Comparison of Jews, Christians and Muslim in Hadith

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam
Could you kindly Sir explain the meaning of the following narration!


Translator: M. Muhsin Khan

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/010sbt.html

Volume 1, Book 10(Times of the Prayers) ,

Number 532:

Narrated Salim bin `Abdullah:


My father said, "I heard Allah`s Apostle saying, `The period of your stay as compared to the previous nations is like the period equal to the time between the `Asr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah and they acted (upon it) till mid-day then they were exhausted and were given one Qirat (of gold) each. And then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and they acted (upon it) till the `Asr prayer then they were exhausted and were! given one Qirat each. And then we were given the Qur`an and we acted (upon it) till sunset and we were given two Qirats each. On that the people of both the scriptures said, `O our Lord! You have given them two Qirats and given us one Qirat, though we have worked more than they.` Allah said, `Have I usurped some of your right?` They said, `No.` Allah said: "That is my blessing I bestow upon whomsoever I wish."

 

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Answer:

 

Comparison of Jews, Christians and Muslim in Hadith

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

If the mission that man was sent on would take a day to complete, in the above narration the Messenger of Allah (saws) compared the time and work done by each Ummah of believers to the time and work done by a worker in a day; and the reward that will be given to the workers of each Ummah to the reward given to a worker for a job.

 

The people who believed and followed the Torah are compared to the first group of workers, they obeyed and followed it if from dawn to mid-day (when compared to the length of a day), and the reward for their work was compared to a Qirat or measurement of gold for their job.

 

The baton was then passed to the second group of people who believed and followed the Injeel, who followed it from mid-day to ‘Asr’ time, and their reward was compared to a Qirat or measurement of gold for their job.

 

Then the same baton (and same mission) was passed on to the people who would complete the project and the mission that man was sent on: the people of the Quran.  The time they acted upon it till the completion of the mission is compared to the last part of the day, from ‘asr’ time to ‘magrib’; but because they were given the job to complete the mission and proclaim the Message to all the peoples of the world, their reward would be double of the earlier generations. 

 

In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (saws) related his example compared to all the Prophets who were sent before him to basically signify that the mission that all the Prophets were sent on was one and the same, one liking to the other, until finally as a completion of the project, Allah Subhanah, in His Supreme Grace and Mercy, sent His Last and Final Messenger and revealed His Last and Final Revelation.

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.735         Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "My similitude in comparison with the other Prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner.  The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in its place!'  So I (Mohamed (saws)) am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets!"

 

It is only natural and accepted that the one who finishes the mission and the project has more responsibility and thus deserves more reward if he brings the project to a successful completion!  The Messenger of Allah (saws) in the above narration gave the good news to the believers and the Ummah, that it is this Ummah, the people of the Quran, who have been appointed to fulfill this mission and bring it to a completion.  Thus they should realize the responsibility laid upon them, and if they bring it to completion successfully, theirs will be a double reward in the Presence of their Lord Most Majestic.

 

Wisdom and logic and justice dictates that the bigger the job and the responsibility, the bigger will be the reward. Although it is not specifically declared, it goes without saying that justice and wisdom again dictates that the ones who fail to fulfill this big responsibility, their punishment too would be double the punishment!

 

The hadith is more than an explanation of what Allah Subhanah has declared in the Glorious Quran:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 2 Surah Baqarah verse 62:

62      Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Christians, and the Sabians, and (all) who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness shall have their (due) reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

Burhan

 

 
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