Continuation of the explanation of the statement of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "."
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author, al-Hafiz al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), mentioned in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*, under the heading: "The Chapter on Humility and Lowering the Wing to the Believers", in the context of the verses related to this topic, he said:
And the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Hujurat 49:13]: Allah the Mighty and Majestic addresses all of mankind, making it clear that He created them from a male and a female, meaning from this species or from this individual. That is to say, either the intended meaning of the male and female is Adam and Hawwa, or the intended meaning is the species: that the children of Adam were all created from a male and a female. This is the predominant and most common case. Otherwise, Allah created Adam without a mother or a father; He created him from dust, from clay, from a molded clay like pottery, then He breathed into him of His spirit. He created for him a spirit and breathed it into him, so he became a human being in perfect form. Allah created Hawwa from a father without a mother, and Allah created 'Isa from a mother without a father, and Allah created the rest of humanity from a mother and a father. Also, just as man is of four types in terms of the material of his creation, he is of four types in terms of the gender of his creation. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: [Ash-Shuraa 42:49-50]: These are also four categories. [Ash-Shuraa 42:49]: meaning without males; that is, some people have only females and no males; no males are ever born to them, all their offspring are females. [Ash-Shuraa 42:49]: so all their offspring are males without females. [Ash-Shuraa 42:50]: He pairs them, meaning He classifies them, because a spouse means a type, as Allah the Exalted said: meaning: types. And He said: [As-Saffat 37:22] meaning: their types and forms. meaning He classifies them. : How many are these, 'Abd al-Rahman? Three categories. The fourth category is: [Ash-Shuraa 42:50]: no male or female is born to them, because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, owns the heavens and the earth and creates what He wills. There is no one who can turn back His command, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. He, Exalted is His mention, says: [Al-Hujurat 49:13]: The peoples (shu'ub) are the large groups, such as the Arabs and the non-Arabs and the like. The tribes (qaba'il) are what is below that, the plural of qabilah. So the people, the children of Adam, are peoples and tribes. Peoples are great, large nations, as you say: the Arabs in all their types, and the non-Arabs in all their types. Likewise, tribes are below that, as you say: Quraysh, Banu Tamim, and the like. These are the tribes. Yes. : This is the wisdom behind Allah making us peoples and tribes, so that we may know one another: this one is an Arab and this one is a non-Arab, this one is from Banu Tamim and this one is from Quraysh, this one is from Khuzaa'ah, and so on.
So Allah made these tribes so that we may know one another, not so that some of us may take pride over others and say: I am an Arab and you are a non-Arab, I am from my tribe and you are from another, I am a slave and you are a free man. This is not permissible. This is a claim of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and I seek refuge in Allah. He did not make these types except for the sake of mutual acquaintance only, not for the sake of boasting. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: إنّ الله أذهب عنكم عِبّيّة الجاهليّة وفخرها بالأنساب ، فلا فخر لأحد على أحد: لكن: إنّ أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم Indeed, Allah has removed from you the arrogance of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and its boasting by lineage. So no one has any right to boast over another. But: the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you: The most noble of us in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of us. So whoever is more God-fearing is more noble in the sight of Allah. But we must know that some tribes or some peoples are better than others. The people among whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent are the best of peoples, the people of the Arabs, because Allah said in His Book:[Al-An'am 6:124], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4689. This does not mean the complete abolition of the human race, no. But boasting is what is forbidden, whereas differentiation is something in which Allah prefers some races over others. The Arabs are better than others; the race of the Arabs is better than the race of the non-Arabs. But if the Arab is not God-fearing and the non-Arab is God-fearing, then the non-Arab is more noble in the sight of Allah than the Arab. Then the author cited the other verses: [An-Najm 53:32]: Do not purify them: meaning do not describe them as pure in order to boast. As for speaking of Allah's blessing upon the servant, such as when a person says: I was extravagant with myself, I was deviant, so Allah guided me and granted me success, and I adhered to the straight path, speaking of Allah's blessing rather than purifying oneself, then there is nothing wrong with that, and there is no blame in it: that a person mentions Allah's blessing upon him with guidance and success, just as there is no blame in mentioning Allah's blessing upon him with wealth after poverty: [An-Najm 53:32] He: meaning the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. [An-Najm 53:32], and how many two people are who perform a deed or claim a deed, and between them in God-fearing is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. For this reason he said: [An-Najm 53:32], you find two people praying, each one next to the other, but between what is in their hearts of God-fearing is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. Two people who avoid the major sin, but between them in God-fearing is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. [An-Najm 53:32].
