumulation of wealth, is a baseless claim with no evidence for it. In reality, the matter was the exact opposite, and there is much evidence for this in authentic Islamic history. This hadith, which is before us now, is one of those pieces of evidence. It explicitly states: "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the Face of Allah, so our reward fell to the care of Allah." Here is a brief pause: How did Khubayb ibn al-Art know that when they strived in the path of Allah seeking His Face, their reward fell to the care of Allah? How did he know that? This is a necessary matter in Islam, based on the promise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to His believing servants in dozens of texts in the Book, and even more in the Sunnah, that whoever does such and such will have such and such. The promise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not delay.
Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise."
إن الله لا يخلف الميعادIndeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].
إنما يتقبل الله من المتقينThis hadith, without doubt, shows that Khubayb ibn al-Art was a jurist, and as they say today, a graduate of the school of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). In this school, he (peace be upon him) said what you heard of that explanation. He points with a very subtle gesture to this hadith when he says: "Among us was one who consumed his reward, and among us was one who did not consume any of his reward." He gave Mus'ab ibn 'Umar as an example for this, describing the state of Mus'ab's severe poverty when he was killed as a martyr on the Day of Uhud.