Then the author mentioned a third verse:[Al-A'raf 7:48]:
The people of the 'Araf: a group whose good deeds and evil deeds are equal, so they do not enter Paradise and they do not enter the Fire. The people of the Fire are driven to the Fire; the people of the Fire are gathered to the Fire, and the God-fearing are sent to the Most Merciful in groups, to Paradise in bands. So the people of the Fire enter the Fire, and the people of Paradise enter Paradise. And the people of the 'Araf are in a high place. The 'Araf is the plural of 'iraf, which is the high place, but they are not in Paradise and they are not in the Fire. And they look upon these and those, and in the end they enter Paradise, because there is nothing but Paradise or the Fire; these two remain forever, and what is other than them disappears. He says:[Al-A'raf 7:48] meaning: by their marks, with complete recognition. [Al-A'raf 7:48]: meaning, what did your gathering of wealth, children, and family avail you? And what did your gathering of people, who are your soldiers, whom you gather to yourselves and seek help from, avail you? They did not avail you of anything. [Al-A'raf 7:48]: meaning, and what did your arrogance over the truth avail you? [Al-A'raf 7:49]: meaning the weak ones. And the elite who denied the messengers used to mock the believers, saying: They say: Are these the people of mercy? Are these the people of Paradise? They mock them: [Al-Mutaffifin 83:29-31].
[Al-A'raf 7:49], meaning: it has been said to them [Al-A'raf 7:49].
So their humility toward the truth and their following of the messengers is what brought them to these high stations.
As for these arrogant ones who boasted of what Allah enriched them with in terms of gathering and wealth, that did not avail them of anything. So that indicates the virtue of humility toward the truth. We ask Allah to make us and you among those who are humble toward Him and toward the truth that His messengers brought. Indeed, He is Able to do all things.
The author, al-Hafiz al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), mentioned in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*, under the heading: "The Chapter on Humility and Lowering the Wing to the Believers", in the context of the verses related to this topic, he said:
And the saying of Allah the Exalted:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.
يا أيها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر وأنثى وجعلناكم شعوبًا وقبائلَ لتعارفوا إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم إن الله عليم خبير(49) To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. (50) Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren.
ولله ملك السّموات والأرض يخلق ما يشاء يهب لمن يشاء إناثاً ويهب لمن يشاء الذّكور أو يزوّجهم ذكرانًا وإناثًا ويجعل من يشاء عقيمًاHe gives to whom He wills female [children]
يهب لمن يشاء إناثًاand He gives to whom He wills males.
ويهب لمن يشاء الذّكورOr He makes them [both] males and females
أو يزوّجهم ذكرانا وإناثاand He created them in pairs
ومن شكله أزواجGather those who committed wrong, their kinds
احشروا الذين ظلموا وأزواجهمHe combines for them
يزوّجهمmales and females
ذكرانا وإناثاand He renders whom He wills barren
ويجعل من يشاء عقيماًand made you peoples and tribes
وجعلناكم شعوباً وقبائلthat you may know one another
لتعارفواSo Allah made these tribes so that we may know one another, not so that some of us may take pride over others and say: I am an Arab and you are a non-Arab, I am from my tribe and you are from another, I am a slave and you are a free man. This is not permissible. This is a claim of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and I seek refuge in Allah. He did not make these types except for the sake of mutual acquaintance only, not for the sake of boasting. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: إنّ الله أذهب عنكم عِبّيّة الجاهليّة وفخرها بالأنساب ، فلا فخر لأحد على أحد: لكن: إنّ أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم Indeed, Allah has removed from you the arrogance of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and its boasting by lineage. So no one has any right to boast over another. But: the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you: The most noble of us in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of us. So whoever is more God-fearing is more noble in the sight of Allah. But we must know that some tribes or some peoples are better than others. The people among whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent are the best of peoples, the people of the Arabs, because Allah said in His Book:
Allah is most knowing of where He places His message
الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالتهThose who were the best amongst you in the Prelslamic Period are the best amongst you in Islam if they comprehend (the Islamic religion).
خياركم في الجاهلية خياركم في الإسلام إذا فقهواSo do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
فلا تزكوا أنفسكم هو أعلم بمن اتّقىSo do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
فلا تزكّوا أنفسكم هو أعلم بمن اتّقىHe is most knowing of who fears Him.
أعلم بمن اتّقىHe is most knowing of who fears Him.
هو أعلم بمن اتّقىSo do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
لا تزكّوا أنفسكم هو أعلم بمن اتّقىThen the author mentioned a third verse:
And the companions of the Elevations will call to men [within Hell] whom they recognize by their mark, saying, "Of no avail to you was your gathering and [the fact] that you were arrogant."
ونادى أصحاب الأعراف رجالاً يعرفونهم بسيماهم قالوا ما أغنى عنكم جمعكم وما كنتم تستكبرونThe people of the 'Araf: a group whose good deeds and evil deeds are equal, so they do not enter Paradise and they do not enter the Fire. The people of the Fire are driven to the Fire; the people of the Fire are gathered to the Fire, and the God-fearing are sent to the Most Merciful in groups, to Paradise in bands. So the people of the Fire enter the Fire, and the people of Paradise enter Paradise. And the people of the 'Araf are in a high place. The 'Araf is the plural of 'iraf, which is the high place, but they are not in Paradise and they are not in the Fire. And they look upon these and those, and in the end they enter Paradise, because there is nothing but Paradise or the Fire; these two remain forever, and what is other than them disappears. He says:
And the companions of the Elevations will call to men [within Hell] whom they recognize by their mark
ونادى أصحاب الأعراف رجالا يعرفونهم بسيماهمsaying, "Of no avail to you was your gathering and [the fact] that you were arrogant."
قالوا ما أغنى عنكم جمعكم وما كنتم تستكبرونand [the fact] that you were arrogant."
وما كنتم تستكبرونAre these the ones whom you [inhabitants of Hell] swore that Allah would never offer them mercy?
أهؤلاء الذين أقسمتم لا ينالهم الله برحمةAre these the ones whom Allah has favored among us?
أهؤلاء الذين مَنّ الله علينا من بيننا(29) Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. (30) And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances. (31) And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting.
إنّ الذين أجرموا كانوا من الذين آمنوا يضحكون * وإذا مرّوا بهم يتغامزون * وإذا انقلبوا إلى أهلهم انقلبوا فكهينAre these the ones whom you [inhabitants of Hell] swore that Allah would never offer them mercy? Enter Paradise
أهؤلاء الذين أقسمتم لا ينالهم الله برحمة ادخلوا الجنةEnter Paradise, [O People of the Elevations]. No fear will there be concerning you, nor will you grieve."
ادخلوا الجنة لا خوف عليكم ولا أنتم تحزنونSo their humility toward the truth and their following of the messengers is what brought them to these high stations.
As for these arrogant ones who boasted of what Allah enriched them with in terms of gathering and wealth, that did not avail them of anything. So that indicates the virtue of humility toward the truth. We ask Allah to make us and you among those who are humble toward Him and toward the truth that His messengers brought. Indeed, He is Able to do all things.